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![Heavy winds send bus teetering off pier [video] | Thaiger](data:image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0naHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmcnIHZpZXdCb3g9JzAgMCAzMjggMjIwJz48L3N2Zz4=)
Heavy winds send bus teetering off pier [video]
PHUKET: In a scene straight from “The Italian Job”, a shuttle bus was blown half-way off of Chalong Pier and left hanging in delicate balance, as Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (OrBorJor) workers attempted to haul it back onto the roadway. Officials said the heavy winds this morning were responsible for blowing the bus nearly off the pier from its parking…
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Tourist arrested for feeding fish
PHUKET: A Chinese tourist was arrested yesterday for feeding fish at Koh Kai. The arrest of Hongzhi Zhou, 45, was the first time a tourist has been detained after emergency powers were granted to law enforcement officials by the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) Region 6 on May 24 to protect marine life. The measures, referred to as…
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Amateurs tee off at first Open
PHUKET: The Phuket Country Club will host the Phuket Golf Association’s first Amateur Open this Saturday. The event is open to both Thai and tourist amateurs and will feature cash and prizes, said Phuket Golf Association Chief Terayout Prasertphol. “The competition will follow the rules of the United States Golf Association (USGA), The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St…
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Power cable mysteriously bursts into flames in Patong
PHUKET: A power cable mysteriously burst into flames in Patong this morning. Stunned passersby watched as bright yellow flames erupted from the power cable outside the Sea View House on Nanai Road just before midday. Residents feared the flames would spread to nearby buildings and called the fire brigade. Six fire fighters took about five minutes to extinguish the flames,…
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Fierce storms cause more than B300,000 worth of damage
PHUKET: Fierce storms this week caused more than 300,000 baht worth of damage to at least nine houses in Phuket, toppling trees and causing landslides in several areas. The heavy downpour this morning toppled several trees and damaged two houses in Ao Po and seven other houses were damaged in Thalang on Tuesday. “There was a landslide in the Ao…
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![Phuket lifeguards exasperated by ignorant tourists [video] | Thaiger](data:image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0naHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmcnIHZpZXdCb3g9JzAgMCAyOTMgMjIwJz48L3N2Zz4=)
Phuket lifeguards exasperated by ignorant tourists [video]
PHUKET: Lifeguards at Phuket’s beaches are exasperated by tourists blatantly ignoring warnings not to swim and risking their lives playing in the rough waves. “A lot of beachgoers are completely ignoring the red flags, and they won’t even listen to the lifeguards when we try to stop them,” said Singsom, the head lifeguard at Kata-Karon. Despite the frantic whistling of…
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Opinion: The evolution of Phuket Town
Don Limnunthaphisit, 52, is currently the president of the Old Phuket Town Community. He was born and raised in Phuket and graduated from Prince of Songkla University with a bachelor’s degree in science. Here, he talks about the changes Phuket has been through, which drastically changed the lives of the local people. He also talks about what the ‘ideal’ version…
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Police officer faces murder charges for death of Rohingya detainee
PHANG NGA: Police are preparing to file charges of murder with intent against a police officer who shot a Rohingya man after a group of 21 Rohingya men escaped from Phang Nga Immigration Detention Center early Monday morning. (story here). “According to witnesses, Muhammad Kornee, 18, threw a big rock at one of the officers and the officer used his…
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Police capture more Rohingya on the run
PNANG NGA: Police last night tracked down eight more of the 21 Rohingya detainees who fled from Phang Nga Immigration Detention Center early yesterday morning. The men broke out of the center at 3am yesterday and split into two groups; one group heading for the sea and the other into forested hills. One of the escapees was fatally shot during…
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Phuket number plate auction raises B22mn for crash victims
PHUKET: The sale of lucky licence plates raised 22 million baht this week to fund road safety campaigns and rehabilitation programs for traffic accident victims. More than 300 lucky licence plates were auctioned off at the 11th annual two-day event organized by the Phuket Land Transport Office (PLTO) and held at the Phuket Merlin Hotel on May 21 and 22.…
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Russian expat dead in Phuket with needle in arm
PHUKET: The body of a Russian man with a needle embedded in his left arm was discovered at an apartment near Khao Rang in Phuket City yesterday. The man has been identified as a 38-year-old computer programmer. The Gazette is withholding his name until his family has been notified of his death. The body was discovered by a concerned colleague,…
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Rohingya detainee shot dead in escape bid
PHANG NGA: A male Rohingya migrant was shot to death during an escape bid from the Phang Nga Immigration Detention Center this morning. The escapee was one of 21 Rohingya who broke out of the center at 3am and split into two groups. Fifteen of them made their way down a waterway leading to Phang Nga Bay. The other six…
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EgyptAir jet sent smoke-alarm warnings before crash
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community EgyptAir jet sent smoke-alarm warnings before crash Phuket Gazette / Reuters PARIS/CAIRO: The EgyptAir jet that crashed in the Mediterranean on Thursday sent a series of warnings indicating that smoke had been detected on board, shortly before it disappeared off radar screens, French investigators said on…
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Appeal underway for Koh Tao double murder suspects
SAMUI: The mothers of two Myanmar migrant workers sentenced to death for the murder of two British travellers on Koh Tao in 2014, arrived in Samui yesterday to file an appeal against their sons’ convictions. Phyu Shew Nu and May Thein, mothers of suspects Wai Phyo and Zaw Lin respectively, came armed with about 200 pages of documentation to state…
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Andaman storm to batter Phuket, Southern Thailand
PHUKET: The Southern Meteorological Center (West Coast) on Saturday issued a storm warning about heavy rains and increasingly strong winds for the remainder of this week in Phuket and other areas in the Andaman and Southern Thailand. The following areas are placed on high alert: Phuket, Ranong, Phang Nga, Krabi, Trang and Satun. Residents are warned to remain cautious due…
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Man dragged out to sea by body-snatching wave at Nai Thon Beach
PHUKET: A search and rescue operation is underway to locate a man dragged out to sea at Nai Thon Beach last night. He was reportedly pulled out by a wave while walking along the beach and dragged away by the strong currents. “Wichit Sophon, 30, was reported missing by his girlfriend Sompong Noinak, 30, at about 8pm. Ms Sompong was…
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Leicester City FC takes time out in Phuket
PHUKET: More than 70 players and staff from the English Premier League’s Leicester City Football Club touched down at Phuket Airport yesterday for a three-day stopover before traveling to Myanmar on Sunday. The team arrived in Phuket on an AirAsia flight from Bangkok’s Don Muang Airport at about 1.35pm and were given a warm welcome by Airport Director Monrudee Gettuphan…
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Manhunt launched for karaoke killer
PHUKET: Police are hunting for the murderer of a man who was stabbed outside a karaoke bar in Thalang yesterday. “We found the body of Chaiyuth Innsathorn, 35, outside Panan karaoke bar in Thalang at about 3:20am. His throat was slashed and there was blood on his head and clothes,” confirmed Thalang Police Lt Suporn Muangkai. “Another man named Rachane…
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Phuket crisis negotiators stop suicidal woman from jumping off clifftop
PHUKET: Crisis negotiators last night talked down a woman threatening to commit suicide by jumping from the top of Promthep Cape. Rawai Mayor Aroon Solos and municipality staff learned of the impending suicide attempt when the distraught woman posted her plans on Facebook while commemorating Visakha Bucha Day. The Facebook post by Noo Noi Nang Fa (Little Angel), written in…
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Tour boats warned to steer clear of dolphins off Phuket
PHUKET: Officials have warned tour guides and boat operators to stay at a safe distance from marine life, after a large pod of dolphins was spotted near Koh Mai Thon off the southeast coast of Phuket. Suchat Rattanaruengsri, head of the Marine and Coastal Resources Conservation Division Region 6, was joined by marine experts and officials as they looked into…
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Finance: Where are the markets now?
PHUKET: On April 11, Alcoa Inc (NYSE:AA) started the first quarter earnings season by reporting a lower quarterly profit (US$16 million or zero cents per share versus US$195 million or 14 cents per share a year earlier) on lower revenue (down 15 per cent) as results were hurt by low commodity prices, the strong US dollar and plant closures. Alcoa’s…
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Second Thailand Yacht Show dates announced
PHUKET: The dates for the second edition of the Thailand Yacht Show (TYS) have now been confirmed for December 15-18, with the massive event to be held once again at Phuket’s prestigious Ao Por Grand Marina. In making the announcement, managing director Andy Treadwell of show organizers SYE Pte Ltd, explained that as a joint venture with the Government of…
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EXCLUSIVE: Phuket Prison’s female inmates talk about their lost lives
PHUKET: Behind the walls of Phuket Provincial Prison are more than 2,000 inmates. About 350 of them are women; most of them doing time for drug dealing. The Gazette takes you behind the bars of Phuket’s cramped prison for exclusive insights into the lives and circumstances of two women, ‘Wan’ and ‘Bee’, locked up for drug-related crimes in a facility…
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Island View: Learning to accept your mistakes
PHUKET: I must admit that my knowledge of Phuket is limited to what I’ve experienced in the year that I’ve been here, but I can easily say that I like what I’ve seen so far. Admittedly, Phuket has its fair share of problems, but for an island with a rapidly growing population and countless visitors all year round, that is…
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Ministry of Faranag Affairs: Always take your shoes off
The Ministry of Farang Affairs is a one-stop shop where foreigners in Thailand can learn all they need to know about living here. No, we’re not talking about work permits, visas or taxes. We’re talking about day-to-day life in the Land of Endless Shocks and Riddles, of Blur, Befuddlement and the Bizarre. Stay tuned for weekly insights from Minister Stephff.…
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Opinion: Young lives forever ruined by drugs
PHUKET: Despite the recent effort to ‘restart’ Thailand as a more civil and corruption-free society, continued reports of drug-related arrests indicate that our nation still has a long way to go in curbing the chronic problems of illicit drugs. The reflections of two female inmates serving lengthy sentences at the dangerously overcrowded Phuket Provincial Prison should serve as cautionary tales…
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Grand (re)opening of Surin Beach announced
PHUKET: After years of delays and last minute attempts to save illegal beach businesses from the wrecking ball, Surin Beach has finally been restored to its ‘natural’ state. In what seems to be a rather quick rise from the rubble, officials have announced the beach’s grand opening set for June 9. It is now being called the ‘Beach of Honor’…
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Severe coral bleaching threatens popular Phi Phi dive spots
PHUKET: Coral bleaching is rife in Phi Phi national park – the worst ever recorded in Thailand – alarmed conservation officials reported yesterday. Many varieties of coral have been affected by the bleaching, which is due to the sea temperature rising to between 31 to 35 degrees Celsius, said an official from the Department of National Parks Wildlife and Plant…
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Rawai sea gypsies finally see the light
PHUKET: The 25-household Rawai sea gypsy community is overjoyed to finally have electricity, after having lived without it for most of their lives, as a land-rights conflict hampered their access to the power grid. The free installation of a 3,000-watt solar cell-powered system to generate electricity in the area is the result of an initiative by Phra Khru Wimonpanyakhun, the…
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BREAKING: Tattooed body washes up on Karon Beach
PHUKET: The body of a man wearing only underpants washed up on Karon Beach last night. A foreign tourist was shocked to discover the body while walking along the beach at 7:30pm and contacted the police. The deceased was aged 35-40 and was about 165-170cm tall. He has a bald head and appears, by the dark color of his skin,…
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