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    How to reduce out-of-pocket medical expenses in Thailand?

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  • Phuket Opinion: Consuls could help break the choke hold on tourism

    Phuket Opinion: Consuls could help break the choke hold on tourism

    PHUKET: The latest meeting of Phuket’s honorary consuls with provincial authorities was rather unremarkable, but as the gatherings remain the only official forum for tourists and expatriate residents of Phuket to have their concerns presented directly to the people in charge, they need to continue. [See ‘Tourists beaten, cheated and cursed’, current issue of the Phuket Gazette. Digital subscribers click…

  • Phuket Rugby 10s: Singapore Centaurs take the U15s title

    Phuket Rugby 10s: Singapore Centaurs take the U15s title

    Phuket Rugby 10s: Spectators at Karon Stadium were treated to a fine display of youth rugby when Singpore Centaurs defeated Phuket Lomas in the under 15 Cup Final. Centaurs’ fly-half, Alex Ducourneau broke through the Lomas’ defense to score after just two minutes. No reply from the Phuket Lomas gave the score as 5 – 0 at half-time. A tense…

  • Phuket Rugby 10s: Welcome to finals day at Karon Stadium

    Phuket Rugby 10s: Welcome to finals day at Karon Stadium

    Phuket Rugby 10s: Final group stages of the 2011 tournament were played this morning and the semi-finalists have now been determined. Favorites after yesterday’s performances are the Kriel Roosters and Thai Legends. Results below: Emirates Flying Muppets 19 Al Ain Amblers 0 Bedhoff Kings RFC 17 INSEAD Barbarians 5 Rebel Dubai Dragons 0 Qantas Koalas 24 Dubai Exiles 24 Bangkok…

  • Phuket expat suffers 180,000 baht dive tank theft

    Phuket expat suffers 180,000 baht dive tank theft

    PHUKET: Following a tip-off from a cook, an expat dive instructor and equipment provider in Rawai believes a Thai employee may have stolen 30 diving tanks worth 180,000 baht. German national Armin Rudloff, 43, filed a report at Chalong police station yesterday morning. He told police that earlier yesterday he had discovered the tanks missing from an equipment storage room…

  • Phuket Rugby 10s: Dragons and Barbarians through to the cup round

    Phuket Rugby 10s: Dragons and Barbarians through to the cup round

    Phuket Rugby 10s: Asian Japanese Dragons defeated INSEAD 21-0, and will join Singapore Barbarians who beat Al Ain Amblers 5-0, into the cup rounds.All photos by Dean Noble — Neil Quail

  • Phuket Rugby 10s: Group stages draw to a close

    Phuket Rugby 10s: Group stages draw to a close

    Phuket Rugby 10s: Group stages of the 10s have reached their conclusion. The next round sees the determination of finalists. Asian Japanese Dragons 5 Taipai baboons 21 INSEAD 0 Rebel Dubai Dragons 7 Bangkok Bangers Colts 7 Bucket Brigade 0 Emirates Flying Muppets 0 Qantas Koalas 7 Moorabbin Rams 26 Sinagapore Barbarians 0 Al Ain Amblers 7 San Miguel Wanderers…

  • Testing police for drugs doesn’t work: Phuket poll

    Testing police for drugs doesn’t work: Phuket poll

    PHUKET: A strong majority of Phuket Gazette readers feel that the Phuket Provincial Police drug testing of all its officers is not effective in ensuring police are free of drugs, the results of a recent readers’ poll reveal. Readers were asked to reply to the question: The Phuket Provincial Police have announced that all officers under their command will be…

  • Phuket Rugby 10s: Referees stamp their authority

    Phuket Rugby 10s: Referees stamp their authority

    Phuket Rugby 10s: Referees stamping their authority on the games.

  • Phuket Rugby 10s: Kriel Roosters strut and Royal Thai Police give arresting performance

    Phuket Rugby 10s: Kriel Roosters strut and Royal Thai Police give arresting performance

    PHUKET: Phuket Rugby 10s with a combined score of 70 points from their first games, the Royal Thai Police and the Kriel Roosters are proving to be the teams to beat. Rebel Dubai Dragons 0 Royal Thai Police 32 Bucket Brigade 14 Bedhoff Kings RFC 5 Qantas Koalas 0 Thai Legends 14 Singapore Barbarians 0 Dubai Exiles 10 Al Ain…

  • Phuket Property Review on news stands now

    Phuket Property Review on news stands now

    PHUKET: The Phuket Gazette is pleased to announce that its Phuket Property Review is now available as a free 16-page supplement to the May 28 issue, on sale at newsstands around the island today. The Phuket Property Review analyzes market trends in five parts of the island: North, South, East, West and ‘Inland’, and provides additional advice on such topics…

  • Phuket International Rugby 10s is invaluable to the Asia Center Foundation.

    Phuket International Rugby 10s is invaluable to the Asia Center Foundation.

    PHUKET: “Phuket International Rugby 10s is invaluable to the Asia Center Foundation. Support and donations from all involved with the tournament gives over 100 children the opportunity for a better life.” Roelien Muller, Director of the Asia Center Foundation, explaining the importance of the Phuket Rugby 10s. Donations are always welcomed for this worthy cause.

  • Phuket Heineken International Rugby 10s main tournament under starter’s orders

    Phuket Heineken International Rugby 10s main tournament under starter’s orders

    PHUKET: Good morning Phuket! Welcome to the 13th Rugby 10s main event. Following yesterday’s exciting Athena Siam Coffin Dodgers competition the main tournament has already kicked off at 8.30am with the Royal Thai Police taking on the Rebel Dubai Dragons at Karon Stadium. Games start every twenty minutes. Bring friends and family for a fun filled day of festival rubgy…

  • Phuket Viagrabonds into the Athena Siam Coffin Dodgers Cup

    Phuket Viagrabonds into the Athena Siam Coffin Dodgers Cup

    PHUKET: Phuket 10s Athena Siam Coffin Dodgers competition finished its qualifying stages , with home favourites Phuket Viagrabonds reaching the cup final due to be played on Sunday at Karon Stadium. All results from the semi finals are detailed below: Cottesloe Pirates 5 Arabian Gulf Legends 24 Selangor Old Dog 5 Asian Japanese Dragons 0 Bedhoff Kings 5 Bucks Stags…

  • Phuket ‘hashers’ mourn three fallen comrades | Thaiger

    Phuket ‘hashers’ mourn three fallen comrades

    PHUKET: Two more members of the Phuket Hash House Harriers died this week following the death of a “hasher” in a motorcycle accident on Monday. The most recent was Ruurd Jansen, 66, who died after the roof of his house collapsed on him on Wednesday. Mr Jansen and his wife ran a beach-side restaurant called “Som” (“Orange”) near the Laguna…

  • Phuket final reminder to catch the UEFA Champions League Final

    Phuket final reminder to catch the UEFA Champions League Final

    PHUKET: Wembley Stadium will play host to the best in European football this Saturday, when English champions Manchester United face off against Barcelona. The UEFA Champions League Final will kick-off at 8:45pm Central European Time (1:45am on Sunday in Phuket), and is expected to serve up a scintillating display of football with both teams vying for their fourth title. Pundits…

  • Anti-protest protest gets rolling in Phuket

    Anti-protest protest gets rolling in Phuket

    PHUKET: A small band of activists have been rolling through the streets of Phuket in salaeng (motorbikes with sidecar) in recent days, urging the public to ignore a campaign to cast “no” votes in the upcoming general election. The 30-strong group travels with Thai flags hoisted high and carrying signs that read: “If we vote for nobody, who will run…

  • Phuket Rugby 10s at Karon Stadium hots up for the semis!

    Phuket Rugby 10s at Karon Stadium hots up for the semis!

    PHUKET: The Phuket Rugby 10s Athena Siam Coffin Dodgers Cup moves into the final group matches with the results at the Karon Stadium being: Stray Cats 0 Taipei Silverbacks 12 Cottesloe Pirates 0 Bedhoff Kings 10 Hong Kong Bulls 5 Cottesloe Old Gulls 17 Selangor Old Dog 5 Wanderers Jagermeister Wrinklies 7 Asian Japanese Dragons 7 Old Bangkok Bangers 10…

  • “It’s a shame the scrums are not contested.” at Phuket 10s

    “It’s a shame the scrums are not contested.” at Phuket 10s

    PHUKET: Susanne Olovsson, a member of Sweden’s International women’s rugby team playing for Kuala Lumpur’s Selangor Old Dogs in the Phuket Rugby 10s at Karon Stadium. Susanne is the prop forward for her country, which placed 12th in the last women’s World Cup. “I’m really enjoying the Phuket 10s, a great competition, though suffering with the heat and humidity,” she…

  • One dead, two injured in Phuket motorbike collision

    One dead, two injured in Phuket motorbike collision

    PHUKET: A young woman was killed and two teenage boys injured when their motorcycles collided at a U-turn in Thalang early this morning. Capt Praman Yukkaphan of Thalang Police identified the deceased as Urairat Khongket, an employee of a rubber glove factory in Baan Manik, Srisoonthorn. Originally from Nakhon Sri Thammarat, the 27-year-old probably died instantly from massive head injuries…

  • Phuket Rugby 10s at Karon Stadium simmers!

    Phuket Rugby 10s at Karon Stadium simmers!

    PHUKET: The Phuket Rugby 10s simmers with the Phuket Viagrabonds, Cottesloe Old Gulls, Morrabbin Rams and the Taipei Silverbacks all showing themselves as potential winners. The results from games nine to 12 in the Athena Siam Coffin Dodgers Competition at Karon Stadium were: Selangor Old Dogs 0 Cottesloe Old Gulls 15 Wanderers Jagermeister Wrinklies 24 Hong Kong Bulls 7 Old…

  • Heineken Thailand Brewery Co. Ltd Phuket Rugby 10s Kicks Off!

    Heineken Thailand Brewery Co. Ltd Phuket Rugby 10s Kicks Off!

    PHUKET: The Phuket rugby 10s sponsored by Heineken Thailand Brewery Co. Ltd kicked off under slightly overcast skies, just perfect conditions. We will be bringing you frequent updates throughout the day. The results from the opening games in the Athena Siam Coffin Dodgers Comp were: Taipei Silverbacks 19 Cottesloe Pirates 0 Stray Cats 7 Bedhoff Kings 24 Hong Kong Bulls…

  • New Phuket bridge to open next week

    New Phuket bridge to open next week

    PHUKET: The new bridge connecting Phuket with Phang Nga will be open to traffic next week as planned, the Phuket Provincial Highways Office (PPHO) announced. Known as the “Sarasin Bridge 2” throughout the construction phase, the new roadway will be known officially as the Srisoonthorn Bridge. “The new bridge is about 94 per cent complete and the construction contract ends…

  • Phuket police net bumper haul in pirate raids

    Phuket police net bumper haul in pirate raids

    PHUKET: Two high-profile raids in Phuket yesterday, in the prime tourist areas of Kata and Patong, landed goods valued at more than a million baht. The first raid was on a shop near Dino Park in Kata, at about 3pm. There, officers seized a haul of hundreds of imitation brand-name shorts and wallets, and more than 400 pirate wristwatches. Officers…

  • Iceland volcano eruption has no effect on Phuket flights

    Iceland volcano eruption has no effect on Phuket flights

    PHUKET: THE eruption of the Grimsvötn volcano in Iceland has not affected flights at Phuket International Airport, the Phuket Gazette was told yesterday. Airlines are also back in the skies over Europe as schedules return to normal today after a week of flight disruptions caused by a cloud of volcanic ash drifting over parts of the continent, Bloomberg reported. On…

  • Dirty tackle

    Dirty tackle

    PHUKET SPORTS: “This move is little more than a tactic being used by those who have no confidence in their own ability to emerge successfully from the Fifa presidential election.” Mohamed Bin Hammam (President of the Asian Football Confederation) offering a vague clue as to who and why allegations of corruption have been brought against him. — Neil Quail

  • Rugby 10s gets Phuket buzzing

    Rugby 10s gets Phuket buzzing

    PHUKET: THE 13th Phuket International Rugby 10s kicks off tomorrow May 27 with Phuket’s own Vagabonds intent on providing stiff opposition for would be challengers in the event. Karon Stadium again plays home to this hugely popular tournament and after recent rains the surface is in ideal condition for rugby. Phuket Vagabonds rivalry with the Bangkok Bangers will certainly entice…

  • Patong’s first high school to open 2014

    Patong’s first high school to open 2014

    PHUKET: Patong Municipality will spend 320 million baht to renovate and expand the Ban Sainamyen School, establishing it as the busy Phuket tourist town’s first high school. Plans have been drawn up and construction is expected to take two years, with the high school slated to open in 2014. “The [existing] school building is old but clean, though at present…

  • Rubbish piling up on Phuket’s sister ‘eco-island’

    Rubbish piling up on Phuket’s sister ‘eco-island’

    PHUKET: Now that the two municipal landfills on Koh Yao Noi are filled to capacity, villagers living on the island are demanding new solutions. About 30 villagers on May 12 handed a letter of complaint to Mayor Somphol Roengsamut at the Koh Yao Noi Municipality offices. The group said waste management had been a problem for years on the island.…

  • Thai stars to clash with Liverpool Legends at Thanyapura Phuket

    Thai stars to clash with Liverpool Legends at Thanyapura Phuket

    PHUKET: THE clash of legends on Phuket. In mid-June, a team of former Thailand internationals hope to turn back the clock and take the game to a potent force of illustrious former Liverpool FC players. One of the most celebrated strikers ever to wear a ‘war elephants’ shirt is Piyapong Pue On. A national hero, he has represented Thailand on…

  • Windsor notches eight gold medals at BIS, Phuket | Thaiger

    Windsor notches eight gold medals at BIS, Phuket

    PHUKET: BRITISH International School (BIS) hosted 382 young athletes for its impressive third Flying Fish International Swimming Invitational and witnessed the emergence of a future star from Phuket. Twenty-one teams represented seven countries from around the region including Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, China, the Philippines and Pakistan. The vast number of boys and girls were organized by age, ranging from…