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Two seriously injured in truck crash
PHUKET: Two people were seriously injured when a pick-up truck collided head-on with a cement truck on wet roads in front of Supercheap in Bang Tao this afternoon. “The pick-up truck driver and passenger, who were both seriously injured, had already been rushed to Thalang Hospital by the time police arrived,” Lt Peerasit Nhupayan of the Cherng Talay Police told…
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Villagers waiting for compensation complain to governor
PHUKET: A group of villagers filed a complaint with the governor this morning over officials failing to compensate them after parts of their homes were destroyed during a Rassada Municipality drainage ditch construction project in 2013. The case has been in process for two years, culminating in a agreement on May 12 this year that Rassada Municipality would compensate the…
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Governor leads 500 bikers in “Bike for Mom’ practice ride
PHUKET: In anticipation of a nationwide Mother’s Day ‘Bike for Mom’ event on August 16, a practice ride was held in Phuket yesterday to determine what issues, if any, the bikers will face on the day. Phuket Governor Nisit Jansomwong led a brigade of 500 bikers through the 26-kilometer route, which starts at Phuket Provincial Hall, journey through Phuket Town…
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Phuket school robbed of B240k worth of electronics
PHUKET: Police are hunting for a criminal or criminals who swiped 240,000 baht worth of laptops* from Satree Phuket School’s science math center this weekend. “We received the report at 8:30am today when a school employee opened up the center after it was closed for the weekend,” Phuket City Police Deputy Superintendent Chao Phomna told the Phuket Gazette. In addition…
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Kratom culture
PHUKET: The arrest of a low-ranking Royal Thai Navy officer for smuggling a large shipment of kratom, Mitragyna speciosa, into Phuket’s primary party town of Patong this week is only a flake on the epidermis of a complicated, political and cultural battle against the illegal drug. The use of the substance in a number of wild concoctions has infiltrated many…
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Officials fear marine life hit by wrecked cargo ship
PHUKET: Local officers have filed a preemptive notice to Chalong Police over the recovery of a wrecked 67.6 meter-long mulch-purpose cargo vessel in fear that a significant amount of damage has been done to the coral reefs along Koh Hei, also known as Coral Island. Sinaran Andaman wrecked into Koh Hei on July 8 in rough seas that sank two…
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Chasing down breeze on Day 2 of Phuket Raceweek
PHUKET: As the start boat for the 2015 Cape Panwa Hotel Phuket Raceweek left the anchorage yesterday morning there were a lot of anxious faces on board. After a tricky and tiring first day, where the Wind Gods delivered seven knots at best and for most of the day a little less, the forecasts for Day 2 were no better.…
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Volunteer lifeguard ranks swell by 60
PHUKET: 60 volunteer lifeguards completed their training this past week, adding to the ranks of Phuket’s lifeguards during the dangerous southwest monsoon season. “Most of the volunteers are hotel beach employees who would likely get a chance to rescue people from the sea. However, ordinary people have also volunteered,” Phuket Lifeguard Club President Prathaiyuth Chuayuan said yesterday. Mr Prathaiyuth explained…
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Korean ignores warnings, drowns in Phuket
PHUKET: A Korean tourist, who allegedly ignored hotel staff when warned about the current dangers of the sea, drowned last night. Seunchei Yang, 20, was recovered by employees of Outrigger Laguna Phuket Beach Resort and rushed to Thalang Hospital. He was pronounced dead on arrival. “We questioned those working and they confirmed that Mr Yang was part of a group…
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Verdict date set for PhuketWan in Computer Crimes Act case
PHUKET: Alan Morison and Chutima Sidasathian, of local news blog PhuketWan, will hear the verdict on September 1 for charges of criminal defamation and violations of the Computer Crimes Act following the conclusion of the trial yesterday. According to the court hearing, the charges stem from a report published on July 17, 2013, which contained excerpts from a Reuters special…
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Thalang officials hunt for human-trafficking victims
PHUKET: Phuket officials checked several Thalang construction sites yesterday for signs of illegal workers who could possibly be connected to human trafficking. “The Phuket human-trafficking prevention and suppression committee had a meeting last month to create a plan for cracking down on human trafficking,” said Kriangkrai Apabootsayapan, chief of the Phuket Provincial Labor Protection and Welfare Office. “We will be…
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Four Phuket taxi drivers arrested for gambling
PHUKET: Four Phuket taxi drivers were arrested for gambling in Patong yesterday. Patong Police jump started an anti-firearm and crime crackdown recently ordered by the Royal Thai Police Headquarters in Bangkok by inspecting three places where they had reason to believe crimes were being committed. “The time period for this campaign is July 15 through 19,” said Lt Col Sutthichai…
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China defence minister says Japan bill will ‘complicate’ region
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community China defence minister says Japan bill will ‘complicate’ region Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: China’s defence minister told the head of Japan’s National Security Council on Friday that Japanese legislation which could see troops sent to fight abroad for the first time since World War II…
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Dermatology stakes claim in Thai medical tourism industry
PHUKET: Dermatology is staking its claim in Thailand’s developing medical-tourism sector, a growth which is due in part to an increasing number of highly qualified dermatologists, state-of-the-art treatments and affordable services. Romrawin Clinic, with two of its branches located in Phuket, has taken advantage of the demand for dermatological procedures and is now at the forefront of the business with…
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Business Buzz: The beauty of Instagram
HUKET: Instagram as we know it is changing, but that can be a good thing if you are a business looking to increase your exposure. Instagram is a photo-sharing app that reportedly has more than 300 million monthly users. It is very popular with people born in the 80s and 90s, who account for more than 37% per cent of…
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Busted: Paying gambling debt as drug mule
PHUKET: Two men were caught in Phang Nga attempting to smuggle more than 25,000 ya bah (methamphetamine) pills into Surat Thani on Wednesday. Sophon ‘Khong’ Suwannarat, 37, confessed to police that he had agreed to transport the drugs in order to pay off a 50,000-baht gambling debt, while Paisarn Ratmanee, 40, denied any knowledge of the drugs. “Police were tipped…
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TCT dominates over Phuket Asian Cricket Team
PHUKET: The Outrigger T20 cricket league commenced on Sunday at the Alan Cooke Ground with the Thalang Cricket Team (TCT) having an easy win over the newly formed Phuket Asian Cricket Team (PACT). PACT won the toss and made the unusual decision to field first with their team only having seven players present. The new side, who is representing the…
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Opinion: Uphill safety battles
PHUKET: Accidents happen every day on the island – whether they are caused by drunk driving, running a red light or something else. I argue that the most serious accidents on our island occur during the rainy season on the hills in Patong, Kamala, Surin and Kata. Maybe some of these accidents are caused by ‘slippery roads’, as is often…
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Proposed sweeping alcohol-sales ban worries Phuket officials
PHUKET: Island officials have expressed concern about an alcohol sales ban expected to take effect next week that will affect all businesses within a 300-meter radius of academic institutions. Despite their concerns, local authorities have noted that they will have to obey and enforce the new regulation, although some believe it will have a negative effect on businesses. “The draft…
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Cape Panwa Hotel Phuket Raceweek underway
PHUKET: The Race Management team had a busy few hours looking for wind on day one of the 2015 Cape Panwa Hotel Phuket Raceweek. Motoring around the southeast coast of Phuket, Simon James and his team had to postpone the start as they tracked down the breeze. Despite the storm clouds over the island’s south, the rains held off and…
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Finance: Rising interest rates won’t kill REITs
PHUKET: Many investors looking for yields and exposure to real estate have piled into Real Estate Income Trusts (REITs) despite the prevailing investment wisdom being any eventual rise in interest rates will be a disaster for the sector. After all, REITs rely heavily on borrowing to acquire real estate with interest payments on this debt usually being their biggest expense.…
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Man on the run after shooting father-in-law
PHUKET: Police are searching for a man who allegedly shot his father-in-law on Wednesday at about noon. Thanyawat Matchiwong, 28, is on the run after he allegedly shot and injured his father-in-law Juang Chuayboonchu, 77, at his home. “We had an argument on the phone about an hour beforehand. Thanyawat said he would kill my family and I, and then…
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Kbank services unavailable for 48 hours starting tomorrow
PHUKET: Kasikorn Bank (Kbank) is urging its customers to prepare for a 48-hour suspension of most of its services, which starts tomorrow night. The plan to pause banking services for 48 hours to improve the bank system was announced early last week (story here). “Kasikorn Bank branches will be open per usual on Friday, but we will temporarily close from…
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Phuket lifeguards build bluebottle warning signs after sightings
PHUKET: The Phuket Lifeguard Club (PLC) is in the process of creating signs to warn tourists about the dangers of bluebottle ‘jellyfish’, which have recently been found on several of the island’s west-coast beaches. Dozens of bluebottles, also known as Portuguese man o’ war, were found at Mai Khao, Nai Thon, Nai Harn and Patong Beach on Tuesday. Though rarely…
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Opinion: Use Article 44 to take down the dolphinarium
PHUKET: The Phuket Gazette endorses the recent call by SKAL and several other groups in petitioning Tourism and Sports Minister Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul to put to an end, once and for all, to the plans to open a “dolphinarium” in Chalong. In their letter to the minister, SKAL makes a succinct yet highly compelling 12-point argument against the dolphinarium, which has…
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Police seize 70kg kratom in two busts
For an in-depth look at kratom culture in Phuket and Thailand, pick up a copy of the Phuket Gazette hard-copy newspaper, available in Phuket, Bangkok, Pattaya, Hua Hin and Koh Samui on Saturday. PHUKET: Three suspects were arrested in two separate operations in Phuket Town and Thalang this week for allegedly having a total of 70 kilograms of kratom leaves…
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Alleged Aussie drug dealer netted in Patong
PHUKET: An Australian alleged drug dealer was arrested in Patong on Tuesday in possession of cocaine and marijuana. Named by police as Miki Michael Lee, 48, the Aussie was caught in a rented room on Soi Nanai with 1 gram of cocaine and 29.3g of marijuana. “Our undercover officers informed us that Mr Lee was selling cocaine and marijuana to…
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Muslims gear up for major festival
PHUKET: The sighting of the new moon will signal the end of the Ramadan fasting month and usher in Eid-al Fitr celebrations, as well as the start of Shawwal fasts.Eid-al Fitr is one of the most important days for practicing Muslims, as it marks the end of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. “This year all mosques in Phuket, and…
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Turtle found on Mai Khao Beach with severed flipper
PHUKET: An olive ridley sea turtle was found with a severed front flipper on Mai Khao Beach yesterday evening. Officers from the Phuket Marine Biological Center (PMBC) and rescue workers from the Kusoldharm Foundation went to the scene at about 7pm after being notified of the turtle by a beach guard. “The front left flipper was severed. We believe the…
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Phuket officials probe sewage pipeline project
PHUKET: About 20 disgruntled Koh Sireh residents filed a complaint with Damrongtham Center on Monday urging Governor Nisit Jansomwong to investigate a sewage pipeline project in Rassada. The villagers argued that the construction has narrowed a local road, thus substantially increasing traffic congestion and accident risks. “We knew that this is a Rassada Municipality project and we fully cooperated the…
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