Phuket
- Phuket
Rescue team ends search for Romanian diver missing off Phuket
A rescue team ended its search for a Romanian diver who went missing at sea off Phuket on January 8. The diver, 46 year old Sebastian Emil Somesan, went missing off the coast of Promthep Cape. Yesterday, Rawai Mayor Aroon Solos announced that the search was wrapping up. This was after rescuers worked intensely for nine days to find Somesan,…
- Crime
Viral video shows Phuket gang attack a teen after reported motorbike collision
Another video of a teenage fight is making rounds on Thai social media. A video went viral on social media on Sunday of a large group of Phuket teens attacking another teen after a reported motorbike collision. The incident happened in Saphan Hin park. The video’s poster, under the Facebook name JP Karaged, said a teenager ran his motorbike into…
- Crime
Man allegedly beats Russian ex-girlfriend in Phuket
A man allegedly beat his Russian ex-girlfriend in Phuket, a local news outlet reported yesterday. The victim, 32 year old Julia Bolshakova, reported to Chalong Police on January 13, immediately after she left Chalong Hospital following the attack. A medical report confirmed multiple contusions from Bolshakova’s ex punching her in her face and head. Bolshakova appealed to the police for…
- Crime
Cops catch alleged Singaporean scammer at Phuket airport
Cops caught an alleged Singaporean scammer at Phuket International Airport yesterday, who was accused of involvement in Thailand’s ‘Forex-3D scam’ that grabbed headlines in the kingdom last year. Immigration police busted the suspect, 32 year old Daryl Cai Yonghui, as he was about to fly to Singapore, according to the head of the Department of Special Investigation (DSI)’s financial business…
- Lifestyle
Phuket launches lantern festival ahead of Chinese New Year
Phuket’s main city district launched the ‘Phuket Lantern Festival 2023’ last night ahead of Chinese New Year, which falls on January 22. The lantern festival will run from January 15 to February 5. During this time, all government offices in Phuket will be decorated with lanterns. Phuket’s city municipality has decorated tourist attractions and the area around Chartered Bank Intersection. …
- Patong
Kind Thai man returns pricey lost gold bracelet to British tourist in Patong
A kind Thai man returned a pricey lost gold necklace to a British tourist in Patong last week, media reported yesterday. The Thai man, 46-year-old Jakkarin Kongmueang, told Patong Police he found the bracelet at a bar in Soi Bangla on January 11. The Phuket Express reported that the bracelet was worth 150,000 baht. Jakkarin went to the station to file a report…
- Transport
No, you can’t get a driver’s license via LINE
Despite what you may have read on the Internet, you absolutely cannot get a legal driver’s license by messaging someone via the LINE app and having them take the test for you. The Department of Land Transport Phuket Office issued a warning about a scam involving illegal and online driving licenses. The scam has been circulating on social media, including…
- Phuket
Phuket prisoners to dredge drains in new project to fight flooding
Phuket prisoners will dredge drains and sewers in a new project to fight the island province’s horrendous flooding problems. Officials held a meeting about the upcoming endeavor at Phuket’s Provincial Hall on Wednesday. Officials said the project aims to prevent a repeat last year’s damage from havoc wreaking floods. Inmates from Phuket Provincial Prison will contribute to society by clearing…
- Thailand
Foreign mafia who attacked 2 Thai women in Koh Samui found in Phuket
National Police Deputy Commissioner Surachate Hakparn, aka Big Joke, ordered police in Koh Samui to speed up the search for the foreign mafia gang that attacked two Thai women at a bar on New Year’s Eve. Officers from Bor Phut Police Station in Koh Samui reported that they know the identities of two of the group members and stated that…
- Patong
Russian woman almost drowns on Patong beach
It was a close call for one Russian woman who almost drowned on Patong Beach yesterday. The incident happened at the part of the beach near the Bangla Police Box. Tourists pulled the unconscious woman out of the water, and lifeguards, once aware of the situation, rushed to help. The lifeguards, and a tourist who was a doctor, worked to…
- Phuket
Hong Kong woman faces charges of reckless driving after crashing into Phuket vendor
A Hong Kong woman faces charges of reckless driving after she crashed into a Phuket som tam vendor in Koh Kaew yesterday. The incident happened on the northbound lane of Thep Kassattri Road. CCTV footage showed that the sedan crashed into the motorbike sidecar vendor, along with two motorbikes. Phuket City Police arrived on the scene to find the damaged…
- Patong
Floating Yona Beach Club told to cease and wait
A floating beach club barge in Phuket has now been ordered to cease all operations until it gets the full approval it has been seeking to anchor and operate in Patong Bay. Yona Beach Club has been operating with an expired registration and without approval while it waits. The 500-gross-ton vessel housing the beach club, called the Sawasdee, has luxury…
- Tourism
Chinese tourists expected to flock back to Phuket and Chiang Mai
Chinese tourists are expected to flock back to Phuket and Chiang Mai after China eased travel restrictions on its citizens on January 8. Now, the two tourism hotspots expect a significant jump in travel on direct flights from China from January 18, according to local airport authorities. There will be one daily direct flight from China to Chiang Mai, and three…
- Phuket
Cops bust thieving couple who sold items to second hand shops in Phuket
Cops busted a thieving couple in Phuket on Monday, a husband and wife team who stole items and sold them to second hand shops. Police say the husband has been identified as Banjerd, and the wife as Toon Mathurasorn, The Phuket News reported. A Russian man, Oliver Thurman, alerted Wichit Police on January 6 that a towing rig and a…
- Tourism
Daily direct flights between Phuket and Shanghai to takeoff next week
Daily flights between Phuket in southern Thailand and Shanghai in China will takeoff next Wednesday, January 18, operated by Shanghai’s Juneyao Airlines. The inaugural flight will be the first direct service between Phuket and mainland China in almost three years. China reopened its borders yesterday, and given that China was once Thailand’s top tourism market, Thailand braced itself for an…
- Phuket
British man claims he was tortured by Thai police
A British man claims he was tortured by Thai police for seven days straight in Phuket, southern Thailand when his holiday abroad went gravely wrong. British authorities have launched an investigation into the alleged abuse, reports FirstPost. He allegedly sustained broken ribs, bruised limbs, septic infections, swollen wrists, and lost four teeth in the ordeal. The victim, 51 year old Carl…
- Sponsored
What makes Amari Phuket a private tropical paradise?
Sponsored Phuket’s crystal clear waters, stunning beaches, and vibrant nightlife make it an unrivalled travel destination in Thailand. What’s more, the island is renowned for its stunning resorts, boasting luxurious amenities and spectacular views of the Andaman Sea. Amari Phuket, one of Phuket’s luxurious 5-star beach resorts, sets itself apart as a private paradise. But what differentiates it? Private yet…
- Thailand
Thousands of hotel bookings cancelled after vaccine measures introduced
Phuket Tourist Association (PTA) advisory president made it known to the public yesterday that at least 1,000 hotel bookings have been cancelled after Thailand decided tourists needed two Covid-19 vaccine doses before entering the kingdom. The Minister of Transport, Saksayam Chidchob, later confirmed that travellers without a vaccine certification can enter Thailand, but they might be randomly tested at the…
- Phuket
Romanian diver missing at sea in Phuket, Thailand
The search continues today for a Romanian man who went missing while diving in the waters of Phuket in southern Thailand yesterday. At 12.40pm, officers at Chalong Police Station were informed that a Romanian diver went missing off the coast of Promthep Cape. At 9am, 46 year old Sebastian Emil Somesan, 47 year old Alexandru Florin Miron – both of Romanian…
- Patong
Floating beach club party barge requests to anchor in Phuket
A floating beach club barge in Phuket is seeking approval to anchor in Patong Bay. The 500-gross-ton vessel, called the Sawasdee, has luxury party amenities like a bar and swimming pool and can accommodate 500 guests with a crew of 35. The Phuket office of the Marine Department reported that the boat is currently anchored in Patong Bay, where it…
- China
Flights between Shanghai and Phuket, Guangzhou and Chiang Mai resume
Flights between Shanghai and Phuket, and Guangzhou and Chiang Mai, will resume this month says Shanghai-based Spring Airlines. The budget airline also revealed that flights from Shanghai to Hong Kong, and Taipei, will also be relaunched in January while the resumption of flights between the metropolis and Singapore is being considered. Another Shangai-based airline, Juneyao Air, announced late last month…
- Phuket
Tourists pump 6 billion baht into Phuket’s economy during new year
Tourists pumped over 6 billion baht into the economy of Phuket in southern Thailand over the four-day new year holiday, according to the Director of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Nantasiri Ronasiri. Today, TAT director Nantasiri revealed that between December 30 to January 2, accommodation in Phuket was booked up at 77% of capacity. During these four days and…
