News
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Sponsored 5 best wine bars in Bangkok offering rich and quality wine
It’s wine o’clock! Whether you’re all about fruity reds, sweet whites, or funky naturals, Bangkok has many great spots to sip your favourite varieties. But with an array of options to choose from, and the constant rise and fall of...
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Phuket fishing boat rescues sunken Burmese vessel
PHUKET: A Phuket-bound fishing boat rescued 15 crew members of a sunken Burmese vessel yesterday afternoon. The boat was carrying cargo from Penang, Malaysia to Myeik, Burma. The crew left on May 18 and were due to arrive on Saturday, but their boat was wrecked after experiencing stormy weather and strong waves near Racha Noi Island. “The Burmese boat, Aung…
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Bad 1stQ for Thai Media and Telecoms
BANGKOK: With but two exceptions, listed telecom and media companies in Thailand continued in the doldrums in the 1stQ this year, with stagnant revenue growth resulting in continued or worsening losses. According to Nielsen Thailand, ad spending in the first four months of 2017 dropped almost six percent, to 35 billion baht, from the same period last year. Analog TV…
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Patong transport operators protest reduction in taxi stands
PHUKET: Patong public transport operators will continue to utilize 84 taxi stands for now until the Phuket Governor and Army 4 commander announce their final decision about the number of stands on the island. The public transport management committee had announced on May 18 that Patong was to see a 75 per cent reduction in taxi stands (from 84 to…
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Phuket police recapture escaped drug dealers
PHUKET: Police yesterday recaptured two suspects who fled custody after being arrested for possession of drugs on May 2. Suriya Lakpech and Wasurat Malikabutr, both 21, had been found with 7kg of ya ice (cystal methamphetamine) and 10 ya bah pills (methamphetamine) in their possession. On the way to the police station, they had “managed to unlock their hand cuffs”…
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Phuket tourists injured, driver’s arm severed in another high-speed crash
PHUKET: A taxi driver’s arm was severed in a high-speed crash early this morning after he lost control of his vehicle in a curve, crashed into an electric pole and fell into a five-meter-deep ditch at roadside. “We received reports of an accident near Phuket International Airport at about 7am. At the scene, we found a heavily damaged black Toyota…
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Citizens call for action to fix dangerous road
PHUKET: Officials responded to complaints about a “dangerous and uneven” road after social media users posted pictures of Sakdidej Road in Wichit, urging authorities to take immediate action to fix it. The pictures were shared on a Facebook page titled Siang Prachachon Khon Phuket (‘The Voice of Phuket Citizens’). Frequent users of the road told the Phuket Gazette that it…
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Finance: Track price action, not pundits’ talk
PHUKET: As I am writing this, I haven’t turned on a TV in more than 10 days. So I am not getting any news from a verbal source about nuclear confrontations with North Korea, Trump uncertainty or whatever else is going on in the world. However, I have been reading the news and it’s different when you read news versus…
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21-year-old biker killed in Phuket pick-up collision
PHUKET: A 21-year-old biker was killed after he crashed into a pick-up truck in Wichit yesterday afternoon. Maj Narong Muangduang of Wichit Police provided details of the accident that took place in Moo 3, Kwang Road. “We found the body of Chalermchat Podok, 21, covered in blood and lying on the road. We also found a severely damaged big bike…
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Bomb blast at army hospital in Bangkok injures 25
BANGKOK: Twenty five people were injured in a bomb blast at an Army hospital in Bangkok yesterday morning. A police source said an unidentified bomber attached a green vase with artificial flowers to a wall in the reception room of Phramongkutklao Hospital before a homemade bomb exploded there at 10:40am. Investigators of the Metropolitan Police Bureau obtained a picture of…
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Phuket police commander dispels bomb threat rumors
PHUKET: Officials have warned the public to be careful about sharing unconfirmed reports on social media after a bomb threat warning created panic among Phuket vendors last week. The original source of the message is unknown, but it was widely circulated on line. It read: “Stop going to walking street market, Chilva market or any other weekly markets in Phuket.…
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Illegal cock-fighting, gambling ring busted, 15 arrested
PHUKET: Fifteen people were arrested while 15 others are on the run after Thalang Police raided a cock-fighting ring in Moo Baan Para yesterday afternoon. Lt Col Prasarn Toworn of Thalang Police led a team of officers to inspect the area after receiving complaints from locals about illegal cock-fighting and gambling there. “The suspects included both Thais and Burmese. They…
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Fake passport suspects recaptured after escaping police custody
PHUKET: Officers from Phuket Provincial Police, Saku Police and Patong Police joined forces to capture two Indian men who escaped police custody after being arrested for using fake passports. Phuket Provincial Police Commander Teerapol Thipjaroen held a press conference at Phuket Provincial Police Station to provide details of the case yesterday afternoon. “The two suspects are Raj Kumar, 36, and…
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Ministry of Farang Affairs: Half English, half Thai
PHUKET: 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…
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Opinion: Phuket hospital deserves credit, not blame
PHUKET: Recent reports in the British media over the plight of British motorbike crash victim Jacob Tonkin here in Phuket (story here) once again paint the Thai healthcare industry in an unfair light. Although it is common around the globe, the British tabloids are particularly notorious for running sensationalist headlines that pull at the heartstrings, sometimes without much concern for…
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Phuket gov’s social media imposter sparks security concerns
PHUKET: Cyber security and Facebook seem to be the hot topics this week as Phuket police hunt for a Facebook user who made a fake profile with a name closely resembling the Phuket Governor’s and used his picture to impersonate him. The suspect also asked several high-ranking Phuket officials to transfer money to his account. The Facebook account was set…
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Students injured in festival fireworks malfunction
KRABI: At least 24 people, including several teenagers, were injured when a fireworks display at an event organized by the Krabi Provincial Administration Organization malfunctioned. The event was titled ‘Legend of Krabi: City of 12 Zodiacs’ and held at Krabi Town yesterday. The opening ceremony for the festival was chaired by Krabi Vice Governor Somkuan KanNguen, with officials from the…
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Ten arrested, B20mn of merchandise confiscated in Phuket raid
PHUKET: Ten vendors were arrested and 20 million baht worth of counterfeit merchandise was confiscated in Patong Thursday night. Maj Suriyan Petchchuay of Patong Police provided details of the raid to Phuket Gazette reporters. “Following complaints by the Department of Intellectual Property in Bangkok, officials from the Internal Security Operations Command (ISOC) and Patong Police inspected shops on Thaweewong Road.…
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Body of 21-year-old found in Phuket apartment
PHUKET: Police are investigating the cause of death of a ladyboy whose body was found in her room in Rassada this morning. “We received a report from an apartment complex near Rajabhat University at about 9:20am that a pungent smell was emanating from a room on the second floor,” said Lt Col Chao Phomna of the Phuket City Police. “We…
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Phuket district chief vows to crack down on illegal hotels
PHUKET: Kathu District Chief Jirawat Namatra issued an ultimatum to illegal hotel operators after locals and members of the business community filed complaints about unlicenced hotels operating in Patong. In February, more than a thousand unlicensed hotels applied for registration as hotels after a two-month ultimatum was issued at the end of November last year by then Phuket Governor Chokchai…
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Another jump: Man safely rescued in Phuket Town
PHUKET: A man was safely rescued after he climbed up an electric pole with intent to jump in Phuket Town last night. “The incident occurred in Poonpon. We found a man walking on electric wires outside the fourth floor of a building. A big crowd of people had gathered underneath and were watching him in shock when he stopped on…
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Video: CCTV captures foreigner stealing tourist’s bag in Phuket
PHUKET: Police are hunting for a suspect, believed to be a foreigner, who stole a bag from a diner at a restaurant in Phuket yesterday. A Facebook user named Tanaphat Nuansakul posted a CCTV video of the incident on his page. The theft occurred at Tukabkhao Restaurant in Phuket Town. The clip showed a foreigner wearing a pale yellow shirt.…
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Krabi officials remove dozens of illegal fishing nets
KRABI: The Krabi Provincial Fisheries Office yesterday removed 58 illegal fishing nets (‘poh’) from the waters of Krabi. The nets were also in violation of spawning season restrictions. Sakda Sukkasem led a team of officers to hunt for illegal fishing activities after several locals filed complaints with the office. “It is illegal to use this type of fishing net to…
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Phuket police yet to uncover reason for toilet fight involving foreigner
PHUKET: The motive behind an attack on a toilet attendant in Patong by a group of foreigners remains unclear as the victim has refused to a file a complaint. On May 3, a Facebook user offered a reward of 5,000 baht to anyone who could help him find the foreigner who allegedly refused to pay a 10 baht fee to…
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Barge wrecked after crashing into underwater rock
PHUKET: A barge crashed into a submerged rock and sank near Ao Yun on Tuesday. Phuket Marine Office Chief Surat Sirisaiyas revealed details of the accident. “The boat was 23 meters long and was travelling from Similan islands to Krabi. The crash swamped the engine and the vessel sank about a mile away from the coast of Ao Yun,” said…
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Foreigner seen beating young child after dispute over 10-baht fee
PHUKET: A Facebook user has offered a reward of 5,000 baht to anyone who can help him find a foreigner who fought with a toilet attendant and refused to pay a 10 baht fee to use a toilet on Bangla road. Videos and photographs of six foreigners – three men and three women – were recorded on CCTV cameras installed…
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One hospitalized, another injured in early morning Phuket crash
PHUKET: Two people were severely injured after their motorbike crashed into a pick-up truck on Patong Hill yesterday. A police car travelling behind the riders captured a video of the collision with a dash cam, which showed the motorbike speeding down the hill, crossing over into the oncoming traffic lane and colliding with the truck, which was travelling uphill toward…
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Facebook misses deadline to block sites deemed insulting to monarchy
PHUKET: Facebook (FB) has not blocked more than 100 sites deemed to have insulted the monarchy or to have threatened “national security”, as requested by Thailand’s telecom regulator. FB cites the need for official court orders from authorities to block such sites. FB users in Thailand can still access the sites despite the failed deadline to remove them. The National…
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Finance: Market pullbacks make great opportunities
PHUKET: Pullbacks are great opportunities to see where the strongest stocks are, allowing investors to make a watch list of potential leadership stocks or sector ETFs that are holding up in the face of bad news. Since early March, we have been seeing the S&P 500 undergo some consolidation involving a pullback. A 2-8 per cent pullback is perfectly healthy…
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Kusoldharm Foundation awards scholarships to Phuket students
PHUKET: In the spirit of giving back to the less fortunate, the Kusoldharm Phuket Foundation held a ceremony to award scholarships to deserving students in Phuket. The ceremony, titled ‘Tay-Kra-Jat’, was held at the Kusoldharm Center on Saturday and presided over by Phuket Governor Norraphat Plodthong. Food and necessities were distributed to more than 1,500 needy families and scholarships were…
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Phuket police hunt for ATM skimmer
PHUKET: Police are hunting for an ATM skimmer after at least 15 people last week filed complaints again about unauthorized withdrawals from their Siam Commercial Bank (SCB) accounts. The complaints were lodged at Thung Thong Police Station about ATM withdrawals made in Songkhla from Phuket-based accounts. Lt Col Ampolwat Saengrueng of Thung Thong Police revealed the details of the ongoing…
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