News
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Sponsored Pullman Phuket Panwa Beach Resort puts sustainability at its heart
The term sustainability is often thrown around as a buzzword in the hospitality industry, but at Pullman Phuket Panwa Beach Resort, it’s genuinely part of their mission. Located in Makham Bay, just south of Phuket Town, the beautiful resort puts...
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Latvian tourist drowns on New Year’s Eve in Phuket
PHUKET: A Latvian tourist drowned in front of her family after being dragged out to sea by a large wave at Mai Khao Beach yesterday. Family members of Masite Micule, 67, informed lifeguards on duty about what happened as soon as she went missing in the water, confirmed Mai Khao chief lifeguard Panpong Chukaew. “She was swept from the beach…
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Angelina Jolie’s visit to Phuket temple sparks Hindu enthusiasm
PHUKET: Oscar winning actress Angelina Jolie has received a wave of support from members of the Hindu community, after they learned of her visit to a Hindu temple in Phuket a few days ago. According to reports, Ms Jolie visited the temple with her husband Brad Pitt and their six children during a family vacation on the island. Rajan Zed,…
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Phuket drug dealer busted with 11kg of marijuana
PHUKET: Police arrested a 22-year-old man for possession of about 11 kilograms of marijuana, an illegal firearm and other drug paraphernalia at a location near Bangkok Hospital Phuket yesterday evening. “We received a tip-off that Subinnimit Rakvet, 22, was dealing marijuana in the Talad Yai area, making deliverers on his Kawasaki Ninja motorbike,” said Maj Ritthichai Choomchuy of the Phuket…
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Road fatality numbers grow on day two of road-saftey campaign
PHUKET: More road fatalities have been added to the tally of the already tarnished zero-deaths goal of this year’s ‘Seven Days of Danger’ road-safety campaign. As day two drew to a close, the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) Phuket Office statistics revealed that the island saw 10 further road accidents, resulting in 9 injuries and the deaths of…
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Navy rescue mission saves seven lost at sea
PHUKET: A Royal Thai Navy rescue mission last night saved seven sailors who were left adrift about 150 nautical miles from Phuket after an engine explosion caused their cargo ship to sink. Though Marine Police originally reported that there were eight crew members on board Aung Chat Sar as it transported an undisclosed type of timber originating from the conflict-infected…
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Opinion: Rapid responses to island issues
Prapan Kanprasang has been the chief of the Damrongdhama Center (ombudsman’s office) since 2011. He earned his master’s degree in public administration from The National Institute of Development Administration. Here he addresses how the newly launched ‘Rapid Damrongdhama Unit’ will help improve efficiency, as well as other ways to make the Damrongdhama Center more effective. PHUKET: In Phuket, there are…
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Island View: ‘Like’ before you drive
PHUKET: Having a mobile phone in Thailand has been the norm for about 10 years. When the phones were first introduced, it was a big deal to be able to call anyone, anytime, anywhere. However, because of this, people were causing more traffic accidents from using their phones while driving. This is why the government implemented a law prohibiting people…
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History: Bangkok for the holidays raises query about Victory Monument
PHUKET: People who live in Bangkok are probably familiar with the Victory Monument. For those visiting, however, there is a good chance you will spend some time stuck in traffic in this famous circle, and this might cause you to contemplate what it commemorates. One of Bangkok’s iconic landmarks, the Victory Monument is located at the intersection of Phahonyothin Road,…
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Business Buzz: Get off to an online start
PHUKET: Welcome to Business Buzz 2016! This year we have moved to a monthly format so that we can cover the topics we want in more depth and provide you with more useful information. By now you will have made (and hopefully not broken) your new year’s resolutions. It is generally a pretty safe assumption that people with an entrepreneurial…
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Finance: Keep calm, and invest on
PHUKET: Stock market corrections don’t come often, but when they do, they tend to come on fast and cause investors (along with the media) to panic. After all, it’s not uncommon to experience a double digit portfolio loss in a matter of weeks, or even over the course of just a few trading days. However, taking the following things into…
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Annual safety checks on tourist boats begin
PHUKET: The Phuket Marine Office has begun making their annual inspections of boats and ferries carrying tourists out of Rassada Pier to ensure their safety during the New Year holiday. More than 13,000 locals and tourists are expected to depart from the island’s piers during this holiday’s long weekend. “Passengers’ safety remains our top priority. Boats must not carry more…
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Officials mull over marine waste management and safety
PHUKET: The Phuket Marine Office will discuss new measures to promote marine cleanliness and safety during a meeting today with boat and pier operators. Officials aim to review existing marine policy measures, as well as develop new ones, and emphasize stricter enforcement of current regulations. Specific issues under consideration include waste management and the installation of CCTV cameras at all…
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Swiss shopping centre evacuated after bomb threat
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Swiss shopping centre evacuated after bomb threat Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: A Swiss shopping centre in a town near the northern city of Basel was evacuated on Tuesday due to a bomb threat, police said. An anonymous caller threatened to detonate a bomb in the…
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Italy police rumble airport art thieves
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Italy police rumble airport art thieves Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: Italian police have uncovered a complex network of thieves who stole valuable paintings at Rome’s main airport, and charged two of the hub’s staff with stealing the art works. Cleaners and customer service staff duped…
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SeaWorld sues California commission over orca breeding ban
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community SeaWorld sues California commission over orca breeding ban Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: SeaWorld sued California authorities on Tuesday, seeking to overturn a decision that allows the San Diego theme park to expand its orca habitat only if it stops breeding killer whales in captivity. The…
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Two dead in first 30 hours of ‘Seven Days of Danger’ campaign
PHUKET: As the first full day of the ‘Seven Days of Danger’ road safety campaign came to a close, the goal of zero road fatalities was already dashed. According to statistics issued by the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Phuket Office, the island saw 10 road accidents on day one of the campaign, resulting in 11 injuries and the…
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Only flicker of light at Phuket tsunami memorial ceremony
PHUKET: After much fanfare marking the 10th anniversary of the Indian Ocean Tsunami last year, the Light Up Phuket memorial on Patong Beach was extraordinarily quiet. In years past, the entire beach was lit up with candles decorating sand sculptures. However, this year, no free candles or flowers were handed out, and only about twenty candles were set out in…
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No change in tuk-tuk safety regulations
PHUKET: There will be no immediate changes in safety regulations following a British woman’s fall to her death from the back of a tuk-tuk on December 20. “There will be no changes to our rules,” said Jaturong Kaewkasi, the chief policy adviser for the Phuket Land Transport Office (PLTO). “Tuk-tuks in Phuket are regulated by the Department of Land Transport.…
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OrBorTor head to become new Phuket FC president
PHUKET: Cherng Talay Administration Organization (OrBorTor) President Ma-ann Samran announced his new appointment as president of the Phuket Football Club (Phuket FC) today. The announcement follows the resignation of former president Pramookpisitt Achariyachai and other key management members of Phuket FC after the team was relegated to Division 2 (story here). “I had the chance to meet with Mr Pramookpisitt…
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Local jet-ski rental operators deny involvement in Angelina Jolie, Brad Pitt’s son breaking leg in Phuket
PHUKET: Jet-ski operators, Marine Police and international hospital staff in Phuket were unable to confirm the US Weekly report that Angelina Jolie and Brad Pitt’s 12-year-old son Pax broke his leg while jet-skiing in Phuket. Though no photos were provided, ‘a source’ told US weekly that Pax ‘is on the mend and hobbling around on crutches’. However, People.com reported yesterday…
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Man dies in Germany after blowing up condom machine
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Man dies in Germany after blowing up condom machine Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: A man died on Christmas Day in Germany after he was hit in the head by a flying piece of metal from a condom machine that he and two accomplices blew up…
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Myanmar activist jailed for ‘ridiculing’ army and uniform
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Myanmar activist jailed for ‘ridiculing’ army and uniform Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: A Myanmar court jailed a woman for six months on Monday for a Facebook post “ridiculing” the country’s army chief and the color of a new uniform, the latest in an escalating crackdown…
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Missing boat captain rescued by fishing vessel
PHUKET: A missing long-tail boat captain was rescued yesterday morning after his boat was struck by large waves and sunk between Koh Ma and Koh Lanta Yai. “Jamrus Boonchoo, 31, was on his way back to Koh Lanta from Phi Phi on Saturday when his boat was struck by waves. He was reported missing by his family, whom he had…
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Thai PM defends British murders verdict against protests
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Thai PM defends British murders verdict against protests Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: Thailand’s prime minister lashed out on Monday at protesters who took to the streets of Myanmar’s Yangon on the weekend after a Thai court sentenced two Myanmar migrant workers to death for murdering…
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Governor tables Hat Yai-Phuket railway project
PHUKET: Phuket Governor Chamroen Tipayapongtada tabled a project on Thursday that would see the construction of a railway between Hat Yai and Phuket. The move to promote tourism for the ASEAN community with the project was prompted by the opening of railway tracks for Hat Yai-Padang Besar, Malaysia, on December 21. “We now have the opportunity to give travellers the…
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American killed in Phuket motorbike crash
PHUKET: An American died in a single motorbike accident on the coastal road connecting Patong and Karon at about 2am yesterday. Jeffrey Earl Patterson, 54, was rushed to Patong Hospital and then transferred to the better equipped Vachira Phuket Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, explained Lt Veerayut Thansirisukworakul of the Karon Police. “The Honda Click that he had rented…
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Two tourists injured in Phuket jet-ski crash
PHUKET: Two Chinese tourists were rushed to hospital after crashing their rented jet-skis into each other in Patong, confirmed the president of the Phuket Jet-Ski Club. Jet-ski operators rushed out to Zhao Peuie, 25, and Su Han, 26, after witnessing the collision about 400 meters off of Patong Beach. “We pulled them onto our jet-skis and took them to shore.…
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Pakistani expat killed in Kathu crash
PHUKET: A Pakistani expat was killed Thursday evening after he was run over by a 6-wheeled truck in Kathu. Aamir Hussain, 43, crashed his motorbike near the Thung Thong Police Station at about 4pm, confirmed Capt Wattanathorn Bamroongthin of the Thung Thong Police. “Witnesses said that Mr Hussain lost control of his bike and crashed, after which he was immediately…
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Police wrongly identify drug dealer’s body
PHUKET: Police confirmed yesterday that the body of a drug dealer found in Chalong Bay Friday morning (story here) was wrongly identified. “Due to a misunderstanding, Singha Tongyuan, 37, was erroneously confirmed to be Somkit Pakdeesuvann, 31,” said Maj Thada Sodarak of the Chalong Police. “Mr Singha’s parents were able to positively identify the body yesterday.” Officers are now investigating…
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Tsunami remembrance ceremony takes place at Provincial Hall
PHUKET: Phuket residents and officials honored the victims of the Indian Ocean Tsunami yesterday morning at Phuket Provincial Hall, marking the 11th anniversary of the devastating waves that claimed thousands of lives on December 26, 2004. Offerings were made to 26 Buddhist monks, while attendees dressed in white to pay their respects to the victims and their families. “We would…
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