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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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Phuket shrine members demand financial transparency
PHUKET: As swords are drawn and firecrackers thrown for the Vegetarian Festival, a very different procession yesterday saw dozens of members of the Pud Jor Shrine marching to the Muang District Office to file a complaint against the shrine’s president. The group requested that the office investigate the financial transactions of the shrine and that complete transparency be put in…
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Phuket Red Cross commends riot police restraint
PHUKET: In an effort to show their support for the Thalang Police Station after last weekend’s riots, the Phuket Red Cross donated 30 packs of personal hygiene products to officers. Vassana Tipayapongtada, President of the Phuket Red Cross and wife of Phuket Governor Chamroen Tipayapongtada, presented the gifts to show the Red Cross’s appreciation for the police officers’ restraint during…
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Myanmar national brutally beats friend to death
PHUKET: Police arrested a Myanmar national in Phuket Town yesterday for brutally beating a man to death with a metal bar in Chalong. After being apprehended, Lek, 39, confessed to police that he had become angry with fellow Myanmar national Keng, 35, and beat him to death. Earlier that day, officers were called out to a home office on Chao…
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Thirsty spirit photographed in daylight
PHUKET: The strawberry drinks set out by locals to score winning lottery ticket numbers from an unlucky section of road, which was once home to a very lucky tree, are being drunk by either a ‘daytime’ spirit or just a bum, depending on who you speak to. The offerings, normally nam daeng (‘strawberry drink’), are usually left by people seeking…
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Phuket riot damage totals more than B6mn
PHUKET: Initial estimates of the cost of damage caused by the riot at the Thalang Police Station amount to more than 6 million baht, confirmed Thalang Police Superintendent Chanuchan Cholsuwat. “However, this is just how much it will cost to repair the vehicles set on fire and the damage done to the building,” Col Chanuchan said. “We are keeping a…
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Three men arrested with baby gibbons on Phi Phi
PHUKET: Three gibbon touts were arrested in front of the Andaman Resort on Phi Phi Don as they attempted to cajole tourists into using the protected species as a prop for photographs last weekend. “The police did a great job. They have finally improved their efforts on cracking down on these animal touts,” said Suwat Suksiri, chief of the Thung…
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Phuket Riot: Police deny planting drugs
PHUKET: Provincial Police Commander Patchara Boonyasit this morning denied that officers planted drugs on the bodies of the two men killed in a police chase on Saturday. Patomwat Panarak, 22, and Teerapong Srisamut, 17, allegedly refused to be searched at a checkpoint and fled the scene. They were brought to a stop after their motorbike and a police vehicle collided.…
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Police delay seeking arrest warrants for Phuket rioters
PHUKET: Phuket Provincial Police have identified nine people as instigators in the violent attack on Thalang Police Station last week. “We are very clear on who these individuals are and where they live. However, we will be collecting more evidence before asking the court to issue arrest warrants,” Provincial Police Commander Patchara Boonyasit said this morning. “We will seek the…
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Phuket Riot: Cause of motorists’ deaths confirmed, intent under investigation
PHUKET: The cause for the two men’s deaths that was the catalyst for the Phuket riot has been confirmed. However, Phuket Vice Governor Chokdee Amornwat will continue his investigation for the Ministry of Interior on whether or not the officers who crashed into the men’s motorbike were using excessive force. “A doctor has verified that Patomwat Panarak, 22, and Teerapong…
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Bangkok Airways’ Phuket-Hat Yai route launched
PHUKET: Bangkok Airways officially launched its daily direct flights between Phuket and Hat Yai on Sunday. Bangkok Airways will serve daily flights between Phuket and Hat Yai, on a 70-seat ATR72-500/600, with flights from Phuket to Hat Yai departing at 7:25am and arriving in Hat Yai at 8:30am and Hat Yai to Phuket departing at 9:10am and arriving in Phuket…
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Go Teng poles raised, Phuket Vegetarian Festival underway
PHUKET: Vegetarian Festival participants raised Go Teng poles at every Chinese shrine in Phuket at sunset yesterday to allow the Jade Emperor, one of the Nine Emperor Gods, to descend from the heavens – marking the start of the 2015 festivities. Phuket Governor Chamroen Tipayapongtada was one of hundreds of white-clad observers who attended the pole raising at the Jui…
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Injured police say no force used against protesters
PHUKET: Some police officers injured during the Phuket riot testified yesterday that they did not respond violently when protesters attacked them. About 20 policemen were injured when protesters threw rocks, bricks and wooden objects at them, Patong Police Deputy Superintendent Akanit Danpitaksat explained. Mueang Police Superintendent Sompong Boonyarat, Kamala Police Deputy Superintendent Boriboon Yusuksomboon and Lt Col Akanit all gave…
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One dead as mob blockade delays rescue efforts
PHUKET: A Phuket rescue worker believes that the rioters who attacked Thalang Police Station and blockaded Thepkrasattri Road (story here) might have played a role in the death of a patient who was being transferred from a hospital in Krabi to a better equipped Phuket hospital. “An ambulance from Krabi was blocked from going to Bangkok Hospital Phuket by the…
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Violent Phuket rioters to be hunted down
PHUKET: Phuket Governor Chamroen Tipayapongtada today swore to bring to justice the rioters who attacked Thalang Police Station on Saturday night. “I am sorry for the deaths of the two men; they were Phuket people. However, anyone who breaks the law must face justice. The people who set fire to the cars will not escape,” Governor Chamroen said. The investigation…
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Flash floods hit Chalong
PHUKET: Heavy rains drenched Chalong, causing flash floods, while other parts of the island have remained sunny today. Lt Chollada Chokdeesrijun of the Chalong Police warned motorists to beware of flooding in the area after nearly an hour of heavy rain fall. “Small vehicles have started to be able to pass the area, as the water level is getting lower,”…
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Laguna Tri-Fest draws Chinese numbers
PHUKET: Rising Chinese numbers at the Challenge Laguna Phuket Tri-Fest bodes well for years ahead, as the classic Phuket event looks to generate more than 90 million baht this year. “In the past two years, we’ve seen more than 50 per cent growth [in the number] of athletes from China, both at the Laguna Phuket International Marathon in June and…
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Phuket-Satun bus fire claims life of 12-year-old
PHUKET: A fire that broke out on a Phuket-Satun bus on Wednesday claimed the life of a 12-year-old girl on Saturday, confirmed Lt Sorasak Jandee of the Takua Thung Police. The girl, named by police only as Panida, is the second of four victims admitted to the Phang Nga Hospital ICU to die from smoke inhalation. The other two victims…
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Phuket real estate shrugs off Bangkok slowdown
PHUKET: In terms of property, Phuket seems to be worlds away from Bangkok, where the market has experienced a slowdown, mostly because the island is more affected by events outside of Thailand than inside the Kingdom, Robert Collins, managing director of Savills (Thailand), said earlier this week. Because the Bangkok market has dipped, three real-estate associations recently urged the government…
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Phuket mob attack on police yields results
PHUKET: Tension between police and local residents in Phuket province that escalated into a riot at a local police station on Saturday evening appeared to ease after an inquiry panel was formed to look into the death of two young men during a police pursuit. Police representatives met with families and relatives of Pathomwat Panarak, 22 and a 17-year-old teen,…
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Business Buzz: Test to see if social media will work for your business
PHUKET: One of the most common objections people have about using social media is that, while they understand it works for other people, they think their business is different and it will not work for them. So I have put together a quick test to see if social media would benefit you: Do you have a website?Do you need more…
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Locals attack Phuket police station, set fire to cop cars
PHUKET: An angry mob attacked Thalang Police Station and blockaded Thepkrasattri Road in an attempt to get to Superintendent Amnuay Kraiwuttianan last night. The group of about 60 of the protesters descended on the station at about 6pm, setting fire to at least six police vehicles. The outraged mob claimed that police used excessive force in their attempt to arrest…
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Police arrest minivan driver for drug running
PHUKET: Police last night arrested a van driver at the Tah Chat Chai Checkpoint after officers discovered 3,921 ya bah (methamphetamine) pills and four grams of ya ice (crystal methamphetamine) in the vehicle he was driving. The driver, Sutthichai Kongsamut, 34, told police that he was running methamphetamine for a drug lord operating out of a prison in Nakhon Sri…
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Phuket-Satun bus fire claims second life
PHUKET: One of the four victims admitted to Phang Nga Hospital ICU from a Phuket-Satun bus fire died from smoke inhalation on Thursday. Sunisa Chookaew, 25, was the second person to die from injuries sustained in the fire. Daeng Thaharat, 76, was pronounced dead at the scene. Three others remain in comas at the hospital. On Wednesday, a total of…
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Gov disbands Phuket haze committee
PHUKET: The committee monitoring the Indonesian haze that descended on Phuket earlier this week was disbanded by Phuket Governor Chamroen Tipayapongtada yesterday. “Even though we have officially closed down the committee, all officers remain on call in case the issue arises again,” Governor Chamroen said. “At this stage, we will continue to monitor the air pollution levels – it is…
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A Decade Ago: Do you remember the TTVI Center?
PHUKET: Those new to the island – relatively speaking – might not have the visceral churning in their guts when they hear the name ‘TTVI center’. However, island residents who were here at least a decade ago know that TTVI stands for Thai Tsunami Victim Identification. The center was tasked with identifying 3,777 of the bodies recovered from the six…
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Phuket Town meth network unraveled, guns seized
PHUKET: Police confiscated four firearms, 194 rounds of ammunition, 3,507 ya ba (methamphetamine) pills and 31 grams of ya ice (crystal methamphetamine) during a two-day raid on a Phuket Town drug network. “The contraband seized was in the possession of the four suspects we arrested,” Lt Col Prawit Engchuan of Phuket Provincial Police said yesterday. The string of arrests started…
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Opinion: Action against smog
PHUKET: The unprecedented expanse of smog blanketing Phuket in recent months has quite rightly trained the spotlight on Indonesia, where out-of-control forest fires continue to belch smoke into the atmosphere at a dangerous rate. Although illegal in Indonesia, ‘slash-and-burn’ land clearing techniques that set off these annual conflagrations have long been a source of friction between Indonesia and its neighbors,…
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Cobra caught in Phuket expat’s shoe rack
PHUKET: An expat and his wife received quite a surprise when they discovered a 1.5 meter cobra relaxing in a shoe rack inside their Ao Yon home this morning. The pair called Kusoldharm Foundation rescue workers as the snake made its way out of the house and into an old broken boat in their garden. Rescue workers spent about 40…
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Phuket Governor cautious, but ready to demolish Surin beach clubs
PHUKET: Phuket Governor Chamroen Tipayapongtada vowed to be cautious in his dealings with the numerous beach businesses, including several iconic beach clubs, occupying government buildings along Surin Beach. “If it was up to me, I would have them torn down,” Governor Chamroen said yesterday. “However, I don’t have the authority to do that. We will need to review the appropriate…
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Haze causes more delays for flights at Phuket Airport
PHUKET: All flights were back on schedule by noon today after seven planes were delayed due to the dense Indonesian haze, confirmed Amnuay Sarachart, deputy director of the AoT Phuket Office. “However, we are worried about the conditions tonight and will be monitoring visibility closely,” said Mr Amnuay. This morning, pollution levels from the haze continued to climb with an…
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