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Ask people to name the most beautiful places in Thailand, and you'll often hear Phuket and Koh Samui being mentioned. Who would disagree? One is renowned for its bustling nightlife, vibrant culture, and lively beach scene, while the other is...
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German ‘beggar’ to be deported
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community German ‘beggar’ to be deported The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: The Immigration Bureau will begin the process of deporting a German who was found enjoying the nightlife in Pattaya after begging for money on Bangkok streets. Benjamin Holse, 29, claimed his passport and cash were…
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Battle against Phuket land grabbers moves to the hills
PHUKET: The entire island should give its full support to the ongoing efforts by the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) to rid public beaches of encroachment in all its forms. The results, which so far have been nothing less than stunning, are sure to go a long way to restoring the island’s attractiveness to tourists, both foreign and…
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Koh Tao murders prompt Phuket security boost
PHUKET: Region 8 Police chief Panya Mamen has ordered all police stations under his command, including those in Phuket, to investigate their options for improving tourists’ safety following the brutal slaying of two British tourists on Koh Tao earlier this month. “I have ordered every police station in Region 8, especially those in tourist destinations, to establish if they can…
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Demolition efforts rock 21 buildings on Phuket’s west coast
PHUKET: Armed Navy officers blocked traffic on the Nai Yang beachfront road today as demolition started on two restaurants along the pristine Phuket west coast beach. The removal of the buildings was led by Cdr Pornprom Sakultem of the Royal Thai Navy, which has its eyes on seven buildings in the area. However, five are still going through the legal…
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Phuket’s Irish Times opens doors for captive dolphin debate [video]
PHUKET: Local marine conservationists and animal right activists will be hosting an event at the Irish Times pub at Jungceylon shopping mall in Patong on October 16 to discuss the implications of capturing dolphins in the wild and keeping them in captivity. Dolphin trainer turned animal rights activist Ric O’Barry, well-known for his role in the Academy-award winning documentary The…
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Laguna Phuket beach fence ruled legal
PHUKET: The beachfront land at Bang Tao that was fenced off, before local government officers ordered the fence to be torn down, earlier this week has been ruled to be private property, the Thalang Land Office confirmed to the Phuket Gazette today. Officers from the Thalang Land Office re-surveyed the area in question and confirmed that the fence had been…
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Chinese tourist attacked over tour guide rivalry, suspect police
PHUKET: Police are hunting four men who attacked a Chinese national on the streets of Phuket Town during the annual Vegetarian Festival (story here) last night. Police believe that the men beat Guo Xing, 26 – to the ground with metal bars – under the presumption that he was an illegal Chinese tour guide. The Vegetarian Festival is renown for…
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Thailand eyes more sepak takraw gold at Asian Games
PHUKET: His teammates call him the “left-footed killer”, an unlikely nickname for a veteran athlete who plays in the same cheap plimsolls worn by common people throughout his native Thailand. But with his prolific point-scoring record and deadly finishing, Pornchai Kaokaew carries Thailand’s hopes of delivering them yet another Asian Games gold medal in sepak takraw, an acrobatic hybrid of…
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German beggar faces deportation for charity-paid partying in Pattaya
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community German beggar faces deportation for charity-paid partying in Pattaya The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: After attracting sympathy and donations from Thais in Bangkok, a German with an excessively swollen leg was seen enjoying drinks and the nightlife in Pattaya on Wednesday night. Tourist police have…
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Phuket’s billion-baht illegal beach rental scheme exposed
PHUKET: Police have turned their eye away from Phuket’s taxi mafia to the island’s billion-baht illegal beach rental scheme – starting with the role played by Kata-Karon Mayor Tawee Thongcham. Summons were issued today for 15 people, including Mayor Tawee, who stand accused of illegally issuing permits for local beach vendors to use the public beach land, said Region 8…
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First 16 drivers sentenced in Phuket taxi mafia purge
PHUKET: A judge has handed down sentences to 16 drivers operating in Cherng Talay for their involvement in the Phuket taxi mafia, the Phuket Gazette was told today. The drivers each received a suspended one-year sentence and a 6,000-baht fine. “These drivers from Cherng Talay, who pleaded guilty, will be on a two-year probation to prevent them from intimidating or…
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Blood loss forces Phuket Vegetarian Festival spirit medium to hospital
PHUKET: An entranced Phuket Vegetarian Festival spirit medium, also known as a ma song, was rushed to hospital due to excessive blood loss today. Kusoldharm Foundation rescue workers were called to Saphan Hin, the final destination of the first festival street procession (story here), to deliver first aid to the ailing ma song. When they arrived, the ma song, who…
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Phuket’s first Formula One simulators race into Patong
PHUKET: Grid Racing Phuket (GR Phuket) will become the first dedicated F1 racing simulator of its kind in Phuket when it opens its doors to the public on October 3. Combining his past experience with simulators, Australian national Paul and his partner “Visa” decided to capitalize on the rising popularity of the racing simulator industry and open their own “race…
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Phuket beach wedding ban raises mixed feelings
PHUKET: Weddings have been banned from being performed on at least four of Phuket’s west coast beaches, confirmed one official, but many beach town mayors are hesitant to prohibit seaside nuptials. “No wedding ceremonies are allowed on Surin, Bang Tao, Laypang and Layan beaches,” Ma-ann Samran, president of the Cherng Talay Tambon Administration Organization (OrBorTor) confirmed to the Phuket Gazette.…
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Tourism ministry calls for Phuket tour guide spies
PHUKET: The Ministry of Tourism and Sports is calling for foreigners to go undercover as “tour guide spies” and report any suspected illegal activities by tour operators in Phuket. Santi Pawai, director of the Tourism Ministry’s Phuket office, is looking to launch the project by October 6. “Volunteer teams of Thais and foreigners will join tours in Phuket and report…
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Buoyant West Ham seek to extend Man United gloom
PHUKET: In-form West Ham United are just about the last team Manchester United would want to face on Saturday as Louis van Gaal’s side seek an immediate response to their Premier League collapse at Leicester City. West Ham, who have lost on their last six league visits to Old Trafford, thumped Liverpool 3-1 on Saturday the day before United twice…
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Pata Zoo fights efforts to move caged gorilla Bua Noi
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Pata Zoo fights efforts to move caged gorilla Bua Noi The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: The owners of Pata Zoo are fighting back efforts by many people to move the gorilla, Bua Noi, to what they consider “a better home”. “Don’t use mob rule here,”…
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School official faces molestation, rape charges
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community School official faces molestation, rape charges The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: A primary school director in Phayao’s Chiang Kham district, who had been accused of molesting five pupils, is facing four counts of molestation and one count of rape. Pol Lt-Colonel Sanit Wongyai yesterday said…
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PM vows crackdown on Koh Tao scourge
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community PM vows crackdown on Koh Tao scourge The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: N THE WAKE of the murder of two British citizens on Koh Tao, off Surat Thani coast, Prime Minister General Prayut Chan-o-cha yesterday vowed to tackle influential rackets and illegitimate businesses on the…
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Orient Thai Airlines mechanics in high-speed Phuket crash
PHUKET: An Orient Thai Airlines mechanic will be charged with reckless driving after he and his colleague crashed into a Phuket used car lot at high speed early this morning. The two mechanics were driving an Orient Thai company pick-up from Phuket International Airport to Phuket Town at about 2am when the vehicle careened off the road. “Witnesses said that…
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Patong Police fail to find any illegal tour operators in Phuket crackdown
PHUKET: More than 30 officers led by Patong Police scoured the resort town yesterday afternoon, but failed to find any culprits as part of an ongoing island-wide sweep for illegal tour operators and guides. The officers split into five teams and began inspecting businesses from 2pm as part of the crackdown announced at a meeting on September 5 (story here).…
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Lofty relocation at Boat Lagoon
PHUKET: After 14 years at his original premises overlooking the hard stand at Phuket’s Boat Lagoon in Koh Kaew, Muzza Nordstrand has moved his Canvas Creations to a new loft. “We’re still in the Phuket Boat lagoon, as you drive in from the main road, turn right alongside the football field behind the gas station and you’ll find us in…
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ICC claim Outrigger T20 title after epic final
PHUKET: The final of the Outrigger T20 took place on a gloriously sunny day at the Alan Cooke Ground between the Bondi Bar Bashers and the ICC. BBB’s had only lost one game all season, however, that was against ICC and they were very keen to avenge the loss and claim the title at the same time. ICC had been…
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Russian arrested for installing ATM skimmer
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Russian arrested for installing ATM skimmer The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: A Russian has been arrested for allegedly installing a “skimmer” device to steal PIN numbers of cardholders who used an automatic teller machine (ATM) at a 7-Eleven convenience store in eastern Bangkok. The new…
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Three Laguna resorts step up to help jobless Phuket beach vendors
PHUKET: Three major hotels at Laguna Phuket have agreed to allow vendors who lost their jobs in the Cherng Talay beach cleanup to work on sections of their beachfront properties. “After the cleanup [in Cherng Talay] we got our beautiful beaches back, but we have been left with many jobless vendors who want to make a living,” said Ma-ann Samran,…
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Burning candle sets Phuket air-conditioning shop on fire
PHUKET: A burning candle set an air-conditioning sales and repair shop ablaze this morning in Rassada, north of Phuket Town, causing about 300,000 baht in damages. Neighbors alerted shop owner Panya Chunchom, 34, of the fire after they saw smoke coming from the building’s third-floor window. “We lit some candles as an act of worship and put them in front…
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Koh Tao Murders: Police arrest one suspect, launch manhunt for another
PHUKET: Police have arrested the brother of a local village chief on Koh Tao for the brutal slaying of British tourists David Miller and Hannah Witheridge last week (story here). Region 8 Police Commander Panya Mamen named the man arrested only as “Mon”, reported Thai PBS. Local officers are coordinating with Bangkok Metropolitan Police to hunt down a second suspect,…
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Facebook tip-off leads to Laguna Phuket beach fence teardown
PHUKET: Laguna Phuket today was ordered to pull down a fence at Bang Tao Beach until it could be established whether or not the operators of the resort complex own the land. Ma-ann Samran, president of the Cherng Talay Tambon Administration Organization (OrBorTor), issued the order after inspecting the site while accompanied by armed soldiers. “Photos of the fence were…
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Phuket Vegetarian Festival to begin tonight
PHUKET: As the sun sets on Phuket tonight, all Chinese shrines taking part in the annual Vegetarian Festival will raise their go-teng poles so that the Jade Emperor, among the Nine Emperor Gods, can descend from the heavens, heralding the beginning of this year’s event. Devotees began pasting gold-leaf papers to the poles last night ahead of the festival’s precursor…
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Patong beach vendor hangs himself amid “no work’ depression
PHUKET: A man who rented umbrellas and beach chairs at Patong is believed to have committed suicide due to depression brought on by the Phuket beach cleanup campaign that left him with no income. Jirasak Sae-Koo, 45, was found hanging by a rope tied to a ceiling beam at the home of his friend Narate Rattanathatchaikul at about 4pm yesterday.…
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