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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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Three men ambush British motorist in northern Phuket
PHUKET: Three men ambushed a British national and his wife as they slowed their motorbike at a speed bump in northern Phuket last night. “My wife and I were attacked and knocked off our motorcycle at 9:00… on the road that connects Sri Soonthorn Road with the Alan Cook Cricket Ground,” Iain Richardson told the Phuket Gazette. “Three teenagers were…
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AMCHAM forum sets course for New Phuket
PHUKET: Is Phuket lacking identity? What makes the Phuket brand? How can the island benefit from the current winds of change? These and other issues were addressed at the September 12 AMCHAM forum, titled “The New Phuket”. The latest installment in the AMCHAM seminar series took place at the Angsana Laguna Phuket ballroom and saw a number of speakers, both…
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Smoke on the water: Boat operators warned of Phuket haze
PHUKET: Boat operators have been warned of limited visibility at sea as hazy skies shroud Phuket following heavy rains and subsequent warm weather. “The haze is a result of recent heavy rainfall combined with high levels of humidity in the atmosphere,” said San Jantharawong, chief of the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) Phuket office. “In this situation, visibility…
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Phuket and Penang become twin cities
PHUKET: Phuket Town and George Town in Penang, Malaysia, became official twin cities after signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at Phuket City Hall today. Inspired by the two cities’ long-established historical relationship, the decision was seen as an important move in facilitating the exchange of expertise in areas of tourism, business and cultural heritage (story here). “Both cities have…
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Man, believed drunk, falls off motorcycle, drowns in ditch
PHUKET: A man drowned last night after falling off his motorcycle into a roadside ditch flooded by recent monsoon rains. Police were called to the scene – opposite a Muslim cemetery in Sakoo, south of Phuket International Airport – where they found the body of Supap Petcharat, 58, lying in the 70-centimeter-deep ditch. His motorcycle was lying on its side…
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PM Prayuth under fire for tourist safety bikini remarks
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community PM Prayuth under fire for tourist safety bikini remarks The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Britain Thursday raised concerns after Thailand’s junta leader Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha suggested that female tourists wearing bikinis could be more vulnerable to attack, as DNA tests failed to yield a breakthrough…
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DNA test clears British suspect from Koh Tao murders
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community DNA test clears British suspect from Koh Tao murders The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: A Briton questioned over the murder of two countrymen on Koh Tao on Sunday did not match DNA found on the female victim, police confirmed today. The man, Chrtstopher Alan Ware,…
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Phuket OG269 disaster ushers in B34mn lottery windfall for airport staff
PHUKET: Four people – all staffers working at Phuket International Airport – won government lottery prizes yesterday totaling more than 34 million baht. One of the prize winners, Saowaluck Katekaew, won 4mn baht after choosing the lucky number 269 in memory of the One-Two-Go Flight OG269 disaster that killed 89 people seven years ago to the day on Tuesday. Miss…
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K-1 World Max Final is coming to Thailand
PHUKET: The world-renowned Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) tournament – K-1 World Max Final – is coming to Thailand on October 11. During the event, which will be held at the Indoor Athletics Stadium in Pattaya, Thailand’s martial arts fans will witness Buakaw Banchamekgoing battle it out with Enriko Kehl. The event will be telecast live worldwide. Should Buakaw be able…
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Six arrested over rival student street slayings
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Six arrested over rival student street slayings The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Six students are facing the charge of premeditated murder for fatally shooting three students from a rival college to take “revenge for a female friend” who was killed last month. This case provides…
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Man who hanged 2 dogs named amid online furore
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Man who hanged 2 dogs named amid online furore The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Police have identified a man who allegedly killed his two pet dogs by hanging them from a petrol station’s garage roof beam in Chon Buri’s Bang Lamung district on Tuesday and…
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Cabinet members required to declare assets by Oct 3
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Cabinet members required to declare assets by Oct 3 The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Members of the new Cabinet are required to declare their assets and liabilities by October 3 – 30 days after having been sworn in on September 4, Worawit Sukboon, deputy secretary-general…
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No order to ‘erase’ Thaksin from Phuket textbooks – yet
PHUKET: No orders have been issued to Phuket officials to remove mathayom history textbooks that mark Thaksin Shinawatra, the first prime minister in Thailand’s history to lead an elected government through a full term in office. However, Mr Thaksin has been erased from the history presented in textbooks that the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) has recently ordered…
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Tax havens only for the rich
PHUKET: The annual report published by tax relocation specialist Bradley Hackford has recently named the top ten jurisdictions for 2014. They use five criteria in total, which include quality of life, security, geographical location and accessibility, as well as the quality of the economic citizenship program. Sadly, for most, the achievable tax savings make the high sticker price of establishing…
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British backpacker arrested for Koh Tao murders
PHUKET: Surat Thani Police have arrested a British tourist suspected to be involved in the murders of fellow Britons Hannah Witheridge and David Miller on Koh Tao late Sunday night, reported Thai news agency PBS. Police named the suspect as Christopher Alanvare, said the report (click here). Mr Alanvare was arrested after resort employees reported seeing him walking near the…
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ICC claim a fortunate place in the T20 final
PHUKET: The semi final playoff between ICC and Thalang was shortened due to a lengthy rain delay and ended with calculators out on the ground and ICC being awarded entry into the Outrigger Twenty20 cup final. After the morning’s friendly match was shortened with waves of bad weather blowing across the Island, Thalang’s captain won the toss and elected to…
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Electric shock puts Phuket TOT worker in hospital
PHUKET: A Phuket TOT worker was rushed to hospital after suffering an electric shock while installing cables near the Baan Kamala Intersection yesterday afternoon. Kamala rescue workers arrived at the scene at about 2pm, where they found two men attempting to remove 19-year-old Boonlong Taweepa from a hodge-podge of wires, Lt Solae Damad of the Kamala Police told the Phuket…
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Income tax to drop
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Income tax to drop The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: The Cabinet yesterday approved the reduction of personal income tax to 5-35 per cent from 10-37 per cent, while corporate income tax has been set at 20 per cent of net profit. Government spokesman Yongyuth Mayalarp…
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Myanmar suspects of British tourists’ murder released
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Myanmar suspects of British tourists’ murder released The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Police last night ruled out three Myanmar workers being involved in the murder of two British tourists, as the government appeared to call into question the “behaviour” of the victims themselves. The bodies…
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Rubble on Surin Beach not part of clean-up plan, says Mayor
PHUKET: The shocking piles of rubble on Surin Beach are not part of an initiative to clean up the beach area, confirms Cherng Talay Mayor Ma-ann Samran. Following the demolition order for illegal buildings on the beach, workers have started using the rubble to create a makeshift seawall. “The dumping of rubble along the beach to stop erosion is not…
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Phuket’s One-Two-Go air crash a disaster “not to be remembered’: airport officials
PHUKET: There was no official memorial service today, September 16, to remember the 89 people who died in the crash landing of One-Two-Go Flight OG269 at Phuket International Airport seven years ago. “We do not want to perpetuate horrible memories of the incident. It was a tragedy and not a day to remember,” Phuket Airport Director Prathuang Sornkham told the…
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Phuket preps for 2014 Vegetarian Festivals – both of them
PHUKET: Yellow and red flags are popping up around the island ahead of the world-renowned Phuket Vegetarian Festival, which will kick off on September 24 at shrines across the island. The much anticipated annual festival, which will run until October 2, will begin with a ceremonial raising of go teng poles to allow the Jade Emperor and the Nine Emperor…
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Three suspects questioned about murder of British tourists on Koh Tao
PHUKET: Three Myanmar workers were detained on Tuesday to be questioned about the murder of two Britons on Koh Tao, Deputy Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan said today. The bodies of David Miller, 24, and Hannah Witheridge, 23, were found early Monday morning with severe head wounds. A bloody hoe was found 35 meters from the murder scene. Police will question…
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Phuket Governor nominated for Interior Ministry promotion, successor revealed
PHUKET: Maitri Inthusut has been nominated for promotion from his current position as Governor of Phuket to Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Interior, effective October 1. Governor Maitri was among more than 30 high-ranking officials nominated by the Ministry of Interior for promotion or transfer in a list to be presented to the Cabinet today, reported The Nation. Any…
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Sixteen corrupt officials to be charged for B100bn national park land scandal
PHUKET: Sixteen officials will face negligence charges for their alleged involvement in causing more than 100 billion baht of damage by illegally issuing land documents in Phuket, the Royal Forestry Department revealed in Bangkok yesterday. The accused officials had been involved in issuance of illegitimate land deeds and documents since 1987, department head Theerapat Prayurasiddhi said. Eight of the officials…
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Phuket driver escapes injury as storm fells tree onto pickup truck
PHUKET: Police are urging motorists to exercise caution on Phuket’s roads today after strong winds felled a tree that landed on a pickup truck in Kamala this morning. Rescue workers were called to the scene, on the road between Patong and Kamala, on Phuket’s west coast, at about 8:30am. “The pickup driver had left Patong and was on his way…
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Phuket fisherman drowns after returning to port for safety
PHUKET: A fisherman who returned to port due to rough seas collapsed and fell into the water at the fishing port area in Rassada, on the east side of Phuket Town, yesterday, and was found dead two hours later. Witnesses told police that Songyot Choophol, 39, fell from the fishing boat Sor Narongrit 1 while he was casting out mooring…
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Phuket local finds cobra curled up in bathroom sink
PHUKET: A Phuket villager was shocked to find a cobra curled up in his bathroom sink when he went to hang up his underwear to dry last night. The startled man called Ruamjai Rescue Foundation workers to the scene to have the reptile removed. “The home owner said that he had gone into the bathroom to hang up his clothes…
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Phuket startup to launch Formula 1 simulators
PHUKET: Calling all speed freaks and racing fanatics, the opportunity to get behind the wheel of a Formula 1 simulator is nearly within reach at the soon-to-be-unveiled GR Phuket Racing Center in Patong. Slated for an October 1 grand opening, the venue is in the process of preparing the simulators and staff for hordes of eager enthusiasts. The eight simulators…
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Two foreigners brutally murdered on Koh Tao
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Two foreigners brutally murdered on Koh Tao The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Police are hunting for the killers of a foreign man and woman who were found brutally murdered on Koh Tao, in the Pha-ngan district of Surat Thani province. Surat Thani police chief Lt…
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