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  • Search called off for mentally-handicapped man lost at sea

    Search called off for mentally-handicapped man lost at sea

    PHUKET: Phuket Marine Police have given up the search for a mentally-handicapped man who was swept from a longtail boat into the sea today. “We spent more than four hours looking for Jirawat Srisomporn, 27, before we had to call off the mission because of big waves,” said Lt Col Panya Chaichana of the Phuket Marine Police. Mr Jirawat, who…

  • Superbowl fever (pre-hangover) in Phuket

    Superbowl fever (pre-hangover) in Phuket

    PHUKET: As much as I love the National Football League (NFL), I am no fan of the two weeks of retarded media hype in the run-up to the Super Bowl, or “Stupor Bowl” as I like to call it, given the ungodly time it is broadcast live here in Phuket (Monday, February 4, 6:25am). Before I explain why, I should…

  • Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Election Special – How did we end up here? From Thaksin to today

    Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Election Special – How did we end up here? From Thaksin to today

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Thailand Election Special – How did we end up here? From Thaksin to today Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Yingluck Shinawatra’s journey from political nobody to prime minister was breathtakingly swift. Her premiership’s descent into crisis has been just as rapid. A political neophyte when she…

  • Phuket Opinion: Airport expectations hit rough turbulence

    Phuket Opinion: Airport expectations hit rough turbulence

    PHUKET: Phuket is an international tourist destination – few can argue differently. Islanders may whine that it isn’t what it used to be, but even they are likely to admit that one of the benefits of progress is having an international airport, with international standards.The airport does meet standards, doesn’t it?World travellers and even domestic puddle jumpers have some basic…

  • Phuket Opinion: Safe Phuket roads still nowhere to be found

    Phuket Opinion: Safe Phuket roads still nowhere to be found

    PHUKET: It is hard to imagine that only two countries in the world have more deadly roads than Thailand. Yes, Phuket Land Transport officials should take a measure of pride in the reduction of road accident deaths in recent years, but the island obviously has far to go before conditions on the roadways can be considered anything close to acceptably…

  • Girl in critical condition pulled from bottom of sea at Phuket beach

    Girl in critical condition pulled from bottom of sea at Phuket beach

    PHUKET: Doctor’s are scrambling to save the life of a girl who was pulled unconscious from the sea floor at Nai Harn Beach today. “She arrived at about 3pm in critical condition,” Vachira Phuket Emergency Medical Service nurse Ladda Thongtan told the Phuket Gazette. The girl was one of four children pulled from the water during the rescue. Eyewitnesses to…

  • Bang Tao Canal ills on course to be solved by 2015

    Bang Tao Canal ills on course to be solved by 2015

    PHUKET: A multitude of infrastructure projects designed to stifle the stench and improve the quality of water being released from the Bang Tao Canal into the ocean are about 30 to 40 per cent complete, Cherng Talay Administrative Organization officer (palad) Krichanut Suphantakit has confirmed. The projects include two wastewater treatment plants: one in Bang Tao and one in Surin,…

  • Officer accused of trafficking Rohingya to be investigated by PACC | Thaiger

    Officer accused of trafficking Rohingya to be investigated by PACC

    PHUKET: The Public-sector Anti Corruption Commission (PACC) Region 8 is awaiting final approval from Bangkok to start an investigation into a Phang Nga police officer accused of trafficking Rohingya women over eight months ago. The charges against the officer, Sen Sgt Maj Weerayuth Feuangfu, stem from the case of a Rohingya woman who reported that she was repeatedly raped after…

  • Phuket Gazette World News: Syrian forces raze thousands of homes [Video] | Thaiger

    Phuket Gazette World News: Syrian forces raze thousands of homes [Video]

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Syria peace talks take a break as rivals dig in Reuters / Phuket GazettePHUKET: Syrian authorities have flattened seven residential districts for no apparent military objective but to punish civilians living among rebels who had already fled, Human Rights Watch said on Thursday.The New York-based advocacy group…

  • Phuket Gazette World News: Amanda Knox convicted again of Briton’s 2007 murder

    Phuket Gazette World News: Amanda Knox convicted again of Briton’s 2007 murder

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Knox and Sollecito convicted again of Briton’s 2007 murder Reuters / Phuket GazettePHUKET: American student Amanda Knox and her former Italian boyfriend Raffaele Sollecito were found guilty on Thursday for the second time of the 2007 murder of Briton Meredith Kercher, in a retrial that reversed an…

  • UAE woos foreign direct investment

    UAE woos foreign direct investment

    PHUKET: Under the directive of HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai, UAE Ministry of Economy recently announced that preparations for the 4th Annual Investment Meeting (AIM) scheduled from 8 to 10 April 2014 at the Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Center are in full swing.Delivering the speech…

  • Phuket Gazette World News: Congo’s poachers threatened with U.N. sanctions

    Phuket Gazette World News: Congo’s poachers threatened with U.N. sanctions

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Congo’s poachers threatened with U.N. sanctions Reuters / Phuket GazettePHUKET: The U.N. Security Council warned on Thursday that it would sanction individuals and entities supporting militants in the Democratic Republic of the Congo through illegal wildlife trafficking.The council’s unanimously adopted resolution on Congo extended the arms embargo…

  • Phuket Finance: Sri Lanka could be the next frontier for investors

    Phuket Finance: Sri Lanka could be the next frontier for investors

    PHUKET: When most Westerners think of Sri Lanka, the island nation off the coast of South India that was once known as Ceylon, they probably think of tea (as the country has long been a major tea exporter), science fiction author Arthur C Clarke (who spent most of his adult life living there) or the now defeated Tamil Tiger guerillas…

  • Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Tourism takes B50bn hit from protests

    Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Tourism takes B50bn hit from protests

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Bt50 bn loss expected in Q1 revenue from tourism The Nation / Phuket GazettePHUKET: Thailand’s tourism sector has lost income so far in the new year because of he political turmoil plaguing Bangkok, experts said.Small hotels and restaurants near protest sites have started to cut down their…

  • Phuket Finance: A time tested formula

    Phuket Finance: A time tested formula

    PHUKET: A question I am often asked by clients, who do a bit of stock trading on their own portfolios, is how to determine the appropriate position size. Indeed, there have been studies that show that this aspect can be just as important as the actual security selection in the long run. The reason this is so important is that…

  • Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Violence stakes rise as red shirts ordered to protect poll; Chiang Mai named coup retreat capital; Govt fails to secure loans to pay rice farmers

    Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Violence stakes rise as red shirts ordered to protect poll; Chiang Mai named coup retreat capital; Govt fails to secure loans to pay rice farmers

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Violence feared as red shirts ordered to protect poll The Nation / Phuket GazettePHUKET: The likelihood of a volatile confrontation during this Sunday’s snap election has increased after a red-shirt leader yesterday urged government supporters to help ensure the voting would not be interrupted.Thida Tavonseth, chairperson of…

  • No salvage for sunken Similan dive boat

    No salvage for sunken Similan dive boat

    PHUKET: Liveaboard dive boat MV The Flying Carpet will remain on the sea floor, 75 meters below the Andaman Sea surface, after sinking yesterday between Koh Bon and Koh Tachai, north of Phuket. “There will be no salvage possibility,” said the manager of Aladdin Dive Safari, the company that owned the boat. When asked about insurance, the manager, who asked…

  • Phuket’s “Nine Heroes’ land at Victory Field

    Phuket’s “Nine Heroes’ land at Victory Field

    PHUKET: The long-awaited nine bronze statues of important figures in Phuket’s history arrived on the island yesterday and were officially installed at Thalang Victory Memorial Field this morning. Phuket Governor Maitri Inthusut led a blessing ceremony at Saphan Hin yesterday evening to welcome the Nine Heroes. “These historical figures will serve to remind all Phuket people of their brave ancestors…

  • Phuket’s one-stop yacht center to open next week

    Phuket’s one-stop yacht center to open next week

    PHUKET: Phuket’s one-stop center for arriving yachts is scheduled to open next week. The opening of the facility, on Chalong Pier [map here], was initially set for 2012, then delayed until 2015 before being moved forward to February 7. “We are opening now for financial reasons,” Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (PPAO) President Paiboon Upatising said. “We signed a three-year contract…

  • Video Report: German couple lost in Phuket jungle, found safe

    Video Report: German couple lost in Phuket jungle, found safe

    PHUKET: A German couple lost in a huge protected forest in central Phuket last night was returned to safety early this morning.Jurgen Strempel, 51, and his wife Ludecke, 49, called the Tourist Police hotline 1155 at about 8pm, said Lt Adul Boonrat of the Thalang Police.“They said they were on top of a hill between Ton Sai Waterfall and Bang…

  • Phuket taxi driver returns more than 3,000 euros to Frenchman

    Phuket taxi driver returns more than 3,000 euros to Frenchman

    PHUKET: A Phuket taxi driver yesterday returned a bag containing nearly 150,000 baht’s worth of euros and other valuables to a Frenchman who left it in his taxi. The 57-year-old tourist, Andre Cellier, arrived on January 22 and took a taxi to Patong. When he discovered he had forgotten his bag – which contained his passport and a mobile phone,…

  • Phuket Property: Building materials index “unrealistic’

    Phuket Property: Building materials index “unrealistic’

    PHUKET: Provincial authorities seek a revision to the central price index for construction materials, pointing to outdated and inaccurate value estimations for building supplies imported to the island. Meanwhile, the Revenue Department reported collecting 9.6 billion baht in tax revenue in Phuket in 2013, exceeding their target by 5%.The economic issues headlined the agenda at the latest Phuket meeting of…

  • Phuket tourism market eyed for semi-submarine pilot

    Phuket tourism market eyed for semi-submarine pilot

    PHUKET: Looking to build on its recent successful launch in Malaysia, one Korean marketeer is now eying the Phuket and Phang Nga marine leisure markets for its simple yet innovative semi-submarine vessel.“The Penguin” was one of several interesting marine products that stood out at this year’s Phuket International Boat Show (see page 44 for more details about the event); To…

  • Phuket Gazette World News: High stakes in Paris race to be first Madame Mayor

    Phuket Gazette World News: High stakes in Paris race to be first Madame Mayor

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community High stakes in Paris race to be first Madame Mayor Reuters / Phuket GazettePHUKET: Wanted: Chief executive to run city of two million, seat of government, top global tourist destination and fashion capital. Relevant experience appreciated. Men need not apply.Paris elects a new mayor this spring who…

  • Phuket Gazette World News: U.S. readies financial sanctions against Ukraine

    Phuket Gazette World News: U.S. readies financial sanctions against Ukraine

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community U.S. readies financial sanctions against Ukraine Reuters / Phuket GazettePHUKET: The Obama administration is preparing financial sanctions that could be imposed on Ukrainian officials and protest leaders if violence escalates in the political crisis gripping Ukraine, congressional aides said on Wednesday.Congressional aides, who asked not to be…

  • Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Election standoff begins; Police deployed; Reds rile rice farmers

    Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Election standoff begins; Police deployed; Reds rile rice farmers

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Suthep threatens election day shutdown The Nation / Phuket GazettePHUKET: Suthep Thaugsuban, leader of the ongoing anti-government protest, yesterday threatened to bring Bangkok to a “complete shutdown” on election day, while half of the 400,000-strong national police force is expected to be deployed to maintain law and…

  • Phuket Chinese New Year: fruit up 30%, no change in meat, vegetables

    Phuket Chinese New Year: fruit up 30%, no change in meat, vegetables

    PHUKET: Produce shoppers did not seem deterred by the 30% annual increase on fruit prices ahead of the Chinese New Year celebrations, a visit today to one of the Phuket’s main fresh markets revealed. Meanwhile, no significant annual change was observed in the price of most vegetables and two staple meats – chicken and pork. Earlier today, the Gazette visited…

  • Phuket Hero: Two years at the top

    Phuket Hero: Two years at the top

    PHUKET: A team of young dancers from the Ban Bangneaw Municipal School in Phuket Town won the national finals of the “To Be Number One” Teen Dancersize Competition held in the events arena at The Mall Bangkapi in Bangkok on January 26 and 27. Competing in the Junior Division for students aged 6 to 9, the HERO team wowed the…

  • Phuket Police vow to protect voters, despite manpower shortage

    Phuket Police vow to protect voters, despite manpower shortage

    PHUKET: Despite a shortage of officers, the Phuket Provincial Police have vowed to protect voters from any violence on election day with a special task force. The group of 41 officers will be made up of five fast-response inspectors, 18 undercover officers and 18 officers on standby. “Officers manning the polling stations have been instructed not to interfere with peaceful…

  • Phuket Gazette World News: Ukraine PM resigns amid unrest, parliament revokes anti-protest laws

    Phuket Gazette World News: Ukraine PM resigns amid unrest, parliament revokes anti-protest laws

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Ukraine PM resigns amid unrest, parliament revokes anti-protest laws Reuters / Phuket GazettePHUKET: Ukrainian Prime Minister Mykola Azarov resigned on Tuesday while deputies loyal to President Viktor Yanukovich, acting to calm violent street protests, back-tracked and overturned anti-protest laws they rammed through parliament 12 days ago.The first…