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  • Phuket speed cameras dish out tickets for holiday season

    Phuket speed cameras dish out tickets for holiday season

    PHUKET: Ten motorists have been ticketed since Phuket’s four speed cameras became operational on December 25.“Anyone travelling over 90km/hr will be fined 500 baht each time they are caught on one of our cameras,” Lt Col Rungrit Rattanapagdee of the Phuket City Traffic Police Police told the Phuket Gazette today. According to Thai traffic law, 90km is the maximum speed…

  • Special Report: A nation at the crossroads

    Special Report: A nation at the crossroads

    Special Report PHUKET: As Thailand begins a new year, the country finds itself at a crossroads. What seems to be at stake is not only the future shape of democracy in this country, but whether it will even remain a democracy at all. This should worry all those who care about the future of Thailand and its people. The People’s…

  • 5 dead in Seven Days of Danger; Phuket officials declare success

    5 dead in Seven Days of Danger; Phuket officials declare success

    PHUKET: The nationwide Seven Days of Danger road-safety campaign ended at midnight last night with a final tally of five deaths on Phuket’s roads. “Although we could not maintain zero deaths in Phuket during the Seven Days of Danger campaign, we are satisfied with the record for this year,” said Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation-Phuket (DDPM-Phuket) Chief San Jantharawong.…

  • Phuket crane topples, downs power cables on bypass road

    Phuket crane topples, downs power cables on bypass road

    PHUKET: Officials have restored power supply along the bypass road, north of Phuket Town, after a crane toppled and brought down high-voltage power cables during peak hour traffic this morning.“We received a report of a crane falling over at 8:29am. We have yet to learn what caused it to fall,” Phuket Provincial Electricity Authority (PPEA) Operations Chief Yongyuth Podbutr told…

  • Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Army decries crisis decree; EC revises election strategy; Pregnant panda; Deep South toll surpasses tsunami

    Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Army decries crisis decree; EC revises election strategy; Pregnant panda; Deep South toll surpasses tsunami

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Army against crisis decree The Nation / Phuket GazettePHUKET: The top brass disagree with the imposition of an emergency decree despite the People’s Democratic Reform Committee’s threat to “shut down” the capital on January 13 to force Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra to step down, military sources said…

  • Phuket Opinion: People, not tinsel or music or gifts

    Phuket Opinion: People, not tinsel or music or gifts

    PHUKET: Christmas has always been a somewhat schizophrenic event for me. Coming from a non-religious family, it was always celebrated as a time for the extended family to get together, share food and catch up on developments over the past year, and had absolutely nothing to do with celebrating the birth of Christ. Nevertheless, my mother is religious in her…

  • Phuket Opinion: A reality check born of resolutions

    Phuket Opinion: A reality check born of resolutions

    Susanna Huza, 41, is CEO of Ignite Inspiration Co Ltd, a Communications Consultancy and Training Company. She has a multinational background and earned undergraduate and advanced degrees in law from the University of Hull in the UK. She is also a Master Practitioner and Trainer in Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) and Hypnosis, and a Master Trainer of TimeLine Therapy. Here…

  • Phuket Opinion: The toll of tourism

    Phuket Opinion: The toll of tourism

    PHUKET: As we embark on the year 2014, there seems to be no better time to reflect on the monumental changes that have transformed Phuket over the past few decades, all the result of “Bangkok style” urbanization that continues to degrade what is left of the island’s natural beauty and diminish its appeal to foreign tourists. In a recent Phuket…

  • Phuket police declare victory after Patong parking D-day

    Phuket police declare victory after Patong parking D-day

    PHUKET: Patong police have declared success in dislodging taxis and tuk-tuks from parking spots on the Patong beach road. “We succeeded in our goal of freeing up space between Prachanukroh Road and Soi Bangla. Each of the seven taxi ranks there are now limited to five vehicles each,” Patong Police Deputy Superintendent Akanit Danpitaksat told the Phuket Gazette this afternoon.…

  • Phuket Airport customs nab Vietnamese “monk’ drug mule

    Phuket Airport customs nab Vietnamese “monk’ drug mule

    PHUKET: Customs officers at Phuket International Airport arrested a Vietnamese man dressed as a monk yesterday for attempting to smuggle more than 2kg of ya ice (crystal methamphetamine) into Thailand. The drugs had an estimated street value of about 8 million baht. “Officers arrested Nguyen Van Thiet, 64, at 1:50am after receiving a tip-off from undercover officers,” said Phuket Airport…

  • Phuket ponders bus ban for lethal Patong Hill

    Phuket ponders bus ban for lethal Patong Hill

    PHUKET: The Phuket Land Transport Office (PLTO) has included a ban on buses travelling over Patong Hill on its list of nine suggestions to prevent more fatal accidents from occurring on the notorious incline. PLTO Chief Transport Technician Jaturong Kaewkasi presented the list of safety recommendations to Phuket Governor Maitri Inthusut yesterday. “Over the years, there have been many accidents…

  • Phuket maintains zero road deaths in 2014

    Phuket maintains zero road deaths in 2014

    PHUKET: Two traffic accidents sent two people to the hospital yesterday, but Phuket has yet to record a road-fatality for 2014. The Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Phuket office (DDPM-Phuket) today confirmed their statistics for Phuket during the Seven Days of Danger national road-safety campaign as five dead and 32 injured in 27 accidents. “The accidents on January 1…

  • Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Suthep sets for Bangkok seige; Bus terminal brawl bumps holiday death toll; Deep South insurgency deaths double

    Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Suthep sets for Bangkok seige; Bus terminal brawl bumps holiday death toll; Deep South insurgency deaths double

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Capital siege set for Jan 13 The Nation / Phuket GazettePHUKET: The anti-government People’s Democratic Reform Committee last night announced details of its plan to lay siege to Bangkok from January 13. PDRC leader Suthep Thaugsuban said the siege could last for a month, or until the…

  • Election candidate blockade remains steadfast in Phuket

    Election candidate blockade remains steadfast in Phuket

    PHUKET: The Phuket blockade preventing any further candidates from registering to enter the February 2 national election held strong today, the last day for potential candidates to enter the election. “We couldn’t even get inside the building this morning to open the center as the protesters blocked our way,” Kittipong Thiengkunakrit, Director of the Phuket office of the Election Commission,…

  • Pakastani arrested for passing counterfeit notes in Phuket

    Pakastani arrested for passing counterfeit notes in Phuket

    PHUKET: A Pakistani accused of passing counterfeit notes in Phuket was arrested at Suvarnabhumi Airport yesterday after police identified him from CCTV images taken along the road from Karon to Patong.Imran Haider, 30, exchanged counterfeit notes representing 1,400 Kuwaiti dinar in return for 148,000 baht at a foreign currency exchange booth in Karon on December 28.“The staff at the booth…

  • Phuket starts 2014 with zero road deaths

    Phuket starts 2014 with zero road deaths

    PHUKET: Although five road accidents sent five people to the hospital with injuries yesterday, Phuket has yet to record a single death for the new year. The Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) today confirmed that one serious accident had been reported in Patong after midnight last night. “A motorbike crashed into a pickup truck near the mosque on…

  • Phuket offerings, blessings mark New Year 2014

    Phuket offerings, blessings mark New Year 2014

    PHUKET: About 1,000 people gathered at Queen Sirikit Park in Phuket Town this morning to join a mass alms-giving ceremony to bring good luck for the new year. All three Phuket Vice Governors attended the 7am ceremony in front of Queen Sirikit Park (map here), as did the Phuket City Mayor and other officials. After dry food offerings were presented…

  • Phuket Gazette World News: World ushers in New Year; South Sudan peace talks today; Putin vows to take down terrorists

    Phuket Gazette World News: World ushers in New Year; South Sudan peace talks today; Putin vows to take down terrorists

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– World news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community South Sudan peace talks set for New Year’s Day Reuters / Phuket GazettePHUKET: South Sudan’s government and rebels are set for New Year’s Day peace talks in Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa, to thrash out a ceasefire to end weeks of ethnic bloodletting in the world’s newest state.Both…

  • Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Prayers, parties see in New Year; HM wishes health, wealth and happiness; Road death toll climbs; Alcohol advertising arrests

    Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Prayers, parties see in New Year; HM wishes health, wealth and happiness; Road death toll climbs; Alcohol advertising arrests

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Thais opt for prayers, parties to see in 2014 The Nation / Phuket GazettePHUKET: As an alternative to celebrate the New Year, temples nationwide offer “cross-year Buddhist prayer” for people who like to attend for good luck, while many others celebrated with friends and loved ones in…

  • Phuket doubles down on Tah Chat Chai checkpoint security

    Phuket doubles down on Tah Chat Chai checkpoint security

    PHUKET: The number of police manning the land-security gateway to Phuket, Tah Chat Chai checkpoint, has been doubled in order to ensure the safety of residents and visitors during Phuket’s high season. The number of Tah Chat Chai Police officers has jumped from 10 officers checking a total of five cars an hour to 20 officers checking a total of…

  • Safer Phuket launches marine safety petition

    Safer Phuket launches marine safety petition

    PHUKET: The Safer Phuket campaign (story here), designed to significantly improve marine safety on and around the island, launched a petition last week to build mass commitment to change, campaign leader Duncan Stewart told the Phuket Gazette today. “The campaign needs three ‘Ms’: message, momentum and mass – we’re at stage three now,” Mr Stewart said. “We need demonstrable mass…

  • Government floats idea of MP registration in Phuket at military bases, police stations

    Government floats idea of MP registration in Phuket at military bases, police stations

    PHUKET: The government has suggested registering election candidates for constituencies in Phuket and elsewhere in the South at local military bases or police stations if the process continues to be disrupted by anti-government protesters (story here) – but such a move would require the approval of the Election Commission (EC), Deputy Prime Minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul said yesterday. Mr Surapong was…

  • Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Thailand’s army moves to allay coup fears; Violence at protests continues; Protesters examine voting options

    Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Thailand’s army moves to allay coup fears; Violence at protests continues; Protesters examine voting options

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Thailand’s army moves to allay coup fears Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Thailand’s powerful but politicised army sought to ease fears on Monday that it might step in to resolve a festering political crisis, while anti-government protesters entrenched positions around Bangkok as they seek to disrupt…

  • Phuket Gazette World News: Second bomb blast in Russia; Volcano in El Salvador; Aussie cyclone heads inland; Four journalists held in Egypt; China says Japan PM ‘shut door’

    Phuket Gazette World News: Second bomb blast in Russia; Volcano in El Salvador; Aussie cyclone heads inland; Four journalists held in Egypt; China says Japan PM ‘shut door’

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– World news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Second blast in Russia’s Volgograd kills 10 on trolleybus Reuters / Phuket GazetteAt least 10 people were killed when a bomb blast ripped through a trolleybus on Monday in the second deadly attack in the Russian city of Volgograd in two days, law enforcement authorities said.The explosion…

  • Phuket Pheu Thai candidate braves protest to enroll

    Phuket Pheu Thai candidate braves protest to enroll

    PHUKET: One lone candidate yesterday braved the hundreds-strong protest in front of the Community Hall in Phuket Town to register in the February 2 national election. Jirayus Songyos registered as a Pheu Thai candidate for Voting District 2, which encompasses Phuket Town and the south of the island (click here). “So far, he is the only candidate registered to contest…

  • Phuket officers take down taxi drivers for intimidation

    Phuket officers take down taxi drivers for intimidation

    PHUKET: A sting operation involving an undercover Patong Police officer disguised as a taxi driver put two men operating a hotel taxi queue behind bars yesterday. Pamorn Maipuek, 40, and Narathid Wangaree, 27, were charged for threatening the plainclothes officer, who was attempting to pick up guests at Avista Hideway Resort and Spa at about 7pm. “We had a team…

  • Runaway Phuket tour bus leaves two dead, 26 injured [Video] | Thaiger

    Runaway Phuket tour bus leaves two dead, 26 injured [Video]

    PHUKET: Seven people remain in hospital after a runaway Phuket tour bus slammed into five vehicles, including one motorcycle, killing two people and leaving 26 others injured late yesterday afternoon. The bus came to a stop after ramming a concrete barrier at the bottom of Patong Hill near Wat Suwankiriwong (map here), explained Patong Police Superintendent Chiraphat Pochanaphan. “The driver…

  • Phuket Gazette Thailand News: MP shortfall may annul Feb 2 election; Holiday road toll hits 86 dead; Cold-weather boozing feared lethal

    Phuket Gazette Thailand News: MP shortfall may annul Feb 2 election; Holiday road toll hits 86 dead; Cold-weather boozing feared lethal

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community MP total could fall short if blockades continue The Nation/ Phuket GazettePHUKET: Fears that protests will keep 95% minimum from being met; EC to discuss possible poll delay with govt, PDRCA former election commissioner warned yesterday of an impending political deadlock that could make a new House…

  • iBless to put on Phuket charity concert for typhoon victims

    iBless to put on Phuket charity concert for typhoon victims

    PHUKET: Local Filipino community project iBless Philippines is putting on a charity concert tomorrow to help those still suffering from the devastation of Super Typhoon Haiyan. The show, ‘Music for a Cause’, will showcase six local Filipino bands at Molly Malones Irish Pub in Patong. The event starts at 7pm with the MMR Band; FF Kei Vox; Uturn (The Rock…

  • Bird strike forces AirAsia flight back to Phuket

    Bird strike forces AirAsia flight back to Phuket

    PHUKET: AirAsia flight FD3167 from Phuket to Chiang Mai was forced to turn around 32 minutes after departing from Phuket International Airport, after a bird strike. “We believe several birds were sucked into the engine of the plane… After that, the captain decided to turn the plane back and land in Phuket to have the engine checked,” Arun Lilapantisitti of…