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  • Phuket Gazette Thailand News: BRN threatens no more peace; Amnesty bill under review; Trang Airport still closed, Fugitive’s son weds star actress

    Phuket Gazette Thailand News: BRN threatens no more peace; Amnesty bill under review; Trang Airport still closed, Fugitive’s son weds star actress

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Insurgents threaten to quit peace talks in latest video message The Nation / Phuket GazettePHUKET: In another YouTube video message released on Tuesday night, insurgents in the deep South threatened to quit the peace dialogue, using inflammatory statements to lambaste Thai authorities on unspecific issues.The clip shows…

  • Rohingya refugees protest officials’ prevention of group prayer for Eid-al Fitr

    Rohingya refugees protest officials’ prevention of group prayer for Eid-al Fitr

    PHUKET: Over 250 Rohingya refugees raged against Phang Nga Immigration officers when denied the right to leave their cells and gather for mass prayer to mark Eid-al Fitr today. Eid-al Fitr is one of the most important days for practicing Muslims, as it marks the end of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan (special report here). “The refugees broke out…

  • Krabi murder defendants claim US Embassy translator unfair

    Krabi murder defendants claim US Embassy translator unfair

    PHUKET: The three Thai musicians charged with the murder of American tourist Bobby Ray Carter Jr in Krabi on July 31 (story here) have refused to have the translator provided by the US Embassy in Bangkok involved in the trial. The lawyer representing the three defendants explained the complaint to the judge at Krabi Provincial Court on Tuesday, when defendants…

  • Body of executed pregnant woman found in Khao Sok National Park, north of Phuket | Thaiger

    Body of executed pregnant woman found in Khao Sok National Park, north of Phuket

    PHUKET: An unidentified pregnant woman was executed by gun and her body left in Khao Sok National Park, Phang Nga police said today.The body of the woman, believed to have been in her late 20s, was found by villagers in Phang Nga’s Kapong District yesterday.“She was wearing an orange-red maternity dress, and appeared to be pregnant,” Prajak Rodkantuk of the…

  • Citizen rescue to bolster safety at Phuket beaches

    Citizen rescue to bolster safety at Phuket beaches

    PHUKET: Scores of everyday people are voluntarily undergoing lifeguard training in order to help Phuket’s strained contingent of lifeguards cope with the growing number of tourists, expats and local residents who need to be saved from dangerous surf.There are currently 38 beach guard stations at 13 beaches in Phuket, staffed by a total of 108 lifeguards, explained Phuket Lifeguard Club…

  • Organized Crime Centers to open for business tomorrow

    Organized Crime Centers to open for business tomorrow

    PHUKET: Phuket’s first Organized Crime Center for Tourism is set to open tomorrow, with one office at Phuket International Airport and one office at the Phuket City Police Station. The offices are being established to get a grip on tourist operators extorting money from island visitors, money launderers, illegal taxi drivers (story here) and persons involved in criminal associations (story…

  • Oil spill damage not as great as feared, say Phuket Marine Biologists

    Oil spill damage not as great as feared, say Phuket Marine Biologists

    PHUKET: The environmental damage to Koh Samet is not as great as initially feared, according to five Phuket-based marine biologists who have just returned from a fact-finding mission to the oil-spill stricken island (story here). The Phuket group’s findings were similar to those reported by the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources. “We did not find any remains or evidence…

  • Phuket Gazette World News: Obama snubs Putin; Egypt at deadly stalemate; Nairobi fire threatens regional economies; Saudi offers Russia arms deal

    Phuket Gazette World News: Obama snubs Putin; Egypt at deadly stalemate; Nairobi fire threatens regional economies; Saudi offers Russia arms deal

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– World news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Obama snubs Putin over Snowden row Reuters / Phuket GazettePHUKET: U.S. President Barack Obama is cancelling a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin scheduled for next month in Moscow, the White House said on Wednesday.The Obama administration has repeatedly expressed disappointment after Moscow granted temporary asylum to…

  • Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Amnesty bill begins; Democrats happy with rally; Nok Air plane slides off runway; Corals damaged in oil spill areas

    Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Amnesty bill begins; Democrats happy with rally; Nok Air plane slides off runway; Corals damaged in oil spill areas

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Parliament begins amnesty bill process The Nation / Phuket GazettePHUKET: The controversial amnesty bill cruised through the initial parliamentary process last night when the House voted 301-160 against a proposal by opposition and Democrat leader Abhisit Vejjajiva to postpone deliberations on the bill. Last night’s vote kick-started…

  • Only one Krabi musician faces the music for American’s murder

    Only one Krabi musician faces the music for American’s murder

    PHUKET: Only one of the three musicians charged with killing American tourist Bobby Ray Carter Jr in Krabi last week appeared in court for arraignment on Monday. The other two postponed their trial date. All three men, charged with the July 31 murder of 51-year-old Bobby Carter Jr and the assault of his son Adam, 27, outside the Little Longhorn…

  • “No worries’ over Aussie police workshop on transnational crime in Phuket

    “No worries’ over Aussie police workshop on transnational crime in Phuket

    PHUKET: The Australian Federal Police (AFP) are in Phuket to hold a joint workshop with Phuket authorities on tackling the issue of transnational crime on the island.“Phuket is one of the most famous tourist destinations in the world. Every day, large numbers of tourists from all over the globe come to visit us,” Phuket Provincial Police Deputy Commander Peerayuth Karajedee…

  • Black taxis scoff at Phuket Airport organized crime center

    Black taxis scoff at Phuket Airport organized crime center

    PHUKET: A taxi company using illegal “black taxis” to serve Phuket International Airport said it will continue to do so despite the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) opening its Organized Crime Center for Tourism there on Friday (story here). “Our black plate taxis will still work as usual. If the DSI officers arrest them, I will explain to the officers…

  • Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Fears of major clash; Data on Imam killing; Military gunmen shot unarmed people: Court; US pushes for tougher trafficking sentences

    Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Fears of major clash; Data on Imam killing; Military gunmen shot unarmed people: Court; US pushes for tougher trafficking sentences

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Fear of major clash if rivals face off at House The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: A political confrontation is looming between pro- and anti-government mobs, with Democrat Party MPs having decided to lead a group of supporters to Parliament House today, which is protected by…

  • Phuket joins Bangkok ranks at amnesty bill protest

    Phuket joins Bangkok ranks at amnesty bill protest

    PHUKET: Members of the Phuket Pitak Siam group and their anti-government cohorts in Bangkok will join Democrat supporters and People’s Army protesters to rally against the amnesty bill in front of Parliament House tomorrow. An estimated 70,000 people are expected to join the street protest, Pitak Siam Phuket coordinator Apharat Chartchutikumjorn told the Phuket Gazette this morning. “The Democrat Party…

  • Phuket weather delays salvage of sunken cargo vessel | Thaiger

    Phuket weather delays salvage of sunken cargo vessel

    PHUKET: Efforts to salvage the cargo ship Unity, which sunk in high seas on its way to Phi Phi Island last week (story here), have been postponed until tomorrow due to the current spate of bad weather. “We will begin the recovery of the ship tomorrow, as today we have been preparing the machinery and the equipment needed to recover…

  • Raising bar past low-tide mark – Phuket Business

    Raising bar past low-tide mark – Phuket Business

    PHUKET: Corporate social responsibility (CSR) has a long-standing and ill-fated tradition of stopping at the low-tide mark. For mountain resorts in the French Alps, which do not rely on what is beneath the ocean surface to draw guests, such an oversight is understandable. However, the trend of CSR projects not safeguarding heavily threatened marine systems, such as the coral reefs…

  • Phuket Gazette World News: Syrian child soldiers being recruited; Radioactive water seeping into ocean in Japan; Python strangles Canadian kids

    Phuket Gazette World News: Syrian child soldiers being recruited; Radioactive water seeping into ocean in Japan; Python strangles Canadian kids

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Audit of Syrian refugees finds organised crime and child soldiers Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Many Syrians who have escaped their country are now desperate to escape from U.N.-run refugee camps, where women are not safe and teenage boys are recruited as soldiers to fight in…

  • Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Top Imam slain in South; Years for oil spill recovery; Luxury car cheats fined; Online coup posts probed

    Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Top Imam slain in South; Years for oil spill recovery; Luxury car cheats fined; Online coup posts probed

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Brothers behind car scam to pay fine The Nation / Phuket GazettePHUKET: Nareunart and Thanan Kuansawat, two brothers believed to be part of a luxury-car scam, agreed yesterday to pay a fine for evading car import taxes.They also heard the two extra charges put before them by…

  • No infrastructure damage to Krabi International Airport, despite ramp road subsiding

    No infrastructure damage to Krabi International Airport, despite ramp road subsiding

    PHUKET: Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) officers confirmed that there was no structural damage to the domestic terminal at Krabi International Airport after heavy rains caused the ramp road of the terminal to subside (story here). The DCA has already approved a budget to make repairs to the airport, which recently underwent a 743-million-baht upgrade. The budget is set to…

  • Phuket FC appoints seasoned Brazilian as new coach

    Phuket FC appoints seasoned Brazilian as new coach

    PHUKET: The Islanders’ vacancy for a head coach (see story here) has already been filled – by a skillful and respected Brazilian, Stefano Cugurra Teco. Known formally as Alessandro Stefano Cugurra Rodrigues, “Coach Teco” was born on July 25, 1974 in Rio de Janeiro, and has been involved with Thai professional soccer since 2010. As a football manager and former…

  • Dutchman’s girlfriend dies mysteriously in Phuket

    Dutchman’s girlfriend dies mysteriously in Phuket

    PHUKET: The 39-year-old Thai partner of a Dutchman was found dead yesterday morning with no specific cause of death confirmed. At just after 10am, Hans Lehner, 68, called the Patong police to inform them that his girlfriend, Pranee Srijaem, had died in her sleep. “I took the call. His girlfriend apparently died in bed while sleeping,” Patapee Srichai of the…

  • Phuket Poll: Public transport preferred to new Chalong underpass

    Phuket Poll: Public transport preferred to new Chalong underpass

    PHUKET: More than one-third of respondents to a Phuket Gazette online poll have voted to have an effective public transport system that reduces the volume of traffic on Phuket’s roads, instead of building an underpass costing hundreds of millions of baht at the busy Chalong Circle junction in the south of the island. Phuket Governor Maitri Inthusut last month unveiled…

  • Cola wars: which one passes the Phuket taste test?

    Cola wars: which one passes the Phuket taste test?

    PHUKET: Since the launch of the cola soft drink “est” into the Thai market late last year (story here), local companies have been competing with global giants, vying for consumer allegiance among expats, Thais and tourists across the island. Est producer Serm Suk Co, which until recently bottled and distributed Pepsi across Thailand, is aiming to achieve 8 billion baht…

  • Phuket blaze guts bedroom in Patong apartment

    Phuket blaze guts bedroom in Patong apartment

    PHUKET: Police suspect a spark from an electrical socket near a bed set ablaze a third-floor apartment at the Baan Chalika complex in Patong early yesterday morning. The fire caused an estimated 30,000 baht in damage. No injuries were reported. Officers were called to the the four-storey apartment block, in Soi Prasertsub 2 on Ratchapatanusorn Road (map here), at 12:45am…

  • Ramadan: Feeding the spirit by fasting

    Ramadan: Feeding the spirit by fasting

    Special Report A silent celebration is under way for Phuket Muslims right now, with no firecrackers, water or festive songs piped over department-store loudspeakers. It’s Ramadan, the fasting month. The Phuket Gazette’s Irfarn Jamdukor examines what Ramadan means to local Muslims. PHUKET: The quietness of the holiday might seem appropriate to outsiders who equate fasting with deprivation and hardship, but…

  • Phuket FC lose another coach after draw

    Phuket FC lose another coach after draw

    PHUKET: A minor yet vocally active segment of Phuket FC’s supporters got their way yet-again, highlighted by a public announcement on Facebook last night by now-ex Head Coach Paniphon “Tu” Kerdyaem, that he was resigning his post with immediate effect. The announcement follows Saturday night’s close yet disappointing 1-1 league draw with lower ranked Thai Tobacco Monopoly (TTM) FC at…

  • Road collapse at Krabi Airport domestic terminal

    Road collapse at Krabi Airport domestic terminal

    PHUKET: Authorities have closed the ramp road to the domestic terminal at Krabi International Airport after heavy rain over the past week washed away the earth underneath a retaining wall, causing the road to subside.The damage was reported by a tourist at 9:30am on Saturday, Krabi Airport Director Sunyaluk Kraiboot told the Phuket Gazette.“The retaining wall collapsed, causing about 10…

  • Phuket Gazette World News: NYPD rookie kills 14-year-old; Aussie PM calls Sept 7 election; Al Qaeda threat leaves US embassies closed; Spain and Britain spar over Gibraltar | Thaiger

    Phuket Gazette World News: NYPD rookie kills 14-year-old; Aussie PM calls Sept 7 election; Al Qaeda threat leaves US embassies closed; Spain and Britain spar over Gibraltar

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– World news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Australian PM Rudd calls September 7 poll Reuters / Phuket GazettePHUKET: Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd called a September 7 general election on Sunday, barely six weeks after he toppled former leader Julia Gillard in a party-room vote, ending a turbulent three years in power for the…

  • Phuket protesters en route to Bangkok

    Phuket protesters en route to Bangkok

    PHUKET: Phuket Pitak Siam group members are en route to Bangkok to join a protest against the amnesty bill proposed by the Pheu Thai party which is slated to be debated in Parliament next Wednesday. A confrontation between police and protesters, as well as forced entry into both Parliament and Government House compounds is expected, reported The Nation (story here).…

  • Phuket beefs up security after Provincial Hall explosion

    Phuket beefs up security after Provincial Hall explosion

    PHUKET: Local officials laid out plans for increased security at government offices and popular Phuket locations as police continue their investigation into the bomb that exploded at Provincial Hall on August 1 (story here). The meeting follows National Police Office adviser Ratchata Yensuang’s visit to Phuket to learn more about the non-fatal explosion in the parking lot of Phuket Provincial…