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  • Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Govt won’t budge on rice price; Cabinet V sworn in; Cameras out in Deep South attack

    Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Govt won’t budge on rice price; Cabinet V sworn in; Cameras out in Deep South attack

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Govt won’t budge much on rice price Reuters / Phuket GazettePHUKET: Despite increasing pressure from farmers, the National Rice Policy Committee is unlikely to budge on the new rice-pledging price of Bt12,000 per tonne, due to financial burdens, a government source has revealed. Deputy Prime Minister and…

  • Phuket Gazette World Sports: Brazil dominate Spain to win Confed Cup

    Phuket Gazette World Sports: Brazil dominate Spain to win Confed Cup

    Brazil crush 10-man Spain to win Confederations Cup Reuters / Phuket GazettePHUKET: Brazil humbled world and European Champions Spain with a crushing 3-0 win in the Confederations Cup final on Sunday, ending their opponents’ three-year record run of 29 unbeaten competitive matchesTwo goals from Fred, one either side of a stunning left-foot shot from Neymar, gave next year’s World Cup…

  • Phuket Gazette Queer News: Bank robber throws OJ at terrified teller

    Phuket Gazette Queer News: Bank robber throws OJ at terrified teller

    PHUKET: While guns may be the weapon of choice for most bank robbers here in Phuket, one resourceful criminal managed to steal more than 200,000 baht from a branch of Bangkok Bank using something a little more innocuous: a bottle of orange juice. Cops announced the arrest of Kittisak Rueankon, 42, on June 16 after they found him hiding out…

  • Phuket police street shooter walks free

    Phuket police street shooter walks free

    PHUKET: All charges against a Phuket police officer arrested for shooting dead a civilian in Phuket Town have been dropped. Cpl Rachaporn Semaksorn and his brother, Dechaporn, were arrested after witnesses identified Cpl Rachaporn as the man who pulled out a gun and shot 21-year-old Ekkasit Sangangam at point-blank range. The incident occurred on Phun Pol Soi 11, in the…

  • Patong ladyboys given stiff treatment, Phuket club shut down

    Patong ladyboys given stiff treatment, Phuket club shut down

    PHUKET: The Dragon Club, an erection behind the Jungceylon shopping mall in Patong (map here), was shut down on Thursday night after it was found to be hosting lewd shows in addition to doing business without a required license. “We raided the entertainment venue at about 10:30pm and found a naked show being performed on stage,” Lt Col Nikorn of…

  • Belgian expat stabbed by Thai girlfriend out of Phuket ICU

    Belgian expat stabbed by Thai girlfriend out of Phuket ICU

    PHUKET: The 62-year-old Belgian expat who was stabbed multiple times by his Thai girlfriend earlier this week is out of intensive care, hospital staff have confirmed. Ferdinand Salden was stabbed repeatedly by his girlfriend of six years, Yossapa Janthep, 36, amid a violent domestic dispute at their Patong home on Wednesday night (story here). Mr Salden lapsed into a coma…

  • Phuket Sports: Tyres, teams and tracks – F1

    Phuket Sports: Tyres, teams and tracks – F1

    PHUKET: We are seven races down in a nineteen race season. It is a good time to reflect. Pirelli succumbed to pressure and ran Montreal on intermediates instead of softs on a surface as smooth as a worm’s belly. That proved what we all knew; with tyres that do not degrade on a smooth dry track, the fastest car will…

  • Phuket Gazette World News: Egypt tensions rise, one American killed; Snowden tips US return; Vatican cleric arrested for money laundering

    Phuket Gazette World News: Egypt tensions rise, one American killed; Snowden tips US return; Vatican cleric arrested for money laundering

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– World news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Egypt cleric warns of civil war, American among protest dead Reuters / Phuket GazettePHUKET: Two people, one an American, were killed when protesters stormed an office of Egypt’s ruling Muslim Brotherhood in Alexandria, adding to growing tension ahead of mass rallies aimed at unseating the Islamist president.A…

  • Phuket FC look to skin Korat Swat Cats tonight

    Phuket FC look to skin Korat Swat Cats tonight

    PHUKET: Fifth placed Phuket FC are in top form for their home match tonight against 6th placed Nakhon Ratchasima FC – the “Korat Swat Cats”. The match will be the 17th and final fixture of the Yamaha League One (YL1) 2013 season’s first half. Following the team’s 3rd round Thai FA Cup win over Ratchaburi on Wednesday (story here), an…

  • Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Gold rush as prices plummet; Illegal resorts slash forests; Thaksin passport questioned; MPs drive LGBT rights bill

    Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Gold rush as prices plummet; Illegal resorts slash forests; Thaksin passport questioned; MPs drive LGBT rights bill

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community New gold rush as prices plummet The Nation / Phuket GazettePHUKET: Savers nationwide are flocking to gold shops, enticed by the falling price of the precious metal, which yesterday tumbled to a 34-month low amid fears of an end to the US quantitative easing policy.Gold bar fell…

  • Thai athletes prepare for battle at the AIMAG

    Thai athletes prepare for battle at the AIMAG

    PHUKET: Over 2,000 athletes from 45 countries, including 116 athletes from Thailand, will compete at the upcoming 2013 Asian Indoor and Martial Arts Games (AIMAG), to be held in Incheon, South Korea through to July 6.The event kicked off earlier this week. AIMAG is a multi-sport event held every two years and regulated by the Olympic Council of Asia. The…

  • Rohingya trafficking suspect to be charged for abduction, rape | Thaiger

    Rohingya trafficking suspect to be charged for abduction, rape

    PHUKET: The man accused of repeatedly raping a Rohingya woman he was allegedly to smuggle from a welfare shelter in Phang Nga, north of Phuket, to Malaysia will face rape and abduction charges, police today confirmed to the Phuket Gazette. “We were issued an arrest warrant today that will allow us to take him into custody and proceed with pressing…

  • Phuket expat, in death revealed as witness in shocking Sweden murders

    Phuket expat, in death revealed as witness in shocking Sweden murders

    PHUKET: The 57-year-old Swedish expat found dead in her home in Chalong earlier this month was a key witness to one of the most shocking murder trials in Sweden’s history. The body of Aino Marianne Seppala was found lying on a couch in her living room on June 10. There was no evidence of violence in the room, reported police…

  • Phuket Opinion: Promoting Islam for Phuket youths, tourists

    Phuket Opinion: Promoting Islam for Phuket youths, tourists

    Maroj Thongyon, a 66-year-old Phuket native, has been a member of the committee of the Phuket Islamic Council since 1990 and is president of the Foundation Nurul Islamiah. Two years ago he took the position of Imam at the Nurulislam mosque in Patong. Here, he talks about the loss of cultural identity among Phuket Muslim youth and the opportunity to…

  • Phuket man steals from women to pay for women

    Phuket man steals from women to pay for women

    PHUKET: Phuket Police on Wednesday arrested a thief who confessed to stealing mobile phones from women in order to pay for prostitutes.His most recent victim, Kanyakorn Nhoopong, reported to police on Wednesday that her mobile phone had been stolen from her clothing shop on Yaowarat Road.“I put my iPhone on a table in my shop,” Ms Kanyakorn said.“There was a…

  • Phuket Opinion: Human trafficking is Thailand’s failure

    Phuket Opinion: Human trafficking is Thailand’s failure

    PHUKET: Few issues are more tragic and complex than human trafficking. Recent warnings by the US that Thailand faces relegation to Tier 3 status in the US Trafficking Persons Report for 2013 should serve as a wake-up call to all of the Thai government agencies that should be working together to bring human traffickers to justice, but are failing miserably.…

  • Phuket Opinion: Exceptions, all of us

    Phuket Opinion: Exceptions, all of us

    PHUKET: As children we were told that we were special, unique – exceptional. Those of us who have flocked to this little island have taken our parents’ words in stride and to heart. Individuals of every nationality in Phuket believe that they are an exception – an exception to everything: laws, moral creeds and consequences. I am without a doubt,…

  • Special Report: Navy ships scuttled south of Phuket for fishy passengers

    Special Report: Navy ships scuttled south of Phuket for fishy passengers

    Special Report: Three Royal Thai Navy vessels have been scuttled in Krabi Province to provide superstructures for artificial reefs as part of the province’s bid to create underwater learning centers for divers and boost the Andaman province’s tourism industry. The Gazette’s Irfarn Jamdukor reports. PHUKET: The ships are designed to function as both artificial reefs – human-made underwater structures usually…

  • Phuket Business Feature: Hydroponics – a happy medium

    Phuket Business Feature: Hydroponics – a happy medium

    PHUKET: Located about a kilometer west of Chao Fah West road, en route to the Big Buddha, the DN hydroponic farm is not the bustling business operation it might at first seem. “I can supply large orders, but this is really just a hobby,” insists Pakdee “Doo” Khruthanang. Ms Pakdee’s primary hat is running her business, West Coast Divers, which…

  • New Phuket detour to ease congestion at underpass construction site

    New Phuket detour to ease congestion at underpass construction site

    PHUKET: Officials this week inspected the site of a new two-lane detour that will allow travellers between Patong and Chalong to bypass the Darasmuth Intersection in front of Central Festival, relieving congestion. The detour is in response to traffic jams at the intersection caused by the construction of the Darasmuth underpass (story here), said Phuket Vice Governor Sommai Prijasipa. One…

  • Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Court orders hearings on B350bn water plan; Yingluck tipped for Defence; Rice farmers urged to hold; Minister misses the bus

    Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Court orders hearings on B350bn water plan; Yingluck tipped for Defence; Rice farmers urged to hold; Minister misses the bus

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Court orders studies on water plan The Nation / Phuket GazettePHUKET: The government is mobilising legal advice on how to unlock projects under the Bt350-billion water-management scheme after the Central Administrative Court yesterday ordered complete environmental and health impact assessment reports on projects likely to harm the…

  • Poles are for climbing at Phuket Agricultural Fair

    Poles are for climbing at Phuket Agricultural Fair

    PHUKET: Seven kinds of goats could be found behind Tesco Lotus in Cherng Talay on Monday and Tuesday this week, during Cherng Talay’s ninth annual agricultural fair, which also entertained local residents with durian races, pole-climbing matches, cooking contests and animal competitions. “Tourism in Phuket has made agricultural jobs less important,” said Cherng Talay Subdistrict Administrative Organization (OrBorTor) President Ma-ann…

  • “Jealous’ Belgian expat stabbed, left in coma by Thai girlfriend in domestic dispute

    “Jealous’ Belgian expat stabbed, left in coma by Thai girlfriend in domestic dispute

    PHUKET: A domestic dispute got out of hand last night, leading to the brutal stabbing and hospitalization of a 62-year-old Belgian expat. In a moment of jealousy, Ferdinand Salden allegedly attacked his girlfriend of about six years, who then stabbed him multiple times with a thin, sharp piece of metal. Mr Salden had numerous stab wounds to the chest, as…

  • Alleged encroachment on protected Phuket mangroves in cross hairs

    Alleged encroachment on protected Phuket mangroves in cross hairs

    PHUKET: An investigation was launched into allegations that a Rassada landowner was encroaching on a protected mangrove forest and preventing villagers from accessing the forest for fishing. At the property, Phuket Vice Governor Somkiet Sangkaosuttirak and his team were greeted by Koompha Thammapradit, who claimed to know the land owner and presented a Sor Kor 1 title deed for 300…

  • Phuket Gazette World Sports: Webber to end F1 career

    Phuket Gazette World Sports: Webber to end F1 career

    Mark Webber to quit Formula 1 at the end of season Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Red Bull’s Mark Webber will quit Formula One at the end of the season for Porsche’s new sportscar programme, the Australian announced today. The 36-year-old spent 12 years in Formula One, winning nine races and twice finishing third in the championship. Lotus driver Kimi…

  • Phuket officials stage pre-emptive strike against canal-clogging flower

    Phuket officials stage pre-emptive strike against canal-clogging flower

    PHUKET: Acting early to prevent the flooding, and stagnant water, that plague the Ban Yai Canal area in Srisoonthorn every year, officials took action yesterday to remove the culprit: water hyacinths that grow rampant in the canal. “Local residents complain every year that the hyacinths block water flow and cause flooding and bad-smelling water,” said Somjit Limpattawong, Municipal Clerk of…

  • Teenager found hanging in parents’ Phuket home

    Teenager found hanging in parents’ Phuket home

    PHUKET: The body of a teenager was found hanging from a support beam of her parent’s house in Kathu on Tuesday.Police tentatively suspect that the 19-year-old Burmese woman committed suicide because of a breakup with her boyfriend.Thung Thong Police and Kusoldharm Foundation rescue workers arrived at the scene at about 11:30am to find the body of Ms Lat already laid…

  • Phuket Police turn to Skype to catch criminals

    Phuket Police turn to Skype to catch criminals

    PHUKET: In a move to catch criminals faster, officers across Phuket are to use Skype so victims and witnesses can relate their descriptions of suspects directly to police artists in Surat Thani.Under the Royal Thai Police project called “Sketch on Skype”, experts from Forensic Science Region 8 in Surat Thani arrived in Phuket on Tuesday to explain the program to…

  • Phuket FC slay the Ratchaburi ‘Dragon’ in Thai FA Cup

    Phuket FC slay the Ratchaburi ‘Dragon’ in Thai FA Cup

    PHUKET: The Islanders caused a Thai FA Cup upset last night knocking out Thai Premier League (TPL) side Rachaburi Mitrphol 2-0 at their home ground, Surakul Stadium in Phuket Town. The first half started brightly with both sides adopting an attacking style but the end-to-end football was quickly replaced by caution. Phuket FC started the match against the Dragons, who…

  • Phuket Airport Bus can start July 15, says bus owner

    Phuket Airport Bus can start July 15, says bus owner

    PHUKET: The soonest the airport bus can start running is July 15, the owner of the bus company, Prakob Panyawai, told the Phuket Gazette on Tuesday. “I wish the bus could roll on July 1 as the Phuket Land Transport Office (PLTO) chief demands,” he said, “but we’re just not ready [story here].” “All the buses have been checked at…