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  • Phuket Gazette World News: China poultry fire kills 119; N Ireland resorts to ‘fake shopfronts’ for G8; Assange talks resume; Oklahoma toll reaches 18

    Phuket Gazette World News: China poultry fire kills 119; N Ireland resorts to ‘fake shopfronts’ for G8; Assange talks resume; Oklahoma toll reaches 18

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Chinese slaughterhouse fire kills 119 Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: A blaze at a locked poultry slaughterhouse in northeast China killed at least 119 people on Monday with several still unaccounted for, officials and state media said, triggering online outrage in a country with a grim…

  • Phuket Gazette Thailand News: 2 workers missing in quarry collapse; Luxury car crackdown; False bomb threat alerts

    Phuket Gazette Thailand News: 2 workers missing in quarry collapse; Luxury car crackdown; False bomb threat alerts

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Phetchaburi mine ‘may have been operating illegally’ The Nation / Phuket GazettePHUKET: Rescue workers continued to search for the bodies of victims in a fatal rockslide yesterday at a mine in Phetchaburi, south of Bangkok, which authorities say may have ignored an order to improve its work…

  • Governor looks for direct flights between Phuket and Nice, France

    Governor looks for direct flights between Phuket and Nice, France

    PHUKET: Fresh off the plane from France, Phuket Governor Maitri Inthusut revealed plans to support direct flights between two sister cities – Nice and Phuket. Such a flight would bolster the plans laid out in February by the French Ambassador to Thailand, Thierry Viteau, of inviting small and medium enterprise (SME) businesses to Phuket to discuss cooperative investment opportunities (story…

  • Twelve Burmese dead as border boat run goes fatally wrong [video report] | Thaiger

    Twelve Burmese dead as border boat run goes fatally wrong [video report]

    PHUKET: Marine Police recovered the bodies of nine Burmese nationals yesterday, bringing to 12 the number who died when their boat capsized in rough seas north of Phuket as they attempted to evade a Thai coastal patrol on Friday night.Pak Nam Police in Ranong province confirmed that the nine bodies retrieved yesterday comprised three women and six men found floating…

  • Phuket Finance: Educational arbitrage

    Phuket Finance: Educational arbitrage

    PHUKET: I think everyone would agree that a big part of long term financial planning is saving for their children’s university fees, which continue to reach more and more astronomical heights. However, very few people realize there are many ways to greatly reduce these costs without reducing your child’s value on the job market. Arbitrage usually refers to buying a…

  • Phuket lifeguards warn tourists of dangerous surf at beaches

    Phuket lifeguards warn tourists of dangerous surf at beaches

    PHUKET: The lifeguards stationed at Phuket’s popular beaches have urged tourists to beware the dangerous surf and rip tides brought on by the return of the annual southwest monsoon. Strong winds and swirling currents together with big tides are creating dangerous swimming conditions at Phuket’s key tourist beaches, Phuket Lifeguard Club President Prathaiyut “Nut” Chuayuan explains. “I urge all visitors…

  • Phuket danger season surf claims one life, endangers fishing vessel

    Phuket danger season surf claims one life, endangers fishing vessel

    PHUKET: The heavy waves striking Phuket’s west coast over the weekend claimed the life of one man fishing at Patong last night and demanded the Marine Police assist a fishing boat in distress.Police responded to an emergency call at about 7pm yesterday, reporting that one man had drowned while fishing at Patong.The officers arrived at the scene, the southern headland…

  • COMMON CENTS: AEC will bring opportunities, threats to Thai, ASEAN citizens

    COMMON CENTS: AEC will bring opportunities, threats to Thai, ASEAN citizens

    PHUKET: THE ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) to be established in 2015 creates a huge potential for the streamlined flow of labor, goods and services, and investment capital. However, along with this opportunity there are also potential threats which Thailand has to be aware of and address. It is my concern that Thailand is not doing enough to prepare and confront…

  • Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Press freedom failing in Asia; Isolated schools get merge pass; 11 dead in capsize off Ranong

    Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Press freedom failing in Asia; Isolated schools get merge pass; 11 dead in capsize off Ranong

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Newpaper chiefs confer on challenges facing industry The Nation / Phuket GazettePHUKET: Global newspaper chiefs are here in Bangkok to confer on the big challenges that face the industry, which include poor press freedom and financial struggles.At the International roundtable entitled ‘The New Media Landscape and its…

  • Parental slur incites drunken Phuket murder

    Parental slur incites drunken Phuket murder

    PHUKET: Police have arrested two suspects for the murder of the Thalang motorcycle taxi driver whose body was found in a canal in central Phuket yesterday (story here). Thalang Police Superintendent Sirisak Wasasiri this morning presented to the press Chakrit Polklum, 35 and Prasit Sae-ong, 31. “Our investigation led us to discover that the day before Mr Thammanoon’s body was…

  • Thai suspects claim innocence in Phuket attack on Kedah royal bodyguard

    Thai suspects claim innocence in Phuket attack on Kedah royal bodyguard

    PHUKET: The two Thai men arrested for their involvement in the attack on a Kedah royal family bodyguard at a hotel in Patong on Tuesday night claim that though they were at the scene, they had no prior knowledge that the attack would occur. The bodyguard, Mohd Sobri Bin Said, suffered bruising to his body and a serious wound to…

  • Phuket Gazette Queer News: Man versus ATM? Police win

    Phuket Gazette Queer News: Man versus ATM? Police win

    PHUKET: Nobody likes having their card swallowed by the ATM – but most people take it on the chin. That’s not how you could describe the actions of 26-year-old Ekaphong Bunyaratphan, who got rather upset when his card was gobbled by a cash dispenser in Samut Prakan. Mr Ekaphong, who was more than a little “refreshed” at the time, lost…

  • Phuket KBank customers warned of trojan, spyware

    Phuket KBank customers warned of trojan, spyware

    PHUKET: Kasikornbank (KBank) today issued a warning for all online banking customers to beware a trojan spyware message asking customers to download a program to their computer or mobile phone. Doing so may allow the spyware to steal your “one time password” SMS text messages sent from the bank’s online banking system, called “K-Cyber Banking”, to the mobile phone and…

  • Europa League winners to gain Champions League ticket

    Europa League winners to gain Champions League ticket

    PHUKET: To try and boost the ailing Europa League, UEFA president Michel Platini announced last week that – starting from the 2014/15 season – the winners would qualify for the Champions League. Platini also said that a fifth Champions League place is to be awarded to clubs in the big European leagues. Under this new system, the Europa League winners…

  • Dylan Hartley to miss Lions tour

    Dylan Hartley to miss Lions tour

    PHUKET: We now know the final composition of the Lion’s squad, the English Premiership winners, the Pro Twelve Irish champions, and the finalists in the French domestic competition. Jonny Wilkinson, not selected for the Lions tour of Australia, but available in the case of injury, gave another vintage performance in steering European Cup winners Toulon to the French championship final…

  • Phuket taxi driver continues to deny sexual assault charges

    Phuket taxi driver continues to deny sexual assault charges

    PHUKET: In Phuket Prison since May 20, illegal taxi driver Paitoon Kruain continues to deny that he sexually assaulted a Chinese tourist whom he picked up at Phuket International Airport on May 17 and drove around in his car for five hours (story here). “He has been charged with sexual assault, deprivation of liberty and being under the influence of…

  • Basic training tips for Phuket’s athletes

    Basic training tips for Phuket’s athletes

    PHUKET: As we all know, Phuket is a world renowned holiday destination for thousands of people from around the globe. But did you also know it is one of the ultimate training and competition destinations in the eyes of international athletes? The island has mountains, hill trails, sandy beaches, beautiful coastlines and hosts many local and international sporting events –…

  • Phuket Gazette World News: US to boost Asia military presence; Oklahoma tornado; SARS-like virus in Italy; God’s bank posts profit

    Phuket Gazette World News: US to boost Asia military presence; Oklahoma tornado; SARS-like virus in Italy; God’s bank posts profit

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– World news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community U.S. rebalance to Asia-Pacific gaining steam, Pentagon chief says Reuters / Phuket GazettePHUKET: The U.S. military will devote more air power, ground troops and high-tech weaponry to the Asia-Pacific region as it moves ahead with a strategic rebalance, the U.S. defence chief said on Saturday in a…

  • Phuket Gazette Thailand News: PM ordered to reinstate security chief; German fugitive enjoys Bangkok holiday; Smoking in spotlight

    Phuket Gazette Thailand News: PM ordered to reinstate security chief; German fugitive enjoys Bangkok holiday; Smoking in spotlight

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community PM ordered to reinstate National Security chief The Nation / Phuket GazettePHUKET: Transferred former National Security Council secretary-general Thawil Pliensri won a historic legal victory yesterday when the Central Administrative Court ordered Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra to reinstate him in his previous position.However, Government Spokesman Teerat Ratanasevi…

  • Phuket Opinion: Let the taxis go free

    Phuket Opinion: Let the taxis go free

    PHUKET: I saw many things of interest in Bangkok last week, including a woman riding a motorbike with a squirrel on her shoulder. But the sweetest sights of all were the little red lights that peeped out here and there between tuk-tuks, trucks and cars on the busy streets of the capital. They spelled out waang in Thai, or “free”…

  • SPECIAL REPORT: Fears of Phuket abductions

    SPECIAL REPORT: Fears of Phuket abductions

    Special Report: It is a typical story in Phuket: a taxi or van picks up passengers and on the way to their destination gets them to stop at a jewelry store, souvenir shop or travel agency. A familiar experience, considered no more than an irritation or a waste of time by some. But is it more serious than this? PHUKET:…

  • Phuket Opinion: Finding a cure for overloaded courts

    Phuket Opinion: Finding a cure for overloaded courts

    Parinya Chaowalittawin, 45, took up the position of Chief Judge at Phuket Provincial Court on April 1. Originally from Trang, Judge Parinya has Bachelor’s of Law, Barrister-at-law and Master of Law degree from Ramkhamhaeng University. He has served as a judge for 17 years. Here, he explains what needs to be done to help clear the backlog of cases at…

  • Phuket Opinion: Keeping pace with disaster

    Phuket Opinion: Keeping pace with disaster

    PHUKET: The construction of a wall along Kamala Beach that could be a barrier during an emergency evacuation once again highlights the need for constant vigilance and above all, common sense in the never-ending preparation for a tsunami or other natural disaster. Few places on Phuket were hit harder than Kamala, where the bathymetry and onshore topography allowed the surging…

  • Five fugitives in Phuket to face Kedah royal guard probe

    Five fugitives in Phuket to face Kedah royal guard probe

    PHUKET: All five suspects accused of carrying out an attack on a Kedah royal family bodyguard at a high-end resort in Patong just after midnight on Tuesday (story here) arrived at Patong Police Station for questioning this morning. Being escorted into the compound at 8:30am were three Thais: Prakong Seesopha, 32; Sakorn Seesopha, 34; and Thanyaporn Toh-in. Joining them were…

  • Phuket driver escapes injury as car flips, plunges into canal

    Phuket driver escapes injury as car flips, plunges into canal

    PHUKET: A woman was run off the road by speeding drivers as she pulled out of the Esso gasoline station on the northbound lane of the bypass road (map here) this morning. Frightened by the oncoming traffic, the woman missed her brake pedal and accidentally hit the accelerator, propelling her car over the curb, across a patch of grass and…

  • Australian world triathalon champs to go head-to-head at Challenge Laguna Phuket

    Australian world triathalon champs to go head-to-head at Challenge Laguna Phuket

    PHUKET: Reigning World Champion Pete ‘PJ’ Jacobs has confirmed he will race the inaugural Challenge Laguna Phuket half distance triathlon on December 1 – setting up an intriguing contest with fellow Australian Chris ‘Macca’ McCormack, the defending title-holder and two-time World Champion, for a slice of the race’s 25,000 euro prize purse. The elite pair will compete at Challenge Laguna…

  • The rise of ASEAN football

    The rise of ASEAN football

    PHUKET: The sport of football is considered by many to be the most popular game on the planet. While it has been a mainstay in the European and South American nations for decades, increased access to matches and a youthful fan base have now allowed this exciting sport to reach the far corners of the globe. A notable example of…

  • Phuket motorbike taxi driver found dead in canal

    Phuket motorbike taxi driver found dead in canal

    PHUKET: Police are investigating the death of man whose body was found in a canal in central Phuket late yesterday afternoon with a deep cut under his chin. Thalang Police led by Duty Officer Kitthiphum Thinthalang arrived at the scene, a canal behind the Thalang Victory Memorial Field (map here), at 6:15pm. Local residents identified the man as 53-year-old local…

  • Phuket Gazette World News: Middle East news round-up

    Phuket Gazette World News: Middle East news round-up

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Egyptian draft law said to dash hopes of free civil society Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: A law drafted by the Egyptian presidency for regulating non-governmental organisations dashes hopes for a free civil society after the 2011 uprising against Hosni Mubarak, Human Rights Watch said yesterday.…

  • Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Obec bows over schools; Chalerm to head BRN peace talks; Hot rods a mystery; Bomb blast ‘from the heart’

    Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Obec bows over schools; Chalerm to head BRN peace talks; Hot rods a mystery; Bomb blast ‘from the heart’

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Pupils at small schools to use facilities at other sites: OBEC The Nation / Phuket GazettePHUKET: The Office of Basic Education Commission (Obec) bowed to public pressure yesterday, with Obec secretary-general Chinnapat Bhumirat announcing no small schools would be closed this academic year. Instead, pupils will be…