News
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Phuket Police step up staff drug testing at late night venues
PHUKET: Phuket City Police yesterday drug tested 47 staff, including the general manager, at the Sure Garden restaurant in Phuket Town. The mass drug testing comes amid the ongoing furore over the axe attack on Vorasit “Pla-wan” Issara, the general manager at the Sri panwa resort and son of Thai construction magnate Songkran Issara. Mr Vorasit suffered many serious wounds…
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Phuket Media Watch: ‘Doomsday Clock’ moves closer to midnight
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community ‘Doomsday Clock’ moves closer to midnight Phuket Gazette / News Wires PHUKET: The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists (BAS) on Tuesday announced it has moved its symbolic ‘Doomsday Clock’ a minute forward, bringing it five minutes to midnight as a result of ‘inadequate progress’ on nuclear…
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Phuket newsman killed in gun attack
PHUKET: A Phuket newsman was shot dead by a man riding pillion on a motorbike this morning. Wisut “Ae Inside” Tangwitthayaporn, 40, was driving with his wife to Provincial Hall in Phuket Town when the ambush was sprung. He had just pulled out of the entrance of Srisuchart Grandview onto Thepkrasattri Road and was intending to make a U-turn on…
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Phuket Police armed standoff ends on a high
PHUKET: A two-hour standoff between Phuket police and an armed man ended without bloodshed last night after officers finally persuaded him to stand down. Police arrived at a home along a soi opposite Chalong Temple at about 6pm after Sawai Thongyod called them, saying her 26-year-old son was armed, acting dangerously and she feared for her safety. Her son, Sukan…
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Phuket safe and sound after tsunami scare
PHUKET: The National Disaster Warning Center (NDWC), at 3am this morning, canceled the tsunami alert (not ‘warning’) that had been put in place as a result of an undersea earthquake off the west coast of Sumatra at 12:37am. Director Somsak Khaosuwan told the Phuket Gazette this morning, “The warning was canceled at about 3am as the predicted time for a…
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Phuket Red Cross Fair winner hands prize to his wife
PHUKET: The lucky man who won the grand prize of the Phuket Red Cross Fair lucky draw, a brand-new Honda City car worth 590,000 baht, today gave the vehicle to his wife for her 57th birthday. Phuket Governor Tri Augkaradacha handed the keys to 58-year-old Prasut Ruengjiradthien yesterday. Mr Prasut is a Level 9 officer at the Phuket Provincial Electricity…
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Phuket Media Watch: Brief tsunami alert; stampede at university
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Powerful earthquake off Indonesia triggers brief tsunami alert Phuket Gazette / News Wires PHUKET: A powerful earthquake struck off the Indonesian island of Sumatra early this morning, seismologists said, prompting a brief tsunami alert but causing no damage. The 7.1-magnitude earthquake at 12.37am Phuket time today,…
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One dead, four injured in latest Phuket horror crash
PHUKET: A fatal motorbike accident in Phuket last night was compounded when a car that slowed to survey the carnage was hit from behind and launched into a crowd of onlookers. A pregnant woman was killed and four others were injured, one critically. Thalang Police were notified at 6:45pm of an accident involving two motorbikes on Srisoonthorn Road (Route 4027),…
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Phuket hospital denies “deadly greed’ killed mum, 74
PHUKET: The director of the Phuket Provincial Administrative Organization (OrBorJor) Hospital today denied accusations that his hospital was “unethical” in its practices, which a man yesterday formally alleged contributed to his mother’s death. Hospital Director Dr Chack Somana today refuted allegations leveled yesterday by Narongphon Suwanmosee, who claimed that the hospital refused to allow his mother, Pa Khongjean, to be…
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Phuket Prison ‘kingpin’ suspected in huge meth bust
PHUKET: Police have arrested three members of a major methamphetamine trafficking ring operating throughout Phuket that is allegedly masterminded by a ‘kingpin’ resident behind the walls of Phuket Provincial Prison, officials said today. Seized as evidence in the case was the biggest drug haul in Phuket in recent memory: 20,200 ya bah (methamphetamine) pills and 718 grams of ya ice…
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Phuket Media Watch: Nepali child beaten to death for stealing 10 rupees
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Nepali child beaten to death for stealing 10 rupees Phuket Gazette / News Wires PHUKET: An 11-year-old boy was beaten to death in western Nepal after he and his friend were caught stealing 10 rupees ($0.18) from a butcher, a local newspaper reported on yesterday. Jeevan…
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Phuket student killed as motorbike and truck collide
PHUKET: A student from Phuket Technical College is dead and one of his classmates is injured after the motorbike they were riding on collided with a six-wheeled truck this morning. Capt Somchai Nuboon of Phuket City Police rushed to the accident scene, near the Rassada Municipality offices on Rassadanusorn Road, after receiving a report at 8:20am. Already at the scene…
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Phuket Media Watch: Iran sentences U.S. citizen to death
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Iran sentences alleged U.S. spy to death Phuket Gazette / News Wires PHUKET: An Iranian court yesterday sentenced a U.S. citizen to death on charges that he worked as a spy for the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), state-run media reported. 28-year-old Amir Mirzai Hekmati, who…
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Phuket Business: Peak season tourism spike sees limited hotel vacancy
PHUKET: Occupancy rates at hotels along Phuket’s beaches have averaged more than 90 per cent during the current peak period and are expected to remain at or near capacity well into 2012, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has announced. Bangornrat Shinaprayoon, head of the TAT regional office in Phuket Town, said the island’s tourism sector is bustling not only…
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Phuket Business: Year-end events inject B370mn into economy
PHUKET: A number of large events held in Phuket during the final month of 2011 are expected to have generated as much as 370 million baht in revenue, government officials were told recently. The news was announced at a meeting at Phuket Provincial Hall. Chaired by Phuket Governor Tri Aukaradacha, the meeting was attended by representatives from various government departments.…
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Phuket Island Investor: Always look on the brighter side of life
PHUKET: Now that the Christmas trees have been taken down and the New Year has been well and truly rung in, we can start looking forward to all that 2012 has to offer. It is fair to say that 2011 was a turbulent year in the world of the financial markets, but will 2012 be any better? We certainly have…
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Seventh arrest made over Phuket “Pla-wan’ stabbing
PHUKET: Phuket Police have arrested another suspect in connection with the assault of Sri panwa resort general manager Vorasit ‘Pla-wan’ Issara and an arrest warrant has been issued for an eighth suspect in the case. Phuket Provincial Police Commander Chonasit Wattanavrangku yesterday updated the media about progress in the investigation, which must be concluded and forwarded to the court within…
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Man blames Phuket hospital for mother’s death
PHUKET: A complaint was filed today against the Phuket Provincial Administrative Organization (OrBorJor) Hospital for “unethical practices” leading to the death of his mother. Narongphon Suwanmosee, 44, claims that hospital administrators allegedly refused to allow his mother to be transferred to Vachira Phuket Hospital for treatment for the sake of an outstanding 100,000 baht medical bill. Mr Narongphon filed the…
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Former Phuket-based home vendors wanted by Aussie authorities
PHUKET: Australian authorities are investigating the ongoing practices of a Gold Coast man who allegedly fled to Phuket in 2010 and set up an office so he could continue to sell “kit homes” in Australia. The news comes after Nick Nichols, business editor at the news website GoldCoast.com.au, posted a story today highlighting the recent launch of US-based business Nair…
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Truck driver charged over Phuket horror crash
PHUKET: The driver of the truck involved in the horrific road accident that claimed the life of an Indonesian woman and her unborn son in Patong yesterday has been charged, police told the Phuket Gazette today. Lt Col Chaowalit Neamwadee of Patong Police told the Gazette that truck driver Aroon Bunnaburi was held at Patong Police Station overnight and released…
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Call to revise Thai lese majeste law; Cambodia offers prisoner swap; MP surrenders
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Call to revise lese majeste lawPhuket Gazette / The NationThe head of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Thailand (TRCT), Kanit Na Nakorn, has called for amendments to be made to Thailand’s lese majeste law, which mandates prison terms for anyone found guilty of insulting the…
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Phuket Gazette Sports: Review of the year
A look back over the year’s sporting events and memorable moments that helped highlight Phuket as a center of excellence in the Kingdom and Asia.January: Fresh start and fresh faces Promotion to Division 1 of Thailand’s national football league also brought a coaching set up for FC Phuket led by Surachai Jirasirichote. Surachai’s dream of taking the Southern Sea Kirin…
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DTAC to refund Phuket customers for service glitch
PHUKET: Mobile phone service provider DTAC has announced that it would waive a 48-hour service fee for 1.8 million customers in Phuket and six other southern provinces, after the second service interruption in less than three weeks. Dtac Chief Corporate Affairs Officer Dr Darmp Sukontasap announced the waiver after a three-hour service interruption on the evening of January 5 that…
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Services to Phuket Sports
PHUKET: Thanyapura Sports and Leisure Club (TSLC) has been awarded the Phuket Gazette’s inaugural Services to Sport title. The purpose of such an award is to identify and recognize individuals, teams or organizations whose contributions to raise the profile of sport on Phuket has been outstanding throughout the year. A panel of Gazette Editors deliberated over a selection of exceptional…
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Pheu Thai to investigate Phuket encroachment case
PHUKET: The spokesman for the ruling Pheu Thai Party today announced he will travel to Phuket soon to investigate the alleged encroachment of 65-rai of protected mangrove forest. According to a report in the Manager Online, Pheu Thai Party spokesman Prompong Nopparit says the alleged encroachment is in Muang district, on land which the Phuket Gazette understands to be located…
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Phuket Media Watch: Balloon crash kills 11; New planes for HK Airlines; Saudi executions soar; US unemployment falls
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– World news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Hot air balloon crashes in New Zealand, killing 11 Phuket Gazette / News WiresPHUKET: Eleven people were killed yesterday morning when a hot air balloon crashed near a town on New Zealand’s north island, police said. There were no survivors.The accident happened at 7:25am local time (1:25am…
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Phuket Red Cross raffle winning numbers announced
PHUKET: A huge crowd was on hand at Saphan Hin park in Phuket Town last night for the draw of winning prize numbers in the annual Phuket Red Cross Fair charity raffle. Leading the top local and national officials who took part in the random draw was Phuket Governor Tri Augkaradacha. The lucky holder of ticket number 38352, who has…
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Phuket Football: Saved by Muang Thong Utd!
PHUKET: Despite losing at home 4-1 to Bangkok FC last night, FC Phuket and their supporters left Surakul Stadium in jubilation knowing that the the team’s future is now secure: Thai Premier League (TPL) powerhouse side Muang Thong United has promised to support the team in the 2012-2013 campaign. The good news, delivered before the start of play, was made…
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‘Wrong place, wrong time’: Phuket axe victim’s parents say
PHUKET: The parents of stabbing victim Vorasit “Pla-wan” Issara held a press conference yesterday to explain that their son was simply “in the wrong place at the wrong time” and lucky to survive multiple wounds inflicted by staff in a vicious attack at the Rachada Pub early Wednesday morning. Meanwhile, police will widen their investigation and question additional witnesses –…
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Storms strip Phuket wrecks of markers
PHUKET: Recent storms have again made two wrecks in Chalong Bay a hazard to mariners. Markers attached to the wrecked boats by the Phuket Cruising Yacht Club had until recently made both of the wrecks visible to sailors. However, recent weather has stripped away the markers, making both wrecks invisible during high tide. “Please exercise caution when maneuvering close to…
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