Phuket Gazette � Daily News

Update: Phuket Murder of Dr Somchai

Sat, 20 Mar 2010 12:59:19 GMT

PHUKET TOWN: Police are investigating possible connections between the murder of Dr Somchai Wongbunterng and an altercation between the victim and a group of teenagers earlier this week.

Dr Somchai was ... Full story

Phuket football on a roll

Sat, 20 Mar 2010 12:59:19 GMT

Phuket NEWS Hound� A daily, pocket-sized packet of news from around the world, compiled by Phuket Gazette reporters for foreigners who want it short, sharp and straight to the point.

PHUKET: Football officials in Phuket have high hopes that the island will become the next haven for the AFC's Vision Asia program.

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC), headquartered in Kuala Lumpur, is the governing body of Asian football and one of the six Confederations making up FIFA. ... Full story

Phuket flooding: Mayor Pian fights back

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 12:59:19 GMT

PATONG, PHUKET: Patong Mayor Pian Keesin has launched an ambitious program of public works in a bid to prevent a repeat of the flooding that deluged Phuket�s premier resort town during last year�s monsoon season.

Mayor Pian said he guaranteed that the four projects underway would be complete before the rains start this year.

�I�m not saying there will be no more flooding in Patong, but compared to last year I�m sure the situation will be much better,� he said. ... Full story

Young French boy in Phuket jellyfish attack

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 12:59:19 GMT

NAI HARN, PHUKET: A four-year-old French boy is expected to make a full recovery from a jellyfish sting on Nai Harn Beach this afternoon thanks to the quick thinking of two former Phuket lifeguards.

The two men, who now work as beach vendors, rushed to help Aymeric Roussel after he was pulled from the surf screaming.

�We poured vinegar over the boy�s wounds and a mixture of plant juices to help with the wounds before the ambulance arrived,� said one of the men, 31-year-old Song Sa-ingthon. ... Full story

Phuket sea gypsies protest cemetery plans

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 12:59:19 GMT

MAI KHAO, PHUKET: Moken sea gypsies gathered at Phuket Provincial Hall on Tuesday to protest a plan to appropriate cemetery land for the construction of a new police office.

Around 50 members of the Ban Laem La and Ban Hin Look Diow Moken communities voiced their discontent at the Treasury Department�s plan to grant nearly half of their public cemetery to the Provincial Police.

Members of the two communities in Mai Khao said the decision was made without their consultation. ... Full story

Phuket tourism titans optimistic for 2010

Fri, 19 Mar 2010 12:59:19 GMT

Phuket NEWS Hound� A daily, pocket-sized packet of news from around the world, compiled by Phuket Gazette reporters for foreigners who want it short, sharp and straight to the point.

PHUKET: Somboon Chirayus, president of the Phuket Tourism Association, says the island should gain more visitors this year as many airlines plan to add more charter flights into Phuket during the next high season, and The Nation cites Indigo Pearl as a concrete example of confidence in the outlook for tourism.

The Phuket-based Indigo Pearl resort, following a lavish, multimillion-dollar refurbishment three years ago, has now announced plans to launch a 70-million-baht spa complex. ... Full story

Buses the new solution to Phuket transport woes

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 12:59:19 GMT

PHUKET: Plans for a light rail system spanning Phuket have been scrapped in favor of the much cheaper option of scheduling new bus routes, it recently emerged.

�We will no longer refer to this project as the light rail or monorail system project,� said Phuket Governor Wichai Phraisa-ngop. �We will now refer to it as the Bus Rapid Transit system project. ... Full story

Monk kills monk

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 12:59:19 GMT

PHUKET: A monk was stabbed to death after boasting that the talismans (amulets) hanging from his neck made his skin impenetrable to weapons.

Phra Sunantha Phongsu-wan, 44, died in hospital earlier this month from a single stab wound to his chest.

Witnesses reported that the previous evening Phra Sunantha and his friend Phra Sathien Khamphira, 55, had been at Samnak Takhro Temple in Nakhon Ratchasima discussing amulets and charms. ... Full story

Doctor gunned down in Phuket Town

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 12:59:19 GMT

PHUKET TOWN: A well known doctor was gunned down in a drive-by killing outside his own clinic in Phuket Town today.

Police found the body of Dr Somchai Wongbunterng, 47, on the sidewalk outside Somchai International Clinic on Wichit Songkhram Road in Phuket Town around midday.

He had been shot in the head. ... Full story

Aussie tourist on Phuket drugs rap

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 12:59:19 GMT

CHALONG, PHUKET: An Australian tourist was one of five drug suspects paraded by Chalong Police at a press conference in Phuket yesterday afternoon.

Richard Beaver, 28, was allegedly caught with 0.9 grams of dry marijuana by police on Tuesday night. ... Full story

Phuket bemused as protests fizzle

Thu, 18 Mar 2010 12:59:19 GMT

Phuket NEWS Hound� A daily, pocket-sized packet of news from around the world, compiled by Phuket Gazette reporters for foreigners who want it short, sharp and straight to the point.

PHUKET: The mass anti-government rally in Thailand appears to be losing steam. Tens of thousands have returned to their farms. ... Full story

OPINION: Reports of My Death

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 12:59:19 GMT

PHUKET: One of history�s great lines, (which is often misquoted), is Samuel Clemens' (Mark Twain's) �Reports of my death have been exaggerated.� As it turned out, the quote itself was an exaggeration, as the true story was a case of transmogrified news about Clemens' relative James Ross Clemens. In fact, the line is, �The report of my death was an exaggeration. ... Full story

Dam fine: Phuket beauty spot gets overhaul

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 12:59:19 GMT

KATHU, PHUKET: Bang Wad Dam, one of Phuket�s most popular leisure spots, is getting a huge overhaul to turn it into a fully fledged recreational park.

A project is underway to add a new drainage system, a new bike path, new landscaping and build what is being called �the most beautiful toilet in Phuket.�

Overseeing the makeover is Phuket Irrigation Department Director Weerawat Aungsupanith. ... Full story

News Hound: Protests waning, Phuket remains quiet

Wed, 17 Mar 2010 12:59:19 GMT

Phuket NEWS Hound� A daily, pocket-sized packet of news from around the world, compiled by Phuket Gazette reporters for foreigners who want it short, sharp and straight to the point.

PHUKET: Protesters spilled what they say is their own blood at the gates of Thailand's Government House late yesterday in what canada.com described as "a colourful act of political theatre" designed to propel their fugitive hero Thaksin Shinawatra back into power. ... Full story

Phuket's Ironman to climb Mont Blanc � for local charity

Tue, 16 Mar 2010 12:59:19 GMT

PHUKET: Les Bird's teeth are clenched, muscles taut and body drenched in sweat as he sprints the last leg of his training hike to the summit of Nakkerd Hill in Chalong.

As he heaves off his 40 kilogram bag and glances at his watch, Les scolds himself for finishing his training hike in under an hour.

�I need to slow down; I�m going to buy ankle weights today. ... Full story