Phuket Gazette � Daily News

Tourist safety: Phuket Gov meets honorary consuls

Tue, 9 Feb 2010 17:39:24 GMT

PHUKET TOWN: The Phuket Governor met with honorary consuls from 16 countries yesterday afternoon to discuss ways to improve safety for foreign tourists on holiday in Phuket.

Phuket Governor Wichai Phraisa-ngop chaired the meeting, which was hosted by the Royal Phuket City Hotel. Only the honorary consul from Spain was unable to attend. ... Full story

Danish Prince Henrik coming to Phuket

Tue, 9 Feb 2010 17:39:24 GMT

PHUKET TOWN: Phuket is preparing for the arrival of Prince Henrik of Denmark in mid-February.

Louis Bronner, manager of Mom Tri�s Boathouse, last week met with Phuket Governor Wichai Phraisa-ngop to discuss security arrangements during the Danish royal�s stay on the island.

Governor Wichai said he was notified by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs that Prince Henrik, husband of the Queen of Denmark, Margrethe II, would be arriving in Phuket in mid-February for a personal vacation. ... Full story

Phuket braces for �ice� storm

Tue, 9 Feb 2010 17:39:24 GMT

PHUKET: Ya ice is replacing ya bah as the drug of choice for Phuket�s teenagers, according to the island�s top police officer.

Phuket Provincial Police Commander Pekad Tantipong�s comments came after police seized 100,000 baht�s worth of ya ice (crystal methamphetamine) in a sting operation over the weekend.

Six were arrested on drug charges. ... Full story

February blood drive in Phuket

Tue, 9 Feb 2010 17:39:24 GMT

PHUKET TOWN: The Phuket Chapter of the Thai Red Cross Society in conjunction with the Phuket Regional Office of the National Blood Center has announced the following dates and times for it mobile donation clinics for February:

February 10 (10am to 2pm): Phuket Wittayalai School, Phuket Town

February 11 (11am to 3pm): Jungceylon, Patong

February 15 (1pm to 4pm): Radi Medical Systems, Pa Khlok

February 19 (10am to 3pm): JW Marriott Resort and Spa, Mai Khao

February 25 (11am to 4pm): HomeWorks, Wichit

February 26 (1pm to 5pm): Bangkok Phuket Hospital, Phuket Town

Caucasians with Rh-negative blood types are especially encouraged to donate.

Donations can also be made at the Blood Center daily at the following dates and times:

Monday, Wednesday, Friday: 8:30am to 4.30pm

Tuesday and Thursday: 8:30am to 8pm

Saturday, Sunday and public holidays: 9am to 3pm

The center provides blood for patients in Ranong, Phang Nga, Krabi, Trang and Satun, as well as Phuket. ... Full story

Phuket education fair this Sunday

Tue, 9 Feb 2010 17:39:24 GMT

PHUKET: More than 20 Phuket-based Thai, bilingual and international schools are taking part in the Phuket Private Education Fair at Central Festival this Sunday.

The schools will be occupying booths at Central Festival�s Event Hall on the 2nd floor from 11am to 8pm on February 14, giving prospective students and their parents the chance to meet school representatives and find out more about curriculum, facilities and fees.

Among the kindergarten, primary and secondary schools occupying booths at the fair are Thai schools Darasamuth, Kajonkiet Pattana, Kajonkiet Suksa, Thai Hua, Muslim Wittaya and Dowroong Wittaya. ... Full story

Car crushes cobra in Mai Khao

Mon, 8 Feb 2010 17:39:24 GMT

PHUKET TOWN: A cobra trying to cross Thepkrasattri Road in Thalang got crushed by oncoming traffic late yesterday afternoon.

Estonian freelance photographer Ardo Kaljuvee, who happened to be driving past at the time, was among the many motorists who stopped to view the remains of the flattened serpent, which was at least three meters in length.

The snake�s final slither took place at about 5pm on the stretch of Thepkrasattri Rd near the Susco gas station in Muang Mai, Mai Khao. ... Full story

Phuket fishing boat scuttled after blaze

Mon, 8 Feb 2010 17:39:24 GMT

RASSADA, PHUKET: A wooden fishing boat that burst into flames during repair work this morning was deliberately sunk in the waters of Klong Tha Cheen.

After receiving a report of a boat fire at about 9:30am, Phuket City Police, Marine Police and four fire engines from Rassada Municipality and Phuket City Municipality rushed to the scene.

Arriving at the Pichai Fish Pier along Klong Tha Jeen in Rassada, they found the 17-meter vessel Pichaithavorn 6 engulfed in flames. ... Full story

Phuket Readers' Poll: closing times

Mon, 8 Feb 2010 17:39:24 GMT

PHUKET: Phuket Governor Wichai Phraisa-ngop is reportedly lobbying the government in Bangkok to have the closing time for bars and nightclubs in Patong extended to 4am.

What do you think is the best closing time for nightlife venues in Patong?

Click on the icon on the top right of this screen or here to cast your vote in the latest Phuket Gazette Readers� Poll.. ... Full story

Man killed in bypass road collision

Mon, 8 Feb 2010 17:39:24 GMT

RASSADA, PHUKET: A young man was killed last night when he drove his motorbike at high speed into the back of an 18-wheel truck parked on the bypass road.

Police believe 22-year-old Uthen Thepohol failed to notice the truck because its tail lights were switched off.

Mr Uthen, from Nakhon Phanom province, died instantly in the smash, which happened around 9pm in front of the Namsaeng Rice Trading Company on the southbound bypass road in Rassada. ... Full story

Phuket Gazette Readers Poll: Don�t enforce drugs law

Mon, 8 Feb 2010 17:39:24 GMT

PHUKET: Most Phuket Gazette readers think current Thai laws regarding the sale of prescription drugs like diazepam (Valium) should not be enforced, according to the results of our latest poll.

More than half of the respondents to the last survey thought over-the-counter sales of such drugs should either be legalized or tolerated, as they are now.

The poll followed the ... Full story

Phuket prepped for Super Bowl

Sun, 7 Feb 2010 17:39:24 GMT

PHUKET TOWN: Super Bowl XLIV (that's 44), the culmination of the NFL season and the biggest annual sporting event in the USA, will kick off early tomorrow morning, Thai time.

The New Orleans Saints and the Indianapolis Colts will meet in Miami to decide the destination of the next Vince Lombardi trophy.

It will be an historic occasion for the New Orleans Saints, who will be determined to ensure that their first Super Bowl appearance is a successful one. ... Full story

Phuket bar destroyed in arson attack

Sun, 7 Feb 2010 17:39:24 GMT

RAWAI, PHUKET: Police are investigating an arson attack that completely destroyed the popular Roxanne Bar on Wichit Rd in Rawai early yesterday morning.

Chalong Police were notified of the blaze at 3:30am.

It took two Rawai Municipality fire engines about 30 minutes to put out the flames, but not before they destroyed the bar and everything inside. ... Full story

Maimed pilot in Phuket: 'I will fly again'

Sun, 7 Feb 2010 17:39:24 GMT

PHUKET TOWN: Cathay Pacific airline pilot Scott McDonald is trying to put his life back together after his lower calf and foot were sliced off by a speeding motorbike in a freak accident in Phuket late last month.

As the American lay bleeding on the pavement, a passerby who witnessed the accident used the victim�s cellphone to call for help � before pocketing the device and fleeing the scene.

Mr McDonald has undergone seven surgeries at Bangkok Hospital Phuket since the accident. ... Full story

PHUKET OPINION: Stop 'zero fare tours' before they start in Phuket

Sun, 7 Feb 2010 17:39:24 GMT

PHUKET: Plans by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and three tourism business associations to stop �zero tour fare� operators from setting up in Phuket are laudable, especially given the damage such outfits have already done to the inbound Chinese market in places like Chiang Mai and Pattaya. (See story ... Full story

Paddlers go for gold in Phuket

Sat, 6 Feb 2010 17:39:24 GMT

PA KHLOK, PHUKET: One of the more colorful events taking place this weekend is the 6th Annual �Hua Tong� Boat Paddling competition at Ao Por Pier in Pa Khlok.

Eighteen teams with ten paddlers each are taking part in the main competition, which began at 9am yesterday with an opening ceremony presided over by Phuket Vice Governor Smith Palawatwichai.

In the team event that ends this afternoon, the winners will receive 6,000 baht in cash and a championship trophy presented by Privy Councilor Gen Pichitr Kullavanijaya. ... Full story