Month: June 2007

  • Phuket News

    “Farang’ robs Karon bank

    KARON: Despite an intensive manhunt, police have yet to apprehend the Caucasian man who held up the Siam Commercial Bank branch on Patak Rd in Karon late yesterday afternoon, getting away with 420,000 baht in cash.At the monthly Phuket Provincial Security Committee meeting held at the ST Hotel in Phuket City this morning, Phuket Provincial Police Commander Maj Gen Decha…

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  • Phuket NewsKrabi Airline to debut November 1 | Thaiger

    Krabi Airline to debut November 1

    BANGKOK (The Nation): Soon to be Thailand’s newest carrier, Krabi Airlines is now being set up and plans to begin flight service to international destinations starting on November 1, just in time for the start of the 2007-2008 high season.Civil Aviation Department Director General Chaisak Angkasuwan said the airline, with four investors, including former Thai Airways International employee Kosol Vongsrisart,…

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  • Phuket NewsFive major hotels to be re-branded | Thaiger

    Five major hotels to be re-branded

    PHUKET: Three Phuket hotels will be renamed under the Central Group’s re-branding of its hotel and resort business, while another two will be taken over by the Marriott chain of hotels.Central Karon Village, Central Karon Beach Resort and Central Kata Resort will be renamed Centara Villas, Centara Karon Resort and Centara Kata Resort, respectively.Centara, the Central Group’s new hotel brand,…

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  • Phuket NewsNight Station ordered closed | Thaiger

    Night Station ordered closed

    PATONG: Night Station discotheque, in Soi Sukhumvit on Rat-U-Thit 200 Pi Rd, has been ordered closed for 60 days for late trading and allowing minors entry to the club.Phuket Governor Niran Kalayanamit signed the order Thursday, and the closure went into effect last night. The club is ordered to remain closed until August 27.Kathu District Chief Khantee Silapa told the…

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  • Phuket NewsOrBorJor closer to buying Phyathai building | Thaiger

    OrBorJor closer to buying Phyathai building

    PHUKET CITY: After years of failed negotiations, the Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (OrBorJor) has taken a step forward in buying the abandoned Phyathai Phuket Hospital building and re-opening the facility as a hospital with public organization status.OrBorJor President Anchalee Vanich-Thepabutr met with Phuket Governor Niran Kalayanamit Wednesday afternoon to discuss buying the building for 327 million baht, with 273 million…

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  • Phuket NewsTsunami evacuation drills in Rassada, Phuket City | Thaiger

    Tsunami evacuation drills in Rassada, Phuket City

    PHUKET CITY: The Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM-Phuket) will hold two planned tsunami evacuation drills over the next two days. The first will be at Laem Tokkae tomorrow morning and the second at Saphan Hin and parts of Rassada on Saturday morning.DDPM-Phuket Chief Aroon Kerdsom said the tests will be followed on July 25 by a regional testing…

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  • Phuket News

    Phuket art gallery gutted by fire

    PHUKET CITY: Firefighters were called to Phang Nga Rd this morning after flames engulfed the 111 Phuket Art Gallery building, destroying up to 50 paintings on sale at prices ranging from 10,000 to 50,000 baht each.A local resident alerted police and fire officers around 11:30 am after seeing smoke rising from the building, located behind the Sinthavee Hotel. Five fire…

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  • Phuket NewsRotting corpse found in Thalang | Thaiger

    Rotting corpse found in Thalang

    THALANG: Police made a grim discovery on Monday morning, when they found the badly decomposed body of an unidentified man lying in a ditch.A local fisherman alerted police of a sickening odor at Tambon Srisoontorn Village 1, where the body was discovered by Pol Lt Col Kritthana Putluecha and his team around 8:30 am.The victim, who suffered a fractured skull…

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  • Cannabis NewsHuge kratom bust in Thalang | Thaiger

    Huge kratom bust in Thalang

    THALANG: Police seized about 2,000 kilograms of kratom leaves and cut down kratom trees up to 15 meters tall at a house in Thalang last Thursday.In what is believed to be the biggest kratom bust in the district, officers raided the house in Tambon Sri Soontorn after obtaining a search warrant, applied for after an investigation led to a tip-off.Lt…

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  • Phuket NewsPolice bust ya bah ring | Thaiger

    Police bust ya bah ring

    KATHU: On a night of rain, gunfights and car chases, a Phuket Provincial Police drug suppression unit smashed a major ya bah (methamphetamine) ring on June 19, arresting five people and seizing 1,384 ya bah pills and 115,000 baht in cash as evidence in the case. The operation started with a routine drug bust on June 18 in front of…

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  • Phuket NewsWoman dies in Kata hit-and-run | Thaiger

    Woman dies in Kata hit-and-run

    KATA: Lamphun Kotpanna, 27, from Sakhon Nakhon, died last night after her motorbike was hit by a pickup truck on the steep hill near the Marina Phuket Resort.Sayan Thammapan, of the Phuket Ruamjai Rescue Foundation, told the Gazette, “She was riding her blue Honda Sonic motorbike on the hill in front of Marina Cottage Hotel in Kata, which has a…

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  • Phuket NewsPolice bust gang of motorbike thieves | Thaiger

    Police bust gang of motorbike thieves

    PHUKET CITY: Police have busted a gang of motorbike thieves, including their leader, who have allegedly stolen about 50 motorbikes over the past four months.Col Nos Svettalekha, superintendent of Phuket City Police Station, told the Gazette, “The leader of the gang is Krittanai ‘Max’ Buapeng, 36, from Krabi. We have followed him for about nearly four months.” Krittanai was arrested…

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  • Phuket NewsChinese tourist drowns | Thaiger

    Chinese tourist drowns

    PATONG: Strong waves claimed the life Chinese tourist Wing Wong, 40, who drowned at Patong Beach about 1:30 pm yesterday.Sub Lt Naruwat Puthawiro, duty investigator of Kathu Police Station, today told the Gazette, “He and his friends were swimming at Patong Beach. Although I have yet to question his friends, at that time there were strong waves. I suspect that…

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  • Phuket News

    Beauty applied

    PATONG: Twenty-four beauties from Southern Thailand on Sunday signed up at Jungceylon to enter the Miss Thailand World 2007 beauty pageant organized by Thai TV Channel 3 and BEC Tero Entertainment.The applicants, from 17 to 24 years old, came from as far as Trang, Surat Thani and Songkhla hoping to be named to be the most beautiful woman in the…

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  • Phuket NewsBody found in Klong Bang Yai | Thaiger

    Body found in Klong Bang Yai

    RASSADA: The body of a man aged 20 to 30 was found floating in Klong Bang Yai near the Chokthawee fish raft in the port area around noon on Sunday.Capt Krurg-rit Ritnuang of Phuket Police Station told the Gazette, “When I arrived at the scene, the body was still floating in the klong. Fishermen helped drag it to the fish…

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  • Phuket News

    Danish “Queen of Jazz’ to perform in Phuket

    PHUKET: In a concert titled “A Touch of Jazz Romance”, the soulful voice of Katrine Madsen will waft over the audience at the Beach Club of the Kata Thani resort this Sunday evening, July 1. She will be backed by the popular Jesper Bodilsen Trio. The Phuket event is a sequel to the star’s concert at Bangkok’s Thailand Cultural Center on Saturday,…

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  • Phuket NewsToddler killed in botched burglary | Thaiger

    Toddler killed in botched burglary

    RASSADA: A two-year-old girl and her nanny have died after their throats were slit in a botched burglary by two local youths yesterday eveningPhuket Deputy Police Commander Chalit Tinthanee last night announced that the attackers, a 15-year-old student at Phuket Technical College (PTC) and his 17-year-old friend, entered the house of PTC teacher Narisorn Phueng-rang in Baan Kabout about 5 pm.Once inside they were…

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  • Phuket NewsCharoen told to vacate SorPorKor plots | Thaiger

    Charoen told to vacate SorPorKor plots

    BANGKOK (The Nation): The Supreme Court on Thursday upheld an Appeals Court verdict and ordered Phuket businessman Charearn Thavornwongwongse to vacate four plots of SorPorKor land for landless farmers covering roughly 16 rai in Kamala and Kathu Districts.According to the court, K. Charearn could no longer be considered a farmer because he owned various businesses.He is the Managing Director of…

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  • Phuket NewsDutchman arrested for office hold-up | Thaiger

    Dutchman arrested for office hold-up

    PHUKET CITY: A down-on-his-luck Dutchman was arrested yesterday for the June 15 robbery of the management office at the Phuket Villa California residential development.The man, identified as Jeroen De Valk, 35, allegedly made away with 74,000 baht – but not before CCTV cameras recorded his motorcycle license plate number.On June 15, a man dressed in black walked into the offices of the…

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  • Phuket News

    Cops nab office thief

    PHUKET CITY: Provincial bureaucrats will sleep better at night, following the arrest of a man wanted for stealing valuables from government offices on the island.At a press conference yesterday, Phuket City Police Station Superintendent Col Nos Sawetalek presented 30-year-old Prayuth Kruakaew as the thief, along with four laptop computers, three mobile phones and cash in baht, US dollars and Chinese…

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  • Phuket News

    High and dry

    PATONG: Six days after it washed up on the south end of Patong Beach, the 38-foot sailboat Sultan remains high and dry after several unsuccessful efforts to dislodge and re-float her.The Sultan washed up on the south end of Patong Beach during a strong storm about 1 am on Tuesday.Skipper Michael Wilson of the UK, who was asleep on the…

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  • Phuket NewsDutch ambassador to visit Phuket | Thaiger

    Dutch ambassador to visit Phuket

    PHUKET CITY: Dutch ambassador Pieter Marres will hold a reception for Dutch nationals only at the Royal Phuket City Hotel from 6 pm to 7:30 pm on June 29. Netherlanders will have the opportunity to meet Amb Marres and his wife, Josee. Also, from 2 pm to 4 pm, staff from the Netherlands Embassy Consular Section will be available for…

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  • Phuket NewsLooking for beautiful Thai women | Thaiger

    Looking for beautiful Thai women

    PHUKET: Girl watchers might want to pay a special visit to Jungceylon on June 24, when starry-eyed beauties from all over the southern region will converge on the second floor to apply for the chance to compete in the Miss Thailand World 2007 beauty pageant. The pageant, organized by Thai TV Channel 3 content provider BEC Tero-Entertainment, will determine which…

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  • Phuket NewsThieves cash in on dark and stormy night | Thaiger

    Thieves cash in on dark and stormy night

    PHUKET CITY: While storm winds whipped through Phuket City on Tuesday night, thieves made off with about 90,000 baht in cash after breaking into a Christian foundation at Phun Pol Night Plaza.Lt Col Ampolwat Saengrueng, duty inspector of Phuket Police Station, told the Gazette, “Burglars broke into the New Life Foundation at 74/123 Phun Pol Night Plaza. They scaled a…

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  • Phuket NewsJapanese hotel worker killed in crash | Thaiger

    Japanese hotel worker killed in crash

    KARON: A Japanese circus entertainer from Club Med died after he was run over by a tuk-tuk on a hill near Le Meridien Phuket Beach Resort at about 6 am on Tuesday.Lt Col Sanguan Muangtham, duty inspector of Chalong Police Station, identified the victim as Nakamura Masakazu, 41. Mr Masakazu was riding a rented Honda Dream motorbike in heavy rain…

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  • Phuket NewsBeachcomber’s nightmare in Nai Thon | Thaiger

    Beachcomber’s nightmare in Nai Thon

    NAI THON: Police are hoping to establish the identity of a headless and badly decomposed human corpse discovered washed up on Nai Thon Beach late Tuesday morning. Sub Lt Thianchai Duangsuwan of the Tha Chat Chai Police Station told the Gazette the gruesome discovery was made at about 10:30 am on the stretch of beach in front of the Naithonburi…

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  • Phuket News

    Beached Brit needs to float his boat

    PATONG: Strenuous efforts by about 50 volunteers at high tide this morning failed to push the stranded 38-foot sailboat Sultan off Patong Beach. The boat’s cash-strapped British owner will now seek financial assistance from his embassy in an effort to re-float the vessel, which has drawn considerable attention from tourists visiting the beach.Sultan washed up on the south end of…

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  • Phuket News

    Phuket shrines to make Chinese-style Jatukham amulets

    PHUKET CITY: Three Chinese shrines on the island are joining forces to make Chinese-style versions of the popular Jatukham Ramathep amulet in order to raise money to build a 60-million-baht VIP wing at Vachira Phuket Hospital. A press conference was held at Pud Jor Shrine on June 18 to describe the amulet-making process and inform the public how to reserve…

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  • Thailand NewsBrownnose bloodsucker | Thaiger

    Brownnose bloodsucker

    NAKHON RATCHASIMA: A man was admitted to Bua Yai Hospital on June 7 with complaints of abdominal pains, which he said were caused by a leech that crawled up inside his anus while he was trying to catch fish for his wife’s dinner. Nong Chingpho, 43, told doctors that he had intermittent stomach pains for about a month, ever since…

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  • Thailand NewsCat burglar crash | Thaiger

    Cat burglar crash

    PHUKET: Being a keen breeder of songbirds, 34-year-old Chalong resident Warathep Udomsap would have been used to being woken up by the dawn chorus coming from the bird cages he kept at the back of his house. At dawn on May 28, however, he was awoken by some much less appealing noises: a loud crash followed by anguished wailing. As…

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  • Thailand NewsTalisman tales | Thaiger

    Talisman tales

    CHIANG MAI: With the craze for Jatukam Ramathep amulets still going strong, stories of miraculous survivals from shootings, stabbings, car crashes and other seemingly-dangerous events are a fixture in the Thai press at the moment. On June 1, one lucky 14-year-old in Rayong appeared in the pages of Thai Rath newspaper after he was left with only a small bruise…

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  • Thailand NewsThirsty thieves | Thaiger

    Thirsty thieves

    KANCHANABURI: A man noted for his integrity, Acting Royal Thai Police Commissioner General Seripisut Temiyavej has spent the best part of his life fighting the twin scourges of crime and corruption. In an ironic twist of fate, however, Thailand’s top cop recently found himself the victim of a horrific crime when thieves broke into his riverside holiday home in Kanchanaburi…

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  • Phuket News

    Yacht beached after heavy storm

    PATONG: The 38-foot sailboat Sultan washed up on the south end of Patong Beach about 1 am last night during a strong storm, waking owner Michael Wilson, who was asleep on the vessel when it hit the shore.Mr Wilson, from the UK, had sailed 17 days alone through stormy weather from Sri Lanka before reaching Phuket yesterday. Upon inspecting his…

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  • Phuket NewsHealth office warns of rainy-season dangers | Thaiger

    Health office warns of rainy-season dangers

    PHUKET: The Phuket Provincial Health Office (PPHO) yesterday issued a warning for people to be wary of five types of aliments that are more prevalent during the rainy season, which is now fully upon us.PPHO officer Arunee Suphanam warned people to take better care to avoid contracting diarrhea, infections in open wounds, colds and pneumonia, mosquito-borne diseases and conjunctivitis, also…

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  • Phuket NewsShrimp gets ahead with “blue flag’ promotion | Thaiger

    Shrimp gets ahead with “blue flag’ promotion

    PHUKET: In order to help the island’s suffering shrimp farmers, the Phuket Provincial Internal Trade Office (PITO) yesterday set up a “Blue Flag Shrimp Festival” to sell the tasty crustaceans directly to consumers for just 99 baht per kilogram until the end of September. PITO Chief Somphot Sangkhapong told the Gazette that some 1,500 kilograms of Pacific white shrimp (Litopenaeus…

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  • Phuket NewsGold shops get cheaper insurance | Thaiger

    Gold shops get cheaper insurance

    PHUKET: Gold shop owners on Phuket have agreed to increase their security measures in exchange for discounted insurance premiums from the Ministry of Commerce’s Department of Insurance.Phuket Gold Shop Association Chairman Chaiyoot Prayoonyong stated that the slowdown of the economy has increased the risk of robbery nationwide and that gold shop owners have agreed to upgrade their security, by installing…

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  • Phuket News

    American wins Laguna Marathon with course record

    CHERNG TALAY: Amid sporadic downpours and Phuket’s wet season drizzle, American Brent Christian Roeger this morning won the second Laguna Phuket International Marathon with a time of 2 hours 45 minutes 44 seconds, setting a new course record. Phuket resident and Hash House Harrier “Fast” Eddy Ou, originally from the US, was second across the finish line, completing the 42-kilometer…

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