A flash flood and landslide warning have been issued for Phuket after heavy rain caused minor flooding and traffic tailbacks at many locations on the island this morning. Flash flooding forced traffic to a standstill in Chalong in front of the TOT office on Chao Fa West Road, where floodwater was about 50 centimeters deep….
Several new sports will be added to the 4th Asian Beach Games being held in Phuket this month, making them the biggest Games ever in terms of the number of sporting events. The additional sports will include Muay Thai, extreme sports, jet-ski sports, beach wrestling, and Kurash, a form of Turkish wrestling. This year’s Games,…
A tourist was run over by a vehicle towing a jet-ski trailer on a Phuket beach on Tuesday, prompting jet-ski management and a safety meeting this afternoon. The Phuket Gazette was notified of the incident by a foreign man, who asked not to be named, who witnessed the incident on Kata Beach. A woman was…
A Phuket resident was given a fright when he discovered a meter-long baby crocodile riling his dog in his garden last night. Kusoldharm Foundation rescue workers were called to Soi Hatchananiwetate, behind the Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (OrBorJor) Hospital, at 7:30 pm to deal with the troublesome reptile. Rescue workers searched the area for more…
Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, has commenced daily non-stop flights between Abu Dhabi and Phuket, the airline’s second destination in Thailand. The inaugural flight EY430 departed Abu Dhabi International Airport at 8:40 am local time on Sunday, October 26, and touched down at 6:00 pm the same day at Phuket…
A Prince of Songkla University seismology expert urged the Thai public not to panic over yesterday’s 5.3-magnitude earthquake, with its epicenter was in the sea off northern Sumatra. Its slight tremors could be felt in Phang Nga and Phuket provinces. Paiboon Nuannin said this 7.02 am quake wasn’t in the same area that caused the…
More than 200 ancient relics and artifacts were discovered by chance, scattered on the floor of a cave in Krabi province, across Phang Nga Bay from Phuket, on Saturday. Found by a local man in Kuan Wei Dang Cave in Khlong Thom district, south of Krabi Town, the pieces included ancient ceramics, axeheads, and stone…
A bearded Caucasian man found on the beach at Karon appears to have been the victim of a head injury is in a Phuket hospital while the holiday island’s top policeman heads an investigation to find out what happened. The man, aged 35 to 40, was discovered on the beach at Karon, south of Patong,…
Phuket residents and tourists have been invited to join a three-day Phuket tin-mining festival in Srisoonthorn to celebrate Loy Krathong and honor the island’s tin-mining history. The event will be held at the Bang Maruan Lagoon, which is located next to the site of the old Bang Maruan Mine in the center of the island,…
The arrival of the 150 rai Phuket Luxury Mall and scheduled to be open in 2017 under The Mall brand is expected to attract the world’s leading international brands and out-do Siam Paragon in Bangkok. Space is much bigger, with room for a five-star resort, an exhibition and conference centre for thousands, and an adventure…
An Australian tourist was mauled by a tiger at Phuket’s Tiger Kingdom yesterday afternoon, Kathu District Chief Sayan Chanachaiwong confirmed to the Phuket Gazette. The tiger attacked Paul Goudie, 49 after he climbed into the cage with the animal at about 1 pm to have his photograph taken. Mr. Goudie was taken to Phuket International…
Jet-skis not allowed on Phuket beaches or to park on the sands at any Phuket beaches, Royal Thai Navy 3 Commander Vice Admiral Saiyan Prasongsomret said yesterday. ”Jet-skis may park on private land for the purposes of renting, but not on public land,” he said. It is believed the same ruling would also apply to…
Phuket missing teen found safe as good news comes out of Phuket today. Kanyarat Nong Chor Kananthai, who was last seen selling her gold necklace in Phuket on Sunday, has turned up safe and sound in Udon Thani. At about 3 pm yesterday, one of my relatives in Udon Thani called me to say that…
Jet-skis on Kamala Beach are allowed says Phuket Governor. Jet-ski operators are allowed to park their craft on Kamala Beach until the end of the month, confirmed Governor Visit Jansomwong to the Phuket Gazette. Watchara Koysakul, head of the Kamala Jet-Ski Club, said that it was a similar situation to the one in Patong, where…
Paramedics on Phuket were last night patching and processing dozens of injured tourists, passengers on a speedboat that crashed into another boat. Officials have confirmed that two Koreans, a man, and a woman, are missing, presumed drowned. The speedboat has now sunk. Phuket City police are holding the speedboat captain and will transfer him to…
The first wave of human trafficking victims has been moved from Phang Nga, north of Phuket, to Ranong and Songkhla provinces, where they will await deportation. Most of the refugees claimed to have come from Bangladesh, while a few confirmed that they had come from the war-torn Rakhine state in Myanmar. We had to move…
Phuket will host the 16th World Pencak Silat Championship next year, touted to be the biggest gathering of martial arts competitors ever held in the sport, with more than 600 athletes from 47 countries. Thailand has hosted many international sporting events in the past with great success. We expect this to be the biggest gathering…
Boats will be prohibited from mooring within 200 meters of Chalong Bay Marina for one year, effective today, as seawall construction and renovations take place, confirmed the Phuket Marine Office chief. The order handed down and signed off by Phuket Marine Office Chief Phuripat Theerakulpisut was followed by the expulsion of all boats moored in…
A new Makro store for Phuket is believed to be likely to open later this year opposite the large Tesco Lotus supermarket in Thepkasattri Road, Thalang. Spokespeople for the brand are coy but Phuketwan has learned that the new Makro has a similar dimension to the original Phuket Makro opposite Central Festival Phuket. Other Makro…
Phuket chasing a sister city in China and is hoping to have the chance to add to its sister-city collection by strengthening ties with Xiamen, a major city on the southeastern coast of China. Having a sister city inside China, such as Xiamen, could be of great benefit for Phuket, Phuket Governor Nisit Jansomwong said…
Phuket elephant population concerns and Phuket Provincial officials will meet with relevant authorities tomorrow to discuss ways to curb the large number of legal and illegal elephants that continue to arrive on Phuket. The meeting was called in response to an influx of complaints about new elephants being sighted in Phuket, said Vice Governor Somkiet….
Phuket Police arrest nine suspects, eight of whom are minors, for a drive-by revenge shooting that left two men injured in Phuket on October 3. Watthana Suebsak, 18, was shot in the face and seriously injured, while Prasert Chanthip, 35, was also shot and wounded when a group of masked suspects rode by on motorbikes…
Police nabbed a Russian ATM skimmer for stealing more than 100,000 baht from foreigners bank accounts just before he was set to leave the island yesterday morning. Nicolai Petrishin, 27, was arrested at Novotel Resort in Kamala in possession of equipment used for the scam. Mr. Petrishin told police that he had arrived in Phuket…
Tourists led the charge, as an overwhelming majority of the more than 7,000 readers who took part in the recent Phuket Gazette poll voted against opening the island’s controversial dolphin park. A staggering 4,353 of the 4,435 (98%) of those who identified themselves as Tourists / Visitors to Phuket voted: no “ Phuket should not…
Former Patong mayor, Pian Keesin, has died in a fall at his home in Phuket City, Phuketwan learned today. Police responded to a 191 call about 11 am and found Khun Pian dead. Khun Pian, in his 70s, died in a fall at Rock Garden Village, in the Samkong district of Phuket City. His body…
A new Villa Market in Phuket is set to slice off another slab of the imported groceries market in Phuket when it expands to Boat Lagoon. The new branch, set to open in early 2015, is designed to tap into the yachtie-catering market and to position itself as the go-to grocer, as development in Koh…
Martial law could be lifted on Phuket as early as next week to encourage visitors to the Asian Beach Games in November. The possibility of Phuket becoming the first province in Thailand to have martial law removed will be discussed on Tuesday when the country’s Cabinet meets with the National Council for Peace and Order….
The new Phuket governor, Nisit Jansomwong, was welcomed enthusiastically at Phuket Provincial Hall in Phuket City today. Taking charge in the next few days is a new Phuket Police Commander, a new Commander of the Royal Thai Navy 3, and a new Director of Phuket International Airport. It’s the most complete transformation at the top…
An Australian tourist has suffered serious head trauma after falling from a second-floor balcony at the Phuket Graceland Resort and Spa in Patong. Paul Hanson, Anthony Jones, and Jean Cover, all 24 years old, were drinking on the balcony at about 9:10 pm, said Lt Col Pratuang Polmana of the Patong Police. Then something happened,…
After three years at the helm, Royal Thai Navy Vice Admiral Taratorn Kajitsuwan has been transferred from his post as the commanding officer at Phuket’s Third Area Command, the leading naval base for the entire Andaman coast. An assembly of sailors welcomed his replacement, Rear Admiral Sayan Prasongsamrej, at a handover parade at the base…
Designated entertainment and activity areas and a special management team will be implemented on Koh Tao, Tourism and Sports Minister Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul said yesterday. The scheme, dubbed the “Koh Tao Party Model”, is a response to the unsolved murder of two British backpackers on the island this month. “The island has no areas for tourists…
Phuket gets a new police commander Major General Pachara takes charge in the next few days and will have the responsibility to implement some of the dramatic changes that have been transforming Phuket Island since May reports the Phuketwan. Region 8 chief Lieutenant General Panya Mamen appointed Major General Paween Pongsirin to undertake a covert…
Police in Phuket were instructed today to take action to prevent vendors and sunbed operators from returning to work on Phuket beaches. Region 8 Commander Lieutenant General Panya Mamen reinforced the message with his presence at a meeting of all the island’s senior police officers at Phuket City Police Station. more on this at phuketwan.com…