PHUKET: The plan by Patong Mayor Pian Keesin to install a fertilizer factory at the Patong Wastewater Treatment Plant must be heralded as good news. (See page 3, current issue of the Phuket Gazette
PHUKET: The Phuket Tourist Association (PTA) has asked for the cooperation of foreign governments to reduce and/or lift travel advisories and warnings issued for Thailand. PTA President Somboon Jirayus told the press on Thursday that sensationalized images presented through foreign media have caused a decreasing number of tourists to come to Phuket. “Flooding images in the foreign media have [negatively] affected Thailand tourism, including in Phuket,” he said, citing footage that he had seen of airplanes half-submerged at Don Mueang Airport.
PHUKET: Phuket’s premier tourist party town of Patong is gearing up for its annual carnival to be held from December 15-20.
PHUKET: A total of 100,000 EM (effective microorganism) balls handmade by Phuket students and three flood-rescue boats were handed over to the Royal Thai Army yesterday in the hope of providing some assistance to flood victims in Bangkok.
PHUKET: Thai Airways International (THAI) is still operating its full schedule of regular flights between Bangkok and Phuket – for now.
PHUKET: Six Caribbean Football Union officials have received bans from the sport and been fined as a result of breaching ethics rules, according to FIFAs‘ website today. Patrick John, Vincent Cassell, Raymond Guishard, Noel Adonis, Tandica Hughes and Everton Gonsalves were handed suspensions from FIFAs‘ ethics committee of between two years and one week and had to pay fines ranging between (the equivalent of) 100,000 baht and 10,000 baht.
PHUKET: Former Phuket expat Paul Ridden, who earlier this week was sentenced to four years in jail for fraud and deception charges in the UK, will not face any charges for any alleged fraud committed on Phuket. Lt Col Boonlert Onklang, Duty Officer at Chalong Police Station, today told the Phuket Gazette that not a single complaint in writing was received by Chalong Police.
PHUKET: Brazilians are among the latest target group of tourists to be lured to Phuket and the Andaman region. Speaking yesterday at a press conference for the Andaman Travel Trade 2011 exhibition, TAT Deputy Governor for International Marketing Juthaporn Rerngronasa highlighted the South American country as an expanding market for incoming tourism. “There will be 10 operators from Brazil to join this year’s event on November 25-26,” she said, noting that the fair will host 302 tourism operators in addition to 20 media representatives from 28 countries worldwide.
PHUKET: A team of about 50 police and municipal officers this morning arrived in force at Phuket’s tourist-popular Karon Beach and removed a restaurant belonging to a local family who were forcibly removed from the same location nine weeks ago. Led by Phuket Governor Tri Augkaradacha, Phuket Provincial Police Commander Pekad Tantipong, Muang, Chalong Police Superintendent Col Krittapad Dej-intorrasorn, the officers arrived at 7am and started pulling down tents and removing tables and chairs.
PHUKET: The Phuket Skill Development Center (PSDC) along with a consortium of local businesses and recruitment specialists have launched a campaign to secure employment in Phuket for those people who have lost their jobs in Bangkok due to the floods. “An estimated 600,000 people have lost their jobs because their place of work was closed due to the floods,” said Ilyat Koshasawat, chief of the PSDC, which operates under the Department of Labor