PHUKET: Migratory birds aren’t the only ones moving south to escape plummeting temperatures in the northern hemisphere. South Asia is rapidly becoming the preferred winter destination for owners of superyachts – motor yachts in excess of 30 meters or 100 feet. Indeed, an increasing number of these luxurious leisure ships can be sighted off the shores and islands across the South Pacific and Andaman Seas, with Phuket as a focal point.
PHUKET: FC Phuket manager Narubas “Ko Lek” Aryupong revealed today that he will withdraw from running the team next season due to the current financial crisis. “A lot of money is needed to run a football team in Division 1. Yearly expenses reach over 40 million baht and I cannot afford that anymore.
PHUKET: A second swim area has been cordoned off at Kata Beach in Phuket, but lifeguards continue to worry about the safety of swimmers and snorkelers who venture outside the float ropes and into the path of speedboats and jet-skis. Safety issues at the popular west coast beach were highlighted earlier this month when Russian tourist
PHUKET: Phuket FC are hoping for a large fan turnout this evening when they kick off against Air Force Utd at Surakul Stadium at 6pm. Phuket FC will go into the match coming off a disappointing home loss to Suphanburi FC on Wednesday, while Air Force Utd greatly improved their chance of avoiding relegation with a 1-0 home win against Ratchapracha FC 1-0 in their encounter.
PHUKET: With Phuket’s Deep Sea Port being targeted for a huge upgrade, the island has great untapped potential in the global cruise ship industry – not just as a port of call but also as a port to call home. (See page 5, current issue of the Phuket Gazette. Digital subscribers click
PHUKET: In an unexpected Christmas Day development, Thai and Belgian researchers have confirmed the discovery in Phuket of a previously unknown species of Pope’s pit viper, and will unveil the serpent next week at the Korat Zoo. Commonly known as the ‘Phuket pit viper’, the new species Trimeresurus (Popeia) phuketensis was discovered in the Khao Phra Thaew Wildlife Sanctuary on October 5, 2009, according to Kirati Kunya, a member of the research team. The snake was given the Thai name ngoo khiew hang mai Phuket, which translates, somewhat colorfully, as the „Phuket white-tailed green snake“.
PHUKET: Members of the US Navy League in Phuket have made a preemptive strike against the deterioration of the Tsunami Memorial Wall in Mai Khao, pledging to maintain the respected site for years to come. It appeared that the wall had never been maintained at all. Armed with weed wackers, painting supplies and new flags, volunteers from the USS Pinckney, the US Navy League, local business Environmental Solutions Phuket (ESP), Phuket’s Tourist Police Volunteers and the MSC Company have restored the wall to respectable condition just in time for the annual memorial ceremony on Monday (December 26).
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Stranded Arizona college student survives 10-day blizzard in car Phuket Gazette / News Wires A college student from Arizona who went missing earlier this month has been found alive after being stranded in her car in the middle of a blizzard for ten days, local media reported yesterday. Arizona State University student Lauren Elizabeth Weinberg, 23, was spotted in her vehicle on Wednesday morning by U.S.
PHUKET: FC Phuket fans will be granted at least one more performance by local football stars Kone Adama and Johnathan Matijas on Christmas Day, in the team’s last match of 2011 against Air Force United. The news follows rumors circulating on Phuket FC’s fan club website that none of the current five foreign players will continue with FC Phuket next season, due to recent financial
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Indonesian girl swept away by 2004 tsunami found alive Phuket GazetteAn Indonesian girl who was thought to have died when a huge tsunami devastated the island of Sumatra in December 2004, has been found alive and reunited with her parents, local media reported on Thursday.