Phuket News

Governor orders probe into alleged Phuket beach land swindle

PHUKET: The Phuket Governor has ordered a direct investigation into how a man claiming to be a real estate agent allegedly conned villagers near Layan Beach into signing a document that empowered him to mortgage their land for 20 million baht.The incident came to light on Thursday when the villagers, led by Cherng Talay Tambon Administration Organization (OrBorTor) President Ma-ann Samran, filed a...

Italian man found hanged in Patong

PHUKET: The body of an Italian man was found hanged from a rooftop steel bar at the Happy Apartment building in Baan Nanai Patong yesterday.Roberto Becchetti, 46, was last seen in the building carrying a coil of nylon rope about two hours before his body was discovered in a narrow gap between the apartment building and the building next door.“We searched the body and found a receipt for the rope, which was...

Phuket Employment office to hold seminar on dive professionals’ work permits

PHUKET: The Phuket Employment Office (PPEO) will be holding an eight-hour seminar on May 22 at the Royal Phuket City Hotel in Phuket Town to clarify regulations and work permits for dive professionals.The seminar comes as a Public-sector Anti Corruption Commission (PACC) team continues its investigation into allegations that Chalong Police used legal loopholes in work permits to extort money from...

Taiwanese tourist drowns at Koh Yao Yai, off Phuket

PHUKET: A Taiwanese tourist drowned at Koh Yao Yai yesterday after waves pulled him out to sea.Chung-Hsin Lu, 64, was swimming with a friend at about 2pm when the pair started struggling in deep water. Bystanders were able to rescue Mr Lu’s friend, but Mr Lu disappeared below the surface and could not be found, says a Kusoldharm rescue worker.“Boat crew in the area immediately started to search for him, and...

Let there be light: Phuket mangrove forest villagers may get PEA electricity, clean water

PHUKET: Officials have been tasked with determining if the law can be bent in order to provide an illegally established mangrove forest community with much-needed electricity. The move follows a March 20 protest during which 200 villagers from the Klong Mudong community rallied outside the Chalong Municipality and asked Mayor...

Black market coral trade takes hit as police seize more than 600 live samples in Phuket

PHUKET: Chalong Police are hunting coral poachers who abandoned a long-tail boat containing more than 600 illegally cut pieces of coral that were destined for the black market. Officers rushed to the scene yesterday morning after being tipped off by locals who had watched the suspects carry the coral ashore. Locals told officers that the...

Police rescue driver from mob after two killed at Phuket's 'hundred bodies curve'

PHUKET: Police yesterday quickly whisked away the driver of a six-wheeled truck that killed two people and injured four others at Phuket’s notorious “100 bodies curve” on Chao Fa West Road, to spare him from the wrath of an angry mob.Uthai Pilaput told police that he was heading northbound at about midday when he lost control on...