News
Stay up-to-date with the latest news from across Thailand and beyond with The Thaiger. Our dedicated team brings you breaking news, in-depth analysis, and exclusive stories from this stunning part of the world, covering a diverse range of topics, including local politics, business, culture, and tourism. Keep yourself informed about the Kingdom’s rich history, stunning landscapes, and thriving expat communities, as well as updates on events, attractions, and transportation.
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With China weakening, Apple turns to India
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community With China weakening, Apple turns to India Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: As red-hot sales in China show signs of cooling, Apple Inc (AAPL.O) executives are touting India’s growing appetite for iPhones. In an earnings call in which the company reported meager iPhone growth and forecast…
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Surin demolition pushed to next month
PHUKET: The expected demolition of buildings on Surin Beach has been pushed back to next month, announced Phuket Vice Governor Chokdee Amornwat. “The problem we are facing is with the documentation process,” Vice Governor Chokdee said. “We have to ensure that we are following all legal processes and are being very careful when demolishing government buildings.” V/Gov Chokdee noted that…
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Unidentified foreigner killed after allegedly jumping in front of tour bus
PHUKET: Police are working to identify a foreigner who was killed after allegedly jumping in front of a tour bus in Patong early this morning. Bus driver Somkhit Wongpan, 33, told officers that he was on his way to Patong after picking up about 20 Chinese tourists from the airport, confirmed Maj Pattapee Srichai of the Patong Police. “Mr Somkhit…
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MOTS director lays out strict guidelines for tour operators
PHUKET: Hundreds of tour operators gathered earlier this month to listen in on the government’s plans for Phuket’s tourism industry for the upcoming year. Santi Pawai, director of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports (MOTS) Phuket Office revealed his plans, which include the completion of several projects already in the works (story here). “We talked to the tour operators about…
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Tension builds at Phuket sea gypsy village
PHUKET: Tension mounted again at the Rawai sea gypsy village as the local community prevented alleged landowners from blocking access to the area yesterday. “Representatives of Baron World Trade Co, which claims it owns the land, attempted to blockade the area with the help of about 40 officers from the Army, Provincial Office and Chalong Police, said Rawai Mayor Aroon…
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Two fires burn hot in Phuket
PHUKET: Firefighters from five firetrucks spent 30 minutes battling the flames from a house fire in Phuket Town, which was only one of two fires that erupted yesterday. “The 60-year-old homeowner, Sookjai Teerapittayanon, was running errands in the neighborhood when the fire started in her kitchen,” said Phuket Provincial Police Deputy Commander Peerayuth Karajedee. “Fortunately, nobody was in the house…
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South Africa policing women’s bodies with bursaries for virgins
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community South Africa policing women’s bodies with bursaries for virgins Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: By giving scholarships to girls who are virgins, South Africa is trying to control women’s bodies while ignoring the role of men and sexual violence in spreading HIV/AIDS, a campaigner said.In KwaZulu-Natal…
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Probe clears Malaysian PM Najib, says $681 mlllion transfer just a Saudi gift
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Probe clears Malaysian PM Najib, says $681 million transfer just a Saudi gift Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: Malaysia’s attorney-general cleared Prime Minister Najib Razak of any criminal offense or corruption on Tuesday, and said a controversial transfer of $681 million into his personal bank account…
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Bar patron batters police officer for closing pub
PHUKET: An allegedly drunk man attacked a Phuket police officer after learning that the bar where he was drinking was being forced to close for the night. “Lt Col Wanchana Assompoch of the Phuket City Police was attacked while he was on patrol, closing down venues that had continued to operate past legal hours early Sunday morning,” said Lt Col…
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Desperate plea for blood made to save German in Phuket
PHUKET: Vachira Phuket Hospital is making a desperate call for A-negative blood to save a German man who was involved in a motorcycle accident this morning. “We gave him the only two units we had in our stock, but we need more, as he will probably need to undergo three more surgeries,” Ampai Saengwichitr, medical technologist of Vachira Phuket Hospital…
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Another marine tragedy hits Phuket: one killed, one injured
PHUKET: One man was killed and another injured after the boat they were crewing from Phuket to Phi Phi Island burst into flames and sunk this afternoon. “The boat, which was transferring supplies to the Phi Phi Village Hotel, was near Koh Dok Mai when it caught fire,” explained Phuket Marine Police Chief Panya Chaichana. “We received an SOS from…
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Thailand Yacht Show attracts elite
PHUKET: The inaugural edition of the Thailand Yacht Show, to be held February 8-14 at the Ao Po Grand Marina, continues to attract the elite of the superyacht industry. Burgess Yachts, one of the world’s largest and most internationally renowned brokerage and charter companies, is using the event to showcase an exciting and diverse range of yachts. The distinctive 73…
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A Decade Ago: TAT battles direct flights to key markets
PHUKET: More direct flights from key tourist source markets to Phuket were put forward as the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Phuket Office scrambled out of a ‘lion’s den’ of hoteliers and property industry figures a decade ago. “It seems to me, from what I have heard here, that there are tourists who want to come, but there are no…
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Opinion: Protection from yourself
Sirisak Skoonsorutcha, originally from Surin Province, is the newly appointed chief of the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) Phuket Office. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in public administration from Sukhothai Thammathirat University. Here, he talks about the difficulties of preventing casualties caused by human error, as opposed to natural disasters. PHUKET: Of course the DDPM rigorously tries to prevent…
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University students to perform Chinese opera at Central Festival today
PHUKET: Central Festival Phuket started off Chinese New Year celebrations in style on Sunday with a sensational ensemble of martial arts, dragon dance, folk music and Chinese opera from an all-Chinese cast of professional artisans and performers. Celebrations will continue today with a Chinese opera and other performances from Wenzhou Medical University students. Organized by the Confucius Institute at Phuket…
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India to build satellite tracking station in Vietnam that offers eye on China
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community India to build satellite tracking station in Vietnam that offers eye on China Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: India will set up a satellite tracking and imaging centre in southern Vietnam that will give Hanoi access to pictures from Indian earth observation satellites that cover the…
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Two Chinese killed in
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Two Chinese killed in “bomb” blast in Laos Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: Two Chinese nationals were killed and another wounded in a suspected bomb blast in Laos, Chinese state media said on Monday, the latest incident in which Chinese citizens have been killed abroad as…
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Sober driver slams into Phuket Police Station
PHUKET: An entirely sober woman survived slamming her car into the outer gates of the Phuket Provincial Police Station Sunday morning. Sriwan Saelong, 30, was only slightly injured during the accident. “Ms Sriwan told us that she had just overtaken a black car at about 2:30am as she was driving down Yaowarat Road. The car she passed then turned right…
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MERS patient being treated in Bangkok
BANGKOK: Thailand believes it can contain the dreaded Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) virus after the country’s second case involving an elderly Omani was confirmed. “After receiving treatment for one week in his homeland without his condition improving, he refused to wait for lab results and immediately left for Thailand,” Public Health Minister Piyasakol Sakolsatayadorn said yesterday. The 71-year-old man…
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Lee Marine brings big names to Thailand Yacht Show
PHUKET: Lee Marine International Marine Brokerage’s re-investments continue in Phuket with the main focus being to better serve the many yacht enthusiasts who see their future on board any of the yachts represented by our firm, explained Josh Lee, founder and CEO of the company. The strength of their business success combines a wide product range with an experienced, dependable…
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Unidentified body found on boat off Nai Harn
PHUKET: Police this morning discovered the severely decomposed body of an unidentified male on a boat off of Nai Harn. Officers were alerted to the Australian-flagged boat after a man complained of a bad smell emanating from a vessel that had been anchored in the same spot for nearly a week, confirmed Maj Thada Sodarak of the Chalong Police. “We…
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New Zealand national dies in single vehicle crash
PHUKET: A New Zealand national was killed in a single vehicle crash in Chalong early this morning. The woman*, whose name is being withheld until the embassy is informed of the death, was found at a curve on Soi Ta Eid. Her Zoomer-X motorbike was found severely damaged nearby. “While at the scene, the woman’s friends came and told us…
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Rassada woman saved from burning home
PHUKET: A handicapped woman was rescued from her burning home yesterday afternoon in Rassada. Firefighters were sent to the home of Pornnatcha Bumpen, 42, after locals reported hearing an explosion and seeing smoke. Neighbors were quick to rescue Ms Pornnatcha, who is unable to walk, from the fire. “It took nearly 30 minutes for firefighters to put out the flames,”…
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Kiwi dies in early morning tryst
PHUKET: A 68-year-old New Zealand man died early this morning, at the home of a bar owner in Patong. Police confirmed that the man had gone home with the bar owner, whom he met on Soi Paradise at about 1:30am. “The bar owner and the man were having intercourse for about 15 minutes when the foreigner fell unconscious,” said Lt…
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Phuket Food Festival underway in City of Gastronomy
PHUKET: The Eighth Annual Phuket Local Food Festival started at Saphan Hin on Wednesday night, with delicious local delicacies being served up by Phuket Governor Chamroen Tipayapongtada. “This is a great fair that all tourists should know about, as it shows how beautifully unique Phuket is,” Governor Chamoren said. “Additionally, we have just been named as a UNESCO City of…
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Principled park official saves the day for Iranian tourist
KRABI: An Iranian man was reunited with his lost wallet containing nearly 100,000 baht worth of cash on Wednesday after an honest national park officer reported finding it. Wuthichai Prathumthong, chief of a forest protection unit at Hat Noppharat Thara – Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park, found a pair of trousers Tuesday containing the wallet on Maya Bay. “The…
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Missing yacht found sunk off Green Island
PHUKET: A 50-foot sailing yacht reported missing yesterday morning was discovered run aground off an island between Phuket and Phi Phi. Somboon Chooseng, the owner of Anemone, reported that the yacht had gone missing from Phi Phi Don on Wednesday night, confirmed Phuket Marine Police Chief Panya Chaichana. Within 45 minutes of the report being filed, Krabi Marine Police discovered…
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Finance: Rethinking the Big Mac Index for baht
PHUKET: The Big Mac Index has just been released for the year. The index was invented by The Economist as a lighthearted guide to whether currencies were currently undervalued or overvalued. Since I am always being asked my opinion on the baht, I thought this might be a good time to address the issue. The index is meant to be…
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Ministry of Farang Affairs: Too many ice cubes
The Ministry of Farang Affairs is a one-stop shop where foreigners in Thailand can learn all they need to know about living here. No, we’re not talking about work permits, visas or taxes. We’re talking about day-to-day life in the Land of Endless Shocks and Riddles, of Blur, Befuddlement and the Bizarre. Stay tuned for weekly insights from Minister Stephff.…
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Opinion: More beach blanket bilko
PHUKET: Recent photos sent to the Phuket Gazette by a concerned reader revealed that the popular Laem Sing Beach in Kamala has been encroached upon by ‘private investors’ who are renting out multiple rows of beach loungers and umbrellas on the ‘virgin beach’. This illegal activity requires immediate action by provincial officials and law enforcement officers before the re-emerging lawlessness…
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