Opinion
The Thaiger Opinion Columns
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Opinion: Reassessing priorities to maximize national security
PHUKET: The Phuket Gazette hopes that the perpetrators of the recent bomb attacks are brought to justice as swiftly as possible so that we can all begin the work of restoring confidence in the region. The specter of tourist-targeted bomb attacks of the kind that took place over the Mother’s Day weekend had been a source of dread here in…
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Opinion: Making Patong safer for locals and tourists
PHUKET: Col Chaiwat Auikam, originally from Saraburi, is currently the superintendent of Patong Police Station. He assumed the role two years ago. Col Chaiwat has been working as a policeman for more than 27 years. He graduated from the Armed Forces Academies Preparatory School and Royal Police Cadet Academy. Here, he talks about the current project to improve safety measures,…
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Island View: Burmese border visa run by car
PHUKET: Being relatively close to Phuket (about 350km), the Burmese border is a destination of choice for visa runs and can be done by car in a day. When you drive yourself, you can stop and snack or stretch out whenever you want, or even spend some time at one of the many beaches along the coast as you pass…
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Ministry of Farang Affairs: Right way to hail a taxi
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: Improving Phuket’s transport system
PHUKET: Sommai Sudkhao, originally from Phatthalung province, is the Phuket Land Transport Office (PLTO) chief. He was the director of the Bangkok Area Transportation Office before moving to Phuket three months ago. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in economics from Ramkhamhaeng University. Here, he talks about managing Phuket’s transportation systems, the challenges posed by the province’s dependence on tourism,…
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Opinion: Tracking tourists for ‘national security’
PHUKET: An online forum recently published an article titled ‘NBTC to propose special SIM cards for foreign tourists so they can be traced’. The article states that the National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) intends to introduce ‘special’ SIM cards for mobile users, in order to ‘track’ foreigners while they are staying in Thailand. The news is worrying on so…
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Ministry of Farang Affairs: Careful in the crapper
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: Turning the tide on flooding
PHUKET: As the annual monsoon strengthens and the gripefest begins, Phuket residents might want to pause for a moment to reflect on what a wonderful climate we enjoy year round, every year. According to records dating back to 1951, the temperature ‘extremes’ in Phuket Town are listed as follows: record high 37.8°C (about 100°F); record low 17.4°C (63.3°F). That is…
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Island View: And then there was beef
PHUKET: For me, one of the most exciting things about moving to Phuket was all the delicious Thai food one could ask for. However, once I had moved, there was just one thing I craved – a nice, juicy beef steak. Thai people can cook a lot of different kinds of food, with spices that can make the sweat drip…
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Ministry of Farang Affairs: Befriending local fishermen
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: All aboard the light rail gravy train
PHUKET: With so much media focus on the current government’s intentions with regard to democratic development, less attention is being paid to some fiscal moves that the administration has been making. One significant piece of new legislation, which seems to have largely slipped under the media radar, was the Cabinet approval last month of a new Land and Building Tax…
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Governor’s Letter: Improvement plans for Phuket
PHUKET: Governor Chamroen Tipayapongtada assumed his role as Phuket Governor on September 30, 2015. He is a Phuket native with a Master’s degree in political and administrative science from the National Institute of Development Administration. Last month, he was awarded the honor of ‘best drug fighting governor’ by the Deputy Prime Minister. Here, he talks about his plans to improve…
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Ministry of Farang Affairs: Time of service delivery
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: Reconsidering our stance on plastic marine pollution
PHUKET: The current government has made a commendable effort in convincing the European Union (EU) and other international observers that it will impose some order over illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) practices in the Thai fishing industry. The fact remains, however, that bureaucrats from Brussels to Bangkok have little to no control over the commercial forces that are turning our…
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Opinion: New highways chief talks improvement plans
PHUKET: Patiwetwottisak Sookhii, originally from Nonthaburi, is the new director of the Phuket Highways Office. He assumed his position last month and was director of the Prachuap Khiri Khan Highways Office before that. He graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from Prince of Songkla University and a Master’s degree in transport from Kasetsart University. Here, he talks about…
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Island View: Irrefutable commandments for Phuket farangs
PHUKET: Remember, I am the whiteness of thy skin. Despite how burned thou may become, I have led thee out of the land of the West, out of the bondage of actual behavioral standards. These are my commandments to you, Chosen People! THOU shalt not pay less than 200 baht for a taxi fare, regardless of the distance or length…
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Opinion: Phuket chosen as ‘model city'”¦ again
PHUKET: While the media narrative abroad regarding our Land of Smiles has focused on such lofty issues as democratic development, freedom of expression, human rights and so forth, it is somehow reassuring to know that here on the ground the saying plus ็a change, plus c’est la m๊me chose still seems to apply as far as daily life is concerned.…
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Opinion: Sorting out messy overhead cables
PHUKET: Wichan Praenam is a Phuket native and the manager of the Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA), Thalang Office. He has been working in this position since 2014. He graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Human Resource Management from Phuket Rajabhat University. Here he talks about unorganized overhead cables and the progress the PEA has made to improve the situation. As…
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Island View: Need to be nicer to our beaches
PHUKET: It’s been a year since I came to Phuket and I have managed to discover a lot more of the island than many others who’ve been living here a lot longer than I have. This is mostly because I didn’t fuss or spend hours reading reviews or deciding where to go. I simply opened up Google Maps, ‘dropped a…
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Ministry of Farang Affairs: You need an expensive car
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.For…
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Opinion: Improving communication to prevent accidents
PHUKET: Wang Huijuan is the Chinese vice consul general and head of the Chinese Consular Office in Phuket. Originally from Beijing, she has been working in this position since 2014. She graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in English Literature from Nankai University in China. Here, she talks about her suggestions to solve the problem of unexpected incidents and accidents involving…
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Opinion: Leisurely stroll through Old Town
PHUKET: As a first time traveller to Thailand, I’ve spent some time aimlessly wandering around Old Phuket Town, which, despite the constant buzzing of crowded telephone wires and motorbikes, can actually be quite peaceful. This town isn’t really intended for the casual stroller. Locals will hop on a motorbike just to cross the street and if they have to walk,…
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Opinion: Implications of TAT’s ‘Month for Women Travellers’
PHUKET: The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has a rich and diverse history when it comes to churning out tourism promotion campaigns, so it comes as a bit of a surprise that the agency’s recent designation of August as its ‘Month for Women Travellers’ has managed to raise a few eyebrows. The TAT clearly recognizes that the gender ratio of…
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Ministry of Farang Affairs: Worship Thai basil pork
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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Island View: First street food adventure in Phuket
PHUKET: A friend of mine, who intends to visit Phuket shortly, asked me what the street food was like here. Being a picky eater and mostly cooking for myself at home, I realized I hadn’t tried much in the way of street food for the year that I’ve been in Phuket. Armed with dozens of recommendations from friends and colleagues,…
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Ministry of Farang Affairs: Welcome to the farang flying club
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.For…
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Opinion: The never-ending battle to protect Thai tourism
PHUKET: The recent arrest of a businessman for allegedly faking a Thai national identification card is just the latest development in the seemingly never-ending battle to protect the Thai tourism industry from illegal foreign opportunists. Thai authorities are, of course, correct to prosecute, to the full extent of the law, any foreigner who would resort to forgery in an attempt…
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Ministry of Farang Affairs: ‘Spa’ is not necessarily professional
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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Island View: If it ain’t broke, why fix it?
PHUKET: I have lived and worked in Phuket for quite a few years. I’m sure we all agree that driving on the island is one of the biggest challenges in our daily lives. Getting to work and making your way home each day is a matter of luck and skillful maneuvering, but I am not going to complain about any…
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Opinion: Putting the public’s safety first
PHUKET: Reports of structural damage at the Jungceylon shopping complex in Patong need to be taken seriously to protect shoppers from potential danger, but calls to close down the entire complex indefinitely appear to be unduly alarmist given the situation on the ground – and beneath it. News that support pillars in the basement of the complex were damaged apparently…
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