News
Thailand news, politics, business, crime, lifestyle, and tourism—stay updated with breaking news and in-depth analysis from Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Pattaya, and beyond. The Thaiger delivers the latest national news that matters.
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Phuket Russians targeted in Thai New Year crackdown
PHUKET: Kathu District Chief Weera Kerdsirimongkol, who took up his position in Phuket less than a month ago, will target Russians, Nepalese and Vietnamese working illegally in Phuket, starting on April 14, the first day of the Thai new Year, he told a Provincial Hall meeting yesterday.“Initially, we will work with Phuket Employment Office and issue warnings to businesses involving…
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Gaming bender ends with knife suicide threat
PHUKET: A man who spent all night playing shooting games in a video game shop in Bangkok got out of paying for his night of entertainment by threatening to stab himself in the neck. Chairat Chairak, 30, told reporters he used to work at a larb (a spicy Northeastern meat salad) shop in the Sathupradit Road area of Bangkok. But…
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Tourist Police hit in Phuket Town shootout, killing two
PHUKET: A Phuket Tourist Police officer is in hospital this morning recovering from wounds sustained after a gunfight in a neighbor’s room which left two men dead early this morning. Sen Sgt Maj Pinchai Piyadilok was shot in the leg and in the stomach in the incident, and is recovering from surgery. Police have yet to question him. Officers received…
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Phuket Business: Why Google is still the best
PHUKET: The word ‘Google’ is a household name, synonymous with the word ‘search’ or even ‘research’ for most people around the world. The name itself originated from the word ‘Googol’, coined by Milton Sirotta, meaning the number 1 followed by 100 zeros; basically an extremely large number. It represents the vast universe of information that Google makes available to the…
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Phuket Gazette Sports: Salute, suspicions and sympathy
Katidis banned for rest of Greek season for Nazi salute Reuters / Phuket GazettePHUKET: AEK Athens have suspended Giorgos Katidis for the rest of the season after the 20-year-old midfielder made a Nazi salute to fans during a game at the weekend.The former captain of his country’s under-19 side had already been banned from all international teams for life by…
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Phuket Gazette World News: Polish mine collapse; Congo up in arms; Pakistani schoolgirl shot by Taliban starts school in UK
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– World news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Seventeen workers trapped underground at Polish mine Reuters / Phuket GazettePHUKET: Seventeen miners are trapped underground in a Polish copper mine after an earthquake caused a cave-in, a spokesman for mine operator KGHM said this morning.The miners were trapped 600 metres below ground at the Rudna mine,…
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Fear of attacks on Phuket’s new airport buses delays launch date
PHUKET: The long-awaited and much supported Phuket Airport Bus Express – marking Phuket’s first ‘hop on-hop off’ bus service from the airport to major tourist beaches along the west coast (story here) – will not be launched this month. The news came at a provincial transport committee meeting at the Phuket Land Transportation Office (PLTO) this afternoon led by ardent…
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Phuket Property Watch: Koh Samui puts on a game face
PHUKET: War is hell. While the opinion on developing tourism often ranges from heaven to hell or somewhere in-between those luxury hotel 400 thread count fine Egyptian bed sheets (as usual I can’t help but take a quick detour off into the realms of upscale bedding). Apparently there is an ongoing controversy over thread count linen and whether the claims…
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Phuket Sports: ‘Imagina na Copa!’
PHUKET: It’s the catchphrase of the year in Brazil: “Imagina na Copa!”It basically means “Imagine what it’ll be like during the World Cup,” and it has become a favourite among Brazilians stuck in traffic or in line at their woefully overcrowded airports.The underlying belief is that the chaos will be worse when Brazil hosts the football tournament in June 2014,…
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Phuket Police deny drug suspect bribe, make “honor arrest’
PHUKET: A senior Phuket City Police officer arrested a woman for tarnishing the name of the Royal Thai Police after she allegedly claimed to have paid him 400,000 baht in bribe money.The news follows Duangporn Luesub, 36, arriving at Phuket City Police Station yesterday to discuss the issue with Phuket City Police Deputy Superintendent Prawit Engchuan, the sole case officer…
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Phuket Gazette World News: China in Top 5 arms dealers; President Li in US talks on cyber war, trade
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– World news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community New China leader Xi to meet U.S. to discuss cyber row, trade Reuters / Phuket GazettePHUKET: US Treasury Secretary Jack Lew will meet new Chinese President Xi Jinping today at a critical time in relations between the world’s two largest economies, with cyber hacking, the Chinese currency…
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Land prices upcountry doubling
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Provincial land prices double as big developers go upcountry Phuket Gazette PHUKET: The expansion by leading property firms of their investment in the provinces during the course of last year has resulted in land prices doubling in many areas. The main provinces and areas subject to…
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Phuket Police bag two as snatch turns snitch
PHUKET: A young Thai woman wanted as a bag-snatcher was placed under arrest by Phuket Police yesterday after she presented herself at Thalang Police Station to seek guidance over being beaten by her boyfriend. Rudeemas “Yaem” Sumeng, 22, reported the whereabouts of her partner to Thalang Police after he allegedly beat her. She walked into the police station apparently unaware…
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Beach north of Phuket crawling with baby turtles
PHUKET: The beach at Khao Lampi – Hat Thai Mueang National Park has been full of life over the past month with 339 baby leatherback turtles hatching from five protected nests in the area.“We are still watching two more nests expected to hatch soon. One nest contains 91 eggs and the other contains 84 eggs,” park chief Witoon Detpramuanphol told…
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Ministry of Justice steps up to help Phuket sea gypsies
PHUKET: Thailand’s Ministry of Justice is spearheading a multi-agency effort to provide assistance to sea gyspies in Phuket.Leaders of the small sea gypsy community in Rawai currently face legal action from investors for allegedly encroaching on private land, despite the previously nomadic people having lived there for decades.Many of the indigenous fisherfolk from Rawai have also been arrested, and released…
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Phuket Business: Tax filing deadline nears
PHUKET: With the peak of the Thai hot season fast approaching, the Personal Income Tax (PIT) filing deadline is also nigh. Usually, the deadline is March 31, but since the last day of March this year falls on a Sunday, income earners in the Kingdom have been given until Monday, April 1 to file their paper returns, or until Tuesday,…
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Phuket Events: Professional Beach Volleyball returns with FIVB Open
PHUKET: The Federation Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB) Beach Volleyball World Tour event, the ‘Thailand Open’ powered by PTT, is set to return to Karon Beach, Phuket, this year. After staging the event in Phuket for six years, the tournament was moved to Bang Saen, near Pattaya, last year but changes to the regulations by the FIVB have allowed the organizers…
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Sea Warriors hook Blue Marlins
PHUKET: The Southern Sea Warriors won their first Thailand Yamaha One League (YL1) game of the season, beating Suzuki Si Racha FC 3-1 in front of just over 4,200 fans at Surakul Stadium on Saturday. Last season, Phuket had lost both of its YL1 league matches – home and away – against the Suzuki Si Racha ‘Blue Marlins’. Phuket FC…
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Phuket Gazette Sports: Winners, losers and rain
Chelsea climb to third as Spurs lose again Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Frank Lampard scored his 200th goal for Chelsea as they beat West Ham United 2-0 to move into third place in the Premier League above Tottenham Hotspur who suffered a shock 1-0 home defeat by Fulham at White Hart Lane yesterday. FA Cup semi-finalists Wigan Athletic remained…
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Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Pheu Thai denies Yaowapa groomed for PM; Monarchy TV review axed; MCOT to rule TrueVisions ads
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Pheu Thai denies grooming Yaowapa as PM’s stand-in The Nation / Phuket GazettePHUKET: The ruling Pheu Thai Party yesterday accused the Opposition Democrats of being fanciful in their claims that Pheu Thai heavyweight Yaowapa Wongsawat is being prepared as a stand-in should PM Yingluck Shinawatra meet with…
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Phuket Gazette Sports: Red Bulls take front row at F1 season opener
Vettel on pole for Red Bull in Melbourne Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: World champion Sebastian Vettel will start the Formula One season-opener from pole position on an all-Red Bull front row later today (1pm Phuket time) after posting the fastest time in the rain-delayed qualifying for the Australian Grand Prix. The German, chasing a fourth successive world title this…
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Phuket Gazette World News: Swiss tourist gang-raped in India
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Swiss tourist gang-raped while camping in India – police Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Four men raped a 39-year-old Swiss woman camping with her husband in an Indian forest, police said yesterday, turning the spotlight anew on the security of women in the world’s largest democracy.…
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Tourist Police chief targets Phuket jet-ski rip-offs
PHUKET: A complaint by a senior Chinese consulate official has prompted Tourist Police Commander Roy Ingpairoj to visit Phuket in person to investigate unscrupulous jet-ski operators at Patong Beach.Maj Gen Roy led 22 Tourist Police officers on an inspection of Patong Beach late yesterday afternoon. The visit followed Qin Jian, Vice Consul of the Consulate-General of the People’s Republic of…
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Phuket Gazette Thailand News: UNHCR joins call for probe into Rohingya shootings
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community UNHCR urges investigation into alleged Rohingya shooting The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: The UN’s refugee agency on Friday called on the government to investigate reports that Thai navy men shot at Rohingya boat people fleeing sectarian conflict in Myanmar. The United Nations High Commissioner for…
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Phuket Town gamblers luck out: 22 arrested
PHUKET: A joint police raid on a house in Phuket Town on Thursday night netted 22 gamblers playing the popular “shrimp-fish-giant water bug-flower” [yes] board game. Officers led by Lt Col Prawit Engchuan of Phuket City Police joined teams from the Phuket Provincial Police and Wichit Police in the raid, at the shophouse about 100 meters from Surakul Stadium (map…
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Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Road death toll among highest in the world
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Road death toll in Thailand among highest in the world The Nation / Phuket GazettePHUKET: Up to 26,000 people are killed in road accidents every year in Thailand, which puts the country sixth in the world in terms of road casualties. Of those killed, nearly 80%…
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Phuket Sports: Wales play England in decider
PHUKET: Flyhalf Owen Farrell has been passed fit to return to England’s lineup for Saturday’s Six Nations title decider against Wales in Cardiff, and is likely to start despite Toby Flood kicking six out of six penalties in Sunday’s 18-11 victory over Italy. The news was not so good for number eight Ben Morgan, who has lost his fitness battle…
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Phuket Sports: European football roundup
PHUKET: Chelsea came from two goals down at Manchester United to draw 2-2 in a thrilling FA Cup quarterfinal last Sunday that capped a bad week for the Premier League leaders who were knocked out of the Champions League on March 5 by Real Madrid.Manchester United and Chelsea drew 2-2 on Sunday as the quarter-finals of the FA Cup took…
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Phuket Sports: Truth, tyres and tall tales – F1
PHUKET: The 2013 Formula 1 rules are much the same as last year, so slower teams have had a better chance to copy and catch-up in the off-season rather than have faster teams increase their lead with innovations. But the new Pirelli tyres are going to degrade even faster than the 2012 versions. So I expect a very close season.…
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New Phuket buses ready to run the gauntlet
PHUKET Governor Maitri Inthusut confirmed to the Phuket Gazette that he will approve the long-awaited bus service to start serving tourists arriving at Phuket International Airport. The new bus service – to launch with six buses departing the airport to provide a “hop on, hop off” service to the major tourist beaches down the west coast – has one final…
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