News
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Phuket serial thief arrested – again
PHUKET: Police arrested a serial thief on Tuesday after footage of his escapades was caught on several of his victims’ personal CCTV cameras in Phuket Town. Chatchai Klanpakdee, 26, was tracked down to his rental room in Cherng Talay where he was found in possession of eight notebook computers, an electric guitar and clothes worn during the crimes. “Mr Chatchai…
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Russian expat found dead in Nai Harn hotel room
PHUKET: A Russian expat was found dead in his hotel room in Nai Harn yesterday morning, with a head wound he had reportedly received two days earlier. Alexander Sharkova, 47, was found by his wife, Marina Sharkova, when she came to pick him up to go to the hospital. Ms Sharkova told officers that on Monday her husband had informed…
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Island readies for annual Children’s Day
PHUKET: Prepare for the hustle and bustle of a day full of entertainment and fun activities as Phuket celebrates Children’s Day this Saturday. The first Children’s Day in Thailand was in 1956, since then government leaders have annually branded the event with a slogan. This year, the slogan created by Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha is ‘knowledge and virtue together…
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Phuket Red Cross Fair grand prize winner yet to claim Toyota Vios
PHUKET: The winner of the Phuket Red Cross Fair lucky draw grand prize has yet to claim their Toyota Vios after the winning ticket was announced on January 4. Phuket Governor Chamroen Tipayapongtada, along with his wife Vassana Tipayapongtada, president of the Phuket Red Cross, led the lucky draw center stage at Saphan Hin at about 11:00pm, closing the annual…
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Charges yet to be filed against killer speedboat driver
PHUKET: Police have yet to press charges against the speedboat driver who killed a French snorkeller in Krabi yesterday afternoon. Yothin Suebsak, 29, and Myanmar national Maling El @ Aee, 29, who were working on the speedboat at the time of the accident are to be questioned further in Krabi, confirmed Maj Jarun Nabphet of the Krabi City Police. “I…
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Malaysia Airlines bans checked baggage on some Europe flights
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Malaysia Airlines bans checked baggage on some Europe flights Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: Malaysia Airlines said yesterday it has temporarily banned checked-in baggage on some flights to Europe because of “unreasonably strong head winds” on the longer routes it is having to take for safety…
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Twitter considering 10,000-character limit for tweets
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Twitter considering 10,000-character limit for tweets Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: Twitter Inc (TWTR.N) is building a new feature that will allow users to post tweets as long as 10,000 characters, well beyond its current 140-character limit, technology news website Re/code reported on Tuesday. An expansion…
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Earthquake reported near North Korea nuclear test site, possibly man-made
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Earthquake reported near North Korea nuclear test site, possibly man-made Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: An earthquake that appears to have been man-made near a known nuclear testing site in North Korea was detected by several monitoring agencies today. The United States Geological Service reported a…
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Finnish teen injured in Phuket jet-ski accident
PHUKET: A 16-year-old Finnish tourist was injured in a jet-ski accident with his father on Kata Beach yesterday. “Akseli Elias injured his leg in the crash. We administered first aid before he was taken to Phuket International Hospital,” Kata-Karon Chief Lifeguard Uten Singsom told the Phuket Gazette. Hospital employees declined to reveal the extent of the injuries. Last week, news…
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Speedboat driver kills snorkelling French tourist
PHUKET: A French tourist was killed while snorkelling south of Poda Island in Krabi after she was struck in the head by a speedboat propeller this afternoon. “We were informed of the incident at about 3pm. The speedboat driver fled to Phuket after the accident,” Phuket Marine Police Chief Panya Chaichana told the Phuket Gazette. Krabi Marine Police transported the…
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Teen dies kayaking in Phuket
PHUKET: One man died while kayaking with two friends in the Tah Jeen Canal in Phuket today. Unable to swim, 18-year-old Charnis Kilngklip died after his kayak began taking on water and sank. “One of Mr Charnis’s friends, 17-year-old ‘Chai’, told us that all three of them were in the same kayak when it flipped,” said Lt Col Suchart Meelampong…
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Phuket road-deaths triple during 2015/16 safety campaign
PHUKET: The ‘Seven Days of Danger’ road-safety campaign closed at midnight yesterday with a total of six deaths and 75 injuries. Though the goal, like last year, was set at zero deaths, there were three times as many people killed on Phuket’s roads this year and a 67 per cent increase in injuries. The last fatality during the campaign was…
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Acadia to buy celebrity rehab center The Priory
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Acadia to buy celebrity rehab center The Priory Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: Acadia Healthcare Co Inc has agreed to buy Priory Group, a mental health care provider known for its celebrity client list, for nearly $850 million, its biggest acquisition yet as it expands in…
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Volkswagen faces billions in penalties as U.S. sues for environment violations
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Volkswagen faces billions in penalties as U.S. sues for environment violations Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: The U.S. Justice Department on Monday filed a civil lawsuit against Volkswagen AG (VOWG_p.DE) for allegedly violating the Clean Air Act by installing illegal devices to impair emission control systems…
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Ukraine utility cyber attack wider than reported
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Ukraine utility cyber attack wider than reported Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: A central European security software firm said on Monday that a cyber attack last month in Ukraine was broader than initially reported last week when the nation’s secret police blamed a power outage on…
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Latvian busted making off with lavish loot
PHUKET: Police arrested a Latvian man yesterday for stealing luxury accessories worth more than 2.5 million baht from a shopping mall in Phuket over the weekend. Kristaps Kosogovs, 29, was apprehended at his Rawai hotel room after police were able to track him down using CCTV footage, confirmed Tourist Police Chief Urumporn Koondejsumrit. “When we arrived at his hotel, he…
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Australian expat found dead in Phuket home
PHUKET: An Australian expat was found dead in his Rawai home this morning, confirmed the Chalong Police. Peter Anatoli, 60, was discovered on the kitchen floor of his home by his house cleaner, Lt Chanat Hongsittichaikul of the Chalong Police said. “Mr Anatoli’s cleaner told us that Mr Anatoli had lived alone and allegedly would get drunk and often fall…
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Phuket dive instructors put behind bars for working illegally
PHUKET: Seven Phuket dive instructors spent New Year’s Eve in jail on Phi Phi Island after being arrested for working illegally. The dive instructors, six of whom were Chinese nationals, were held overnight on Phi Phi and then transferred to Krabi City Police Station where they were held until their court hearing on January 2. “All seven suspects were certified…
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Ministry of Farang Affairs: Shamelessly picking your nose
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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Tourism resilience: the mark of 2015
PHUKET: The year 2015 marked yet another solar orbit during which the Phuket tourism industry continued to change and grow – despite some unexpected developments that some feared would spell its death knell. Here guest columnist Somchai Huasaikul looks back on the year that was.POLITICS ASIDE The year 2015 was notable because it was the first full calendar year in…
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Hong Kong says China not involved in case of missing booksellers
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Hong Kong says “no indication” China involved in case of missing booksellers Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: Hong Kong leader Leung Chun-ying said on Monday he was “highly concerned” about the disappearance of five booksellers specializing in publications critical of China, while playing down speculation one…
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Myanmar’s Suu Kyi says peace process will be government’s priority
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Myanmar’s Suu Kyi says peace process will be government’s priority Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: Myanmar’s Aung San Suu Kyi said on Monday the country’s peace process will be the first priority of her new government that will take power later this year, following a landslide…
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Former hotel employee confesses to attempted rape of 8-year-old tourist
PHUKET: A Trang man confessed to police that he attempted to rape an 8-year-old Russian tourist on Friday. Karon Police confirmed to the Phuket Gazette that former hotel employee Wuttichai Srithai, 30, admitted to coaxing the girl into a room after seeing her playing on a computer on the ground floor of the hotel. Police declined to name the hotel.…
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Rescue teams search for missing epileptic fisherman
KRABI: Rescue teams are searching for a fisherman who reportedly suffered an epileptic seizure and fell into the sea this morning. The captain of the Jatuphol Namsap 99 radioed for help after Prayun Cheepchuea, 36, fell off the boat and the crew’s efforts to find him failed. “Mr Prayun fell into the water near Koh Nok,” said Krabi Marine Police…
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Busted: Topless tourists exposed after joyride video sent to police
PHUKET: Police fined an American and Austrian* tourist for public nudity after a video surfaced of the pair sitting on the window sills of a slow-rolling SUV, exposing their bare breasts to those on the streets of Patong on January 2. “We were made aware of the video at about 2pm yesterday,” said Lt Col Sutthichai Thianpho of the Patong…
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More than 20 Phuket bus drivers arrested for drug use
PHUKET: Officers arrested more than 20 bus drivers for amphetamine use as the drivers made their way through the Tah Chat Chai checkpoint over the last three days. “Phuket Governor Chamroen Tipayatongda ordered a joint task force of police, local government officials and provincial officers to tackle drug use by public transportation drivers and other professionals working with tourists,” explained…
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No Phuket road-deaths in day four of campaign
PHUKET: Phuket saw its first day of no road-deaths as the fourth day of the ‘7 Days of Danger’ road-safety campaign came to a close at midnight yesterday. The main causes of the four deaths in the first three days of the campaign were driving under the influence, not wearing a helmet, speeding or some combination of the three factors,…
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![Aussie attempts epic endurance sport feat in Phuket [video] | Thaiger](data:image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0naHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmcnIHZpZXdCb3g9JzAgMCAzMzAgMjIwJz48L3N2Zz4=)
Aussie attempts epic endurance sport feat in Phuket [video]
PHUKET: An Australian living and training on Phuket will make an epic endurance sport attempt tomorrow as he embarks on a three-day, non-stop triple circumnavigation of Phuket by prone paddleboarding, stand-up paddleboarding (SUP) and running. Damien Rider, 40, already made headlines in Phuket when he completed a local SUP adventure, circling the island to raise awareness for his self-funded organization:…
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Firefighters tackle Dubai blaze after all-night effort, investigate cause
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Firefighters tackle Dubai blaze after all-night effort, investigate cause Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: Firefighters on Friday appeared to have mostly extinguished a blaze that suddenly engulfed one of Dubai’s most prominent skyscrapers on New Year’s Eve, witnesses said. Plumes of white smoke still emanated from…
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French journalist forced to leave China after article on Xinjiang
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community French journalist forced to leave China after article on Xinjiang Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: A French journalist has been forced to leave China after the government said it would not renew her press credentials for the new year in response to a critical report on…
![Aussie attempts epic endurance sport feat in Phuket [video] | Thaiger](https://thethaiger.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/1_20161211204893_yKplYguhUmgufMsbTcHhhKZHwVaRMcfLnVxLBrtV_jpeg.jpeg)
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