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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Weird World News: Miracles of miracles, wonders of wonders, news knows no bounds
PHUKET: This week’s Weird World News roundup is dedicated to two near-miracles and one bona fide one that might just make you cringe, as a dead cat takes wing, Beiber fever empowers a young girl to defy medical odds, and a boy wakes up for a glass of water at his own funeral and then is pronounced dead – again,…
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Phuket officials render assistance to storm victims
PHUKET: Officials in Srisoonthorn and Cherng Talay, on Phuket’s west coast, today inspected more than 30 houses damaged by the storm yesterday. Many of the homes had portions of their roofs blown off by the strong winds, while others were battered by falling trees. The roof of a drinking water plant flew off and fell onto two houses in the…
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Phuket Sports: F1 – Behaving badly
PHUKET: Roll up, roll up for the Canadian GP at the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. The track, on a man-made island in the St. Lawrence River, is a series of straights held together with a few strange curves and a magnetic wall. It’s a power circuit, which has been dominated by Mercedes engines in recent years, so McLaren should do well.…
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Phuket “baraku’ bars still under the microscope
PHUKET: At a press conference held at Provincial Hall yesterday, Phuket Vice Governor Chamroen Tipayapongtada detailed the current state of affairs concerning the investigation into the island’s baraku bar business. During the meeting, V/Gov Chamroen stressed that all baraku bars – “baraku” being the Malay-derived word for hookah water pipes – could be adequately controlled using existing laws and regulations.…
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Phuket sea gypsies get ID cards and water, but no new fishing rights
PHUKET: Some of the issues facing Phuket’s sea gypsy communities were resolved in a meeting yesterday, held in accordance with the Ministry of Culture’s plan to improve the quality of life of sea gypsies in all six of the Andaman provinces. The meeting follows more than 2,000 protesters, including sea gypsies and members of other landless communities from across the…
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‘Marathon Man’ flies in for Laguna Phuket run
PHUKET: Confirmed to take part in the Laguna Phuket International Marathon on Sunday is Australia’s renowned “Marathon Man” Trent Morrow, the Phuket Gazette has learned. Due to arrive on the island today, marathon and ultra-marathon runner Morrow has successfully completed 49 marathons and nine ultra-marathons since 2008 and is the only person to successfully complete a marathon in all states…
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International crime-fighters to meet in Phuket
PHUKET: Phuket will host an international crime-fighting convention next month targeting money laundering and transfer of ownership of Phuket land to people or organizations overseas. The seminar, being organized by the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC), will feature experts from anti-money-laundering organizations such as the Ministry of Justice in Switzerland. Among them will be Peter Ritchie, senior adviser of the International…
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Phuket inks rice deal with Maha Sarakham
PHUKET: Trade representatives from Phuket and Maha Sarakham have entered into bilateral negotiations centered primarily on the supply of scented jasmine rice from the Northeastern Thai province. Marking the start of a promising commercial alliance, the development was highlighted by the signing of a trade memorandum at the Pearl Hotel in Phuket Town on Tuesday. The general terms of the…
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Metered taxi co-op moves to boost fleet at Phuket Airport
PHUKET: The Phuket Taxi Meter (PTM) Service Co Ltd yesterday filed an official request to add 30 cars to their fleet of 80 metered taxis at Phuket International Airport. The move to boost the fleet at the airport comes as part of the company’s negotiations to renew its concession. PTM’s current concession is set to expire on September 30. PTM,…
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Phuket storm rips open school roof, children evacuated
PHUKET: Children at Phuket’s Kajonkietsuksa School on Chao Fa West Road, Wichit, were evacuated from the school this afternoon after strong winds tore open a section of roof, allowing the driving rain inside.Rattana Ketkul, financial manager at the school, confirmed to the Phuket Gazette that no children were injured in the incident, but the students were moved to another building.“We…
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Phuket woman loses husband, then killed in hit-and-run
PHUKET: A Phuket woman was killed instantly while trying to cross Thepkrasattri Road in Srisoonthorn last night when she was struck by an unidentified car traveling at high speed.Thalang Police Duty Officer Somkid Khaosang received the accident report at about 9:45pm.Col Somkid and Kusoldharm Foundation rescue workers arrived at the scene to find the deceased woman lying on the northbound…
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Phuket lashed by storm, flash floods
PHUKET: Driving rain and strong winds continue to lash Phuket today as small flash floods blocked roads this morning, causing long traffic tailbacks across the island. In the 24 hours preceding 7am, the weather monitoring station in Phuket Town recorded 58.8mm of rainfall, while the monitoring station at Phuket International Airport recorded 56.0mm. The Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) has issued…
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Phuket update: Krabi footballer accused of rape released on bail
PHUKET: The professional footballer signed with Krabi FC who stands accused of raping an American exchange student has been released on bail, the Phuket Gazette has learned. An officer at the Krabi Provincial Court confirmed that the man was presented to the court and released on bail, but the officer declined to give any further information. “I was given orders…
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Phuket bar operators fined for holiday trading
PATONG Police arrested and fined some 12 bar operators for selling alcohol on the Buddhist holiday, Visakha Bucha Day, on June 4. Comments from bar owners that no warning was given for bars to close for the holiday fell on deaf ears, although one bar owner pointed out that only months ago a senior police officer in Phuket was reported…
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Thais in Phuket confident in English skills, but foreigners disagree
PHUKET: The results of the latest Phuket Gazette online poll show that a strong majority of foreign and expat residents find English-language skills in the local tourism industry very poor – but the small fraction of Thais who took part tended to rate them quite highly. A total of 1,864 people took part in the two-week poll launched on May…
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Phuket Gazette: LinkedIn passwords released by hackers
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Russian hackers release up to 6.5 million LinkedIn passwords Phuket Gazette / News Wires PHUKET: Russian hackers have obtained and released the passwords of up to 6.5 million accounts on the popular professional networking website LinkedIn, according to a web posting yesterday. LinkedIn director Vicente Silveira…
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Phuket sports: All systems go for Euro 2012 kickoff
PHUKET: The 2012 UEFA European Championship is set to kick off in Warsaw this Friday and this year’s Championship looks set to be one of the most closely contested in recent history. Four years ago Spain, who until then were labeled as perennial underachievers, started the tournament as clear favorites and duly delivered on years of promise. Their slick brand…
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Phuket Gazette: Archaeologists find ‘vampire’ skeletons
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Bulgarian archaeologists find ”vampire” skeletons from Middle Ages Phuket Gazette / News WiresPHUKET: Archaeologists in eastern Bulgaria have discovered the remains of two people who locals in the Middle Ages believed were vampires, the head of the country’s national history museum said yesterday.The two skeletons, around 700…
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Wild monsoon weather interrupts Phuket power supply
PHUKET: The torrential rain and Force 7 winds gusting over 50kmh overnight and throughout this afternoon are causing power disruptions to many parts of Phuket, including the resort town of Patong.“We have been experiencing problems with power supply cables from Thalang to Patong since early this morning,” Somchai Krueapat of the Provincial Electricity Authority confirmed.Power supply to areas in parts…
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The Riddle of Phuket’s Black Sands
SPECIAL REPORT The Phuket Gazette investigates a reader’s inquiry into why much of the sand at Laem Panwa Beach is black – and why it sticks to anything metal. The Gazette‘s Chaiyot Yongcharoenchai, Stephen Fein and Chutharat Plerin report. PHUKET: The west coast beaches of Phuket attract millions of tourists annually, but there is only one beach on the island…
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Phuket neighbor Ranong shaken by 4.0 Richter earthquake
PHUKET: An earthquake registering 4.0 on the Richter scale struck Ranong province, just north of Phuket, at about 1pm today, shaking houses along the coast and scattering villagers in fear. Ranong is best known among Phuket expats and long-stay tourists as the jump-off point for “visa runs” to Myanmar. Paiboon Aiamsuwan, director of the Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) monitoring station…
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Phuket alcohol ban for Viskha Bucha Day extends past midnight
PHUKET: The sale and purchase of alcohol is banned in Phuket and throughout the country today to show respect for Visakha Bucha Day. Anyone found breaking the law can receive a prison sentence of up to six months, a 10,000-baht fine, or both.Kathu Police Deputy Superintendent Kittipong Klaikaew today told the Phuket Gazette, “As today is Visakha Bucha Day, one…
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Phuket Games athlete released from hospital and heading home
PHUKET: The young athlete injured in a motorbike accident that claimed the life of his teammate passenger was released from the Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (OrBorJor) Hospital yesterday. Atthapong Noikhamsin, the 13-year-old boy who survived the accident in Rawai on Thursday morning was seen off from the hospital by Phuket Governor Tri Augkaradacha and OrBorJor President Paiboon Upatising. Young Atthapong’s…
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Krabi FC footballer denies rape of American student
PHUKET: A Krabi FC football player has denied allegations that he raped a 23-year-old American exchange student near Krabi Town, across Phang Nga Bay from Phuket, last Thursday night.The man was arrested by Krabi City Police on Friday after they were notified of a woman being attacked at the tourist-popular Nopparat Thara Beach in Ao Nang.The woman was taken to…
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Phuket Live Wire: Is the iPad rotting your child’s brain?
PHUKET: In 2010 and 2011, there was a rash of articles in the popular press saying that iPads, iPhones, tablets and the like would rot your kid’s brain. It’s hard to wade through headlines like these from the New York Times and not feel like an iPad is the root of all kiddy evil: “Growing Up Digital, Wired for Distraction,…
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Phuket Gazette: Discouraging words in UN Forced labor report and US/EU employment trends
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– World news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket”s international community UN: More than 20 million forced laborers worldwide Phuket Gazette / News WiresPHUKET: More than 20 million people around the world are currently victims of forced labor, the United Nations (UN) said on Saturday, but progress has been made in a number of countries to establish or…
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Phuket’s Bussarin takes tennis gold
PHUKET: Phuket’s Bussarin Raktaengam won the final of the girls’ singles tennis event of the Phuket Games 2012 this morning with a 6-4, 6-3 straight-sets victory over Rongrong Linbanjong of Bangkok. The win made Bussarin the third Phuket athlete to snatch two golds in the games, which comes to their conclusion with a big celebration tomorrow evening at Surakul Stadium,…
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Phuket marks Visaka Bucha Day
PHUKET: Phuket Governor Tri Augkaradacha this morning led more than 1,000 people in offering alms to 99 monks at a merit-making ceremony in Phuket Town to mark Visakha Bucha Day. Visakha Bucha Day is observed on the day of the full moon during the 6th lunar month, which usually falls in either May or early June. It is a day…
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The Racha steps up campaign to keep Koh Racha green
PHUKET: Management at The Racha resort on Koh Racha Yai, a popular day-trip island about 25 nautical miles south of Phuket, has stepped up its campaign in environmental care on the island. The news follows environmentalists’ accusations against greedy developers, tour operators and resort owners for blatantly exploiting Koh Racha‘s pristine natural beauty to make a profit, with little or…
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Phuket Crime: Mutilated body found on Nai Yang Beach
PHUKET: Police in Phuket are trying to identify a mutilated body that washed ashore at Nai Yang Beach yesterday morning as the first step in a murder investigation. Tah Chat Chai police were notified of the discovery in Sakoo Village 1 at about 11am. Arriving at the scene with Phuket Kusoldharm Foundation workers, Lt Col Prakob Boonkwan and fellow officers…
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