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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Thanyapura Phuket appoints new Sports Marketing Director
PHUKET: Continuing to gain momentum under new leadership (see story here), the island’s premier sports and wellness destination Thanyapura Phuket has made another key appointment in its quest to export its “active healthy lifestyle” concept globally. Debbie Dionysius, the key figure in transforming the Phuket Triathlon into Southeast Asia’s premier multi-sport event, has joined Thanyapura Phuket as its Director of…
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Phuket Gazette World News: Former Miss Venezuela shot dead in attempted robbery
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Former Miss Venezuela shot dead in attempted robbery Reuters / Phuket GazettePHUKET: Gunmen shot dead a former Miss Venezuela and her ex-husband in the latest high profile case of violent crime in the South American nation, authorities said on Tuesday.Monica Spear, 29, a soap opera actress, and…
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Phuket Gazette World News: Obama to consult intelligence leaders, Congress on NSA review
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Obama to consult intelligence leaders, Congress on NSA review Reuters / Phuket GazettePHUKET: President Barack Obama will hear from intelligence officials and congressional leaders as he nears the final stages of a review over how much to rein in U.S. surveillance practices in the wake of the…
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Phuket Gazette World News: North Korea assembly vote set for March, to consolidate Kim’s power
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community North Korea assembly vote set for March, to consolidate Kim’s power Reuters / Phuket GazettePHUKET: North Koreans will hold elections for the country’s rubber stamp parliament in March, the first such polls under Kim Jong Un’s leadership, which are set to further consolidate his power after the…
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Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Bangkok readies for shutdown; Yingluck denies coup call; Corruption costs B300bn a year; DNA confirms another Nui victim
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Retailers gear for shutdown The Nation / Phuket GazettePHUKET: Wholesalers and retailers have scrambled to adjust their inventory and logistics strategies to ensure that they have adequate supplies of consumer goods and foods and don’t need to raise prices during the “Bangkok shutdown” planned by anti-government forces…
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Phuket Red Cross winners yet to claim more than B1mn in gold
PHUKET: One lucky person has yet to learn that he has won the top prize of 750,000 baht in gold from the lucky draw at the annual Red Cross Fair, which drew to a close on Sunday night. Even the winner of the second prize has yet to step forward to claim 375,000 baht in gold bars, Sarawut Rukkaw of…
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Chinese tour guide war in Phuket turns violent
PHUKET: Scuffles broke out in front of Wichit Police Station yesterday as tensions boiled over between Chinese-speaking Thai tour guides and Chinese nationals who they accuse of taking their jobs. More than 100 Thai guides gathered at the station in support of Suraphol Saelub, 24; Somchai Saetung, 39; and Ja Saema, also 39, who all face charges of attacking Chinese…
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Phuket Aviation: Jetstar Asia CEO talks regional markets
PHUKET: Well-positioned to meet swelling demand for one of Phuket’s top three tourism source markets in the post-GFC era, leading low-cost carrier Jetstar celebrated its first direct flight from Melbourne to Phuket on December 14; As reported earlier this month by the Phuket Gazette, story here. The airline also recently announced that it will deploy one of its flagship Dreamliner…
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Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Emergency decree a last resort; Tanks out for Kid’s Day; Rice farmers on edge; Panda alert
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Emergency decree would be a last resort: Yingluck The Nation / Phuket GazettePHUKET: Caretaker Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra said yesterday that invoking an emergency decree would be the last option in dealing with the current protests.Yingluck, who is also caretaker defence minister, expressed concern over a call…
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Phuket Gazette World News: Fuelled by Syria war, al Qaeda bursts back to life in Iraq
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Fuelled by Syria war, al Qaeda bursts back to life in Iraq Reuters / Phuket GazettePHUKET: Al Qaeda gunmen seeking to form a radical Islamic state out of the chaos of Syria’s civil war are fighting hard to reconquer the province they once controlled in neighbouring Iraq,…
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Marine Chief sinks Phuket sea taxi rumors
PHUKET: The Phuket Marine Office chief today trounced rumors that the 240-million-baht budget for an airport-to-Patong “sea taxi” had been approved. “I do not know how the rumor that it was already approved was spread,” Phuket Marine Office Chief Phuripat Theerakulpisut told the Phuket Gazette. Director of the Marine Office 5 Wichai Khamkong plans to raise the issue of the…
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Phuket Governor puts spotlight back on Tourist Police
PHUKET: Phuket Governor Maitri Inthusut highlighted the good work done by the Phuket Tourist Police this morning, about a month after the reputation of the department was tarnished by an ex-member becoming a drug dealer. Phuket Tourist Police Inspector Urumporn Koondejsumrit was asked to attend the governor’s monthly meeting and speak about the opportunities for expats to become involved with…
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Phuket Business: Go green, go electric
PHUKET: A new transportation option recently made its debut in Phuket. You don’t have to fill it up out of old whiskey bottles on the side of the road or break a sweat pedaling up the island’s steep hills. All you have to do is plug it in before you go to sleep at night.Electric bikes have undoubtedly been around…
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A beacon of light: Lighthouse Restaurant on Chalong Bay
PHUKET: Located right on Chalong Bay near the Kan Eang pier, the Lighthouse restaurant and bar has earned near historical status among expats, tourists, and yachties alike. After being built in 1988 and managed by American Jimmy Pearson, Jimmy’s Lighthouse Bar and Grill enjoyed years of operation until recently when the doors shut and only a defunct restaurant and memories…
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Phuket Central Festival legal taxi rank in slow lane
PHUKET: The restructuring of the Central Festival taxi rank into a co-operative, part of a campaign to rid Phuket of violent taxi groups, missed its deadline by over a month. However, the process of becoming a legal co-operative should be completed this week. “We’ve gotten certification from the Phuket Provincial Cooperative Office, now the documents just need to be approved…
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The lowdown on common EFT investments
PHUKET: Given that so few managed funds are able to consistently beat important market benchmarks, Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) are great investments, because they track and replicate the performance of key market indices at a minimal cost. However, the popularity of ETFs has led to their proliferation with some being better investments than others. So what are the best ETFs…
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Taxi, tuk-tuk drivers save the day for forgetful tourists
PHUKET: A taxi driver and a tuk-tuk driver yesterday made two tourists very happy by returning over half a million baht and other belongings that had been left behind in their vehicles.Italian tourist Alfredo De Santi, 37, left a bag containing an iPad, passport, telephone and 500,000 baht in the taxi he took from the airport to his accommodation in…
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Gang brawl near Red Cross Fair leaves 2 dead, 2 injured
PHUKET: A fight between two rival gangs left two Myanmar nationals dead and two others injured at Saphan Hin last night. Both gangs had attended the final night of the Red Cross Fair. They ran into each other after leaving the event and a battle broke out, said Capt Udom Petcharat of the Phuket City Police. Police called to the…
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Beguiled by jewels
PHUKET: Art gallery owner Eric Smulders is well known on the island for his passion for Asian art, but recently he has taken the plunge into the world of fine jewelry. At his gallery in Surin, Soul of Asia, Eric will be displaying and selling 60 pieces of exquisite jewelry featuring precious stones such as diamonds, emeralds, tanzanites, sapphires, rubies…
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Phuket Business – Man of vision: Boon Yongsakul
PHUKET: Boon Yongsakul is the Deputy Managing Director of Boat Development Company, the dynamic local entity building some of Phuket’s newest commercial projects that will help lift the island’s business infrastructure to new heights.Boon is the latest of the Yongsakul generation to make his contribution to the changing face of the island. “My great-grandfather came to Phuket as a worker…
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Phuket loses Sek’s appeal
PHUKET: Hundreds of angry anti-government protesters last night forced the organizers of the annual Phuket Red Cross Fair to cancel a live concert by Thai rock star Sek Loso, who was to perform the closing show at the fair. Sek “Seksan Sukpimai” Loso was one of many Thai celebrities who joined a publicity campaign calling on voters to cast their…
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Phuket Gazette World News: China stampede kills 14; Dhaka violence mars polls; Antarctic rescue underway
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– World news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Stampede at China religious event kills 14 Reuters / Phuket GazettePHUKET: A stampede at a religious ceremony in northwestern China as food was being handed out killed 14 people and injured 10, the official Xinhua news agency reported on Monday.The stampede occurred on Sunday afternoon as traditional…
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Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Bangkok prepares for shutdown; Economic fears grow; Vote me out, dares Yingluck
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community PDRC march a warm up for shutdown The Nation / Phuket GazettePHUKET: Anti-government protesters from the People’s Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) marched through Bangkok yesterday in a warm-up for their “Bangkok shutdown” next week.PDRC leader Suthep Thaugsuban led thousands of demonstrators from the main rally site at…
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Phuket prisoner electrified in jailbreak attempt
PHUKET: An attempted jailbreak from Phuket Prison came to a shocking halt at 12:30pm today when an inmate trying to escape was electrified by wires strung across the top of one of the perimeter walls. Alerted to the escape attempt, prison guards scrambled to the east wall, where they found Worawut Rordbhut, 45, unconscious, hanging upside down with his left…
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Phuket Police aim to ID high-speed crash victim
PHUKET: Police are trying to identify a man who died in a high-speed motorbike accident in Koh Kaew, north of Phuket Town, early this morning. Police were called to the scene, near the entrance of the Inizio Koh Kaew housing estate (map here), after security guard Chamroen Pinamorn witnessed the accident at about 4am. “I saw a man speed by…
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Phuket Gazette World News: Cambodia police open fire on workers; Italian navy rescues over 1,000 migrants in 24 hours; Central African Republic violence displaces nearly 1 million
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– World news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Cambodian forces open fire as factory strikes turn violent Reuters / Phuket GazettePHUKET: Cambodian military police opened fire with assault rifles on Friday to quell a protest by stone-throwing garment factory workers demanding higher pay, killing at least three people, witnesses said.Chaos during nationwide strikes erupted for…
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Election on; Pheu Thai campaign begins; Frenchman brutally beaten in Hua Hin; Holiday road toll hits 366 dead
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Election on track: EC The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: The Election Commission said yesterday that the February 2 poll would continue as planned, with no extension for candidate registration in 28 constituencies disrupted by protesters in provinces in the South. Meanwhile, the government yesterday opted…
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Special Report: A year in review
SPECIAL REPORT PHUKET: With 2013 having drawn to a close, Phuket’s top-ranking officials and leading tourism industry figures appear to have avoided a year of stagnant growth, which was almost brought on by the ongoing anti-government protests (click here for our special report) and a slew of other issues that continue to plague the island. Phuket protesters bring flowers. Photo:…
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Special Report: A nation at the crossroads
Special Report PHUKET: As Thailand begins a new year, the country finds itself at a crossroads. What seems to be at stake is not only the future shape of democracy in this country, but whether it will even remain a democracy at all. This should worry all those who care about the future of Thailand and its people. The People’s…
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5 dead in Seven Days of Danger; Phuket officials declare success
PHUKET: The nationwide Seven Days of Danger road-safety campaign ended at midnight last night with a final tally of five deaths on Phuket’s roads. “Although we could not maintain zero deaths in Phuket during the Seven Days of Danger campaign, we are satisfied with the record for this year,” said Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation-Phuket (DDPM-Phuket) Chief San Jantharawong.…
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