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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Retiring in Thailand can be affordable and enjoyable, but many retirees lose money due to common mistakes. High living costs, scams, and unexpected expenses can quickly drain savings. There are five ways that retirees in Thailand can lose money and...
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World News: Two toddlers among the dead as toll spirals from Sandy; Fury race to go ahead
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Scope of Sandy’s destruction widens; Death toll spirals Reuters PHUKET: From New York City’s Staten Island to the popular beach towns of the Jersey Shore, rescuers and officials today faced growing evidence of widespread destruction wrought by super-storm Sandy, mounting anger over delayed relief and a…
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Islanders appeal to Phuket Governor over “Rape of Racha’ inaction
PHUKET: The head of a group of residents on Racha Yai Island, located about 25 kilometers south of Phuket, filed a complaint on Tuesday over alleged inaction by government officials in following up on publicly announced promises to take necessary steps in preserving the island’s natural environment. The complaint, addressed to Phuket Governor Maitri Inthusut, was filed by Racha Yai…
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Police recover B2.5mn from Phuket bank heist
PHUKET: Police this morning recovered 2.5 million baht in cash believed to have been stolen during the armed robbery of a suburban bank branch in Phuket on Wednesday. Officers moved in at 9am and raided a house in a street opposite the Tah Reua Shrine in Thalang, Phuket Provincial Police Commander Choti Chavaviwat told the Phuket Gazette. He also revealed…
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Show some respect – Wenger
PHUKET: Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger has called on fans to “show respect” to Manchester United’s Robin Van Persie when he faces his old club for the first time tomorrow. The Dutch striker spent eight years with the Gunners before shifting to Manchester United in the close season for a reported 24 million pound transfer fee. Arsenal travel north to Old…
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Market vendors protest relocation from new Phuket hospital site
PHUKET: About 50 market vendors gathered at the Phuket Provincial Office yesterday afternoon to protest being relocated to a new market site near Phuket Country Home in Chalong. The vendors are facing eviction from their current site of 10-rai where the Chalong Clinic (also called the “Chalong Health Promoting Station”) now stands, but is hoped to soon become home to…
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Thailand Sports: 21 goals scored on day 1 of Futsal World Cup, Thailand tops group A
BANGKOK: The 2012 FIFA Futsal World Cup kicked off in extraordinary fashion last night with four sensational matches in Bangkok and Nakhon Ratchasimaj, highlighted by a total of 21 goals scored. Hosts Thailand lived up to the Asian futsal world’s expectations in their Group A opener with CONCACAF champions Costa Rica, in which the War Elephants prevailed by a score…
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World News: CIA deny calls for help rejected during Benghazi attacks
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community CIA officials in Libya made key decisions during Benghazi attacks Reuters PHUKET: CIA officials on the ground in Libya dispatched security forces to the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi within 25 minutes and made other key decisions about how to respond to the waves of attacks…
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Thailand News: Park fees cut; BMA told to pay; Myanmar opium output rises
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community New parks chief cuts entry fees Phuket Gazette / The NationPHUKET: Admission fees to 29 national parks have been significantly reduced thanks to an order signed by new Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) chief Rerngchai Prayoonvej. Rerngchai signed documents yesterday canceling rules…
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Similan National Park opens, fees remain the same for Phuket tourists
PHUKET: The Similan National Park officially re-opened today with its park fees remaining unchanged as Phuket’s tourism high season approaches. Admissions fees were expected to take a sharp jump after Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) chief Damrong Phidet, now retired, announced in September the need to increase the price of fees to raise money to carry…
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“… most successful doping program that sport has ever seen.”
A USADA report that included testimonies from several former team mates against Lance Armstrong and themselves, called it the “most sophisticated, professionalized and successful doping program that sport has ever seen”. PHUKET: The International Olympic Committee will launch an investigation into Lance Armstrong‘s 2000 Olympics bronze medal after the American was stripped of his seven Tour de France titles in…
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Honors even between Bangkok and Phuket
PHUKET: The Phuket Cricket Group (PCG) hosted the touring British Club Bangkok (BCB) cricket team last weekend at the Alan Cooke Ground (ACG). Two games were played with the PCG team winning the 30-over game on Saturday, whilst the BCB team won the T20 match on Sunday. A unique match format was invented for the 30- over game played on…
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World Sports: Halloween nightmare for the “Red Devils”
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World sporting news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Reuters / Gazette EditorsPHUKET: Chelsea came from behind three times to overhaul Manchester United 5-4 after extra time and book a spot in the League Cup quarter-finals last night, earning sweet revenge for Sunday’s controversial 3-2 league defeat. Holders Liverpool, fielding a weakened side for…
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Might not be Phuket “Minute Man’ bank robber’s first heist: Police
PHUKET: The “Minute Man” who made off with 2.7 million baht in a bank robbery yesterday displayed similar behaviors to the uncaught bank thief who robbed a Kasikorn Bank branch in Witchit January last year, said Phuket City Police Superintendent Sermphan Sirikong. In both cases, the robbery was made at gunpoint by a man wearing a helmet and took less…
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Phuket Halloween kratom party a bust
PHUKET: Police arrested a Phuket hotel staff member with five kilograms of kratom leaves, allegedly being prepared for a “kratom party” on the island. On the eve of Halloween, Thanit Praditnipol, 21, was picked up by a sortie of officers led by Muang Chief Administrative Officer Thammarong Chuayaksorn as Mr Thanit stepped off a bus arriving from Trang province at…
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B100k reward offered for Phuket bank robber
PHUKET: Police are offering a 100,000-baht reward for any information that leads to the arrest of the man who robbed a Kasikornbank (KBank) branch on the north side of Phuket Town yesterday. The robber escaped with an estimated 2.7 million baht. Police believe the man received “inside assistance” in carrying out the robbery and are now questioning six suspects for…
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UN says Myanmar must protect Rohingya minority Muslims
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Myanmar must protect Muslims and halt discrimination, U.N. says ReutersPhuket: U.N. human rights investigators called on Myanmar yesterday to halt deadly sectarian violence and warned it not to use the conflict as a pretext to remove Rohingya minority Muslims. Some 89 people have been killed in…
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Cheats, thugs will not be tolerated, Governor assures Phuket honorary consuls
PHUKET: Governor Maitri Inthusut has assured the honorary consuls resident in Phuket that the provincial administration will do its utmost to rid the island of cheats and thugs targeting or attacking tourists. The news came at a meeting at Phuket Provincial Hall on Monday where Czech Republic Honorary Consul in Phuket Anurak Tansiriroj and Finland Honorary Consul in Phuket Pamuke…
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Futsal world rankings updated ahead of World Cup; Thailand falls to 14
PHUKET: Hosts of the FIFA Futsal World Cup 2012, Thailand have dropped three spots in the world rankings list down to 14th from 11th previously. The world rankings list was recently updated ahead of the sport’s most prestigious tournament, which kicks off tonight in Bangkok and Nakhon Ratchasima. The world’s top 8 sides, however, remained unchanged, with Spain prevailing as…
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Phuket bank robber escapes with B2.7mn in 60 seconds
PHUKET: An armed man clad in a black jacket and wearing a motorbike helmet robbed the Kasikornbank branch near SuperCheap, just north of Phuket Town this afternoon, making off with 2.7 million baht. The man was recorded by the bank’s CCTV cameras entering the branch on Thepkrasattri Road at about 3pm. Armed with a homemade handgun, the man threatened one…
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Phuket’s 100% helmet campaign rides on
PHUKET: More than 15 people die every month in road accidents in Phuket, most riding a motorbike without a helmet.The news came at a road safety awareness seminar at Phuket Rajabhat University on Monday, headed by Phuket Provincial Police Commander Choti Chavaviwat.Also present at the seminar were Phuket Provincial Health Office Deputy Director Dr Wiwat Seetamonotch and officers from other…
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Phuket Business: Rebalancing your stock portfolio
PHUKET: One thing you should do at least once each year as an investor, is re-balance your investment portfolio. I have come across many people who put together a good portfolio, but then, because of not re-balancing, have rode many of their best holdings up and back down. Simultaneously, they are under-invested on holdings that have their best returns many…
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World Sports: Arsenal battled back in goal fest – League Cup update
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World sporting news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Reuters / Gazette EditorsPHUKET: Arsenal battled back from 4-0 down to beat top-flight rivals Reading 7-5 last night, powering their way into the League Cup quarter-finals after one of the most extraordinary matches in the competition’s 52-year history. Manager Arsene Wenger said last week that…
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Missing Phuket tourist scare prompts park safety review
PHUKET: Local officials are looking into how to make trekking in Phuket national parks and wildlife reserves safer, following two British tourists losing their way and having to spend the night in the wild at Khao Phra Thaew Wildlife & Forest Reserve. Mohammed Samir El Shimi, 28, and Hanna Zareen, 26, were discovered early this afternoon by a local villager…
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World News: Myanmar’s volatile Rakhine region gripped by fear
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Fear, mistrust grip Myanmar’s volatile Rakhine region Reuters / Gazette EditorsPHUKET: As security forces police the edgy aftermath of sectarian bloodshed in western Myanmar, fearful Buddhists and Muslims are arming themselves with homemade weapons, testing the government’s resolve to prevent a new wave of violence.Despite government claims…
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Live Wire: A 3G auction in a 4G world – part 1
PHUKET: After years of delays, political infighting, legal maneuvering and insider manipulation, the trough finally stabilized long enough for Thailand to complete its auction of “3G” airspace. As I’ve remarked before, Thailand appears to be the last country in the world to officially allocate channels for HSPA (“3G”) signals. North Korea and Zimbabwe, the other two global holdouts, have offered…
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Phuket Business: New trade records set for the island
PHUKET: The Phuket Customs House reported another record-breaking year for international trade, with the island’s surplus of exports over imports in 2012 peaking at 11.4 billion baht, a 10% annual jump. According to Phuket Customs’ receipts for the 2012 Thailand Government fiscal year (October 2011 – September 2012), the value of Phuket’s exports reached a new milestone of 13.5bn baht,…
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Local finds missing Phuket tourists alive and well
PHUKET: The two tourists who disappeared yesterday while trekking through the Khao Phra Taew Wildlife & Forest Reserve in central Phuket were found alive and well today.British tourists Mohammed Samir El Shimi, 28, and Hanna Zareen 26, were discovered early this afternoon by a local villager named only as “Ms Suphatra” who was walking through the park.Police and park officers…
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Phuket Business: Krabi marina to steam ahead
PHUKET: Two months ahead of Krabi Boat Lagoon’s (KBL) first anniversary, the owners of the Thai Andaman coastal province’s only full-service, full-facility marina, remain optimistic about the region’s tourism, hospitality and boating future. Speaking to the Phuket Gazette at KBL’s 18-year-old brand-parent Phuket Boat Lagoon (PBL), Sriya Yongsakul, the deputy managing director of both marinas, affirmed that all objectives for…
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World News: Mother claims child abduction to get faster police response
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Mother falsely claims child abduction to get faster police response Phuket Gazette / News WiresPHUKET: A Maryland mother was arrested and charged after she falsely claimed her three children were abducted, in hopes of obtaining a faster police response to investigate the theft of her car near…
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World Sports: FA launch an investigation following Chelsea’s complaint
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– World sports news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community PHUKET: The English Football Association has launched an investigation after Chelsea accused referee Mark Clattenburg of using “inappropriate language” towards two of their players in Sunday’s defeat by Manchester United. “The FA has begun an investigation relating to allegations made following Sunday’s fixture at Stamford Bridge…
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