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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Chinese tourist dies in Phuket after speedboat accident
PHUKET: A 24-year-old Chinese woman died in Phuket International Hospital this morning after being involved in a heavy collision between two speedboats off Koh Khai island in Phang Nga Bay yesterday.Chinese tourist Kang Xiao Xue was rushed to Phuket along with “many others” who sustained injuries in the collision, the Phuket Gazette was told.She was one of three tourists who…
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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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World News: Obama edges into the lead in U.S. presidential race
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Race tight in 4 states, Obama holds slight edge Reuters President Barack Obama and Republican Mitt Romney are neck and neck in four of the most hotly contested states in next week’s election, but Obama holds a slight advantage in two of them, according to a…
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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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World News: WWII bomb closes airport; Storm update; Syrian airforce attacks
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– World news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Discovery of WWII bomb forces closure of Japanese airport Phuket Gazette / News WiresPHUKET: Nearly 100 flights were canceled yesterday after an unexploded bomb believed to be from World War II was found near the runway of a major airport in northeastern Japan, local authorities said. Flights…
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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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Chinese tourist airlifted to Phuket “recovering well’
PHUKET: The Chinese tourist who was airlifted from Racha Yai Island by a Royal Thai Navy medivac helicopter yesterday after suffering serious heart palpitations is recovering well, staff at Vachira Hospital Phuket reported today.“Mr Li Qi Feng, 39, is conscious and fully responsive, but he is still suffering from chest pains,” said coronary care unit Nurse Maliwan Arthan.Staff at the…
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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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Breaking News: Search launched for tourists lost in Phuket jungle
PHUKET: A search has been launched for two tourists last seen entering the Khao Phra Taew Wildlife & Forest Reserve, in the heart of Phuket, at about 4pm yesterday.The search has been expanded to included the popular waterfall area and the surrounding jungle.The couple took a taxi to the wildlife park and asked the driver to wait while they entered…
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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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World News: “Frankenstorm” hits New Jersey; Campaign events cancelled
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Massive storm Sandy crashes ashore in New Jersey PHUKET: Sandy, one of the biggest storms ever to hit the United States, roared ashore with fierce winds and heavy rain earlier this morning (Phuket time) near the gambling resort of Atlantic City, New Jersey, after forcing evacuations, shutting…
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Phuket meeting on joint Andaman province tourism initiative promises to share the profits
PHUKET: Woravat Auapinyakul, Minister to the Prime Minister’s Office, has told the Phuket Gazette that he expects the “Andaman – The World Experience” tourism initiative to attract more than 20 million tourists to the region. At a meeting at Phuket Provincial Hall on Saturday to chart the progress of the tourism initiative, Mr Woravat said that intense competition within the…
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Futsal World Cup: Thailand faces an uphill group stage campaign
PHUKET: With the entire futsal world’s eyes now focusing on Thailand, pressure is mounting for the host country to put on a respectable performance in the World Cup, which kicks off in Bangkok this Thursday. Having failed to progress past the group stage in their three previous World Cup appearances, Thailand face the high probability of history repeating itself. Though…
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Krabi Police not to investigate British “sex attack’ claims – for now
PHUKET: The police officer investigating the vicious gang attack in Krabi last Monday night has confirmed to the Phuket Gazette that – at this stage – he is not investigating any allegations of an attempted rape . The news follows British tourist Jack Daniel Cole being reported as saying that “he feared the gang – mostly young men with perhaps…
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Experts say don’t panic over supernova, superior conjunction
PHUKET: Scientists at the National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand (Narit) have dismissed fears of any devastating effects of the Saturn-Sun-Earth constellation alignment, which began on Thursday and is expected to affect the Earth for the next four weeks. “This is a simple phenomenon called a ‘superior conjunction’. It happens every 378 days,” explained Dr Utane Sawangwit, of Narit’s Research…
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Smooth sailing in Phuket Dinghy Series second race
PHUKET: The second race of the 2012 Phuket Dinghy Series took place this weekend off Bang Tao Beach’s Bliss Beach Club. Organized by the Phuket King’s Cup Regatta, the event featured 16 Optimists and four Lasers competing for the Act II title, with the boats amassing points in the three-event series. Stunning blue skies and calm seas set the scene…
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Minister denies Phuket “robbed’ of ICEC 2.6bn baht
PHUKET: The Minister Attached to the Prime Minister’s Office has denied claims that the government has “stolen” the 2.6 billion baht sequestered from the now-shelved plan to build a Phuket International Convention and Exhibition Center (ICEC). In Phuket on Saturday to oversee the preparations for the upcoming three-day Andaman Culture Festival, to be opened by Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra in…
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Phuket FC prevails: 4-0 win over JW Rangsit ensures division survival
PHUKET: The Islanders ended their season in great form, sealing their Thai Division 1 status with a 4-0 win over JW Rangsit FC on Saturday night. Going into the final match of the season, 13th-placed Phuket were under pressure to win in order to avoid relegation. Meanwhile, their 16th-placed opponents — third from bottom of the 18-team table — had…
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U.S. Election campaign heats up in eye of the storm
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– World news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international communityPHUKET: President Barack Obama and Republican challenger Mitt Romney campaigned feverishly in closely contested battleground states yesterday but changed travel plans to avoid Hurricane Sandy, the massive storm approaching the U.S. East Coast. With just 10 days before Election Day and polls showing the national race a dead…
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Power to the Phuket people
PHUKET: The official launch of the Koh Kaew transformer station on Friday marked a much needed power boost, said Phuket Vice Governor Somkiet Sungkaosuthirak at the opening ceremony.The station opened by the Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) is looking to almost double the megawatts the Phuket power system is currently handling, EGAT director Sutad Pattamasiriwat announced.“The main objective is…
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Phuket Opinion: Forgetting children in island development
PHUKET: This week’s news story of the healthy newborn girl being abandoned by her mother at Thalang Hospital raised again the bleak specter of what the future holds for such children. One comment in the Phuket Gazette online forum rightly pointed out that with most adults on the island focusing on boosting tourism numbers and generating income through any and…
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