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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Bangkok oil refinery fire; under control
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Fire at Bangchak’s oil refinery brought under control Phuket Gazette / The Nation PHUKET: A blaze at the Bangchak oil refinery in Soi Sukhumvit 64, Bangkok, believed to have been caused by a leak in a pipeline, has been brought under control with no injuries reported.…
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Thailand Sports: FIVB; Olympics; Golf; Snooker
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Spikers return in triumph from World GP Phuket Gazette / The Nation PHUKET: The Thai women’s volleyball team are still on cloud nine after clinching a best-ever finish of fourth in the FIVB World Grand Prix, which ended on Sunday. It was the first time that…
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Heavy rain warning for Phuket, Andaman
PHUKET: A strengthening of monsoonal conditions over the Andaman Sea has prompted the Thai Meteorological Department to issue a weather warning for all six Andaman coast provinces: Ranong, Phang Nga, Phuket, Krabi, Trang and Satun. The warning, issued at 6am today, reads: “A rather strong southwest monsoon prevails over the Southern Thailand west coast and the Andaman Sea. Abundant rain,…
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Firemen scramble as Thai warship catches fire
PHUKET: Firefighters this morning scrambled to contain a fire that broke out on the retired warship RTMS Lanta, now a museum and tourist attraction in the heart Krabi Town. Fortunately, no people were injured in the blaze. Lt Col Thongchai Sengrod of the Krabi Town Police said that he received a report at 11am that smoke was billowing out of…
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Oil slick endangers Krabi mangroves, clean-up ordered
PHUKET: Krabi authorities have launched a massive cleanup operation after a boat struck rocks and spilled a large volume of oil into the sea, resulting in extensive damage to protected mangrove forests in Neua Khlong District, about 130 kilometers east of Phuket across Phang Nga Bay. The spill was first reported at 9am Saturday morning. How much oil was spilled…
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Phuket Simon Cabaret van slams into parked cars to avoid head-on
PHUKET: A Phuket Simon Cabaret passenger van, returning after dropping off guests, late last night slammed into cars parked outside a roadside garage in Thalang as the driver swerved to avoid an oncoming vehicle. Thalang Police were notified of the crash at 12:30am today. Arriving at the scene, on a curved section of Srisoonthorn Road about a kilometer west of…
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Major bus crash in Surat Thani; 10 dead
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community MCOTTen people have died and 17 others were injured, some seriously, when an inter-provincial bus left the road and crashed into an electric power transmission pole this morning. The driver lost control of the first-class, air-conditioned Transport Co Ltd vehicle and it crashed into an electric…
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Sweet words from Army; Rural docs plead; Thai suspect in Mekong killings
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Sweet words from the Army’s wary men in the middle Phuket Gazette / The Nation PHUKET: Military leaders appear to be on the horns of a dilemma over whether they should stay out of politics, while standing at the center of the political landscape with opposing…
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Phuket Town “Blue Flag Fair’ to start Thursday
PHUKET: The Department of Internal Trade (DIT) office in Phuket Town will hold a “Blue Flag Fair” with cheap food and consumer goods at Saphan Hin on July 5-7. The event, to be held at the Central Staging Area at Saphan Hin Public Park, follows the success of the Blue Flag fair held at Sanamchai field, in the government office…
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Phuket Gazette: Roland might have key to longer life
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Naked mole rat may hold key to longer, healthier life for humans Phuket Gazette / News Wires PHUKET: Finding out what causes the extremely long and active lifespan of naked mole rats could lead to longer and healthier lives for humans, American and Israeli researchers said…
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Phuket Police chief calls for integrated, island-wide CCTV
PHUKET: Phuket Provincial Police Commander Chonasit Wattanavrangkul this morning revealed plans to ask the central government to fund a project that will see all CCTV cameras across Phuket feed live footage into a single server. Speaking at the monthly ‘Governor Meets the Press’ meeting at Provincial Hall, Maj Gen Chonasit said that CCTV footage had provided essential information in solving…
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Phuket Business: Notice and redemption periods
PHUKET: One thing many investors don’t understand when looking at a fund fact sheet, is how long it will take to get their cash back when they sell. There are generally two pieces of information you’re looking for: one is the notice period and the other is the redemption period. These two things, in addition to a third factor –…
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Phuket police arrest Cherng Talay burglar
PHUKET: A member of a gang of burglars who target high-end homes of foreigners living in the Cherng Talay area was arrested over the weekend and presented to the Phuket press today. The suspect, 27-year-old Wittawat Maneesri, was presented to the press by Col Jirasak Siamsak along with over one million baht’s worth of stolen electronics and other valuable seized…
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Phuket Live Wire: The real meaning of ‘Do Not Track’
PHUKET: Professionally, I live in a world that’s just about equally divided between people who run around with tin foil hats on their heads, and people who don’t particularly care about internet privacy. In 1999, Scott McNealy, the former CEO of Sun Microsystems, famously said, “You have zero privacy anyway. Get over it.” Steve Manes, the guy who wrote the…
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Phuket Business: Migrant workers regulations; AirAsia move; Prefab construction
PHUKET: Employers in Phuket have been allotted additional time, until December 14, to have their Burmese, Laotian and Cambodian migrant workers complete the nationality verification process so they can be legally registered to work in Thailand. Phuket Vice Governor Sommai Prijasilpa explained the news to employers and their representatives at a meeting on June 20 organized by the Phuket Provincial…
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Seven injured as fishing boat explodes
PHUKET: Seven people were rushed to hospital after an explosion erupted on board a Phuket fishing boat queued up to take on ice at Por Pichai Company wharf, in Rassada, yesterday.Phuket City Police were notified of the explosion at 8:10am and rushed to the scene along with Kusoldharm Foundation rescue workers.At the scene, rescue workers found the Sathaporn 7 half…
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Phuket Gazette: Leap second added to compensate for Earth’s rotation
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Horologists add leap second to compensate for Earth’s rotation time Phuket Gazette / News Wires PHUKET: Horologists added a so-called leap second on late Saturday night, compensating for the Earth’s rotation which is gradually slowing down. It was the 25th leap second to be added but…
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Chinese tourist drowns at Patong Beach
PHUKET: A 19-year-old Chinese tourist drowned last night at Patong Beach, on Phuket’s west coast, after going for a night swim with a female friend.Sakhon Chaithong, chief lifeguard at Patong Beach, told the Phuket Gazette that two Chinese tourists were pulled from the surf near Laem Petch, at the north end of Patong, at about 7:30pm.Foreign tourists spotted the two…
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Phuket Airport director hails anti-cheat measures a success
PHUKET: Security measures taken at Phuket International Airport to prevent airport service staff, such as illegal taxi drivers, from taking advantage of tourists were declared successful yesterday by Airport Director Prathuang Sornkham. The announcement follows Police joining forces to launch a campaign in March to put a stop to illegal taxi drivers overcharging people, and to stop tour guides and…
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Phuket divided over best approach to surf safety: Poll
PHUKET: While there is a broad consensus that more needs to be done to warn visiting tourists of the dangers of monsoon-season surf, Phuket Gazette readers are divided over what method would be the most effective at getting the message out. In the online poll, the Gazette asked readers: “The monsoon season is here and once again hardly a week…
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Phuket Police chief orders more night patrols
PHUKET: Phuket Provincial Police Commander Chonasit Wattanavrangkul has ordered all police stations across Phuket to take part in the formation of a “Special Operations Unit” in order to boost patrols in key tourist areas from 9pm to 4am. Maj Gen Chonasit announced the news on Thursday at a meeting of the Regional Peace Keeping Council, Phuket Office, headed by Phuket…
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Drug suspect caught in Phuket after year on the run
PHUKET: A man wanted in connection with a police bust involving 9,600 ya bah (methamphetamine) pills last year was arrested last night while walking along Wiset Road in Rawai. The warrant for the man, Kriangkrai “Fad” Mahasod, 24, was issued by the Phuket Provincial Court on September 19 last year. The court issued the warrant pending charges being brought against…
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Phuket Gazette: Sport briefs
PHUKET: England named the same side that defeated the West Indies 2-0 for their upcoming one-day series against Australia.The first game of the five-match series is at Lords this Friday and England will need to maintain their current run of good form to stand any chance against the world’s top-ranked one-day international team. England’s 14 man squad: A Cook (capt),…
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Two dead in Phuket as motorbike swerves to avoid fallen power pole
PHUKET: Two men died and one was seriously injured in Phuket this morning in a single-vehicle motorbike crash after the driver swerved to avoid a utility pole blocking the road in Mai Khao. Tah Chat Chai Police received the report at about 5am and arrived at the scene, about 100 meters from the Holiday Inn hotel, along with Kusoldharm rescue…
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Phuket FC draw Bulls, ready for derby match
PHUKET: Phuket FC held their own on Tuesday night against Thai Premiere League side Wuachon (Fighting Bulls) United, holding the Songkhla-based side to a 3-3 draw at Surakul Stadium in Phuket Town. Though only a friendly match, the Islanders came out gunning. They built up a 3-0 lead before the visitors from Songkhla realized that Phuket was not to be…
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Experts call for Phuket ‘Special Admin Zone’
PHUKET: Experts speaking at a public forum held in Phuket Town last week have voiced their strong support for Phuket to be designated a “Special Administrative Zone”, saying the move would pave the way to resolving many of Phuket’s long-standing problems. Dr Chantinee Boonchai, assistant to the president for Organization and Collaboration Development at the Prince of Songkla University (Phuket…
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Phuket Sports: F1 – A triumph of errors
PHUKET: The Valencia GP since its birth has been F1’s answer to Valium. Suddenly it has hosted one of the greatest races any of us has seen. There were pre-race fans opting for the two-snooze strategy. Hah! “And gentlemen in England now-a-bed shall think themselves accurs’d they were not here.” No-one has been able overtake in Valencia. But this year…
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James Lakin, founding member of Rawai Supports’ Club, passes away
PHUKET: James Lakin , long-term Phuket resident and one of the founding members of the Rawai Supporters’ Club, has died at the age of 38.Mr Lakin, nicknamed “Shaggy” by his friends, died on the evening of June 23, having suffered from a heart condition.His funeral will be held at Wat Sawang Arom in Rawai today and the wake will be…
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Australian Ambassador calls for Phuket weapons ban
PHUKET: Australian Ambassador to Thailand James Wise today called for police to launch an island-wide crackdown on weapons, including those carried by tuk-tuk drivers. Speaking after a high-level meeting at Phuket Provincial Hall, Amb Wise said the recent fatal stabbing of Australian tourist Michelle Smith had put a spotlight on public safety in Phuket. “There has been massive media coverage…
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Warrant issued for alleged shooter of Phuket Prison guard
PHUKET: Phuket Provincial Court has issued an arrest warrant for the prime suspect in the shooting and wounding of Phuket Prison guard Danunun Teepapan on Wednesday night in Chalong. Chalong Police Deputy Superintendent Narong Laksanawimon told the media that all of the evidence collected at the scene, as well as the information provided by the victim, indicated the assailant to…
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