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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One-Two-Go grounded until October
PHUKET: Controversial low-cost carrier One-Two-Go will remain grounded until at least October, but its owner is certain the airline will eventually resume services. Udom Tantiprasongchai, founder and chairman of One-Two-Go, told the Gazette this week he was confident the airline will resume its Phuket service. “We have done everything we have to do. It is now up to us to…
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Chalong Circle: Going, going, gone”¦
PHUKET CITY: Instead of removing and preserving the fountain that has been the centerpiece of Chalong Circle for years, workers today demolished the landmark that local residents had affectionately nicknamed “the birdbath”. The decision follows years of complaints of traffic jams at the critical southern junction. However, progress on the decision whether or not to remove the roundabout stalled as…
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Thai-Aussie couple survives fight with knife-wielding intruder
RAWAI: An Australian and his Thai girlfriend are both recovering from surgery at Bangkok Hospital Phuket after being attacked by a knife-wielding cat burglar in their home in Rawai early yesterday morning. The Swiss-born Australian, a retired teacher who asked that his name and address not be published, said he and his girlfriend underwent surgery yesterday and were “slowly on…
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Wet, wet, wet
PHUKET: Residents hoping for some sun to dry out the laundry might have to wait longer, as the Meteorological Department (MET) has issued a warning that Phuket and the other five Andaman Coast provinces remain at risk of heavy rains and flooding for the next two to three days. All ships should proceed with caution during this period, the weather warning…
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Tsunami warning does not include Thailand
THAILAND: The Thai Meteorological Department, which runs the National Disaster Warning Center in Nonthaburi, has not issued a tsunami warning – or even a preliminary tsunami warning (advising that a tsunami may strike Thailand) – on its website following major earthquakes in Indonesia and Japan this morning. The US Geological Survey (USGS) Department on its website reports that the earthquake…
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Memorial service for One-Two-Go victims
MAI KHAO: To mark the one-year anniversary of the One-Two-Go flight OG 269 tragedy and to honor its victims, there will be a memorial service on Mai Khao Beach, near the end of the runway, at 3 pm on Tuesday, September 16. Some spirit houses have already been installed at the service site, and Christy Sweet will be putting one…
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Samak’s out, but PAD protests to continue in Phuket
PHUKET CITY: Despite the Constitution Court today ordering Samak Sundaravej to resign his post as prime minister, the People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) in Phuket will continue to protest at Saphan Hin to add pressure on the coalition government to step down.PAD Phuket leader Natjarong Ekpermsup told the Gazette, “The PAD will not leave Saphan Hin. Although Samak and his…
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PM Samak forced to step down
Bangkok (The Nation): Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej has lost his post and his cabinet will function as a caretaker cabinet following this afternoon’s Constitution Court verdict that the PM is guilty of violating the nation’s charter. Six judges considered Samak to be the “employee” while three others considered him a “business partner” of a TV studio, a constitutional offence in…
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7-Eleven robbers make a clean getaway
PHUKET CITY: Police are still searching for reliable leads that may result in the arrest of two men who held up the 7-Eleven store opposite Prompan shopping center on Chao Fa West Rd on Sunday. Phuket City Police received a call reporting the robbery around 2 am. The caller told police that two armed men in full-face helmets had stolen…
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Samak’s Judgement Day
BANGKOK (Gazette/Nation News Pool): Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej’s fate will be decided this afternoon when the Constitution Court rules on whether he violated the charter by hosting commercial television shows while in office. The court, led by President Chat Chonlaworn, is scheduled to read its verdict at 2pm. If Samak is found guilty, he will have to step down. The…
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Students take to the streets
PHUKET: Thousands of flag-waving students led by about 100 youths on motorcycles began an anti-government protest march from Provincial Hall to Sapan Hin at about 9:30 this morning. Traffic delays are expected as the kilometer-long procession marches along Narisorn Rd towards Phuket City center. The protest is expected to be peaceful. The mood among the protesters is upbeat and police…
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Met warns of floods, landslides
BANGKOK (Nation, Gazette): Phuket is among seven provinces for which warnings of heavy rains and possible flash flooding today and tomorrow were issued by the Meteorological Department earlier this morning. In its forecast, issued at 4 am, the department said a low-pressure ridge over the central, eastern and lower northeastern regions coupled with the influence of the southwest monsoon would…
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Ya bah busts: 5 arrested, 1,453 pills of ya bah seized
PHUKET CITY: Police arrested five men and seized 1,453 ya bah (methamphetamine) pills and two firearms in a series of arrests starting early Thursday morning. Seeing two men busy repairing motorcycles in front of their home in Srisuchart Grandview Village in Rassada at 3:30 am, traffic police searched Theerawat Toh-Mad, 26, from Nakhon Sri Thammarat, and Surasak Anantakan, 25, from…
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Politicians viewed with increasing disdain
BANGKOK (The Nation): The political situation in Thailand is boring, plagued by problems and has no solution in sight. That is the assessment of 60 per cent of the people surveyed across the country by a Suan Dusit Poll released yesterday. The opinion survey was an attempt to glimpse what people are thinking about the political turmoil. Politicians are viewed…
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Floods in Chalong and Patong
PHUKET: Heavy rains since this morning have caused flooding at many locales around the island, causing long tailbacks along major roads and damage to shops inundated with water. Patong suffered minor floods this morning before the rain stopped to give the resort town a midday reprieve, but the skies opened again this afternoon and brought more flooding. Rat-U-Thit 200 Pi…
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Park chiefs hamper Navy plans for emergency helipads
PHUKET CITY: The Royal Thai Navy’s Third Fleet wants to build a network of helicopter landing pads on outlying islands so that tourists needing emergency medical treatment can be brought back to Phuket faster. Rear-Admiral Supot Pruksa of the Third Naval Area Command announced the initiative yesterday following his opening address at a two-day maritime safety meeting attended by 60 naval officers…
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All quiet at Provincial Hall
PHUKET CITY: The scene at Phuket Provincial Hall remained quiet late this morning, despite Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej’s announcement earlier that he would not step down – as many had expected – to ease political tensions throughout the country.Just before noon there were only about 10 members of the Phuket Watch group, a local affiliate of the Peoples’ Alliance for…
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Gov’t to organise referendum
BANGKOK (The Nation): In a bid to find ways to solve the ongoing political chaos, the Samak government agreed this morning to conduct a “public referendum”, Culture Minister Somsak Kietsuranond announced this afternoon.He quoted Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej as saying that the referendum is the best solution to the problem.The decision was made at a special cabinet meeting conducted this…
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PM Samak still stonewalling
BANGKOK: Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej insisted in an address to the nation on Radio Thailand this morning that he would not step down, quashing widespread expectations that he would finally resign.Samak has been driven into a tight corner, suffering two blows in a row yesterday. The first came when Army chief Anupong Paochinda told him that the military would not…
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Buffalo ladyboys’ carjack capers
CHIANG MAI: If you happened to have been out drinking in Chiang Mai over the last few months and, after a few too many beers, decided to do the responsible thing and pull over in your car for a rest to sober up before weaving on home, then you may have come across the Buffalo Ladyboy Gang. The gang has…
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PAD to leave Provincial Hall
PHUKET CITY: Encouraged by recent developments in the capital, local members of the People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) say they will end their protest at Phuket Provincial Hall today. Phuket PAD leader Natjarong Ekpermsup told the Gazette, “The government ordered a state of emergency in Bangkok, but the Thai military refused to disperse the protesters. This refusal of the military…
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Phuket PAD protests continue; government utilities threatened
PHUKET CITY: About 1,000 protesters marched on Provincial Hall this afternoon in support of the People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) demonstrations in Bangkok. The PAD wants Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej to resign.The large crowd was bolstered by many people who had turned out to rally against the violence in Bangkok last night that left one PAD member dead and several others…
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Pian keeps digging for Patong tunnel
PATONG: Pian Keesin, the recently re-elected Mayor of Patong, yesterday announced he will continue with his plan to build a tunnel under the hills separating the popular beach resort town from Phuket City.“We plan to set up a budget to study and research the impact of building a tunnel, in the hope that – if there are no objections –…
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Highways Office chief told to speed up Chalong Circle removal
PHUKET CITY: Phuket Vice-Governor Worapoj Ratthasima has told Saroj Suwinchai, the chief of the Phuket Provincial Highways Office, and Paiboon Upatising, president of the Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (OrBorJor), to get going on removing Chalong Circle.At the monthly Governor Meets Press meeting at Provincial Hall yesterday, V/Gov Worapoj said, “It’s too old and not attractive for people who pass by…
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Japanese tourists cancel trips to Phuket
PHUKET: More than half of the Japanese tourists who planned to visit Phuket over the next week have canceled their bookings due to concerns over political unrest in Thailand.Phuket Tourist Association (PTA) President Somboon Chirayus yesterday told the Gazette that despite the reopening of Phuket International Airport on Sunday, there have been many cancellations among foreign tour groups. Cancellation rates…
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Phuket PAD assembling at Provincial Hall
PHUKET CITY: People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) protesters began gathering at Phuket Provincial Hall (Sala Klaang) at 8 am this morning, their numbers increasing all morning to reach about 500 by 11:30 am. The protesters, taking cover from the sun under six tents, plan to board five tour buses to Bangkok to join fellow PAD protesters in the capital. The…
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State of Emergency announced in Bangkok
BANGKOK (The Nation): Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej this morning announced a state of emergency in Bangkok, following a clash between the pro and anti-government supporters at about 1:30 am.Reasoning that some groups of people caused disturbances in Bangkok that affect peace and security, Samak announced the enforcement of the Emergency Decree on Public Administration in Emergency Situations.The prime minister’s order…
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Lost in Transit: airport closure cost B250m a day
PHUKET AIRPORT: Losses of an estimated 250 million baht per day have been reported to an ad-hoc committee set up to monitor and control safety at Phuket International Airport following the Peoples Alliance for Democracy (PAD) anti-government protests. Phuket International Airport was closed at 4:50 pm on Friday and did not re-open until 11 am yesterday. Marking the return to…
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Airport closure work of infiltrators: Phuket PAD
PHUKET CITY: In a stunning development, the Phuket chapter of the People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) and its affiliate Phuket Watch have denied involvement in the violence and forced closure of Phuket International Airport that left thousands of tourists stranded over the weekend. At a press conference at the Phuket office of Manager newspaper today, Phuket PAD leader Natjarong Ekpermsup…
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Thousands head home as airport re-opens
PHUKET AIRPORT: Phuket International Airport re-opened yesterday, with thousands of tourists crowding the departures hall while arrivals started to trickle in. Marking the return of inbound flights at about 3:30 pm was the arrival of a THAI Airways 777 from Bangkok with more than two hundred tourists aboard, the first plane to land on the island since Peoples Alliance for Democracy protesters forced…
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