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.
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Sponsored Top 10 reasons for expats to get a comprehensive health insurance in Thailand
Moving to Thailand offers a prospect full of excitement and adventure, but in the same vein, if any injuries were to occur (and god forbid it does), the local healthcare system can be confusing at first glance for many expats...
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Governor’s Letter: Evaluating plans to develop Phuket Bay
PHUKET: Phuket Governor Chamroen Tipayapongtada has held his current position since September 30, 2015. He is a Phuket native with a master’s degree in political and administrative science from the National Institute of Development Administration. Here, he shares his perspective on plans for the 63-billion-baht Phuket Bay project – a 3,000 rai artificial island proposed as a host venue for…
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109-year-old grandma oldest person in Krabi
PHUKET: Plaipraya District Chief Paisarn Srithep visited the oldest living person in Krabi on June 21 and was delighted, and surprised, to find her in good health. Pliaw Petchpuang, 109, was born in 1907. “We were surprised to find that Ms Pliaw is in great health, able to walk unassisted, and indeed busy,” said Mr Paisarn. Ms Pliaw stays with…
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Domestic dispute ends in bloodbath, one stabbed to death
PHUKET: A 49-year-old Myanmar national was stabbed to death in Kathu last night, after a domestic dispute escalated into a bloodbath. Kathu Police received reports of the man’s shirtless body lying on Baan Na Koh Road near Loch Palm Golf Club. Officers arrived at the scene to find the body of the victim, named only as Mr Ta, on the…
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Newly-arrived tourists injured in Patong bus crash
PHUKET: Five tourists, including a five-year-old boy, were injured when a tourist bus flipped over in Patong this morning. The bus, which was carrying 14 Chinese, was heading toward the Patong Bay Hill Resort & Spa from Phuket International Airport. Patong Police received reports of this the latest tour bus crash at about 8:30am. The injured were taken to Patong…
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Phuket officials, hospitality reps talk safety
PHUKET: Phuket officials met with tourism and hospitality operators yesterday to discuss safety measures and contingency plans in case of emergencies. Phuket Vice Governor Chokdee Amornwat, as well as officials from the Thai Hotels Association and Ministry of Tourism and Sports Phuket Office (MOTS), met with representatives from private and public sector hospitality businesses at a conference held at the…
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Fatal crash victim’s family demands B2.1mn in damages
PHUKET: The family of a German man killed in a Phuket road accident in December last year has demanded 1.3 million baht as compensation for his death and 800,000 baht for his partner’s injuries. The suspect, Jakarin Rodpradit, 26, has requested a month to assess the situation, after both sides met for negotiations at Phuket Provincial Court this afternoon. He…
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Island View: First street food adventure in Phuket
PHUKET: A friend of mine, who intends to visit Phuket shortly, asked me what the street food was like here. Being a picky eater and mostly cooking for myself at home, I realized I hadn’t tried much in the way of street food for the year that I’ve been in Phuket. Armed with dozens of recommendations from friends and colleagues,…
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Thailand tourism faces uncertainty over Brexit fallout
MARKETS across Asia are reeling after it became known this afternoon that Great Britain will exit the European Union. Investors are fleeing to more stable currencies, such as the US dollar, the Swiss Franc and the Japanese Yen, causing major upheavals in Japan whose government has been trying to devalue the Yen in an effort to increase exports and stimulate…
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Finance: Defining a financial adviser
PHUKET: If you haven’t yet seen it, there’s a great episode of John Oliver’s ‘Last Week Tonight’ that covers the financial services industry in America. While it is a different beast in Southeast Asia, there were many points he brought up that are very relevant to expats in the region. Go onto YouTube and search for it if you haven’t…
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Ministry of Farang Affairs: Welcome to the farang flying club
The Ministry of Farang Affairs is a one-stop shop where foreigners in Thailand can learn all they need to know about living here. No, we’re not talking about work permits, visas or taxes. We’re talking about day-to-day life in the Land of Endless Shocks and Riddles, of Blur, Befuddlement and the Bizarre. Stay tuned for weekly insights from Minister Stephff.For…
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Super algae solution for bleached Phi Phi coral
KRABI: Super algae is to be deployed in the Phi Phi national marine park in a world-first attempt to revive bleached coral. Bleaching has affected about 80 per cent of the coral in Hat Noppharat Thara – Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park’s protected area, said the park’s chief Sarayuth Tanthien on June 23. Mr Sarayuth blamed rapid tourism growth…
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Opinion: The never-ending battle to protect Thai tourism
PHUKET: The recent arrest of a businessman for allegedly faking a Thai national identification card is just the latest development in the seemingly never-ending battle to protect the Thai tourism industry from illegal foreign opportunists. Thai authorities are, of course, correct to prosecute, to the full extent of the law, any foreigner who would resort to forgery in an attempt…
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Road closures in Koh Kaew may last until October
PHUKET: Parts of Soi Koh Kaew 33, behind the Isuzu showroom off Thepkrasattri Road in Koh Kaew, are under construction, with crews warning that road closures may inconvenience local residents and workers, including the staff at the Phuket Gazette. Construction crews reportedly have an 8.4-million-baht budget to build a retaining wall along the side of the soi. Large backhoes and…
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Suu Kyi to discuss refugee crisis during first state visit
BANGKOK: Myanmar State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi will face questions about the refugee crises after her arrival in Bangkok today for her first official visit to strengthen ties between the neighboring countries. While many observers view the Nobel-prize winner as the first Myanmar civilian government official in half a century, Ms Suu Kyi refrained from drawing attention to the…
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Two monks arrested, face deportation for illegal entry
PHUKET: Phuket Immigration Police arrested two monks at the Buddhamongkolnimitr Temple (Wat Klang) yesterday. Officers questioned monks at Wat Klang after receiving reports of two Cambodian monks begging for food and money from locals. “We arrived at Wat Klang at 5:30am and waited for the pair to leave for their daily alms collections, which they did at about 6:30am,” said…
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Bypass construction gridlock to be solved
Engineers working at the Bangkoo underpass project said that the traffic gridlock at the bypass intersection with Thepkrasattri Road will be solved today. “The traffic was worse these past several days because we closed one of the lanes at the construction junction,” said Somkiet Yimpong, the Bangkoo project engineer from the Department of Highways. “The construction company originally asked for…
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Chinese bike rider killed in collision with Kamala wall
PHUKET: A Chinese motorcyclist was killed last night when he lost control of his bike on Kamala Hill and collided with the concrete wall of an abandoned house. His female pillion passenger suffered severe head injuries in the crash. The motorcycle was snapped in two by the force of the collision, which left a gaping hole in the side wall…
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Kiwi stabbed in back at Kata Beach
PHUKET: A Thai surf board renter is on the run after allegedly stabbing a New Zealander in the back with a knife yesterday evening. The incident occurred at Kata Beach. Police named the suspect as Kittichai Junkaew, 29, from the southern province of Nakhon Sri Thammarat. The police say the victim, Christopher Smith, 52, was taken to Vachira Phuket Hospital…
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Poisonous snake stops Phuket motorist in his tracks
PHUKET: Snake catchers were called out yesterday to bag a venomous two-meter-long snake that had become stuck inside the engine of a car in Phuket Town. “We were called to the scene about 1:30pm, where we found a boiga dendrophila, commonly called the mangrove snake or gold-ringed cat snake, inside the engine of a Toyota on Luang Phor Road,” said…
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Officials eye plans to zone migrant workers
PHUKET: Officials are mulling over regulations that would restrict migrant workers in the province to specific zones. Phuket Governor Chamroen Tipayapongtada on Friday announced that authorities are chalking out plans to manage unskilled migrant laborers ‘more effectively’. “Each local authority should designate specific areas for foreign workers to live in,” Governor Chamroen said. “Those areas should be separated from the…
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Gov presents money to Phi Phi boat crash victim’s family
PHUKET: The Phuket governor yesterday met with the family of one of the deceased victims of a Phi Phi boat collision to present them with money on behalf of the boat insurance company. Two tourists were killed and about 20 injured when two speed boats loaded with tourists collided near Phi Phi on June 8 (story here). Governor Chamroen Tipayapongtada…
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Police hunt ‘farang’ donation box robber
PHUKET: Police are hunting for a ‘farang-looking’ man who stole 1,400 baht from a donation box outside a mosque in Kamala. The thief was captured on CCTV using tools to break into the metal and glass box attached to a wall at the Boot Ror mosque on Thursday night. Lt Sophon Borirak of the Kamala Police said the thief appears…
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Phuket Highways Office director bows out
PHUKET: After five years of public service in Phuket, the director of the Phuket Highways Office is bowing out and moving on to Trang. Samak Luedwonghad announced the move on Tuesday, citing official governmental policy that requires public servants to change provincial positions every four years. “I have been in Phuket for five years, and it’s time to move on,”…
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Python greets Krabi highschooler in desk drawer
KRABI: A 17-year-old student received a nasty surprise when she opened her classroom desk to find a one meter-long snake on Monday. The incident went viral on social media, with netizens sharing a picture of the snake inside the student’s drawer. Many urged schools across the province to increase their security and questioned how such a large snake could have…
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Tourism Authority tries to boost female tourism
PHUKET: The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is launching a special campaign in August, to attract local and international female travellers to enjoy the kingdom’s many attractions, with a wide range of activities, special offers, discounts and privileges. “We’ve designated August 2016 as a ‘month for women travellers’, in honor of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit’s 84th birthday,” says TAT Governor…
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PTT launches campaign to encourage Thais to sort their trash
PHUKET: Gas stations in Phuket could soon be displaying colorful trash bins as part of a nationwide campaign by PTT to urge consumers to sort their waste and dispose of it in the appropriate bins. Dubbed ‘Yak Lak Yim’, the trash-sorting drive is aimed at improving better waste-disposal habits in exchange for funding to assist local communities. Sarun Rungkasiri, Chief…
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Opinion: Importance of responsible publishing
PHUKET: Busaya Jaipiam, 56, is the Phuket Provincial Public Relations Chief. She is originally from Surat Thani, and received a bachelor’s degree in Mass Communications from Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University. She also obtained a master’s degree in Political Science from the National Institute of Development Administration (NIDA). Here, she talks about the media’s – and all citizens’ – responsibilities when…
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Biz Chat: Tips for establishing a start-up (part 3)
PHUKET: When it comes to starting your own business, it’s easy to get lost in the details. However, there are a few necessary steps you can’t let fall between the cracks. These are the last three crucial steps (see part 1 here and part 2 here). As a business owner (or prospective owner), you have to obtain the appropriate licences…
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Business Buzz: The power of groups and forums
PHUKET: One of the biggest business benefits of social media is creating a database of your perfect customers. Just imagine it: people asking to join your customer list, at no cost to you. While most people know all about Facebook fan pages, the ‘groups’ option remains a lesser-known factor. People have also probably heard of forums, but again they are…
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Environmentalists to build ‘love nest’ to breed rare birds
KRABI: The Wildlife Conservation Office plans to build a ‘house of love’ to breed rare birds that were recently discovered in Khaopra-Bangkham forest in Krabi. The birds, known as Gurney’s Pitta, had disappeared for many years prior to the most recent sighting of a female in April and another in May. “We have a male Gurney’s Pitta from the Klong…
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