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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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Rawai sea gypsies finally see the light
PHUKET: The 25-household Rawai sea gypsy community is overjoyed to finally have electricity, after having lived without it for most of their lives, as a land-rights conflict hampered their access to the power grid. The free installation of a 3,000-watt solar cell-powered system to generate electricity in the area is the result of an initiative by Phra Khru Wimonpanyakhun, the…
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BREAKING: Tattooed body washes up on Karon Beach
PHUKET: The body of a man wearing only underpants washed up on Karon Beach last night. A foreign tourist was shocked to discover the body while walking along the beach at 7:30pm and contacted the police. The deceased was aged 35-40 and was about 165-170cm tall. He has a bald head and appears, by the dark color of his skin,…
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Weather men predict rain over Phuket by weekend
PHUKET: As many Phuketians run low on water following an extended period of drought this year, the heavens are predicted to open by the end of the week and bring forth a long-awaited downpour or two. The Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) has promised rain as early as Thursday, according to an announcement on the TMD’s website today. Phuket is among…
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Phuket Marine Police seize illegally imported boat equipment
PHUKET: Marine police seized boat engines and other heavy machinery with a total value of five million baht, stored at a lockup in Rassada on Monday. “We received a tip from an anonymous source that machinery was being stored in a fishing industry warehouse in Rassada,” Phuket Marine Police Chief Panya Chaichana said. “During an early morning raid on the…
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Biz Chat: Tips for establishing a start-up
PHUKET: The island is filled with business people who invest millions on large business prospects, but no one ever talks about the little guy. What if you have 100,000 baht and want to play around with it? Here’s a guide to investing in a small business, just to see if it works. Let’s take it step by step – the…
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On Deck: Lessons from the Top of the Gulf Regatta
PHUKET: I’ve spent the last week in Pattaya at the Ocean Marina Yacht Club, reporting on the 12th Top of the Gulf Regatta. I find it’s always good to look outside your ‘home’ town to learn, get some new ideas and a fresh perspective, and the Top of the Gulf Regatta can provide some great lessons for all. Firstly, it…
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Intoxicated man burns BMW
PHUKET: A drunk man allegedly poured a gallon of gasoline onto a BMW and set it on fire early yesterday morning, officials confirmed. The Kathu Municipality Fire Department rushed to put out the blaze at the entrance to Irawadee Kejho village. “Locals reported the fire to the station at about 3am, after which firefighters arrived at the scene and put…
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Thousands pawn valuables to cover back to school costs
PHUKET: Phuket’s pawn brokers said transactions on May 10 totalled nearly 12 million baht, as families pawned valuables to cover their children’s school costs. Phuket City Municipality Pawnshop representative Apirat Chaiyakul said transactions between May and June are expected to increase by as much as 30 per cent over last year. Mr Apirat said his store will do around 180mn…
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Opinion: Tourism’s impact on Phuket’s sea gypsies
Nirund Yangpan, a fisherman by profession and father of four sons, was born and raised in Rawai’s sea gypsy community. His family has been fishing for generations, but times have changed and now he fears the worst. Here, he talks about how tourism and new fishing regulations have impacted their traditional way of life, making it harder to earn a…
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A Decade Ago: General elections, traffic woes and mayor of Laguna
PHUKET: Politics were again on the front page of the Phuket Gazette in May 2006, following the Constitutional Court’s May 8 ruling against the snap elections for parliament on April 2. With the island burning a bright yellow, the big question was which member of the Democratic Party would be put forward to represent the island after clearing Thai Rak…
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Zurich Bread: Engineering the perfect loaf
An engineer by trade, Singhathep Thepkanjana only spent six months working full-time in the field he studied for seven years, leaving university with a bachelor’s from Chulalongkorn University and a master’s degree in engineering management in Washington DC. Since then, this Bangkokian has pursued the perfect loaf – an endeavour that has taken him across continents. “I can count on…
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Aussie life savers support Phuket lifeguard training
PHUKET: About 60 volunteers took part in a training seminar on emergency life-saving techniques at Phuket’s Air Traffic Control Center May 10-14. The annual lifeguard training was sponsored by the Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (PPAO), and was supported by members of the non-profit organization Surf Life Saving Australia. “Our trainers included personnel from the Third Naval Area Command and the…
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Island View: Wherefore art thou coffee?
PHUKET: A great part of my excitement upon learning I’d be moving to Phuket was due to the island’s proximity to Sumatra and Java, arguably the world’s most renowned coffee-growing regions. Imagine my dread at realizing that here, like much of the world, the market is dominated by instant coffee. Thailand’s consumption of instant coffee is so ubiquitous that the…
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New police station opens near Phuket airport
PHUKET: The new Sakoo Police Station officially opened its doors on May 11, to oversee Sakoo sub-district as well as the Phuket International Airport. The new station, located near Nai Yang Beach in Sirinath National Park, was one of 88 police stations opened nationwide on the same day. The new station’s operations cover five communities (Moo Baan) in Sakoo sub-district…
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Video Report: Phuket researchers internationally recognized for breakthrough explosive-testing kit
PHUKET: A six member research team from Phuket and Hat Yai was awarded silver medals for creating low-cost explosive testing kits at the 44th International Exhibition of Inventions Geneva 2016. The invention comes in the wake of several recent bombings in Thailand. The competition included more than 800 inventions submitted by participants from more than 40 countries around the world.…
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Finance: Take financial opinions with a pinch of salt
PHUKET: It’s very easy to get confused in the era of 24-hour media with regards to what’s going on in the world economy. To make matters worse financial opinions are often reported as facts. Many times there are hidden agendas behind these, so it’s important to take any opinions with a grain of salt. The idea for this article came…
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Fishing captain hospitalized after ammonia leak
PHUKET: A Taiwanese fishing boat captain was injured from an ammonia leak aboard a tuna fishing vessel at the Fish Marketing Organization pier in Rassada yesterday. A Kusoldharm Foundation rescue worker received the report of the leak and found the captain unconscious. “Armed with protective masks, rescue workers boarded the Shun Ying and used a machine to remove the gas…
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Fossils found in Krabi
KRABI: Fossilized bones, possibly those of a dinosaur, have been discovered in a stream bed in Krabi. Locals stumbled across the fossils half-buried in the bank of Khlong Paklao in Na Nuea, a sub-district Ao Luek District, after the water level in the stream dropped to about half a meter following an extended period of drought. The petrified bones are…
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Power cut to affect Koh Kaew on May 17
PHUKET: A scheduled electricity shut-off will affect residents in the Koh Kaew sub-district on Tuesday, May 17. The Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA) announced that there will be no electricity in the area from 9am to 5pm. All areas from Chao Fah Gardens (near 7-Eleven), up to the Isuzu showroom in Koh Kaew, as well as roads in the surrounding vicinity,…
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Work underway to fix B400k damage to Chalong road caused by water trucks
PHUKET: Work is underway to repair 400,000 baht worth of damage done by water delivery trucks to a road behind Chalong Temple. Chalong Municipality confirmed today that work began this week to resurface Luangporgluam Road, which runs alongside the reservoir, an old tin mine, after complaints from locals prompted Chalong Mayor Samran Jindapon to ban water delivery trucks from using…
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Ministry of Farang Affairs: Going without toilet paper
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.…
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Opinion: Innovation is just half the battle [video]
PHUKET: In a world where the only constant is change, it is interesting to note that Thailand is now gaining a reputation for innovation. The Gazette‘s cover story this week highlights just one of the many Thai innovations that won prizes at the 44th International Exhibition of Inventions, held in Geneva last month. Among the other big Thai winners in…
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Krabi school builders to be charged for deaths of five women
KRABI: Police announced that they will be pressing charges against the construction company involved in a building collapse that killed five female workers at the Institute of Physical Education’s Krabi Campus in March. The workers were killed when fresh poured cement brought down the upper story of the building, crushing them. (story here). “Police investigators have concluded their investigation into…
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Krabi locals use bamboo leaves to boost income
KRABI: This year’s drought is forcing Krabi farmers to diversify their crops. Boonlap Maepeng, 61, was having trouble producing rubber due to a lack of water when she was approached by a Bangkok businessman looking for dried bamboo leaves, which are used as wrappings for Bak Jang (rice dumplings). Ms Boonlap now collects bamboo leaves from her entire village in…
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Truck company billed for road damage
PHUKET: Chalong Mayor Samran Jindapon has ordered trucks carrying water to stay off of Luangporglium-Luangporcham Road after they allegedly caused damage to the pavement. Mr Samran also said the municipality is billing the trucking company for repairs. Mr Samran, accompanied by other Chalong officials, inspected the road after villagers complained of potholes and standing water near an old mining site…
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Head-on collision kills motorcyclist at Koh Siray
PHUKET: A head-on collision with a pickup truck during light rain on May 10 killed a motorbike rider in Koh Siray, confirmed Phuket City Police. The victim was 32-year-old Kanokkarn Samartkij, said Lt Surachart Tongyai, adding that she was on the way to see her mother, who lived about 500 meters away from the crash site. “When we arrived at…
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Body of suicidal Brit found outside Phuket Town hotel
PHUKET: The body of a British man believed to have suicidal tendencies was found yesterday at the bottom of a five-story-high fire escape at the Manorah Hotel in Phuket Town. The manager of the hotel on Komalphaj Road discovered the body of Ronald Rymer, 69, on a terrace at the foot of the building’s fire escape yesterday morning, confirmed Capt…
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Two Russians arrested for working as illegal tour guides
PHUKET: Two Russian nationals were arrested at Wat Chalong Temple this morning for allegedly working illegally as tour guides, confirmed officials from the Phuket Provincial Labor Office (PPLO). “They did not have their passports, but identified themselves as Irina Soboleva and Kolia, adding that they were employed by the Anex Tour Company,” PPLO chief Sutthipong Saisakaret told the Phuket Gazette.…
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Elderly woman killed in hit-and-run
PHUKET: An elderly woman was left lying dead in the road after a hit-and-run incident in Phuket Town just after midnight today, Phuket City Police confirmed. Ubon Nathip, 67, a resident of Phuket Town, was found dead on Anuphasphuketkarn Road in Talad Yai. Witnesses told police that Ms Ubon was hit by a vehicle while crossing the road. “At this…
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Milo the orangutan dies after stroke
PHUKET: Milo, the beloved orangutan saved from captivity at the Phuket Zoo, passed away last night, Warapong Kosarat, a veterinarian at the Pasupalun Livestock & Wildlife Hospital confirmed. The 13-year-old orangutan disappeared from the Phuket Zoo ahead of a raid on the facility in February (story here). Khao Phra Thaeo Non Hunting Zone officers then discovered her trapped in a…
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