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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5 ways retirees in Thailand lose money (and how to stop it)
Retiring in Thailand can be affordable and enjoyable, but many retirees lose money due to common mistakes. High living costs, scams, and unexpected expenses can quickly drain savings. There are five ways that retirees in Thailand can lose money and...
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Man surrenders after being charged with killing dog ‘without reason’
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Man surrenders after being charged with killing dog ‘without reason’ The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: The murder of a dog, even if it’s a stray, will now matter in Thailand thanks to the newly enforced animal protection law. A 32-year-old man gave himself up to…
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Judgment day for Yingluck
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Judgment day for former PM Yingluck The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Pressure is mounting on the National Legislative Assembly (NLA), which votes today on whether to impeach former prime minister Yingluck Shinawatra and two former parliamentary speakers accused of wrongdoings. Supporters and detractors of the…
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British backpacker found dead on Koh Tao
PHUKET: A British backpacker has died on Koh Tao, where British tourists Hannah Witheridge and David Miller were murdered in September last year. Christina Annesley, 23, from Orpington in south London, was found dead on Wednesday night. Her mother Margaret, 55, announced her death on Facebook, saying: “We have lost our beautiful daughter Chrissie of natural causes. “We are totally…
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Lifeguard warns of dangerous conditions at Surin Beach
PHUKET: Surin Beach lifeguards have warned beachgoers to exercise caution during the next two days, as a storm system in the Indian Ocean combined with king tides is generating unseasonal waves and dangerous shore break conditions. “Conditions will be especially dangerous near high tide for the next two days, between 10:00am and 2:00pm. Swimmers should stay well away from large…
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Asleep-at-the-wheel driver escapes serious injury in Phuket
PHUKET: A man crashed into a tree after having allegedly fallen asleep at the wheel on a dangerous southbound curve on Thepkrasattri Road yesterday evening. Pichayakarn Masuk, 22, was taken by rescue workers to Thalang Hospital for minor cuts and bruises. “We believe Mr Pichayakarn fell asleep at the wheel and lost control of his car, causing him to hit…
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Aussie Amb wishes Phuket happy Australia Day
Paul Robilliard has been the Australian Ambassador to Thailand since his appointment in October last year. A senior career officer with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) and currently First Assistant Secretary, South and West Asia Division, Amb Robilliard has served twice as Head of the United Nations Security Council Taskforce (July – Oct 2013 and Nov 2012…
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Phuket shaman arrested on pedophile charges
PHUKET: A shaman wanted for sexually assaulting a 12-year-old girl during a ritual in Patong last year has denied the charges after evading police for months. Police arrested Wasu Kumprayoon, 45, in Phang Nga at about 11pm yesterday on a warrant issued by the Phuket Provincial Court on November 14. “The girl’s mother explained that Mr Wasu had persuaded her…
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Employment Office denies delays in issuing Phuket work permits
PHUKET: The new chief of the Phuket Employment Office has denied allegations that his office is taking up to two months to process work permits. The Phuket Gazette was tipped-off by a concerned foreigner about an alleged backlog that was causing long delays in the issuance of work permits – a process that usually takes seven working days. However, Pitool…
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Snatch thieves nabbed within 24 hours of gold necklace rip ‘n’ run
PHUKET: Police in Karon Tuesday took only 24 hours to track down and arrested a 21-year-old man and his 13-year-old accomplice for a snatch-and-run that relieved a tourist of his 38,000-baht gold necklace. Danish national Preben Andersen, 66, told police that he first noticed two youths following him from Karon Circle, as he and his wife rode their motorbike to…
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Cement truck takes out parked car, small restaurant
PHUKET: The driver of a cement truck that slammed into a parked pick-up truck, a motorcycle and a small restaurant on Tuesday in central Phuket, has been charged with reckless driving and will be tested for drug use. The cement truck was en route from Cherng Talay to the Heroines Monument in Thalang at about 3pm when the accident occurred,…
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Phuket sailors shine at Langkawi regatta
PHUKET sailors dominated the Multihull class in blustery conditions at the Royal Langkawi International Regatta (click here) this week to claim the top two podium positions in the division. Grenville Fordham and Bob Mott co-skippered Andaman Cabriolet Nina well in winds of up to 25 knots to claim overall honors in the Multihull class. Nina is a regular in the…
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UNHCR to help settle Rohingya trafficking victims
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community UNHCR to help settle Rohingya trafficking victims The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) would coordinate with related parties to move some Rohingya refugees in Thailand on a voluntary basis to a third country, initially set as the United…
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Lighthouse Market fully booked at Boat Lagoon – join the fun
PHUKET: All available space for the inaugural Lighthouse Market at the Boat Lagoon is sold, bringing the island two nights of quality shopping, food and fun from about 60 vendors. The fun gets underway at 3pm on Saturday and continues until the close at 9pm, returning at the same time on Sunday for five more hours of festivities. Live performances,…
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Breaking News: Police seize Phuket tourists’ beach umbrellas, chairs
PHUKET: Confusion reigned at Patong Police Station this morning when a group of tourists arrived to reclaim their beach chairs and umbrellas, which were mistakenly confiscated by officers trying to ensure that vendors were not encroaching outside the recently established special beach zones. About 15 tourists arrived at the station, Lt Col Sutthichai Tianpho of the Patong Police confirmed. “Police…
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Phuket Pads: The island’s chalk and cheese
PHUKET: Phuket is, in many ways, becoming similar to Pattaya, with more and more cheap condos popping up in Patong, Kathu and other areas of the island. One-bedroom units from 1-3 million baht are becoming the norm to cater to the once-a-year tourist, and Thai investors are becoming eager to make an investment in Phuket’s booming property market. CHALK AND…
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Tackling drug use among Phuket’s Muslim youths
Pol Sen Sgt Maj Komon Dumluck, president of Narcotics Protection and Suppression of the Central Islamic Committee of Thailand, was born in Phuket on April 5, 1967. He graduated from Ramkhamhaeng University in Bangkok with a BA and MA from the Faculty of Political Science. He then want on to secure a PhD from Bangkok’s Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University in…
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Exchange-rate volatility prompts call for urgent meet on baht
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Urgent meet sought on baht The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: In the wake of global currency volatility, the Board of Trade of Thailand and the Thai Chamber of Commerce will soon call for a meeting with the Bank of Thailand to discuss currency risk and…
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DSI nabs two suspects for human-trafficking of Thais
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community DSI nabs two suspects for human-trafficking of Thais The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: The Department of Special Investigation (DSI) said yesterday that two human-trafficking suspects were arrested for luring Thai men into exploitative work on fishing trawlers in Indonesian waters. At the press conference, DSI…
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No evidence so far of terrorism in AirAsia crash
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community No evidence so far of terrorism in AirAsia crash Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Indonesian investigators said on Monday they had not found any evidence so far that terrorism was involved in the crash of an AirAsia passenger jet last month that killed all 162 people…
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Phuket fishing boat raid nets Myanmar illegals in human trafficking raid
PHUKET: A task force of officials from six government agencies today selected just three fishing boats at Rassada Pier to raid in a search for illegal migrant workers. The team found four suspects, who were all charged with entering and working in the country illegally. “They will be deported,” confirmed Phuket Immigration chief Col Sunchai Chokkajaykij. The task force was…
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Security concerns threaten Phuket concert for Myanmar nationals
PHUKET: The very first concert in Phuket dedicated to entertaining Myanmar nationals may yet be canceled for security reasons. Posters and billboards erected around Phuket Town promote the “Myanmar – Thai Cultural Relationship Concert” to be held in a field behind Bus Terminal 1 on Phang Nga Road on January 31. The event is to feature Myanmar celebrities R Zarni,…
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Phang Nga Bay Regatta calls for cruisers to take sail
PHUKET: The iconic Phang Nga Bay Regatta returns for its 18th edition this year, with a move to March and calls for cruisers to take sail on the bay. The annual regatta, informally dubbed “the party regatta” from its reputation in its founding years, has for more than a decade been held, or at least started, in February. This year,…
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Phuket, give blood out of love
PHUKET: The Phuket Regional Blood Center (PRBC) has invited all qualified island residents to make a blood donation in February – which holds Valentine’s Day dearly in its bosom. “We want people to donate their blood in this month of love, so that they can share their brotherly love for their fellow human beings,” said PRBC acting chief Pornthip Rattajak.…
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Phuket transport saga: A long, strange trip
PHUKET: Even as my bus was drawing into the new Phuket bus terminal, predators were circling the bus full of unsuspecting, defenceless, bus-lagged tourists who were dying for a fresh shower or a chance to jump straight into the sea. Little did they know that their short remaining journeys would cost them half as much – if not the full…
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Prayut urged to act on gold mine, villagers face contamination tests
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Prayut urged to act on gold mine, villagers face contamination tests The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: People living near a gold mine in the central north are calling for Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha to urgently intervene after hundreds of villagers were found to have…
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Prayut denies ordering NLA to impeach Yingluck
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Prayut denies ordering NLA to impeach Yingluck The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha yesterday angrily denied an allegation that the junta-appointed National Legislative Assembly had been ordered to impeach former PM Yingluck Shinawatra. Gen Prayut was asked to comment on the…
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Argentine prosecutor who accused Fernandez of Iran plot found dead
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Argentine prosecutor who accused Fernandez of Iran plot found dead Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: An Argentine prosecutor whoaccused President Cristina Fernandez of orchestrating a cover-upin the investigation of Iran over the 1994 bombing of a Jewishcommunity center was found dead in his apartment, authoritiessaid on…
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Housewife wins new car in Phuket Red Cross Fair lucky draw
PHUKET: Chalong housewife Sompit Khaopong claimed a brand-new Toyota Altis 1.6, valued at more than 800,000 baht, as the grand prize in the annual Phuket Red Cross Fair lucky draw. Governor Nisit Jansomwong and his wife Mrs Nutsaree, who is the president of the Phuket Red Cross, presented the car to Mrs Sompit at the Phuket Red Cross head office…
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Phuket Aussies unite to provide mobility scooter for disabled Bangla vendor
PHUKET: A group of Australians in Patong will hold a fund-raising event at the Kangaroo Bar on Soi Bangla Friday night in order to provide a mobility scooter for long-term street merchant Wilaiwan “Wan” Damnui. “Wan works in Patong, around the Bangla Road area, selling various wares. She’s been here as long as I can remember, which is more than…
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Phuket’s Munchy Machine almost totalled in hit-and-run [video]
PHUKET: The Munchy Machine, part of Phuket’s Tuk-Tuk Diner fleet (story here), was almost totalled in a hit-and-run accident near the TX Soccer Stadium in Samkong at about 4am yesterday. “We arrived at the scene and spoke to eye-witnesses, but nobody was able to describe the vehicle that slammed into the tuk-tuk before careening off into the support pole of…
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