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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Sponsored Thailand vs. the West: What expats save on healthcare each year
Healthcare in Thailand is much cheaper than in Western countries, making it a great choice for expatriates looking for affordable medical care. Both public and private healthcare options offer high-quality services, with savings of up to 80% on procedures like...
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The LifeCo: The business of healing
PHUKET: One doesn’t have to look far to find a spa in Phuket, but recent years have seen a marked shift in this trend, as new and established business are looking to cash in on wellness, as opposed to opulence and luxury. The LifeCo Phuket Well-Being Center based in Thalang is the first for the company outside of Turkey, and…
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Krabi raid nets a kilo of crystal meth
PHUKET: A Region 8 Police task force smashed a six-man drug trafficking ring in Krabi over the weekend, seizing more than 40,000 methamphetamine pills (ya ba) and more than a kilogram of crystal methamphetamine (ya ice), as well as cash and assets with a combined value of more than 4 million baht. Police were able to close in on the…
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South Korea confirms first case of Zika virus
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community South Korea confirms first case of Zika virus Phuket Gazette / Reuters SEOUL: South Korea reported its first confirmed case of the Zika virus on Tuesday, in a 43-year old male who had traveled to Brazil, its center for disease control said. The World Health Organization…
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Indonesian taxi drivers to rally for ban on online taxi apps
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Indonesian taxi drivers to rally for ban on online taxi apps Phuket Gazette / Reuters JAKARTA: Thousands of Indonesian taxi drivers took to the streets of the capital Jakarta on Tuesday to protest ride-hailing apps like Grab and Uber, bringing parts of the city to a…
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Phuket ‘smart city’ set to receive Korean expertise, B430mn-budget
PHUKET: Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak yesterday announced a budget of 430 million baht to further the ‘smart city’ project in Phuket. The announcement was made at a conference yesterday where the Deputy PM invited entrepreneurs from the South Korean city of Busan to invest in Thailand. Deputy PM Somkid chaired a signing ceremony between Phuket Governor Chamroen Tipayapongtada and…
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![Move to regulate diving industry [video] | Thaiger](data:image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0naHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmcnIHZpZXdCb3g9JzAgMCAzMjggMjIwJz48L3N2Zz4=)
Move to regulate diving industry [video]
PHUKET: Independent diving excursions have been banned in Phuket and Phang Nga following a government move to tighten regulations and increase accountability in the previously self-regulated industry. The move comes in the wake of a number of dive-related deaths and serious accidents in the region. “Though the diving industry does have its own regulations, we need to take greater responsibility…
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Calling all HOGs for record Harley convoy in Phuket
PHUKET: Hundreds of Harley-Davidson bikers from across the country are roaring in to Phuket on April 10 to set the record for the longest Harley-Davidson convoy in Thailand. Phuket’s HOGs (Harley Owner’s Group members) are calling on all Thailand chapters to join the attempt to set the record for the longest Harley parade with about 500 bikes and riders. The…
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Phuket etiquette course in wake of Chinese tourist prawn gorging [video]
PHUKET: Following Chinese tourists’ chaotic stampede and subsequent gluttonous gorging of piles of prawns at a buffet in Thailand, Phuket will be holding an etiquette course for guides working with Chinese tour companies. The internet was ablaze with vehement criticism of Chinese tourists this weekend after Chinese media company Shanghaiist published a 33 second video clip showing tourists in a…
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A Decade Ago: Beach chairs and a B40mn blaze
PHUKET: Fears that beach vendors’ unrelenting attempts to retake the beaches will eventually wear down Phuket officials’ willingness to enforce the 10 per cent zone and virgin beach regulations are well founded. Ten years ago, in the March 18-24 edition of the Phuket Gazette, we documented rental operators reneging on a deal – struck after the tsunami – between their…
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Russia mourns plane crash victims as investigation begins
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Russia mourns plane crash victims as investigation begins Phuket Gazette / Reuters ROSTOV-ON-DON: Relatives gathered to mourn the 62 victims of a passenger jet crash in southern Russia on Sunday and officials warned an investigation could take weeks to determine the cause of the downing. At…
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Suicide bomber kills four, wounds 36 in Istanbul shopping district
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Suicide bomber kills four, wounds 36 in Istanbul shopping district Phuket Gazette / Reuters ISTANBUL: A suicide bomber killed four people on Saturday in a busy shopping district in the heart of Istanbul, pushing the death toll from four separate suicide attacks in Turkey this year…
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Opinion: Putting up with golf prices
Terayout Prasertphol is the recently appointed chief of the Phuket Golf Association and former chief of the Phuket Land Transportation Office. He graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Law from Ramkhamhaeng University and a Master’s degree in Public Administration from the National Institute of Development Administration (NIDA). Here he talks about how Phuket’s expensive golf industry thrives with high-end tourists.PHUKET:…
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Phuket alcohol zones still fuzzy
PHUKET: The Phuket Excise Office (PEO) chief has asked the Cabinet for another six months to measure out potential alcohol zones in an effort to suppress underage drinking in the province. The cabinet initially gave the PEO until January to chart all shops selling alcohol within 300-meters of ‘educational institutions’. However the rules remained foggy as officials tried to clarify…
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Manhunt launched for Mai Khao murderer
PHUKET: Police have launched a manhunt after the lacerated body of a 25-year-old man was found lying in a pool of blood in front of a shack at a rubber plantation in Mai Khao yesterday morning. The body of Myanmar worker, known only as Mr Sor, was discovered in the plantation near Phuket International Airport at about 10:50am on Sunday…
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Island View: Banning climbing and scuba diving will not prevent stupidity [video]
PHUKET: We are all capable of stupidity; for some it is easy, for others – myself included – the stupidity starts when the dawn breaks. Whether it’s walking into doors, tripping over cats, sticking the car in reverse instead of drive, or falling off mountains, none of us intends to do these obviously stupid things… but they still happen. Which…
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Moscow-bound flight grounded at Phuket airport after passenger voices fears
PHUKET: A flight from Phuket to Moscow was evacuated yesterday after a passenger said he felt threatened. The captain of Russia’s Nordwind Airlines called the airport office to request an emergency inspection after Alexander Nozof, 25, said he felt threatened for reasons that were unspecified. Monrudee Gettuphan, director of Phuket International Airport, denied rumors that the plane had been hijacked.…
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Finance: Building a larger stream of future income
PHUKET: I am often contacted by people without massive amounts of cash asking me what they can do to prepare for the future. Early in my career I tended to take the approach most people in the industry do, which is to focus on the rich and let everyone else know that you are sorry about not being able to…
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Ministry of Farang Affairs: Speeding Taxi Drivers
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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Fans requested at high-ranking Krabi official’s funeral
KRABI: The family of a high-ranking officer in Krabi has requested that fans be brought to the late lieutenant colonel’s funeral in lieu of wreaths. The funeral of Lt Col Kliang Maneechote, 50, of the Krabi Provincial Police was held at a temple in Krabi Town after he passed away on March 13 after suffering a stroke. Col Kliang’s wife,…
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Visa overstayers get a watery warning from Immigration
PHUKET: Water bottles with labels displaying the newly implemented overstay rules will be handed out to attendees at a public meeting with Immigration Commissioner Natthorn Phrosunthorn next week. The meeting, to be held at Boat Lagoon on March 25, is aimed at clarifying the new rules as part of the Immigration Bureau’s national campaign on reinforcing rules on foreigners who…
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Tougher rules introduced to curb cheating taxi drivers
PHUKET: Phuket taxi drivers are facing tough new regulations and harsher punishments in a renewed effort to prevent them from overcharging and cheating customers. The new regulations are aimed predominantly at taxi drivers based at Phuket International Airport, where cabbies are frequently accused of refusing to turn on their meters, overcharging and making unwanted diversions, said Jaturong Kaewkasi, chief policy…
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Demolition day announced for buildings on Phuket beaches
PHUKET: Local authorities have today announced a final deadline for businesses encroaching on public land at Surin, Lay Pang and Layan beaches, informing business owners that they have to demolish all illegal buildings by next month. “We have decided, once and for all, to demolish the premises of private businesses encroaching on public land at all three ot these Phuket…
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Phuket van man disappears owing B10mn to his drivers
PHUKET: A contingent of minivan drivers gathered at Thalang Police Station yesterday morning to demand help tracking down their employer, who has disappeared owing more than 10 million baht (approx US$ 285,000) to about 115 Phuket-based drivers. “We are here because we did not get paid by our employer, Puripatara Weerawatara, the owner of World Express Co Ltd,” said Thammarat…
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SeaWorld to end controversial killer whale breeding program
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community SeaWorld to end controversial killer whale breeding program Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: SeaWorld said on Thursday it will stop breeding killer whales in captivity, bowing to years of pressure from animal rights activists, but the orcas already at its three parks will continue performing as…
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Vessel accused of dumping waste off Krabi
KRABI: A large vessel commissioned by the Krabi government to dredge near the Krabi Provincial Administration Organization (OrBorJor) pier received some bad publicity this week after a Facebook user accused it of dumping waste into the Andaman. The photos posted by the Facebook user, showing black ‘wastewater’ surrounding the vessel, quickly went viral. However, the Krabi Marine Office was quick…
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Dutchman dies in three-vehicle smash
PHUKET: A 45-year-old Dutch man died in a three-vehicle crash in Phuket last night, which also left an unidentified Thai woman severely injured. Witnesses told police that a collision between the Dutchman and a Thai woman riding a motorcycle near Chalong Circle caused the man’s bike to cross over the road into oncoming traffic and collide with a bus. Witnesses’…
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Deputy PM dives into Phi Phi’s wastewater woes
PHUKET: Phi Phi officials are looking to secure a multi-million-baht budget to plug the free flow of untreated wastewater into the sea. Deputy Prime Minister Adm Narong Pipatanasai visited the island yesterday to review a number of projects that the local administration plan to implement to stem the daily tide of 1,800 cubic meters of wastewater spewing into the marine…
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Man killed in Phuket defending shoes
PHUKET: A man was killed after allegedly attempting to defend his shoes from a thief in Phuket this morning. “Neighbors told us that Niwat Linooi, 24, caught someone trying to take his shoes from in front of his home and allegedly punched the thief,” said Lt Col Suchart Meelampong of the Phuket City Police. The man then supposedly called out…
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Trump warns of riots, pulls plug on Republican presidential debate
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Trump warns of riots, pulls plug on Republican presidential debate Phuket Gazette / Reuters PALM BEACH: Florida, U.S. Republican front-runner Donald Trump warned on Wednesday of riots if he is denied the party’s presidential nomination and pulled the plug on a scheduled debate among candidates, raising…
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Fortuner driver cleared of hit-and-run charges
PHUKET: Police cleared a suspected hit-and-run driver of any involvement in the accident that killed one and injured two in Wichit on Monday morning (story here). Witnesses told officers that a Toyota Fortuner of an unknown color was heading toward Phuket Town when it struck Narakorn Onthong, 30, and Pa Yasamut, 54, before crossing lanes and fatally injuring 17-year-old Sittichai…
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![Island View: Banning climbing and scuba diving will not prevent stupidity [video] | Thaiger](https://thethaiger.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/14_2016321112438843_tNRsmiXKoigNSxwKHzeqXtJeCTjmvcVppmhbUFmJ_jpeg.jpeg)
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