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 Long-term life in Thailand? 5 reasons private health insurance pays off in the long run
Thailand is a great place for expats and retirees, offering a warm climate, affordable living, and rich culture. However, healthcare can be tricky for foreigners since they aren’t eligible for public health coverage, and private care can be expensive. Private...
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Banyan Tree, Angsana Laguna Phuket announces new director of marketing and communications
PHUKET: Nampetch ‘Nikki’ Tipaxsorn has taken up the position of director of marketing and communications for Banyan Tree and Angsana Laguna Phuket. In her new role, Ms Nampetch will manage all marketing and public relations activities, including marketing strategies to generate revenue and brand awareness for both properties. Ms Nampetch has more than 15 years of experience in both sales…
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Mayor fears fishing net killed dolphin
PHUKET: Officials believe that a dolphin found dead near Koh Bon, just off Rawai Beach, was killed by a fishing net today. “From a quick inspection, I could see marks on its head and upper body that looked like they were made by a fishing net,” said Rawai Mayor Aroon Solos. The dolphin was taken to the Phuket Marine Biological…
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Hundreds line up for Bike for Dad registration
PHUKET: More than 800 Phuket residents made their way down to Phuket Provincial Community Hall yesterday to register for the inaugural ‘Bike for Dad’ event. The event garnered so much interest that the website hosting the online registration crashed due to the overwhelming number of entries. For the Phuket event, participants will bike for 29 kilometers from Provincial Hall to…
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Opinion: Tourism to the stars
Dr Utane Sawangwit, 33, has been an astronomer at the National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand (NARIT) since 2012. He is a Phuket native who earned a PhD in Physics from Durham University in the UK in 2011 and his Bachelors and Masters of Science from the University of Cambridge. Here, he talks about how astronomy should be incorporated into…
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Officials hot to expedite Phuket light rail
PHUKET: Officials are rushing to get Phuket’s light rail project moving along the tracks, Sirigate Apirat, the project secretary for the Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning (OTPP), confirmed to the Phuket Gazette this morning. “It has already taken too long to get the plan together, so I’ve been ordered to finalize it by the end of this…
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Kata Group readies for King’s Cup
PHUKET: The Phuket King’s Cup Regatta is preparing to set sail again, swelling Phuket visitor numbers and making a contribution to Thailand’s overall tourism performance. Sponsored by Kata Group Resorts Thailand, the Phuket King’s Cup Regatta 2015 will be held at Kata Beach Resort and Spa from December 5 to December 12 and will host international racing classes with about…
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Phuket Rajabhat University student passes The Voice Thailand Battle Round
PHUKET: Phuket Rajabhat University student Smat Niema-ard is the only Phuket native to make it through last week’s Battle Round on The Voice Thailand. Since crooning his way through the blind auditions on October 11, 20-year-old Smat’s YouTube video of his performance garnered three million views, while his recent Battle Round video received one million views. “I’m very glad that…
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Governor clamps down on airport taxis
PHUKET: Phuket Governor Chamroen Tipayapongtada has ordered all relevant officials to keep a stricter eye on airport taxi services after a customer complaint went viral on Saturday. Montira Sakorn’s Facebook post alleged that the taxi she hired from the airport to Patong failed to bring her and her boyfriend to their destination. Instead, it left them waiting at the taxi…
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Opinion: Parents the key to ending gang violence
PHUKET: The tragic shooting of a 15-year-old boy during the closing ceremony of this year’s Phuket Vegetarian Festival is yet another brutal reminder that the island’s increasing urbanization is having a dire effect on the cornerstone of any successful society: the family unit. The on-going investigation into the shooting of Thanakij Sawirum, who was apparently caught in the crossfire of…
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Meth smugglers caught at checkpoint
PHUKET: Three meth smugglers were arrested at the Tah Chat Chai checkpoint after police caught them with 900 grams of ya ice (crystal methamphetamine) yesterday morning. Police were searching vehicles with out-of-province licence plates when they stopped the black Honda driven by Chaipichit Kaewkan, 28. Though the initial search of the vehicle did not reveal any drugs, police were suspicious…
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Law catches up with alleged foreign skimmers in Phuket
PHUKET: Three alleged ATM skimmers were arrested in Chalong on Saturday night after police tracked them down using the GPS signal from a stolen iPad. Brazilians Lucidio Firmino Da Silva Junior, 24, and Juan Pablo Da Costa Varao, 21, along with 26-year-old French national Phellipe Andre Dias, were apprehended in their rental room in Chalong. The arrests followed Koh Tao…
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Laguna kicks off Talad Canal weekend market
PHUKET: Laguna Phuket kicked off the high season on Saturday with the launch of its ‘Talad Canal’ weekend market. The event was held at the resort’s Canal Shopping Village, which comprises more than 30 shops that offer a wide selection of quality goods and services, such as handicrafts, clothing and jewellery. Talad Canal market, which will be held every weekend…
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Special Report: The gangs of Phuket
PHUKET: The justice system’s soft handling of criminal youth is at the core of the island’s growing drug-powered gang violence, which led to a 15-year-old bystander being gunned down during the final hours of the Phuket Vegetarian Festival, explained Phuket City Police Deputy Superintendent Khunnadet Nanongkhai. Five suspects have already been charged for the murder of Thanakij Sawirum, 15, and…
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Surin beach clubs to be demolished in January
PHUKET: After much controversy and delay, Surin beach clubs are finally expected to be torn down in January*, confirmed Phuket Governor Chamroen Tipayapongtada to the Phuket Gazette yesterday. “I’m back in Phuket to implement both former and new plans. The beach clubs on Surin Beach are one of them,” said Governor Chamroen. The governor took a strong but cautious stance…
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Business Buzz: Target your customer, not your competitor
PHUKET: We see it all the time in marketing, company X trying to prove they are better than company Y, engaging in tit-for-tat marketing and social media battles trying to out-compete the competition. Now, while there is the theory that any publicity is still beneficial, I would argue it is far better to engage your potential customers directly and build…
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Finance: Neil Woodford, financial genius?
PHUKET: I know this has been written about in other media already, but as this fund and its manager have a great track record and I believe we are nearing a sale in stocks, it is a good discussion to review. For those of you who don’t know the fund or manager, Neil Woodford ran the Invesco Perpetual Income Fund…
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Phuket Challenge: stickk to no bags for a week
PHUKET: I challenge you. Yes, you – whoever you are – to go one week in Phuket without using a single plastic bag. The number of foreign whingers who waddle onto this beautiful island shouting about Thai ignorance in double-bagging that fried sausage on a stick… and then go buy a double-bagged sausage on a stick is dumbfounding. It was…
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Phuket beach management plans delayed again
PHUKET: Local officials are still wrangling over how to manage Phuket’s beaches, forcing Vice Governor Chokdee Amornwat to postpone revealing details of the new plan beyond his self-imposed November 1 deadline. V/Gov Chokdee admitted to the Phuket Gazette yesterday that the release of a concrete plan regarding the future of the island’s beaches would be delayed for at least another…
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Phuket City serial thief caught
PHUKET: A serial thief was arrested in Srisoonthorn last night after police were able to track down the motorbike he used during the crime spree. Jessadakorn Sukkrajang, 18, was apprehended at his home at about 9pm, confirmed Lt Col Somsak Thongkliang of the Phuket City Police. Within just one month, Phuket City officers received five different reports of broken car…
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UNODC anti-human trafficking program launched in Phuket
PHUKET: An international e-learning program designed to train law enforcement units to tackle human trafficking was launched in Phuket yesterday. About 40 Phuket officers will be the first in all of Asia to undergo the training developed by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). “The program is designed to provide background information, offer techniques on how to…
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Snake sparks electrical fire in Phuket
PHUKET: A Phuket mayor blamed a small snake for a fire near the Shooting Range in Chalong today. “Locals saw the snake slide into the transformer next to the shack right before it exploded and started the fire,” said Rawai Mayor Aroon Solos. “Luckily, no one was injured.” The owner of the shop, which sold decorative household items, was not…
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Phuket man killed in single-vehicle crash
PHUKET: One man died and another was injured after their pickup truck crashed into a utility pole in Thalang early this morning. The impact caused the out-of-control truck to split in two as it careened into a nearby wall. “The 33-year-old passenger, Surin Rotloisap, was thrown from the vehicle and killed after hitting another pole and then a wall,” explained…
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Truck driver slams into parked 18-wheeler and dies
PHUKET: The driver of a pickup truck died early this morning after slamming full throttle into the back of a parked 18-wheeled truck on Thepkrasattri Road. Annurak Chompoo, the 40-year-old driver of the 18-wheeler, told police that he had parked on the side of the road with his hazard lights turned on as he prepared to make a delivery to…
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Gaur killer surrenders to police
KRABI: The killer of a beloved gaur, a protected species of bovine, surrendered to police in Krabi yesterday morning. Preeda Paklaw, 41, presented himself, along with his shotgun, to the Plai Phraya Police. “Mr Preeda said that while he was hunting, he saw something in the dark that looked like a serow. He then shot twice,” said Maj Somporn Deeduang…
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Laguna Phuket Golf Club scores big
PHUKET: After a comprehensive 18-month upgrade, Laguna Phuket Golf Club bagged three prestigious awards at the Asian Golf Awards 2015 ceremony held at Orchid Country Club in Singapore. The Asian Golf Awards are devoted to recognizing and honoring the best facilities in the Asia Pacific Golf industry. Besides being named the Best Renovated Course of the Year, Laguna Phuket Golf…
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New top cop to focus on crime prevention
PHUKET: Phuket’s new top cop has vowed to focus his attention on crime prevention instead of crime suppression. Phuket Provincial Police Deputy Commander Teeraphol Thipjaroen will be taking the reins as the island’s top policeman on Friday when Provincial Police Commander Patchara Boonyasit is transferred to Ratchaburi. The transfer is part of a nationwide reshuffle of top provincial-level officers that…
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Sea turtle caught with mouthful
KRABI: A local fisherman caught quite a surprise yesterday when he found a sea turtle with a half swallowed fish. Madyah Thamsuan, 63, was fishing near his home in Khlong Thom District when he noticed a turtle with a fish tail hanging out of its mouth. “The turtle appeared to be very weak and was unable to either swallow or…
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100-baht taxi rides during Patong Carnival
PHUKET: Anyone coming or going from Phuket’s primary party town during the Patong Carnival will now be able to enjoy taxi rides, confirmed Patong Mayor Chalermluck Kebsab. From November 1-3, GrabTaxi and GrabCar will be charging only 100 baht for a ride to or from Patong. “This is a great offer by the company to support the festival and to…
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Ministry of Farang Affairs: Expensive is better
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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Phuket Riot: 66 arrest warrants issued
PHUKET: A total of 66 arrest warrants have been issued for those involved in the Thalang Police Station riot, Deputy National Police Chief Chalermkiat Srivorakan confirmed today. “Investigators are still working on the case. However, 66 warrants have been issued for either illegal gathering in public, arson, damaging property or creating a blockade,” Gen Chalermkiat explained. More than 20 police…
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