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.
-
Thailand eyes genetics regional database for wild cats
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Thailand the great hope in saving the tiger The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: The planning for a genetics regional database for wild cats in Thailand has begun in hopes of rescuing wild breeding tiger populations in the region – but serious law enforcement is still…
-
At least 367 dead after quake hits southwest China
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community At least 367 dead after quake hits southwest China Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: A magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck southwestern China on Sunday, killing at least 367 people and leaving 1,881 injured in a remote area of Yunnan province, and causing thousands of buildings, including a…
-
Mother warns against surrogacy as donations pour in for Down syndrome baby
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Don’t be a surrogate for money, mother warns The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: A surrogate mother yesterday warned her fellow Thais not to get involved in commercial surrogacy for foreign customers – as she now faces financial, legal and ethical difficulties after poor Gammy, her…
-
Censured over shelter deaths, Israel declares seven-hour Gaza truce
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Censured over shelter deaths, Israel declares seven-hour Gaza truce Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Israel said it would unilaterally hold fire in most of the Gaza Strip on Monday to facilitate the entry of humanitarian aid and allow some of the hundreds of thousands of Palestinians…
-
Government responsible for Phuket beach vendor compensation, says poll
PHUKET: More than 90% of locals believe that the government is responsible for helping those adversely affected by the island’s beach reboot, according to results released by the Phuket Provincial Statistics Office on Friday. The results are based on a questionnaire cataloging 480 locals’ opinions about the National Council for Peace and Order’s (NCPO) move to return Phuket’s beaches back…
-
Surin Beach business clubbing unnerves Phuket investors
PHUKET: Investors are re-thinking opportunities in Phuket as local government officers push to have legally established and modified multi-million-baht venues turned to rubble along Phuket’s Surin Beach. “One-and-a-half years ago I invested 1mn euros in the beach club; I believe that I did everything correctly,” an investor, who asked to remain anonymous, told the Phuket Gazette. “I talked to local…
-
NCPO calls on unemployed Phuket beach vendors to voice concerns
PHUKET: As structures built on the sands of Phuket’s beaches continue to be pulled down and more people are put out of work, the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) has called on displaced vendors to put into words the troubles they face as a result of the mass cleanup. The comments – and suggestions for solutions – will…
-
Phuket Poll: How much is a fair fare?
PHUKET: The Phuket Land Transport Office (PLTO) is pushing for a new fleet of standard metered taxis to serve tourists and residents on the island. The PLTO has asked the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) to approve the move, which also includes increased fares for metered taxis (story here). In addressing the issue, PLTO Chief Terayout Prasertphol has…
-
Water rescue course to promote Phuket beach safety
PHUKET: The Phuket Lifeguard Club will hold its fourth annual five-day surf lifesaving training course this month. “The surf lifesaving course will be held from August 25 to 29 at Bang Tao Beach. Accommodation and meals will be provided for the entirety of the course, which is sponsored by the Phuket Provincial Administration Organization [PPAO],” Phuket Lifeguard Club President Prathaiyut…
-
Officials ponder safety solutions for deadly, iconic Phuket cape
PHUKET: Rawai Mayor Aroon Solos is looking at what safety measures can be taken to prevent accidents at Phuket’s iconic Promthep Cape after a second man was thought to have slipped from the rocks and disappeared into the sea this week. Though 25-year-old Teerawat Prasomsub was found safe Thursday night after he was reported missing from the view point (story…
-
Breaking News: Four dead in Phuket Town fire
PHUKET: Four people died in a furniture shop blaze in Phuket Town early this morning. One of the five people trapped by the flames managed to leap from the second storey of the building to safety. It took about three hours for firefighters to contain the fire. — Saran Mitrarat
-
Obama says that after 9/11, ‘we tortured some folks’
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Obama says that after 9/11, ‘we tortured some folks’ Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: President Barack Obama said yesterday that the CIA “tortured some folks” after the September 11, 2001, attacks, and that the White House had handed over to Congress a report about an investigation…
-
One-stop registration center good news for Phuket’s taxi-driver hopefuls
PHUKET: In a push to standardize taxi services throughout Phuket, an exhibition with a one-stop service center will open next week to help drivers register their cars to become legal metered taxis. The exhibition will be held from August 9 to 12 at the Phuket Land Transport Office (PLTO), said Jaturong Kaewkasi, chief policy adviser of the PLTO. “There will…
-
Exposed Phuket electrical wires shock three construction workers, one still unconscious
PHUKET: Three Myanmar nationals working on a construction site in central Phuket suffered an intense electric shock while on the job this afternoon; one is still unconscious. “After questioning co-workers, we learned that the men were sitting on metal scaffolding waiting for buckets of cement to be lifted up to them by crane,” said Witchit Police Capt Prawat Tantibussapun, who…
-
Patong beach vendors plagued by sharks – Phuket loan sharks
PHUKET: More than 90 per cent of Patong Beach vendors are in loan sharks’ books revealed Phuket police after busting a gang of four yesterday. “We received a tip-off from an out-of-work, debt-ridden beach vendor about four men in Patong who were charging 20 per cent interest on loans and harassing customers who weren’t able to make their daily payments,”…
-
Army protection from mafia gives Phuket airport bus owner confidence to drive to Karon
PHUKET: The Phuket Airport Express Bus is prepared to push through Patong as its owner looks to roll out a new final stop in Karon by mid-August. Airport Express Bus owner Prakob Panyawai is working out the final details of the new route, which will terminate at Karon Municipality. The airport bus was initially planned to run to Kata-Karon, but…
-
Opinion: Phuket beach cleanups – drastic, but necessary
PHUKET: The complete removal of beach lounger and umbrella sets from Phuket’s beaches is a drastic yet necessary step to completely rid the sands of illegal encroachment. It may be a bitter pill to swallow, especially for those who have lost their jobs, but we need to start from ground zero in order to set the stage for a new…
-
The future of the resident farang lingers in limbo
PHUKET: Visa runners are now being relegated to history; with no more back-to-backs, it’s the end of an era. This will have a marked impact on the demographics of the island and Thailand as a whole. All those working on a wing and a prayer will now be shown the exit door once and for all, and potentially blacklisted. All…
-
Phuket poor receive food donations ahead of Hungry Ghost Festival
PHUKET: More than 1,500 of Phuket’s poorest showed up at the Kusoldharm Foundation’s headquarters yesterday to receive food and clothing donations as part of the annual Te Krajard merit-making ceremony. “This year, we handed out scholarships to needy students from local schools and 2,600 five-kilogram bags of rice. We also distributed clothes and packages of dry foodstuff to about 1,500…
-
Full Metal Dojo returns with second MMA show in Patong
PHUKET: It was on June 7 at Patong’s Seduction Nightclub that MMA entered Phuket for the first time (story here). The Full Metal Dojo MMA event featured a litany of warriors from around the globe. The event saw fighters from Thailand, Cambodia, Finland, the United States, France, and other countries enter the caged-dojo for the first time in Phuket. And…
-
Today marks Thai Women’s Day
PHUKET: Various public and private sectors and women’s groups are joining hands with the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security in organizing a celebration on Thai Women’s Day today in honor of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit. Each year August 1 marks the Thai Women’s Day in honor of Her Majesty the Queen, who is recognized as Mother of the…
-
Lessons from the World Cup: Looking to the past to plan for the future
PHUKET: Research from the Grant Thornton International Business Report (IBR) has found that the enthusiasm Brazilian businesses held for hosting the 2014 FIFA World Cup plummeted over the past two years leading up to the event. However, while few business leaders predicted increased investment or increased profits as a result of Brazil hosting the competition, there is hope that infrastructure…
-
Retirement planning is more than just investing
PHUKET: A common question that I get from potential clients is, “Why do I need a registered investment adviser? I can buy stocks on my own.” Well, retirement planning is more than just buying and selling stocks and bonds. The answer is that retirement involves not only investment planning, but it also involves tax planning. The best way to explain…
-
Well bore rig takes a tumble on Patak Road
PHUKET: Police have played down a “minor” accident that left a rig for boring wells strewn across Patak Road near Chalong Circle yesterday morning. “No people will be charged,” said a Karon Traffic Policeman, who asked not to be named. “No people were injured and no property other than the vehicle involved was damaged, so we will not be investigating…
-
South African giraffe dies after ‘head hits bridge’
PHUKET: South Africa’s animal rights body is investigating the death of a giraffe that reportedly struck its head on a bridge while being transported along a motorway. Eyewitnesses say the giraffe, one of two on a truck, hit its head on a bridge on Johannesburg’s N1 motorway, reports the BBC. The vehicle then broke down and the driver had to…
-
Job applicants should not be forced to do blood tests for HIV: Rights body
PHUKET: The National Human Rights Commission has condemned businesses that require job applicants to be tested for HIV, saying the move is a “clear violation of human rights”. The NHRC said requiring people to take a blood test could adversely affect people who do this, plus their families, both economically and socially. The agency was responding to complaints from the…
-
Mountain bikers eye US$1mn in ‘toughest race on earth’
PHUKET: Mountain bikers tempted by the US$1 million (about 3.2mn baht) in prize money up for grabs in a new South African endurance race are given a warning before they sign up: “This could change your life, or end it”. Teams of two will have to come up with a US$10,000 entrance fee to race on December 3 in The…
-
Expert differs with report on Koh Samet
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Expert differs with report on Koh Samet The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Even though a researcher says that Koh Samet’s Ao Phrao is recovering naturally, with the number of marine organisms in the area rising, an academic disagreed, saying the ecosystem was not normal yet…
-
NCPO approves inheritance tax
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Inheritance tax gets NCPO nod The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: For the first time in the Kingdom’s modern history, Thais who are bequeathed fortunes by their wealthy relatives would have to start paying an inheritance tax under a Finance Ministry proposal that has already been…
-
Thai group fleeing Libya to take flight home today
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Thai group fleeing Libya to take flight home today The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: A group of Thai evacuees from unrest-plagued Libya will fly home today, General Tanasak Patima-pragorn, a deputy chief of the ruling National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), said yesterday. The…
Don't forget to check out some other things to do in Thailand - get help starting a business or finding a job in Thailand, buy Thailand property, rent a yacht or book a medical procedure worldwide.