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.
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Navy to conduct rescue training in Phuket
PHUKET: The Royal Thai Navy will conduct training drills next week to improve coordination among different emergency response units in Phuket. The announcement came at a press conference by the Navy Third Area Command at their base at Cape Panwa yesterday. The meeting was attended by Phuket Governor Tri Augkaradacha, along with representatives from the Marine Police, local government bodies,…
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Patong named “Safety Zone’ in Phuket model for public safety
PHUKET: Patong has been nominated a “Safety Zone” by Deputy Police Chief Pansiri Prapawat as part of the “Phuket model” for public safety. Speaking at a meeting yesterday that focused on establishing tourism safety measures for the island, Gen Pansiri said, “Phuket is one of the most attractive vacation places in Thailand. However, illegal taxis, jet-ski operators and issues with…
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Koh Lanta community “powerless’ for two decades
PHUKET: More than 20 families of Baan Klong Jak on Koh Lanta Noi, in Krabi have repeated their plea for their village to be provided mains supply electricity.Although a new road to the village was cut through the jungle two years ago, the community still lacks electricity, and continues to be dependent on oil lamps for lighting, as it has…
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Phuket expat’s “last wishes’ hang in limbo
PHUKET: Staff at Vachira Phuket Hospital are awaiting instructions from the British Embassy in Bangkok regarding what to do with the body of a British national who was found dead in his rented room in Chalong two weeks ago. The body of Michael David Leo, 59, was discovered on the bed of his accommodation near Chalong Pier on the night…
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PADI divers prepare for Phuket’s biggest coral reef cleanup
PHUKET: Nine dive boats and almost 20 PADI dive shops with the guidance of PADI Project AWARE have put aside their differences and on Tuesday, at the group’s third meeting, announced the date for what they hope will be the largest coral reef cleanup in Phuket. The project, part of the group’s start-up “Go Eco Phuket“, aims to set “cleanup…
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First over-the-counter HIV test kit approved
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community U.S. FDA approves first over-the-counter HIV test kit Phuket Gazette / News WiresPHUKET: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Tuesday approved the first over-the-counter, self-administered HIV test kit. The FDA-approved OraQuick In-Home HIV Test detects the presence of antibodies to human immunodeficiency virus type…
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Little prick ends in big stab
PHUKET: A man from Samut Prakan province is facing police charges after stabbing a work colleague almost to death for teasing him about the size of his penis. Bunma Saenrak, 23, stabbed Nakarin Noikert, 24, three times in the head in the toilets of their workplace, an autoparts factory in Bang Phli District. Mr Bunma, who is now in police…
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Weird World News: Porky police told to slim down; inmates creatively shave off jail time
PHUKET: This week’s Weird World News roundup is about porky Pakistani police getting slim-down threat letters, and Brazilian inmates trying to shave off a little time with books, while others in the UK take to the walls with plastic forks. Crackdown on portly police Pakistan has put fat field officers on the chopping block after only a quarter of the…
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Japanese tourist foils abduction attempt amid Phuket Police “media blackout’
PHUKET: The Royal Thai Police have ordered a “media blackout” for Phuket, with only the local police superintendent authorized to release information to the media, the Phuket Gazette has learned. News of the blackout follows yet another disturbing report involving a tourist and a local, although this one has a happy ending – thanks to a brave Japanese tourist. According…
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Meth addicted woman terrorizes Phuket temple
PHUKET: A deranged, knife-wielding woman had people running for cover at a Phuket temple yesterday until she was finally stripped of the weapon and placed under police custody. Chalong Police were notified at 10:30am that a knife-wielding woman was terrorizing people on the grounds of the Wat Sawang Arom School, off Soi Happy Home in Rawai, according to Siangtai Daily…
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Bangkok oil refinery fire; under control
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Fire at Bangchak’s oil refinery brought under control Phuket Gazette / The Nation PHUKET: A blaze at the Bangchak oil refinery in Soi Sukhumvit 64, Bangkok, believed to have been caused by a leak in a pipeline, has been brought under control with no injuries reported.…
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Thailand Sports: FIVB; Olympics; Golf; Snooker
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Spikers return in triumph from World GP Phuket Gazette / The Nation PHUKET: The Thai women’s volleyball team are still on cloud nine after clinching a best-ever finish of fourth in the FIVB World Grand Prix, which ended on Sunday. It was the first time that…
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Firemen scramble as Thai warship catches fire
PHUKET: Firefighters this morning scrambled to contain a fire that broke out on the retired warship RTMS Lanta, now a museum and tourist attraction in the heart Krabi Town. Fortunately, no people were injured in the blaze. Lt Col Thongchai Sengrod of the Krabi Town Police said that he received a report at 11am that smoke was billowing out of…
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Young couple caught in Phuket meth bust
PHUKET: Phuket Police last night arrested a man and a woman in their 20s in possession of category one drugs at their home in Thalang. The couple are suspected of selling drugs to teenagers in the area. Lt Col Prasan Towon, at about 11:20 pm last night, led a team of Thalang Police to raid an address in a housing…
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Oil slick endangers Krabi mangroves, clean-up ordered
PHUKET: Krabi authorities have launched a massive cleanup operation after a boat struck rocks and spilled a large volume of oil into the sea, resulting in extensive damage to protected mangrove forests in Neua Khlong District, about 130 kilometers east of Phuket across Phang Nga Bay. The spill was first reported at 9am Saturday morning. How much oil was spilled…
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Phuket Simon Cabaret van slams into parked cars to avoid head-on
PHUKET: A Phuket Simon Cabaret passenger van, returning after dropping off guests, late last night slammed into cars parked outside a roadside garage in Thalang as the driver swerved to avoid an oncoming vehicle. Thalang Police were notified of the crash at 12:30am today. Arriving at the scene, on a curved section of Srisoonthorn Road about a kilometer west of…
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Sweet words from Army; Rural docs plead; Thai suspect in Mekong killings
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Sweet words from the Army’s wary men in the middle Phuket Gazette / The Nation PHUKET: Military leaders appear to be on the horns of a dilemma over whether they should stay out of politics, while standing at the center of the political landscape with opposing…
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World News: Russian roulette goes tragically wrong
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Florida teen kills self during game of Russian roulette Phuket Gazette / News Wires PHUKET: An American teenager, who was critically injured last week while playing a game of ‘Russian roulette’ with friends has died at a hospital in central Florida, police said on Sunday. The…
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Phuket Town “Blue Flag Fair’ to start Thursday
PHUKET: The Department of Internal Trade (DIT) office in Phuket Town will hold a “Blue Flag Fair” with cheap food and consumer goods at Saphan Hin on July 5-7. The event, to be held at the Central Staging Area at Saphan Hin Public Park, follows the success of the Blue Flag fair held at Sanamchai field, in the government office…
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Phuket Gazette: Roland might have key to longer life
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Naked mole rat may hold key to longer, healthier life for humans Phuket Gazette / News Wires PHUKET: Finding out what causes the extremely long and active lifespan of naked mole rats could lead to longer and healthier lives for humans, American and Israeli researchers said…
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Phuket Business: Notice and redemption periods
PHUKET: One thing many investors don’t understand when looking at a fund fact sheet, is how long it will take to get their cash back when they sell. There are generally two pieces of information you’re looking for: one is the notice period and the other is the redemption period. These two things, in addition to a third factor –…
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Phuket tuk-tuk driver gets suspended sentence for attack on tourist
PHUKET: A Phuket tuk-tuk driver who confessed to assaulting an Egyptian tourist in Patong last week has been sentenced to a three-month suspended prison term and fined 3,000 baht. Patong Police Deputy Superintendent Kittipong Klaikaew identified the driver as 40-year-old Sirapob Ngamriab. Patong Police were notified of an assault on a tourist in front of the Jungceylon shopping complex on…
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Phuket police arrest Cherng Talay burglar
PHUKET: A member of a gang of burglars who target high-end homes of foreigners living in the Cherng Talay area was arrested over the weekend and presented to the Phuket press today. The suspect, 27-year-old Wittawat Maneesri, was presented to the press by Col Jirasak Siamsak along with over one million baht’s worth of stolen electronics and other valuable seized…
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Phuket Live Wire: The real meaning of ‘Do Not Track’
PHUKET: Professionally, I live in a world that’s just about equally divided between people who run around with tin foil hats on their heads, and people who don’t particularly care about internet privacy. In 1999, Scott McNealy, the former CEO of Sun Microsystems, famously said, “You have zero privacy anyway. Get over it.” Steve Manes, the guy who wrote the…
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Seven injured as fishing boat explodes
PHUKET: Seven people were rushed to hospital after an explosion erupted on board a Phuket fishing boat queued up to take on ice at Por Pichai Company wharf, in Rassada, yesterday.Phuket City Police were notified of the explosion at 8:10am and rushed to the scene along with Kusoldharm Foundation rescue workers.At the scene, rescue workers found the Sathaporn 7 half…
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Phuket Business: The changing landscape of Phuket’s property sector
PHUKET: Demand on Phuket for condos is skyrocketing, highlighted by strong annual growth figures, which is in contrast with slumping sales of other housing types. A survey conducted by the Research & Development Department of Plus Property Co Ltd found that 2,641 new condominium units were sold on the island from April 1, 2011 through March 31, 2012 – an…
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Phuket Gazette: Leap second added to compensate for Earth’s rotation
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Horologists add leap second to compensate for Earth’s rotation time Phuket Gazette / News Wires PHUKET: Horologists added a so-called leap second on late Saturday night, compensating for the Earth’s rotation which is gradually slowing down. It was the 25th leap second to be added but…
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Chinese tourist drowns at Patong Beach
PHUKET: A 19-year-old Chinese tourist drowned last night at Patong Beach, on Phuket’s west coast, after going for a night swim with a female friend.Sakhon Chaithong, chief lifeguard at Patong Beach, told the Phuket Gazette that two Chinese tourists were pulled from the surf near Laem Petch, at the north end of Patong, at about 7:30pm.Foreign tourists spotted the two…
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Phuket divided over best approach to surf safety: Poll
PHUKET: While there is a broad consensus that more needs to be done to warn visiting tourists of the dangers of monsoon-season surf, Phuket Gazette readers are divided over what method would be the most effective at getting the message out. In the online poll, the Gazette asked readers: “The monsoon season is here and once again hardly a week…
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Swedish Road Deaths: Crash driver sentencing deferred – again
PHUKET: The handing down of the court sentence to the driver of a refrigerator truck that killed four Swedish tourists and their Thai driver in Phang Nga early in February, has been deferred for the second time, the Phuket Gazette has learned. The driver, 27-year-old Muhummadyukee Jehyusoh, turned himself in to Khok Kloy Police on February 3, two days after…
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