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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Sponsored Planning to extend your Thai visa? Why health insurance is more important than ever
If you plan to stay longer in Thailand, having health insurance is now more important than ever. Thai immigration often asks for proof of medical coverage when you apply to extend your visa. This applies to many types of visas,...
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All silent on “insecticide’ causing deaths of Canadian sisters
PHUKET: A spokesperson at the forensic laboratory at Ramathibodi Hospital in Bangkok today declined to confirm or deny reports that insecticide containing DEET had been identified as the cause of death of Audrey and Noemi Belanger. The sisters, Audrey, age 20, and Noemi, 25, from Quebec, Canada, were found dead in their hotel room on Phi Phi Island on June…
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Hunt continues for suspect in Phuket Police shooting
PHUKET: Chalong Police continue to search for a suspect who remains at-large following the June shooting of an on-duty officer in a live music venue in Phuket. Lt Col Boonlert Onklang of the Chalong Police told the Phuket Gazette today (September 4) that his officers are still searching for Phiromchai “Un” Tuaktham, the only one of five suspects wanted in…
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French tourist killed, another comatose in Phuket motorbike crash
PHUKET: One French tourist is dead and another remains in a coma after the motorbike they were riding crashed on the beach road in Karon before dawn yesterday.Chalong duty officer Boonlert Onklang said that police were informed of the accident, at a curved section of the beach road near the Hilton Phuket Arcadia Resort, at 3.40am. Arriving at the scene,…
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“Hungry ghosts’ inspire new Phuket TAT chief to push cultural tourism
PHUKET: The new director of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Phuket office is drawing up plans to push Phuket’s cultural festivals after witnessing his first Por Tor festival in Phuket.Director Chanchai Doungjit told the Phuket Gazette this morning that he is devising a four-year plan to bring tourists in from around the world by expressly focusing on Phuket’s cultural…
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Flood takes steam out of Tiger Discotheque extension inquiry
PHUKET: The investigation into whether or not the alleged “extension” to the ill-fated Tiger Discotheque in Patong was legal fell flat last week after Patong Municipality admitted that it had lost the original plan to the building in a flood nearly a decade ago. The investigation was launched after four people died in the lethal blaze at the club, located…
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World News: Lufthansa cabin crew strike causes flight cancellations
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Hundreds of flights canceled as Lufthansa cabin crews strike Phuket Gazette / News Wires PHUKET: Cabin crews at German airline Lufthansa today launched a fresh strike at two major airports in Berlin and Frankfurt over an escalating pay dispute, a labor union said, forcing the airline…
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“…but I do believe there is an issue here.”
“I want to apologize for the timing of my comments but I do believe there is an issue here.” Oscar Pistorius has apologized for his outburst after he lost the final of the 200 meters at the Paralympic Games in London. South African Pistorius, known as Blade Runner, was beaten to the post by Alan Oliveira in a shock result,…
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Local TAT chief bullish on Phuket tourism industry
PHUKET: The new director the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) office in Phuket Town has proclaimed the “low season” a thing of the past with so many tourists arriving year-round. Speaking at the “Governor Meets the Press” gathering at Provincial Hall today, TAT Southern Region 4 Office director Chanchai Doungjit expressed confidence in the performance of the Phuket tourism industry,…
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Phone call ends suicide drama atop Phuket billboard
PHUKET: A troubled man, who this afternoon climbed atop a billboard opposite the Central Festival Phuket shopping complex, has climbed down to safety and is now in police protective custody. Phuket City Police Superintendent Sermphan Sirikhong identified the man as Sathien Promsang, originally from Trang province. “Mr Sathien told us that he had come to Phuket to find his wife…
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Booze and ballots don’t mix: Phuket poll
PHUKET: A majority of Phuket Gazette readers think the election-weekend alcohol bans should remain in place despite their cost to the local economy, the results of our online readers’ poll reveal. A total of 1,599 readers took part in the two-week survey, which was timed to span consecutive weekend alcohol bans: the first an island-wide ban for the Phuket Provincial…
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Phuket Sports: Islanders almost bag the Cat
PHUKET: The Islanders maintained their 10th place standing in the 18-team Yamaha Division One football league thanks to a 1-1 home draw against Nakhon Ratchasima FC on Saturday evening. The match, played under clear skies at Phuket FC’s Surakul Stadium, drew a crowd of about 2,500 fans, including dozens of Korat “Swat Cat” fans who travelled all the way from…
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Landslide win for Phuket’s Pian Keesin – the Mayor of Patong
PHUKET: Pian Keesin was re-elected to a third consecutive term as Patong Mayor yesterday, with members of his “Rak Patong” party winning 17 of the 18 seats contested to give him an unassailable majority in the new city council. Turnout for the polling, which ran from 8am to 3pm, was 63.5% of 12,831 eligible voters. There were 217 spoiled ballots…
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Gov orders crackdown on firecrackers, food prices for Vegetarian Festival
PHUKET: Phuket Governor Tri Augkaradacha has expressed his concern over the overzealous use of firecrackers and the skyrocketing prices of vegetables during the upcoming Phuket Vegetarian Festival, this year to be held from October 15-23. The news came at a meeting between Governor Tri and other senior officials and the Phuket Vegetarian Festival committee at Phuket Provincial Hall yesterday. Among…
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Phuket Airport expansion finally underway
PHUKET: Wing Commander Pratheep Wichittho, Deputy Director of Airports of Thailand (AOT) Public Co Ltd, today announced that the long-awaited 5.7-billion-baht expansion project at Phuket International Airport is finally underway. Mr Pratheep was joined at a press conference at the Royal Phuket City Hotel by Phuket Airport Director Prathuang Sornkham, who said that the expansion project would not adversely affect…
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Australian Govt rejects Bamford blast over Phuket rape claim
PHUKET: The Australian Government has flatly rejected allegations by one of their own citizens, Stevie Bamford, who went on Australian national television and accused embassy officials of telling her to lie about her alleged sexual assault ordeal on Phuket. Ms Bamford, 21, alleged on the prime-time television show Today Tonight that Australian consular officials told her to confess to lying…
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Phuket Opinion: There’s no place like home
PHUKET: The low turnout for the Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (PPAO) council election last weekend highlighted yet again the problems the island faces due to the fact that so many migrant workers who live here continue to maintain house registrations in their “home” provinces, in some cases despite having lived and worked on the island for over a decade. The…
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DEET in lethal “party cocktail’ killed Canadian sisters: Autopsy
PHUKET: Krabi Provincial Police are now investigating where Canadian sisters Audrey and Noemi Belanger were possibly given a lethal cocktail containing kratom leaves and cough syrup, which may also have contained the insect repellent compound DEET. The sisters, 20-year-old Audrey and Noemi, 25, from Quebec, were found dead in their hotel room on Phi Phi Island on June 15. Police…
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Phuket FC Coach: “Anything can happen’ tonight against Korat
PHUKET: Fans of Phuket FC are confident that their side will not walk away without at least a point in tonight’s home football match against a slightly better-ranked, yet tired and injury-riddled Nakhon Ratchasima FC side. To be played at Surakul Stadium in Phuket Town, the 25th fixture of the season will kickoff at 6:30pm. The Islanders’ Head Coach, Narong…
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Phuket Sports: Futsal soon “United’; World futsal cup draw
PHUKET: The island’s professional futsal (five-a-side indoor football) team Phuket United is set to begin pre-season training for the Thailand Futsal League (TFL) 2012-2013 season, scheduled to kick off unofficially by next month. Speaking on the phone from Bangkok, the team’s secretary, Samak Rattanatilok na Phuket, informed the Gazette that the team has finally received confirmation from the TFL about…
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Phuket ready for “hungry ghost’ festival
PHUKET: Phuket City Municipality has organized a wide range of activities for the annual Por Tor festival from September 2 to 15, including colorful street processions tomorrow and next Sunday. Promoted internationally by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) regional office in Phuket Town, the Por Tor festival has its roots from the Chinese “Spirit” or “Hungry Ghost” festival (zhong…
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Pedal power from Deep South arrives in Phuket
PHUKET: A sortie of 130 cyclists from Narathiwat arrived in Phuket this afternoon, pedaling their way from the troubled province in Thailand’s Deep South to Phuket Provincial Hall in just three days. There to welcome the cyclists was Phuket Public Health Office (PPHO) Chief Dr Sak Tanchaikul. “This bike rally was a cooperative effort between the Phuket Public Health Office…
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Once in a Blue Moon
PHUKET: The National Astronomical Research Institute (NARIT) has announced that the rare lunar event, known as a ‘Blue Moon’, is scheduled to occur tonight. NARIT Deputy Director, Dr. Sarun Posayachinda elaborated that a Blue Moon refers to the second full moon within a given month. A full moon generally takes place once a month. This occurrence happens approximately once every…
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Phuket Sports: Football season in its infancy
PHUKET: Last weekend was the second week of the new football season and even though it is still early, a familiar pattern seems to be emerging. Manchester City and Liverpool played out a thrilling 2-2 draw with Martin Skrtel the hero and villain of the game. The Slovakian international defender opened the scoring for Liverpool, but all his good work…
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Phuket Sports: F1 – Spa favors the brave
PHUKET: This weekend Formula 1 is back from an agonizingly long half-term break. And it’s Spa – one of my favorite tracks in F1 as it tests drivers more than any other in the world. Along with Monza it is the fastest circuit of year because the corners need to be taken flat out. The drivers will corner Eau Rouge…
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Cristiano Ronaldo: “It is the most difficult group in my opinion
PHUKET: “It is the most difficult group in my opinion and I think that’s the same for most people. But we are champions of Spain and we are ready to compete with everybody.” After the draw for the Champions League Group Stages the Real Madrid midfielder Cristiano Ronaldo admitted his team face a daunting task in Group D with Manchester…
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Songkhla man unconscious after savage beating by Phuket youth gang
PHUKET: Phuket police are investigating the beating of a man from Songkhla who was set upon by a gang of youths in Cherng Talay last night. Local police received reports of gunfire and a wounded man outside a row of flats on Pasak Soi 4 in Cherng Talay Village 4 at 10pm. At the scene they found the victim, 21-year-old…
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Phuket officials plan B20mn ‘final solution’ for Patong Hill road
PHUKET: The section of hill road between Patong and Phuket Town that caved in during the heavy rain last week has received makeshift repairs and is now open to traffic, thanks to an emergency injection of cash from the Department of Highways. The road was reopened after two days of reconstruction, explained Samak Luedwonghad, the director of the Department of…
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Phuket to get new police chief in latest reshuffle
PHUKET: Phuket will get a new provincial police commander as part of a nationwide reshuffle of top provincial-level officers. Phuket Provincial Police Deputy Commander Chalit Kaewyarat today confirmed to the Phuket Gazette the results of the reshuffle announced at a meeting of the National Police Committee at Royal Police Headquarters in Bangkok yesterday. Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yoobamrung, who as…
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Six injured sea turtles beach in Phuket, Phang Nga in one day
PHUKET: The six Olive Ridley sea turtles that were found washed ashore on beaches in Phuket and Phang Nga on Tuesday were almost all suffering serious injuries from encounters with fishing equipment. Dr Kongkiat Kittiwattanawong, who heads the Endangered Species Unit at the Phuket Marine Biological Center (PMBC), told the Gazette that the beachings were due in part to strong…
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Phuket Sports: Golf round up and Ryder Cup team updates
PHUKET: This week the PGA Tour made its way to New York State’s famed Bethpage Black Golf Course at Bethpage State Park, Farmingdale for the Barclays 2012 tournament. The course was in tip top condition to test the world’s best, with Fedex points and Ryder Cup spots on the line. The Bethpage Black course came to notoriety for being the…
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