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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 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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Living With The Tiger: film fights HIV stigma
PHUKET: Attitudes are changing as Phuket gets screenings of an acclaimed documentary about the children of Baan Gerda, an orphanage for HIV-infected kids cast out by their communities and families. What do you do when stuck alone in a small boat with a big, hungry tiger? In the novel The Life of Pi, the protagonist, Pi, comes to form a…
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FC Phuket draw with Saraburi in league restart
PHUKET: After a month-long league lay-off FC Phuket drew with Saraburi FC Warlords in a heated match on Saturday evening with a final score of 2-2 in their Division One encounter. The match was played in front of a crowd of 2,500 at the Saraburi Provincial Administration Organization M150 Stadium. Phuket went ahead in the 16th minute from a strike…
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Phuket “death bend’ gets ‘band aid’ safety, for now
PHUKET: The Phuket Highways Office has closed one southbound lane at the Kor En ‘death bend’ as a temporary measure to stop more accidents at the notorious black spot in Thalang. Also installed as temporary measures are signs warning motorists to slow down and small concrete blocks separating the vehicles exiting Baan Kor En from the traffic speeding past heading…
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Southern Thai football is charging ahead with Krabi and Pattalung
PHUKET: Southern Thai football is charging ahead with Krabi FC and Pattalung FC each prevailing at the top of their respective groups in the Thai Premier League (TPL) 2011 Division Two AIS League promotion playoffs. The playoffs, which began in October and are set to conclude in December, divide 12 fine finalists into two groups of six. Upon conclusion, only…
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Italian Cigana bags third Laguna Phuket Triathlon
PHUKET: Massimo Cigana from Italy successfully defended his Laguna Phuket Triathlon (LPT) title today and celebrates an unprecedented third victory in the competition.The “Race of Legends” truly has a new legend in its record books after Cigana from Venice sauntered across the finish line in a time of 02:32:51 and adding the 2011 title to his 2010 and 2007 wins.Speaking…
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Russian tourist dies after Phuket beach rescue effort
PHUKET: A 57-year-old Russian tourist has died after being pulled from the water at Phuket’s Kata Beach this morning. Lt Tianchai Duangsuwan of Chalong Police named the victim as Uriu Varnakov. “He was on holiday in Phuket with his girlfriend and his girlfriend’s parents,” he said. Uten Singsom, head of the Phuket Lifeguard Club stationed at Kata Beach, told the…
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One dead, one injured in Phuket high-speed crash
PHUKET: One man died and another was seriously injured in a high-speed accident in the north of Phuket early this morning.Lt Kraisorn Misang of Thalang Police told the Phuket Gazette that at about 4am he received a report that a car had hit a power pole in front of the Caltex Gas Station near Wat Srisoonthorn on Thepkrasattri Road, north…
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Phuket Opinion: Mob behavior not always necessary
PHUKET: The hundreds of Baan Kho En villagers who formed a mob and commandeered the southbound lanes of Thepkrasattri Road in Phuket last week all knew one thing: they had been down this road before. The tragic, avoidable deaths of Anupong Sae-Yu and his aunt Malai Kaewkluan were only the latest deaths on the notorious stretch of road, known locally…
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Laguna triathletes inspire Phuket swim safety program
PHUKET: Organizers of the 18th Laguna Phuket Triathlon (LPT) officially opened proceedings and also launched Laguna’s Swim Survival Program (LSSP) at a press conference this afternoon.Guest speakers at the event held at the Dusit Thani Laguna Resort were led by Paiboon Upatising President of the Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (OrBorJor).Paiboon expressed his delight with the success of this year’s event…
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Phuket King’s Cup Regatta offering “Parties for Smarties’
PHUKET: The organizers of the King’s Cup Regatta are calling for volunteers to help officials on the water on race days. “We’re looking for Phuket-based volunteers to help on the water. They must be available for the entire Regatta week, and yachting experience is required,” says Duncan Worthington, one of the organizers of the regatta. Volunteers are needed primarily to…
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Phuket urged to prepare for “Korean wave’
PHUKET: As the Andaman Travel Trade 2011 expo continues today at Phuket Rajabhat University, Korean honorary consul Tossaporn Thepabutr has warned local officials to prepare for a huge influx of Korean tourism operators coming to set up shop in Phuket. “More Korean company owners are looking at moving their operations to Phuket because of the floods in Bangkok. Phuket is…
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Laguna Phuket Triathlon exceeds 1,000
PHUKET: Entries for the Laguna Phuket Triathlon (LPT) tomorrow have raced beyond the 1,000 mark for the first time since the inaugural event in 1994.This record number of participants is a confirmation of Phuket’s reputation as one the most popular triathlon destinations in Asia.Sunday morning will see a total of 1,078 athletes from 41 countries jostle for position at the…
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Phuket police nab “serial thieves’
PHUKET: An investigation into a spate of robberies in northern Phuket has led to three arrests, but police believe the break-and-enter gang’s ringleader is still at large. Thalang Police Superintendent Witun Kongsudjai, yesterday, presented the three suspects charged with being “sneak thieves” and receiving stolen property. The suspects were Subandit “Bee” Boonsit, 27, Kittisak Wongsaard, 36, and Somyot Taweesaeng, 44,…
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Athletes flock for Laguna Phuket’s 18th international triathlon
PHUKET: Over 1,000 competitors are descending on the island for the 18th Laguna Phuket Triathlon (LPT) which officially begins today with race registration and a press conference at the Dust Thani Laguna Phuket.Registration numbers have smashed all previous records from the 17 year history of this prestigious Southeast Asian athletic event.Master of ceremonies Whit Raymond will introduce several guest speakers…
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Police confirm handover of 95 Rohingya near Phuket to Thai Army
PHUKET: Police in Kuraburi, Phang Nga province, have confirmed that 95 Rohingya landed on the island of Koh Phra Thong on Thursday morning. The island lies in the Andaman sea about 110km north of Phuket. “We received a call from local villagers on the island saying that a boat full of Rohingya people had landed on the shore there, but…
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Phuket business owners at Karon Beach win reprieve from street clearing
PHUKET: Business owners in the chaotic street of “Soi Centara“, formerly known for years as “Soi Islandia Resort“, in Phuket’s tourist-popular Karon Beach area, have won a reprieve from having structures on their street demolished. Adam Simone, owner of Bershat Guesthouse and a resident in the area for more than 12 years, told the Phuket Gazette, “Two days ago we…
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Weird World News: Technology fads with “Robocop’ prison guards, indestructible iPads and the “Hi honey’ banner vending machine
PHUKET: Technology is great for providing distractions, but this week’s Weird World News round-up is all about the latest gizmo goings-on designed to get your attention, and keep it. ‘RoboCops’ to patrol South Korean prisons SOUTH Korean prisons will deploy a fleet of robot guards to keep inmates in line. And at one billion won (about 27 million baht) apiece,…
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Phuket Sports – FC Phuket to battle Warlords in Saraburi on Saturday
PHUKET: FC Phuket returns to action tomorrow evening when they meet ninth-placed Saraburi FC. Set for a 6pm kickoff at the Saraburi Provincial Administration Organization stadium, the match follows a 41-day hiatus from league play – a relief period that allowed several footballers, including Phuket’s Sarach Yooyen, to compete in the 26th Southeast Asian Games in Indonesia as well as…
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Phuket jet-skis on the rise
PHUKET: The Phuket Marine Office has decided to take it easy on jet-ski rental operators who haven’t registered their jet-skis, the quarterly meeting of Phuket’s honorary consuls was told at Phuket Provincial Hall yesterday. “Since we started managing jet-ski rental operations in 2007, we have had 219 jet-skis registered in Phuket. We are still trying to control the number of…
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Khao Sok Organics coming to Phuket
PHUKET: The Australian Chamber of Commerce (AustCham) Sundowners business networking meeting returns to Phuket tonight at the Thanyapura, Phuket International Academy in Thalang. Keynote speaker will be Martin Smesters, managing director of Pura Organics, speaking on producing and using organic food products in Thailand. Pura Organics sources from a network of more than 40 organic suppliers and sources in Thailand.…
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Phuket MP Anchalee accused of using flood relief to ‘buy’ support
PHUKET: Phuket Democrat MP Anchalee Vanich-Thepabutr will defend herself in Parliament against allegations that she gave medical packs meant for flood victims to her own constituents going on the Haj in a bid to boost her support. Pheu Thai spokesman Phromphong Nopparit said the party would this week lodge a complaint with the Election Commission against MP Anchalee, the Thai-language…
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Phuket amnesty prisoners make merit for HM
PHUKET: Phuket prisoners today helped to clean up Wat Charoen Samanakit, located behind Phuket Provincial Hall, in order to make merit for HM The King Bhumibol Adulyadej ahead of his 84th birthday on December 5. The 40 prisoners involved in the cleanup are all under consideration for amnesty under His Majesty’s annual birthday pardons, explained Phuket Prison Director Rapin Nichanon.…
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Bangkok bus, train services to South return to normal
PHUKET: After a month of Bangkok suffering from one of the worst floods to hit Thailand in the past century, bus services to Phuket and bus and train services to other destinations in southern Thailand have returned to normal. Rising flood waters forced bus services from the New Southern Bus Terminal (Sai Tai Mai) on Borom Maratchachonnani Road in Bangkok…
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Phuket “best in Thailand’ for wearing helmets, says study
PHUKET: A recent study has placed Phuket as the top province in Thailand when it comes to motorbike riders and passengers wearing helmets. “Since we launched our ‘100 per cent helmet’ campaign in 2010, Phuket has been chosen as a model province for wearing helmets. We are the top province for wearing helmets,” said Phuket Public Health Office (PPHO) Deputy…
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7th Phuket International Sport Fishing tournament underway
PHUKET: The 7th Phuket International Sport Fishing Tournament (PIST) has cast off with the first day of competition taking participants out into the waters off Chalong Bay. With 80 participants who comprise 20 teams, the tournament has earned its place as the island’s premier annual fishing event which runs from November 24 to 26. Fishing enthusiasts from around the world…
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Phuket Governor confirmed to stay another year
PHUKET: Governor Tri Augkaradacha will remain the Governor of Phuket until October 2012, Manas Nurak, personal secretary to Governor Tri, confirmed today. Mr Manas said that the news comes following his office’s receipt of formal notification of the Thai Cabinet’s approval of the 34 transfers to be made among high-ranking positions in the Ministry of Interior, including the position of…
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Island View – Fighting for British pensions in Phuket’s paradise
PHUKET: Your signatures are needed to end the unfair frozen overseas pension policy of the British government. Some of you may not be aware that when a United Kingdom state pensioner retires to live abroad in certain countries their pension is frozen and they do not receive annual cost-of-living increases. There are over half a million of these pensioners affected…
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Inaugural Copenhagen-Phuket flight welcomed
PHUKET: Thai Airway’s inaugural direct flight from Copenhagen landed safely at Phuket International Airport on Saturday.At the airport to greet the first 336 passengers aboard flight TG953 were the Governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Suraphon Svetasreni, Phuket Governor Tri Augkaradacha, Director of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Bangonrat Shinaprayoon, Phuket Tourist Association (PTA) Vice President Bhuritt…
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Indigo Pearl Phuket wins spa design of the year
PHUKET: Leading luxury Phuket resort Indigo Pearl was honored recently with the Spa Design of the Year award for its Coqoon Spa at the prestigious AsiaSpa Awards 2011 held at The Mira Hotel in Hong Kong. The seventh annual AsiaSpa Awards are presented by AsiaSpa, the only magazine in Asia entirely dedicated to the pursuit of complete well-being. The AsiaSpa…
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Evoque SUV ideal for “new age’ business folk in Phuket
PHUKET: The Range Rover Evoque, the latest high-end Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) by Land Rover, hit the Phuket market with an official open-house party. The Evoque, with a starting price tag of 4.09 million baht, was introduced at the Benz Ramkhamhaeng Group (BRG) showroom in Rassada. The British-assembled SUV was initially unveiled in the United Kingdom in July, before making…
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