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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Star Tour expecting Thailand bookings to double
PHUKET TOWN: Scandinavian tourists are heading for Thailand rather than Bali in the coming high season, said representatives of the giant Swedish company Star Tour this afternoon. A company executive said that Star Tour expects to bring 80,000 tourists to Thailand in the coming high season, most of whom will come to Phuket. This is twice the usual number. Five…
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Patong wins carnival after all
PATONG: The annual one-day carnival to mark the opening of the tourism high season will be held in Patong on November 1 after all. There was doubt over this year’s carnival, a fixture for many years, because it falls in the midst of campaigning for the municipal elections on November 16 and 17. Having at first decided to postpone the…
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Exorcist undone by demon drink
NAKHON SRI THAMMARAT: Black magic pratictioner Nuad Tongbua, 57, was well-respected for his effectiveness in treating the supernatural ails of villagers at Baan Pa Yang Kluay, in Tambon Khao Phra. After 30 years of successfully plying the dark arts, he was more commonly known as “Ajarn Niow”. However, on October 8, after an early morning session treating four “patients” followed…
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It’s an Ultraman world
ROI ET: Tough gangs are always causing trouble in Roi Et but no one expected the toughest of them all to be all female. The 50 members of the Ultraman Gang are aged 17 to 24 and by night they threaten people in pubs, karaoke bars and restaurants. Some of them are still at school and meet after class. The…
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Tax explained to eco-tour companies
PHUKET TOWN: About 20 companies that make up the Phuket Eco-Tourism Association (PETA) have had the tax system explained in detail to them by the Phuket Provincial Revenue Office (PPRO). The four-hour meeting at the Royal Phuket City Hotel was requested by PETA “because many members were asked for taxes retrospectively,” said Soonthorn Sakulsan, President of the PETA. “Some were…
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Bali’s loss is Phuket’s gain
PHUKET: Bali’s loss has been Phuket’s gain, it seems, with hotel bookings on the island soaring as holidaymakers and conference organizers switch following the Kuta bombing. A prime indicator is the Phuket.Com hotel booking website, which has seen a huge surge in bookings over the past few days. Neil Cumming, the company’s CEO, told the Gazette, “The big change for…
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Security strategy set for Phuket
PHUKET TOWN: Pol Col Paween Pongsirin, Superintendent of Phuket Town Police Station, held a meeting today attended by more than 40 police officers and about 50 other people from Phuket Town, including entertainment venue managers, tuk-tuk drivers and religious leaders, to work out how to improve security strategy after the Bali bombing. Col Paween told the meeting, “From what happened…
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Phuket to gain another sister?
PHUKET TOWN: Officials from Phuket and Hainan in China are discussing the prospect of joining the two islands as “sister cities”, it was announced today. “Hainan really wants to become sister cities with Phuket,” said Governor CEO Pongpayome Vasaputi at a press conference following his meeting with Wang Xiaofeng, Governor of Hainan Island of Guangdong province. “I’ll consider it and…
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Patong election puts brakes on festival
PATONG: The annual festival to mark the first day of the high season has been postponed indefinitely, Pattanapong Aikwanich, President of Phuket Tourist Association (PTA), said on Tuesday. Speaking at the Le Meridien Phuket Beach Resort, K. Pattanapong said, “The Patong Municipal Council has disbanded so there are no councilors to help organize the event. This has forced us to…
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Gov calls for tighter security after Bali
PHUKET TOWN: Phuket needs greater protective security following the Bali bombing, Governor CEO Pongpayome Vasaputi told a meeting of 30 officials today at Provincial Hall. The terrorist outrage would not bring any direct benefit to Phuket in increased tourism, but it was essential that the danger be understood and dealt with effectively, he told the gathering of police, immigration officials,…
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Lalvani raps lack of govt support
BANGKOK: Mega-investor Gulu Lalvani has again criticized the Thai government’s failure to wholeheartedly support the development of recreational boating in Thailand, arguing that it is giving neighboring countries an edge. Referring to Malaysia’s aggressive promotion of Langkawi as a destination for this kind of top-end tourism, Kuala Lumpur’s imaginative legislative approach and the huge investment that has poured in as…
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Thai-Burma border reopens
RANONG: Thailand’s border with Burma reopened at 6 am today for the first time since May 22 and the situation quickly returned to normal. Pol Cpl Nopadol Chompuboot, of Ranong Provincial Immigration Office, said Burmese were crossing to Thailand to buy food and goods while tourists were crossing to Burma. Cpl Nopadol added, “People from Thailand and Burma are happy…
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Vegetarian Festival toll
PHUKET TOWN: Two people died when their motorcycle hit a pole and a Singaporean tourist was admitted to hospital with damage to his eyes caused by fireworks during the Vegetarian Festival, statistics from hospitals reveal. Hospitals reported that 14 spirit mediums needed treatment for face piercings. Four people suffered from burns and 15 were injured by firecrackers. Including those hurt…
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Calm reaction in Phuket to Bali horror
PHUKET: Reactions in Phuket to Saturday’s horror in Kuta, Bali, have so far been measured, with tourists saying they plan to complete their vacations and travel companies, though worried, reporting business as usual. Maxine Pearson, 43, from London, told the Phuket Gazette, “It was sad, but it happens everywhere … it wouldn’t stop me from going to Bali, and it…
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Surasak back in the race; Chairat joins
PATONG: Patong’s mayoral race hotted up today with announcements that Surasak Maneesri is back in the race, and that a fourth contender, Safari Pub owner Chairat Sukbal, has announced his candidacy. K. Surasak explained that he has already lodged an appeal, with the Administration Court in Songkhla, against an order by former Interior Minister Purachai Piemsomboon instructing him to quit…
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Warning over no-travel “visa runs’
PHUKET: Pol Col Apirak Hongtong, Superintendent of Phuket Provincial Immigration Office (PPIO), warned again today that foreigners needing visas renewed must complete the process themselves by traveling to another country. Pol Col Apirak said, “Many foreigners still renew their visas through agents and don’t go outside the country. The numbers have not decreased at all. We have also received reports…
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Review panel finds sea-walking unsafe
PHUKET: After a six-month study of the sea-walking industry in Thailand, a review panel of the Thailand Institute of Scientific and Technological Research (TISTR) yesterday said that current safety provisions were inadequate. Speaking at a meeting at Phuket Provincial Hall to garner feedback from sea-walking operators in Phuket, a TISTR officer said that there is an urgent need for Thai…
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Glue-sniffers come unstuck
PHUKET TOWN: Two teenagers were taken into custody for substance abuse yesterday after local residents reported three boys and a girl sniffing glue in the public park at Phuket Villa 1. When officers arrived at the park, the four teenagers fled in different directions, leaving behind a plastic bag containing rubber adhesive. Officers gave chase and caught two of the…
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A fatal frog in the throat
SURAT THANI: Somjai Jansong, 61, was looking forward to visiting his relatives in Thachana district, where his nephew Manit Disdetch, 46, was throwing a party. When K. Somjai arrived, K. Manit explained that he had prepared a special dish for the party, which he called “wild frog”. The frog, he boasted, weighed about one kilogram and he had caught it…
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Car stripper
NONTHABURI: A thief out to strip a car of valuables stripped himself naked in a bid to persuade police he was mad and deserving of sympathy. But his ploy failed. His ability as a performer was duly noted because the car he chose to break into belonged to Ploy Jaroenpura, 37, the elder sister of the singer Mai Jaroenpura, and…
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Timeshare staff arrested over work permits
PATONG: Shockwaves ran through the Patong end of Phuket’s timeshare industry yesterday after six men and two women were arrested following complaints from tourists. Seven of the eight face expulsion from the country for working without work permits. The eighth is Thai. Governor CEO Pongpayome Vasaputi said yesterday that the seven foreigners did not have work permits. They were named…
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Taxi boss fails to get cabs into airport
PHUKET: A metered taxi company has been denied space to operate at Phuket International Airport despite repeated applications and high-level discussions. Today the Phuket Land Transportation Office Committee held a meeting at Phuket Provincial Hall with involved parties including Governor CEO Pongpayome Vasaputi; Lt Cdr Boonchart Prompoon, Director of Phuket International Airport (PIA); Weera Kruepanich, representative of Phuket Limousine &…
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Classy thief robs government officers
PHUKET TOWN: A well-dressed thief who allegedly specialized in daring walk-in robberies of government offices is being questioned by police. Prayoon Kruekaew, 26, of Phuket, was arrested at his home on Patipat Rd this afternoon after what appeared to be his latest stunt. He confessed to pulling eight robberies in Phuket and five in Haad Yai. His method was to…
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Patong’s status upgraded to town
PATONG: Patong has grown up, from a tambon to a muang, or town, with a bigger budget and changes to the electoral system. Somkiet Kwansuwan, Palad of Patong Municipal Office explained, “It has been proposed for two years that Patong be upgraded from tambon to muang, and this finally come into effect on Saturday (October 5).” Because of the change,…
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Meat company boss faces political charges
PHUKET TOWN: Belgian businessman Hugo Van Der Velde, 62, was today charged with becoming illegally involved in Thai politics after a complaint from the Thai Rak Thai (TRT) party that he had been passing out business cards describing him as a consultant to the party. Four other foreigners, another Belgian, an Australian, an Italian and a Briton, are expected to…
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More die on Phuket’s roads
PHUKET TOWN: Phuket’s road carnage has increased with a total death toll in the first eight months of the year up by 14% on the same period last year. The new figure brought the island’s road toll for the year to 121 dead and 8,714 injured in all accidents. The toll for the same period last year was 106 dead…
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Airport to expand onsite services
PHUKET: On the 14th anniversary of Phuket International Airport (PIA), Tawat Anukoon, Vice-President of the Airports of Thailand Co, yesterday said that airport services will be improved to cope with an expected rise in the number of aircraft landing at and departing from Phuket. K. Tawat explained that the airport authority expected a 3% rise in air traffic here over…
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Buses win funding boost
PHUKET TOWN: Heartened by figures that show as many as 1,200 paying passengers a day using its public bus service, the Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (OrBorJor) has set aside 25 million baht to buy a fleet of smaller buses. Free travel is another option being considered by the OrBorJor under expansion plans for the fledgling Green Bus service. OrBorJor Vice-President…
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FantaSea makes it two in a row
KAMALA: Phuket FantaSea recently received, for the second time in a row, the prestigious Best Attraction Award, presented by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT). The biennial award – regarded as one of the highest honors in the Thai tourism industry – was also won by Phuket FantaSea in 2000. FantaSea received the award, the TAT said, because of its…
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Former Governor in Patong poll wrangle
PATONG: A former Governor of Phuket has complained about his name and photo being used in the Patong municipal election campaign without his knowledge. Prof Yuwath Wuthimethee, who was governor of Phuket almost 10 years ago, demanded that mayoral candidate Pian Keesin remove his picture from election material being circulated by the Palang Patong Party (Patong Power-PPP). Prof Yuwath, now…
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