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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Officials Report 15 New AIDS Cases
PHUKET TOWN: Government health officials recorded 15 new cases of AIDS in Phuket province and three deaths from AIDS-related complications during the one-month reporting period ending October 19. The Phuket Provincial Health Department has recorded 780 cases of AIDS since it began keeping records in January, 1989. A total of 265 deaths attributed to AIDS-related complications have been recorded during…
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Foreign Ministers Meeting In Phuket
KARON: Foreign Affairs Minister Surin Pitsuwan is in Phuket today as part of an official visit by his Bangladeshi counterpart, Abdul Samad Azad. This morning, the two participated in a roundtable discussion with leaders of the local Muslim community at the Phuket Arcadia Hotel and Resort. Before returning to Bangkok later today, the Thai minister will lead an orientation tour…
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Another Year Floats By
PHUKET TOWN: The island was aglow last evening as residents and visitors observed Loy Krathong at city parks, the seaside, resort hotels, and just about anywhere else you could find a body of water. In Phuket Town, crowds lined the reflecting pool at Saphan Hin and sent their decorative offerings on their way. Krathong vendors reported doing a brisk business,…
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Dutch Tourists To Be Accommodated
BANGKOK: The recent announcement by Thai Airways International (THAI) to temporarily suspend flights to and from Amsterdam has been followed up with measures to minimize the impact of the service cutback on passengers, the carrier said. Tasnai Sudasna na Ayudhaya, Vice President for Revenue Planning and Management, acknowledged that over 7,000 Thailand-bound vacationers had booked flights on the airline out…
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Over 300 Netted In Crime Suppression Effort
PHUKET TOWN: District patrolmen and crime suppression officers arrested more than 300 suspects on various criminal offences during the Phuket Provincial Police Department’s latest reporting period. In its crime report covering October 1 through October 25, the department said officers charged one suspect with murder, eight with assault, one with criminal sexual assault, 52 with theft, and seven with firearms…
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Walkers Headed To Isan
MAE SAI: Dennis Peacock and Boonchern Jinapirom, the two men who took to the pavement in their grassroots “Walking For Thailand” campaign earlier this year, are still going strong in their pursuit to traverse every province in the Kingdom. In a postcard received today by the Gazette, Peacock wrote that the pair were on their way from Mae Sai in…
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Sailors Convicted In Theft Incident
TOKYO: The two American sailors who sparked a manhunt after cash was discovered missing from their navy vessel’s safe following a liberty call in Phuket, have been convicted and sentenced in general court-martial proceedings at the Yokosuka Naval Base, the U.S. Embassy and naval criminal investigators have confirmed. Petty Officer 2nd Class Roger Alden Chain, Jr, who served as the…
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Eleven Injured By Fireworks
PHUKET TOWN: Despite a plea from Governor Chadej Insawang to exercise extreme caution when lighting fireworks on the final night of the annual Phuket Vegetarian Festival, eleven local residents were admitted to Wachira General Hospital Wednesday with fireworks-related injuries. A hospital spokesman told the Gazette that one of those admitted, a 15-year-old boy, had to undergo amputation of his left…
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Sea Canoe Manager In Stable Condition
PHUKET TOWN: Panwong Hirunchai, the Day Trip Operation Manager for Sea Canoe Thailand’s Phang Nga-based operations, was reported in stable condition at Bangkok Phuket Hospital this morning, one day after being shot outside the expedition company’s office. Sea Canoe Director and General Manager Noah Shepherd, who visited Khun Panwong earlier today at the hospital’s Intensive Care Unit, told the Gazette…
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Canoe Manager Shot Outside Office
PHUKET TOWN: Police are hunting for two suspects in connection with the shooting earlier today of Panwong Hirunchai, the Day Trip Operation Manager for Sea Canoe Thailand’s Phang Nga-based operations. According to Phuket Provincial Police Deputy Commander Somjai Sirikul, the 39-year-old manager was shot as he arrived at Sea Canoe’s offices on Yaowarat Road at 10:20 a.m. The gunman, described…
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THAI Winter Program Announced
BANGKOK: Thai Airways International (THAI) has announced its new Winter Program, which will be in effect from October 25, 1998 to March 27, 1999. The carrier will maintain its flight frequencies on Northern Pacific routes, including seven flights per week on the Bangkok-Osaka-Los Angeles route. The total number of weekly flights operated between the Kingdom and Europe will be increased…
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“Dark Horse’ Wins Laguna Triathlon
CHERNG TALAY: Marc Lees broke away from the pack and held on to capture the men’s pro division title in today’s Thai Airways Laguna Phuket Triathlon. Lees, who had been off the race circuit since tearing hamstring muscles in May, finished in 2:29, nearly five minutes ahead of fellow Australian Greg Welch. “I wanted to be the dark horse,” Lees…
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Stage Set For Triathlon
CHERNG TALAY: Final preparations are underway for tomorrow’s Thai Airways International Laguna Phuket Triathlon. Australian pros Greg Welch and Jackie Gallagher will be seeking to defend their men’s and women’s titles, as are Paisarn Sangvirul and Napaporn Boonthum, last year’s top finishers in the Thai men’s and women’s amateur divisions. The race will also boast a large contingent of local…
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Boxing Champ To Kick Off Festivities
PATONG BEACH: Former international muay Thai champion Samart Payakaroon will be on hand this evening to help launch a new 20-million-baht multi-purpose entertainment venue at the Phuket Simon Shopping Arcade on Soi Bangla. The kick boxer is scheduled to step into the ring at 9 p.m. for a one-hour demonstration of the very traditional Thai sport. A spokesman for Phuket…
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Ferry Boat Accident Claims At Least Three
KOH SAMUI: Three passengers, including two foreigners, drowned and more remain missing and feared dead after a ferry boat bound for Koh Tao capsized early yesterday morning north of Surat Thani. Authorities believe a heavy storm caused the overladen Panmaneesap 9 to take on water and capsize off the coast of Koh Wow, a small island northwest of Koh Samui,…
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Delegation Heading To Las Vegas
PHUKET TOWN: A 30-member delegation led by Phuket Governor Chadej Insawang is scheduled to visit Las Vegas November 2-8 in a biennial Sister Cities visit, the governor’s office announced today. Local officials, prominent business operators, and members of the media will accompany the governor on the overseas trip, designed to develop stronger ties between the two popular tourist destinations. Las…
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It’s Time To Wear Your Whites
PHUKET TOWN: Vendors along Ranong Road got a jump on the annual Phuket Vegetarian Festival last night when they started serving up spring rolls, dumplings and other treats. Booths selling white cotton T-shirts and pants were doing a brisk business as residents prepared for the nine-day festival, which runs from October 20-28. A schedule of events, including a map of…
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Enhancements For Sunset Lovers
RAWAI: Plans are afoot to improve facilities at Cape Promthep, one of Phuket’s most popular sunset viewpoints. Aree Somboon, Chairman of the Rawai Tambon Administration Organization, told the Gazette today that his office is seeking funding from the provincial government to upgrade lighting, expand parking, and install new seating areas to accommodate the large crowds that descend on the picturesque…
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Sea Walker Guide Arrested
CHALONG: Tourist Police apprehended an unlicensed guide who was allegedly conducting sea walker expeditions at Coral Island. The Region 2 Tourist Business and Guide Office notified Tourist Police on Thursday that a Thai male was leading a group of tourists to the popular offshore island for a sea walking trip. At approximately 3 p.m., Tourist Police intercepted a boat as…
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Authority Plans New Sports Complex
PHUKET: If all goes as planned, a 220-rai site in Thalang district will become the home of southern Thailand’s newest major sports venue. Officials of the Sports Authority of Thailand are planning to construct a 20,000-seat multi-purpose stadium, a 5,000-seat gymnasium, a shooting range, and athlete housing on a tract located along Thepkasattri Road in Tambon Tachatchai at the northern…
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Drug Rehab Program Launched
PHUKET TOWN: The Phuket Governor’s office has announced the start-up of a new confidential drug treatment program to provide counselling and treatment for substance abusers. The Phuket Drug Prevention and Suppression Center was launched by the governor’s office in conjunction with provincial health officials as part of a nationwide initiative by the prime minister’s office to deal with drug addicts…
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U.K. Tourists Lead The Way
BANGKOK: International tourist arrivals to Thailand surpassed the five million mark during the first eight months of the year, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) announced. From January 1 through August 31, a total of 5,043,449 tourists were recorded by the TAT – a 5.6 percent increase over the same period last year. European markets, led by the United Kingdom,…
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New Tuna Vessel Launched
PHUKET: In the latest bid to maintain Thailand’s position as the world’s leading exporter of canned tuna, officials launched the country’s newest deep sea tuna fishing vessel in a ceremony last Friday at Ao Makham. Pongphon Adireksarn, Minister of Agriculture and Cooperatives, along with representatives of the Thai Deep Sea Tuna Fishing Cooperative, was on hand to christen the 61-meter-long…
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Pitak To Guide Thai Tourism
BANGKOK: Newly-appointed Prime Minister’s Office Minister Pitak Intrawithayanunt has assumed supervision over the Tourism Authority of Thailand, replacing Phang Nga MP Julin Laksanawisit, the TAT has confirmed. The change follows the cabinet reshuffle approved earlier this month. In his new position, Khun Pitak will be the minister responsible for the government’s tourism policies.
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Hundreds Head To Helmet Sale
PHUKET TOWN: Over 700 helmets were sold during a one-week sale sponsored by the Phuket Provincial Internal Trade Office. Commercial Administrative Officer Borirak Chusit told the Gazette this morning that the effort was a “tremendous success,” with local motorbike riders purchasing more than 100 helmets every day of the sale, which ended yesterday. The project, held in cooperation with the…
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Pirates Caught In Border Province
RANONG: Authorities arrested nine suspects and seized a cache of weapons believed to have been used in pirate attacks on fishing trawlers plying the waters off Ranong province. On Monday, patrol officers from the Royal Thai Navy Third Fleet uncovered weapons and ammunition buried in the sand of a small island off the Ranong coast. The cache included three M-16…
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Venue To Give Kick To Soi Bangla
PATONG: Visitors to Soi Bangla will soon be getting a triple dose of entertainment with the opening this month of the strip’s newest multi-purpose venue. Phuket Simon Entertainment Company announced it would be offering Thai boxing events along with late night go-go shows in a 1,500 square meter area of the Phuket Simon Shopping Arcade. The 20 million baht project…
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New Chapter For Book Thieves
PATONG: Four men were apprehended by police on Thursday afternoon after they allegedly stole English language reading material from The Books bookstore on Rat-U-Thit Road. Kathu district police told the Gazette store manager Sarayuth Mallam called the authorities shortly after noon on Thursday after a group of Thai men ran from the shop with an armful of books and fled…
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Domestic Arrivals Fuel Increase
MAI KHAO: Passenger arrivals at Phuket International Airport through the first three quarters of 1998 were up ten percent compared to the same period last year, an airport spokesman announced today. From January 1, 1998 through September 30, 1998, a total of 1,112,377 passenger arrivals were recorded at the airport – a year-on-year increase of 100,728 passengers. A recent surge…
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New U.S. Aid Programs Implemented
BANGKOK: American Ambassador William Itoh and Thai Foreign Minister Surin Pitsuwan jointly announced on Monday the implementation of two new U.S. programs to help meet social needs in Thailand during the current economic crisis. The American Embassy announced US$1.5 million in assistance to provide vaccinations against rabies, Japanese encephalitis and polio. The funds will enable health officials to administer 40,000…
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