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 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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American school teacher injured in Phuket collision
PHUKET: A newly-appointed American school teacher at Kajonkiet International School (KIS) Phuket was injured in a motorbike crash with a car in Kathu this morning. “The accident occurred at about 8:30am near the U-turn on Phra Phuket Kaew road. We found a damaged white Honda City and Yamaha Nuovo on the road,” said Capt Watthathorn Bumrungthin of Kathu Police. “The…
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Phuket gov launches clean-up campaign
PHUKET: Phuket Governor Norraphat Plodthong yesterday launched a campaign titled ‘Clean Phuket with our Hands and Hearts’, as promised during his first ‘Governor meets Media’ gathering at Phuket Provincial Hall last month (story here). The week-long campaign, that is to last until Sunday, will be held each month, the governor stated. “As Phuket is an international tourism destination, it is…
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Family man dead as pick-up ploughs into sedan
KRABI: One man was killed while three others were severely injured after a speeding pick-up truck and a Toyota sedan collided, sending both vehicles into a roadside waterway in Krabi yesterday afternoon. The car was carrying three people – driver Suphachai Limtrakil, 69, his wife Anchalee Sriwittayabancha, 42, and their 14-year-old daughter. Mr Suphachai was killed. The truck was driven…
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‘AD’vertorial: Buy one, get two free, plus lunch
PHUKET: There’s no such thing as a free lunch but you can easily buy one [sic] with the savings you get on Free Classifieds (what?) in both the Phuket Gazette and Nation newspapers this month. When you enter a basic text-only ad in the Gazette Online (560 baht), that ad runs also, word for word and free of charge, in…
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Building catches fire in Patong, 100,000 baht in damages
PHUKET: A four-storey building caught fire last night on Rat-U-thit 200 Pi road in Patong, resulting in about 100,000 baht’s worth of damages. Police officers held back traffic and tourists as firefighters battled the flames for about 30 minutes. Lt Col Jongserm Preecha of Patong Police confirmed that only the first floor of the building had been damaged. “There were…
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Samui tour guide found dead after ‘feeling the heat’
SAMUI: A Pathum Thani native was found dead in a rented room on Samui Island yesterday, from what police believe to have been heatstroke. The room is in a restaurant building on Chaweng Beach. Capt Boonnam Srinarat of Bo Phut Police confirmed the death, at about 5:40pm, of Thongchai Sudjaeng, 44, a tour guide who catered to Chinese tourists. “Mr…
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Motorbike trio arrested for stealing from Chinese tourist, marijuana
PHUKET: Three men were arrested yesterday in Phuket town with assorted currencies amounting to at least 200,000 baht as well as electronics they stole from a Chinese tourist’s hotel room in Patong. The men were also in possession of marijuana. Lt Col Pongpichan Chayanonpiriya of the Patong Police confirmed to Phuket Gazette reporters that Thanakorn Akarabut, 24; Harich Dada, 18;…
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No refund for B6.7mn house in shambles
PHUKET: Dhamrongtham center staff and representatives of the Engineering Institute of Thailand on Thursday inspected a ‘questionable’ housing project in Koh Kaew. The house, backed by a well-known developer, has reportedly been in shambles for about three years. Sintichai Jitkam and Sunisa Jitkham in November last year filed a complaint after purchasing the house in the development for 6.7 million…
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Chinese, Korean tourists rescued in near-drowning incidents
PHUKET: Two tourists were safely rescued in separate near-drowning incidents on the Similan islands yesterday. The first involved a 47-year-old Chinese woman, Zheng Guiping, who called out for help while swimming at Koh Ha at about 10am. Ms Zheng, who had booked a tour with ‘Sea Star’, was stranded in the water for about five minutes. She spluttered and choked…
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Phuket to strengthen marine tourism relations with Indonesia
PHUKET: Phuket Governor Norraphat Plodthong welcomed the Indonesian Tourism Minister to discuss strengthening of marine tourism relations between the two countries. The governor met Arief Yahya from The Indonesian Ministry of Tourism at the Phuket Boat Lagoon on Thursday. “Indonesia has just revealed their plans to run a special campaign between Nov 8 and Dec 5 that will assist tourists…
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Ministry of Farang Affairs: Frightened of small animals
PHUKET: The Ministry of Farang Affairs is a one-stop shop where foreigners in Thailand can learn all they need to know about living here. No, we’re not talking about work permits, visas or taxes. We’re talking about day-to-day life in the Land of Endless Shocks and Riddles, of Blur, Befuddlement and the Bizarre. Stay tuned for weekly insights from Minister…
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Opinion: Gov’s ‘war on dirtiness’ a noble aim
PHUKET: Cleanliness is next to Godliness, as the old saying goes, so it is hard not to agree with new governor Norraphat Plodthong’s stated goal of beautifying Phuket “by our hands”. Gov Norraphat, set for mandatory retirement from the civil service in just a few months’ time, has understandably had to set his priorities in a practical way. When one…
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Hair professionals reveal latest trends
PHUKET: Salon owners and hair stylists from all over Thailand gathered together in Phuket for the ‘Essential Looks Spring/Summer 2017 Hair Trends’ conference by Dr Somsak Chalachol, one of the most influential hair professionals in Thailand. The seminar was conducted earlier this week at the Renaissance Phuket Resort & Spa and sponsored by Schwarzkopf Professional. Dr Somsak, Asia Pacific Hair…
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Young Thai killed in collision with Korean expat
PHUKET: A young Thai man was killed last night after smashing into a Korean expat’s pick-up truck in Phuket Town. Maj Nattaya Suwanpong of Phuket City Police received reports of the incident at about 11pm. It had occurred at the Thepkrasattri-Nakhon road junction near Phuket Wittayalai School. “The motorcyclist, Siraphan Sampaorat, 20, was lying in a pool of blood on…
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Three arrested in Phuket for serial theft, possession of drugs
PHUKET: Three men, including an ex-employee of Triple T Broadband Public Company Limited (3BB), were arrested yesterday afternoon for stealing more than 60 batteries from the company’s signal booster boxes in Thalang. Tibet Manubut, 23; Worawut Chusrinun, 20; and Narit Buakhong, 27; were arrested at their rental room in Thalang at about 3pm. They were also found in possession of…
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Meter-long lizard causes scare at Phuket beach
PHUKET: Lifeguards caught a ‘massive’ lizard that scared several locals and tourists at Nai Harn Beach yesterday. Pictures of the lizard taking a stroll on the beach and a triumphant lifeguard appeared on a Facebook page named ‘Phuket Lifeguard Service’ with the caption “Nai Harn has a guest today. We had to take it off the beach.” The lizard was…
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Public, media partnerships vital for Phuket, says ISOC chief
PHUKET: Officials from the Internal Security Operations Command (ISOC) in Bangkok visited Phuket yesterday to talk about building better partnerships between the government and local media organizations. The meeting was led by Col Chan Sittichai of ISOC and held at the Phuket Provincial Operations Center. “I am very happy with the work being done by ISOC in Phuket. Mass media…
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Krabi cop and ladyboy embroiled in road rage
KRABI: A police officer and a ladyboy buried the hatchet yesterday after video clips of the two went viral on social media. In the clips, the pair are seen arguing over a minor road accident in Krabi Town, across the bay from Phuket. On Tuesday, Facebook user Napat Sara Malaisanan uploaded two videos with the caption: “You want my friend…
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Thai police defend response to Facebook clip of baby’s murder
PHUKET: Royal Thai Police yesterday defended their response to a horrific video clip of a father murdering his baby daughter (story here), that remained on Facebook Live for about 24 hours before it was removed. Col Krissana Pattanacharoen, deputy national police spokesman, said the Technology Crime Suppression Division alerted the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society soon after learning about…
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Foreign tourists wrongfully arrested for fraud in Phuket
PHUKET: Two Chinese tourists were arrested and subsequently released yesterday after officers in Phuket received a warning from officials in Bangkok about their alleged involvement in credit card fraud. “Mr Jun Jie Ju and Ms Jia Xin Chen were arrested at a Cherng Talay hotel at about 3pm,” said Lt Col Tianchai Chompoo of Phuket Immigration Police. The colonel said…
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Phuket man streams live video of his suicide and murder of his baby daughter
PHUKET: A young father and his 11-month-old baby were found hanging at an abandoned construction site for a hotel in an apparent murder-suicide in Nai Thon last night. Thalang Police were contacted by 21-year-old Jiranuch Trirat earlier in the evening asking for help to find her husband and daughter, who had both disappeared from their house in Baan Mood Dok…
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10-year-old Russian tourist injured in Phuket parasailing accident
PHUKET: A 10-year-old Russian tourist was injured after he fell from a height of 2.5 meters while parasailing at Karon Beach this afternoon. Rescue workers and police received reports of the incident from lifeguards at Karon Beach at about noon. The victim, Timur Gadylshin, received first aid on the spot and was then taken to Patong Hospital where he was…
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Phang Nga to create underwater tourist attraction
PHUKET: More than 20 decommissioned army trucks were lowered into the water with the aim of enhancing marine life in Phang Nga yesterday. The project was launched in honor of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit. “We have placed artificial coral, army vehicles (for coral to grow on) and a statue of a sea turtle in order to revive tourism and marine…
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Phuket durian to be upgraded as GI product
PHUKET: A campaign to promote durian has been launched in Kamala, roughly nine months after pineapples with a price tag of 1,500 baht hit the markets in Phuket last year (story here). “Following an announcement by the Ministry of Commerce, committee members came to Phuket to ‘inspect’ local durians in Kamala,” said Kamala subdistrict chief Kamnan Yuttasak Yayee. “Each tree…
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‘Inexperienced’ Chinese tourist drowns in Phuket
PHUKET: A Chinese tourist snorkeling for the first time in his life drowned at Koh Racha Yai yesterday afternoon. The victim, Hangseng Chen, 62, was on a day trip with the ‘Jaiyun Travel Group Co Ltd’. “Suthee Maliwan, the tour guide, told us that at about 11:40am, he made a stop to let the tourists snorkel off the island. He…
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Ministry of Farang Affairs: Girls you bring back home
PHUKET: The Ministry of Farang Affairs is a one-stop shop where foreigners in Thailand can learn all they need to know about living here. No, we’re not talking about work permits, visas or taxes. We’re talking about day-to-day life in the Land of Endless Shocks and Riddles, of Blur, Befuddlement and the Bizarre. Stay tuned for weekly insights from Minister…
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Finance: Using fundamental and technical analysis to gauge stocks
PHUKET: When I decide that a stock could either be worth buying or worth placing on a watch list, the first thing I do is look at the stock’s fundamentals using a stock research and marketing tool called ‘MarketSmith’. Using small cap LGI Homes (NASDAQ: LGIH) as a sample stock, let’s look at some fundamental data that will help decide…
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Opinion: Phuket tourist influx and the rise in hospital bills
PHUKET: During the current ‘restart’ period, the government should consider establishing a system of mandatory, basic healthcare insurance for visiting foreign tourists who lack it while travelling in the Kingdom. As outlined in a recent Phuket Gazette article by Dr Tanwa Apornthip (story here), measures need to be established to authenticate Thailand as a genuine ‘world-class’ tourist destination. Tourist arrival…
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Woman killed, 3-year-old niece survives Phuket hit-and-run
PHUKET: A woman was killed and a three-year-old slightly injured in another hit-and-run accident in Thalang yesterday evening. The child is now confirmed to be out of danger. Lt Sunan Pethnhoo of Thalang Police received reports of the accident, which occurred near Tesco Lotus Thalang on Thepkrasattri Road, at about 5:45pm. Police arrived at the scene with rescue teams to…
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DMCR continues coral growing initiatives off Phuket
PHUKET: The Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) led an initiative to plant 1,600 pieces of live natural coral on an artificial (concrete) reef at Koh Mai Thon and Koh Racha Yai earlier this week. “This is part of an ongoing project to sustain and improve our ecosystems and natural environment,” said Suchat Rattanaruengsri of the DMCR. A total…
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