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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Phuket Police aim to ID high-speed crash victim
PHUKET: Police are trying to identify a man who died in a high-speed motorbike accident in Koh Kaew, north of Phuket Town, early this morning. Police were called to the scene, near the entrance of the Inizio Koh Kaew housing estate (map here), after security guard Chamroen Pinamorn witnessed the accident at about 4am. “I saw a man speed by…
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Phuket Gazette World News: Cambodia police open fire on workers; Italian navy rescues over 1,000 migrants in 24 hours; Central African Republic violence displaces nearly 1 million
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– World news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Cambodian forces open fire as factory strikes turn violent Reuters / Phuket GazettePHUKET: Cambodian military police opened fire with assault rifles on Friday to quell a protest by stone-throwing garment factory workers demanding higher pay, killing at least three people, witnesses said.Chaos during nationwide strikes erupted for…
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Election on; Pheu Thai campaign begins; Frenchman brutally beaten in Hua Hin; Holiday road toll hits 366 dead
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Election on track: EC The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: The Election Commission said yesterday that the February 2 poll would continue as planned, with no extension for candidate registration in 28 constituencies disrupted by protesters in provinces in the South. Meanwhile, the government yesterday opted…
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Special Report: A year in review
SPECIAL REPORT PHUKET: With 2013 having drawn to a close, Phuket’s top-ranking officials and leading tourism industry figures appear to have avoided a year of stagnant growth, which was almost brought on by the ongoing anti-government protests (click here for our special report) and a slew of other issues that continue to plague the island. Phuket protesters bring flowers. Photo:…
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Special Report: A nation at the crossroads
Special Report PHUKET: As Thailand begins a new year, the country finds itself at a crossroads. What seems to be at stake is not only the future shape of democracy in this country, but whether it will even remain a democracy at all. This should worry all those who care about the future of Thailand and its people. The People’s…
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5 dead in Seven Days of Danger; Phuket officials declare success
PHUKET: The nationwide Seven Days of Danger road-safety campaign ended at midnight last night with a final tally of five deaths on Phuket’s roads. “Although we could not maintain zero deaths in Phuket during the Seven Days of Danger campaign, we are satisfied with the record for this year,” said Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation-Phuket (DDPM-Phuket) Chief San Jantharawong.…
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Phuket crane topples, downs power cables on bypass road
PHUKET: Officials have restored power supply along the bypass road, north of Phuket Town, after a crane toppled and brought down high-voltage power cables during peak hour traffic this morning.“We received a report of a crane falling over at 8:29am. We have yet to learn what caused it to fall,” Phuket Provincial Electricity Authority (PPEA) Operations Chief Yongyuth Podbutr told…
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Phuket Gazette World News: Passengers rescued from Antarctic; Kerry in Israel; Bibles seized in Malaysia; Thein Sein opens door to reform
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– World news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community All passengers rescued from ship stuck in Antarctic ice Reuters / Phuket GazettePHUKET: A rescue effort to remove 52 passengers on board a research ship that had been trapped in Antarctica ice for nine days was successful, and they were evacuated safely by helicopter, the expedition leader…
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Phuket Opinion: People, not tinsel or music or gifts
PHUKET: Christmas has always been a somewhat schizophrenic event for me. Coming from a non-religious family, it was always celebrated as a time for the extended family to get together, share food and catch up on developments over the past year, and had absolutely nothing to do with celebrating the birth of Christ. Nevertheless, my mother is religious in her…
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Phuket Opinion: A reality check born of resolutions
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Phuket Opinion: The toll of tourism
PHUKET: As we embark on the year 2014, there seems to be no better time to reflect on the monumental changes that have transformed Phuket over the past few decades, all the result of “Bangkok style” urbanization that continues to degrade what is left of the island’s natural beauty and diminish its appeal to foreign tourists. In a recent Phuket…
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Jintana’s family continues search for justice after execution-style murder
PHUKET: As the one-year anniversary of the execution-style murder of Jintana Mahattanapak approaches, her family seeks to meet with Phuket’s new top cop for help in a case that appears to have gone cold. Ms Jintana, a human resources director at the time of her murder, was shot coming home from work on January 18 (story here). Police initially believed…
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Phuket Airport customs nab Vietnamese “monk’ drug mule
PHUKET: Customs officers at Phuket International Airport arrested a Vietnamese man dressed as a monk yesterday for attempting to smuggle more than 2kg of ya ice (crystal methamphetamine) into Thailand. The drugs had an estimated street value of about 8 million baht. “Officers arrested Nguyen Van Thiet, 64, at 1:50am after receiving a tip-off from undercover officers,” said Phuket Airport…
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Phuket ponders bus ban for lethal Patong Hill
PHUKET: The Phuket Land Transport Office (PLTO) has included a ban on buses travelling over Patong Hill on its list of nine suggestions to prevent more fatal accidents from occurring on the notorious incline. PLTO Chief Transport Technician Jaturong Kaewkasi presented the list of safety recommendations to Phuket Governor Maitri Inthusut yesterday. “Over the years, there have been many accidents…
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Phuket maintains zero road deaths in 2014
PHUKET: Two traffic accidents sent two people to the hospital yesterday, but Phuket has yet to record a road-fatality for 2014. The Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Phuket office (DDPM-Phuket) today confirmed their statistics for Phuket during the Seven Days of Danger national road-safety campaign as five dead and 32 injured in 27 accidents. “The accidents on January 1…
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Phuket Gazette World News: Somalia rocked by hotel blasts; Palestinian envoy to Prague killed; Hong Kong stages democracy march
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– World news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Mogadishu hotel targeted by bombs, at least 11 killed Reuters / Phuket GazettePHUKET: Three bombs exploded within an hour outside a hotel frequented by government officials in a heavily fortified district of the Somali capital on Wednesday, killing at least 11 people.The attacks on the Jazira hotel,…
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Election candidate blockade remains steadfast in Phuket
PHUKET: The Phuket blockade preventing any further candidates from registering to enter the February 2 national election held strong today, the last day for potential candidates to enter the election. “We couldn’t even get inside the building this morning to open the center as the protesters blocked our way,” Kittipong Thiengkunakrit, Director of the Phuket office of the Election Commission,…
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Pakastani arrested for passing counterfeit notes in Phuket
PHUKET: A Pakistani accused of passing counterfeit notes in Phuket was arrested at Suvarnabhumi Airport yesterday after police identified him from CCTV images taken along the road from Karon to Patong.Imran Haider, 30, exchanged counterfeit notes representing 1,400 Kuwaiti dinar in return for 148,000 baht at a foreign currency exchange booth in Karon on December 28.“The staff at the booth…
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Phuket starts 2014 with zero road deaths
PHUKET: Although five road accidents sent five people to the hospital with injuries yesterday, Phuket has yet to record a single death for the new year. The Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) today confirmed that one serious accident had been reported in Patong after midnight last night. “A motorbike crashed into a pickup truck near the mosque on…
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Phuket Police probe body washed up on Patong Beach
PHUKET: Police are investigating the cause of death of a man whose body was found washed up on Patong Beach this morning. Police were called to the beach in front of Loma Park (map here) at about 5:30am after passers-by noticed the body. “He had dark skin, was 150-160cm tall and appeared to be 30-35 years old,” said Maj Jakkrapong…
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Phuket Gazette World News: World ushers in New Year; South Sudan peace talks today; Putin vows to take down terrorists
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– World news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community South Sudan peace talks set for New Year’s Day Reuters / Phuket GazettePHUKET: South Sudan’s government and rebels are set for New Year’s Day peace talks in Ethiopia’s capital, Addis Ababa, to thrash out a ceasefire to end weeks of ethnic bloodletting in the world’s newest state.Both…
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Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Prayers, parties see in New Year; HM wishes health, wealth and happiness; Road death toll climbs; Alcohol advertising arrests
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Thais opt for prayers, parties to see in 2014 The Nation / Phuket GazettePHUKET: As an alternative to celebrate the New Year, temples nationwide offer “cross-year Buddhist prayer” for people who like to attend for good luck, while many others celebrated with friends and loved ones in…
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Phuket doubles down on Tah Chat Chai checkpoint security
PHUKET: The number of police manning the land-security gateway to Phuket, Tah Chat Chai checkpoint, has been doubled in order to ensure the safety of residents and visitors during Phuket’s high season. The number of Tah Chat Chai Police officers has jumped from 10 officers checking a total of five cars an hour to 20 officers checking a total of…
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Teen sixth road death in Phuket ‘Days of Danger’ campaign
PHUKET: A teenager became the sixth person to die during Phuket’s 10 Days of Danger when he crashed his new motorcycle in Thalang last night. Thanawat Tohting, 19, was travelling at high speed northbound on Thepkrasattri Road when the traffic light at the intersection with the airport road changed to yellow, witnesses told police. Mr Thanawat increased his speed to…
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Government floats idea of MP registration in Phuket at military bases, police stations
PHUKET: The government has suggested registering election candidates for constituencies in Phuket and elsewhere in the South at local military bases or police stations if the process continues to be disrupted by anti-government protesters (story here) – but such a move would require the approval of the Election Commission (EC), Deputy Prime Minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul said yesterday. Mr Surapong was…
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Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Thailand’s army moves to allay coup fears; Violence at protests continues; Protesters examine voting options
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Thailand’s army moves to allay coup fears Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Thailand’s powerful but politicised army sought to ease fears on Monday that it might step in to resolve a festering political crisis, while anti-government protesters entrenched positions around Bangkok as they seek to disrupt…
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Phuket Gazette World News: Second bomb blast in Russia; Volcano in El Salvador; Aussie cyclone heads inland; Four journalists held in Egypt; China says Japan PM ‘shut door’
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– World news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Second blast in Russia’s Volgograd kills 10 on trolleybus Reuters / Phuket GazetteAt least 10 people were killed when a bomb blast ripped through a trolleybus on Monday in the second deadly attack in the Russian city of Volgograd in two days, law enforcement authorities said.The explosion…
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Phuket MP candidate turned back by protesters
PHUKET: Two police complaints were filed yesterday after protesters once again blocked access to the Phuket Community Center, preventing a candidate from enrolling for the February 2 national elections. Pheu Thai candidate Visit Jaiart was prevented from entering the building to submit his candidacy. “I arrived to register at 8:30am, but protesters were blocking the doors and had taped flags…
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Phuket officers take down taxi drivers for intimidation
PHUKET: A sting operation involving an undercover Patong Police officer disguised as a taxi driver put two men operating a hotel taxi queue behind bars yesterday. Pamorn Maipuek, 40, and Narathid Wangaree, 27, were charged for threatening the plainclothes officer, who was attempting to pick up guests at Avista Hideway Resort and Spa at about 7pm. “We had a team…
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![Runaway Phuket tour bus leaves two dead, 26 injured [Video] | Thaiger](data:image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0naHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmcnIHZpZXdCb3g9JzAgMCAyOTUgMjIwJz48L3N2Zz4=)
Runaway Phuket tour bus leaves two dead, 26 injured [Video]
PHUKET: Seven people remain in hospital after a runaway Phuket tour bus slammed into five vehicles, including one motorcycle, killing two people and leaving 26 others injured late yesterday afternoon. The bus came to a stop after ramming a concrete barrier at the bottom of Patong Hill near Wat Suwankiriwong (map here), explained Patong Police Superintendent Chiraphat Pochanaphan. “The driver…
![Runaway Phuket tour bus leaves two dead, 26 injured [Video] | Thaiger](https://thethaiger.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/phuketnews_2013123094755851_trhsjtfDhomexMZsmjrmMjVoMCCTUpNXpZHEmQbB_jpeg.jpg)
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