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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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Acadia to buy celebrity rehab center The Priory
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Acadia to buy celebrity rehab center The Priory Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: Acadia Healthcare Co Inc has agreed to buy Priory Group, a mental health care provider known for its celebrity client list, for nearly $850 million, its biggest acquisition yet as it expands in…
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Volkswagen faces billions in penalties as U.S. sues for environment violations
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Volkswagen faces billions in penalties as U.S. sues for environment violations Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: The U.S. Justice Department on Monday filed a civil lawsuit against Volkswagen AG (VOWG_p.DE) for allegedly violating the Clean Air Act by installing illegal devices to impair emission control systems…
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Ukraine utility cyber attack wider than reported
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Ukraine utility cyber attack wider than reported Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: A central European security software firm said on Monday that a cyber attack last month in Ukraine was broader than initially reported last week when the nation’s secret police blamed a power outage on…
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Latvian busted making off with lavish loot
PHUKET: Police arrested a Latvian man yesterday for stealing luxury accessories worth more than 2.5 million baht from a shopping mall in Phuket over the weekend. Kristaps Kosogovs, 29, was apprehended at his Rawai hotel room after police were able to track him down using CCTV footage, confirmed Tourist Police Chief Urumporn Koondejsumrit. “When we arrived at his hotel, he…
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Australian expat found dead in Phuket home
PHUKET: An Australian expat was found dead in his Rawai home this morning, confirmed the Chalong Police. Peter Anatoli, 60, was discovered on the kitchen floor of his home by his house cleaner, Lt Chanat Hongsittichaikul of the Chalong Police said. “Mr Anatoli’s cleaner told us that Mr Anatoli had lived alone and allegedly would get drunk and often fall…
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Phuket dive instructors put behind bars for working illegally
PHUKET: Seven Phuket dive instructors spent New Year’s Eve in jail on Phi Phi Island after being arrested for working illegally. The dive instructors, six of whom were Chinese nationals, were held overnight on Phi Phi and then transferred to Krabi City Police Station where they were held until their court hearing on January 2. “All seven suspects were certified…
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Ministry of Farang Affairs: Shamelessly picking your nose
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 Stephff.…
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Tourism resilience: the mark of 2015
PHUKET: The year 2015 marked yet another solar orbit during which the Phuket tourism industry continued to change and grow – despite some unexpected developments that some feared would spell its death knell. Here guest columnist Somchai Huasaikul looks back on the year that was.POLITICS ASIDE The year 2015 was notable because it was the first full calendar year in…
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Hong Kong says China not involved in case of missing booksellers
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Hong Kong says “no indication” China involved in case of missing booksellers Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: Hong Kong leader Leung Chun-ying said on Monday he was “highly concerned” about the disappearance of five booksellers specializing in publications critical of China, while playing down speculation one…
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Myanmar’s Suu Kyi says peace process will be government’s priority
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Myanmar’s Suu Kyi says peace process will be government’s priority Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: Myanmar’s Aung San Suu Kyi said on Monday the country’s peace process will be the first priority of her new government that will take power later this year, following a landslide…
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Former hotel employee confesses to attempted rape of 8-year-old tourist
PHUKET: A Trang man confessed to police that he attempted to rape an 8-year-old Russian tourist on Friday. Karon Police confirmed to the Phuket Gazette that former hotel employee Wuttichai Srithai, 30, admitted to coaxing the girl into a room after seeing her playing on a computer on the ground floor of the hotel. Police declined to name the hotel.…
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Rescue teams search for missing epileptic fisherman
KRABI: Rescue teams are searching for a fisherman who reportedly suffered an epileptic seizure and fell into the sea this morning. The captain of the Jatuphol Namsap 99 radioed for help after Prayun Cheepchuea, 36, fell off the boat and the crew’s efforts to find him failed. “Mr Prayun fell into the water near Koh Nok,” said Krabi Marine Police…
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Busted: Topless tourists exposed after joyride video sent to police
PHUKET: Police fined an American and Austrian* tourist for public nudity after a video surfaced of the pair sitting on the window sills of a slow-rolling SUV, exposing their bare breasts to those on the streets of Patong on January 2. “We were made aware of the video at about 2pm yesterday,” said Lt Col Sutthichai Thianpho of the Patong…
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More than 20 Phuket bus drivers arrested for drug use
PHUKET: Officers arrested more than 20 bus drivers for amphetamine use as the drivers made their way through the Tah Chat Chai checkpoint over the last three days. “Phuket Governor Chamroen Tipayatongda ordered a joint task force of police, local government officials and provincial officers to tackle drug use by public transportation drivers and other professionals working with tourists,” explained…
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No Phuket road-deaths in day four of campaign
PHUKET: Phuket saw its first day of no road-deaths as the fourth day of the ‘7 Days of Danger’ road-safety campaign came to a close at midnight yesterday. The main causes of the four deaths in the first three days of the campaign were driving under the influence, not wearing a helmet, speeding or some combination of the three factors,…
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Aussie attempts epic endurance sport feat in Phuket [video]
PHUKET: An Australian living and training on Phuket will make an epic endurance sport attempt tomorrow as he embarks on a three-day, non-stop triple circumnavigation of Phuket by prone paddleboarding, stand-up paddleboarding (SUP) and running. Damien Rider, 40, already made headlines in Phuket when he completed a local SUP adventure, circling the island to raise awareness for his self-funded organization:…
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Firefighters tackle Dubai blaze after all-night effort, investigate cause
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Firefighters tackle Dubai blaze after all-night effort, investigate cause Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: Firefighters on Friday appeared to have mostly extinguished a blaze that suddenly engulfed one of Dubai’s most prominent skyscrapers on New Year’s Eve, witnesses said. Plumes of white smoke still emanated from…
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French journalist forced to leave China after article on Xinjiang
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community French journalist forced to leave China after article on Xinjiang Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: A French journalist has been forced to leave China after the government said it would not renew her press credentials for the new year in response to a critical report on…
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TAT: more than B4bn generated over holidays
PHUKET: The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Phuket Office expects that when the final numbers are in, more than 4 billion baht will have been generated over the holiday season. “All flights to Phuket have been full, with hotel operators reporting about 80 per cent occupancy,” said Anoma Wongyai, director of the TAT Phuket Office. “Most of the Asian tourists…
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Four dead on Phuket roads by New Year’s Eve
PHUKET: Phuket’s road-death toll remained at four at the end of day three of the ‘Seven Days of Danger’ road-safety campaign, with the latest fatality occurring in the early hours of yesterday morning. The death of Aeksalayut Inrith, 28, occurred in front of Supercheap Villa 5 on Chaofa West Road yesterday. He was driving under the influence and without a…
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Angelina Jolie’s visit to Phuket temple sparks Hindu enthusiasm
PHUKET: Oscar winning actress Angelina Jolie has received a wave of support from members of the Hindu community, after they learned of her visit to a Hindu temple in Phuket a few days ago. According to reports, Ms Jolie visited the temple with her husband Brad Pitt and their six children during a family vacation on the island. Rajan Zed,…
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Phuket drug dealer busted with 11kg of marijuana
PHUKET: Police arrested a 22-year-old man for possession of about 11 kilograms of marijuana, an illegal firearm and other drug paraphernalia at a location near Bangkok Hospital Phuket yesterday evening. “We received a tip-off that Subinnimit Rakvet, 22, was dealing marijuana in the Talad Yai area, making deliverers on his Kawasaki Ninja motorbike,” said Maj Ritthichai Choomchuy of the Phuket…
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Road fatality numbers grow on day two of road-saftey campaign
PHUKET: More road fatalities have been added to the tally of the already tarnished zero-deaths goal of this year’s ‘Seven Days of Danger’ road-safety campaign. As day two drew to a close, the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) Phuket Office statistics revealed that the island saw 10 further road accidents, resulting in 9 injuries and the deaths of…
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A Decade Ago: Marking the one year anniversary of the tsunami
PHUKET: On an island accustomed to horrific, devastating and dumbfoundingly absurd news, the page one lead story that captured the hearts of Phuket Gazette readers a decade ago was one of recovery and love – who says good news can’t sell? With uncharacteristic typographical enthusiasm (underlined and accompanied by an exclamation mark), the headline in the December 31, 2005 –…
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Opinion: Rapid responses to island issues
Prapan Kanprasang has been the chief of the Damrongdhama Center (ombudsman’s office) since 2011. He earned his master’s degree in public administration from The National Institute of Development Administration. Here he addresses how the newly launched ‘Rapid Damrongdhama Unit’ will help improve efficiency, as well as other ways to make the Damrongdhama Center more effective. PHUKET: In Phuket, there are…
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Island View: ‘Like’ before you drive
PHUKET: Having a mobile phone in Thailand has been the norm for about 10 years. When the phones were first introduced, it was a big deal to be able to call anyone, anytime, anywhere. However, because of this, people were causing more traffic accidents from using their phones while driving. This is why the government implemented a law prohibiting people…
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History: Bangkok for the holidays raises query about Victory Monument
PHUKET: People who live in Bangkok are probably familiar with the Victory Monument. For those visiting, however, there is a good chance you will spend some time stuck in traffic in this famous circle, and this might cause you to contemplate what it commemorates. One of Bangkok’s iconic landmarks, the Victory Monument is located at the intersection of Phahonyothin Road,…
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Opinion: AEC has arrived
PHUKET: With 2015 behind us and the Asean Economic Community (AEC) integration measures now ostensibly in effect, it is time for Phuket and its all-important tourism industry to map out strategies for continued growth in 2016. The past year certainly tested the island’s resilience. But despite Thailand’s first major international terror attack in Bangkok, the ongoing insurgency in the Deep…
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Finance: Keep calm, and invest on
PHUKET: Stock market corrections don’t come often, but when they do, they tend to come on fast and cause investors (along with the media) to panic. After all, it’s not uncommon to experience a double digit portfolio loss in a matter of weeks, or even over the course of just a few trading days. However, taking the following things into…
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Annual safety checks on tourist boats begin
PHUKET: The Phuket Marine Office has begun making their annual inspections of boats and ferries carrying tourists out of Rassada Pier to ensure their safety during the New Year holiday. More than 13,000 locals and tourists are expected to depart from the island’s piers during this holiday’s long weekend. “Passengers’ safety remains our top priority. Boats must not carry more…
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