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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Managing medical expenses in Thailand is important as healthcare costs continue to rise. The country’s healthcare system includes both public and private options, but even with the Universal Coverage Scheme (UCS) for citizens, many still face high out-of-pocket medical expenses....
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Phuket International Boat Show and Royal Phuket Marina partner for five years
PHUKET: The Phuket International Boat Show (PIMEX) has secured its home for the future with the signing of a five-year host venue agreement with Royal Phuket Marina (RPM), the marine and luxury lifestyle destination on Phuket’s east coast. Having recently announced the dates for 2014 being moved to the popular January 9-12 timing, organisers say they are laying strong foundations…
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Phuket Raceweek gets new ownership
PHUKET: Media Business Services (MBS), led by Byron and Kanyarat Jones, have been announced as the new owners and rights holders of the Cape Panwa Hotel Phuket Raceweek. The news was broken at the closing party and Gala Dinner of the highly successful 2013 Cape Panwa Hotel Phuket Raceweek. Founder and now former rights holder Grenville Fordham of Image Asia…
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German consuls in Phuket urge travel insurance for visitors
PHUKET: The German honorary consuls for Phuket and Chiang Mai yesterday urged tourists to take out adequate travel insurance before travelling to Thailand.German honorary consuls Dirk Naumann (Phuket) and Hagen Dirksen (Chiang Mai) handed over a cheque for 100,000 baht to Vachira Phuket Hospital yesterday in appreciation for the facility providing medical services to travellers who were unable to pay…
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“What do you think they are smoking over there at the Emirates?”
PHUKET GAZETTE SPORTS – Quote of the day: Liverpool owner John W. Henry asked on Twitter: “What do you think they are smoking over there at the Emirates?” PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World sports news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Reds favorite ‘son’ Suarez should heed fans: Rodgers Reuters PHUKET: Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers told Luis Suarez…
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Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Northeast floods; B20mn for rice death; Teachers die in Deep South blast
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Northeast still struggling with floods The Nation / Phuket GazettePHUKET: Floods continued in the provinces of Chanthaburi, Trat and Nakhon Ratchasima yesterday, affecting hundreds of residents.Downtown Chanthaburi was submerged in up to a meter of water and authorities warned it would rise further. Schools in flood-hit areas…
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Phuket Governor rides the bus, predicts smooth sailing
PHUKET: Governor Maitri Inthusut rode the new airport bus to Patong on Tuesday, four days after its inaugural run. “The condition of the bus was good, and it was clean and safe. The staff were good too,” Gov Maitri said. “One thing it needs is more publicity. I don’t think many people know it exists,” he said. The governor did…
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Phuket Police on lookout for “slap attack’ teen gang
PHUKET: Phuket City Police are rounding up teenagers from the streets of Phuket Town in the hope of apprehending the youngsters who have been sneaking up behind unsuspecting victims and slapping them on the back of the head.The reports started flowing in last week, with people complaining that they had just been slapped – hard – by a teenager, Phuket…
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Phuket Gazette World News: Dramatic balloon crash caught on film; Brazilians lose bikinis for the Pope; Cop-turned-actor Dennis Farina dead
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Hot air balloon carrying 11 crashes in Dutch lake, injuring 2 Phuket Gazette / News Wires PHUKET: A hot air balloon carrying eleven people crashed into a lake in the Netherlands on late yesterday evening, injuring two of the people on board, emergency services said. The…
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Phuket Gazette World News: Kate and Will show off new prince; Oz tells UK not to leave EU; China’s corrupt healthcare
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Kate and William show off Britain’s new prince Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Prince William and his wife Kate gave the world its first glimpse of their new baby yesterday when they left hospital with the boy who is third in line to the British throne.…
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Phuket Gazette Thailand news: Tests needed to ID crash victims; Southern unrest during Ramadan; Deeds to be revoked for golf course
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Tests needed to identify many victims of bus crash The Nation / Phuket GazettePHUKET: Forensic experts are working to identify victims whose bodies were burnt beyond recognition after a horrific bus crash in Kaeng Khoi in Saraburi early yesterday.The tragedy, which claimed 19 lives, has prompted Transport…
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Mum calls off search for missing American Brett Bean
PHUKET: The Phuket search for missing American surfer Brett Bean, 43, was called off by his mother, Lynne Bean, tonight. “Brett has been in contact with us several times. We are most grateful to the Karon Police department, the US Embassy, the news media and the many friends whom we have met in Phuket,” Mrs Bean wrote in an email.…
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Special Report: Phuket Gazette keeping an eye on corruption
Special Report: Thailand has again ranked poorly in Transparency International’s annual report on corruption worldwide, released last week. How does this report affect Phuket? The Phuket Gazette investigates. PHUKET: Global corruption watchdog Transparency International last week released its annual report on corruption worldwide. Known as the Global Corruption Barometer, the report compiles an international index of all countries based on…
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Phuket FC lock horns with Bangkok Iron Bulls to no avail
PHUKET: The Islanders dropped one place to sixth of the 18-team Yamaha League One (YL1), after playing out yet another draw – this time to Bangkok FC in a tense yet thrilling 1-1 dead-lock on Saturday evening in Thailand’s capital. Bangkok also lost their 3rd place standing, falling into 4th as a result of the draw and in conjunction with…
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Korean classical musicians to perform free Phuket concert for refugee children
PHUKET: An ensemble of 10 top-flight classical musicians accompanied by 100 students will perform in concert in Phuket free of charge tonight (July 23) to raise funds for Myanmar refugee children living near the border town of Sangkhlaburi, in Kanchanaburi province. The two-hour concert, to be held at the Andaman Embrace Resort & Spa on Haad Patong Road (map here),…
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Phuket Beach Safety: Man drowns in 5 minutes
PHUKET: A man believed to be a Russian tourist ignored lifeguards’ warnings and entered the surf at Karon Beach yesterday afternoon – and drowned within five minutes, the Phuket Gazette has been told. Uten Singsom, head of the Kata-Karon Lifeguard Club, said that his lifeguards took 20 minutes to recover the man from the strong surf. “He came to the…
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Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Chiang Mai, Hua Hin best for retirees; Phuket’s best Raceweek
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Chiang Mai, Hua Hin best The Nation / Phuket GazettePHUKET: The Live and Invest Overseas website has ranked Chiang Mai and Prachuap Khiri Khan’s Hua Hin district as a couple of the world’s best places to retire due to the low cost of living and beautiful beaches.The…
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Phuket Gazette World News: UK has new prince; Belguim has new king; Moroccan king to get new government
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– World news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Baby boy for Prince William and wife Kate Reuters / Phuket GazettePHUKET: Prince William’s wife Kate gave birth to a boy yesterday afternoon, the couple’s first child and the third in line to the British throne, heralding celebrations in London and messages of goodwill from across the…
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Phang Nga bus crash leaves 22 injured
PHUKET: More than 20 passengers were injured when a bus en route from Bangkok to Phang Nga, north of Phuket, overshot a curve and crashed into a road barrier in Pranburi in Prachuap Khiri Khan province yesterday. A reported 21 passengers and the driver were sent for emergency medical treatment at Pranburi and Thanarat hospitals. Three were sent to Hua…
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Phuket rain and rockslides in Ranong
PHUKET: More than 90mm of rain fell at Phuket International Airport overnight and more rain is on its way, according to the latest weather report from the Thai Meteorological Department (TMD). More than 41mm of rain fell across Phuket Town while wind speeds gusted above 32km/h, brought on by a low pressure system reaching all the way from the Philippines,…
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Phuket office identifies 82 “foreign-owned’ businesses suspected of using Thai nominees
PHUKET: The Phuket Business Development Office (BDO) has identified 82 businesses suspected of breaching the Foreign Business Act (FBA) by using Thais as nominees so that foreigners can hold majority control. The businesses were identified ahead of raids by the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) set for this week, targeting illegal foreign businesses in Phuket (story here). “After checking our…
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Headstrong Phuket buffalo causes three accidents
PHUKET: A pregnant buffalo that wandered onto the bypass road late Saturday night withstood the blows of three cars before dying in the median strip.Kusoldharm rescue workers were called to the bypass road in front of Porntip Sea Store at 1am yesterday to aid the injured motorists.The first vehicle to strike the buffalo was a taxi carrying passengers from the…
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Aussie Oi! breezes in to Phuket Raceweek win
PHUKET: Winds gusting to 20 knots made for a perfect end to what has turned into one of the best Cape Panwa Hotel Phuket Raceweek regattas yet. The weather conditions delivered fast and exciting racing throughout, leaving the sailors of more than 15 nationalities tired but happy. Two races for all except the Classic class made for a hectic schedule…
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Russian tourist saved from Phuket killer rip, flash warning issued
PHUKET: A proposal to post “Double Red Flag Rip Current” warnings at Phuket beaches gained momentum yesterday after a fit Russian tourist ignored a red warning flag and was caught in a flash rip, leading to a daring and dangerous rescue by members of the Surin-Bangtao Surf Lifesaving Club.The incident prompted lifeguards to issue a flash rip warning at all…
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Phuket alcohol ban for Buddhist holiday, Gazette office closed
PHUKET: The Phuket Gazette would like to inform our readers and advertisers that our office in Koh Kaew is closed today in observance of Asarnha Bucha Day (story here). Asarnha Bucha Day, the full-moon day of the eighth lunar month, commemorates the Lord Buddha’s first sermon to his first five disciples after attaining Enlightenment more than 2,500 years ago. Evening…
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Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Health Ministry ramps up War on Dengue; Amnesty bill held to ransom; 2 slain in South; Monks moved
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community New strategy adopted to fight dengue: spray areas promptly The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: The Public Health Ministry has ramped up its fight against dengue fever and now requires hospitals to report to the area disease control department within three hours every time a dengue-fever…
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Close racing, clean sheets on Day Three of Phuket Raceweek
PHUKET: Lightairs beckoned on Day Three of Cape Panwa Hotel Phuket Raceweek, but by starttime a solid 10 knots was blowing and Principle Race Officer (PRO) Simon Jamesgot the fleet underway on time yesterday. A single race was in order for IRCCruising and the Classic classes, while the rest enjoyed the solid breeze tocomplete two races. The wind held throughout…
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Kathu Culture Street Festival kicks off tomorrow
PHUKET: The Kathu Culture Street Festival, showcasing the blended cultural heritage of the area, starts tomorrow with a parade beginning at 4:00pm at the Kathu market followed by an opening ceremony at 7pm at the main stage at the Kathu Public Health Center.“The goal of the festival is to preserve Kathu’s cultures and traditions, as well as to encourage locals…
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Phuket Gazette Queer News: Northern women rub it for lucky numbers
PHUKET: A tree that bears a remarkable resemblance to a man’s nether regions is setting pulses racing in a village in the province of Kamphaeng Phet. The mango tree, which was found on land belonging to 50-year-old Mrs Lot Panthap, appears to have two legs, an arse, and a dork (or ‘penis’) hanging in the balance. Local villagers have been…
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Phuket Opinion: Enigmatic beach flags
PHUKET: You arrive at the beach ready for a day of sun, sea and sand, but you are greeted by a line of different colored flags lining the shoreline: red, red and yellow, yellow, blue, red and white chequered. Most people, myself included, aim for the area away from the red flag as they know what that means. The others…
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Phuket Opinion: Sea change in mindset needed to avoid dire straits
PHUKET: The recent discovery and subsequent removal of a large fishing net from the well-known dive site Shark Point (story here) is just the latest in a long series of indicators that the marine environment off Phuket is in dire straits. Government researchers at the ‘National Parks and Protected Area Innovation Institute’ told a recent seminar that coral bleaching had…
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