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.
-
Sponsored 5 ways retirees in Thailand lose money (and how to stop it)
Retiring in Thailand can be affordable and enjoyable, but many retirees lose money due to common mistakes. High living costs, scams, and unexpected expenses can quickly drain savings. There are five ways that retirees in Thailand can lose money and...
-
Heads up: helmets-for-all crackdown
PHUKET TOWN: From October 1, Phuket police will enforce a law requiring both riders and passengers on motorcycles to wear helmets. The long-standing law has been applied in recent years only to riders, not passengers, but concern has continued to grow over the number of deaths and injuries on the island’s roads. The latest crackdown comes at the instigation of…
-
Panel probes cheating in OrBorTor polls
PHUKET: Allegations of cheating and vote-buying have delayed the official appointment of Tambon Administration Organization (OrBorTor) executive committees in nine of the 12 tambon in Phuket where polling took place last month. An investigation is underway by the Phuket Election Committee, which will reveal details of the allegations only when it has completed the probe. It was, however, announced that…
-
Game over: Two held on software violations
PHUKET TOWN: Police officers accompanied by a lawyer from a software firm seized 25 computers and made two arrests in raids on Internet gaming shops in Phuket Town this afternoon. The attorney, representing Asiasoft International Co Ltd, first went to Net Pic, on Damrong Rd, where 11 computers were confiscated, and then to Log-in Internet, on Ong Sim Phai Rd,…
-
Illegal slaughterhouse raided
PHUKET TOWN: Officials from the Phuket Provincial Livestock Office (PPLO) raided an illegal slaughterhouse in Phuket Town early today and made one arrest. Phuket Town municipal officers accompanied the officials, led by PPLO Chief Suranarth Vongchawalit, to premises on Mae Luan Rd about 1 am as part of a crackdown in a national Safe Food campaign. The meat from five…
-
Three land officials “guilty’ – inquiry
BANGKOK: The SorPorKor 4-01 land investigation in Phuket reached a milestone yesterday when an official inquiry found that the former Chief of the Phuket Agricultural Land Reform Office, Surat Wasinwattana, had intended to destroy important evidence related to the issue of illegal SorPorKor papers, after investigators found documents in his house and car. The inquiry found two other officials, Ittichai…
-
F-16 fly-by “no cause for alarm’
PHUKET: The roar of an F-16’s jet engines ripped through the air over Phuket at 3:20 this afternoon, startling more than a few people across the island. The Royal Thai Air Force warplane was on a practice run from its base in Haad Yai and back again, said Sumeth Charoensin, Watch Supervisor of the Phuket branch of Aeronautical Radio of…
-
Evason dispute ends
RAWAI: The industrial dispute involving nearly 350 staff of the Evason Phuket Resort is over, following negotiations and arbitration by officials from the Phuket Labor Office. In an official statement released last night, the resort announced, “The Labor Office encouraged both parties to meet and hold discussions. The [hotel staff] union withdrew its outstanding demands and accepted all demands made…
-
Land probe turns to tin mines
PHUKET: The Phuket land investigation moved into a new phase this morning when Phuket Provincial Land Office (PPLO) Chief Saroj Ninkhate went to the Governor’s office to present Governor CEO Pongpayome Vasaputi with a list of 57 former tin mine concession land plots in Kathu now in the hands of private owners. The PPLO alleges that all were issued Chanote…
-
Phuket, Samui property show tops expectations
HONG KONG: Contracts worth a total of more than 180 million baht for the sale of homes in Phuket and Koh Samui were signed at the second annual Phuket & Samui Property Exhibition at Hong Kong’s Convention and Exhibition Center on September 12-14. At the show, organized by Graham Doven and Artasia Press, and co-sponsored by the Phuket Gazette, Laguna…
-
Three arrested in porn VCD raids
PHUKET TOWN: Police last night arrested three men and seized 191 lewd VCDs in raids on CD vendors at the Tai Rod market, near the Shell gas station on Phang Nga Rd. Led by Phuket Provincial Security Affairs Chief Nikorn Torhiranyapreuk and Pol Capt Sommai Ornkam, of Phuket Town Police Station, a team of six plainclothes officers raided the vendors…
-
Quake tremors stir Phuket
PHUKET TOWN: Tremors from a distant earthquake that measured 5.0 on the Richter scale were recorded in southern Thailand early on Sunday. Thawat Thantumnu, Director of the Southern Meteorological Center, West Coast, said that the quake, with its epicenter about 360 kilometers away in Sumatra, Indonesia, was felt on the island at 3:42 am. “Phuket has nothing to fear,” he…
-
Evason staff protest at hotel
RAWAI: About 300 unionists on the staff of The Evason Phuket Resort and Spa staged a peaceful protest at the entrance today in a dispute over pay and conditions. Watched by Chalong Police officers, the demonstrators, many wearing red headbands, sang songs, pounded on drums and waved placards as guests moved unimpeded past the gathering. The protest began at 6…
-
Beware bogus inspectors: PPEA warns
PHUKET: The Phuket Provincial Electricity Authority (PPEA) today warned people to beware of a gang posing as PPEA workers who rob homes during or after bogus inspections. Sornchai Uparamai, the Manager of the PPEA, said that the gang members, dressed in PPEA workers’ uniforms, arrive unannounced at homes and ask to inspect electrical appliances or the electrical meter, claiming that…
-
Whale bombing unlikely, says biologist
PHUKET TOWN: A local marine biologist has cast doubt over local press reports that the whale that washed up on a Koh Racha Yai beach on Monday died as a result of the illegal use of explosives for fishing. Phuket Marine Biology Center (PMBC) biologist Kongkiat Kittiwattawong, who has been contact with island residents by telephone, told the Gazette today…
-
200 villagers demand justice in shooting
PHUKET TOWN: About 200 villagers from Rawai descended on Phuket Provincial Hall this morning to demand that police expedite the investigation into the September 6 shooting of a 17-year-old boy, allegedly by an off-duty policeman. The shooting, which occurred at 2 am at the Monkey Pub on Takuapa Rd, in Phuket Town, has left the first-year Phuket Technical College student…
-
Man arrested in VCD raid
KATHU: After complaining that it was frequently difficult to arrest sellers of fake goods, officials yesterday finally scored with the arrest of a man and the seizure of 8,040 VCDs with a street value of 800,000 baht. Tharadol Thongruang, Deputy Director of the Phuket Commercial Affairs Office, told the Gazette that PCAO and Tungtong Police officers raided a shop in…
-
Why love’s a blast
KAMPHAENG PHET: They say you’re never too old to fall in love. But if that’s true, then it must follow that you’re never too old to blow away a romantic rival with a shotgun in a fit of jealous rage, either. When 73-year-old land owner Samraan Imsuwat rented out a piece of land to 71-year-old Nou See-uso to cultivate jasmine…
-
Murder 101: lessons in killing
PHITSANULOKE: Region 6 police apprehended three members of a five-man gang in Phitsanuloke province who shot and killed at least three people and injured several others in at least 10 shooting incidents in Phichit and Phitsanuloke provinces. Among their victims were teachers, military personnel, secondary school students and even a little girl. In confessing to the shootings, the suspects –…
-
Officials monitor Singapore Sars case
PHUKET: Officials are monitoring the progress of a new case of Sars in Singapore in case precautionary measures again become necessary for direct flights from the island-nation to Phuket. A 27-year-old post-graduate student in Singapore has contracted the virus and 25 other people who had been in contact with him have been quarantined. While the case brought back memories of…
-
Motorcycle theft gang nabbed
PHUKET TOWN : Police have cracked a gang involved in stealing motorcycles over the past several months with the arrest of seven young men and a young woman early today. Announcing the arrests this afternoon, Pol Col Paween Pongsirin, Superintendent of Phuket Town Police Station, expressed frustration with the legal system. “Because of the softness of the punishment these days,…
-
Phuket gets set for Vegetarian Festival
PHUKET TOWN: Governor CEO Pongpayome Vasaputi chaired a planning meeting today for the Phuket Vegetarian Festival, which will run from September 25 to October 5. “We invite everyone from near and far to participate,” the Governor said. Prasert Fakthongphon, President of the Phuket Shrine Club, said, “We’d like to preserve this ancient tradition. If we don’t help to preserve it,…
-
Protesters seek power for the people
PHUKET TOWN: More than 200 villagers protested today at Phuket Provincial Hall about the lack of adequate electric power for their homes in a small community off Chao Fa East Rd in Chalong. About 1,000 people live in 570 dwellings at Kok Tanode, also known as Chalermprakiat, without permanent electricity, Governor CEO Pongpayome Vasaputi was told when he met a…
-
10 Indonesian fishermen nabbed
AO MAKHAM: Ten Indonesian fishermen are being held at Phuket Provincial Prison after being arrested on Saturday night for fishing illegally in Thai waters. The two fishing boats the men were crewing were seized after being intercepted by two patrol craft from the Third Fleet, Royal Thai Navy, about 30 kilometers from Koh Racha Yai. Thai fishermen alerted authorities to…
-
Stolen coral seized but gang flees
RAWAI: More than 400 pieces of stolen coral were returned to the sea today after police interrupted a gang transferring it from a boat to land on Saturday night. Marine Police were given a tip-off that the gang would be landing their contraband at Rawai at 10 pm. When the officers arrived, they saw four people moving the coral to…
-
Phuket to get new police chief
PHUKET: Phuket Provincial Police Commander Maj Gen Kongpol Suwannaraks has been promoted to Assistant Commissioner of Police Region 8, based in Surat Thani, with effect from October 1. Gen Kongpol’s promotion was one of 202 police promotions and transfers recently approved by the Cabinet as part of the annual reshuffling of government employees. Gen Kongpol told the Gazette that he…
-
Finance Minister has high hopes for growth
CHERNG TALAY: Suchart Jaovisidha, Thailand’s Minister of Finance, today annnounced that he expects steady economic growth in the Asian region for the rest of the year. “We are pleased that, despite a weak international environment due in part to the Sars outbreak and the war in Iraq, which affected the first half of the year, we expect the region to…
-
Chanote title project underway soon
PHUKET TOWN: As part of a national campaign to standardize land ownership titles, people who have property deeds other than Chanote have been asked to contact the Phuket Provincial Land Office (PPLO). Thailand’s Land Department is currently undertaking a survey of the entire country and, starting in the 2004-2005 budget year, will launch a drive to upgrade all land papers…
-
Thaksin vows to end “evil’ in Thailand
PHUKET TOWN: Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said yesterday that he would bring an end to “evil” in Thailand through the government’s current campaign against “dark influences”. Speaking at a top-level meeting focused on crushing Thailand’s “dark influences” and drug problems, PM Thaksin said, “I will bring an end to the evil.” He added, “[Currently] 35% of all businesses [in Thailand]…
-
New Governor CEO lists priorities
PHUKET TOWN: Developing Phuket further as an attractive destination for tourists and solving the island’s chronic shortage of water are two top priorities, the Governor CEO-in-waiting, Udomsak Usawarangkura, told his first media conference yesterday. K. Udomsak, who will take over from Pongpayome Vasaputi on October 1, said the controlled expansion of Phuket Town was a third vital concern. The Department…
-
American, 61, found dead in Karon
KARON: Police are searching for a Thai woman who may be able to throw light on the circumstances surrounding the death of 61-year-old American citizen David Lee Dilley, whose body was found yesterday. The woman, Nanthira Srimuang, from Ubon Ratchathani province, has not been seen since Mr Dilley’s body was discovered at the couple’s rented house on Patak Rd, Karon,…
Don't forget to check out some other things to do in Thailand - get help starting a business or finding a job in Thailand, buy Thailand property, rent a yacht or book a medical procedure worldwide.