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 Games motorbike crash survivor “will play sports again’
PHUKET: Atthapong Noikhamsin, the 13-year-old boy who survived the motorbike accident in Rawai this morning that killed his Phuket Games teammate, 18-year-old Sutthipong Laphutama, has not suffered serious injury and is being kept in hospital under observation. “We x-rayed Atthapong’s brain, as well as his neck. They are normal. We operated at 2pm to reset his collar bone, which was…
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Phuket baby elephant DNA test results to be announced
PHUKET: The long-awaited DNA test results of three baby elephants seized from elephant camps in Phuket will be revealed next week, the Phuket Gazette was told today. The three elephants were seized in February from the ATV @ Hill Adventure Tour camp on the road to the Big Buddha image in Chalong; the Elephant Camp at the Laguna complex in…
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Chinese punt for Phuket consulate as tourist arrivals skyrocket
PHUKET: The dramatic increase in the number of Chinese tourists visiting Phuket in recent years is causing problems and has prompted Chinese officials to look into establishing a consulate on the island.Xu Mingliang, the People’s Republic of China Consul-General in Songkhla, Southern Thailand, was in Phuket yesterday to hear tour operators’ concerns firsthand and to discuss the issues with Phuket…
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Phuket beach toll rises as kitesurfing American dies
PHUKET: An American kitesurfer died en route to hospital after being pulled from the surf at Phuket’s Nai Harn Beach around noon today.The man, whose name has not been released to the press, had been kitesurfing earlier that morning. He was seen by beach vendors struggling in shallow water after heading back to shore.“We saw him floating in the shallow…
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Arson not suspected in Phuket Sports Association VP house fire
PHUKET: Police believe an electrical short circuit started a fire at the house of Sompong Muthitakul, vice president of the Sports Association of Thailand office in Phuket, on Tuesday night.Regardless, officers have not ruled out the possibility of arson and are continuing their investigation to confirm precisely what caused the fire, Phuket City Police Deputy Superintendent Jamroon Plaiduang told the…
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Two injured in Phuket pickup crash
PHUKET: Two men out enjoying Phuket nightlife were injured, one seriously, when their pickup slammed into a power pole before dawn today. Thalang Police at 1:55am were notified of an accident on Thepkrasattri Road inbound near the Karn Keha Public Housing Estate U-turn in Srisoonthorn subdistrict, Thalang. Arriving at the scene with Kusoldharm Foundation rescue workers, police found the extended…
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Tragedy strikes Phuket Games as athlete dies in motorbike accident
PHUKET: A young athlete from Bangkok, scheduled to return home after competing in the Phuket Games rowing competition, died in a tragic motorbike accident in Rawai this morning. Chalong Police confirmed the identity of the victim as Sutthipong Laphutama, aged 18. The driver of the motorbike, 13-year-old Atthapong Noikhamsin, was rushed to hospital for treatment of serious injuries. The driver…
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Russian drowns in notorious Phuket rip
PHUKET: A Russian man who ignored red warning flags at Karon Beach is Phuket’s latest drowning victim. Uten Singsom, head lifeguard at Kata-Karon, told the Phuket Gazette that the 33-year-old entered the surf near the Thavorn Palm Beach Resort at about 1pm yesterday. The deceased was later identified as Denis Korobogatov. “He and his two Russian friends came from Patong.…
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Phuket business: Greece primed to exit the Euro
PHUKET: It is fair to say that recently the world’s markets have been as unstable as a new born baby trying to stand on its own two feet! With the financial woes of the European markets, the rest of the world has been dragged down by a seemingly constant torrent of poor European economic news. We have a new French…
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Phuket live wire: Thailand’s 3G woes
PHUKET: UGH! What a mess. If you’ve been following along over the years, you know that the history of 3G wireless internet access in Thailand has been fraught with competing organizations, lawsuits, government changes, allegations of corruption, political infighting, and a whole lot of money floating around. To understand the quandary we’re in right now, you need to know the…
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Go Team: Phuket swipes second gold in “Go’
PHUKET: Phuket girls Bussarin Raktaengam, Worakluck Kritsachaikan, Sudaphat Khongkaew and Pichakon Kankanok yesterday defeated their Nakhon Ratchasima opponents to win gold in the soft tennis event at the 28th Thailand National Youth Games being held in Phuket.The foursome join the boy’s doubles team of Krit Jamkhajonkiet and Panode Kingtkaew as so far the only Phuket competitors to win gold at…
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One sting reported from flood of ‘bluebottles’ at Phuket beaches
PHUKET: Phuket lifeguards at Kata and Karon beaches so far have reported only one person being stung by the bluebottle jellyfish that washed ashore in droves yesterday.More than 100 of the “stingers” washed ashore at Kata and Karon beaches, confirmed Uten Singsom, head lifeguard at Kata-Karon patrol unit on Phuket’s southwest coast.He also received reports that some were found on…
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Phuket yellow shirts bus to Bangkok to join protest
PHUKET: Phuket members of the People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD), also known as the yellow shirts, piled into three buses headed to Bangkok this afternoon to join their PAD counterparts in protest. The PAD will stage a mass rally in the capital tomorrow to protest the reconciliation bill and other bills designed to expunge post-coup court verdicts and offer general…
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FC Phuket lose 3-0 at Ratchaburi, botched ref’s call under review
PHUKET: Fans of FC Phuket, outraged over a red card given to keeper Alonso Jose Carvalho Da Silva in Sunday’s 3-0 loss on the road at Ratchaburi, got a small measure of vindication yesterday when the Thai Premier League (TPL) review board agreed that the Brazilian’s diving kick save wasn’t intended to harm the attacking player and that remedial action…
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Phuket tourism takes a hit over “Trashing Racha’
PHUKET: The Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) has been forced to start taking steps to redress the growing concerns voiced in Phuket about the environmental destruction of Koh Racha Yai by negligent tour operators and tourism business owners.The news comes after a leading figure in local environmental conservation blasted greedy tourism operators and the lax enforcement of environmental…
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Help sought for morbidly obese woman in Krabi
PHUKET: The elderly mother of a morbidly obese woman in Krabi province is seeking assistance to get her daughter the medical help and living assistance they need to survive. Wanphen Pimsri, 32, started having serious medical problems as a teen. At age 18, she underwent brain surgery for a hormonal imbalance at Songklanagarind Hospital in Haad Yai, the top government…
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Phuket wins first medal in 28th Youth Games
PHUKET: Phuket finally bagged its first medal in the 2012 Thailand National Youth Games earlier today, when its cycling team took the bronze in the 70-kilometer road event in Thalang. Teammates Assadeawut Somnam, Suponchai Bangthong, Thaikhom Chittamat and Apiwat Piromrit used tight formation tactics to cut through the gusty monsoon winds to complete the circuit in 1 hour 46 minutes…
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Somjai uncontested in run for Phuket City Mayor re-election
PHUKET: Somjai Suwansupana will run for re-election as Phuket City Mayor uncontested following the closure of candidacy registrations on Friday. Former Mayor Somjai will lead her Khon Noom (Young Turks) party to the polls in the upcoming Phuket City Municipal election on June 16, marking her attempt for re-election to her third consecutive term as Phuket City Mayor. Although running…
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Phuket lifeguards return to beaches
PHUKET: Fully equipped lifeguards are now back on duty at Phuket beaches, ready to rescue swimmers who get into difficulty during the currently treacherous weather. Uten Singsom, head of the Phuket Lifeguard Club unit at Kata-Karon, told the Gazette, “This year we are going to have a new uniform and new flags. Both will be ready next week. Last year…
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Phuket motorcade to honor expat “Scotty’
PHUKET: The many friends of Brian Alexander McCormick-Kid, better known as “Scotty”, will hold a motorcycle procession from Phuket Town to Rawai on Wednesday to honor the long-term Phuket expat. Born in Glasgow 57 years ago, Scotty had lived in Thailand for 15 years. Well known especially among the biker community, he died this week after a courageous battle with…
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Phuket sports: Boxing battle on Patong Beach
PHUKET: WBC Asia Continental Super Flyweight (115 pounds) champion Petchbangborn Sor Tanapinyo will defend his title in the main bout of a major fighting event to be held at Patong Beach tomorrow (May 29). The Thai champ takes on Indonesian challenger Alwi Alhabsyi at the peak of the Boxing and Muay Thai event dubbed “Suk Poon Insee Sataan Lok“, or…
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Phuket AMCHAM highlights Sports Tourism
PHUKET: A collection of industry experts who drive Phuket’s top international sporting events painted a bright outlook for Phuket’s future in the international sporting arena on Thursday. Attendees were told that Phuket is already on the map for major sporting events and that key officials are recognizing the economic benefits. Titled “Identifying and Marketing Brand Phuket – Sports Tourism”, the…
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Wet monsoon blast warning for Phuket, Andaman coast
PHUKET: The 24-hour forecast, issued by the Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) issued at noon today, predicts waves as high as four meters along Phuket beaches, as well as strong winds. The southwesterly monsoon winds are expected to reach speeds of up to 45 kilometers per hour. The TMD also issued a flash-flood warning at 4am today and advises all small…
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Phuket Games visitors get surf danger warning
PHUKET: Officials are warning visiting athletes and others arriving for the Phuket Games 2012 to stay out of the water at island beaches, where dangerous riptides and heavy surf claim the lives of scores of overconfident swimmers each year. The initial warning came on Friday morning during a meeting of Phuket Games 2012 management council at the Royal Phuket City…
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Poll: English in the Phuket tourism industry
Phuket is among the best-known international tourist destinations in Asia. As such, the new Phuket Gazette polls asks readers to assess the overall English-language ability of local people working in the tourism industry here. To have your say in Phuket’s most popular poll click here. If you have already voted and want to view the latest results click here. If…
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Phuket pickup crashes into Thalang home
PHUKET: A man who crashed his pickup though a guard rail and into a home on Thepkrasattri Road early this morning crawled from the wreckage completely unharmed. Thalang Police were notified at 2:30am of a crash on Thepkrasattri Road southbound near the Tah Reua Chinese Shrine in Srisoonthorn, Thalang.Arriving at the scene with rescue workers, police found a modified black…
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Update: Phuket resort worker denies rape of German tourist
PHUKET: All official sources in Phuket involved in the case of an alleged rape of a German tourist by a Thai resort worker have unequivocally stated that the accused has not confessed to the charge. Sakchai Thongseedam, charged with raping the unnamed German tourist on May 17 at the Centara Karon Resort Phuket resort, has denied the police allegation. The…
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Phuket bound bus slammed by truck, 12 injured
PHUKET: Twelve people were injured when a bus bound for Phuket from Haad Yai crashed with a pickup truck in Phattalung Province in rainy conditions on Thursday night. Na Kayad District Police were notified of a crash on the Asia Highway in Kwan Kanoon District, Phatthalung Province, at about 10pm. Police led by Lt Wittaya Sutthirak arrived at the scene…
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Phuket Police warn of counterfeit Thai banknotes
PHUKET: Police in Phuket are urging the public to check carefully any banknotes they receive, as there have been reports of counterfeit bills being passed across the south of Thailand. The first reported case took place on Tuesday when a fried chicken vendor used a bogus 1,000 baht note to purchase items at a 7-Eleven convenience store in Haad Yai,…
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Phuket Sports: Let the games begin
PHUKET: Starting this weekend, Phuket will host the 28th Thailand National Youth Games, an event expected to bring more than 2,000 student-athletes to the island along with an estimated 14,000 people including coaches, parents, supporters and fans of over 30 different sports and pastimes. Gracious hosting of these games should be a point of pride among all islanders, Thais and…
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