News

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  • Bodies of two missing canoers found in Rassada | Thaiger

    Bodies of two missing canoers found in Rassada

    PHUKET: Rescue workers this morning recovered the bodies of two men who had been missing since their canoe capsized near Koh Sireh on Sunday. “The body of Mat Panthip, 51, was found floating near Ruen Talay Seafood restaurant in Rassada at about 9:30am,” said Phuket Marine Police Chief Panya Chaichana. “About two hours later, we found the body of Laong…

  • British backpacker found safe and well in Krabi | Thaiger

    British backpacker found safe and well in Krabi

    PHUKET: Police in Krabi have tracked down a 21-year-old British woman who disappeared for six days while travelling in Thailand, prompting a social media frenzy to help find her. Krabi Tourist Police confirmed that they found Ms Taylor at Krabi International Airport earlier today. Tourist police stayed with her to ensure her safety, while awaiting the arrival of a family…

  • King cobra killed after raiding camp | Thaiger

    King cobra killed after raiding camp

    PHUKET: A three-meter-long king cobra was killed after attempting to sneak into a workers’ camp in Paklok yesterday afternoon. Snake catchers from the Kusoldharm Rescue Foundation rushed to the camp after receiving a report about the deadly reptile, but by the time they arrived on the scene, the camp’s occupants had already dealt with the snake their own way. “By…

  • Michigan Uber driver admits role in deadly shooting spree | Thaiger

    Michigan Uber driver admits role in deadly shooting spree

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Michigan Uber driver admits role in deadly shooting spree Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: A man working as an Uber driver admitted to the fatal weekend shootings of six people in Kalamazoo, Michigan, a police detective testified on Monday in a case raising questions about how…

  • One dead, 17 injured in another Patong Hill bus crash | Thaiger

    One dead, 17 injured in another Patong Hill bus crash

    PHUKET: A Phuket bus driver was killed and 17 tourists injured when the bus crashed into an electricity pole while descending Patong Hill last night. Bus driver Jeerasak Kimbuathong, 40, was pinned in the driver’s seat by the the pole, which fell on the vehicle. “It took rescue workers nearly an hour to pry him out, but he could not…

  • Peeking behind Phuket’s lace veil | Thaiger

    Peeking behind Phuket’s lace veil

    PHUKET: With its idyllic beaches and beautiful beachfront resorts, Phuket is not only a hub of tourist activity, but with Asean integration now a factor, it is also well on its way to becoming a key global economic player. One industry that has seen sustained growth in the past decade is wedding planning and luxury events management. Here is a…

  • Calls for closure of Phuket Zoo | Thaiger

    Calls for closure of Phuket Zoo

    PHUKET: Milo, the female orangutan at the center of a wildlife furore, is recovering in the Phang Nga Wildlife Nursery Station after being rescued late on Saturday (story here). Wildlife activist Edwin Wiek said yesterday that Milo was ‘a bit weak, but in good spirits’ after being dumped in the jungle while still in a cage. More than 12,000 people…

  • Prime Minister keeps controversial comedian off stage | Thaiger

    Prime Minister keeps controversial comedian off stage

    PHUKET: The show of controversial comedian and hate-speech convict Dieudonne M’bala M’bala, scheduled to take place last month at Illuzion night club in Phuket, was cancelled after the venue pulled the plug less than 24 hours ahead of the Frenchman taking the stage. Since then, Mr M’bala M’bala has struggled to find his footing in Asia. “One of the owners…

  • One dead, two missing after Phuket canoe flips | Thaiger

    One dead, two missing after Phuket canoe flips

    PHUKET: One man is dead and two are still missing after the canoe they were taking to a yacht anchored near Koh Sireh in Phuket capsized last night. Rescue workers were able to recover Visut Prasert, 58, and Santhaya Kasikun, 9, from the water, shortly after the canoe flipped at about 10pm. Mr Visut was taken to Vachira Phuket Hospital…

  • Phuket orangutan discovered caged in jungle | Thaiger

    Phuket orangutan discovered caged in jungle

    PHUKET: Khao Phra Thaeo Non Hunting Zone officers discovered a missing 13-year-old orangutan Saturday evening after she disappeared from the Phuket Zoo ahead of a police raid on Friday. “Milo was found in a healthy condition,” Edwin Weik, the founder and director of Wildlife Friends of Thailand (WFFT), told the Phuket Gazette. “I do not believe that she went missing…

  • Brother-in-law of ex-mayor arrested after standoff with CIB | Thaiger

    Brother-in-law of ex-mayor arrested after standoff with CIB

    PHUKET: Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) officers swarmed the home of former Rassada mayor Suratin Lian-udom on Saturday morning during a standoff with suspected drug dealers (story here). CIB officers were informed that those living in the home may be involved in an influential drug network on the island, confirmed CIB Commander Maj Gen Chatchai Eamsang. Officers from the Crime Suppression…

  • Rescue workers unable to revive swimmer at Bang Tao | Thaiger

    Rescue workers unable to revive swimmer at Bang Tao

    PHUKET: A Chinese national died Saturday afternoon after swimming with his family at Bang Tao Beach. Miu Zhioin, 63, was pulled unconscious from the water after losing his footing and going under the waves, confirmed Capt Kraisorn Boonprasop of the Thalang Police. “Layan rescue workers’ attempts to revive Mr Miu were unsuccessful. He was pronounced dead on arrival at Thalang…

  • Indian army recapture Delhi water source, caste protests continue | Thaiger

    Indian army recapture Delhi water source, caste protests continue

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Indian army recapture Delhi water source, caste protests continue Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: The Indian army has taken control of a canal that supplies three-fifths of Delhi’s water, the state’s chief minister said on Monday, raising hope that a water crisis in the metropolis of…

  • Uber driver suspected in Michigan shootings, six dead | Thaiger

    Uber driver suspected in Michigan shootings, six dead

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Uber driver suspected in Michigan shootings, six dead Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: A Michigan man who worked as an Uber [UBER.UL] driver was under arrest on Sunday in the fatal shooting of six people in Kalamazoo, as police investigated reports he may have driven customers…

  • Scarred by trafficking abuses, Rohingya stay put in Myanmar camps | Thaiger

    Scarred by trafficking abuses, Rohingya stay put in Myanmar camps

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Scarred by trafficking abuses, Rohingya stay put in Myanmar camps Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: After Husaina’s 20-year-old son boarded a boat to escape poverty and discrimination in Myanmar’s Rakhine State, she heard nothing from him for seven months. Then, in a shocking phone call, she…

  • US rejected N.Korea peace talks offer before last nuclear test | Thaiger

    US rejected N.Korea peace talks offer before last nuclear test

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community US rejected N.Korea peace talks offer before last nuclear test Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: The United States rejected a North Korean proposal to discuss a peace treaty to formally end the Korean War because it did not address denuclearization on the peninsula, the State Department…

  • Kusoldharm Foundation worker killed in three-vehicle crash | Thaiger

    Kusoldharm Foundation worker killed in three-vehicle crash

    PHUKET: A Kusoldharm Foundation worker was killed yesterday afternoon after he crashed his bike and was dragged underneath a bus in Phuket Town. Police found Sakpayom ‘Ajarn Jack’ Tarapong, 36, lying in the road near the rear wheel of a bus and a parked vehicle, confirmed Maj Somchai Nooboon of the Phuket City Police. “According to the bus driver, Nukul…

  • CSD raids home of former Rassada mayor’s wife | Thaiger

    CSD raids home of former Rassada mayor’s wife

    About a hundred officers led by the Crime Suppression Division this morning surrounded the house of former Rassada Mayor Suratin Lian-udom’s wife, as the Central Investigation Bureau continues raids throughout the island. Several suspects were apprehended after declining to be searched and resisting arrest. Mr Suratin was not at home at the time and was not the apparent target of…

  • Opinion: Floating ideas | Thaiger

    Opinion: Floating ideas

    PHUKET: The spike in the number of marine related accidents in the Andaman is an issue of great concern. The beauty of the Andaman’s marine attractions is a major draw for tourists, but the recent deaths of a French snorkeller and Chinese diver, the maiming of two Russian divers and other marine fatalities so far this year is turning the…

  • Finance: Ups and downs in the price of oil | Thaiger

    Finance: Ups and downs in the price of oil

    PHUKET: For somebody who pays attention to commodity prices, these are extremely interesting times. I still remember many talking heads on television predicting that we’d never see oil below 100 dollars per barrel. The argument was extremely convincing, especially when the markets seemed to be confirming its truth. With the flood of shale oil and the lifting of embargoes on…

  • Ultraman World Champion to swim around Phuket | Thaiger

    Ultraman World Champion to swim around Phuket

    PHUKET: Swedish Ultraman World Champion Jonas Colting will undertake the first ‘Swim Around Phuket’. If successful, he will be the first swimmer to circumnavigate the island. Another aim of the mission is to raise funds for the Yaowawit School, a government-approved boarding school for children from underprivileged families, initially founded to help children who were victims of the 2004 tsunami.…

  • Thailand Beach Volley Festival coming to Karon Beach [video] | Thaiger

    Thailand Beach Volley Festival coming to Karon Beach [video]

    PHUKET: Karon Beach is preparing its sands for the Thailand Beach Volley Festival Phuket powered by PTT on March 23 through March 27. The international amateur beach volley tournament will feature three classes: two X two men, two X two women and four X four mixed. After preliminary pooled games, the men’s two X two event will be divided into…

  • Phuket orangutan “disappears’ ahead of police raid | Thaiger

    Phuket orangutan “disappears’ ahead of police raid

    PHUKET: A 13-year-old orangutan that conservationists were fighting to free from Phuket Zoo has gone missing, confirmed Wildlife Friends of Thailand (WFFT). “Natural Resources and Environmental Crime Division (NRECD) of the Royal Thai Police and Department of National Parks (DNP) agreed to investigate the case of Milo, agreeing to raid the zoo this morning,” Edwin Weik, the founder and director…

  • US Embassy to hold consular outreach in Phuket | Thaiger

    US Embassy to hold consular outreach in Phuket

    PHUKET: The Consular Section of the American Embassy in Bangkok will hold an Outreach Visit at Millennium Resort Patong on February 26. Consular staff will be available from 8am to noon to provide the following services: • Passport renewal applications (US$110.00 or 4,070 baht for adults, and US$105.00 or 3,885 baht for children). • Passport applications for lost or stolen…

  • Van driver crushed in early morning collision | Thaiger

    Van driver crushed in early morning collision

    PHUKET: A van driver was killed when he reportedly slammed into the back of an 18-wheeler truck on Thepkrasattri Road early this morning. It took rescue workers about 40 minutes to remove driver Nate Saengpayap, 35, from the vehicle, confirmed Lt Col Sanit Nookong of the Thalang Police. “Mr Nate was not transporting any passengers in his van at the…

  • Australia, New Zealand urge China show restraint in South China Sea | Thaiger

    Australia, New Zealand urge China show restraint in South China Sea

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Australia, New Zealand urge China show restraint in South China Sea Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: Australia and New Zealand on Friday strongly urged China to refrain from stoking tensions in the South China Sea after its apparent deployment of surface-to-air missiles on a disputed island.…

  • AirAsia CEO: cheap oil paves way to revive expansion | Thaiger

    AirAsia CEO: cheap oil paves way to revive expansion

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community AirAsia CEO: cheap oil paves way to revive expansion Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: With low oil prices reducing its operating costs, AirAsia Chief Executive Tony Fernandes said the budget carrier was ready to start expanding again in southeast Asia and was eyeing Vietnam and the…

  • HeadStart International inaugurates new Phuket campus | Thaiger

    HeadStart International inaugurates new Phuket campus

    PHUKET: HeadStart International School last week held an opening ceremony for its new campus, located at Soi Na Sua near Central Festival Phuket. “Our new campus is situated on 15 rai of beautiful landscape and is very easy to access from major locations in Phuket,” said School Director Jazon Edouard. Some of the facilities at the new campus include large,…

  • OrBorTor council head survives drive-by shooting | Thaiger

    OrBorTor council head survives drive-by shooting

    KRABI: Police are searching for multiple suspects wanted for the attempted murder of the Ao Luek Noi Administration Organization (OrBorTor) council head. Rorseff Kasirak, 55, sustained serious injuries after a group of men pulled up to his home and fired about 10 rounds Wednesday night, confirmed Capt Manat Inprom of the Ao Luek Police. Mr Rorseff was struck in the…

  • Upcoming alcohol ban for Makha Bucha Day | Thaiger

    Upcoming alcohol ban for Makha Bucha Day

    PHUKET: A nationwide ban on the sale and purchase of alcohol will be in place for 24 hours on Monday out of respect for Makha Bucha Day. “Letters will be sent to night entertainment business operators to inform them of the ban,” Peerayuth Karajedee, Phuket Provincial Police deputy commander, told the Phuket Gazette this morning. “According to trading laws, entertainment…