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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When the village headman loses it
BURI RAM: A mentally-disturbed man in Buri Ram’s Ban Dan district sliced off the head of his brother-in-law then walked around the village in a demented state, carrying the head in a plastic bag and laughing. The incident occurred in Tambon Prasaat on the morning of August 2. The victim, a 68-year-old farmer named Bun Tharuangrum, was living in the…
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Samson takes a fall “for mom’
BANGKOK: Popular Thai kickboxer Samson Lookjaopormahesak has been arrested for allegedly throwing a fight, becoming Thailand’s first boxer to face legal action for suspected match fixing. Samson is one of the country’s most famous boxers, and his fight on the evening of August 5 was highly anticipated. Samson dominated the early rounds, but the referee stopped the fight in the…
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“Intelligent’ traffic lights switched on
PHUKET TOWN: The island’s capital stepped up to a new level of technology yesterday with the switching-on of an “intelligent” traffic light system at the intersection of Thepkrasattri Rd and Komarapaj Rd. Phuket Town Mayor Phummisak Hongsyok explained that the Komarapaj Rd intersection is the location of the town’s longest traffic delays, which was why it was chosen for trials…
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Korean store busted for dodgy drugs
PHUKET TOWN: A Taiwanese man was arrested this morning for illegally selling traditional Thai and Korean medicines. The arrest came when officers, led by the national Commander of the Tourist Police, Pol Maj Gen Panya Maman, raided a store on the bypass road after complaints from tourists. Gen Panya said that officers moved to raid the store after the South…
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Indonesians cleared of terrorist links
PATONG: The three Indonesian fisherman who washed ashore at Kalim Beach yesterday morning have been cleared of connections with the terrorist organization Jemaah Islamiyah (JI), Pol Maj Narong Laoprathumviroj, an Inspector at Kathu Police Station, has told the Gazette. “They were all investigated and we have verified that they did not come to stage acts of terrorism in Thailand during…
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Pirate goods blitz continues
KATA-KARON: Some 1,400 fake items with a street value of 1.4 million baht were seized in raids on eight vendors in Kata and Karon yesterday evening, Tharadol Thongruang, Deputy Director of Phuket Commercial Affairs, said today. At 6 pm, police officers simultaneously raided two shops and two stalls opposite Mom Tri’s Boathouse & Villa Royale in Kata. Officials then moved…
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Airport to get B200m makeover
PHUKET: In a move to improve Phuket International Airport, 200 million baht will be spent upgrading the docking aprons, improving the terminal facilities to cope with more travelers and doubling the cargo area, the airport’s director told the Gazette today. Lt Cdr Boonchart Prompoon, Director of the Airports Authority of Thailand, Phuket, explained that the upgrade will be implemented in…
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Fishermen survive 5 days adrift
KALIM: Three Indonesian fishermen who spent at least five days adrift without food after their boat was caught in not one but two storms, washed ashore at Kalim Beach this morning and are now recovering at Patong Hospital. Pol Maj Narong Laoprathumviroj, an Inpector at Kathu Police Station, told the Gazette today, “Three men and their fishing boat washed ashore…
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Cracking start to safety campaign
PHUKET TOWN: Four-hundred motorcycle riders turned out today to exchange their substandard headgear for free safety helmets of life-saving quality. In a ceremony at Phuket Town Provincial Hall, officials used hammers to crack some of the old helmets as a way of demonstrating their ineffectiveness. The safe-riding campaign, which urges motorcyclists to use quality helmets and to ride with headlamps…
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Two gangsters die in shootout with police
PHUKET TOWN: Two gangsters were shot and killed during an ambush by plain-clothes police that turned into a motorcycle chase after bullets ripped the twilight at Saphan Hin last night. The drama came as police moved in on four men believed to be members of a gang at the top of the Most Wanted list, suspected of murder, bag-snatchings, rape…
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Subsidized computers scheme launched
PHUKET: A nationwide scheme to allow Thais to get laptop computers more cheaply has been launched as a way to boost computer literacy and skills. Applications to buy the state-subsidized “Notebook ICT” computers are being accepted at Thai post offices across the country until the end of this month. Seven different models are available, including machines by Jade Quantum, SVOA,…
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Four arrested for reporter’s murder
PATONG: Police yesterday arrested four more people they believe were involved in the execution-style murder of newspaper and TV reporter Surapong “Od Patong” Rittee in Patong six months ago. One of those arrested is a police officer who was formerly stationed at Kathu Police Station. K. Surapong, 43, was gunned down by two .38 rounds fired close to his left…
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Island security stepped up for Apec
PHUKET (Gazette, Nation): A team of 150 officers from Region 8 police headquarters in Surat Thani are in Phuket to bolster security during Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation meetings, Pol Col Ronapong Saikaew, Superintendent of Investigation Police Region 8, said today. Col Ronapong told the Gazette, “There are 150 investigation and inspection policemen covering every area where Apec [meetings] will take place…
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Italian tourist dies under bus
PATONG: Italian tourist Michael D’Aries, 31, was run over by a tour bus and died in front of the C&N Resort in Patong at about 3:15 am yesterday. Pol Lt Col Pisit Chunpet of Kathu Police Station told the Gazette that Mr D’Aries was driving a rented JDR scooter along Sirirat Rd with a Thai woman riding pillion. They were…
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Yacht import duty close to being scrapped
KARON: The Customs and Excise Departments have recommended that the government scrap import duty on foreign-made yachts, the Director General of the Customs Department, Chavalit Sethameteekul, said today. K. Chavalit made the announcement before joining the meeting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) Sub-Committee on Customs Procedures this morning at the Phuket Arcadia Beach Resort. “Phuket will be a haven…
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Thai center to drive Apec life sciences growth
PHUKET: Thailand and private US interests have agreed to establish a Center of Excellence for the Life Sciences in Thailand that will lead growing interest in the topic throughout the region, a ground-breaking Apec conference has been told. The announcement came from Deputy Prime Minister Suwit Khunkitti in the lead-up to the opening of the first Life Sciences Innovation Forum,…
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Island gears up for OrBorTor elections
PHUKET: Moves to publicize the August 30 elections for Tambon Administration Organization (OrBorTor) members are underway, with the Phuket Election Commission Bureau (PECB) and the Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (OrBorJor) lending a hand. At a meeting at the PECB offices yesterday, OrBorJor President Dr Prasit Koeysiripong pledged four sound trucks to promote the elections for 10 days, while the PECB…
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Patong sea wall: residents open fire
PHUKET TOWN: Patong residents petitioned Governor CEO Vasaputi Pongpayome today, alleging corruption over a 40-million-baht project to build a retaining wall along Patong Beach. They also say the seashore wall, which will vary in height from two meters to 3.5 meters along a distance of about 1.5 kilometers, will be an environmental disaster. Construction of the wall has already begun.…
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MP calls for commission into farmers’ rights
PATONG: Local Democrat MP Chalermlak Kebsup today called for a commission to be set up to determine local farmers’ rights to own land that they claim to have occupied before it was declared Forest Preserve or Zone C land – declarations that led to it being issued with SorPorKor 4-01 land occupation papers. K. Chalermlak said that people in Phuket…
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Ganja and magic mushrooms seized
PATONG: Four men were arrested on Monday in two separate drug raids along the Patong-Karon road that netted quantities of marijuana and “magic” psilocybin mushrooms allegedly packaged for re-sale. In the first raid, Pol Capt Sophon Borirak led Kathu Police officers to the Rasta Bar just south of Patong and arrested three Thais and a German at about 8:30 pm.…
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Korean drowns at Karon
KARON BEACH: A middle-aged Korean woman drowned in heavy surf in front of the Phuket Arcadia Beach Resort just after midnight yesterday. Pol Maj Sanae Panmee, of the Chalong Police Station, told the Gazette that the victim, identified as 41-year-old En Seck Sea, entered the dangerous surf with a friend after drinking together at a local bar. The pair were…
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Bus passengers win shelter from sun and rain
PHUKET TOWN: The Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (OrBorJor) is to build bus shelters for the comfort of passengers using its public mini-buses, the Vice-President of the OrBorJor, Samroeng Chaisorn, said today. “There are 132 places where our buses stop for passengers,” K. Samroeng said. “The OrBorJor can build 32 shelters but many of the other stops are in front of…
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Marine Dept regional HQ to move to Phuket
PHUKET TOWN: Wanchai Sarathulthat, Director-General of the Marine Department, yesterday announced that the Marine Department’s Region 5 headquarters, which includes Phuket, will move from Trang to Phuket, with regional office chief Capt Arnut Sombathiwee at the helm. K. Wanchai made the announcement at a meeting of nearly 100 government officials and members of Phuket’s marine leisure industry at the Royal…
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Water aplenty, says Governor
PHUKET: Governor CEO Pongpayome Vasaputi has confirmed that Phuket should have no water shortages until at least the end of this year and perhaps beyond. Gov Pongpayome told the Gazette that heavy rain had alleviated the problem, which at one stage saw Patong and Karon with water rationing and the prospect of restrictions also looming for Phuket Town. The completion…
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Not wanted, dead or alive
NO MAN’S LAND: A Thai man working at a casino in the Cambodian border town of Poipet died there after Cambodian officials refused to let his wife, Khun Wanna, take him back to Thailand to seek emergency medical treatment. The victim, 23-year-old Samruay Sukpanao, started working at the Princess Casino as a decorator 15 days before his untimely demise on…
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Wanted: a spy for the AMLO
PHUKET: Always wanted to work for the government but never been keen on a desk job? The Anti-Money Laundering Office (AMLO) has the role for you – they are looking for spies. But wait, it gets better: no experience is necessary and no qualifications are required. All you have to do is apply by filling in the appropriate form at…
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Raffles to open a resort in Phuket
PHUKET TOWN: Singapore-based Raffles International Limited and its subsidiary Raffles International Hotels & Resorts (Thailand) Co, Ltd, have announced the signing of an agreement with Andaman Peninsula Company Ltd to develop a five-star luxury resort in Phuket. The Raffles Resort Phuket, to be built on the headland south of Kata Noi Beach, will include 79 luxury hotel rooms, 30 residential…
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2,000 fake CDs seized in Bangla
PATONG: Police this afternoon raided two stores on Soi Bangla and seized more than 2,000 copy CDs and many other imitation brand-name goods with an estimated total street value of at least 2 million baht. Led by Pol Col Chalit Thintanee, Superintendent of Kathu Police Station, officers at 2:30 pm raided the stores and arrested storeowners Kampan Sakornnitikul, 25, and…
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Gov boosts security after Jakarta blast
PHUKET: In response to yesterday’s bomb blast in Jakarta, where at least 14 have been killed and 149 injured, Phuket Governor CEO Pongpayome Vasaputi has ordered police to boost security at all hotels across the island. Governor Pongpayome today told the Gazette that he ordered a general alert last night, and today ordered police to pay particular attention to security…
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Water deal ends risk of rationing
PHUKET: The island’s immediate water problems appear to be over with the settlement in Bangkok yesterday of a row about who pays for the power for a water pump. At the meeting, the Provincial Waterworks Authority (PWA) agreed on behalf of the Phuket Provincial Waterworks (PPW) to pay 70% of the cost of the electricity required to pump extra water…
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