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Thailand news, politics, business, crime, lifestyle, and tourism—stay updated with breaking news and in-depth analysis from Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Pattaya, and beyond.
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Finance: A good time to invest in Phuket
PHUKET: I am asked so often about Phuket real estate that I find it a good topic to address from time to time. Of course, there are legal hurdles to consider, but I will leave that aside for today and focus simply on the issue of timing. Is now a time to be buying or fleeing the island? As with…
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Ministry of Farang Affairs: Internal Thai clock
The Ministry of Farang Affairs is a one-stop shop where foreigners in Thailand can learn all they need to know about living here. No, we’re not talking about work permits, visas or taxes. We’re talking about day-to-day life in the Land of Endless Shocks and Riddles, of Blur, Befuddlement and the Bizarre. Stay tuned for weekly insights from Minister Stephff.…
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Opinion: Taking better care of Phuket’s snakes
PHUKET: Reports that a record number of large snakes were captured by emergency rescue workers in Phuket last month are just the latest indicator of how badly the remaining natural habitats on the island are being destroyed by the relentless ‘development’ that Phuket has undergone in recent decades. Snakes do not rate highly in our anthropomorphic view, which tends to…
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Two teenagers stabbed by youth gang in Phuket
PHUKET: Two teenage boys were stabbed by a gang of teenagers who allegedly tried to rob them at Bang Niew Dam Reservoir in Thalang yesterday evening. Police and rescue teams arrived at the scene to find the two boys injured and bleeding. Worrayuth Kahapana, 18, had stab wounds to his left arm and lower rib. The second victim,16, had multiple…
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Party it up like you’re in Ibiza
PHUKET: Did you know that the Balearic island of Ibiza and the Andaman island of Phuket are within a few square miles of being the same size? There are other connections too: quite a large chunk of Ibiza has UNESCO World Heritage status, while Phuket cuisine recently picked up the UNESCO seal of approval. Additionally, a significant and growing chunk…
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Phuket lifeguard quits to protest vendor takeover
PHUKET: A Laem Singh lifeguard quit his job last month after a group of angry umbrella vendors reportedly asked him to remove his government-issued lifeguard tent, claiming the space as theirs. The vendors said they were ‘locals’ and were authorized to use the space to set up umbrellas and mats for rent. Almost exactly a year ago, former Phuket Vice…
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Thai PM receives death threats, orders manhunt
BANGKOK: Prime Minister Gen Prayuth Chan o cha today said that his government has launched a manhunt for people posting death threats against him and his Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwan. “I want to ask them [who posted] where they got the information. I think Thai expatriates overseas who regularly insult the Monarchy mentioned the assassination first,”…
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Foreigner stabbed to death in Phuket last night
PHUKET: Confusion prevailed at Phuket’s Rassada port when a Burmese man ran amok with a deep knife wound in his back last night. The 28-year-old man, named only as ‘Mutesui’, was part of a fishing boat crew and was seen running from a boat docked at the pier at about 11:45pm. “A witness told us that he was walking past…
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British man found suffocated in Phuket
PHUKET: A British man from Liverpool was found dead with a plastic bag taped around his neck at a house in Rawai yesterday afternoon. His partner, Rasamee Khaigarb, contacted Capt Somkiet Sarasit of Chalong Police to report the incident at about 4pm. The policeman arrived at the scene with rescue teams. “We found the 55-year-old man lying face up with…
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Video: Lovelorn student asks to be shot at Phuket police station
PHUKET: A student from Phuket Wittayalai School ran into Phuket City Police Station wielding a two-inch knife yesterday evening and urging officers to “shoot me”. “Reports from officers and other witnesses at the station, as well as evidence from CCTV footage, shows that the boy approached the counter and pointed the knife at himself,” said Col Komon Osiri of Phuket…
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‘Most beautiful’ girl in Krabi crowned
KRABI: Pamela Pasinetti won the Miss Grand Krabi 2017 beauty pageant last weekend, and is on her way to compete in Miss Grand Thailand 2017. The Miss Grand competition involves the selection of the ‘most beautiful’ girl in a particular province. Once the girl is chosen, she gets a chance to compete in the larger Miss Grand Thailand competition –…
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Phuket swimmers treated with plant paste for jellyfish stings
PHUKET: A quick-thinking Surin lifeguard used his basic knowledge of beach vegetation to treat a young boy and two adults stung by jellyfish this morning. Sayan Bureerak, head of Surin Beach Lifeguards, received reports of the incident at about 11am. “The tourists – two adults and one 10-year-old boy – were in a lot pain when I arrived. Since I…
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Phuket school assembly disrupted by parked car
PHUKET: A picture of a car parked in the middle of a school assembly in Phuket is making the rounds on the internet this morning. The Facebook post was originally shared by Pairat Kamliang, deputy director of Baan Samkong Municipality School, asking the public to help locate the owner of the car, which is a Toyota Camry Hybrid. Mr Pairat…
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Police cadet orientation marred by exam-cheating arrests
BANGKOK: TEN people suspected to have cheated in a police entrance exam in December were arrested on Tuesday morning as they attended cadet orientation at a Police Club in Bangkok. Arrest warrants were issued for at least 51 students regarding the case last month (story here). “The 10 men, accused of copying exam answers from others, were wanted on charges…
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His Majesty’s pictures lead sea gypsies to victory
PHUKET: About a hundred emotional Rawai sea gypsies gathered outside a Phuket court that ruled in their favor this morning, resolving years of disputes about land ownership and encroachment. Coconut trees in the pictures of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s 1959 visit to the area rank among key pieces of evidence that acquit four long-time residents of land encroachment charges.…
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Critically injured Aussie hospitalized in Phuket [video]
PHUKET: An Australian tourist, who was reportedly involved in a head-on collision with a truck in Koh Lanta on January 15, has been hospitalized in Phuket with a mounting medical bill that is not covered by her insurance. Dawn Weldon-Schupp, a 53-year-old nurse from New South Wales, was travelling on a motorbike with her 14-year-old son, Josh, when the accident…
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Panicked Phuket elephant rampages into forest
PHUKET: Police and livestock officers shot a runaway elephant with five tranquilizer darts after he panicked and ran loose at a camp in the Nakkerd Hills yesterday morning. Staff from the elephant trekking camp located in Soi Yodsanee, Chalong, called in officers from the Phuket Livestock Office and Chalong Police for help at about 10:30am, after the elephant, named ‘Plai…
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Looking Back: The rise and fall of Chiang Mai
PHUKET: Chiang Mai has existed as a city for over 700 years. It is older than Bangkok and probably as old as Sukhothai. In the past, Chiang Mai was the capital of the Kingdom of Lanna, an independent kingdom rich in resources and unique in its culture and traditions. The city was founded by King Mengrai, who came to the…
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Phuket pockets billion-baht infrastructure budget
PHUKET: A billion-baht budget for infrastructure development for 2017-2018 has been approved for Phuket, Governor Chokchai Dejamornthan announced last week. The budget is slated to improve traffic congestion and overall infrastructure development in Phuket, including building, extending and maintaining roads; installing CCTV cameras; burying overhead cables; beach development; and building and maintaining underpasses. Additionally, Governor Chokchai has re-ignited interest in…
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Another unidentified foreigner found dead, at Phuket Beach
PHUKET: Another unknown tourist has been found dead in Phuket, this time having plunged from some rocks into the sea. The victim is male and believed to be aged 50-56, but as in several similar recent cases his identity and nationality are unknown. “Witness said the man was walking on the rocks before he suddenly fell down and was dragged…
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Finance: The markets are aiming higher
PHUKET: At the start of 2017, much of the media coverage about the stock market was focused on the Dow Jones reaching the 20,000 level, with some commentary about how the ‘January Effect’ or ‘January Barometer’ theories could help the market. Before discussing what I believe technical indicators are predicting, we need to debunk any theories that claim to predict…
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Opinion: Protecting the Kingdom’s gentle giants
PHUKET: Recent damage to three vehicles by a couple of needle-shy elephants in Phuket is unfortunate (story here and here), but the incidents give cause to reflect on the state of elephants in Thailand. Not only is the elephant Thailand’s ‘national animal’, it also featured on Siamese flags for almost 100 years before the creation of the modern Thai State.…
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Owner reunited with lost Chinese envelopes
PHUKET: A stack of red envelopes filled with cash left behind at a Phuket Town restaurant were returned to their original owner within a few hours with the help of a Facebook post last night. The red envelopes, known as ‘hóngbao‘, are generally distributed to employees, or to children during the Chinese New Year celebrations. “At about 4pm yesterday, I…
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Video: Rare, endangered mammal safely rehabilitated in Phuket
PHUKET: A night guard working in Rawai discovered a rare and endangered mammal early yesterday morning, and quickly sprang into action to protect the creature from harm. Guard Sanya Ritto noticed a creature in the undergrowth during one of his security rounds at the Rawai Villas development. Recognizing it as a Sunda pangolin, he approached it. However, following its natural…
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Ministry of Farang Affairs: Wearing cold weather gear
The Ministry of Farang Affairs is a one-stop shop where foreigners in Thailand can learn all they need to know about living here. No, we’re not talking about work permits, visas or taxes. We’re talking about day-to-day life in the Land of Endless Shocks and Riddles, of Blur, Befuddlement and the Bizarre. Stay tuned for weekly insights from Minister Stephff.…
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Employers of drug suspect issue statement after his arrest
KRABI: The British International School of Krabi (BISK) today released a statement regarding the arrest of an American teacher cum alleged drug dealer employed at their school (story here). Kwanta Suksai, a director at the school, said that every teacher employed by BISK had to undergo pre-employment screening. “Criminal and other records of the teacher, named Alexander Jonathan Rosen, checked…
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Penalty, jail term announced for Koh Racha rule breakers
KOH RACHA: The Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) has issued a ‘last warning’ to all tourists visiting Racha Island. Signs explaining what constitutes illegal behavior have been set up Ao Patok, Ao Siam and Ao Tue, in Thai, English, Russian and Chinese. The rules prohibit boats from dropping anchor when parked at Racha Yai Island, and visitors fromstanding…
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Police stumped as Russian found dead under ‘mysterious circumstances’
PHUKET: Police are working to unravel the mystery of a Russian man’s death at a Bang Tao house yesterday evening. Lt Col Sakon Krainara of Cherng Talay Police received a call from the victim’s wife, Elena Yasen, at about 5:45pm. Rescue workers and police arrived at the house to find her unconscious. “We had to revive her when we arrived.…
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Govt denies digital surveillance as report alleges ‘spying’
BANGKOK: The government dismissed allegations yesterday that it had violated people’s privacy by conducting surveillance of telephone and Internet communications. Government spokesman Lt Gen Sansern Kaewkamnerd said the government was too busy and did not have time to spy on people. He was responding to a report by the London-based organization ‘Privacy International (PI)’ regarding surveillance in Thailand. The organization,…
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Snatch and run suspect arrested in Phuket
PHUKET: A Phang Nga man was arrested on Tuesday for multiple thefts in the Wichit and Kathu areas earlier this month. Col Nikorn Somsuk of Wichit Police presented the suspect Parkpoom Thinglim, 35, at a press conference yesterday. “We received several reports of snatchings by a man on a motorbike, three times in Wichit and once in Kathu. At about…
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