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  • Phuket swimmers treated with plant paste for jellyfish stings

    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…

  • 100,000 baht found on Phuket temple beggar

    100,000 baht found on Phuket temple beggar

    PHUKET: A crippled Thai beggar with a hidden ‘money-belt’ was arrested last night after police received complaints from visitors at the Chalong Temple Fair. Lt Col Parinya Tanthasuwan of Chalong Police received reports of the 67-year-old man harassing locals and foreigners at about 7pm, and called in Supparuek Pinyo from the Phuket Province Social Development and Society office. “We first…

  • Phuket school assembly disrupted by parked car

    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…

  • Police cadet orientation marred by exam-cheating arrests

    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…

  • Critically injured Aussie hospitalized in Phuket [video] | Thaiger

    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…

  • Phuket’s snakes have no place to go

    Phuket’s snakes have no place to go

    PHUKET: The Kusoldharm Rescue Foundation Phuket has reported that at least 16 reticulated pythons were captured from people’s homes in Kathu and Phuket City this month. “We classified the reptiles by weight; five of them weighed under 5kg and were released into the Khao Phra Thaew Nature and Wildlife Education Center Non-hunting restricted area,” Phongchart Churhom, head of the Khao…

  • Panicked Phuket elephant rampages into forest

    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…

  • Looking Back: The rise and fall of Chiang Mai

    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…

  • Another unidentified foreigner found dead, at Phuket Beach

    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…

  • Electrical malfunction believed to be cause of Patong nightclub fire

    Electrical malfunction believed to be cause of Patong nightclub fire

    PHUKET: The cause of a fire at ‘Seduction’ discotheque on Soi Bangla, Phuket’s infamous party street, is believed to be an electrical malfunction in a ceiling fan. The fire started at about 7:45pm on Saturday. Six firetrucks arrived at the scene, with firefighters working for at least two hours to calm the flames that took over and extensively damaged the…

  • Finance: The markets are aiming higher

    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…

  • Opinion: Protecting the Kingdom’s gentle giants

    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.…

  • Video: Rare, endangered mammal safely rehabilitated in Phuket

    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…

  • Thai official released after paintings theft in Japan

    Thai official released after paintings theft in Japan

    JAPAN: A senior-level Thai Intellectual Property Department official, who has admitted to stealing three paintings worth 15,000 yen (4,684 baht) from a Japanese hotel, was released from custody in Japan yesterday, a Thai Foreign ministry spokesman says. The release came after representatives of the Royal Thai Consulate General in Osaka negotiated the payment of compensation to the Kyoto hotel that…

  • Ministry of Farang Affairs: Wearing cold weather gear

    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.…

  • Employers of drug suspect issue statement after his arrest

    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…

  • Police stumped as Russian found dead under ‘mysterious circumstances’

    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.…

  • Inaugural ‘Phuket RendezVous’ slated for next year

    Inaugural ‘Phuket RendezVous’ slated for next year

    PHUKET: Royal Phuket Marina (RPM) is set to host the inaugural ‘Phuket RendezVous’ from January 4-7, 2018. Partnering with one of Asia’s most experienced luxury lifestyle event organizers, Asia RendezVous, the Phuket RendezVous showcase event will replace the Phuket International Boat Show (PIMEX) and build on its 14-year legacy. Hosted by RPM, the four-day-event will showcase a diverse range of…

  • Govt denies digital surveillance as report alleges ‘spying’

    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,…

  • Snatch and run suspect arrested in Phuket

    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…

  • “Professional’ pickpockets beaten by Phuket locals

    “Professional’ pickpockets beaten by Phuket locals

    PHUKET: Two pickpockets were caught and beaten to a pulp by locals at Wat Chalong Fair last night. Col Anantachai Piyapanun of Chalong Police received a report from locals present at the scene at about 9:30pm. “The two victims named Nunthicha Sermjabog and Jenjira Somboon were walking amid crowds at the fair when the two men, named Duangden Punna and…

  • Marine experts: action needed to counter Phuket beach erosion

    Marine experts: action needed to counter Phuket beach erosion

    PHUKET: Officers from the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) and experts from academia have suggested two ways to counter the issue of erosion on Phuket beaches. However, they have yet to state when will they take action, and say they are waiting for ‘help’ from local, provincial and national authorities. On Tuesday, a team from the…

  • Bus crash in Phuket injures 16 Indian tourists

    Bus crash in Phuket injures 16 Indian tourists

    PHUKET: A bus carrying Indian tourists crashed against a concrete divider in the hills of Kata this morning, toppling to one side and taking down a street light with it. Lt Col Sakkarin Sangchareon of Chalong Police received the report at about 8:10am. “The bus was heading from Kata to Chalong. One tour guide and 16 Indian tourists were injured…

  • Video: Foreign boat hunted for anchoring on coral off Phuket | Thaiger

    Video: Foreign boat hunted for anchoring on coral off Phuket

    PHUKET: The Department of Marine and Coastal Resources is hunting for a foreign boat that was captured on video anchoring on a coral reef at Koh Racha. “We received the report and video clip from a tour guide who wishes to remain anonymous,” Suchat Rattanaruengsri, head of the Marine and Coastal Resources Conservation Division Region 6, told the Phuket Gazette.…

  • Infant found dead hours after being fed

    Infant found dead hours after being fed

    PHUKET: A 20-day-old baby girl was found dead at a Burmese worker camp in Thalang last night. Col Chattri Choowichien of Thalang Police received the report at about 10:30pm from Soi Na Yao in Pa Khlok. “Ms Soo, 31, told us that she was breast-feeding her new-born daughter in their room at about 6pm. The baby started choking on the…

  • Phuket tourist detained two days for capturing fish

    Phuket tourist detained two days for capturing fish

    KOH RACHA: A tourist was arrested and jailed yesterday for catching and keeping two fish at a beach on Phuket’s Racha Island. The arrest was made after locals reported the man collecting live fish in a water bottle at Plub Pla Beach. At about 2pm, Fisheries Officer Nares Choopueng, along with Marine and Coastal Resources Conservation Department (DMCR) officials, confronted…

  • EducationUSA Thailand to host informational fair

    EducationUSA Thailand to host informational fair

    PHUKET: EducationUSA Thailand, a program of the US Department of State and US Embassy Bangkok, is inviting high school and university students, parents, and educators to its annual series of higher-education fairs. The Phuket fair is slated for February 1 at Satri Phuket School, with Chiang Mai scheduled for February 2 at Le Meridien Chiang Mai, and Bangkok on February…

  • Rawai Mayor warns against swindler

    Rawai Mayor warns against swindler

    PHUKET: Rawai Mayor Aroon Solos has issued a warning about a possible swindler posing as a Phuket City Municipality officer. Mr Aroon said that a man who called himself Raywat Chanakeaw called him to ask for money yesterday morning. The caller claimed to be a Phuket City Municipality officer and said that he had been in an accident and needed…

  • Canadian tourist dies in single-vehicle accident, friend severely injured

    Canadian tourist dies in single-vehicle accident, friend severely injured

    PHUKET: A young Canadian woman faces months of rehabilitation and huge hospital bills after being severely injured in a single-vehicle accident that claimed her friend’s life in Phuket last week, the Vancouver Sun reported yesterday. Nezabravka (Nezi) Borislavova, 24, from Vancouver, suffered internal injuries, two broken shoulders, a broken arm and broken wrist, according to her family friend Patrick Parenteau.…

  • Parents protest closing of municipality kindergarten

    Parents protest closing of municipality kindergarten

    PHUKET: At least 200 parents and students gathered at Phuket Provincial Hall yesterday morning to protest against the closing of the Phuket City Municipality kindergarten. The group was led by Chanakan Nansang and Pranee Thongkao, with several protesters carrying signs that read ‘Why close the kindergarten and open a secondary school?’ Ms Chanakan said that Phuket Municipality School had not…