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    Top 5 luxury villas in Phuket and Koh Samui for your next holiday

    Ask people to name the most beautiful places in Thailand, and you'll often hear Phuket and Koh Samui being mentioned. Who would disagree? One is renowned for its bustling nightlife, vibrant culture, and lively beach scene, while the other is...

  • Day 3: Rowers battle seasickness, sleep deprivation in Atlantic crossing

    Day 3: Rowers battle seasickness, sleep deprivation in Atlantic crossing

    PHUKET: Only three days into an estimated 2-month voyage of rowing across the Atlantic, the Row2Rio team is already facing enormous physical and mental challenges. “It was a brutal first day and night, sea sickness had three of us spewing all at once, only Jake seemed unaffected. I was sure I was about to die,” wrote Australian expat and head…

  • Phi Phi Island releases 83% wastewater untreated

    Phi Phi Island releases 83% wastewater untreated

    PHUKET: About 83 per cent of wastewater on the popular tourist island of Phi Phi Don is flowing directly into the ocean untreated, confirmed officials today. A stink about the untreated wastewater was raised after it was revealed that about 1,800 cubic meters of wastewater was produced on the island each day, but only 300 cubic meters could be handled…

  • Student loan debt to be deducted from salaries

    Student loan debt to be deducted from salaries

    BANGKOK: This year, some 2 million overdue student-loan debtors will face deductions from their salaries to pay off outstanding debt, as the new Student Loan Bill comes into effect, the Student Loan Office disclosed on Tuesday. The Cabinet approved the Student Loan Bill, which makes it binding on business owners to collect student-loan debts for the Student Loan Office in…

  • Plans for Koh Kaew pedestrian bridge on hold

    Plans for Koh Kaew pedestrian bridge on hold

    PHUKET: Plans to build a pedestrian bridge at the ever-busy Koh Kaew intersection have been put on hold, confirmed a Highways Department official on Tuesday. Italian-Thai Development Co Ltd, the construction company currently developing the Bang Khu underpass, was originally slated to build the pedestrian bridge on the north side of the junction’s traffic lights. “However, the Koh Kaew Tambon…

  • International teams prepare for 2016 Samui Regatta

    International teams prepare for 2016 Samui Regatta

    SAMUI: Boat owners and sailors throughout Asia and the world have the 2016 Samui Regatta firmly marked on their calendars, as boats ranging in size from 23 to 72 feet head to Thailand’s second largest island to compete in the event’s 15th edition. The marine event, which sees the finale of the AsianYachting Grand Prix Championship, will be held at…

  • Phuket safe after tsunami warning

    Phuket safe after tsunami warning

    PHUKET: Provincial authorities are keeping a close eye on developments today, after a tsunami warning in Phuket last night following a 7.9 magnitude earthquake off Sumatra at 7:49pm [Phuket time]. The announcement, issued by the National Disaster Warning Center, was later cancelled, but local authorities have remained on high alert throughout the night and this morning to monitor the situation…

  • Italian mafia earnings from drugs rival Fiat with cars | Thaiger

    Italian mafia earnings from drugs rival Fiat with cars

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Italian mafia earnings from drugs rival Fiat with cars Phuket Gazette / Reuters ROME: Italian mobsters make as much money trafficking narcotics in Italy as Fiat does selling cars, but without having to pay taxes, the anti-mafia prosecutors office said on Wednesday. Citing estimates by the…

  • Malaysia says high possibility that debris in Mozambique belongs to a Boeing 777 | Thaiger

    Malaysia says high possibility that debris in Mozambique belongs to a Boeing 777

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Malaysia says high possibility that debris in Mozambique belongs to a Boeing 777 Phuket Gazette / Reuters KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia’s transport minister said on Wednesday that based on early reports there is a high possibility that a piece of debris found in Mozambique belongs to a…

  • Opinion: Promoting gastronomy [video] | Thaiger

    Opinion: Promoting gastronomy [video]

    Rangsiman Kingkaew is a Phuket native and the Secretary-General of the Phuket Tourist Association (PTA) He holds a master’s and bachelor’s degree in economics from Thammasat University. Here he talks about his ideas on improving the standards of local eateries to live up to the province’s new title as a UNESCO City of Gastronomy. PHUKET: Phuket was awarded the title…

  • Governor turns up the heat on drug-pushers in Kathu

    Governor turns up the heat on drug-pushers in Kathu

    PHUKET: Drug dealers and users in Kathu are feeling the heat with the latest crackdown ordered by the Phuket governor, who is on a mission to clean up the district. There are drug dealers at large and addicts that need to be cured, said Phuket Governor Chamroen Tipayapongtada at the Kathu District Office yesterday. The governor also joined law enforcement…

  • Airport-to-Patong speedboat shuttle service passes EIA

    Airport-to-Patong speedboat shuttle service passes EIA

    PHUKET: The proposed project to offer a speedboat shuttle service from Phuket International Airport to Patong has passed the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), confirmed the governor today. “We are glad to have the support of the central government for the ‘From the Boat to the Plane’ project,” said Phuket Governor Chamroen Tipayapongtada. “It’s an excellent idea as an alternative transport…

  • Phuket flyover project racks up huge fines, opens this month

    Phuket flyover project racks up huge fines, opens this month

    PHUKET: After suffering months of daily 200,000-baht fines, the construction company of the highly anticipated Klong Koh Pee Flyover will have the project ready to present to the public for the grand opening on April 6. “Locals have been waiting a long time for this project, which has been named ‘Thep Srisin Bridge’,” explained Phuket Governor Chamroen Tipayapongtada during an…

  • Philippine poll agency may block broadcasts of Pacquiao’s last fight | Thaiger

    Philippine poll agency may block broadcasts of Pacquiao’s last fight

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Philippine poll agency may block broadcasts of Pacquiao’s last fight Phuket Gazette / Reuters MANILA: The Philippines’ election commission on Tuesday said it may bar local broadcasts of boxing icon Manny Pacquiao’s bid to win back the world welterweight title next month because it could give…

  • Cambodians admit to raping French tourists in Thailand – foreign ministry | Thaiger

    Cambodians admit to raping French tourists in Thailand – foreign ministry

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Cambodians admit to raping French tourists in Thailand – foreign ministry Phuket Gazette / Reuters BANGKOK: March 1, Five Cambodian fisherman have confessed to raping and assaulting French tourists on an isolated Thai beach, Cambodia’s foreign ministry said in a statement on Tuesday. Thai police said…

  • Phuket sea gypsies take fresh stand against Baron

    Phuket sea gypsies take fresh stand against Baron

    PHUKET: More than 200 sea gypsies yesterday prevented Baron World Trade Company from building a wall that would prevent the seafaring nomads from reaching a ceremonial site on land the company claims to own. Baron World Trade Company, which is one of a number of investors who claim to own Rawai seaview land currently occupied by the sea gypsies, sent…

  • Nok Air flights to resume normal schedules

    Nok Air flights to resume normal schedules

    PHUKET: After the cancellation of more than 100 flights since February 23, Nok Air has confirmed that all flight routes will be running back on schedule starting March 11. February 23 saw the airline cancelling 20 flights, which has been followed by the cancellation of 10 flights per day since, reported The Nation. The airline has been in the process…

  • Foreigners suspected of vandalizing iconic Phuket locations

    Foreigners suspected of vandalizing iconic Phuket locations

    PHUKET: Police are hunting two foreigners suspected of tagging numerous scenic and iconic locations in Phuket with graffiti, following a burst of outrage on social media. “We are aware of the situation and are working on co-ordinating our efforts with other police stations on the island,” said Tah Chat Chai Police Superintendent Somchai Sanprasert. “There are photos of two foreign…

  • Spectre of joblessness puts focus on Beijing as it sets new 5-year plan | Thaiger

    Spectre of joblessness puts focus on Beijing as it sets new 5-year plan

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Spectre of joblessness puts focus on Beijing as it sets new 5-year plan Phuket Gazette / Reuters BEIJING: Job destruction from a slowing Chinese economy and reform of bloated state enterprises will put pressure on policymakers to come up with measures to create employment as Beijing…

  • Google says it bears ‘some responsibility’ after self-driving car hit bus | Thaiger

    Google says it bears ‘some responsibility’ after self-driving car hit bus

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Google says it bears ‘some responsibility’ after self-driving car hit bus Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: Alphabet Inc’s (GOOGL.O) Google said on Monday it bears “some responsibility” after one of its self-driving cars struck a municipal bus in a minor crash earlier this month. The crash…

  • Hecklers disrupt Trump rally, photographer shoved to the ground | Thaiger

    Hecklers disrupt Trump rally, photographer shoved to the ground

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Hecklers disrupt Trump rally, photographer shoved to the ground Phuket Gazette / Reuters WASHINGTON: A Donald Trump rally in Virginia was repeatedly disrupted on Monday by protesters, including some from the Black Lives Matter movement, in a stark display of the divisions the Republican front-runner’s presidential…

  • Phuket food top of the tags on Instagram

    Phuket food top of the tags on Instagram

    PHUKET: Though the sultans of Instagram selfies reign in London, it’s Phuket food that gets the most publicity on the social media giant, according to research by airport transfer company Hoppa. “In the modern era, the holiday experience doesn’t just live in the moment and in the memory, it isn’t even resigned only to traditional photo albums… Because now, the…

  • Light rail plans revised amid safety concerns

    Light rail plans revised amid safety concerns

    PHUKET: Plans for Phuket’s multi-billion-baht light rail project are being revised again to ensure better safety for motorists using the roads running alongside the proposed track routes, it was announced last week. The Highways Department, under the Ministry of Transport, has requested that the Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning (OTPP) modify the numerous level crossings planned along…

  • Bus driver, allegedly on drugs, injures 20 students

    Bus driver, allegedly on drugs, injures 20 students

    PHANG NGA: A bus driver transporting tour guide students is suspected of being high on drugs when he lost control of his vehicle, flipping it and slamming into trees on the roadside. The bus was carrying 35 students from Far Eastern University in Chiang Rai on their way to participate in a training course for tour guides in Phuket, Phang…

  • “We’re not mafia,’ say Phuket taxi drivers

    “We’re not mafia,’ say Phuket taxi drivers

    PHUKET: Phuket taxi drivers denied any mafia behavior, or association with any mafia organizations, at a meeting with Dussadee Arayawuthi, deputy permanent secretary for the Justice Ministry, on Friday. Kata-Karon taxi drivers joined beach vendors and other locals airing their grievances at the meeting at Phuket Provincial Hall. “We were following the established rules. We don’t understand why we are…

  • SUP champion comes to teach paddling in Phuket

    SUP champion comes to teach paddling in Phuket

    PHUKET: Champion standup paddleboarder and founder of the Stand Up Paddle Athletes Association (SUPAA), Chase Kosterlitz, starts a five-day standup paddleboard (SUP) clinic tomorrow. “Chase has a wealth of paddling knowledge and has competed at the elite level for a number of years. His depth of paddling experience and his ability to teach offers a great opportunity to learn. Whether…

  • Tourist drowns in Karon

    Tourist drowns in Karon

    PHUKET: Lifeguards pulled the body of a tourist from the waters off Karon yesterday. “I saw the man floating face down about 100 meters from the swimming area,” said lifeguard Mongkol Tanpisamai. “We immediately dispatched a rescue boat to retrieve him. We provided CPR – however, I’m certain he was dead when we pulled him from the water.” Though the…

  • Aussie expat adventurer undertakes record-setting row across Atlantic

    Aussie expat adventurer undertakes record-setting row across Atlantic

    PHUKET: Australian head coach at Phuket’s Unit 27, Luke Richmond, has joined a team of three extraordinary adventurers as they attempt to set a Guinness World Record by rowing more than 6,000km of open sea, travelling from Portugal to Brazil. Mr Richmond – already in peak condition from incorporating a NeuroPhysics training program from Ken Ware into his weekly schedule…

  • Justice Ministry promises probe Phuket vendors’ grievances

    Justice Ministry promises probe Phuket vendors’ grievances

    PHUKET: About 300 Karon residents and business operators crowded into a meeting room at Phuket Provincial Hall Friday morning to air their grievances about beach regulations. Karon Beach vendors told Dussadee Arayawuthi, deputy permanent secretary of the Justice Ministry, that they were badly affected by the beach regulating policies implemented within the past two years. “Look at Pattaya, where beach…

  • 500-strong police force arrests Krabi squatters

    500-strong police force arrests Krabi squatters

    KRABI: About 500 Krabi police officers joined a mass raid to arrest about 100 oil palm squatters on Thursday. “We surrounded the area to check on the squatters who were trying to claim the land as their own after the previous owner’s license expired,” said Plai Phraya Police Superintendent Chamnan Chamnankij. “These people were still living on the plantation after…

  • Indian man kills 14 members of own family, then hangs himself | Thaiger

    Indian man kills 14 members of own family, then hangs himself

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Indian man kills 14 members of own family, then hangs himself Phuket Gazette / Reuters NEW DELHI: A man in India stabbed 14 members of his own family to death, including seven children, before hanging himself, police said on Sunday, in one of the country’s worst…