News
Stay up-to-date with the latest news from across Thailand and beyond with The Thaiger. Our dedicated team brings you breaking news, in-depth analysis, and exclusive stories from this stunning part of the world, covering a diverse range of topics, including local politics, business, culture, and tourism. Keep yourself informed about the Kingdom’s rich history, stunning landscapes, and thriving expat communities, as well as updates on events, attractions, and transportation.
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Sponsored 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...
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Damaged road not to affect underpass construction
PHUKET: The severely damaged road near the Samkong intersection has had no effect on underpass construction, confirmed a Phuket Highways Office official. Heavy rains on Thursday left sections of the road running alongside the underpass, as well as one of the underpass walls, heavily damaged (story here). “As of last night, the road can be used as normal and traffic…
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Phuket police struggle to identify dead foreigner
PHUKET: Dysfunctional CCTV cameras in the area where a foreigner was killed after allegedly jumping in front of a bus on Wednesday (story here) have left police clueless. “We had hoped to find CCTV footage showing where the man had come from so that we could identify him and track down his relatives or friends. However, we came up empty…
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Blood donations save German crash victim
PHUKET: A motorcycle crash victim is out of danger after undergoing surgery and receiving seven units of A-negative blood following a plea last week for donations of the rare blood type. German national Bernd Langer, 51, is recovering at Bangkok Hospital Phuket after coming off his motocycle in Rawai on January 24 (story here). Mr Langer underwent emergency surgery at…
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Navy seizes alleged IUU fishing boats in Phuket
PHUKET: The Royal Thai Navy seized two fishing vessels for illegal, unreported, unregulated (IUU) fishing when the ships returned to Phuket after tuna fishing in the Indian Ocean. Mook Anda 018 and Mook Anda 028 arrived at the Phuket Deep Sea Port on Saturday, where Rear Admiral Kittipong Rumakom, deputy commander of the Royal Thai Navy Third Area Command, was…
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Debris found on Malaysia’s east coast not from flight MH370
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Debris found on Malaysia’s east coast not from flight MH370 Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: Jan 29 Aviation officials said on Friday a metal object recovered from Malaysia’s east coast a day earlier was not from missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370. It was the second time…
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Suu Kyi allies to form Myanmar ruling party after decades of struggle
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Suu Kyi allies to form Myanmar ruling party after decades of struggle Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: After decades of struggle, hundreds of lawmakers from Aung San Suu Kyi’s camp will form Myanmar’s ruling party on Monday, with enough seats in parliament to choose the first…
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A Decade Ago: Soi dog woes as medical tourism grows
PHUKET: Similar to Phuket attempting to turn back the wheels of time on its beaches – by deeming some of the island’s well-trampled sands to be ‘virgin’ – a decade ago, officials were trying to ensure that Phi Phi Don remained an idyllic paradise island, following the destruction of most of the island’s man-made structures by the tsunami’s waves. “We…
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China police arrest 21 over $7.6 bln online financial scam
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community China police arrest 21 over $7.6 bln online financial scam Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: Feb 1 Chinese police have arrested 21 people involved in the operation of peer-to-peer (P2P) lender Ezubao, the official Xinhua news agency said on Monday, over an online scam it said…
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Opinion: Creating sustainability in tourism
Bhummikitti Ruktaengam, 43, is the vice president of the Phuket Tourist Association (PTA). Born and raised in Phuket, he graduated with a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Missouri, Kansas City, USA. Here he talks about different tourist markets and how the PTA plans on making them more sustainable. PHUKET: In terms of tourism, the island is…
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Island View: Downside of micromanaging Phuket
PHUKET: Phuket is basking in the financial waterfall of government funded projects from Bangkok, as exports slump to a five-year low and the entire country becomes increasingly reliant on the tourism industry. However, with it comes the type of micromanagement that reaches even beyond the imagination of Bill Lumbergh. If I want to have an ice-cold beverage, umbrella and sun…
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DSI vows to back Phuket sea gypsy land claims
PHUKET: The Department of Special Investigation (DSI) vowed to renew its efforts in backing the Rawai sea gypsies’ claim of having lived on a disputed piece of beachfront property for more than 100 years. “At the meeting with Phuket Governor Chamroen Tipayapongtada on February 2, we will provide all the DNA evidence collected from the archaeological dig we conducted on…
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Ladyboy burglar targeted foreigners’ homes in Phuket
PHUKET: Police yesterday arrested a 28-year-old ladyboy and his or her partner for the burglary of foreigners’ homes in Kamala and Kathu. Boonrit Anchaisiri, 28, and Teerawat Boonampol, 29, were arrested in their rental house in Srisoonthorn with more than 300,000-baht’s worth of stolen goods, said Kamala Police Superintendent Pattanachak Jakkapan. “The two confessed to targeting homes where tourists were…
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Wat Chalong Fair kicks off on February 7 [video]
PHUKET: It’s that time of year again. Phuket’s biggest annual temple fair, held at Wat Chalong, will kick off on February 7 to offer one week of local fare and entertainment. “There will be plenty of food vendors, circus rides, games and stalls set up at the fair. Everyone is more than welcome to come and enjoy themselves,” said Chaiwat…
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British, French journalists free in Burundi, one day after arrest
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community British, French journalists free in Burundi, one day after arrest Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: A British and a French journalist arrested during a sweep for rebels in flashpoint districts of the capital were released on Friday, a witness said. Moise Nkurunziza, deputy police spokesman, said…
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Chinese police break silence on missing Hong Kong bookseller
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Chinese police break silence on missing Hong Kong bookseller Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: Chinese police have made their first statement on the fate of one of five missing Hong Kong booksellers, believed by many to have been abducted by mainland agents, acknowledging widespread concerns but…
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Foreigner among six charged for stealing Phuket national park land
PHUKET: Six people, including a foreigner, were charged by the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) for falsifying land documents to steal Phuket national park land. “This particular encroachment case is about 92 rai of Sirinath National Park land that was stolen using a flying SorKor 1,” explained Lt Col Prawut Wongseenin, the director of the DSI’s Bureau of Consumer Protection…
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Finance: Fancy a punt in the semiconductor market?
PHUKET: The semiconductor industry helps drive technological progress and yet many semiconductor stocks have lagged the performance of the broader technology sector recently. However, small cap MaxLinear, Inc (NYSE: MXL) is an exception as shares are up 134 per cent from the start of 2015 to November, plus shares rallied close to 28 per cent after the company reported third…
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Opinion: Ignorance stokes illegal tour guide problem
PHUKET: The recent arrest and threat of deportation and blacklisting of a tour guide from China comes as little surprise given the preponderance of guides from the ‘Sleeping Dragon’ who operate illegally in Phuket. Tour guiding is one of the many occupations restricted for Thai nationals under the ‘Working of Alien Act’, which was promulgated in 2008. Regardless, foreign guides…
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Fishing boat slaves rescued in Phuket
PHUKET: Phuket and Bangkok officials raided a dormitory in Koh Sireh yesterday to rescue 32 illegal Myanmar workers being held captive and forced to work without pay. Officials were alerted to the dormitory after a worker, named only as Nai, escaped from the fishing boat they were forced to work on and swam ashore to call relatives in Myanmar. “Mr…
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Chinese tourist remains unconscious in ICU
KRABI: Krabi Marine Police were called to aid in the rescue of a Chinese tourist who fell unconscious while swimming in Koh Hong yesterday. Cong Xu, 27, was swimming close to shore with friends when they noticed she didn’t come up from under the water, confirmed Krabi Marine Police Chief Anurak Parinyasathiragul. “Her friends pulled her to shore, but she…
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Chanotes issued in 2005 for Rawai sea gypsy land
PHUKET: Representatives from Baron World Trade Co Ltd presented a thick set of documents on Wednesday backing their claim to the land that is currently occupied by Rawai sea gypsies in Phuket. Among the documents presented by Chatree Madsatun, a representative from Baron World Trade, were four Chanote land titles (9613, 78116, 12616, 12592); a letter of permission from the…
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Breaking News: Phuket underpass damaged, roadway cracked
PHUKET: Heavy rains last night left a section of road running alongside the troubled Samkong Underpass, as well as one of its walls, heavily damaged. “Police and rescue workers were on site last night until about 2am to help with the traffic congestion caused by the damaged road,” Lt Col Rungrit Rattanapagdee of the Phuket City Traffic Police told the…
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‘Plane debris’ washes up on Malaysian east coast
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community ‘Plane debris’ washes up on Malaysian east coast Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: A metal object believed to be plane wreckage washed up on the Malaysian east coast on Wednesday, prompting speculation for the second time in a week that debris from missing Malaysian Airlines aircraft…
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More airlines ease policies for bookings to Zika-hit areas
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community More airlines ease policies for bookings to Zika-hit areas Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: Lufthansa (LHAG.DE), British Airways (ICAG.L) and JetBlue (JBLU.O) on Thursday became the latest international carriers to offer rebookings or refunds for tickets to areas affected by the Zika virus, as the World…
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WHO says Zika virus spreads explosively, 4 million cases forecast
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community WHO says Zika virus spreads explosively, 4 million cases forecast Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: The Zika virus, linked to severe birth defects in thousands of babies in Brazil, is “spreading explosively” and could infect as many as 4 million people in the Americas, the World…
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Island readies for 17th annual Old Town Festival
PHUKET: The 17th annual Phuket Old Town Festival, which celebrates Phuket’s unique culture and traditions, is set to kick off on February 13. The festival will get underway on four roads in the heart of Phuket Town: Thalang Road, Thepkrasattri Road, Soi Romanee and Krabi Road. “This is the 17th year that the Old Town Festival has been organized by…
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V/Gov clears Laem Sing Beach of illegal vendors
PHUKET: Phuket Vice Governor Chokdee Amornwat this week removed all the beach chairs and umbrellas set up by illegal vendors on Laem Sing Beach – one of Phuket’s ‘virgin beaches’. The Vice Governor ordered the beach to be cleared after aerial photographs of furniture strewn across its sands were published by the Phuket Gazette, and went viral on social media…
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V/Gov orders Laem Sing Beach cleanup
PHUKET: Phuket Vice Governor Chokdee Amornwat this week has ordered the removal of all furniture on Laem Sing Beach. The Vice Governor imposed the order after aerial photographs showing furniture strewn on the sands went viral on social media earlier this month (story here). “As soon as I received the report, I gave vendors five days to take all of…
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Navy saves Norwegian couple after sailboat capsizes
PHUKET: The Royal Thai Navy saved a Norwegian couple after the pair’s small catamaran capsized off Koh Lanta yesterday afternoon. The sailors, named by officers as ‘Thongunnor Bue’ and ‘Caron Bue’, but believed to be Thom Bue and Carol Bue, struggled to control the boat after their tiller broke. “Unable to control the boat, a large wave hit them broadside…
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All rock climbing banned on Phi Phi
PHUKET: All rock climbers, including independent climbers, are banned from scaling the bolted rock faces on Phi Phi Don as officials look to regulate safety standards. “We have already explained to nine tour operators offering climbing tours in the Noppharat Thara – Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park area that they must suspend their services until they gain the necessary…
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