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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Russian busted for illegally selling Phuket property
PHUKET: A police sting operation netted a Russian real estate agent illegally selling condominiums in the Rawai area on Wednesday. “A concerned employee at the condominium project contacted us after witnessing 30-year-old Anastasia Spirkina selling the units at extraordinarily low prices. Due to the suspiciously low prices being offered through Ms Spirkina’s Facebook page, the employee was worried that it…
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Officials prepare for Phuket International Anti-Corruption Day
PHUKET: Officials are preparing for a two-day Anti-Corruption campaign that will see public and private sectors come together to take a strong stance against corruption on the island. “In collaboration with the Ministry of Interior, we will be hosting the ‘Phuket International Anti-Corruption Day’ event on December 8 and 9,” said Phuket Vice Governor Kajornkiet Rakpanitmanee. The event will take…
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One more ‘last warning’ issued to Surin jet-skis
PHUKET: As part of a long series of ‘last-time’ threats, the Marine Office Region 5 acting chief vowed yesterday that if jet-skis are spotted at Surin Beach again, the operators will have their licences revoked. “I am aware that four jet-skis were spotted at Surin Beach Tuesday.* The operators are allowed to rent the jet-skis at Bang Tao Beach, but…
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Unlicensed Cambodian medic jailed for 25 years for spreading HIV
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Unlicensed Cambodian medic jailed for 25 years for spreading HIV Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: A Cambodian court convicted an unlicensed medical practitioner of murder on Thursday and sentenced him to 25 years in prison for spreading HIV among more than 270 villagers, some as young…
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Opinion: Scrap the airport ferry fallacy
PHUKET: It is hard to believe that 25 million baht in funding has been approved for the design and environmental impact assessment (EIA) for the proposed ‘From the Boat to the Plane’ project. There is certainly no question that public transport from Phuket International Airport (HKT) to the island’s west coast resort towns is in dire need of improvement, but…
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Pain but no gain: Indonesia’s corruption crackdown
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Pain but no gain: Indonesia’s corruption crackdown Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: Indonesian bureaucrats are holding off spending billions of dollars on everything from schools and clinics to garbage trucks and parking meters, fearful that any major expenditure could come under the scanner of fervent anti-corruption…
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Phuket celebrates HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s 88th birthday
PHUKET: Millions of people will hold up lit candles in unison on December 5 in honor of HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s 88th birthday. Regarded as the Father of the Nation, HM The King’s birthday is also celebrated as Father’s Day throughout the Kingdom. Phuket will hold a Father’s Day ceremony at Saphan Hin at 4:30pm, where the evening’s itinerary includes…
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Angry Phuket minivan driver pulls big knife in traffic [video]
PHUKET: A road-raging minivan driver was caught brandishing a long knife at the driver of a pickup truck on Thepkrasattri Road yesterday afternoon. The video clip shows the driver of the van waving what appears to be a machete or a small sword as he passes the truck in the left lane. “I saw the clip last night. We will…
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Seven Similan National Park employees dispute transfer
PHUKET: Seven senior park officers and employees were given urgent transfer notices on November 27, forcing them to depart the renowned Similan National Park just as high season kicked off, confirmed the park’s chief. “The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) issued a letter saying that the officers’ transfer was necessary to improve the effectiveness of the…
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U.N. food agency faces US$40 million Myanmar funding shortfall to mid-2016
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community U.N. food agency faces US$40 million Myanmar funding shortfall to mid-2016 Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: More than 600,000 people in Myanmar need food assistance due to natural disasters, violence and conflict, the U.N. World Food Programme said on Wednesday, announcing a $40 million funding shortfall…
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Satellite photos show North Korea digging new nuclear tunnel
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Satellite photos show North Korea digging new nuclear tunnel Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: Satellite photographs from October and early November indicate North Korea is digging a new tunnel for nuclear testing, but there are no signs that a such a test is imminent, a U.S.…
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Facebook’s Zuckerberg takes philanthropy into profit, politics
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Facebook’s Zuckerberg takes philanthropy into profit, politics Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: Mark Zuckerberg, who famously urged his company Facebook Inc (FB.O) to “move fast and break things,” is taking a similar approach to the staid world of philanthropy, indicating his new venture will get directly…
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A Decade Ago: Public transport strikes again
PHUKET: Frequent readers of the news are familiar with the ‘long-awaited’ lightrail project, whose tracks will guide dramatic change in the desolate Phuket public transportation landscape. Now what exactly does ‘long-awaited’ mean? Months? A year? Five years? A decade? In this particular case, a decade ago seems most appropriate, as the topic dominates page 2 of the November 26 –…
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Mai Khao, Karon could suffer contested Hollywood Movie Museum
PHUKET: The much-protested against ‘Hollywood Movie Museum’ originally slated for Nai Harn could very well end up in Karon or Mai Khao, confirmed officials. “K2L Advertising Co – the Bangkok-based company hired to build the museum – has the necessary contacts to get Hollywood memorabilia that is associated with filming in Phuket,” explained Santi Pawai, director of the Ministry of…
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King Power launches Phuket’s first duty-free complex
PHUKET: King Power Group launched the island’s first duty-free complex in Chalong on Tuesday. The 4.5-billion-baht, 48,000 square meter King Power Phuket complex on Chao Fa West Road is the groups fourth addition to their already successful outlets in Rangnam, Srivari and Pattaya. “King Power Phuket has been opened in order to cater to the increasing demand [for luxury shopping…
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Teenage security guard returns B400,000 to owner
PHUKET: A 19-year-old local returned a bag that contained 400,000 baht to its owner after discovering it in the bathroom of a Tesco Lotus in Phuket on Tuesday. Nattapong Rithidet, security guard for UBN Phuket Andaman Co Ltd at the Samkong Tesco Lotus, was in the bathroom when another man came in to use the facilities. The man accidentally left…
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Vice Governor vows to demolish Surin Beach clubs
PHUKET: What was once arguably Phuket’s most famous stretch of beach clubs will be demolished by New Year, vowed Phuket Vice Governor Chokdee Amornwat today. “It will take about two weeks to clear all the buildings and broken construction materials from Surin Beach boardwalk,” explained Vice Governor Chokdee. “This needs to be clearly explained to the English-speaking community impacted so…
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Phuket Police break up credit card theft ring targeting tourists
PHUKET: The ‘purchaser’ for a nationwide credit card theft ring that targeted tourists was arrested on Sunday in Phang Nga after he escaped Phuket in a dramatic car chase. Pitawat Akarathitiveerakul, 53, explained to police that he was part of a criminal network that stole tourists’ credit cards when they put their luggage on buses and other forms of public…
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Phuket Light rail project moves ahead
PHUKET: Plans for the much-anticipated light rail project are ready for official approval, this week confirmed Sirigate Apirat, project secretary for the Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning (OTPP). “The next step is to present the plans to the project committee. These have to be approved by the end of the year,” Mr Sirigate explained. “They will then…
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Ferrari 488 Spider debuts in Phuket
PHUKET: The Ferrari 488 Spider officially made its debut in Phuket – its first appearance in Southeast Asia – following the premiere at the Frankfurt International Motor Show in September. The Ferrari 488 is the latest chapter in Maranello’s ongoing history of open-top V8 sports cars, a story that started with the targa-top version of the 308 GTB – the…
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Phuket drug dealer busted with more than B1mn of meth
PHUKET: Phuket Provincial Police arrested a drug dealer in possession of more than one million baht worth of ya ice (crystal methamphetamine) on Friday. Paitoon Asirametee, 26, was apprehended in front of a grocery store in Wichit after police received a tip-off that he had been selling drugs to teenagers in the Muang District. “Mr Paitoon was in possession of…
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Duty-free heist puts Phuket airport employee behind bars
PHUKET: A Phuket Air Catering employee confessed to stealing duty-free items while transporting food to a plane bound for Finland at Phuket International Airport yesterday afternoon. “Sitthichai Srirat, 28, stole a total of 18 duty-free items, including expensive watches, perfumes, a pen and a necklace,” explained Tah Chat Chai Police Superintendent Somchai Sanprasert. Cabin crew on Finnair AY038 Phuket to…
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Nepal unrest leaves millions of children facing food, medicine shortages
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Nepal unrest leaves millions of children facing food, medicine shortages Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: Unrest over Nepal’s new constitution has led to severe shortages of fuel, food, medicines and vaccines, putting more than three million children at risk of disease during the harsh winter months,…
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Hackers hit three Greek banks with ransom demands
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Hackers hit three Greek banks with ransom demands Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET:Hackers have staged cyber-attacks on three Greek banks and demanded a ransom in bitcoins, a virtual monetary unit, to stop their disruption, banking sources said on Monday. The sources said the hackers managed to…
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Bill Gates plots a surprise attack on the energy sector
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Bill Gates plots a surprise attack on the energy sector Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: Bill Gates grows most animated when the talk turns to the “cool” new energy technologies that have yet to leave the lab. Gates was a rare civilian sharing the limelight alongside…
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Phuket burglar allegedly takes B20k cash
PHUKET: Police are searching for a burglar who allegedly broke into a house at the Keha public housing estate in Thalang Sunday afternoon. Kasem Pansri, 28, reported to police that he returned home from the Layan Market to discover that 20,000 baht in cash had been stolen from his bedroom. “There were clear signs of an intruder having rummaged through…
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Staying afloat in a niche market
PHUKET: Business that are called ‘labors of love’ are referred to this way because the profit margins, if any, don’t justify the investment. Nonetheless, these business – often small retailers – are the building blocks of unique communities. So is the case with Longtail Paddlesurf Co Ltd. Though the sport of standup paddleboarding (SUP) is still in its infancy in…
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Island View: Making the move
PHUKET: At first I was very hesitant to make the move from Chalong to Phuket Town. When I first came to Phuket, everyone told me that Chalong was the best place to be, as it is central to the beaches and Town. And I have to agree, it is a really great location. However, to get anywhere requires a motorbike…
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Man assaulted, pregnant girlfriend abducted in taxi
BANGKOK: A taxi driver, along with his accomplices, reportedly robbed and assaulted a Myanmar passenger before abducting his two-month-pregnant girlfriend on Saturday. Ong Su, 34, told police that he and his 22-year-old girlfriend hailed a green-yellow taxi with an unknown licence plate number from the Rangsit area to go to Samut Prakan province. Two men joined them in the taxi…
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Deaf man dies in alleged suicide
PHUKET: Police have yet to rule out foul play as they investigate the alleged suicide of a deaf man in Thalang yesterday morning. Officers received a report that Amnach Utsaha, 30, had supposedly shot himself in the head with a homemade gun while in bed with his wife Boonruay Aree, 44. “According to Ms Boonruay, Mr Amnach had been complaining…
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