News
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How much does it cost to see a doctor in Thailand?
Thailand is known for its high-quality yet affordable healthcare system, but how much does it really cost to see a doctor? As an expat, this question might be crucial for budgeting your health needs. The answer depends on whether you...
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Patong shooter surrenders – assisting Police with investigation
34 year old Manas Pongsuppakij, who lives in Patong, surrendered himself to Patong police today (October 13) after getting pressure from the police to report to them as soon as possible. Following a shooting at Hollywood nightclub in Bangla Road, injuring the victim 27 year old Pongwarit Thiptara, to his leg and back, the police were able to track down…
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New legislation: Foreigners can’t own guns
The National Legislative Assembly on Thursday passed the third reading of amendments to the 1947 Weapon, Firearm, Explosive and Firework Act. The amendments were proposed to keep the legislation abreast of weapons’ technology and the changing conditions in society. Weapon silencers and electric darts will also come under the legislation. As well, the amended rules cover fireworks, Bang Fai (locally-made…
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UPDATE: Police interview two men over assault in Pattaya
Thai Visa reports…. Not 72 years old and not Australian The ‘Australian’ pensioner who was floored by a left hook in the parking lot of a Pattaya school on Wednesday after a road rage incident is really British national 77 year old George Collins Thaivisa can reveal. Mr Collins admitted that despite living in Brisbane for many years he considers himself…
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Baggage handler caught stealing from luggage
Airport baggage handler, 27 year old Abdullah Hayee Mayeh, was arrested with a bluetooth speaker on October 12 after his robbery was recorded on video. CCTV cameras caught him trying to open the luggage of a passenger of Jetstar Airways flight on October 10 at Bay 15 at Phuket International Airport while loading luggage onto the aircraft parked on the…
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Shooting at a Patong nightclub
At 3 am this morning, a shooting took place in a famous nightclub in the middle of Bangla Road, Patong. One Thai man was injured. The incident happened when the nightclub was closing down. 27 year old Pongwarit Thiptara was walking past a man when the two accidentally collided inside the club and the man, who he has never seen…
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THAIGER TODAY Thursday, October 12
Pheu Thai and investors welcome election date confirmation | Owners with drones have 90 days to register, or else | Soi Cowboy in BKK told to close down | More flights from Thai Airways | An 84 year old academic being indicted over a famous Thai 16th century battle.
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Chalong police arrest two with 100 kilograms of Kratom leaves
Two men, 28 year old Thanachai Ngakaew and 18 year old Ratthapong Tingnui, have been arrested with 42 kilograms of Kratom plants and 60 kilograms of fresh Kratom leaves on October 10. The two were arrested at their rented house in Chalong area after police tracked them for a while after they had allegedly traded the drugs to local…
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Injured turtle found at Nai Harn Beach
Yesterday at 4pm, swimmers at Nai Harn Beach found an Olive Ridley sea turtle near the shore. Its front left leg was severely injured from a trawler or motorboat propeller and its right front leg was mildly cut as well. The lifeguards at Nai Harn Beach contacted Rawai Municipality and the Rare Sea Animal Division of Phuket Marine Biological Centre…
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Hot hotel trends – Branded residences
by Bill Barnett of c9hotelworks.com Asia’s property developers are jumping into bed with hotel groups as branded residences flourish. Southeast Asia’s real estate love affair between property developers and hotel brands is morphing into a feeding frenzy. With nearly 100 mainstream hotel residence projects and over 21,000 units completed, the next three years is set to take the sector into…
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More Phuket – Bangkok flights on offer during Royal Funeral week
Thai Airways and Thai Smile Airways will increase their roundtrip daily flights during the Royal Cremation of His Majesty the Late King Bhumibol Adulyadej. The additional domestic flights will be operated from October 23 to 31 to meet the transport needs of passengers attending the ceremony. Thai Airways will add 11 flights between Bangkok and Phuket and five flights between…
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Political activities may be allowed after October
The junta would discuss loosening its grip on political activities after this month, once the Royal Cremation had passed, said secretary-general of the National Council for Peace and Order General Chalermchai Sitthisart. Chalermchai, also the Army Chief, said the junta would discuss to what extent politicians would be allowed to carry out political activities, given that the political party law…
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Vegetable contamination check for the Vegetarian Festival
Phuket’s Governor, together with the Phuket Mayor, visited Banzan fresh market in Patong today (October 11) to check for any contamination of fresh vegetable and fruits before this year’s Vegetarian Festival. “The Vegetarian Festival starts from October 20 – 28 and there will be a lot more people consuming vegetables and fruits during the festival. These products can be contaminated…
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Reports that Yingluck has asylum status in the UK
Just when you thought we were going to have a Shinawatra-free day, Foreign Affairs Minister Don Pramudwinai says his ministry would need to verify news reports that former PM Yingluck Shinawatra had gained asylum status in the United Kingdom. Don asked people not to jump the gun and pressure the ministry to take action. He personally preferred to avoid using…
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PM Prayut clarifies election date
PM General Prayut Chan-o-cha yesterday announced firmly that the election would be held in November next year, following a previous indication that it would be in June 2019. “For this [election] part, it was said that it would be around June 2018 that there will be the announcement of the election date, and then in November, there will be the…
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Phuket’s cremation ceremony rehearsal set for October 22
Phuket’s Governor, Norapat Plodthong, announced during his press conference “Governor Meets Media” that the cremation ceremony rehearsal for King Bhumibol Adulyadej in Phuket will take place at Sapan Hin Park on October 22. He explained that the ceremony will be set in 3 zones; the closest zone inside is where the wooden flowers and pyre model are placed, the second…
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UPDATE: Beach butt ban
After finding a large amount of cigarettes on Patong Beach following the results of several volunteer beach cleans, the Director General of Marine and Coastal Department announced that from November onward, the department will enforce the law – Section 17 of Marine and Coastal Management Promotion Act – to prohibit smoking on the beach. “After collecting trash from Patong Beach,…
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Banning the butt – cigarette ban on Phuket’s beaches
What is the most numerous item found at the many beach cleans organised by groups around the island? Plastic bottle? Straws? Flip-flops? plastic bags? No. It’s cigarette butts. People smoking on the beach and leaving their butts in the sand are a major contributor to the island’s beach rubbish problem. And it’s not just Phuket. Beaches around the kingdom have…
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Hundreds of share-bikes taken home by renters
Despite excellent feedback on the share-bike initiative and more than a thousand users per day, the share-bike project is suffering from renters who think that the bikes are “giveaways from the government”. Many users have taken the bike back home and using it as a personal belonging. Some of them have even brought their pick-ups and motor-tricycle (samlor) to take…
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New set of tsunami detectors being installed in the Indian Ocean
The National Disaster Warning Center (NDWC) has sent a transport boat to pick up the existing Tsunami detectors and to deliver a new set to the middle of the Indian Ocean. The new set of tsunami detector systems have been installed on at the latitude 9 degrees North and longitude 89 degrees East position. The installation is taking place from…
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Second tragedy – another car found in California’s Kings Canyon
The Fresno County Sheriff’s Office in California has retrieved the bodies of two Chinese passengers and the wreckage of their rental Ford Focus that have been submerged in King’s River since early August. The vehicle was found near where a car containing two Thai students came to rest after plunging off a cliff in late July. The passengers were identified…
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Jail terms for three officials in Phuket land encroachment case
The Criminal Court on Monday handed down prison sentences to all three surviving offenders in the Phuket land-corruption case, while the Land Department was ordered to revoke the land deed at issue in the case. The court sentenced the first defendant, Narong Ounseam, the land surveyor, to five years in jail; the second defendant, Sommit Suebsin, the kamnan of Tambon…
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Orca Whale spotted in the seas off Phuket
The Orca aka “Killer Whale” has been spotted in the sea on the west coast of Phuket. The VDO and picture were captured by the Facebook user named “Phairot Kong.” For this impressive discovery, Dr. Thon Thamrongnawasawat, a marine activist, the Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Fishery at Kasetsart University and an official advisor to the Department of Marine…
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Phuket International Airport domestic terminal ready for high season
The first phase of the renovated domestic terminal of Phuket International Airport will be ready on November 28, just in time for the tourism high season. During the press conference celebrating the 29th anniversary of the airport, Phuket International Airport General Manager, Petch Chancharoen, revealed that the first phase of the domestic terminal renovations will open its door to welcome…
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3,200 runners turn up for the annual Mai Khao Marine Turtle Fun Run
There was a huge turnout for the 13th Mai Khao Marine Turtle Fun Run and Mini Marathon 2017, with 3,200 people taking part in the annual event. The opening ceremony was presided by Phuket’s Governor Noraphat Plodthong alongside Vice Governor Snith Sriwihok, Vice Governor Thawornwat Kongkaew, Uthit Limsakul, Deputy Director of The Tourism Authority of Thailand and Oriol Montal, GM…
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And the world’s most visited city is…?
The list of the world’s most visited cities, according to the Mastercard Global Destination Cities Index, has been released. And no surprises who’s at the number one position. Bangkok. The Big Mango beat London, Paris, Dubai and Singapore to the top position and doubled the amount of visitors heading to places like Hong Kong, Istanbul and Barcelona. Tokyo, New York…
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Taking the bang out of this year’s Vegetarian Festival
This year’s Vegetarian Festival will still be taking place between October 20 – 28. But organisers have been asked to ‘tone it down’ (how do you tone down the Vegetarian Festival?!) and restrict parades until the last day only in respect of the funeral for the Late King Bhumibol Adulyadej in Bangkok. Whilst the festival is meant to be about…
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International Aviation body removes red flag for Thailand
PHOTO: Nikkei Asian Review Thailand’s aviation sector is set to grow at a higher rate after the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) removed its red flag over safety issues, signifying the agency’s satisfaction with measures taken over the past three years to address concerns. Chula Sukmanop, director-general of the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) Office, said ICAO officials had…
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Yingluck pondering asylum in UK, France or Germany
Latest from The Nation Fugitive former PM Yingluck Shinawatra is considering applying for political asylum in the United Kingdom, Germany or France, a source from her legal team said yesterday. The preference is UK, where she is now residing on a tourist visa, the source said, but declined to elaborate which passport she is using. The source said the UK…
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Illegal lottery operator arrested in Phang Nga
Phang Nga police have arrested 47 year old Pramote Jiaranai, 30 year old Omthip Padtae and 33 year old Achiwan Janthadom for illegal lottery trading yesterday (October 6). At the scene, a house in Taimuang District, Phang Nga, police seized the lottery notes, 55,445 Baht in cash, a notebook computer and a calculator. The three are charged for hosting a…
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