News
Thailand news, politics, business, crime, lifestyle, and tourism—stay updated with breaking news and in-depth analysis from Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Pattaya, and beyond. The Thaiger delivers the latest national news that matters.
-
Sponsored
Travel insurance vs digital nomad insurance: What’s the difference?
Travel insurance and digital nomad insurance protect travellers but cater to different needs. Travel insurance is for short trips, like vacations or business trips. It covers things like medical emergencies, trip cancellations, and lost bags. It works best for people...
-
Belgians wanted for shoplifting in Phuket
PHUKET: Police are hunting for two foreigners who allegedly stole mobile phone accessories from an electronics store in Phuket on Friday. A Facebook user named Maii-Ly Chaiviriyawong (whose real name is Nichapa-orn Chaiviriyarong and is the owner of the shop) shared pictures and CCTV footage of the incident on social media. Ms Nichapa-orn owns a shop named ‘Remax’ in Samkong.…
-
Thailand’s much-debated Computer Crimes Act goes into effect
PHUKET: The newly-amended Computer Crimes Act (No. 2) B.E. 2560 (2017) was put into effect this week, after it was published in the Royal Gazette on January 24. It replaces the Computer Crimes Act B.E. 2550 (2007). One of the most talked about sections of the amended Act states that any person who sends computer data or electronic mail to…
-
PEA says electricity cables not to blame for overhead disgrace
PHUKET: Governor Norraphat Plodthong met with officials from the Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA) yesterday to discuss possible solutions to the messy overhead cables in Patong. The plan to bury the mess in Patong began two years ago, with a 230-million-baht project to cover the three kilometer stretch of Thaweewong Road (story here). After receiving a horde of complaints about the…
-
Phuket City museum “temporarily’ closed after grand opening
PHUKET: Officials have announced that the newly-launched Peranakannitat Museum is temporarily closed until exhibitors return all the items borrowed from Phuket residents to display during the grand opening ceremony held in Phuket City last week. However, they could not give an estimated date as to when that might be. The issue came to light after dozens of people complained on…
-
Heavy downpours damage property in Phuket
PHUKET: Heavy rain and strong winds caused a large tree to fall over and damage houses in Chalong this week, causing about 100,000 baht worth of damage. “The incident occurred at Soi Bangre, Moo 1 at about 2pm on Wednesday. A fallen tree, about 70cm in diameter, wrecked the wall of a guesthouse and damaged another house and a car…
-
Phuket fishing boat rescues sunken Burmese vessel
PHUKET: A Phuket-bound fishing boat rescued 15 crew members of a sunken Burmese vessel yesterday afternoon. The boat was carrying cargo from Penang, Malaysia to Myeik, Burma. The crew left on May 18 and were due to arrive on Saturday, but their boat was wrecked after experiencing stormy weather and strong waves near Racha Noi Island. “The Burmese boat, Aung…
-
Bad 1stQ for Thai Media and Telecoms
BANGKOK: With but two exceptions, listed telecom and media companies in Thailand continued in the doldrums in the 1stQ this year, with stagnant revenue growth resulting in continued or worsening losses. According to Nielsen Thailand, ad spending in the first four months of 2017 dropped almost six percent, to 35 billion baht, from the same period last year. Analog TV…
-
Patong transport operators protest reduction in taxi stands
PHUKET: Patong public transport operators will continue to utilize 84 taxi stands for now until the Phuket Governor and Army 4 commander announce their final decision about the number of stands on the island. The public transport management committee had announced on May 18 that Patong was to see a 75 per cent reduction in taxi stands (from 84 to…
-
Nation Analysis: High defense spending at expense of education, welfare
THE CONTROVERSIAL submarine deal has sparked public debate about the way the Thai Defense Ministry spends tax money on military hardware and other national-security projects. Many question whether such projects should take priority over education, public healthcare or improving the lives of the country’s millions of poor. Since the coup in 2014, the budget allocated to the Defense Ministry has…
-
Phuket tourists injured, driver’s arm severed in another high-speed crash
PHUKET: A taxi driver’s arm was severed in a high-speed crash early this morning after he lost control of his vehicle in a curve, crashed into an electric pole and fell into a five-meter-deep ditch at roadside. “We received reports of an accident near Phuket International Airport at about 7am. At the scene, we found a heavily damaged black Toyota…
-
Citizens call for action to fix dangerous road
PHUKET: Officials responded to complaints about a “dangerous and uneven” road after social media users posted pictures of Sakdidej Road in Wichit, urging authorities to take immediate action to fix it. The pictures were shared on a Facebook page titled Siang Prachachon Khon Phuket (‘The Voice of Phuket Citizens’). Frequent users of the road told the Phuket Gazette that it…
-
Finance: Track price action, not pundits’ talk
PHUKET: As I am writing this, I haven’t turned on a TV in more than 10 days. So I am not getting any news from a verbal source about nuclear confrontations with North Korea, Trump uncertainty or whatever else is going on in the world. However, I have been reading the news and it’s different when you read news versus…
-
Alleged murderers injured in car crash after shooting teen
PHUKET: Five suspects were injured in a car crash in Krabi last night after fleeing a murder scene in which a teenager was killed and another injured. “We first received reports of the shooting at about 6:30pm in Pru Din Na. We found the body of a 16 year-old teen identified only as ‘Jak’ on the ground with two bullet…
-
Bomb blast at army hospital in Bangkok injures 25
BANGKOK: Twenty five people were injured in a bomb blast at an Army hospital in Bangkok yesterday morning. A police source said an unidentified bomber attached a green vase with artificial flowers to a wall in the reception room of Phramongkutklao Hospital before a homemade bomb exploded there at 10:40am. Investigators of the Metropolitan Police Bureau obtained a picture of…
-
Phuket police commander dispels bomb threat rumors
PHUKET: Officials have warned the public to be careful about sharing unconfirmed reports on social media after a bomb threat warning created panic among Phuket vendors last week. The original source of the message is unknown, but it was widely circulated on line. It read: “Stop going to walking street market, Chilva market or any other weekly markets in Phuket.…
-
Illegal cock-fighting, gambling ring busted, 15 arrested
PHUKET: Fifteen people were arrested while 15 others are on the run after Thalang Police raided a cock-fighting ring in Moo Baan Para yesterday afternoon. Lt Col Prasarn Toworn of Thalang Police led a team of officers to inspect the area after receiving complaints from locals about illegal cock-fighting and gambling there. “The suspects included both Thais and Burmese. They…
-
Three arrested for extortion, impersonating police officers in Phuket
PHUKET: Three men were arrested for impersonating police officers and trying to extort money from two teenagers in Phuket yesterday. The arrests were made by a joint task force of Region 8 and Cherng Talay Police officers at a PTT gas station in Cherng Talay. The suspects, Thongchai Katthong, 30; Ittipol Kranara, 32; and Pathompong Rattanasuvan, 51; had Civil Defense…
-
Ministry of Farang Affairs: Half English, half Thai
PHUKET: 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…
-
Opinion: Phuket hospital deserves credit, not blame
PHUKET: Recent reports in the British media over the plight of British motorbike crash victim Jacob Tonkin here in Phuket (story here) once again paint the Thai healthcare industry in an unfair light. Although it is common around the globe, the British tabloids are particularly notorious for running sensationalist headlines that pull at the heartstrings, sometimes without much concern for…
-
Phuket gov’s social media imposter sparks security concerns
PHUKET: Cyber security and Facebook seem to be the hot topics this week as Phuket police hunt for a Facebook user who made a fake profile with a name closely resembling the Phuket Governor’s and used his picture to impersonate him. The suspect also asked several high-ranking Phuket officials to transfer money to his account. The Facebook account was set…
-
7-Eleven robber caught at rented room in Phuket
PHUKET: A robber was arrested at his rented room in Thalang yesterday evening, 14 hours after he held up two cashiers at a 7-Eleven near the Heroines’ Monument and stole all the cash from the store’s register. Capt Kraisorn Boonprasob of Thalang Police provided details of the incident which occurred early yesterday morning. “Baragis Yamdibu, 24, and Ronpirun Chujai, 32,…
-
Ten arrested, B20mn of merchandise confiscated in Phuket raid
PHUKET: Ten vendors were arrested and 20 million baht worth of counterfeit merchandise was confiscated in Patong Thursday night. Maj Suriyan Petchchuay of Patong Police provided details of the raid to Phuket Gazette reporters. “Following complaints by the Department of Intellectual Property in Bangkok, officials from the Internal Security Operations Command (ISOC) and Patong Police inspected shops on Thaweewong Road.…
-
Body of 21-year-old found in Phuket apartment
PHUKET: Police are investigating the cause of death of a ladyboy whose body was found in her room in Rassada this morning. “We received a report from an apartment complex near Rajabhat University at about 9:20am that a pungent smell was emanating from a room on the second floor,” said Lt Col Chao Phomna of the Phuket City Police. “We…
-
Phuket district chief vows to crack down on illegal hotels
PHUKET: Kathu District Chief Jirawat Namatra issued an ultimatum to illegal hotel operators after locals and members of the business community filed complaints about unlicenced hotels operating in Patong. In February, more than a thousand unlicensed hotels applied for registration as hotels after a two-month ultimatum was issued at the end of November last year by then Phuket Governor Chokchai…
-
HRH Princess Sirindhorn inaugurates museum in Phuket Town
PHUKET: Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn presided over the grand opening ceremony of the Peranakannitat Museum in Phuket Town on Wednesday afternoon. Phuket Governor Norraphat Plodthong and Phuket City Mayor Somjai Suwansupana, along with other officials and hundreds of Phuket citizens, were present to welcome the Princess. The museum building, erected a hundred years ago in traditional Phuket…
-
Video: CCTV captures foreigner stealing tourist’s bag in Phuket
PHUKET: Police are hunting for a suspect, believed to be a foreigner, who stole a bag from a diner at a restaurant in Phuket yesterday. A Facebook user named Tanaphat Nuansakul posted a CCTV video of the incident on his page. The theft occurred at Tukabkhao Restaurant in Phuket Town. The clip showed a foreigner wearing a pale yellow shirt.…
-
Krabi officials remove dozens of illegal fishing nets
KRABI: The Krabi Provincial Fisheries Office yesterday removed 58 illegal fishing nets (‘poh’) from the waters of Krabi. The nets were also in violation of spawning season restrictions. Sakda Sukkasem led a team of officers to hunt for illegal fishing activities after several locals filed complaints with the office. “It is illegal to use this type of fishing net to…
-
Phuket police yet to uncover reason for toilet fight involving foreigner
PHUKET: The motive behind an attack on a toilet attendant in Patong by a group of foreigners remains unclear as the victim has refused to a file a complaint. On May 3, a Facebook user offered a reward of 5,000 baht to anyone who could help him find the foreigner who allegedly refused to pay a 10 baht fee to…
-
Free jazz concert ready for Phuket in honor of His Majesty
PHUKET: Everyone is invited to attend a free concert being held in honor of, and featuring the compositions of, His Majesty King Rama IX this Saturday evening (May 20). ‘Jazz for King 2 – Jazz by the Andaman Sea’ is organized by the Andaman Natural Resources Conservation Foundation (ANRCF) in association with the Tourism Authority of Thailand, and will be…
-
Foreigner seen beating young child after dispute over 10-baht fee
PHUKET: A Facebook user has offered a reward of 5,000 baht to anyone who can help him find a foreigner who fought with a toilet attendant and refused to pay a 10 baht fee to use a toilet on Bangla road. Videos and photographs of six foreigners – three men and three women – were recorded on CCTV cameras installed…
Don't forget to check out some other things to do in Thailand - get help starting a business or finding a job in Thailand, buy Thailand property, rent a yacht or book a medical procedure worldwide.