News
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Sponsored 5 hidden healthcare costs in Thailand and how to avoid them
Thailand's healthcare system is affordable and supported by the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) scheme, offering essential services to most citizens. However, hidden healthcare costs can surprise patients and lead to unexpected expenses. These include specialist fees, insurance gaps, emergency services,...
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Burmese busted selling hot phones
PHUKET: Police arrested a Burmese national at Central Festival shopping mall yesterday afternoon when he attempted to sell phones he had stolen from a shop in Karon to undercover police officers. Police cornered Moe Win Ko, 21, at the mall after tracking him down using CCTV footage that had captured him stealing 13 mobile devices from the Olay Phone store…
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Public outcry sends Vachira wing back to the drawing board
PHUKET: Public outcry over plans to demolish an eight-story, 100 year-old building, along with a grove of old mahogany trees, has lead management at Phuket Vachira Hospital to reconsider the development of a new hospital wing. The issue came to public attention on August 25, when a Facebook user posted a statement in Thai. “Vachira Hospital will demolish this 100-year-old…
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Meth dealer pulls grenade on Krabi police
KRABI: An alleged Krabi “drug dealer” was shot dead last night after a police task force cornered him and he attempted to throw a grenade at the officers, the police say. The suspect, who was the target of last night’s joint task force raid in Krabi Town, is named as Chanchaiyuth Krainara, 29. Police are reporting that Mr Chanchaiyuth was…
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Labor minister applauds provincial efforts
PHUKET: Minister of Labor Sirichai Distaku urged Phuket’s officials to increase efforts to combat human trafficking, low wage rates and to increase the number of Thais working in skilled labor positions during his visit to the island on Thursday. Gen Sirichai’s visit comes after a period of escalating tensions between the provincial government and local employers of migrant laborers (story…
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Ministry of Farang Affairs: Why are they here?
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 Stephff.…
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Finance: Alibaba proves naysayers wrong
PHUKET: It’s not been an easy market for many individual stocks over the last few years. Take the case of Chinese internet and e-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding Ltd (NYSE: BABA) – a stock I have been watching closely since its debut, when a client wanted to buy some shares. Many western investors do not appreciate just how big of…
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Phuket International Hospital launches new services, expat card
PHUKET: Phuket International Hospital announced the launch of three new departments, as well as its ‘Expat Privilege Card’, last week. Wassana Tipayapongtada, chairwoman of the Provincial Red Cross Phuket Chapter, presided over the grand opening event, that was held under the theme ‘We’re Family’. BDMS Southern Group management and staff, Thai and foreign dignitaries, local authorities and local business representatives…
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Opinion: Youth deserves a second chance
PHUKET: The rioting by inmates at the Phuket Juvenile Observation and Protection Center (JOPC) earlier this month is a reminder of the need to try and steer troubled youth back onto the right track before they reach adulthood. The body of scientific research on what leads youths astray is enormous. But, like most social science research, there always remains that…
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Phuket biz: Save our Gov
PHUKET: Eight of the island’s local business organizations have appealed to the central government to reconsider moving the Phuket governor a month from now. The statement, issued in Thai language, was released on August 22 after the announcement to transfer Phuket Governor Chamroen Tipayapongtada to Nakhon Sri Thammarat on October 1 (story here). The organizations issuing the plea to keep…
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Emergency crews battle airport fires during drill
PHUKET: Phuket International Airport emergency crews battled fires near the main runway yesterday. Firefighters and rescue workers were deployed on the tarmac as part of regular drills aimed at improving response times and emergency response efficiency. This is the fourth such drill at the airport this year. Airport Director Monrudee Gettuphan said the emergency crews were timely and effective in…
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Misleading headline sends police on a mad scramble for explosives across the island
PHUKET: Provincial police are seeking to reassure residents of their safety after a popular Thai-language newspaper claimed that there were more than 30 bombs placed across the province on Tuesday. The front-page claim caused public panic as police scrambled to check possible bomb drops in hot spots around Phuket. Phuket Provincial Police Commander Teerapol Thipjaroen confirmed with the Phuket Gazette…
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Wichit marijuana dealer apprehended, bought stash through Facebook
PHUKET: Provincial police arrested a 28-year-old man yesterday after a raid of his home turned up 1.3 kilograms of marijuana. Nopparut Tongserikun was arrested after police found the category 5 drugs, along with drug paraphernalia at his house on Wirat Hong Yok Road in Wichit sub-district. Police received a tip from an informant that Mr Nopparut was allegedly selling marijuana…
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Police arrest six in another big krathom drug bust
PHANG NGA: Police arrested six members of an alleged krathom drug distribution network on Monday. The gang is charged with possession of 326 kilograms of the category 5 drug, which police estimate has a street value of 300,000 baht. A joint task force comprised of Thalang administrative officers, Khok Kloi police and civil defense volunteers reportedly detained two suspects after…
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Krabi man shot dead in palm plantation
KRABI: Police are looking for an unknown assailant who shot dead a man in a Krabi palm plantation yesterday. Krabi City Police received reports of the shooting in Thapprik sub-district at about 3:30pm. “At the scene, we found the body of 39-year-old Jaran Petchseewong lying face up in a pool of blood, with a bullet wound to the chest and…
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Floods paralyze Phuket
PHUKET: Flash flooding brought traffic to a standstill across the island this morning after hours of heavy rains, which began late last night, continued to pour down across the island as the morning rush hour began. Traffic ground to a halt along several stretches of Chao Fah West Road, the Bypass Road and several spots along Thepkrasattri Road, causing major…
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Bombings in Pattani kill one, injure several and damage hotel
PATTANI: Three bombs rocked the southern province of Pattani last night, killing one and injuring dozens. The first bomb exploded in a parking space behind a bar in Muang District around 11pm but did not result in any loss of life. The second bomb, hidden inside a vehicle, blew up a short time later in front of the Southern View…
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Four bodies wash ashore in Krabi
KRABI: Four bodies that have washed ashore in Krabi over the past two days could be those of crew members who went missing when their fishing boat sank more than a week ago. Officials are awaiting DNA test results, but believe the bodies belong to the missing crew of the Bumroong Thai Nawa fishing vessel, which sank on August 15…
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Trump or Clinton?
PHUKET: It’s going to be interesting. Gerard Baker, editor-in-chief of The Wall Street Journal, is flying in from New York to join The Wharton Club of Thailand and The Nation in presenting, on September 15, a ‘discussion’ of the unprecedented story lines behind the two candidates and how they are reshaping America and rubbing off on the world. In the…
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20-year-old shot by boss after drinking kratom at work
KRABI: Police are hunting for the owner of a car body shop in Krabi, on the run after shooting dead an employee found drinking kratom juice at work on Saturday afternoon. Krabi City Police Major Supat Hemjinda said the shooting occurred at S&P Speed Shop, just 100 meters from a police box, on Phet Kasem Road in Krabi Town. “The…
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Four electrocuted in hotel water treatment pond
SAMUI: One man was killed and three others were hospitalized on Saturday night after they were electrocuted while working in a wastewater retention pond at a hotel on Koh Samui. The men were using a pump to drain water from the pond at a hotel in Baan Cherng Mon, Bo Phut, when the pump became submerged in the water, electrocuting…
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Opinion: Security is everyone’s business
PHUKET: Andy Phillips, 58, is a retired Chaplain and British expat who served in the British armed forces for 20 years with the Parachute Regiment and Royal Marine Commandos. Here, he shares with us his concerns about security measures in the province following last week’s spate of bombings and his experiences in Northern Ireland dealing with one of the world’s…
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Business: Local store wars intensify
PHUKET: Phuket Grocery Ltd Partnership opened its flagship store in Phuket Town on August 9 with the aim of penetrating the low-cost retail market currently dominated by the Phuket-based Super Cheap franchise. Chairman of the new retail outlet, Pornchai Chanchuwanichkul, said he hoped reasonable prices, air-conditioned comfort and a range of customer services in a convenient location would also attract…
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Phuket Vegetarian Festival dates announced
PHUKET: Phuket Vice Governor Prajiad Aksornthammakul announced the dates of this year’s Vegetarian Festival, as well as a special prayer ceremony to honor HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej, earlier this week. The nine-day festival is slated to take place from October 1-9. The event attracts thousands of visitors to Phuket to witness the festivities, which include fire-walking, bladed-ladder climbing, hundreds of…
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Island-wide security center for foreign nationals promised
PHUKET: The Royal Thai Police announced yesterday morning that new safety measures will be taken by Provincial Police to boost tourist “confidence” in light of the August 12 bombings. At a meeting of local officials and consular representatives, the police responded positively to the requests of 15 consuls to assign officers to a contact and information center in case of…
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Opinion: No pet left behind
PHUKET: It’s official. I’ve got puppy fever. I’ve started budgeting more commuting time so that I can pullover and love on whatever soi critter I happen to see while idling in the daily traffic around Phuket Town and the Bypass Road. Actually it’s not just puppy fever, it’s pet fever. If it’s got fur, I’m off my bike, petting it.…
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20kg Krabi python slithers in for a latte
KRABI: A three and a half meter long python slithered into a coffee shop in Krabi in search of sustenance yesterday morning. Panrin Kongprom, a staff member at the shop, said that the 20-kilogram python had stopped traffic near the Tesco Lotus Express to make its way across Maharat Road in Krabi Town and into Kunya Coffee Shop. Krabi Pitak…
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Visa-on-arrival fee to double from Sept 27
PHUKET: The fee for visa on arrival in Thailand, enjoyed by citizens of 18 countries around the world, will double from 1,000 to 2,000 baht, with effect from September 27. Visa on arrival is available at many points of entry throughout Thailand and is good for a single use. The 18 countries on the list are Bulgaria, Bhutan, China, Cyprus,…
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Four-year-old finds father hanging from tree
PHUKET: A four-year-old girl found her dead father hanging by his neck from a tree near the Tah Rua Temple this morning. The 43-year-old man, named Wirot Jadsang, used to work as a hotel cook. He reportedly died about two hours before his daughter found his body, on her way to school. Lt Col Sanich Nookon of Thalang Police arrived…
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Ministry of Farang Affairs: Using local expressions
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 Stephff.For…
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Opinion: Reassessing priorities to maximize national security
PHUKET: The Phuket Gazette hopes that the perpetrators of the recent bomb attacks are brought to justice as swiftly as possible so that we can all begin the work of restoring confidence in the region. The specter of tourist-targeted bomb attacks of the kind that took place over the Mother’s Day weekend had been a source of dread here in…
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