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.
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12Go introduces Japan Rail Passes to enhance travel accessibility for international travellers
For those who have travelled throughout Thailand, 12Go is a well-known provider of various trips, though the platform itself has a much wider reach. Ranging from buses to planes, 12Go is undoubtedly a leading booking platform for travel throughout the...
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Samui expats rescue tourists from drowning
SAMUI: Two Russian tourists luckily escaped drowning on New Year’s Day when a group of expats dove in to rescue them from ferocious waves at Chaweng Noi Beach in Koh Samui. Officials had placed red warning flags advising the public not to swim that day due to the rough seas, but the man and woman, both believed to be in…
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Offenders’ heads shaved in lieu of criminal charges
PHUKET: Two Isaan men had their hair shaved off as punishment for fishing in a pond at a temple in Chalong on Sunday morning. Kunnakorn Srikoon, 29, and Wanit Panthina, 30, were caught with fishing equipment and a turtle inside Wat Ladthiwanaram (Wat Tai) where people release fish and turtles to make merit. Supawathakan Kunlauk of Chalong Municipality and Chalong…
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Shorter peak season expected in Phuket
PHUKET: Phuket is bound to experience a shorter peak season this year due to a change in the market, and it is a matter of concern for hospitality firms when it comes to the low season, says Bill Barnett, managing director of C9 Hotelworks. “In previous peak seasons, rates or surcharges had benefited many hotels in Phuket, but this year…
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Island View: Time to speak up
PHUKET: Since my busy work schedule doesn’t allow much time to travel, when an old friend from college who I hadn’t seen for over ten years decided to visit, I took the opportunity to do just that. We took a ferry to Phi Phi, which was conveniently booked via a website along with arrangements for a chartered van to pick…
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Two deaths on day 4 of “Seven Days of Danger’
PHUKET: After a three-day run with no road related fatalities, day 4 of the ‘Seven Days of Danger’ campaign saw two deaths in accidents on Phuket’s roads. The first incident occurred at 2:10am yesterday, when 24-year-old Patcharin Taosanit crashed her motorbike into a power pole in Rawai. The second incident occurred about 5pm when 26-year-old Chalermluck Ongwimonkarn crashed into a…
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Krabi prisoners released on Royal pardon
PHUKET: Prisoners walked out of Krabi Prison yesterday morning as the Royal pardon instated to commemorate the beginning of the reign of His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn Bodindradebayavarangkun came into motion. Friends, families and relatives waited outside the prison walls to be reunited with the 157 released inmates. (A similar scene was witnessed in Phuket last week, when 147 inmates…
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No deaths on Day 2 of “Seven Days of Danger’
PHUKET: The 2nd day of the ‘Seven Days of Danger’ in Phuket ended with zero deaths and 9 injuries, according to official statistics provided by the Phuket office of the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM). The current road safety campaign, which is held nationwide during peak holiday seasons (only), runs from December 29, 2016 to January 4, 2017.…
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Phuket crocodile show goes wrong
PHUKET: A crocodile show in Chalong went wrong yesterday afternoon when one of the crocodiles attacked a performer. The reptile, measuring more than 6 feet in length, snapped its jaws around the wrist of the man and twisted its body. He, in turn, managed to spin in the same direction and saved his wrist from a possible fracture. He is…
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Krabi officials, transport companies team up for holiday road safety
KRABI: A task force to check transport buses and their drivers has set up camp at the Krabi Bus Terminal during the long New Year weekend. The group, formed by the Krabi Department of Land Transport (DLT), has teamed up with 17 bus service companies to ensure that brakes on all buses and vans are operational. The drivers will also…
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Business Buzz: Social Media trends to look out for in 2017
PHUKET: Another year gone and the social media scene has witnessed a lot of changes, with new platforms such as Periscope and Snapchat rising in popularity – while Twitter continues its slide. Video, 360 degree images and smart graphics will likely continue leading the way in content marketing and branding, appealing to our need for instant gratification and shorter attention…
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Ministry of Farang Affairs: Trying to bribe fish
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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Patong Beach road to close for New Year’s Eve
PHUKET: The Patong Traffic Police have sent out an official notice announcing the closure of the beach road (Taweewong Road) tomorrow night. The thoroughfare will be shut down from 11:30pm-1am as a security measure, as well as to manage traffic as thousands of people march to the beach for the countdown to the new year.
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Similan coral defaced with Korean name
PHUKET: Dive company operators are urging officials to boost regulations after a piece of coral with a Korean name etched into it was discovered in the waters of Mu Koh Similan National Park last week. The photo was taken last Saturday by a diver from the Sign Scuba company at Turtle Rock, where there are plenty of corals, both dead…
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Phuket drug dealers busted with B1mn of meth
PHUKET: Four suspects, including a minor, were arrested in Rassada yesterday with more than 4,000 pills of ya bah (methamphetamine) and 200 grams of ya ice (crystal methamphetamine) worth about one million baht. “Our sources informed us that a drug shipment would be delivered from Bangkok to Phuket via a logistics company named Somchai Speed Transport Partnership. We went to…
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New Zealand man falls to his death in Phuket
PHUKET: A Patong Municipality trash collector discovered the body of a tourist at the foot of a Phuket hotel early this morning. The 55-year-old man from New Zealand is believed to have jumped off the balcony of his rented room at the Royal Paradise Hotel & Spa, which is located about 5 minutes from Patong Beach. He had checked in…
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Phuket teen killed in stolen motorbike chase
PHUKET: A 14-year-old boy was killed and another badly injured when the stolen motorbike they were riding collided with a car in Saphan Hin last night. Phuket City Police officers and paramedics arrived on the scene, at the Bang Yai Canal intersection, about 9:40pm. The motorbike had been stolen from a house behind Rajabhat University on Monday. The bike’s owner,…
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Tsunami remembrance ceremony held on 12th anniversary of disaster
PHUKET: About 200 locals, tourists and provincial dignitaries gathered at Patong Beach yesterday evening to hold a candle-lit remembrance ceremony in front of Loma Park on the 12th anniversary of the deadly tsunami that struck the island on the morning of December 26, 2004. Official figures state that the tsunami killed 5,398 people and that more than 3,700 disappeared in…
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Microsoft aims to use IT to battle human trafficking
PHUKET: Microsoft Thailand last week organized a project to educate youth about computers and Information Technology to equip them with the knowledge and tools to fight human trafficking. The project was chaired by Phuket Vice Governor Teera Anantaseriwidhya, at Prince of Songkla University’s Phuket Campus. The campaign is being held at seven campuses throughout the country, including, in addition to…
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Island View: Unchecked road rage in Phuket
PHUKET: As far as road safety in Phuket goes, authorities always highlight ‘speeding’ and ‘helmetless riding’ as the major causes of the appalling number of ‘accidents’ and deaths on the road. However, a relatively overlooked area – in my opinion – is road rage. One recent incident involved a 21-year-old Thai man who threw a large rock at a passing…
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Samkong ‘fields of gold’ attract locals, tourists
PHUKET: A field of sunhemps in full bloom near the Tesco Lotus Samkong junction has become a popular attraction for locals and tourists, who have been stopping off to pose for pictures. Piyaporn Udomsap, the owner of the 23-rai plot, has allowed free access to the public, saying he grows the flowers to maintain the quality and aesthetic beauty of…
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Phuket drug dealer arrested with B400k of ya bah pills
PHUKET: A drug dealer was arrested with about 2,000 ya bah (methamphetamine) pills at Phuket Bus Terminal 2 on Thepkrasattri Rd on Saturday evening. Sarawuth Koraneesak, 23, had bought the pills in Bangkok for delivery to a customer in Phuket. He was waiting for the customer to come and collect them when he was arrested. The pills were estimated to…
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Phuket prisoners released on Royal pardon
PHUKET: The first batch of prisoners was released from Phuket Prison yesterday morning, following the announcement of a Royal pardon earlier this month to commemorate the start of the reign of King Rama X. Phuket Prison Commander Somkit Kammang presided over the event as a crowd of relatives stood outside the prison walls, waiting to welcome 147 inmates who qualified…
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Opinion: Risking life and limb for visa runs
PHUKET: If you are a foreigner living in Thailand, you need a visa. That’s fair enough. It’s like that all over the world. But no matter what kind of visa the foreigner has here, he or she often has to spend time and money, and frequently to risk life and limb, just to stay legal. Last week brought news of…
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Ministry of Farang Affairs: Festive Season Jingles
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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Royal Thai Navy declares sand-beds “illegal’
PHUKET: The Royal Thai Navy has overturned the Patong Mayor’s ruling regarding beach mats laid out on raised beds of sand at Patong Beach, and declared that they are, in fact, “illegal”. Rear Adm Pisai Sukawin, deputy commander of the RTN Third Area Command, handed down the verdict at a meeting yesterday afternoon, saying that regardless of the beds being…
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More snakes at Patong Police Station
PHUKET: Four snakes, including a king cobra, a cobra and a radiated rat snake, have invaded Patong Police Station three times this week, causing the officers there to panic and send for rescue workers. “The snakes might have come into the building during the floods, but although the floods are gone, the animals remained hiding inside,” said Patong Police Superintendent…
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Phuket officials demolish illegal man-made plantations
PHUKET: Thalang District locals are furious after a joint task force of government officers demolished a man-made plantation in Suan Pa Bang Kanun this week as it was reportedly encroaching on 120 rai of public forest land in Phuket. The first round of demolitions in the area took place on July 14 this year, during which five houses, a palm-tree…
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Wrap-up: Thailand Yacht Show
PHUKET: The second edition of the Thailand Yacht Show saw visitors enjoying sea trials, parties on superyachts, fashion shows, supercars and the latest water-borne toys. With 60 exhibitors, and 55 vessels – including 18 superyachts – on display, the second edition of the TYS closed its doors on Sunday night. Held in partnership with the Thai government, it proved to…
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Teenage driver killed in high-speed collision with 18-wheeler
PHUKET: A teenage driver was killed in a collision with an 18-wheel truck in north Phuket this morning. The accident occurred about 11:30am at the Sala Deng-Muddokkhao junction (that turns into Nai Yang Beach). “We received a report that a Diahatsu Mira had crashed into an 18-wheeler truck on northbound Thepkrasattri Road. The front side of the car was seriously…
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Phuket Police beef up security over holiday period
PHUKET: More than 280 Phuket police officers and volunteers gathered outside Phuket Provincial Police Station yesterday in a show of readiness to boost the safety of tourists and residents on the island over the Christmas and New Year holidays. “Security measures will be heightened from December 22 to January 15, to instill confidence in both locals and tourists who visit…
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