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.
The Thaiger is your essential resource for staying connected with Thailand’s captivating blend of tradition and modernity. To remain in the loop with the country’s most trusted news source, subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on social media.
-
Sponsored
This Christmas, give the gift of health: essential options for expats in Thailand
The holiday season is here, bringing warmth, joy, and a chance to reflect on the year gone by. As an expat in Thailand, this Christmas is a great time to invest in something that truly matters: health. Whether for you...
-
Indonesia executes drug convicts, sparks anger from Australia, Brazil
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Indonesia executes drug convicts, sparks anger from Australia, Brazil Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: An Indonesian firing squad executed eight convicted drug-traffickers from several countries today, prompting Australia to recall its envoy to Jakarta and bringing an angry reaction from Brazil. The leaders of Australia and…
-
Thousands of police descend on Baltimore to enforce curfew after riots
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Thousands of police descend on Baltimore to enforce curfew after riots Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: As night falls on Baltimore on Tuesday, thousands of police and National Guard troops fanned out to enforce a new curfew and prevent further violence as the mayor fended off…
-
Tour company pulls down Phuket “marine life abuse’ video
PHUKET: Intense public criticism has forced a Bangkok tour company to remove a video showing sea-walking tourists handling marine creatures at Coral Island, off Phuket’s southeastern coast, from its Facebook page. Gift Box Travel, which sells package tours to Phuket, posted the controversial video on its Facebook page (click here) last Friday. The video showed tourists on a sea-walking tour…
-
Phuket scrambles to raise funds for Nepal
PHUKET: Donations to the ‘Phuket Together For Nepal Disaster Victims’ fund can now be made directly to a joint bank account held by the Phuket Governor and the President of the Phuket branch of the Thai-Nepalese Foundation. The Phuket branch of the Thai-Nepalese Foundation, officially called the Shree Bhagawat Dhaam Sanatan Mandir Foundation, has already raised more than 400,000 baht…
-
Broken Phuket CCTV fail to capture footage of fatal hit-and-run suspect
PHUKET: The CCTV network at the Heroines’ Monument is undergoing maintenance following the failure to capture the licence plate number of a white pick-up truck that was involved in a fatal hit-and-run in Phuket on Saturday night. “The entire CCTV system there was broken, so we have no clues as to where the truck went or what its licence plate…
-
Inside job: Police arrest Phuket spa robbers
PHUKET: Four suspects, including one spa employee, have been arrested for their involvement in the armed robbery of Imperial Spa earlier this month in Phuket Town. Two armed men stormed into the spa on April 5, robbing the staff at gunpoint and knifepoint of 500,000 baht before riding off on a motorbike with a third accomplice (story here). About 10…
-
Phuket beachfront roadside vendors given eviction order
PHUKET: Vendors with stalls along the beachfront road at Nai Thon have been given two weeks to leave, or face legal action. The move follows Tah Chat Chai Police officers delivering verbal warnings yesterday. Formal eviction orders are expected to be issued today, Surachuai Sannoo, chief of Sirinath National Park, told the Phuket Gazette this morning. “Once they receive the…
-
Phuket tourist dies in fall from hotel balcony
PHUKET: Police are investigating the death of a Chinese tourist who plunged from his fifth-floor hotel room balcony in Karon early yesterday morning. Wang Anjun, 41, died at Patong Hospital after succumbing to injuries sustained in the fall at Le Meridien Phuket Beach Resort, said Capt Channarong Prakongkua of the Karon Police. “Mr Wang was drinking beer with friends on…
-
B200mn of African tusks seized in raid
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community B200mn of African tusks seized in bonded warehouse raid The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: The Customs Department seized a total of 511 tusks, weighing 3.1 tonnes and worth 200 million baht, from a Laos-bound container at a private company’s bonded warehouse on Saturday. Natural Resources…
-
Phuket gold buyer dodges counterfeit money charge
PHUKET: No charges are being pressed after a counterfeit note was used by a local business owner in the purchase of 180,000 baht worth of gold. Weerachai Apichattakul, 36, who regularly buys gold bars for trade, withdrew 200,000 baht from the Kasikorn bank Thepkrasattri branch this morning. “I had no idea that the banknote was fake,” Mr Weeachai told the…
-
Nepalis flee aftershocks, quake dead reaches 3,700
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Nepalis flee Kathmandu aftershocks, quake dead reaches 3,700 Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Thousands of Nepalis began fleeing the capital Kathmandu on Monday, terror-stricken by two days of powerful aftershocks and looming shortages of food and water after an earthquake that killed more than 3,700 people.…
-
Rank canal water overflows onto Phuket beach
PHUKET: Officials are scrambling to minimize the damage of rank-smelling water from a blocked canal that is overflowing and seeping across Nai Yang Beach into the sea. “The locals say that the canal water has become foul because untreated wastewater was being discharged directly into the canal by business owners,” Thalang District chief Veera Kerdsirimongkol told the Phuket Gazette this…
-
Migrant workers injured as pick-up truck flips in Phuket
PHUKET: Six Myanmar workers were injured, one seriously, when the pick-up truck they were riding in the back of flipped on a curve at Cape Yamu, on Phuket’s east coast, yesterday. “One of the six was seriously injured, and could not talk or move,” said Lt Col Sanit Nukong of the Thalang Police. The pick-up truck was heading from the…
-
Russian man survives crash in tree, garden wipeout
PHUKET: A Russian man survived crashing his car into a tree on Srisoonthorn Road while heading to Cherng Talay early this morning. When police arrived at the scene at about 3am, Kirill Abolemov, 27, had no visible injuries, but his white Toyota Fortuner had seriously damaged a tree and garden. “Mr Abolemov could not answer any questions at the scene.…
-
Phuket sets up Nepal disaster-relief fund
PHUKET: A network of donation centers have been set up throughout Phuket to help victims of the earthquake in Nepal. Donations can be made at Phuket Provincial Hall in Phuket Town, Phuket Red Cross Center at Saphan Hin and at any government offices on the island. A 7.9 magnitude earthquake struck west of the ancient Nepali capital of Kathmandu on…
-
Nepal quake: Demons on the mountain – survivors recall avalanche terror
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Nepal quake: Demons on the mountain – survivors recall avalanche terror Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: When Khile Sherpa opened his eyes, the snow around him was bright red, drenched with blood streaming from gashes in his body from the avalanche that catapulted him across Mount…
-
World rallies to help Nepal
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community World rallies on social media to help Nepal The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Following the 7.8-magnitude earthquake that rocked Nepal’s capital Kathmandu and its surrounds on Saturday – resulting in a death toll nearing 1,900 yesterday – the assistance from countries, humanitarian organizations, companies and…
-
Temple banned from making money off tigers
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Temple banned from making money off tigers The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: THE controversial “Tiger Temple” has been banned from charging tourists to visit dozens of big cats in their care, the parks department has said, following a dispute between monks and officials over the…
-
Warrants obtained for five men over Samui car-bomb
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Warrants obtained for five men wanted over Samui car-bomb The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Police yesterday obtained arrest warrants for five suspects accused of carrying out the Central Festival car-bomb attack on Koh Samui earlier this month. The five men have been identified as Asmin…
-
Nepal quake: Death toll nears 2,500
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Nepal quake: Death toll nears 2,500 Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Thousands of desperate Nepalese spent another night in the open in the early hours of Monday, terrorized by strong aftershocks that continued to shake the country two days after a massive quake struck, killing almost…
-
Bomb squad diffuses cosmetics bag panic in Phuket Town
PHUKET: Fears that an abandoned bag might contain a bomb sent an Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) unit rushing to Patiphat Road near Jui Tui Shrine in Phuket Town last night. “Phuket City Police called us after they were notified by locals who found an abandoned bag that looked like it might contain a bomb, so we went immediately to the…
-
Police hunting for suspect in shooting murder of 72-year-old Phuket man
PHUKET: Police are hunting for a suspect behind the murder of a 72-year-old man who was shot while riding home yesterday in Kalim. “Eet Chaisit was found still alive next to his fallen motorbike on the side of Phra Baramee Road in Kalim, about 200 meters away from his house, at about 2pm,” said Patong Police Superintendent Chaiwat Auikam. Patong…
-
Phuket big bike rider killed in Chumphon crash
PHUKET: A big bike rider from Phuket was killed and his passenger seriously injured yesterday when he lost control of his motorcycle on a wet road and crashed into a tree in Chumphon province. Police arrived at the scene on Asia 41 Road in Lamae district to find Kathu resident Boonsong Witeewai, 52, dead on the ground and his 49-year-old…
-
Phuket FC fired up for Ronin redemption
PHUKET: A disappointing 0-2 defeat to AIS Division 2 team Lampang FC bundled Phuket FC out of the 2015 Toyota League Cup last weekend. Lampang striker Jennarong Wongnoi opened the scoring in the 7th minute, and midfielder teammate Surapong Thongbua sealed the match with a goal just two minutes before the final whistle. The Ronins’ loss, however, is being used…
-
Police, Navy teams end search for missing American
PHUKET: The Royal Thai Navy and Phuket Marine Police will no longer send out dedicated search teams to find the body of missing American Joshua Devine, who disappeared from a dive boat off the coast of Phuket on April 11 (story here), officers confirmed today. “We have searched for several days and have yet to find any sign of Mr…
-
Phuket tour boats, ferries forced to install AIS locators
PHUKET: New regulations to come into effect from Sunday will require all boats and ferries in Phuket that are registered to carry 25 or more passengers to be fitted with an AIS locator device. The news was delivered at a meeting of marine officials with more than 220 Phuket boat operators at the Katina Hotel in Phuket Town yesterday. “Also,…
-
Patong teens nabbed for exchange-booth robberies
PHUKET: Two teenagers were arrested in Patong on Wednesday, and police are searching for three more, for their involvement a series of currency-exchange booth robberies and motorbike thefts. The two, who cannot be named as they are minors, were caught on Wednesday night after police identified them in CCTV footage collected from a currency-exchange booth on Rat-U-Thit 200 Pi Road…
-
Phuket officials contemplate Article 44 to clear Surin beach clubs
PHUKET: Local authorities are investigating whether or not they can use the internationally controversial Article 44 of the interim Charter to evict business operators still occupying venues along Surin Beach. Officials involved in the eviction of the beach clubs were slated to visit the business owners on Monday to confirm whether or not the appeals had been filed against eviction…
-
No alcohol ban on Phuket passenger, tour boats
PHUKET: The Phuket marine chief will not order a ban on the sale or consumption of alcohol on any passenger or tour boats operating to or from Phuket. The decision was made at a meeting of marine officials and more than 220 Phuket boat operators at the Katina Hotel in Phuket Town yesterday. “At this stage, we will not ban…
-
Opinion: Social media’s role in unwanted pregnancy
Yaowanit Nongkom, 33, a Vachira Phuket Hospital psychologist originally from Roi Et province, has been working at Vachira Phuket Hospital for nine years. She graduated with a degree in clinical and community psychology from Ramkhamhaeng University. Ms Yaowanit is head of the One Stop Crisis Center (OSCC) at the hospital. Here, she talks about how social media networks can play…
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.