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Do foreigners get free healthcare in Thailand?
Thailand’s healthcare system is well-regarded across Southeast Asia, with options ranging from public hospitals to world-class private facilities. But when it comes to foreign residents or tourists, healthcare access isn’t as straightforward. So, do foreigners get free healthcare in Thailand?...
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Illegal alien caught in Phuket gambling raid
PHUKET: An illegal alien was snared when police busted a local gambling event in Patong last night. Police were tipped off by locals about a small group of people who were gathered to gamble at a rental room on Phra Metta Road. The three Thai nationals arrested in the bust were named as Nimit Thambanyo, 45; Thanaknut Narasukulpiphan, 35; and…
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Phuket charity drive for world record attempt crosses B1mn mark
PHUKET: Graham Haslam and Mark Cameron have already raised more than 1 million baht for a local charity without having driven their electric golf cart a single meter in a Guinness World Record attempt. Dubbed “The Longest Drive” the duo plan to drive the golf cart from Pattaya to Phuket, about 1,400km, as the raise funds for the Phuket Has…
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New, ‘better-staffed’ police station slated for Phi Phi Islands
PHUKET: Construction of a new police station in the Phi Phi archipelago is expected to go ahead this April, Krabi City’s top cop confirmed yesterday. The ‘well-equipped and better-staffed’ station will be located on Phi Phi Don, the largest and most heavily populated of the islands – all of which come under the administration of Krabi province. “We have already…
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Phi Phi “aquarium in the wild’ ordered to close
PHUKET: The “aquarium in the wild” boat anchored inside Phi Phi national park was ordered to close on Wednesday. The large fish hold of Lok Tai Taley (World Under the Water) had been converted to allow fish to swim freely into it and guests to walk among them. “We ordered them to stop the ‘fish pool’ service, which the owner…
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The Return: 91.5FM Island Radio issued licence
PHUKET: The island’s best-known English-language radio station, Phuket Island Radio 91.5FM, is preparing to return to air following completion of re-licensing formalities required after the military coup saw the closure of thousands of stations throughout the country. Although the station’s new license was approved in September last year, it’s actual issuance did not occur until earlier this week. “This has…
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Kathu Bike Club doubles up on rides
PHUKET: About 100 people have joined the Kathu Bike Club, following its launch in November last year, inspiring the group to double-up on the number of rides the club holds each week. The project was organized to promote healthy living and exercising in the community, and is backed by the Kathu Municpality, which allocated funds for 40 bicycles. “The rides…
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Dear Mr Vard, file a complaint – we’ll take it from there, says Navy
PHUKET: The leading representative in Phuket for the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) has called on Colin Vard to file a formal complaint so that the Royal Thai Navy can launch an investigation into allegations of inaction by police into death threats, kidnapping and property fraud. The call follows Mr Vard’s 15-year-old daughter Jessie posting a video on…
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Opinion: Making Phuket’s roads safe one step at a time
Dr Wiwat Seetamanotch, 57, from Yala, has been living in Phuket since 1987. He worked as director of Thalang Hospital for 17 years, followed by 10 years as deputy director for the Phuket Provincial Health Office. Now retired, Dr Wiwat has been working on road safety campaigns for the past six years, as well as running a clinic in Thalang.…
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Phuket Air Show & Fly’n to go ‘extreme circus’ tomorrow
PHUKET: The Phuket Aviation Club will host its first ‘Air Show & Fly’n’ event from 8am until sunset at Phuket Airpark in Pa Khlok tomorrow. Entry to the event is free of charge and the show will feature a wide variety of aviation activities and competitions. “For anyone who joins us tomorrow, a fun-filled day is guaranteed,” Show Director Pat…
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Opinion: Great balls of fire – sky lanterns a hazard over Phuket
PHUKET: Among the many recent edicts that have been issued by the government to bring some order to Phuket’s beach tourism industry, one that the Gazette hopes can be comprehensively enforced is the ban on the sale of khom loi, or sky lanterns, at public beaches (story here). The Gazette concedes that the sight of khom loi slowly rising after…
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Prayut ready to testify in Abhisit impeachment case
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Prayut ready to testify in Abhisit impeachment case The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha yesterday said that he was ready to testify before the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) as defence witness for Democrat Party leader Abhisit Vejjajiva in his impeachment case…
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Canned tuna from Thailand under scrutiny after four poisoned in Australia
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Canned tuna from Thailand under scrutiny after four poisoned in Australia The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Four people in Sydney are suffering from suspected fish poisoning after eating sandwiches made with tuna imported from Thailand, agencies reported yesterday. The four had eaten at the same…
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Video Report: NCPO hotline chief investigator ditches Phuket call to prayer complaint
PHUKET: The chief investigator from the Prime Minister’s Office today confirmed that the national complaint center will not be taking any further action against a mosque at Cape Panwa for allegedly disturbing its neighbors by playing their daily calls to prayer too loudly. Phuket Governor Nisit Jansomwong last Thursday was forced to disband a mob of more than 100 local…
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Teen nabbed for selling illegally imported power tools in Phuket Town
PHUKET: Police arrested a teenager yesterday for illegally importing and attempting to sell power tools worth more than 50,000 baht. Sarawut Boonlai, from Nakhon Phanom, was arrested in possession of 65 different power tools – including planers, grinders, circular saws, and orbital sanders – after police received a tip-off that he had been selling the tools on the sidewalk of…
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Tour de France cyclist Baden Cooke to join Thanyapura Gran Fondo
PHUKET: Tour de France green jersey winner and former Australian national team “hard man” Baden Cooke will be joining the inaugural Thanyapura Gran Fondo bicycle road race on April 19. Cooke, who retired in 2013, is a veteran of six Tour de France campaigns and competed in the 2004 Olympics. At the 2003 Tour de France, he won the sprinters…
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Scores of athletes join Run for Health charity event
PHUKET: More than 100 athletes turned out for the Phuket International Hospital’s annual “Run for Health, Run for Charity Mini Marathon” on February 22, with the winners receiving trophies granted by HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn. “This is the third year that Phuket International Hospital has organized this event. It will be a great honor to have HRH Princess Maha…
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Unidentified body found under bridge in northern Phuket
PHUKET: Police are attempting to identify the body of a possible murder victim found under a bridge in northern Phuket this morning. Officers from the Tah Chat Chai Police arrived at the scene, under a bridge on the road leading to the now closed Imperial Adamas Beach Resort in Nai Yang, at about 10am. “We believe that the man, who…
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New 100-baht banknote honors King Taksin “The Great’
PHUKET: New 100-baht banknotes are available at commercial banks in Phuket and elsewhere throughout the country starting today, staff at the Bank of Thailand confirmed to the Phuket Gazette this morning. Bank of Thailand Deputy Governor Paiboon Kittisrikangwan unveiled the new “Series 16” banknote on Tuesday. “The design is to honor King Taksin ‘The Great’ for his contributions to the…
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Kill squad arrested after sour Phuket land deal
PHUKET: A failed attempt to kill a man over a Phuket land deal gone sour resulted in a team of hitmen being arrested in synchronized raids in Phuket and Krabi on Tuesday. All five of the men accused for their roles in the attempted slaying of Songwit Vinyupradit were presented to the press by Phuket Provincial Police Commander Patchara Boonyasit…
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Cricket: Thalang rue wrath of Khan as Laguna top table
PHUKET: Laguna opening batsman Ali Khan smashed seven 4s and eight 6s – including three in a row from Thalang bowler Gary Lane – to take Laguna to the top of the Phuket Cricket Group’s (PCG) senior league at the Alan Cooke Ground (ACG) in Thalang last Sunday. Khan smashed balls back out of the ground as quickly as they…
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Swedes continue to dominate Kamala Bowls Majors
PHUKET: Swedes continued to dominate the ongoing series of major competitions at the Kamala Lawn Bowl Club last Saturday as Uffe Egerstaad saw off late challenge from South African Garry Anderson to win the Phuket Open Singles Championships. Bowlers from seven countries competed in the tourney, and the high caliber of this year’s field saw no clear favorite. This was…
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Old Town Festival returns to the heart of Phuket
PHUKET: The 16th annual Phuket Old Town Festival begins today and will continue through Saturday to celebrate Phuket’s unique culture and traditions. The festival will get underway from 4pm, on four roads in the heart of Phuket Town: Thalang Road, Soi Rommanee, Krabi Road and Phang Nga Road. “This is the 16th year we have held the festival. We always…
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Suspected Chinese diamond robbers arrested
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Suspected Chinese diamond robbers arrested The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Three Chinese men, who allegedly stole a 3-million-baht diamond from a jewellery display at Nonthaburi’s Impact Muang Thong Thani on Tuesday, were arrested on the Aranyaprathet border checkpoint in Sa Kaew province early yesterday morning…
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Phuket prepares to stave off drought
PHUKET: The Phuket governor yesterday ordered the island’s leading water authority to prepare for drought, despite the agency’s assurances that local water reserves would be plentiful until the annual rains return in May. “This dry season, we must manage our water resources so that any restriction in supply affects as few people as possible,” Governor Nisit Jansomwong told a meeting…
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Gunman kills eight in Czech restaurant
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Gunman kills eight in Czech restaurant Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET:A local man shot dead eight people in a restaurant in an eastern Czech town on Tuesday and then killed himself, in the worst peacetime shooting in the country’s history, officials said. The interior minister said…
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Wife and son of dead round-the-world cyclist receive B300k in government compensation
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Wife and son of dead round-the-world cyclist receive B300k in government compensation The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: The Ministry of Tourism and Sports will handover this week 300,000 baht in assistance money to the wife and son of the late Chilean intercontinental cyclist Juan Francisco…
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Most judges picked for Yingluck case also hearing other Thaksin cases
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Most judges picked for Yingluck case also hearing other Thaksin cases The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: More than half of nine judges selected yesterday by 146 Supreme Court members to be on a panel to hear the rice scheme case against former prime minister Yingluck…
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NACC wants impeachment of Abhisit, Suthep over 2010 crackdown
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community NACC wants impeachment of Abhisit, Suthep over 2010 crackdown The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: The National Anti-Corruption Commission has unanimously resolved to kick off the process of impeaching former prime minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and his deputy Suthep Thaugsuban for their alleged mishandling of the bloody…
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Ex-rector charged in B1.5bn KMITL embezzlement scam
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Ex-rector charged in B1.5bn KMITL embezzlement scam The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Thawil Phuengma, the former rector of King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Latkrabang (KMITL) and a suspect in the high-profile siphoning off Bt1.5 billion from KMITL bank accounts, yesterday morning reported to police to…
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Irish teen pleads for justice over alleged Phuket corruption, death threats, kidnapping
PHUKET: A video posted on the Facebook page “Justice for Jessie” has gone viral as 15-year-old Irish girl Jessie Vard pleads for justice for her family, who have allegedly suffered from years of police corruption, death threats, property fraud and kidnapping. Jessie posted the video denouncing the Thai police and justice system ahead of her 61-year-old father, Colin Vard, appearing…
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