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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CSD raids home of former Rassada mayor’s wife
About a hundred officers led by the Crime Suppression Division this morning surrounded the house of former Rassada Mayor Suratin Lian-udom’s wife, as the Central Investigation Bureau continues raids throughout the island. Several suspects were apprehended after declining to be searched and resisting arrest. Mr Suratin was not at home at the time and was not the apparent target of…
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Opinion: Floating ideas
PHUKET: The spike in the number of marine related accidents in the Andaman is an issue of great concern. The beauty of the Andaman’s marine attractions is a major draw for tourists, but the recent deaths of a French snorkeller and Chinese diver, the maiming of two Russian divers and other marine fatalities so far this year is turning the…
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Finance: Ups and downs in the price of oil
PHUKET: For somebody who pays attention to commodity prices, these are extremely interesting times. I still remember many talking heads on television predicting that we’d never see oil below 100 dollars per barrel. The argument was extremely convincing, especially when the markets seemed to be confirming its truth. With the flood of shale oil and the lifting of embargoes on…
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Across the Land: The persistent growing pains of Phuket
PHUKET: Last month, MasterCard Asia Pacific Destinations Index 2015 announced that Thailand is the most popular regional travel destination for 2015, with three of its cities making the top ten list. Bangkok was the most popular, followed by Phuket in fifth place and Pattaya in eighth. The survey was based on 167 destinations from 22 countries across Asia Pacific and…
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![Thailand Beach Volley Festival coming to Karon Beach [video] | Thaiger](https://thethaiger.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/4_2016220103833722_befeUubbmSCpXLeQUIsKkrqHWJFqEGWflCJFwkhj_jpeg.jpeg)
Thailand Beach Volley Festival coming to Karon Beach [video]
PHUKET: Karon Beach is preparing its sands for the Thailand Beach Volley Festival Phuket powered by PTT on March 23 through March 27. The international amateur beach volley tournament will feature three classes: two X two men, two X two women and four X four mixed. After preliminary pooled games, the men’s two X two event will be divided into…
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Phuket orangutan “disappears’ ahead of police raid
PHUKET: A 13-year-old orangutan that conservationists were fighting to free from Phuket Zoo has gone missing, confirmed Wildlife Friends of Thailand (WFFT). “Natural Resources and Environmental Crime Division (NRECD) of the Royal Thai Police and Department of National Parks (DNP) agreed to investigate the case of Milo, agreeing to raid the zoo this morning,” Edwin Weik, the founder and director…
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US Embassy to hold consular outreach in Phuket
PHUKET: The Consular Section of the American Embassy in Bangkok will hold an Outreach Visit at Millennium Resort Patong on February 26. Consular staff will be available from 8am to noon to provide the following services: • Passport renewal applications (US$110.00 or 4,070 baht for adults, and US$105.00 or 3,885 baht for children). • Passport applications for lost or stolen…
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Rawai sea gypsies turn down government offer
PHUKET: The Rawai sea gypsies have turned down the provincial government’s offer to purchase 19 rai of disputed land (story here), insisting that the land deeds must be revoked entirely. Reasons for the most recent refusal in the prolonged land dispute between landowners and the sea gypsies were that the sea gypsies believe the land deeds were unlawfully acquired so…
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Australia, New Zealand urge China show restraint in South China Sea
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Australia, New Zealand urge China show restraint in South China Sea Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: Australia and New Zealand on Friday strongly urged China to refrain from stoking tensions in the South China Sea after its apparent deployment of surface-to-air missiles on a disputed island.…
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AirAsia CEO: cheap oil paves way to revive expansion
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community AirAsia CEO: cheap oil paves way to revive expansion Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: With low oil prices reducing its operating costs, AirAsia Chief Executive Tony Fernandes said the budget carrier was ready to start expanding again in southeast Asia and was eyeing Vietnam and the…
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HeadStart International inaugurates new Phuket campus
PHUKET: HeadStart International School last week held an opening ceremony for its new campus, located at Soi Na Sua near Central Festival Phuket. “Our new campus is situated on 15 rai of beautiful landscape and is very easy to access from major locations in Phuket,” said School Director Jazon Edouard. Some of the facilities at the new campus include large,…
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CIB nabs illegal jet-ski operators in Phuket
PHUKET: A total of 28 jet-ski operators were arrested during a Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) raid on Phuket yesterday. Despite numerous accidents and a legacy of scamming tourists, jet-ski operators have continued to work under an umbrella of lax enforcement of jet-ski rules and regulations. “We arrested the jet-ski operators for renting their vehicles to tourists without provincial permission,” said…
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Upcoming alcohol ban for Makha Bucha Day
PHUKET: A nationwide ban on the sale and purchase of alcohol will be in place for 24 hours on Monday out of respect for Makha Bucha Day. “Letters will be sent to night entertainment business operators to inform them of the ban,” Peerayuth Karajedee, Phuket Provincial Police deputy commander, told the Phuket Gazette this morning. “According to trading laws, entertainment…
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Video Report: Officials hunt boat caught anchoring on corals
PHUKET: Officials are hunting down the company that owns a boat that was caught on video anchoring in fragile corals off Koh Racha Yai. The video shows the anchor biting into a coral bommie with the metal chain laying across a few species of corals. The anchor is connected to a rope tied to the boat, which the cameraman clearly…
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Turkish Ambassador blasts Phuket airport
PHUKET: The Turkish ambassador to Thailand blasted Phuket International Airport during a meeting at Phuket Provincial Hall on Tuesday. “Phuket is a beautiful place and many Turkish people want to travel to the island. However, they always complain about three aspects of their trip: the narrow airport terminal, communication issues with airport employees, and immigration,” Ambassador of the Republic of…
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Video Report: First Thailand Yacht Show a resounding success
PHUKET: The first government-sponsored Thailand Yacht Show attracted almost 5,000 visitors in four days, say the organizers, who hailed the inaugural event a resounding success and believe it will put Phuket firmly on the map as a regional hub for the marine leisure industry. A total of 43 boats from a variety of locala and international boat builders and brokers…
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Almost A Decade Ago: WWII relics and superyachts
PHUKET: As the Phuket Gazette plunged in with its first-ever Thailand Yacht Show Special Edition, we narrowed the gap in ‘A Decade Ago’ to 9-years-and-9-months ago… for the sake of marine thematics. Skipping over what is without a doubt a very dry page one at the beginning of the rainy season, let’s dive to the depths of a small story…
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Zika vaccine shows promise in mice, lifting maker Inovio
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Zika vaccine shows promise in mice, lifting maker Inovio Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: Hopes of developing a vaccine against Zika took a small step forward on Wednesday as Inovio Pharmaceuticals Inc. said its experimental shot had induced a robust and durable response in mice. Shares…
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Car bomb attack on military in Turkish capital kills 28
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Car bomb attack on military in Turkish capital kills 28 Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: Twenty-eight people were killed and dozens wounded in Turkey’s capital Ankara on Wednesday when a car laden with explosives detonated next to military buses near the armed forces’ headquarters, parliament and…
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Apple opposes order to help unlock California shooter’s phone
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Apple opposes order to help unlock California shooter’s phone Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: Apple Inc opposed a court ruling on Tuesday that ordered it to help the FBI break into an iPhone recovered from a San Bernardino shooter, heightening a dispute between tech companies and…
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Mystery still surrounds Nong DJ’s disappearance
PHUKET: Mystery still surrounds the disappearance of three-year-old Nong DJ, who went missing while playing outside his home in Wichit. He was found six days later, scared, weak and alone in a forest about three kilometers from the spot he had last been seen (Video report here). Nong DJ is still recovering in hospital from his ordeal but there have…
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Village headman gunned down in front of home
KRABI: Krabi Police are hunting for a gang of men that gunned down an influential village headman (Phu Yai Baan) in Krabi on Tuesday. Chanwit Jantharak, 50, was shot about 10 times while attempting to leave his home in Mueang Krabi district about 5:30pm, said Krabi Provincial Police Commander Nunthadej Yoinual. “Mr Chanwit’s wife told us that at least three…
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Opinion: Sailing into the future
Omsin Chivapreuk, 64, is the nation’s Deputy Transport Minister. He graduated with a Master’s degree in Business Administration from Kasetsart University and studied Advanced Management at Harvard University. Here he talks about his expectations for the Thailand Yacht Show and how Phuket will benefit from the prestigious event. PHUKET: The Thailand Yacht Show is the first time that the Thai…
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China sends missiles to contested South China Sea island
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community China sends missiles to contested South China Sea island – Taiwan Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: China has deployed an advanced surface-to-air missile system to one of the disputed South China Sea islands it has taken control of, Taiwan and U.S. officials say, ratcheting up tensions…
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Schools react to alleged Phuket kidnapping
PHUKET: At least two Phuket schools have boosted security following an alleged kidnapping attempt at Plookpanya School Phuket. The scare started after a mother from the school posted a message on her Facebook page alleging that a man exited a van, approached her 14-year-old son and attempted to cover his nose and mouth with a cloth. She explained that her…
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Decorated former German Honorary Consul for Phuket Dirk Naumann passes away
PHUKET: Former German Honorary Consul for Phuket Dirk Naumann passed away on Monday, his family has announced. Mr Naumann was well known and respected in Phuket and in his homeland for his 12 years of dedicated service on the island. He retired from his post in July 2014. Upon his retirement, Mr Naumann was awarded the Order of Merit from…
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Health chief: Phuket on top of dengue danger
PHUKET: The Phuket Provincial Public Health Office (PPHO) is on top of the island’s surge in dengue fever cases, despite figures being almost triple those of last year, confirmed officials. From January 1 to February 6 of this year, 70 cases of dengue fever have been reported in the province, compared to 22 reported cases for the same period last…
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Guns on planes argument ends in fatal Phuket shooting
PHUKET: An argument about guns on planes between two men at a seafood restaurant in Phuket last night quickly ended when one of the men pulled a firearm and shot dead the other. “The shooting took place about 9pm at a roadside seafood restaurant in Thung Thong, near See Kor market,” said Phuket Provincial Police Deputy Commander Peerayuth Karajedee. Witnesses…
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Speedboat crew member slashed by propeller
PHUKET: A speedboat crew member was rushed to hospital after having his back slashed open by a boat propeller at Koh Lao Lading in Krabi this morning. “According to witnesses, 33-year-old Kreetha Sarawaree was helping to make room for another boat to park at the pier when he lost his balance and fell into the spinning propeller,” explained Maj Suphat…
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Marine park officials launch safety campaign at Koh Hong
PHUKET: Park officials marked dangerous swimming and snorkelling areas inside Than Bok Khorani National Park following two Russian divers being maimed by a speedboat in Phi Phi earlier this month and a number of tourists dying in marine national parks. “The entrance to the lagoon at Koh Hong is very dangerous; there is a lot of boat traffic, as well…
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