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.
-
More than 8,000 illegal boats forced to stop fishing
BANGKOK: To deal with issues regarding illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing vessels, authorities have terminated the operation of more than 8,000 illegal fishing trawlers, the Command Center for Combating Illegal Fishing (CCCIF) said on Friday. The CCCIF also noted that it settled a conflict between a local fishing community and big commercial trawlers by marking out borders for them.…
-
Big prizes up for grabs at Phuket Red Cross Fair
PHUKET: The Phuket Annual Red Cross Fair will kick off on December 26 and run through January 5 at Saphan Hin, offering a multitude of attractive lucky draw prizes, including a Toyota Vios 1.5G. The popular 11-day fair features hundreds of stalls selling local delicacies, knickknacks, clothing and a huge variety of other items. Fairgoers can also enjoy performances by…
-
Task force takes down illegal Phuket casino
PHUKET: A joint task force arrested 40 gamblers during a raid on an underground Phuket casino in Chalong yesterday. “We received a tip-off from neighbors that gambling activities were being hosted in a house on Baan Kok Tanot Soi 3 on a daily basis, with no apparent fear of the law,” said Pakpoom Intharasuwan, Phuket’s Provincial chief administrative officer. More…
-
Criminal Code adds clauses to tackle child pornography
PHUKET: Starting on December 8, the Criminal Code will cover three additional types of crimes related to child pornography. The new offences include the possession, sharing or distribution of child pornography. The additions to the Criminal Code are in line with the 1989 Convention on the Rights of the Child, which Thailand ratified in 1992. Surasit Sangviroatjanapat, a chief judge…
-
Three types of marijuana to hit Uruguayan pharmacies in 2016
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Three types of marijuana to hit Uruguayan pharmacies in 2016 Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: Uruguayans will be able to choose from three varieties of state-sanctioned cannabis when marijuana starts being sold in pharmacies in the small South American country next year, the National Drug Board…
-
Thailand says looking for four Syrians amid Islamic State warning
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Thailand says looking for four Syrians amid Islamic State warning Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: Thailand said on Sunday it was looking for four Syrian nationals who have overstayed their visas, as the country is on high alert after a Russian warning of possible attacks by…
-
Lufthansa passenger arrested after fumbling with door during flight
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Lufthansa passenger arrested after fumbling with door during flight Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: A Jordanian-American male passenger was restrained by crew members on a Belgrade-bound Lufthansa flight on Sunday after fumbling with the emergency exit door, a spokesman for the German carrier said. The man,…
-
Andaman Travel Trade event starts this week
PHUKET: The 7th biennial Andaman Travel Trade 2015 event will be welcoming public and private sector enterprises at Phuket Rajabhat University on December 10-11. Under the banner ‘Discover Andaman-Explore Happiness’, the trade show aims to put 226 overseas tour operators in touch with more than 100 local tourism related operators, such as hotels, tour companies and airlines from Phuket, Phang…
-
Road-raging minivan driver surrenders in Phuket [video]
PHUKET: The road-raging minivan driver caught on tape threatening a fellow motorist last week handed himself in to police on Thursday. What originally appeared on camera to be a long-knife, was in fact an iron bar, confessed 33-year-old Damrong Pramno (story here). “Mr Damrong was returning from Phang Nga after dropping passengers off when he was struggling to overtake a…
-
Phuket honors HM The King
PHUKET: Phuket officials and residents took part in a merit-making ceremony with 88 monks on Thalang Road in honor of HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s 88th birthday yesterday. Phuket Governor Chamroen Tipayapongtada led the group in honoring his Majesty The King at 7:09am. “We all respect and honor HM The King. May the merit making today be part of a blessing…
-
Chalong Hospital construction starts this month
PHUKET: Ground will be broken for the Chalong Hospital project before the end of the year, confirmed Chalong Mayor Samran Jindaphol. The push to upgrade the public health clinic in Chalong into a fully equipped hospital comes with the hope of reducing the number of people dying en route to emergency wards at major hospitals in Phuket Town. Clinic Director…
-
Phuket police smash drunk driving quotas
PHUKET: The crackdown on drunk driving on some of the most deadly roads in the world saw Phuket police arrest more than 200 people for driving under the influence (DUI) last month. Though individual police stations on the island were given specific DUI quotas, the goal for the entire province was to arrest at least 150 drivers (story here). “The…
-
Judge dismisses B10mn case against Cherng Talay boss
PHUKET: A Phuket judge yesterday dismissed the 10-million-baht dereliction of duty lawsuit filed against Ma-ann Samran, president of Cherng Talay Tambon Administration Organization (OrBorTor). “The case was dismissed due to lack of evidence. Additionally, Mr Ma-ann had followed all legal procedures during the eviction and demolition process,” Public Prosecutor Jessada Banditmongkolkul told the Phuket Gazette. The owners of two establishments,…
-
Phuket Marine Chief promoted
PHUKET: Long-time supporter of the Phuket jet-ski industry, Phuket Marine Chief Phuripat Theerakulpisut was promoted to acting director of the Marine Office Region 5 on October 1. “I will continue to serve as the Phuket Marine chief,” Mr Phuripat confirmed to the Phuket Gazette yesterday. “As I am manning both positions, I now take care of six provinces: Phuket, Phang…
-
More marine rubbish removed from Karon in honor of HM The King
PHUKET: More than 200 kilograms of rubbish was picked up by Karon Beach divers yesterday during a cleanup in honor of HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s birthday. The program put together by the Karon Municipality and the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources Region 6 saw more than 500 volunteers pick up trash on the beach and release marine animals into…
-
Armed men hijack Thai fishing boat
PHUKET: Armed pirates hijacked a Thai-flagged fishing boat near Koh Lipe, south of Phuket, on Wednesday night. Six armed men allegedly boarded the boat, forced the captain of Chok Boonmee 5 to maroon his crew and then head toward Langkawi, Malaysia, explained a Royal Thai Navy report. Boat owner Falil Pongtae, 46, contacted authorities, who quickly rescued the crew from…
-
A Decade Ago: Jet-ski woes
PHUKET: Without a doubt, the Phuket Gazette sounds like a broken record from time to time, as the publication continues to push important issues into the headlines. One such monotonous tune – also regularly played by ambassadors and honorary consuls – revolves around the seemingly invincible jet-ski business operators on the island. Almost inexplicably, they were the first allowed back…
-
Opinion: Communities to help protect natural beauty
Sin Polrob, 58, was born and raised in Rawai. He has been a community leader since 1999 and currently serves as the Rawai Kamnan (subdistrict chief). Here he talks about the importance of communities standing up against projects that threaten to destroy the natural beauty of Thailand. PHUKET: As a community member and leader, I like to see people come…
-
Ministry of Farang Affairs: Speaking fluent street Thai
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.…
-
Island View: The laws of smoking
PHUKET: It seems to me that people in Thailand, particularly Phuketians, have forgotten that there is a law that bans smoking in certain areas and while driving. I even Googled it to make sure that the law is still in place. The law states that you are not allowed to smoke in public parks, school and university perimeters, hospitals, government…
-
Authorities aware of Islamic State terrorist arrivals in Phuket since October
PHUKET: Despite the recently leaked memo from Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) warning that Islamic State (IS) terrorists had been despatched to Phuket, Thai authorities had been aware of the situation since October, confirmed the Russian Federation Deputy Honorary Consul to Phuket. “Myself and some Thai officials were made aware of the situation in October,” Santi Udomkiratak, the Russian Federation…
-
Finance: Is Priceline right for your portfolio?
PHUKET: Growth stocks can power your portfolio to new highs, with one such stock being the Priceline Group Inc (NASDAQ: PCLN), which can also double as your one-stop online destination to serve all of your travel needs. Priceline.com is the Priceline Group’s flagship hotel and airline travel site, with the company’s other brands including Agoda.com, Booking.com, Kayak.com, Rentalcars.com and OpenTable.com…
-
Interpol arrests couple wanted for Bangkok bombing
BANGKOK: Interpol has arrested Thai and foreign suspects for their alleged role in the Bangkok bombings in August, which claimed 20 lives and injured many others, Deputy Police Chief Gen Srivara Ransibrahmanakul said yesterday. While Gen Srivara declined to reveal the names of the suspects, reliable police sources identified the suspects as Phang Nga native Wanna Suansan and her Turkish…
-
Russian busted for illegally selling Phuket property
PHUKET: A police sting operation netted a Russian real estate agent illegally selling condominiums in the Rawai area on Wednesday. “A concerned employee at the condominium project contacted us after witnessing 30-year-old Anastasia Spirkina selling the units at extraordinarily low prices. Due to the suspiciously low prices being offered through Ms Spirkina’s Facebook page, the employee was worried that it…
-
One more ‘last warning’ issued to Surin jet-skis
PHUKET: As part of a long series of ‘last-time’ threats, the Marine Office Region 5 acting chief vowed yesterday that if jet-skis are spotted at Surin Beach again, the operators will have their licences revoked. “I am aware that four jet-skis were spotted at Surin Beach Tuesday.* The operators are allowed to rent the jet-skis at Bang Tao Beach, but…
-
Unlicensed Cambodian medic jailed for 25 years for spreading HIV
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Unlicensed Cambodian medic jailed for 25 years for spreading HIV Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: A Cambodian court convicted an unlicensed medical practitioner of murder on Thursday and sentenced him to 25 years in prison for spreading HIV among more than 270 villagers, some as young…
-
Thailand draws nearer to China with rail, rice and rubber deals
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Thailand draws nearer to China with rail, rice and rubber deals Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: China and Thailand agreed to build an ambitious 900 km (559 mile) railway line on Thursday in the latest sign of closer ties between them after Bangkok’s links with Washington…
-
Opinion: Scrap the airport ferry fallacy
PHUKET: It is hard to believe that 25 million baht in funding has been approved for the design and environmental impact assessment (EIA) for the proposed ‘From the Boat to the Plane’ project. There is certainly no question that public transport from Phuket International Airport (HKT) to the island’s west coast resort towns is in dire need of improvement, but…
-
Phuket celebrates HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s 88th birthday
PHUKET: Millions of people will hold up lit candles in unison on December 5 in honor of HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s 88th birthday. Regarded as the Father of the Nation, HM The King’s birthday is also celebrated as Father’s Day throughout the Kingdom. Phuket will hold a Father’s Day ceremony at Saphan Hin at 4:30pm, where the evening’s itinerary includes…
-
Angry Phuket minivan driver pulls big knife in traffic [video]
PHUKET: A road-raging minivan driver was caught brandishing a long knife at the driver of a pickup truck on Thepkrasattri Road yesterday afternoon. The video clip shows the driver of the van waving what appears to be a machete or a small sword as he passes the truck in the left lane. “I saw the clip last night. We will…
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.