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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Phuket prepares for King’s Cup Regatta 2015
PHUKET: The island is readying its sails for the King’s Cup Regatta 2015, which will take place off of Kata Bay from December 5 to December 12. Hosting international racing classes, the event will see more than 150 boats and 1,500 sailors competing for one of sailings most prestigious trophies. Inaugurated in 1987 to celebrate the 60th birthday of HM…
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Russian man found dead in swimming pool
PHUKET: A Russian man was found dead near his swimming pool this morning after his friend discovered him unconscious in the water. When police arrived at the house on Moo 2 in Rawai, they found Oleg Ten, 65, on the ground near the pool, confirmed Capt Patiwat Yodkwan of the Chalong Police. “We found no signs of a struggle and…
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Gov Nisit vouches for Chamroen’s beach management judgment
PHUKET: The new governor will make the right choices for Phuket’s beaches, vowed outgoing Phuket Governor Nisit Jansomwong today. “I believe that Chamroen Tipayapongtada knows Phuket much better than I do, as he is a native. I think his policies will be what’s best for Phuket,” Governor Nisit told the Phuket Gazette. Gov Nisit will leave his post on Wednesday,…
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Turtle saved after somtam shop owner buys from customer
PHUKET: A female sea turtle has been safely rescued and is now under the care of the Phuket Marine Biological Center (PMBC) after it was sold for 300 baht in Cherng Talay yesterday. The Kusoldharm Foundation received a report from Sombat Tannukrork, 48, a somtam shop owner, asking for help for an injured sea turtle that he had bought off…
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A Decade Ago: AA saves families, lives – test yourself
PHUKET: The 4-billion-baht pipe to bring water to Phuket from the Chieo Lan Reservior in Surat Thani was a ‘done deal’ according to Deputy Interior Minister Somchai Sunthornvat, a decade ago. The mega-project was going to be the nail in the coffin for the island’s water worries and was expected to be completed in just 18 months. However, 120 months…
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First Person: A fond farewell to Phuket
Phuket Governor Nisit Jansomwong will soon take up a similar post in Nonthaburi to tackle new projects and challenges. After serving one year here, the governor, originally from Ratchaburi, stepped in with the aim to develop and make much needed changes in Phuket and its future. Here he reflects on his time in Phuket and the work that he is…
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Big wave sweeps fisherman from Phuket rocks
PHUKET: Phuket Marine Police have failed to find a fisherman who was swept from a rock outcropping on Kamala Beach last night “Due to the current weather, it has been very difficult to conduct a thorough search,” said Phuket Marine Police Chief Panya Chaichana today. “Rescue workers and Kamala Police Officers searched the area as soon as Prayat Janmee, 50,…
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One dead, one injured in Kamala motorbike crash
PHUKET: One woman is dead and another seriously injured after the bike they were riding crashed on a steep downward slope as they entered Kamala last night. “We’ve yet to identify the deceased. However, the other woman had an ID card on her, which named her as Yanika Midseang, 22,” said Lt Col Somneuk Dumkaew of the Kamala Police. “She…
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Ten rescued from teetering Phuket yacht
PHUKET: Phuket Marine Police helped dislodge a yacht stranded on a submerged rock outcropping off Koh Nai Nui yesterday afternoon, following the rescue of ten people from the boat. “The boat, Pim Praw, might have just settled onto the rock as the tide went out,” Phuket Marine Police Chief Panya Chaichana told the Phuket Gazette. “We were called to the…
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Opinion: Free road accidents
PHUKET: Year after year, the vehicle population of Phuket has been growing rapidly, expressing itself dramatically in the island’s ever-worsening traffic problems. After 12 years here, I would say that the traffic is now worse than ever. It’s no wonder that the governor decided to spend money in order to reduce the congestion by building underpasses in certain areas. However,…
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Human-trafficking crackdowns return empty handed
PHUKET: The two-month crackdown on human smuggling and human trafficking on the island came up empty handed, despite several such cases ‘organically’ surfacing just last year. Last June, two debt-trapped Cambodians were freed from Phuket Town after officers were tipped off by one of the victim’s relatives (story here). Earlier that year, a 10-year-old Cambodian boy and his 6-year-old sister…
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Business Buzz: Value in organic search results
PHUKET: While I believe that because of Social Media (Optimization), Search Engine Optimization (SEO) itself is becoming less relevant, there is no doubt it is still important to get organic search results, especially with Google and YouTube, by far the leading search engines. Although the algorithm for ranking is constantly changed by Google, it is possible to analyze trends and…
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Finance: Focus on China when investing
PHUKET: China’s stock market is imploding and that’s not only shaking confidence in the country, it’s also impacting global financial markets. However, investors need to keep in mind that over the past 15 years, the Chinese stock market has actually experienced both sharp rises and steep falls, with the last crash occurring in 2007. The market then largely moved sideways…
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Russian tourist’s stolen phone recovered
PHUKET: A Myanmar national was arrested yesterday after being tracked down in Kathu for allegedly stealing a mobile phone from a Russian tourist. Dmithy Surkov, 32, reported that his phone was stolen from Patong Beach on September 12, said Phuket Tourist Police Chief Urumporn Koondejsumrit. “We tracked down the phone on September 19, when we were able to see that…
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Special Report: Paddling against child abuse
PHUKET: A great white shark knocked Damien Rider from his paddle board during one of eleven shark encounters he faced as he paddled 800 kilometers from Rainbow Bay, Gold Coast, to Bondi Beach, Sydney, in January 2015. However, the demon that he was battling wasn’t below the ocean’s surface, but in the vivid world of abuse that he endured as…
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Phuket’s new vice governors announced
PHUKET: The Interior Ministry yesterday announced Phuket’s three new vice governors, who will be taking their posts on October 1. The vice governors were named as: Prajiad Aksornthammakul, Phuket Provincial Office chief; Chokdee Amornwat, Department of Local Administration inspector in Bangkok; and Kajornkiet Rakpanitmanee, Provincial Office chief, Suphan Buri. Vice Governor Somkiet Sangkaosuttirak will be retiring this year, while Vice…
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Python enjoys breakfast at Governor’s Residence
PHUKET: A massive python was caught gobbling up a chicken in the hen house at Phuket Governor Nisit Jansomwong’s Residence this morning. “Inside the chicken coop we found the engorged snake. It was barely able to move after having eaten the whole chicken,” said Nantapong Klaithin, a Kusoldharm Foundation rescue worker. Governor Nisit was not at home during the commotion,…
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New route set to reduce Bang Khu traffic jams
PHUKET: In an effort to reduce traffic congestion at the Bang Khu underpass construction site (where the bypass road intersects with Thepkrasattri Rd, at Toyota Pearl), officials are testing a new route that requires switching off traffic lights at the normally busy intersection. Starting on October 1, motorists heading from town to Koh Kaew will have to turn left and…
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Scotsman found dead in Patong rental room
PHUKET: A Scottish tourist was found hanging from a wire inside the closet of his rental room in Patong this morning. The body of 45-year-old Michael William Smith, born in Edinburgh, was discovered by an employee of the residence and a friend, confirmed Lt Col Jongserm Preecha of the Patong Police. “His friend, who lives next door, came to ask…
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Phuket dolphinarium scores import permit
PHUKET: The unopened Nemo Dolphinarium in Chalong has secured permission from the Department of Fisheries in Bangkok to import dolphins and other marine animals for the hotly-contested Phuket attraction. “We are now working on importing the animals for the show. However, we have yet to confirm how many will be allowed for the performance,” said the dolphinarium project manager, who…
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Filipino fugitives to be deported
PHUKET: Two of the Philippines’ most wanted’ fugitives were handed over to Phuket Immigration last night for deportation, Lt Col Jamroon Plaiduang confirmed today. Joel Reyes, former governor of Palawan, and his brother, Mario JR Reyes, former mayor of Coron, were arrested in Phuket on Sunday. The pair are wanted for the 2011 murder of environmental activist Gerry Ortega (story…
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Navy tables limits for island tourism
PHUKET: The Royal Thai Navy tabled the idea of limiting the number of tourists to islands in the Andaman region, including Phi Phi Don, in order to promote environmental sustainability. “We are concerned that not enough is being done to preserve our nation’s environment, which is essential to the tourism industry,” said Sayan Prasongsamrej, commander of the Royal Thai Navy…
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China’s ‘fake’ Apple stores thrive ahead of new iPhone launch
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community China’s ‘fake’ Apple stores thrive ahead of new iPhone launch Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: On a bustling street in China’s southern boom town of Shenzhen, more than 30 storescarrying Apple Inc’s iconic white logos peddle pre-orders for the new iPhone, a gadget that has become…
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Male nanny off the hook for alleged baby rape
PHUKET: The results of an autopsy confirmed that there were no signs that a baby boy who died in April had been raped by a male nanny, as had been alleged. Somsak Yakob, 38, was alleged to have raped and killed a 1-year-old boy in Phuket Town. He had called and told the child’s mother that her son had fallen…
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Indonesia starts legal action against 4 companies linked to SE Asia haze
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Indonesia starts legal action against 4 companies linked to SE Asia haze Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: Indonesia has ordered four companies to suspend operations for causing forest fires thatsent smoke across a large swathe of Southeast Asia, an Indonesian Environment Ministry official said on Tuesday.…
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Thailand adopts new six-month multiple-entry tourist visa
PHUKET: In a move to boost tourism and drive the economy, Thailand has officially announced that it will start offering six-month multiple-entry tourist visas (METV) starting November 13. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ official website notes that the visas will cost 5,000 baht and will grant travellers multiple entries during a six-month stay, for up to 60 days per entry.…
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Ammonia leak scares Rawai locals
PHUKET: After a string of complaints, municipality officials found that a water plant in Rawai had been leaking ammonia into the main canal on Sunday. Rawai Mayor Aroon Solos received complaints from locals on Saturday, claiming that they suffered itchy eyes and sore noses after a strong ammonia smell was allegedly coming from The Crystal Drinking Water plant. “By the…
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Owner yet to come forward in Thalang bovicide
PHUKET: A woman escaped serious injury after her car collided with a cow in Thalang this morning. Thanyaluck Plongnirat, 26, was heading to the airport at about 5am when the accident occurred, Lt Kraisorn Boonprasop of the Thalang Police told the Phuket Gazette. “I was on my way to catch a flight when I saw a shadow try to pass…
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Missing IUU vessel now chased internationally
PHUKET: The ongoing search for the illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing vessel that slipped through the fingers of Phuket officials earlier this month (story here) is now the subject of an international pursuit, confirmed Vice Admiral Sayan Prasongsamrej, commander of the Royal Thai Navy Third Area Command yesterday. “As soon as we received the report that the vessel had…
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Local cycling team takes top honors
PHUKET: The Phuket-based cycling group Team Fourteen won the 40 kilometer Team Time Trial held in Surat Thani on Sunday. Daniel Amby, Greg Dick, Sunny Teerasak and Jonathan Fowler completed the out-and-back flat course in a time of 54:40 with an average speed of 44.23km/h. A total of 29 teams from throughout Thailand competed in the event, which was sponsored…
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