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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What is the 5 year visa for the digital nomad in Thailand?
The Destination Thailand Visa (DTV) is a great option for digital nomads, remote workers, and freelancers who want to stay in Thailand for a long time. This multiple-entry visa is valid for five years, allowing stays of up to 180...
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Koh Lanta tagged as potential hotspot for human trafficking
PHUKET: Officials investigated Koh Lanta yesterday, following the popular tourist island being named as a potential hotspot for human trafficking. “We were alerted to the potential issue of people being smuggled into Thailand through Koh Lanta District after locals reported seeing a group of suspected Rohingya,” said Koh Lanta District Chief Suriyan Narongkul. “By the time we got there, the…
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Loan shark death threats motivated me, says Phuket tour company fraudster
PHUKET: The 25-year-old man wanted for defrauding a Phuket tour company of about 1.5 million baht handed himself into police on April 29, claiming that the crime was made under the duress of death threats from loan sharks. Peerapat ‘Deer’ Singhon, his lawyer and his parents appeared at the Phuket City Police Station after Mr Peerapat went into hiding for…
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Video Report: Only B600k of B4mn raised for quake victims handed to Nepal Embassy so far
PHUKET: Charitable islanders raised more than 4 million baht in the past week for the victims of the earthquake in Nepal, which killed more than 7,500 and affected an estimated 8mn people, according to the UN. The funds raised through the ‘Phuket Together For Nepal Disaster Victims’ were originally to be given directly to the Embassy of Nepal on March…
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Business Buzz: Steal your Facebook
PHUKET: With the advent of social media and its meteoric rise in popularity, technology has grown at a rate much faster and in ways that the law has not been able to keep up with or envisage. Platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram and Pinterest now have billions of users. There are a couple of areas in particular…
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Underpass temporarily closed again, this time for electrical maintenance
PHUKET: The newly opened Darasamut Underpass near Central Festival Phuket closed down temporarily again this morning while its electrical system underwent changes. “The underpass closed to traffic at about 8am today. Officers were changing the electric lane marker system from manual control to automatic,” Samak Luedwonghad, director of the Phuket Highways Office, told the Phuket Gazette this morning. Mr Samak…
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All Phuket incinerators to go offline – temporarily
PHUKET: The already overwhelmed solid-waste incinerators operating at the Saphin Hin landfill site in Phuket Town will grind to a halt this month, adding thousands of tonnes of trash to the overflowing landfill. Though three incinerators are located at the site, one has been out of commission since 2012 (story here), leaving the other two – with a total burning…
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Opinion: AEC must address human trafficking, smuggling
PHUKET: The discovery of a mass grave of dozens of migrants from Myanmar and Bangladesh in Songkhla’s Sadao District, on the border with Malaysia, this week screams urgency for the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) to use its extraordinary powers to turn the tide against human trafficking in the Thailand. The order by Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha…
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Suspected druggy arrested for Phuket pharmacy robbery
PHUKET: A 16-year-old suspected to be under the influence of drugs was arrested after robbing a Phuket Town pharmacy at knifepoint last night. The teen – named by police only as Nan – entered Rukya Pharmacy and threatened the owner with a knife. “Chanikarn Longsama, 30, was in the pharmacy alone when she saw the teenager park his bike in…
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Phuket’s Port in-Port out Control Center open for business
PHUKET: The Port in-Port out Control Center (PIPO) at the main fishing port in Phuket officially opened on Wednesday as a measure to help with Thailand’s crackdown on illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishers. The center is set up at the Coastal Fisheries Radio Station Phuket office near Rassada Pier. “All 26 coastal fishery radio stations across the country opened…
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Rescue efforts fail to save striped dolphin in Phuket
PHUKET: A striped dolphin spotted close to shore at Bang Tao Beach died last night, despite rescue workers’ and experts’ efforts to save the marine mammal. Kusoldharm Foundation rescue workers arrived on the scene in front of Sunwing Resort and Spa at about 6:30pm to find tourists attempting to keep the dolphin from beaching itself. Soon thereafter, experts from the…
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Phuket designates 60 “Cheap Shops’ with food under 40 baht
PHUKET: Officials have designated 60 food shops throughout Phuket to be ‘Cheap Shops’, which sell plates of food for 40 baht. The move follows ongoing complaints from locals and tourists alike made directly to Governor Nisit Jansomwong through his Facebook page regarding high food prices in Phuket, said Office of Commercial Affairs Phuket Chief Prakong Rukwong yesterday at the Governor’s…
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Trafficking feared to drive away investment, tourists
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Trafficking feared to drive away investment, tourists The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Extensive news coverage on the mass graveyards of migrants from Myanmar and Bangladesh in Ranong could drive away potential investment into the southern province, said a prominent businessman. Nit Uitekkeng, former chairman of…
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Full-scale Phuket tsunami drill postponed
PHUKET: The full-scale tsunami evacuation and emergency-response drill scheduled to be held today on Koh Sireh, on the east side of Phuket Town, has been postponed to May 19. The decision to postpone the event was made last week, said Santhawat Riwleung, chief of the Phuket office of the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM). The earthquakes that shook…
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Human smuggler busted with 10 illegal immigrants in Phang Nga
PHUKET: A Thai national was arrested for attempting to smuggle 10 illegal Myanmar laborers through a checkpoint in Phang Nga last night. Ranong native Pidech Janjue, 36, had picked up the illegal workers at a fishing port in Phang Nga’s Kuraburi district and was transporting them through Takuapa district to the Khok Kloi bus station. From there, the group was…
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Monsoon seas take another life at lifeguard-less Phuket beaches
PHUKET: A 20-year-old man drowned at lifeguard-less Nai Harn Beach on Tuesday as the southwest monsoon season rolls in, bringing dangerous swimming conditions to Phuket’s west-coast beaches. Without lifeguards on the beach, family members and beachgoers did their best to save Panya Lonraphat, a witness to the death told the Phuket Gazette. “He was found and brought ashore by family…
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Video Report: Third quake in 24 hours sends Koh Sireh villagers running for hills
PHUKET: Island officials are aiming to educate local residents about earthquakes and tsunami warnings after the third earthquake to rattle Phuket in 24 hours sent Koh Sireh villagers running for the hills early this morning. The quake, which measured 4.5 in magnitude, shook Phuket at about 12:30am. The Thai Meteorological Department reported its epicenter at 15 kilometers southeast of Phuket,…
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Opinion: Fill legal loopholes with strong morals
Winai Chidchiew, 42, is the Subdistrict chief (Kamnan) of Karon. Phuket-born Mr Winai has a political science master’s degree specializing in local development and a bachelor’s degree in law, both earned from Ramkhamhaeng University. He also has a bachelor’s degree in community development from Rajabhat University. Here, he talks about the importance of involving local authorities in decisions made for…
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Second, lighter earthquake rattles Phuket
PHUKET: A second earthquake, measuring 3.2 in magnitude, shook Phuket just after noon today. The Thai Meteorological Department reported the quake as striking at 12:25pm, with its epicenter halfway between Phuket and Koh Yao Yai in Phang Nga Bay. It struck close to the epicenter of the 4.6 magnitude earthquake that occurred before dawn today (story here). The most recent…
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Boy, 5, killed in motorbike crash on Phuket bridge
PHUKET: A 5-year-old boy was killed after his 16-year-old relative crashed into the back of a car parked illegally on the Srisoonthorn Bridge, from Phuket to Phang Nga, yesterday afternoon. “The boy died instantly. However, his relative Cholnakorn Cheylangsad, 16, was still alive when we arrived,” Maj Santi Prakobpran of the Tah Chat Chai Police told the Phuket Gazette. Kusoldharm…
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Aussie lad gets head stuck on Phuket International Airport escalator
PHUKET: A 12-year-old Australian boy is safe after getting his head caught between an escalator handrail and a wall at Phuket International Airport yesterday evening. The boy, who the airport director declined to name, was travelling back to Melbourne after flying in to Phuket with nine of his family members to visit Khao Lak. “After checking in at Terminal 2,…
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More graves found at second migrant camp in South
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Five graves discovered at migrant camp in South The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha has warned of tough action against state officials linked to human trafficking, a government spokesman said yesterday. The warning came as five more graves were found at…
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Suspected human-trafficking victim’s body uncovered in Phang Nga
PHUKET: A suspected human-trafficking victim’s body was uncovered in a shallow grave north of Phuket in Phang Nga this morning. The discovery follows the news of police uncovering mass graves in the Thai-Malaysian border province of Songkhla last weekend (stories here and here). The badly decomposed body, believed to be that of a woman, was unearthed after officials launched a…
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Illegal pangolin traders killed in Krabi double-homicide
PHUKET: Police in Krabi are searching for at least three suspects in connection with a double-homicide of a couple who were engaged in illegally trading pangolins. The bodies of the married couple, Taweesak Janwiang, 41, and Jinda Janwiang, 43, were found with their hands bound and nylon ropes tied around their necks in a Tambon Huay Nam Khaw rubber plantation…
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Soldier nabbed for bag-snatch theft in Phuket
PHUKET: An army private and his friend were arrested in Thalang last night for bag-snatching. “We were able to identify the suspects from a description given to us by the victim,” Cherng Talay Police Superintendant Serm Kwannimit told the Phuket Gazette today. “The two suspects grabbed the victim’s bag and sped off together on a motorbike.” Private Chonlatea Krolek, 23,…
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Four arrested over death camp grave sites
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Migrant graveyard arrests The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: The authorities have arrested four of eight suspects wanted in connection with an alleged extortion and murder camp in Thailand’s southern border province of Songkhla. In custody are Asan Intanu, 48, Ro-aey Sonyalae, 41, Alee Lahmoh, 47…
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Phuket officials probe return of jet-skis at Surin Beach
PHUKET: Marine officials are investigating reports that jet-ski operators have returned to Surin Beach, where the wave-riding machines are banned. The investigation, led by Phuket Marine Office Chief Phuriphat Theerakulpisut, follows recent reports and photographs of jet-ski touts bringing the machines onto Surin Beach, as well as allowing them to be driven dangerously close to swimmers. “I will have my…
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Cyclists injured in Phuket Town firework explosion
PHUKET: A firework injured four cyclists after it exploded in a crowd at the start line of a night ride in Phuket Town on Saturday. The four injured were taken to Bangkok Hospital Phuket for minor injuries and released within a few hours, confirmed one of the organizers of the Plukpanya Night Ride, who declined to be named. “We will…
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Phuket’s Chalong Marina given “final’ B172mn
PHUKET: The Transport Ministry has granted the Phuket Marine Office a total of 172 million baht in order to complete the seawall and marina in Chalong Bay. Transport Deputy Minister Arkhom Termpittayapaisith on Saturday revealed the news during his inspection of the facilities, which are currently under construction. “The Marine Department has approved 98mn baht to complete the final phase…
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Lottery changes a bid to reduce ‘gray money’
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Lottery changes a bid to reduce ‘gray money’ The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: The government says its move to try and solve the problem of expensive state lottery tickets is a bid to control so-called “gray money”. The so-called “gray money” earned from selling the…
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Three killed as car plows into cyclists
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Three killed as car plows into cyclists The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Three cyclists were killed and two others seriously injured when an alleged drunk driver crashed her car into their bicycle rally in Chiang Mai’s Doi Saket district yesterday morning. The tragedy happened on…
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