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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Mother, sister join Navy search for missing American tourist
PHUKET: The mother and sister of missing American tourist Joshua Devine today joined a search by air for their lost loved one, who disappeared from a dive boat off Phuket on April 11 (story here). Mr Devine’s mother, Marie Gallant Major, and his sister Jennifer Bakowski boarded a Royal Thai Navy helicopter after being briefed on the search efforts at…
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Phuket Poll: Thai police lose battle in gaining trust
PHUKET: A staggering 80% of all respondents to a Phuket Gazette poll have stated that they do not trust the Thai Police – either in part or at all. The message was sent loud and clear through the poll, which garnered more than 12,000 votes (click here). Thai nationals led the charge, with 49% saying that they did not trust…
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Phuket Police bust major dealer, seize more than B7m of drugs
PHUKET: A major Phuket drug dealer was arrested with more than 7 million baht of drugs in Phuket Town on Friday night after police were tipped off by one of her sellers. Thammarat ‘Ken’ Matte provided police with the nickname and clues to the location of his supplier after he was arrested with 400mg of ya ice (crystal methamphetamine) earlier…
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Phuket teen gun-maker shoots self in leg
PHUKET: An 18-year-old man accidentally shot himself in the leg while assembling a homemade gun at his house in Mai Khao on Saturday evening. Anuphong Phuangjan was taken to Thalang Hospital for treatment after police were notified of the incident by his neighbors. “He was assembling a handgun made from parts of a BB gun when he accidentally shot himself…
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Ex-DSI chief Tarit Pengdith hit with assets freeze
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Ex-DSI chief Tarit Pengdith hit with assets freeze The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: The National Anti-Corruption Commission yesterday announced that it had temporarily frozen nearly 60 million baht in assets of former Department of Special Investigation director-general Tarit Pengdith and a former academic attached to…
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Taxi driver confesses to running down cop, shooting couple dead
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Cabbie who ran over cop, shot dead couple ‘confesses’ The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: A Bangkok taxi driver, who ran over a traffic policeman, stole his gun and shot dead a middle-aged couple in Nonthaburi’s Bang Yai district on Friday, surrendered to police yesterday reportedly…
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Monk disrobed for theft of heads from four corpses
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Monk disrobed for theft of heads from four corpses The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: A Buddhist monk in Udon Thani province was disrobed in order to face criminal charges, along with two layman accomplices, for allegedly stealing and chopping off the heads of four corpses.…
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Energy officials target Phuket’s power hungry
PHUKET: The Ministry of Energy will launch a campaign that aims to reduce Phuket’s power consumption by 10 per cent within six months. The campaign will target hotels, shopping malls and condo projects – and government offices, explained Pramoul Chanpong, an inspector with the Ministry of Energy. “Phuket is one of the top three power users in all of Southern…
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Alcohol ban pondered for Phuket passenger boats
PHUKET: Phuket Marine Office Chief Phuripat Theerakulpisut is considering banning alcohol on all passenger boats operating out of Phuket. The potential ban will be raised at a meeting with tour boat operators on Thursday. The move follows Joshua Michael Devine, 36, a civilian IT operative working at a United States military base in Kuwait, disappearing from on a Similans-bound liveaboard…
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Deputy PM calls for Phuket light rail to serve the beaches
PHUKET: Deputy Prime Minister MR Pridiyathorn Devakula yesterday told the governors of five Andaman provinces that he would like to see the Phuket light-rail project serve popular beaches on the island. “In my opinion, having the light rail expanded to serve the beaches would be a good idea,” Deputy PM MR Pridiyathorn said. “A lot of people visit the beaches,…
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Opinion: Casting a line to catch human traffickers
Lt Col Panya Chaichana, 53, is chief of the Phuket Marine Police. Originally from Phra Nakhon Sri Ayutthaya province, Col Panya has been working for the Marine Police force for 34 years. He started out working for the Phuket Marine Office in 1981 before moving to Satun and Narathiwat provinces. He returned to Phuket in 1997. Here, he talks about…
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Phuket security boost for royal visit
PHUKET: Security will be ramped up across the island during a royal visit by HRH Princess Chulabhorn Valayalaksana to Phuket next week. Princess Chulabhorn will arrive at Tessaban 2 Baan Kathu School at 1:40pm on April 26 as one of the final stops during her tour of Princess Mother’s Medical Volunteer Foundation centers in Krabi, Phang Nga and Phuket, from…
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Govt claims social advances since taking over
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Govt claims social advances since taking over The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: The Government has made several achievements on the social front over the past six months, Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha and his Cabinet members claimed yesterday. The current administration started working on September…
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Teenagers planned Australian terror attack for ANZAC centenary
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Teenagers planned Australian terror attack for ANZAC centenary Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Teenagers inspired by the hardline Islamic State planned a major terrorism attack in the Australian city of Melbourne to mark the centenary next week of the ANZAC landings at Gallipoli during World War…
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Monk held for ‘stealing’ corpse parts
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Monk held for ‘stealing’ corpse parts The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: A monk in Udon Thani has been arrested for allegedly stealing a corpse from a local cemetery and chopping off the head of another corpse for black magic purposes. Prachak Sinlapakhom police chief Nawara…
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Forestry officials face probe over land deeds
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Forestry officials face probe The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: The Royal Forest Department has launched an investigation against its own officials in Nakhon Ratchasima, Phetchabun and Rayong provinces over alleged forest encroachment. “The investigation must be completed within 45 days,” RFD director-general Theerapat PraYunrasiddhi said…
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Phuket man overrun with debt found hanged
PHUKET: Police are treating the death of a 60-year-old man found hanged at a housing estate in northern Phuket this morning as a suicide. Aphisit Nomrit, 13, found the body of his father, Mr Sommai, inside a wastewater-treatment room at the Karn Keha public housing estate in Thalang at about 9:30am. Mr Sommai lived and worked as a security guard…
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Phuket officials prepare to call off search for missing US diver
PHUKET: Officials leading the search for missing US diver Joshua Michael Devine are preparing to call off their efforts if they fail to find any clues by end of day, Sunday. Mr Devine went missing from the Chontara 1, a Similans-bound liveaboard, on April 11. He was travelling with his wife, Ms Thadsana, and 22 other divers (story here). Officers…
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Neighborhood electric vehicle market thrives on luxury resort island
PHUKET: The numerous luxury resorts in Phuket has helped grow Southern Thailand’s golf cart and other neighborhood electric vehicle (NEV) market, which is now in a dead heat with the Central Region, Ekasit Kunanantakul, managing director of Global Electric Motorcars Asia Company, said in an exclusive interview with the Phuket Gazette. Global Electric Motorcars, now 12 years old, was among…
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Business Buzz: Blogging me bonkers with business
PHUKET: A blog in its simplest form is a website that gets updated regularly. The only real difference to a ‘normal’ website is the frequency with which it is updated or changed. My preferred working blog is a combination of the traditional website with a blog or news page included, so that it covers the best of both worlds and…
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No charges over boat collision off Phuket
PHUKET: Police will not press any charges over the incident in which a dive boat and a sailboat collided heavily north of Koh Mai Thon, east of Phuket, last Saturday. On returning to Phuket last Saturday afternoon, the captain and crew on board the sailboat Starship alleged that the dive boat North Star struck their vessel and fled after throwing…
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Ronins shot down by Air Force Central
PHUKET: The island’s Phuket FC is looking to rebuild their confidence after their 2-0 loss away to Air Force Central (AFC) FC on April 8. AFC supporters had to wait until only the 19th minute to roar with delight as the Bangkok squad’s Nigerian midfielder Julius Obioh slotted the ball into the net after receiving a superb cross from fellow…
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Phuket readies for Gran Fondo road race
PHUKET: About 150 riders will take to the streets of Phuket this Sunday for the Thanyapura Gran Fondo, a 120km bicycle road race to be headed by Tour de France green jersey winner Baden Cooke. “Among the cyclists travelling to Phuket to join the major event are the women’s bike team W2 from Bangkok and lots of Phuket cyclists as…
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Phuket lifeguards back on beaches “within a week’
PHUKET: Lifeguards are expected to be back on duty at Phuket’s beaches within the coming week, the Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (PPAO) has announced. The news follows Phuket Governor Nisit Jansomwong yesterday signing his approval for the PPAO to expedite the process of hiring lifeguards by directly negotiating with the Phuket Lifeguard Club (PLC). “I signed my approval as soon…
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Opinion: By land, air or sea – embarrassment for all
PHUKET: The ferry fire that claimed the life of 12-year-old Israeli tourist Shani Manil last week is just the latest in a series of tourist industry maritime tragedies that have occurred in the Andaman region in recent years, demonstrating once again that transport safety for tourists and residents alike remains a chronic problem here. There have been numerous sinkings, capsizings,…
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Phuket’s new tourism rule book: “Out with the beach, in with the shopping’
PHUKET: The island’s reputation for attracting luxury tourists with its azure seas, coral sand coves and boutique resorts is being transformed by recent demographic shifts which are seeing wealthy visitors to Phuket spending more time away from the beach in pursuit of retail therapy. Shopping is becoming the main activity for luxury travellers coming to Phuket from within the region.…
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Ex-husband, friends wanted by police after gun threat
PHUKET: Police are searching for a man and at least two others after he threatened his ex-wife and their family with a gun in front of their home in Phuket Town on Wednesday night. Phuket City Police rushed to the scene at about 7:45pm after receiving reports of shots fired in Srisuthat Soi 4, Maj Rachan Panwai of Phuket City…
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Nationwide Songkran holiday road toll rises
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Road toll exceeds last year’s figures The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: The Songkran holiday period saw 364 deaths and 3,559 injuries from 3,373 accidents – higher than last year’s figures, the Road Safety Center said yesterday. This year saw 42 more deaths, 334 more injuries…
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Arms deals with Russia in pipeline as West shuns junta
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Arms deals with Russia in pipeline as West shuns junta The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Despite Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha’s insistence that the government’s renewed relationship with Russia is not meant to counterbalance deteriorating relations with the United States, a top Russian minister said…
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Govt tells BOT to ‘manage’ baht
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Govt tells BOT to ‘manage’ baht The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: The committee of economic ministers, chaired by Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha, yesterday signalled the Thai central bank to pursue a monetary-easing policy in an attempt to shore up the export sector amid the…
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