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5 hidden healthcare costs in Thailand and how to avoid them
Thailand's healthcare system is affordable and supported by the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) scheme, offering essential services to most citizens. However, hidden healthcare costs can surprise patients and lead to unexpected expenses. These include specialist fees, insurance gaps, emergency services,...
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Jet-skis in Phuket must go – for good
PHUKET: The Gazette joins its online readers in expressing outrage at the recent announcement by the Marine Office that jet-ski rental operators will be allowed to remain on island beaches (story here). The dumbfounding news comes despite a woman being run over by a jet-ski trailer on Kata Beach (story here), children nearly being hit by a jet-ski at Surin…
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Phuket butcher robs 7-Eleven at knifepoint
PHUKET: A local butcher robbed a 7-Eleven of 1,000 baht at knifepoint early yesterday morning, then used the stolen cash to pay for a prostitute, a deputy commander of the Phuket Provincial Police revealed today. Wichit Police received a report from the Tung Charoen 7-Eleven branch at about 4:20am. “There were three staff working at the time of the robbery,…
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Seedlings project offers opportunities to underprivileged Phuket youth
PHUKET: The Banyan Tree’s Seedlings program has finally sprouted in Phuket, with 15 underprivileged local youths receiving skills training to take into the workplace. The Banyan Tree launched the group-wide corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiative in 2007 as a way to “support enhanced long-term prosperity within communities”. “Creating a giving culture is more than just giving money, it’s about giving…
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Preventing a dolphin disaster in Phuket
PHUKET: My name is Lou. I am 10 years old and I am passionate about dolphins. I have been working on a “passion project” about dolphins with Vicki from the Dolphin Project and Gecko Community Phuket. Do you know what is happening in Taiji, Japan at this moment? Dolphins are being captured in a small bay called “The Cove”. The…
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Video Report: Thai Tourism and Sports Minister names Phuket as the next sports tourism hot spot
Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul, 54, is the Tourism and Sports Minister of Thailand. She was appointed by Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha in August. She studied in the United States, graduating from Rhode Island School of Design. Before becoming minister, Ms Kobkarn was a chairperson at Toshiba Thailand. Here, she expresses excitement for the upcoming 4th Asian Beach Games and hopes that the…
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Video Report: Chang ITF Pro Circuit women’s tournament
PHUKET: The International Tennis Federation (ITF) brought some serious tennis to Phuket recently, as young hopefuls gathered at Thanyapura looking to drive up their rankings, in the hopes of one day qualifying to compete against the big boys and girls at Wimbledon and elsewhere on the pro circuit. The second Chang ITF Pro Circuit women’s tournament ended at Thanyapura on…
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SAT expects Thais to take first at Asian Beach Games
PHUKET: The Sports Authority of Thailand (SAT) has revealed that it expects Thai athletes to claim 44 of 51 gold medals at the 4th Asian Beach Games, which begin in Phuket on Novmeber 14. The Sports Reporters-Photographers Association of Thailand recently held a “Meet the Press” conference to review Thai athletes’ preparation and assess their chances at bringing home gold…
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Phuket Immigration chief dodges long queue queries
PHUKET: The Phuket Immigration chief has avoided answering questions regarding complaints from foreigners about slow service and long queues spilling out of the office in Phuket Town, with some foreigners having to return over several days in order for their applications to be processed. One foreigner reported to the Phuket Gazette that he arrived at the office in Phuket Town…
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Youth dinghy sailors head for King’s Cup showdown
PHUKET: A fleet of 25 Optimist and seven Laser dinghies set sail off Cape Panwa last weekend as the Phuket Dinghy Series 2014 got underway, ahead of the Phuket King’s Cup Regatta to be held in December. Racing began in front of the Sailing Club of the Royal Thai Navy Third Area Command Base at 11am, with breezes of eight…
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Phuket looks to “Beach Police’ to serve and protect tourists
PHUKET: The island’s top-ranking police officer is forming a new division of “Beach Police” officers to patrol Phuket’s popular shores. “We are now working on setting up Beach Police squads for every beach in Phuket,” Provincial Police Commander Patchara Boonyasit told the Phuket Gazette. “The officers will have their own uniforms – shorts with short-sleeved shirts – so beach-goers can…
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Don’t buy shares of Alibaba… yet
PHUKET: Over the past several weeks, my phone has been ringing off the hook from clients wanting to get in on the Alibaba IPO. I told each of them the same thing: “wait”. There was a lot of hype leading up to the IPO, and it’s the same situation as when Facebook went public. Being patient and waiting are two…
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With a fascinating past, the future looks great for Phuket’s own coffee brand
PHUKET: It has been 56 years since Cheng Long opened his Hock Hoe Lee coffee store in Phuket Town – and according to Ruengrit “Oh” Petchvorakul, husband to Cheng Long’s granddaughter and today co-owner of the Hock Hoe Lee brand, the beginnings weren’t that difficult. “All you had to do was to sell good coffee. There wasn’t much competition and…
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Taxing changes in Phuket will see payoffs
Peerawut “Chris” Kunchorn has been part of the team at the Vijitt Resort in Rawai since 2009, and is currently manager of the resort. He attended Sukhothai Thammathirat Open University in Bangkok, and also studied at the Hotel and Tourism Training Institute. Here, he shares his views on what needs to be done to advance Phuket’s tourism sector, as well…
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![Phuket’s marine tourism on AMCHAM agenda [video] | Thaiger](https://thethaiger.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/7_201411610416421_RDySKTDdrmKAhWDWCxiicmtHWbwMZlzELlhwOiVq_jpeg.jpeg)
Phuket’s marine tourism on AMCHAM agenda [video]
PHUKET: The American Chamber of Commerce (AMCHAM) in Thailand has organized a special forum event focusing on the future of Phuket’s marine tourism industry to be held on November 21. Phuket risks great harm to its reputation as an international tourist destination if a dolphin park is allowed to open here, explained dolphin-rights activist Ric O’Barry in an exclusive interview…
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Police coy over new probe into Koh Tao murders
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Police coy over new probe into Koh Tao murders The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Local police in Surat Thani province have refused to comment on reports that the Myanmar Embassy and the Justice Ministry are pushing for a fresh investigation into the murders of two…
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British banker charged with Hong Kong murders
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community British banker charged with Hong Kong murders Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community British banker charged with Hong Kong murdersReuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET:A British banker charged with killing two women in Hong Kong…
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![Bangkok officials check controversial Phuket dolphinarium [video] | Thaiger](https://thethaiger.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/1_2014115172749609_eOrWcEkKumRrtYAlRQGDpjTHAGqeDnShtgXgpycR_jpeg.jpeg)
Bangkok officials check controversial Phuket dolphinarium [video]
PHUKET: Department of Fisheries officials from Bangkok examined the hotly contested Nemo Dolphinarium today. “Five officers came to inspect the facility and question the owners,” Suchart Youngsup, acting chief of the Phuket Fisheries Office told the Phuket Gazette. “Everything is being taken care of by Bangkok officials. We are just supporting them as necessary.” With renowned dolphin-rights activist Ric O’Barry…
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Phuket Governor calls for AIS devices on speedboats, fishing vessels
PHUKET: Governor Nisit Jansomwong called on the Phuket Marine Office yesterday to require all vessels, including speedboats and fishing trawlers, to be equipped with an Automatic Identification System (AIS) receiver. The use of an AIS receiver is standard safety policy in many places around the world, as they inform skippers of small craft of the location, direction and speed of…
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Mosque gate crashers: Phuket Police chase down armed drug runners
PHUKET: Police arrested four armed men after the suspects crashed into the front gates of a mosque in central Phuket while attempting to dodge a police checkpoint this morning. Police began their pursuit of the Isuzu pickup truck, bearing Trang license plates, after witnessing it turning around in order to avoid a checkpoint in Thalang at about 9am. “While we…
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Marine Office demands Phuket tourists wear life jackets at sea
PHUKET: Marine officials are demanding all Phuket boat passengers wear life jackets as efforts are ramped up to improve tourists’ safety ahead of the incoming high season. “Tour boats in Phuket take thousands of tourists out to sea every day. We have to do everything in our power to ensure that their passengers are safe,” said Phuket Marine Office Chief…
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Satire: Schizoid about English teachers
PHUKET: Some time ago, a website called EnglishClub.com ran an article announcing that foreigners wishing to teach English in Southeast Asia may soon be subjected to draconian screening procedures. According to the article, Asean education officials were proposing a whole battery of tests for foreign English teachers, beginning with police background checks and tests for drugs and personal hygiene. There…
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Inheritance tax draft includes property tax rates to be presented to Cabinet
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Inheritance tax draft includes property tax rates to be presented to Cabinet The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: The draft inheritance-tax bill will be proposed to the Cabinet meeting next Tuesday with an expected fixed rate of no more than 10 per cent to be imposed…
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Bosses urge delay in signing global labor-rights pacts
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Bosses urge delay in signing global labor-rights pacts The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: A business lobby has urged the government to delay the endorsement of the International Labour Organization (ILO) workers’ rights covenants, claiming Thailand’s labor structure is undergoing reform and the country is not…
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Two arrested for attacking French tourist
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Two arrested for attacking French tourist The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Police announced yesterday that they had arrested two men for allegedly attacking and attempting to rape a French female tourist in Soi Samsen 3 in Bangkok’s Phra Nakhon district early on Monday. After the…
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Khon Kaen Airport closed after Thai Airways aircraft skids off runway
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Khon Kaen Airport closed after accident The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: All flights to and from Khon Kaen Airport have been cancelled in the wake of an accident involving a Thai Airways International aircraft, which skidded off the runway on Monday night. With operations to…
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Tourists warned of storm dangers as Similans closed
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Tourists warned of storm dangers as Similans closed The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Phang Nga’s Similan Islands National Park ordered the Similan and Tachai islands to be closed until Friday as a precaution for tourists’ safety from storms and high waves. Park chief Nat Kongkesorn…
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![Triathlon stars to vie for Laguna Phuket Tri-Fest titles [video] | Thaiger](https://thethaiger.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/4_2014114191947703_mJcdwpsfbuDAZwMBzrVPjBABoZeYFWFvRHIGQeoM_jpeg.jpeg)
Triathlon stars to vie for Laguna Phuket Tri-Fest titles [video]
PHUKET: The annual Challenge Laguna Phuket Tri-Fest this year will see thousands of international athletes from around the world arrive on the island for the Laguna Phuket Triathlon (LPT) on November 23, followed by the 2nd Challenge Laguna Phuket a week later on November 30. “The enduring appeal of Laguna Phuket Triathlon and the unique challenges of Challenge Laguna Phuket…
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Breaking News: Phuket teacher arrested for rape of 12-year-old student
PHUKET: Police arrested a 29-year-old teacher at Baan Kalim School today for the rape of one of his 12-year-old students. The teacher, Jirasit Samakkarn, has denied the charges. The family of the girl, given the pseudonym “A” by police, filed the complaint on August 6. “After that, we kept a close watch on him until we had enough evidence to…
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Gun-toting Phuket Town gang, druggies busted
PHUKET: Police swept up a Phuket Town gang yesterday after arresting three men and three minors in possession of illegal firearms and ya ice (crystal methamphetamine). “Col Sermphan Sirikong and his team seized a Norinco 9mm Glock, another 9mm handgun, three 9mm magazines, hundreds of rounds of ammunition and 200 grams of ya ice,” Lt Col Somsak Thongkliang told the…
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Tourist speedboat struck by lightning, rescued north of Phuket
PHUKET: A speedboat, struck by lightning while returning from a day trip to the Similan Islands last night, has been recovered safely with all 32 tourists and five crew on board alive and well. Officials lost contact with the boat Je T’Aime, operated by the Love Andaman tour company, at about 8:30pm. “They were returning from Koh Tachai to Baan…
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