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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Thailand is a popular destination known for its dynamic culture, stunning beaches, and bustling cities however, travellers can face unexpected travel emergencies that include medical issues, road accidents, petty theft, and natural disasters. To ensure a safe and enjoyable trip,...
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Uproar over NRC panel and Buddhist reform
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Uproar over NRC panel and Buddhist reform The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: A network of monks and Buddhist followers yesterday officially urged Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha to cancel within 15 days the National Reform Council (NRC) committee on the protection of Buddhism. The move…
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Ex-rector charged in B1.5bn KMITL embezzlement scam
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Ex-rector charged in B1.5bn KMITL embezzlement scam The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Thawil Phuengma, the former rector of King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Latkrabang (KMITL) and a suspect in the high-profile siphoning off Bt1.5 billion from KMITL bank accounts, yesterday morning reported to police to…
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Irish teen pleads for justice over alleged Phuket corruption, death threats, kidnapping
PHUKET: A video posted on the Facebook page “Justice for Jessie” has gone viral as 15-year-old Irish girl Jessie Vard pleads for justice for her family, who have allegedly suffered from years of police corruption, death threats, property fraud and kidnapping. Jessie posted the video denouncing the Thai police and justice system ahead of her 61-year-old father, Colin Vard, appearing…
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Funeral services for Phuket expat, developer Stephen Paine announced
PHUKET: Viewing and prayers for well-known property developer and long-time Phuket resident Stephen Paine will begin tomorrow at Wat Thep Vanaram in Baan Manik, Thalang. Mr Paine passed away at his villa in Phuket on Saturday (story here). Services will be held daily from 6:30pm to 7:30pm, and will conclude on Friday. Final funeral rites and the cremation will be…
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Jomhod wins MMA debut at Full Metal Dojo 4 (video)
PHUKET: Muaythai legend Jomhod Kiatadisak won his first foray into mixed martial arts (MMA) by defeating Cambodian Vorn “Kun Khmer” Viva at the Full Metal Dojo 4 fight event in Bangkok on Saturday. Jomhod, a former Lumpinee and Rajadamnern muaythai champion who now trains at Tiger Muay Thai in Phuket, defeated Vorn by unanimous decision after three rounds. The fight…
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Body of newborn found in Phuket Town trash
PHUKET: Police are searching for the mother of a newborn boy found dead in a trash bin on Phun Pol Road in Phuket Town last night. “The body was wrapped in towels and placed inside a woman’s handbag in a trash bin near the headquarters of the Kusoldharm Foundation,” said Lt Jariyawat Taencheun of the Phuket City Police. “He was…
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Phi Phi boat owner charged for “aquarium in the wild’
PHUKET: An “aquarium in the wild” boat owner was fined 10,000 baht for improper use of his boat after a Facebook post criticized the operation of breaking the law. The large fish hold of Lok Tai Taley (World Under the Water) had been converted to allow fish to swim freely into it and guests to walk among them, Maj Anurak…
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Jailing of ‘Wolf Bride’ actors for lese majeste stirs criticism
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Jailing of ‘Wolf Bride’ actors for lese majeste stirs criticism The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Two theater actors, one of whom is a university student, were sentenced to two and a half years in prison for staging a play in 2013 that was deemed defamatory…
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Brit found dead after night of drinking
PHUKET: The body of a 32-year-old British national was found floating off Coral Island today. The man, whose name is being withheld until next of kin are notified, was last seen drinking at the bar at Coral Island Resort last night. “The tourist checked into the resort on Saturday and was staying alone. He was last seen drinking heavily at…
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Phuket FC squander chance to go top
PHUKET: The island’s premier football club, Phuket FC, threw away their chance to climb to the top of the Yamaha League One division with a 1-1 draw against top side BBCU at Surakul Stadium last night. BBCU almost had a dream start to the match. In the third minute of play, Nakul Pinthong fired in a free kick from the…
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Motorcyclist dies in collision on “shortcut’ to Phuket Airport
PHUKET: A woman remains in hospital after a fatal car accident left one motorbike rider dead on the road running parallel to the runway at Phuket International Airport yesterday afternoon. Officers were called to the scene at 5:15pm, confirmed Lt Col Sarit Butnongsang of the Tah Chat Chai Police. “We arrived at the scene to find a Honda Wave motorcycle…
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Man, 64, arrested for slaying fighting cock thief
PHUKET: A 64-year-old man has been charged for killing a fighting cock thief in the hills north of Patong before dawn this morning. Jarus Rattanarat, 64, from Nakhon Sri Thammarat, called the Patong Police at about 1:20am to report the killing himself. “He waited for us to arrive at the scene, at Soi Phra Baramee 7, and told us that…
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Experts question long-term tourism policy: Quality vs Quantity
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Experts question long-term tourism policy: Quality vs Quantity The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Experts say the government needs to get serious on the long-term development of the tourism industry, and decide whether quality or quantity – that is, sheer numbers of tourists or how much…
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Chilean cyclist on world tour killed by pickup truck in Korat
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Chilean cyclist on world tour killed by pickup truck in Korat The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: A Chilean man has become the latest intercontinental cyclist to lose his life on Thai streets, on the final leg of a five-year, round-the-world cycling journey that was to…
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Car-bomb insurgent identified
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Car-bomb insurgent identified The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Police said yesterday they have identified two out of the five or six militants behind the huge car-bomb in Narathiwat on Friday, even though information from 22 eyewitnesses was sketchy and of little use for investigators. Deputy…
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Guard of honor for pilot killed in F-16 crash
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Guard of honor for pilot killed in F-16 crash The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: The body of the Royal Thai Air Force F-16 pilot who was killed when his jet crashed in Lop Buri province on Friday will be brought to Bangkok today, Air Force…
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Long-time Phuket resident, developer Stephen Paine passes away
PHUKET: Well-known property developer and long-time Phuket resident Stephen Paine suddenly passed away peacefully this morning. For nearly two decades, Mr Paine was a respected and admired member of the Phuket community. His property development achievements included Surin Heights and the Malaiwana Estate. “Stephen was a generous, compassionate and loyal friend to many on the island and will be greatly…
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No ban on chartered flights, confirms AoT Phuket official
PHUKET: Phuket International Airport has no plans to ban chartered flights, despite a Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) directive ordering the airport to give priority to commercial passenger flights, an AoT Phuket official confirmed today. “Chartered flights have not been banned from landing at Phuket Airport. However, we must follow the DCA’s directive, which states that commercial passenger airlines with…
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Police move to stem sky lanterns, fireworks at Patong Beach
PHUKET: Police have ramped up their campaign against fireworks and khom loi, the traditional “floating sky lanterns” used in celebrations throughout Thailand, in an effort to stop them being launched on Patong Beach. The campaign began in earnest on Thursday night, when officers arrested vendor Chaichana Khuepkrathok, 38, at his house in Patong for selling floating lanterns on public land…
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Phuket Chinese New Year tour bus slams into motorcyclists, houses
PHUKET: A bus hired by a tour company to take Chinese tourists on a four-day excursion from Krabi to Phuket slammed into two motorcyclists last night, before careening into five shophouses. One of the motorbike riders remains in hospital with head injuries. The 13 Chinese tourists on the bus were unscathed, receiving only minor cuts and bruises. “We received a…
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Fire breaks out at Dubai Torch apartment skyscraper
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Fire breaks out at Dubai Torch apartment skyscraper Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Hundreds of people in Dubai were evacuated from one of the world’s tallest residential buildings on Saturday when fire swept through The Torch, a 79-story skyscraper, residents said. A witness said flames shot…
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Chinese New Year pushes Phuket occupancy to 99%
PHUKET: Chinese New Year festivities saw occupancy at registered Phuket hotels hit 99%, despite a projected overall year-on-year decrease in occupancy in the first quarter, said Krisada Tansakul, vice president of Phuket Tourist Association (PTA). In anticipation of a slight downturn in traditional Western markets, many hotels on the island set aside rooms at prices designed to target the Chinese…
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Phuket sports office appeals to Tourism Minister for better facilities
PHUKET: Saroj Angkanapilas, president of the Sport Association of Thailand Phuket office, recently made a special appeal to Tourism and Sports Minister Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul to help develop the island’s sports facilities. “Phuket has held many sports tournaments, both national and international, some of which were very important,” Mr Saroj told the minister. “But as people can see, although we do…
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Car bomb in Narathiwat leaves 13 injured
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Car bomb in Narathiwat leaves 13 injured The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: A car bomb rocked Narathiwat’s downtown area yesterday, damaging dozens of homes and injuring 13 people, four of them seriously. The bomb was hidden in a pickup truck parked in front of a…
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Packaged snacks approved as Phuket beach eats
PHUKET: Packaged snacks have, for the moment, been given an official stamp of approval for consumption on the beach, while Phuket’s local administrative bodies determine what other types of food they might permit us to eat. The clarification comes in the wake of Governor Nisit Jansomwong on Tuesday announcing that smoking and eating would be banned from Phuket’s beaches as…
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Police nail Phuket drug dealer with weapons of war (video)
PHUKET: The arrest of a petty drug user on Wednesday led to police busting a major drug dealer who was found in possession of an M16 assault rifle yesterday. Surasak Rabeabdee, 32, was arrested in a raid on a house in Kuku, north of Phuket Town, Phuket Provincial Police Deputy Commander Peerayuth Karajedee said today. “In the house, officers found…
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Police shoot out drug dealer’s tyres in high-speed chase
PHUKET: Phuket police involved in a high-speed car chase with a drug dealer on Tuesday were forced to shoot out the front tyres of the suspect’s vehicle to stop her escape. Roh Kaewdam, 49, fled the scene of a drug bust near Gems Gallery on the bypass road and headed north toward Bang Ku intersection in a pick-up truck with…
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Felling of 143-year-old Krabi tree to boost environmental awareness sparks outrage
PHUKET: The felling of a 143-year-old ma haard tree, to be turned into a sculpture for Krabi Town, sparked social media outrage after pictures circulated on Facebook of the downed tree this week. Krabi Municipality Mayor Kittisak Phukaoluan took credit for the idea and responded to the criticism by explaining that the structure would be a positive way to promote…
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Breaking News: No tsunami warning after Phang Nga earthquake
PHUKET: No tsunami warning was issued following an earthquake off Koh Yai Yai, east of Phuket, this afternoon. The earthquake, which registered 4.0 on the Richter magnitude scale, was centered in Koh Yao district, at about a depth of two kilometers, explained Santhawat Riwleung, chief of the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) Phuket office. “Many people in Phuket…
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Finance: Three pillars of happiness for worry-free golden years
PHUKET: Much of my time is spent with clients figuring out exactly what they want for the future – key to their financial planning goals. Typically it ends with setting aside a certain amount of money each month over a period of time – investing it with a particular objective in mind, or getting clients savings that are sitting in…
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