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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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Booze blamed for Phuket drowning
PHUKET: Lifeguards are blaming heavy drinking for the drowning of an 18-year-old on Phuket’s Kata Beach yesterday morning. “There were about six men and one woman drinking on the beach after work. At about 9:20am three of them were swimming in a closed-off section of the beach. They were dragged out by the waves,” Kata-Karon chief lifeguard Uten Singsom told…
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Phuket python caught gobbling up gamecock
PHUKET: A 20-kilogram python was caught eating a prized rooster inside a chicken coop in central Phuket yesterday. Frightened Thalang residents called Kusoldharm Foundation rescue workers to the scene just after midnight when they found the large python with the half-consumed bird. “I heard the roosters making very unusual noises. I was afraid to go out alone, so I grabbed…
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Fluky Phuket winds test sailors in ACYC Race 6
PHUKET: Splendid weather greeted sailors yesterday, but as glorious as the day was, there was little wind for Ao Chalong Yacht Club’s Race 6, Series 2. A slow downwind start with a four-knot tailwind got the boats on their way, popping spinnakers as they crossed the start line. Fluky winds tested the group as they sailed around Koh Lon and…
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Mayor gives reward for return of cash-stuffed wallet in Phuket
PHUKET: A 10,000-baht reward was handed over to an honest Tesco Lotus employee after she returned a cash-stuffed wallet to a Phuket mayor who had left it behind. “I was helping a Burmese person translate the language on the ATM outside the Cafe Amazon at the PTT gas station in Chalong when I noticed the wallet,” explained Sorada Toiparn, 47.…
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Traffic expert says underpasses not enough for Phuket
Dr Agachai Sumalee, 36, is a scientist at King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology and an associate professor at Hong Kong Polytechnic University. He has a PhD in Operations Research from Leeds University in England. On September 17, Dr Agachai won the ASPIRE prize for creating an intelligent transportation system that reduces highway congestion in Bangkok. Here, he reveals his concerns…
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Letter from the Governor: Maitri Inthusut says so long to Phuket
PHUKET: I will leave this island with no regrets about anything I have done as the governor of Phuket. I have done my best, and am confident that I have brought many people together. I am proud to have been part of so many beneficial projects and events over the past two years. Phuket is a small, but big city.…
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Police foil Russian ATM skimmer’s Phuket escape plan
PHUKET: Police nabbed a Russian ATM skimmer for stealing more than 100,000 baht from foreigners’ bank accounts just before he was set to leave the island yesterday morning. Nicolai Petrishin, 27, was arrested at Novotel Resort in Kamala in possession of equipment used for the scam. “We received three complaints from Kasikorn Bank between September 29 and October 5 stating…
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F1: Prayers, politics, practices and plans
PHUKET: Well, apart from Rosberg’s DNF, Singapore went according to form, and Japan of course was affected by a typhoon. This weekend, F1 finally arrives in Russia for its first time at the pristine Sochi Autodrom. It’s hard to bet against a Mercedes 1st and 2nd here, with Red Bull’s cars not far behind and a good showing from Williams…
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Phuket Immigration denies allegations foreigners must pay for services
PHUKET: Phuket Immigration has denied claims it is charging fees for its services, after a Phuket Gazette reader alleged he had to pay 500 baht in the Patong office for an address verification. “I just bought a new motorcycle, so I had to do the address confirmation again yesterday [on October 8],” the reader wrote in the comment section for…
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PWA announces yet another Phuket Town water shutoff
PHUKET: The Phuket Water Authority (PWA) has announced that water supply in Phuket Town will be shut off in some areas from 9pm this Saturday to 5am on Sunday – for the second time in one week. Under the PWA’s plan to improve Phuket Town’s water-treatment system, supply will be cut off along several roads in the area*. Supply was…
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Phuket Police conclude tourist rape investigation
PHUKET: Police have concluded their investigation into a man who confessed to tying up a Russian tourist, but denied raping her. Police arrested Somdet Srisai, 33, on September 27, after a 29-year-old Russian woman filed a complaint with Karon Police (story here). “We have completed our investigation. The victim has given us all relevant information that can be used in…
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![Hundreds gather at home of fallen former Patong Mayor Pian Keesin [video] | Thaiger](https://thethaiger.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/1_20141010132958910_HcykzjqcsFOFrtAYtmIfYgXGzStPDBxjibwJLcRx_jpeg.jpeg)
Hundreds gather at home of fallen former Patong Mayor Pian Keesin [video]
PHUKET: Hundreds of people gathered at the Keesin family home in Patong yesterday afternoon in memory of former Mayor Pian Keesin, who was found dead in one of his other homes, north of Phuket Town, on Tuesday morning (story here). The Keesin family has declined to publicly reveal the cause of death. Among the guests present was current Patong Mayor…
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Opinion: Hooters or bust? Tourists should be handled more delicately
PHUKET: The foreign family with their two young children being subjected to a military-clad scare during a raid on the illegal taxi they hired is unfortunate (story here), but efforts by police to rid the island of “black plate” taxis still deserve full public support. Like many other tourism-tarnishing incidents, this one involved tourists travelling on the “mafia mile” between…
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Phuket marine officials investigate mysterious fish deaths
PHUKET: Marine officials are searching for an explanation as to why dozens of fish have been dying recently near Koh Racha Yai island off the southern coast of Phuket. “A parrot fish was swimming in slow circles close to death… at Ao Konkare [Bay 1] [on Wednesday]. What would cause its eyes to bulge out like that?” local diver and…
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Beach thief nabbed in Phuket
PHUKET: Police arrested a snatch-and-dash beach thief in Phuket last night. The 20-year-old Myanmar national named by police only as “Mr Kla” was arrested at 8:30pm after Patong Police caught up with him on the island’s main party strip – Soi Bangla. “Mr Kla confessed that he had stolen an iPad from a family of Korean tourists when he saw…
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Phuket Gazette sponsors Asian Beach Games
PHUKET: The Phuket Gazette has joined forces with the Sports Authority of Thailand (SAT) to ensure that the world takes notice every day as Asia’s top athletes battle it out from November 14 to 23 at the 4th Asian Beach Games. With Governor Nisit Jansomwong encouraging the local community to get involved, both to show that Phuket can still glisten…
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Managing your retirement
PHUKET: When planning for retirement, once a plan is in place, the next step is actually to manage it. While it’s not a full-time job, there are certain things that need to be regularly taken care of in order to ensure one’s retirement runs smoothly. First, the age-old question of whether to rent or buy needs to be addressed. Many…
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Asean Business and Investment Summit to be held in Yangon
PHUKET: The Asean Business Advisory Council (ABAC) has announced that this year’s Asean Business and Investment Summit (ABIS) will be held in Yangon, beginning November 11. The three-day conference, now in its 11th year, will see representatives from both the private and public sectors addressing ways Asean can better leverage its cultural bonds, history and infrastructure growth to promote the…
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Gun battle brings down suspected serial 7-Eleven stickup artist
PHUKET: Police arrested a man suspected of several armed robberies at 7-Eleven stores after a shootout in Phuket today. Phuket Town native Piriya Tangbunjerd, 41, was slightly injured in the short gun battle. “Mr Piriya was taken to Vachira Phuket Hospital with a gunshot wound to the hip. The two officers involved in the incident suffered no serious injuries,” Phuket…
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Fast arrest of thief should boost tourists’ confidence, say Phuket police
PHUKET: Police are hoping that the speedy arrest of a knife-wielding thief who targeted a Bahrain couple on Monday will raise tourists’ confidence in their safety. Patong Police arrested Ismael Pomalee, 30, from Pattani, less than 24 hours after the robbery. “We received a call at about 9:30pm on Monday saying that the couple had been held at knife point…
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Phuket blood-moon surf sees German drowned, Patong tourists saved
PHUKET: A German tourist managed to save his brother-in law from drowning at Nai Harn Beach yesterday, but could not save himself from the same fate. Lifeguards were unable to resuscitate Frank Retsch, 34, after pulling him from the surf. He was pronounced dead on arrival at Vachira Phuket Hospital. “Mr Retsch came to Phuket with his wife, sister and…
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Phuket’s Keesin clan given one week to grieve, before facing mafia charges
PHUKET: Police have granted the Keesin clan one week to grieve the loss of the head of their family, former Patong mayor Pian Keesin, who died yesterday (story here), before officials move ahead with pressing taxi mafia charges. “I am aware that Mr Pian passed away. I am sorry for the family,” Region 8 Police Deputy Commander Paween Pongsirin told…
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Phuket downpours leave sinkhole, landslip across roads
PHUKET: Workers from the Phuket Highways Office tomorrow will begin repairs to a gaping hole along the southbound lane on the bypass road left behind by the week of heavy downpours across the island. “We have closed the outside lane and placed warning signs and cones to inform motorists of the hazard,” Phuket Highways Office Director Samak Luedwonghad told the…
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No official services for fallen former mayor Pian Keesin, confirms Patong Municipality
PHUKET: Patong Municipality will not hold any official remembrance ceremonies to mark the death of Pian Keesin, whose body was found at his home north of Phuket Town yesterday morning (story here). Mr Pian was elected as the town’s first mayor in 1995 and served five terms – totalling nearly two decades. Born in Patong on February 12, 1944, Mr…
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PM Prayuth to explain Koh Tao murder probe to Myanmar during visit
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community PM Prayuth to explain Koh Tao murder probe to Myanmar during visit The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha is prepared to explain the Thai police conclusion – that two Myanmar workers killed two British backpackers on Koh Tao last month – to…
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Europe to see more Ebola cases after first transmission outside Africa
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Europe to see more Ebola cases after first transmission outside Africa Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: The World Health Organization said on Tuesday that Europe would almost certainly see more cases of Ebola after a nurse in Spain became the first person known to have caught…
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Video Report: Foul play not suspected in Pian Keesin’s death
PHUKET: Police have ordered an autopsy to be performed on the body of former Patong mayor Pian Keesin in order to rule out foul play. Mr Pian was found dead in his home north of Phuket Town this morning (story here). “At this stage, doctors presume he died of a heart attack or cerebral hemorrhage,” Col Sien Kaewthong of the…
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Unable to prevent Phuket speedboat departures, officials trust captains’ judgment
PHUKET: Officials are unable to prevent tour boats from departing the island despite the current heavy weather and small boat warnings, the Phuket Gazette has confirmed. “So far this is only a weather warning, so we can only warn boat operators,” Lt Col Chatchai Sakdee of the Phuket Marine Police told the Gazette. “If the Marine Office of the Governor’s…
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![Poll: 98% of tourists against Phuket dolphinarium [video] | Thaiger](https://thethaiger.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/1_201410718124125_BzLoOrjAjQuBBSxUQJlFXEzeJFMHzDoBCKqtylTr_jpeg.jpeg)
Poll: 98% of tourists against Phuket dolphinarium [video]
PHUKET: Tourists led the charge, as an overwhelmingly majority of the more than 7,000 readers who took part in the recent Phuket Gazette poll voted against opening the island’s controversial dolphin park. A staggering 4,353 of the 4,435 (98%) of those who identified themselves as “Tourists / Visitors to Phuket” voted: no – Phuket should not have a dolphinarium; they…
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Phuket Poll: Do you feel safe on the streets of Phuket after dark?
PHUKET: The gruesome murder of two British backpackers on the holiday island of Koh Tao has drawn international media attention to safety concerns in major Thai tourists destinations such as Phuket. In the wake of the murders, the Region 8 Police commander ramped up security in all areas under his watch, including Phuket and Koh Tao (story here). At about…
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