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’s not covered by health insurance in Thailand?
Health insurance in Thailand has important limits that everyone should know. Many policies do not cover pre-existing conditions, motorcycle accidents, extreme sports, or specific treatments. These gaps can lead to unexpected costs during emergencies. Coverage for outpatient care and hospital...
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Phuket sailors top Thailand Platu 25 National Championship
PHUKET: Local sailors Scott Duncanson and Alfie Rowson have won the open division of the 2014 Platu 25 National Championship held off Jomtien, Pattaya. The championships, raced over August 16-17, saw nine teams compete in the identical class of Platu yachts, known elsewhere in the world as Farr 25s, after their designer Bruce Farr. Day one started in light winds…
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![Swash floods Phuket with all-natural, organic yoghurt [video] | Thaiger](https://thethaiger.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/7_201482816373953_lkxKNQdpMoGRwoDJxpZCMQqbGYfcfZqixKArKJRK_jpeg.jpeg)
Swash floods Phuket with all-natural, organic yoghurt [video]
PHUKET: Based in a small house in Nai Yang, Premchit Prateap Na Thalang has been feeding Phuket all-natural organic yogurt since 2012. Produced under the Swash brand, Ms Premchit and her two employees manage to dole out about 3,000 cups of the healthy snack each week. “My background is that I grew up in the jungle… in Khok Kloi [in…
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Escape Hunt’s innovative business venture expands to Phuket
PHUKET: In hopes of further capitalizing on the success of their first venue in Bangkok, Escape Hunt has opened franchises worldwide, including in Phuket, where a venue opened recently in Kathu. Business partners Jasnam Sachathep, Surasit Sachdev and Navin and Dave Anandsongvit quickly realized the business’ potential in Phuket and celebrated their grand opening on August 11, joining the 23…
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Phuket students petition against dolphinarium
PHUKET: Students from the Prince of Songkla University Phuket campus yesterday handed Governor Maitri Inthusut a petition with more than 400 signatures to protest the nearly-complete Nemo dolphinarium in Chalong. “We have heard about the dolphinarium set to open on Soi Palai. We do not think that it is a good idea to keep dolphins in a park,” said Latifa…
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Party town kingpin Pian slapped with mafia charges
PHUKET: Military personnel and Region 8 Police raided the home of former Patong Mayor Pian Keesin this morning as they pursue mafia charges against the Phuket kingpin. “Mr Pian and his son Prab Keesin are both facing charges of extortion and criminal activity carried out by a criminal association,” Region 8 Commander Panya Mamen told the Phuket Gazette today. Region…
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Rockslide danger remains on Phuket’s busy bypass road
PHUKET: Work continues this morning clearing the huge shards of rock that spilled onto Phuket’s bypass road yesterday morning. Police were called to the scene, about 800m north of the Tesco Lotus shopping mall, after receiving reports of a rockslide at about 8am yesterday. Traffic police diverted motorists around the hazard while workers from Rassada Municipality worked on clearing the…
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Thai rubber farmers feel ‘betrayed’ by military government
PHUKET: Thai rubber farmers who supported anti-government protests that led to a military coup in May say they feel betrayed because the ruling military is failing to help soften the blow of plunging rubber prices. Thailand is the world’s largest rubber producer and exporter, but falling prices and a decision by the military not to extend subsidies risks alienating rubber…
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Neon sign power leak blamed for ATM electric shock death of baby girl
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Neon sign power leak blamed for ATM electric shock death of baby girl The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Electric shocks that killed a two-year-old girl in Trang’s Yan Ta Khao district on August 7 stemmed from a power leakage from a neon sign placed over…
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Ukraine accuses Russia of invasion on new front
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Ukraine accuses Russia of invasion on new front Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Ukraine accused Russia of launching a new military incursion across its eastern border on Wednesday, as hopes quickly faded that Tuesday’s talks between their two presidents might mark a turning point in a…
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Myanmar worker injured in fall while painting school building
PHUKET: A migrant worker from Myanmar is in hospital recovering from head injuries after he slipped and fell from scaffolding at Baan Reua School in Koh Kaew, Thalang. The laborer, named by police only as Mr Wanchai, 20, fell and struck his head on the pavement six meters below while painting a school building on Tuesday, said Lt Col Sanit…
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Teenager gatecrashes Serena, Federer party
PHUKET: Despite boasting 34 grand slam singles titles between them, Serena Williams and Roger Federer were forced to share the spotlight with a 15-year-old at the U.S. Open on Tuesday as all three advanced to the second round. American wild card Catherine Bellis, the youngest player in the draw, took her place alongside the five-time U.S. champions by stunning 12th…
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Man dies as car slams into power pole at high speed
PHUKET: A 31-year-old man died after his car slid out of control on a wet road and slammed into a power pole at high speed in Koh Kaew late last night. Lt Col Sanit Nookong and fellow officers of the Thalang Police arrived at the scene, near the Tha Ruea Shrine on Thepkrasattri Road, soon after 11:45pm. “The driver, Nitikorn…
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Phuket Airport bomb scare leads to hijacking drill
PHUKET: Phuket International Airport held an airplane hijacking drill today in the wake of a bomb scare yesterday morning. Phuket Airport received an anonymous call yesterday threatening to blow up AirAsia flight FD 3003, which departed from Don Mueang Airport at 10:55am, bound for Phuket. On board were 167 passengers and six crew. The plane was immediately escorted to an…
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Phuket women’s club scholarships shine light on poor students’ futures
PHUKET: In its decades-long drive to offer educational opportunities to students from impoverished families, the Phuket International Women’s Club (PIWC) recently granted scholarships to 80 students from Phuket and nearby provinces. The scholarships, valued together at more than 2 million baht, were granted at an event at Satree Phuket School last Wednesday. The 80 new dedications brought the number of…
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Singaporean wine expert leads two day California wine training seminar
PHUKET: Times when a waiter in a restaurant could get away with just about any wine recommendation – a white for the fish or a random red to go with meat – are luckily over. These days, customers are more and more knowledgeable and demand an ever-growing level of service. Better trained staff can be the key to success, especially…
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Phuket officials target trash-clogged drains in flood-defense plan
PHUKET: Phuket officials confirmed yesterday that Patong’s drains will be dredged after an inspection revealed they had become clogged with sediment and trash, contributing to recent flooding in the area. The inspection of the roads and of Pak Bang Canal also revealed that many of the buildings there had been extended beyond the legal limit of three meters from the…
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Phuket blackout leaves underpass underwater
PHUKET: Traffic ground to a crawl at the Darasamuth underpass on Monday after a three-hour power outage rendered pumps useless and allowed heavy rain to flood the underground road. The underpass construction site, located in front of the Central Festival Phuket shopping mall on the bypass road, lost power supply after a transformer blew, explained Samak Luedwonghad, director of the…
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Phuket beach vendors file complaints over cleanup campaign
PHUKET: Kamala beach operators had until 4pm yesterday to file complaints at the Kathu District Office about the effects that the Army-ordered Phuket beach cleanup campaign has had on their livelihoods. At least 40 beach vendors, including umbrella and beach chair operators, restaurant operators and drink vendors, registered their complaints, Kathu District Chief Sayan Chanachaiwong told the Phuket Gazette. “We…
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Panadda urges ethics panels be set up
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Panadda urges ethics panels be set up The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: PM’s Office permanent-secretary ML Panadda Diskul yesterday suggested that ethics committees be established to check local government agencies as part of efforts to fight corruption. Panadda made the proposal after members of the…
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French boy, 5, dies after being stung by jellyfish off Pha-ngan
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community French boy, 5, dies after being stung by jellyfish off Pha-ngan The Nation/ Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Koh Pha-ngan authorities have warned people to beware of box jellyfish after a |five-year-old French boy died on Saturday after being stung while swimming at a beach of this resort…
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Japan could offer unapproved Ebola drug
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Japan could offer unapproved Ebola drug Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Japan could offer an unapproved drug under certain circumstances to help treat the deadly Ebola virus even before the World Health Organization has decided to make a request for the drug, the country’s top government…
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New premier shares Erdogan’s vision of Turkey’s place in the world
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community New premier shares Erdogan’s vision of Turkey’s place in the world Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: By temperament they appear opposites, but Turkey’s softly spoken new prime minister and the man he replaces – firebrand president-elect Tayyip Erdogan – share a deep bond based on a…
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Thai ‘baby factory’ doctor to turn himself in
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Thai ‘baby factory’ doctor to turn himself in – police Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: A Thai doctor who performed in vitro fertilisation (IVF) for women involved in a surrogate baby business dubbed the “baby factory” has agreed to turn himself in, police said on Monday.…
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Sepak Takraw competition in Sri Soonthorn
A competition of Sepak Takraw, known also as kick volleyball, was held in Phuket’s Sri Soonthorn on 23-24 August. Players from 21 teams divided into three age categories could showcase their acrobatic skills while competing for the prizes with another 10 teams playing Freestyle Sepak Takraw. “The purposes of this competition is to encourage people, especially teenagers, to spend time…
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Australia unveils measures to tackle rise of foreign fighters
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Australia unveils measures to tackle rise of foreign fighters Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Australia unveiled counter-terrorism measures on Tuesday to prevent young people from becoming radicalised and going to fight in overseas conflicts such as Iraq and Syria, where scores of Australians have joined militant…
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Swedish, Filipino ATM skimmers nabbed in Chiang Mai
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Swedish, Filipino ATM skimmers nabbed in Chiang Mai The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Police have arrested two ATM skimmer suspects – a Swedish man and a Filipino – in Chiang Mai along with 500 fake electronic cards. Following a tip-off by a bank about someone…
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Surrogate mums admit lying in court over Shigeta’s babies
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Surrogate mums admit lying in court over Shigeta’s babies The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Two Thai surrogate mothers told police yesterday they were instructed to lie to the courts during adoption hearings – to say that their babies were conceived during affairs with the Japanese…
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French PM to unveil pro-reform cabinet after rebel ministers’ eviction
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community French PM to unveil pro-reform cabinet after rebel ministers’ eviction Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: France’s prime minister will scramble to put together a new pro-reform government on Tuesday, a day after the surprise eviction of rebel ministers who had opposed budgetary rigour. Manuel Valls will…
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Phuket registration for National Reform Council candidates opens
PHUKET: Registration opened today for people wanting to enter the race to serve as Phuket’s representatives on the yet-to-be created National Reform Council (NRC). Wannabe candidates can register at the Phuket Election Commission (PEC) office, on Amphur Road in Phuket Town, from 8:30am to 4:30pm until September 2, PEC Director Kitipong Thiengkunakrit announced this afternoon. The NRC will comprise 250…
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Phuket downpour causes truck slide on Patong Hill
PHUKET: Police have urged motorists throughout Phuket to slow down and exercise more caution than usual during the current spate of very heavy thundershowers passing across the island. The call for safer driving follows heavy rain this afternoon causing a six-wheeled truck lugging sacks of rice over Patong Hill to slide backwards down the hill into the path of traffic…
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