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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Video Report: Coping with the Phuket taxi crackdown
PHUKET: Island taxi drivers talk about the effects of the police crackdown on their businesses, as well as their fears and hopes for the future. PGTV reports on the current Region 8 police crackdown on Phuket’s so-called taxi mafia and details some of the history of passenger abuse, unfair trading practices, intimidation and acts of violence against tourists and residents…
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Governor outlines new transport plans, with Kata-Karon as model
PHUKET: With illegal taxi booths cleared out from west coast beaches, Governor Maitri Inthusut plans to initiate a public transportation system and conduct a major taxi service overhaul, starting in Kata-Karon. “After we have cleared all illegal taxi booths from Karon and arrested all the people who behave like mafia, it’s time to set up a new plan for public…
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Sunni insurgents close in on Iraq’s biggest oil refinery
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Sunni insurgents close in on Iraq’s biggest oil refinery Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Sunni insurgents from an al Qaeda splinter group closed in on Iraq’s biggest oil refinery yesterday after seizing the northern city of Mosul in a devastating show of strength against the Shi’ite-led…
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Philippines captures top al Qaeda-linked militant
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Philippines captures top al Qaeda-linked militant Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Philippine security forces yesterday captured a top al Qaeda-linked Islamist wanted by the United States and involved in the kidnapping of Western tourists, and hailed the arrest as a major blow to his militant network.…
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Japan blasts Chinese bid for U.N. recognition of Nanjing massacre
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Japan blasts Chinese bid for U.N. recognition of Nanjing massacre Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Japan protested to China on Wednesday after Beijing applied for the inclusion of the 1937 Nanjing massacre and the “comfort women” forced to work in wartime military brothels in a UNESCO…
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International arrivals and hotel occupancy strong in first quarter
PHUKET: The number of international tourist arrivals to Phuket grew by 6.9% year-over-year (YOY) to 962,953 arrivals in the first quarter of 2014. An increase in direct international flights to Phuket have helped insulate it from any negative impact from the ongoing political turmoil in Bangkok, according to CBRE. The average occupancy of upscale hotels (with rates over 2,000 baht…
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No mention of crisis as Blatter opens FIFA Congress
PHUKET: FIFA president Sepp Blatter made no reference to the various crises surrounding world soccer’s governing body when he opened the annual FIFA Congress on Tuesday with a short welcoming speech to delegates from 209 countries. The 78-year-old Swiss made no mention of the allegations and investigation into corruption surrounding the awarding of the 2018 and 2022 World Cups or…
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Airport Express Bus sets sights on Kata-Karon; seeks security from violent taxi attacks
PHUKET: The owner of Phuket’s Airport Express Bus is ready to extend his route into Kata-Karon as soon as the safety of his staff and customers can be guaranteed. “I’ve always wanted to run my buses into Kata-Karon,” Prakob Panyawai told the Phuket Gazette today. “Though I have just started talking to the Phuket Land Transport Office, police and officials…
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Phuket taxi operators no-show at own media event, fear assembly ban
PHUKET: Taxi operators were no-shows at the media conference they scheduled for themselves at Loma Park yesterday. The operators had called the meeting in order to publicize how the destruction of their booths by police had affected their livelihoods (story here). About 20 reporters showed up at Loma Park for the 6pm meeting, but no taxi drivers appeared. After about…
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Cause of Phuket wall collapse that killed three still unknown
PHUKET: Police still have not determined the cause of a wall collapse at a construction site yesterday that killed three Myanmar nationals. The accident occurred at the Crystal Wild Resort, a property under construction on the Ao Yon-Khao Khad Road, at about 4:30pm, said Lt Jarus Lempan of the Wichit Police. “The wall at the entrance to the hotel, which…
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What it takes to stay safe while snorkelling in Phuket waters
Special Report The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) says that about 80 per cent of visitors to Phuket plunge into the Andaman Sea with snorkelling gear to explore Thailand’s treasures below the surface. At least eight of those tourists have died while snorkelling within the last 16 months. The Phuket Gazette‘s Chutharat Plerin and Saran Mitrarat dive into the issue.PHUKET:…
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The military coup is bullish for the Thai Stock Market
PHUKET: For those of us from the United States and Western Europe, it is hard to imagine a military coup occurring in our home countries. Matter of fact, I get calls from nervous friends and relatives asking if I’m okay and if there are tanks in the street. Well, for those of us that have lived here for quite some…
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Curfew lifted in 20 more provinces, not Bangkok
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Curfew lifted in 20 more provinces, not Bangkok The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: The National Council for Peace and Order last night lifted the curfew in 20 more provinces, but the curfew in Bangkok remains in effect. The provinces where the curfew was lifted entirely…
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Taliban gunmen attack Karachi airport academy in second assault
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Taliban gunmen attack Karachi airport academy in second assault Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Pakistan’s Taliban insurgents claimed responsibility for an attack on a security academy at Karachi’s airport on Tuesday, less than 48 hours after an all-night siege by Taliban gunmen at Pakistan’s busiest airport…
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World Cup live broadcasts threatened by court ruling, warns RS
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community RS warns it might scrap live telecast if court rules in favour of NBTC The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: All 22 million households in the country might face a blackout of the 64 live matches of the World Cup football tournament if the Supreme Administrative…
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More arms found as amnesty ends, junta readies crackdown
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community More arms found as amnesty ends, junta readies crackdown The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: The junta is preparing to launch a major offensive on war-grade weapons possession after the amnesty ended yesterday, when several caches of arms found abandoned in several locations across the country.…
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Korea ferry crew face trial
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Shout of ‘murderer’ goes up in packed court as Korea ferry crew face trial Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Fifteen crew of a South Korean ferry that sank in April killing more than 300 people, most of them children, went on trial on Tuesday on charges…
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Breaking news: Three workers dead, one injured in Phuket landslide
PHUKET: Three female workers were killed and one injured in a landslide near Khao Khat Viewpoint in Wichit just before 5pm today. The injured worker was rushed to Vachira Phuket Hospital, where she is currently being treated. More information about the incident will be revealed as police investigate the cause of the landslide. — Kritsada Mueanhawong
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![“Fake cops’ not fake, but no extortion say Patong Police [video] | Thaiger](https://thethaiger.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/1_201461017230718_VnfgltGqGJFPYfOXgpwcYmTzlqlcugifJGMlPJvc_jpeg.jpeg)
“Fake cops’ not fake, but no extortion say Patong Police [video]
PHUKET: Three plainclothes officers thought to be impersonators attempting to extort money from a local business yesterday have been verified as new members of the Phuket Provincial Police, said the Patong Police chief. The owner of La Boucherie in Patong submitted CCTV footage to the Phuket Gazette yesterday that showed three men who claimed to be Patong Police officers entering…
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Patong taxi drivers plan gathering to ‘express their views’
PHUKET: Patong taxi operators and beach vendors will stage a media conference this evening to express their opinion about the police-led destruction of taxi booths in the beach town last Friday (story here). “We just want everyone to hear our views and to understand what effect the destruction of our booths has had on us,” said one of the organizers,…
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MMA fight night proves successful
PHUKET: The choice of Seduction Beach Club and Disco, one of Bangla’s most popular clubs, as the venue for Phuket’s inaugural Full Metal Dojo MMA event proves that the organizers had a lot of confidence in their success. And rightly so. At first impression, it seemed that only a few Thais were among the crowd of 500 or so MMA…
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Phuket child, 3, dies after fatal shock
PHUKET: A three-year-old boy died in Thalang yesterday after apparently inserting a key into an electrical power strip. The death has prompted police to remind parents and caregivers not to leave young children unattended. Anwaree Yotharak, 3, lived with his grandmother, Romla Yotharak, 75. As Ms Romla showered and prayed yesterday afternoon, she left Anwaree to play by himself in…
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Rik Mayall is dead
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community British comic actor Rik Mayall dies aged 56 Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Rik Mayall, the comic actor who pioneered a new wave of British television comedy in the 1980s, died on Monday, aged 56, his management company said. Famed for his anarchic comic style, Mayall…
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Suspect arrested for Phuket’s “barking dog’ murder
PHUKET: A man wanted for a shooting murder in Chalong last year was arrested yesterday as he tried to slip past the Tah Chat Chai Checkpoint. Chalong Kraithep, 24, and a friend were spotted by officers trying to avoid the checkpoint by passing behind the Mai Khao Tambon Administration Organization building. “Our officers took off in pursuit,” Lt Col Teerawat…
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TrueVisions to broadcast all World Cup 2014 matches
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community TrueVisions to broadcast all World Cup 2014 matches The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: RS Inter announced late yesterday that it has authorised TrueVisions to broadcast all 64 matches of World Cup 2014 tournament. As recently as Friday, RS International Broadcasting and Sport Management were in…
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Ukraine sees ‘understanding’ with Russia on peace moves
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Ukraine sees ‘understanding’ with Russia on peace moves Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Ukraine said on Monday it had reached a “mutual understanding” with Moscow on parts of a plan proposed by President Petro Poroshenko for ending violence in the east of the country. Kiev gave…
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Police set to crack down on football gambling
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Police set to crack down on football gambling The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Ahead of the World Cup kick-off on Thursday, police have launched an operations centre to crack down on football gambling, both online and offline, as well as SMS lucky draws. According to…
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Miss Universe Thailand steps down after social-media row
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Miss Universe Thailand steps down after social-media row Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Bowing to pressure, Weluree Ditsayabut yesterday tearfully relinquished her Miss Universe Thailand crown. I give up this title,” the young beauty queen said at a press conference. Appearing before media without a crown…
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Druggy driver caught stealing from media-trip tourists
PHUKET: A druggy tour bus driver confessed to regularly stealing from Chinese tourists after being arrested in Phuket by police yesterday. Kanoksak Promdang, 21, was caught after stealing five bags from members of a Chinese media group from Beijing. “Mr Kanoksak picked of the group of about 30 people from their hotel and took them to Rassada Pier, where they…
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Phuket police hunt ‘fake cops’ after possible extortion attempt
PHUKET: Police are hunting three men who are believed to have been impersonating police in an attempt to extort a French manager at a restaurant in Phuket today. CCTV footage shows the three men, who claimed to be Patong Police officers, entering La Boucherie in Patong at about 12:30am. “They came in and asked for our manager, who is French,…
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