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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Smooth travel to Belgium and the Netherlands: Visa tips & tricks!
Make Belgium and the Netherlands your next destination with the right visa in hand. Explore the iconic tulip fields, cruise through Amsterdam’s scenic canals, or stroll through the historic streets of Bruges. Don’t forget to enjoy some authentic Belgian chocolate...
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Relief on its way for Saiyuan blackout
PHUKET: A utility pole that was damaged several days ago after being hit by a car gave up the ghost today, causing a blackout in Phuket areas south of Mangosteen Resort & Spa in Rawai. However, there is light at the end of the tunnel, Phuket Provincial Electricity Authority Operations Chief Yongyuth Podbutr told the Phuket Gazette today. “The blackout…
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Adam Kable inspires Thai, Southeast Asian swim coaches
PHUKET: Adam Kable, High Performance Squad Coach from the Sydney Olympic Park Aquatic Center (SOPAC) Swim Club, was the keynote speaker at the recent 2014 Swimming Sport Science South East Asia Conference in Bangkok from April 26-27, an event attended by more than 100 swim coaches from across Thailand and Southeast Asia. The conference was held to highlight the Australian…
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Tesco Lotus steps up its ‘no plastic bag’ campaign in Phuket
PHUKET: After successfully removing plastic bags from one of its stores, Tesco Lotus plans to stop using them in two others, thereby reducing plastic bag use in Phuket by 10,000 bags per week. On May 16, Tesco Lotus branches in Rawai and Surin will stop using plastic bags, said Charkrit Direkwattanachai, Head of Public Affairs for the chain in Thailand.…
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Philippines says China appears to be building airstrip on disputed reef
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Philippines says China is building airstrip on disputed reef Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: The Philippine foreign ministry on Wednesday accused China of reclaiming land on a disputed reef in the South China Sea and said it appeared to be building an airstrip. Foreign ministry spokesman…
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Turkish coal mine explosion kills over 150, hundreds trapped
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Turkish coal mine explosion kills over 150, hundreds trapped Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: An explosion and fire in a coal mine in western Turkey killed at least 151 miners and trapped hundreds more on Tuesday, with the death toll expected to rise in the country’s…
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Ozone treatment proposed for some of Phuket’s stinking wastewater
PHUKET: Phuket Vice Governor Sommai Prijasilpa is pushing to install ozone generators throughout Rassada as a long term solution to wastewater problems in the area. The vice governor yesterday afternoon inspected the new ozone generator used to treat water at Soi Paniang to determine whether the same machine could be used in Rassada. “This machine was developed at Kasetsart University…
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Speed key in successful Central Festival Phuket fire drill
PHUKET: Emergency services and about 700 Central Festival Phuket staffers took part in the department store’s annual fire drill on Friday morning. Presided over by Phuket Provincial Police Deputy Commander Sakchai Limcharoen, the drill succeeded in evacuating the mall in under 10 minutes. Local fire crews also took part in the safety drill, as well as medics from the nearby…
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Rawai roasters tout Thai coffee beans
PHUKET: With the fast approaching Asean Economic Community (AEC) integration, Thailand’s coffee producers will be facing stiff competition from neighboring coffee behemoths Indonesia and Vietnam. Coffee industry experts have long been calling on coffee producers in the kingdom to bring specialty coffee products to market and move away from supplying bulk beans to instant coffee manufacturers. The high-quality beans are…
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Thailand’s Southern beaches remain the country’s most popular destinations
PHUKET: Thailand’s Southern beach resort regions remain some of the most popular holiday destinations for international tourists, with hotels in the area reporting occupancy rates of up to 78% during the first quarter of this year. According to figures from the Tourism Authority of Thailand’s (TAT) eight domestic offices and two coordination centers in Southern Thailand – Krabi, Phang Nga,…
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How to choose an offshore broker
PHUKET: As an expatriate, there are a number of important aspects to consider before choosing an offshore broker or a custodian to hold your investment assets. At the same time, you will need to keep in mind that not every offshore broker will be able to offer a perfect solution for all of your needs – especially if your financial…
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Dog rape not rape
PHUKET: Police in Nakhon Ratchasima, the gateway province to Isarn known as “Korat”, are investigating a report about a known sex addict who allegedly raped his neighbor’s dog, named Dodo. The incident was brought to light when Attapon Srisopha, the 36-year-old village headman in Tambon Nong Ya Khao, escorted Anuwat Saithong and his three-year-old female Golden Retriever to Sikhio Police…
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Thailand News: Park chief seeks transfer over Billy case; Acting PM insists on elections; Dump fire ablaze again
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Park chief seeks transfer over Billy case The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: The head of Kaeng Krachan National Park, Chaiwat Limlikhitaksorn, has reportedly sought a transfer – for at least a month – amid pressure over the disappearance of prominent Karen activist Pholachi “Billy” Rakchongcharoen.…
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Inquiry initiated into death of Phuket mother and newborn
PHUKET: Doctors at Vachira Phuket Hospital began an inquiry today into the death of a woman during childbirth on May 2 and that of her newborn son just two days later. The investigation follows a protest on Saturday led by the distraught husband and father Numporn Intawong and 50 of his family members and friends. Mr Numporn, a 42-year-old Patong…
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Crackdown banning ‘walk-in visa runs’ to begin August 13
PHUKET: Foreigners will be allowed to continue to re-enter Thailand on three consecutive “walk-in” visas until August 12, Ranong Immigration Superintendent Ekkorn Bussababordin assured the Phuket Gazette today. The news follows the appearance of a formal notice posted on Bangkok Immigration’s website on May 8 stating that any persons who exit Thailand after completing a stay in the Kingdom on…
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Nationwide Visakha Bucha alcohol ban begins at midnight
PHUKET: Bars, restaurants and other retailers throughout Phuket must refrain from selling alcohol from midnight tonight to sunrise Wednesday morning as a nationwide ban comes into effect for the Buddhist holy day Visakha Bucha on Tuesday. “Visakha Bucha Day is one of the four annual religious days on which the sale of alcohol is banned,” Maj Sutthichai Thianpho of the…
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Phuket sailor Scott Duncanson wins his fourth Coronation Cup at Top of the Gulf Regatta
PHUKET: Local yachtsman Scott Duncanson has brought home his fourth prestigious Coronation Cup after securing victory in the Platu national championship finals at the Top of the Gulf Regatta in Jomtien last week. Duncanson, already a three-time winner in 2002, 2008 and 2010, and representing the Ao Chalong Yacht Club, was joined by fellow Phuket yachtsmen Alfie Rowson and Anthony…
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Monsoon rains end Phuket’s worst drought in 30 years
PHUKET: Phuket’s worst drought in the last 30 years appears to be at an end, after heavy showers soaked parts of the island over the weekend and more are forecast for the coming days. “The rainy season has officially begun; these rains are part of the southwest monsoon,” Suntad Panbanpeaw, director of the Meteorological Department’s Phuket office, told the Phuket…
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Resort guru Michael Ayling joins Royal Phuket Marina
PHUKET: Michael Ayling, former Managing Director of Laguna Resorts & Hotels, today began his new role as Managing Director/General Manager at Royal Phuket Marina (RPM). “The goal is to make RPM a destination, not just a marina, and Michael has vast experience in this field,” RPM Chairman Gulu Lalvani told the Phuket Gazette this morning. Mr Lalvani also revealed plans…
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Patong police snare iguana touts on Soi Bangla
PHUKET: Police arrested two men on Phuket’s famed Soi Bangla last night for offering tourists photo opportunities with iguanas. Police named the two men as Natthapon Kanesing, 23, from Bueng Kan Province in Northeast Thailand, and Sulkeflee Jaetae, 28, from Yala. “The suspects were charged with inflicting harm to an animal and causing a public nuisance,” said Lt Col Sutthichai…
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Australian expat dies from heart failure in Phuket bathroom
PHUKET: Australian expat Ronald Douglas Litherland, 67, from Brisbane, Australia, was found dead at his rented home in Cherng Talay yesterday afternoon. “Doctors have confirmed the cause of death as heart failure,” said Maj Kitthiphum Thinthalang of the Thalang Police. “There were no signs of a struggle on his body, except for a small wound above his right eye.” Mr…
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Rebels declare victory in east Ukraine vote on self-rule
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Rebels declare victory in east Ukraine vote on self-rule Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Pro-Moscow rebels declared a resounding victory in a referendum on self-rule for eastern Ukraine, with some saying that meant independence and others eventual union with Russia as fighting flared in a conflict…
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Energy Ministry asks Phuket to save power ‘just in case’
PHUKET: Energy Ministry officials announced yesterday they will launch a campaign calling on all Phuket residents to minimize the electricity each household uses as a precaution against power outages during a month-long upgrade to a major gas field supply line in the Gulf of Thailand. Residents will be asked to reduce their power consumption between 6 and 10pm each night…
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Ousted Deputy PM Pracha denies Phuket stroke rumors
PHUKET: Former Deputy Prime Minister Pracha Promnok has shot down rumors that he had a stroke after Phuket locals saw him rushed into the emergency room of Bangkok Hospital Phuket last night. Gen Pracha was taken to the hospital at about 7:30pm after he passed out on his yacht near Naka Island, off the east coast of Phuket. “I had…
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Ukraine consul frets over tourist safety in Phuket
PHUKET: Ukrainian Honorary Consul to Thailand Alexander Zub yesterday formally expressed his concern about the increasing number of road accidents in Phuket, and to discuss the safety of Ukrainian tourists who visit the island. “Ukrainian tourists in Phuket tend to rent motorbikes or cars rather than opting [sic] for public transport, which could increase the risk of them being involved…
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Indonesian opposition party wins election, eyes coalition for Jokowi
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Indonesian opposition party wins election, eyes coalition for Jokowi Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Final results from Indonesia’s legislative election confirmed on Friday that the main opposition party had won, but failed to secure enough votes to put forward its presidential candidate Joko “Jokowi” Widodo without…
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Mafia conviction upheld against Berlusconi adviser
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Mafia conviction upheld against Berlusconi adviser Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Italy’s highest appeals court on Friday upheld a mafia collusion conviction against a close associate of former Silvio Berlusconi, a further blow for the former prime minister who began serving a tax-fraud sentence earlier in…
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ANC wins South Africa 2014 election with 62 percent
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community ANC wins South Africa 2014 election with 62 percent Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: South Africa’s ruling African National Congress won the 2014 national election with 62.16 percent of the votes, the electoral commission said on Friday. The provisional result shows the ANC’s main rival, the…
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Phuket man found hanged
PHUKET: Police do not suspect foul play was involved in the death of a man found hanged in his company accommodation room yesterday morning. Fong Waikru, a packer at Faktong Transport Co Ltd, raised the alarm after he discovered the body of his workmate Sompol Buayai, 39, hanged. Mr Fong told police that he noticed the door to Mr Sompol’s…
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Thailand News: TV stations occupied, fears of clashes rise; July 20 poll in doubt; Sacred oxen predict a good year
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community ‘Final fight’ to bring down govt The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Anti-government protesters yesterday began their “final fight” to topple the embattled government by occupying the country’s five major television stations and other key locations, amid mounting fears of street clashes between rival political groups.…
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Rights groups call for US sanctions against Thailand over trafficking
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Groups say Thailand should face U.S. sanctions over trafficking Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Thailand should be liable to potential U.S. sanctions for failing to crack down on trafficking in migrant workers, a group of human rights and labour organisations said on Friday. In a letter…
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