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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Student protesters “satisfied’ with results of march on Phuket Police HQ
PHUKET: More than 1,000 student protesters departed from Phuket Provincial Police Station this afternoon satisfied with the results of their march, which had arrived at the island’s police headquarters to ask officers to join their campaign to remove Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra from office. “We would like all police officers to be working for the people of Thailand, not the…
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Russian tourists rescued from drowning at Patong Beach
PHUKET: Life guards at Patong Beach rescued two Russian men from drowning within 10 minutes of each other yesterday. Vladimir Himonov, 67, was rescued from the surf in front of the Ocean Plaza shopping center (map here) at 11am. “Life guards saw Mr Himonov swimming about 200 meters from shore. They realized that the Russian tourist was struggling in the…
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Phuket Poll: Millions of more tourists are on their way, but why do they come?
PHUKET: As the tourism high season looms nigh, Phuket residents and business folk are readying themselves for another record-setting onslaught of tourists to see the new year in. Right on cue, the Phuket Carnival “Fun Fest”, the island’s annual week-long party to unofficially mark the beginning of the high season, will start on December 15 (story here). Even before the…
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Phuket King’s Cup Regatta day 1 results
PHUKET: Day 1 of the 27th Phuket King’s Cup Regatta has officially concluded – the racing anyway – and the results are as follows:IRC 01. Boat: Jelik Skipper: Frank Pong Country: Hong Kong2. Boat: Oi ! Skipper: Ahern Bailey Wilmer Country: Australia 3. Boat: OneSails Racing Skipper: Ray Roberts Country: Australia IRC 11. Boat: Foxy Lady VI Skipper: Bill Bremner…
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Mother, daughter escape falling Phuket power poles
PHUKET: A mother and daughter were unharmed by a power pole that came crashing through the roof of their home on Kata Hill early yesterday morning.The utility pole, which luckily had broken free from the live electrical cables attached to it when it fell, punched a hole through the car port roof attached to the house, explained homeowner Kanlaya Sripitak.“My…
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Phuket protesters promise not to target airport, bus station
PHUKET: Protesters in Phuket have vowed not to attempt to close Phuket International Airport or bus stations on the island as they continue their campaign to garner support from government officers. Last Wednesday thousands of protesters gathered at Phuket Provincial Hall demanding that officers walk away from their desks as a sign of support for the anti-government rally (story here).…
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Be a responsible investor – Phuket Finance
PHUKET: There is much wrong with our world unfortunately. I am guessing this is not news to most of you, and the corporate profit motive is widely accepted as being a major cause of many of the modern world’s largest problems. I am often asked by clients how they can invest in the markets without inadvertently supporting or contributing to…
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Protect yourself from cyber-crime – Phuket Business
PHUKET: As an expatriate living in a foreign country, you are particularly vulnerable to cyber-crime as you probably use the Internet to access your financial accounts and the statements associated with those accounts. With that in mind, here are ten tips to help you foil potential cyber-criminals: Security starts with your financial institution Although it’s inconvenient, your financial institution should…
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Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Clashes leave 3 dead; Army heads Yingluck-Suthep meet; Social media peace surge
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Hospitals say 3 killed, 58 injured The Nation / Phuket GazettePHUKET: Three people were killed in yesterday’s unrest and at least 58 injured, according to an official report by Bangkok Metropolitan Administration’s Erawan Health Emergency Centre late yesterday.At least two of the victims died of gunshot wounds.…
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Rasmus Petreus and Melissa Hauschildt win Challenge Laguna Phuket
PHUKET: Rasmus Petreus of Denmark and Melissa Hauschildt of Australia are the respective men’s and women’s champions of the inaugural Challenge Laguna Phuket, having crossed the finish line with times of 4:05:06 and 4:30:29, respectively. Mr Petreus was followed closely by Alberto Casadeli of Italy who clocked in at 4:07:13, and his Italian compatriot Alberto Alessandroni in 4:07:52. From strength…
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Phuket officials set date for Patong Carnival
PHUKET: The island’s premier party town of Patong is set to kick off the Phuket tourism high season with its annual carnival, from December 15 through December 20. “Phuket is ready to host thousands of tourists this coming high season. Be assured that you will have a wonderful time here and be impressed with the beauty of our island,” says…
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Phuket Sport: Inaugural Thanyapura Junior Challenge triathlon winners
PHUKET: Hundreds of junior athletes and spectators alike turned up at Thanyapura Phuket this morning to participate in the inaugural Thanyapura Junior Challenge triathlon event, which turned out to be a special and timeless day for many. Indeed, the spirits of staff, local media, peers, parents and relatives were seemingly unhindered by the morning’s blistering heat and humidity; supporters wholeheartedly…
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Australian real estate agent, step-son killed in suspected arson attack
PHUKET: Australian real estate agent Richard Port and his 17-year-old step-son were trapped and killed in a house fire that police suspect was intentionally started across the bay from Phuket early this morning, in Ao Nang.“Nobody was able to leave the house as the fire block all the exits. We could hear a woman screaming for help through the front…
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Swimming skills for life surface at Phuket’s Thanyapura
PHUKET: Water is integral to the Phuket lifestyle – to the island way of life. Yet, surprisingly, many locals born and raised in this tropical paradise risk growing up without ever learning how to swim. Avoidable, tragic drownings are an all-too-common reminder and result of this deplorable lack of swimming knowledge and skills. It’s easy for us to take our…
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Alleged Phuket ghost rider in motorbike crash with foreigners
PHUKET: A pair of injured foreigners reported to police that a ghost rider slammed into them in the southbound lane of Thepkrasattri Road near the Kor En ‘death bend’ early this morning. American Mike Waltman, 23, was not seriously injured in the incident. However, his 20-year-old Ukrainian passenger, Karl Midman, broke his leg, said Capt Thanom Thongpan of the Tah…
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Phuket’s football academy offers trials for scholarships
PHUKET: British International School Phuket (BISP) is holding football trials (try-outs) for outstanding male and female footballers (aged 14 to 17 years) who wish to be considered for a scholarship place in the high performance BISP/Cruzeiro Football Academy. The trials for scholarship applicants will be held at BISP on 25/26 January 2014, but applicants need to apply via the BISP…
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Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Protesters storm Army HQ; Replacing Yingluck is not an option; Abhisit could take Suthep’s place
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Protesters storm Army HQ The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: In a symbolic move, hundreds of anti-government protesters stormed the Army headquarters on Rajdamnoen Nok Road yesterday and briefly occupied the lawn of the headquarters. The move was one of the more dramatic moments in their…
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Phuket Opinion: Tackling power woes needs input from all
Natthaporn Kochsiripong, 34, is the Electricity Supply Assistant Manager at the Phuket Provincial Electricity Authority (PPEA). A Bangkok native, Mr Natthaporn has a degree in engineering from Thammasat University and a master’s degree in management from Ramkhamhaeng University. Here, he talks about the electrical issues facing Phuket. PHUKET: Phuket has become an island that never sleeps. This has caused a…
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Phuket Opinion: Click to care
PHUKET: Sharing a link on Facebook may save a whale or a starving child in Africa, but if the number of clicks truly count, then what headlines people look at highlight where our genuine interests are – and it’s shameful. The statistics available through Google Analytics, shown clearly on the Phuket Gazette Forum, are depressing, and I know I am…
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Sights set on a Safer Phuket
PHUKET: A new safety initiative was launched this week with the aim of improving the island’s coastal water safety through significant changes in safety standards and training. The initiative, ‘Safer Phuket’, has received executive level support, endorsed by Governor Maitri Inthusut along with backing from several Government departments and HE Ambassador Mark Kent of the British Embassy in Bangkok. Martin…
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DSI puts violent Phuket taxi driver rank in cross hairs
PHUKET: The head of the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) team operating in Phuket believes that enough information was gathered during a sting operation of a violent taxi rank on the island to launch a full-out investigation. “For us to step in, we must declare a case a ‘special investigation’. Given what happened at the Merlin Beach Resort at Tri…
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Kamala Police net meth dealers in hotel sting
PHUKET: Plainclothes police arrested two ya ice (crystal methamphetamine) dealers in a sting operation at a Phuket guesthouse on Wednesday night, seizing a total of 1.6 grams of the drug. Lt Suchart Chumphusaeng led four other officers of the Kamala Police in the raid at Popeye’s Place guesthouse, near Phuket FantaSea, where plainclothes officers had arranged to buy 1.6 grams…
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Anti-Yingluck protesters in Phuket pledge to not back down
PHUKET: Protesters have vowed to keep pressure on the Phuket provincial government until results of the anti-government rallies are seen in Bangkok. “The protests in front of Provincial Hall will continue until the big protest taking Bangkok by storm sees results,” protest co-ordinator Amnuay Kumban told the Phuket Gazette this morning. “The protests have gone too far to start backing…
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Doctor: American snorkeller fatality in Similans a heart attack, not a drowning
PHUKET: A 78-year-old American snorkeler died from a heart attack in the Similan Island National Park on Tuesday, a doctor at Thai Muang Hospital confirmed to the Phuket Gazette yesterday. Officers of the Royal Thai Navy, keeping any eye on tourists in the water from the beach, did not spot William Aloyuisus McCleary’s motionless body at first, as it was…
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As Provincial Hall falls silent, Phuket Governor works on
PHUKET: Governor Maitri Inthusut assured the public yesterday that everything is “business as usual”, despite the closure of Phuket Provincial Hall by protesters on Wednesday. Governor Maitri explained that he was continuing his work outside the office. “The main gate is closed and Provincial Hall is silent, just as the protesters requested, but I am still doing my job. My…
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Phuket murder convict Lee Aldhouse happy to serve jail time in Thailand
PHUKET: British national Lee Aldhouse, sentenced today to 25 years in jail for the murder of American Marine Dashawn Longfellow in Phuket in 2010, is happy to serve his jail term in Thailand, the Phuket Gazette was told today. The Phuket Provincial Court sentenced Aldhouse, known in Muay Thai kickboxing arenas as the “Pitbull”, to 25 years’ imprisonment for the…
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Phuket Honorary Consul reports violent abuse, intimidation by taxi drivers
PHUKET: The Honorary Consul of Ireland this week revealed to the Phuket Governor how she was threatened and intimidated at a resort in Rawai, where taxi drivers refused to let her leave after picking up a friend and her children.The news came at Governor Maitri Inthusut’s quarterly meeting with Phuket’s honorary consuls at Phuket Provincial Hall on Tuesday.“I went to…
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Another memorable year of the Phuket Dinghy Series
PHUKET: With day one of the final of the Phuket Dinghy series being canceled due to the freak storm that hit Cape Panwa last Saturday, the race resumed on Sunday morning in light wind conditions. A fleet of 17 Optimists and three Lasers did the windward – leeward course in anticipation of wind shift, which is not uncommon after the…
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Stoney Monday founder faces trial in Phuket for B80mn fraud
PHUKET: The Australian who formerly ran the Stoney Monday Oasis Hotel in Patong has been arrested in Krabi and brought back to Phuket to face trial for embezzlement and six counts of fraud. The alleged damages total more than 80 million baht. Rell Vivien Hayes, 51, was arrested last Friday while allegedly selling property at an upscale resort south of…
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Swedish tourist drowns at popular Phuket beach
PHUKET: Big Phuket waves at Karon Beach claimed another tourist’s life yesterday afternoon. Swedish national Ann Gorli Teres Fjellner, 59, was knocked over and dragged out by heavy waves at about 9:30am, Karon Police Deputy Superintendent Pachai Matthayan told the Phuket Gazette. “Lifeguards saw the waves pull her out, but when they went to save her, she was already missing…
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