News
Stay up-to-date with the latest news from across Thailand and beyond with The Thaiger. Our dedicated team brings you breaking news, in-depth analysis, and exclusive stories from this stunning part of the world, covering a diverse range of topics, including local politics, business, culture, and tourism. Keep yourself informed about the Kingdom’s rich history, stunning landscapes, and thriving expat communities, as well as updates on events, attractions, and transportation.
The Thaiger is your essential resource for staying connected with Thailand’s captivating blend of tradition and modernity. To remain in the loop with the country’s most trusted news source, subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on social media.
-
Sponsored Feast on the freshest Thai fruit at 'Siam Paragon Tropical Fruit Parade 2024'
The much-anticipated fruit festival of the year “Siam Paragon Tropical Fruit Parade 2024” and its popular all-you-can-eat durian buffet is returning from 6-15 May 2024 at Parc Paragon, Siam Paragon, where the best and freshest Thai fruits are meticulously sourced...
-
Rough justice for knicker nicker
SAMUT PRAKAN: Stealing women’s underwear might be considered nothing but a prank in some countries, but it is a serious crime in Samut Prakan’s Muang District, where residents of Tambon Bangpoomai took the law into their own hands and nearly beat to death a man after he was caught pilfering panties. Yoybangpoo District Police reported the man’s arrest, which occurred…
-
Croc makes good pillow and a snappy companion
PHICHIT: Some people like to argue about which breed of dog makes the best four-legged home security system, but a coffee vendor in this province has found that his 70-kilogram pet crocodile is just as effective at keeping burglars at bay as any Rottweiler, Pit Bull or Doberman. Prayoon “Khiat” Thong jorn, 43, bought the crocodile for 3,000 baht as…
-
The Poodle Poo incident on Soi Green Soda
KARON: The owner of two Karon beer bars has filed a complaint with the Chalong Police against a neighbor who, she says, threw dog excreta at her. Yindee Sutipakdi, 39, filed the complaint against 22-year-old Piyathida Muangbang, after the latter drove up to her home on a motorcycle and hurled a bag containing poodle poo at her. The two women…
-
Not so sty-lish behavior
KHON KAEN: A man accused by villagers of having sex with a neighbor’s pig has agreed to pay the owner 500 baht in compensation. Sa-ngad Hapanna, 39, a resident of Baan Tonnoi in Muang district, filed a complaint with the village headman after neighbors alerted her the night before that they saw the man having sex with one of her…
-
Local phone book swamps server
PHUKET: Following a bulletin last Wednesday announcing that the deadline for listings in the 2006 Gazette Guide (local “yellow” pages) would be tonight, October 31, the Gazette web server has been under heavy pressure and has suffered sporadic downtime. In what may be a reflection of the recent surge in local business confidence, approximately 480 new listings and/or updates have been entered…
-
HRH to return to Phuket
PHUKET: HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn will be in Phuket again from November 12 to 14, Governor Udomsak Uswarangkura announced yesterday morning.Although the official itinerary has yet to be announced, he said that the Princess will bring with her eight of the 12 adjudicators of the Prince Mahidol Award, which is given each year in recognition of exemplary contributions to…
-
Tourism industry worries about labor shortage
PHUKET: The island’s tourism industry is suffering a shortage of skilled staff because many workers left the island during the slump after the tsunami, Dechar Peukpattanaruk, Chief of the Phuket Provincial Labor Office, said today.He said that although many people are applying for the estimated 4,000 vacancies in Phuket’s tourism industry, very few of them have the appropriate qualifications or…
-
Princess enjoys playtime with Thai orphans
PHUKET: Princess Maja Synke von Hohenzollern of Germany was in Phuket yesterday to enjoy a few hours of fun with 23 orphans being taken care of by the Beluga School for Life at Na Nai in Phang Nga. The school was established soon after the tsunami and is being funded for 10 years by Niels Stolberg, the managing director of…
-
Tsunami siren test declared a success
PHUKET: One of Patong’s three tsunami warning towers was tested this morning, its siren being triggered remotely from the National Disaster Warning Center (NDWC) in Nonthaburi, near Bangkok.Adm Thaweesak Daengchai, Adviser to the NDWC, told the Gazette he was pleased with the test and with the fact that, this time, most people seemed to know that it was a drill…
-
Frenchman kills self “over debts’
PHUKET: French resident Laurent Huppe was found dead in his house in Ao Yon on Wednesday. Police say they believe he committed suicide, possibly because of heavy debt.Mr Huppe’s landlord, Donraman Srikwan, noticed a bad smell when he visited Mr Huppe’s two-story wooden home on the Baan Borrea-Khao Khad Rd in Wichit district, and found the bedroom door locked. He…
-
Princess arrives in Phuket
PHUKET: HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn arrived in Phuket today to take part in a Tod Kathin ceremony, during which people donated money to Wat Luang Phu Supa in Chalong.The wat is the residence of Abbot Luang Phu Supa who, at 111 years of age, is the oldest Abbot on the island.After the ceremony the Princess traveled to Baan Nam…
-
Patong tsunami alarms to be tested
PATONG: The three existing tsunami warning towers along Patong beach will be tested between 10 am and 11:30 am on Friday this week. The testing, to be conducted jointly by the Municipality and officials from the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Ministry, is aimed at ensuring that the towers’ direct satellite links to the Nonthaburi-based National Disaster Warning Center (NDWC)…
-
Mystery surrounds photographer’s murder
PHUKET CITY: A freelance photographer was gunned down on October 21 while watching TV in his house behind Suan Luang park.Pol Sub Lt Aumporn Musikapan of the Phuket City Police Station named the victim as Thavil Laksanavimol, 36, from Nakorn Sri Thammarat Province.He was watching TV at about 10:15 pm with the 14-year-old daughter of a neighbor when his assailant,…
-
Phuket City police chief promoted
PHUKET: The Superintendent of Phuket City Police, Pol Col Paween Pongsirin, is one of a number of senior police who are being promoted or transferred as part of the annual national police reshuffle.Col Paween has been promoted to Deputy Commander of the Surat Thani Provincial Police. His replacement is Lt Col Natta Sawaetalaek, formerly Deputy Superintendent of Thalang Police.Also leaving…
-
Rape charges dropped
PATONG: Rape charges against two Thai singers have been dropped at the request of the alleged victim, 18-year-old “Anna” (not her real name), a tourist from Holland. Pol Lt Weerapong Rakhito of Kathu Police Station said, “The case was closed because the victim came to us with her lawyers to ask to have the charges dismissed. I did not ask…
-
TTVI center closure may be postponed
PHUKET: The Thai Tsunami Victims Identification (TTVI) Center has asked the government to postpone the Bangkok center’s closure from December 26 to February 28 because it will not be able to finish its work by the end of the year.Pol Col Khemmarin Hassiri, Superintendent of the TTVI’s Thai disaster victim identification (DVI) unit, said that the TTVI submitted its request…
-
Security camera plan gets a boost
PHUKET: The provincial government has moved forward with its plans to introduce surveillance cameras in tourist areas to increase security and boost the island’s image as a safe holiday destination.Governor Udomsak Uswarangkura, during his weekly “CEO meeting” attended by provincial government and other public officials, said that the estimated budget of 50.7 million baht will cover constructing, equipping, maintaining and…
-
Bizarre death “was an accident’
PATONG: Police say they believe that the bizarre death of Rassamee Pholrat was an accident, and they expect to close their investigation soon.The 22-year-old from Udon Thani was found dead at the Safari Elephant Camp on Siriraj Rd on October 5, half-naked and apparently trampled to death by an elephant.Kathu Police Superintendent Pol Col Teeraphol Thipjaroen explained to the Gazette,…
-
Meridien Khao Lak owner raps TAT
KHAO LAK: The owner of another leading Khao Lak resort has backed the opinions of La Flora owner Sompong Daowpiset over the lack of support the resort area has received from the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) since the tsunami.Speaking just after the reopening of his Le Meridien Khao Lak Beach & Spa Resort on Friday, ML Vitya Chakrabandhu told…
-
New vice-governors arrive
PHUKET: As Vice-Governor Supachai Yuvaboon prepares to move on to a new post in Bangkok, two new vice-governors have arrived to replace him and Vinai Buapradit, who was promoted to Governor of Phang Nga on October 1.The two new vice-governors are Vorapoj Rattasima and Pongsak Playmek, who were previously vice-governors of Samut Songkram and Samut Sakorn respectively.K. Supachai, who arrived…
-
Major plans revealed for Ao Phuket
PHUKET CITY (Gazette, Nation): After a lull of 10 months, the Ao Phuket development project – a plan to build a mini-city on reclaimed land in the bay off Saphan Hin, is once again gathering momentum. Plans include a convention and exhibition center, and a casino.Today at a meeting at Phuket Provincial Hall. chaired by the Interior Ministry Deputy Chief…
-
THAI hikes fares for high season
THAILAND: On November 1, the official start of Phuket’s high season, Thai Airways International (THAI) will increase its fares on domestic flights.In a press release issued today, Kalayapha Panich, Thai Airways’ Phuket-based District Sales Manager for Upper-Southern Thailand, said that THAI informed travel agents of the price rises last Friday The increases will affect both business and economy class tickets – THAI…
-
At least four dead in Burmese massacre
RASSADA: Four Burmese fishermen were murdered yesterday in what appears to have been the slaughter of the crew of one boat by the crew of another at the fishing port.One badly injured man is in Wachira Phuket Hospital, and police believe that more bodies may yet turn up.Phuket City Police Station Inspector, Pol Maj Yongyuth Krongmalai, told the Gazette this…
-
Tsunami memorial website launched
PHUKET: The Phuket Provincial government has launched a website to commemorate the December 26 tsunami. The website, www.phuketremembers.com, which is in Thai and English, has a section for the posting of personal tributes, including photos of people lost to the tsunami; a memorial guestbook where people may post personal thoughts; and a photo gallery showing the damage caused on December…
-
La Flora owner lashes out at govt, TAT
KHAO LAK: The Minister of Interior, ACM Kongsak Wantana, said yesterday that he was proud of the speed with which Thailand was recovering from last December’s tsunami.Speaking at the reopening of the 200-million-baht La Flora Resort & Spa, which originally opened the day before the tsunami, the Minister said, “After inspecting many places [in Thailand] affected by the tsunami I…
-
Airport bus service off to a slow start
PHUKET: Despite getting off to a slow start on its October 1 launch, the new Airport Bus service is slowly gaining in popularity as the public becomes aware of the new low-cost transport option, say its operators.Wiched Radomkij, Manager of Phuket Mahanakorn Co (PMC), which runs the service, said part of the problem stemmed from the fact that the company…
-
Scandinavian charter airline sees record bookings
PHUKET: Copenhagen-based My Travel Airways, one of Europe’s largest charter operators, is seeing record bookings to Phuket for the imminent high season, says its Head of Information, Torben Andersen.“The sales situation in Scandinavia is very good,” Mr Andersen told the Gazette by email. “In Denmark we have sold seven out of 10 seats for the coming season. That is 10-15%…
-
Ruampaet hospital to close
PHUKET CITY: After being open for 26 years, Phuket’s first private hospital, Phuket Ruampaet Medical Center on Phuket Rd, will close on November 30.Dr Mitr Theva-Aksorn, the hospital’s Director, told the Gazette, “We don’t have the money to continue the lease on the building, so we have to stop operating.”The hospital opened on November 22, 1979, with 36 inpatient beds.…
-
Carnival “to be more international’
PHUKET: The annual carnival in Patong, held to mark the opening of the tourism high season, will take place this year from November 1 to 3, and has been renamed “Phuket Carnival 2005”.Phuket Tourist Association President Pattanapong Aikwanich explained that the yearly event is to have more of an international flavor. “We need to accept that 80% of Phuket’s tourism…
-
Bypass road 6 months behind schedule
PHUKET: Work on the 111-million-baht project to widen the bypass road will be completed about six months behind schedule, in March 2006, the government official in charge of the work estimates.The artery is being widened to 24 meters in order to accommodate Phuket’s ever-growing number of vehicles. The section from Tesco-Lotus to the Darasamut School Intersection will be six lanes wide…
Don't forget to check out some other things to do in Thailand - get help starting a business or finding a job in Thailand, buy Thailand property, rent a yacht or book a medical procedure worldwide.