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 Infinito helps hotels in Thailand with revenue management
Maximising revenue and profit–isn’t that the ultimate goal for every business in the hospitality industry? If you run a hotel, you might have heard that revenue management is an effective way to boost your top-line revenue. It involves using data...
-
Phuket marine life to benefit from dugong conservation MoU
PHUKET: After two years of lobbying by the Phuket Marine Biological Center (PMBC), the government has finally agreed to sign an international memorandum of understanding (MoU) aimed at protecting the endangered dugong population in Thai waters, the Gazette has learned.Kanjana Adulyanukosol of the Phuket Marine Biological Center’s Endangered Species Unit said the government is now ready to sign the memorandum,…
-
Phuket fitness center goes bust
PHUKET: Members of the Easy Fitness Center on Chao Fa West Road in Phuket were left without a gym on April 30, when repossession teams, under police supervision, seized fitness equipment valued at several million baht, forcing the center to close.The center, which opened in 2005, offered a variety of fitness classes with membership fees ranging from Bt7,200 for three…
-
Swine Flu: Phuket facing further downturns in tourism
BANGKOK / PHUKET: A Bangkok school will today be partially closed for three days after an 11-year-old boy came down with type-A (H1N1) influenza in what is the second known case of local infection in Thailand. Thirteen of his classmates have also developed a fever. Deputy Public Health Minister Manit Nopamornbodi said the Bangkok student, whose name was withheld, had…
-
Chikungunya continues to rise in Phuket
PHUKET: Chikungunya continues to spread in the province, with 694 confirmed cases in the island’s official records. And the actual figure is probably far higher. Phuket Provincial Health Office (PPHO) Director Dr Pongsawas Ratanasang confirmed that 669 Thais have received hospital treatment for the disease. Dr Pongsawas said a further 25 cases, all foreigners, have also been treated: 17 Burmese,…
-
Hong Kong man ill with swine flu after Phuket holiday
PHUKET CITY: A 33-year-old man from Hong Kong fell ill with human swine influenza following a stay on Phuket, the Gazette has learned. The Hong Kong Department of Health said the man visited Phuket with a friend from June 4 to 8. He reportedly developed a cough on June 7. The travelers returned to Hong Kong on Dragonair flight KA213…
-
Phuket Gov to launch “Project Palmyra”
PHUKET CITY: In an effort to beautify two of the island’s main roadways, the Phuket governor is keen to plant scores of Palmyra palm trees along Thepkrasattri Road and the bypass road. At a recent meeting at Phuket Provincial Hall, Phuket Governor Wichai Phraisa-ngop raised the idea with representatives of agencies slated for involvement in the project; most seemed to…
-
Phuket enchanted by MSU orchestra
PHUKET CITY: Music lovers in Phuket were granted a rare treat over the past weekend: two performances by the world-class musicians of the Montana State University (MSU) Symphony Orchestra. Under the direction of internationally renowned Japanese conductor Shuichi Komiyama, the 85-member orchestra kicked off with a rousing medley arrangement entitled Go West. Certainly not to be confused with the Pet…
-
Breast squeezer goes to jail
KHON KAEN / PHUKET: Having failed to get anywhere with begging, an unemployed man was arrested on June 6 after squeezing the breasts of a number of women. Like Little Tramp in Modern Times, the man claimed the act had nothing to do with sexual appetite, but was done in hopes of being arrested and sent to prison – where…
-
Phuket gets another toy library from the Phuket Community Foundation
Community Foundations (CFs) are a powerful force for doing good in society. They are also financial powerhouses. For example, Rotary has total worldwide assets – that is, investments from which Rotary clubs draw an income – of around US$700 million. In contrast, the Tulsa Community Foundation alone has assets of US$3.l7 billion, and the top 10 in the US have…
-
Phuket says farewell to Steve Swan
PATONG, PHUKET: A cremation ceremony was held last week for US serviceman Steve Swan, who survived for three weeks following a motorcycle accident on April 30 but died from complications on May 22. The following obituary is provided by Lee Thayer, also a retired US Navy serviceman and, together with Steve, an owner of the Crow’s Nest Bar on Soi…
-
Letter from Phuket to the World Boxing Council
PHUKET: The Phuket Gazette‘s editorial this week comes in the form of an open letter to World Boxing Council (WBC) President Jose Sulaiman on the topic of race-based pricing at the world title fight held at the Bangla Boxing Stadium in Patong, Phuket on May 29. Dear Mr Sulaiman: As you are no doubt aware, WBC champion Oleydong Sithsamerchai recently…
-
Loan shark gang preys on Phuket sea gypsies
RAWAI, PHUKET: Police arrested a gang alleged to be loan sharks when they were attempting to collect money from members of the Rawai sea gypsy community at about 1am on Thursday.The arrests were made by Chalong Police after they received a report from the community that members of the gang had entered the community to forcibly collect on outstanding loans…
-
Paiboon’s fraud case starts June 23
PHUKET CITY: The Region 8 Court of Appeals will on June 23 examine witnesses and preliminary evidence in the electoral fraud case against suspended Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (PPAO) president Paiboon Upatising and teammate Sawat Muchawej. Mr Paiboon and Mr Sawat were handed yellow cards by the Election Commission (EC) in Bangkok on March 19. For our previous report, click…
-
Australia and New Zealand education expos in Phuket
PHUKET CITY: Antipodean cousins New Zealand and Australia are set to go head-to-head in pursuit of young minds later this month, with both countries hosting education expos in Phuket. On June 16, the New Zealand Education Center and the New Zealand Embassy will host the New Zealand Education Fair 2009 at the Phuket ICT Skill Development and Learning Center at…
-
Frenchman and Thai drown in Phuket
KARON, PHUKET: A Frenchman and his Thai companion drowned while swimming in heavy surf off Karon Beach yesterday afternoon. After the deaths were reported to Chalong Police, rescue workers from the Phuket Ruamjai Kupai Foundation, Phuket Tourist Rescue Center and Karon Hazard Prevention Unit rushed out on surfboards and boats to find the victims. After about 20 minutes they found…
-
Local youngster goes for granny
NAKHON PHANOM: While the sight of an old man marrying a young woman is not too unusual in Isarn, when it’s the other way round, it manages to raise eyebrows. Therefore, when word spread that 73-year-old Thongsuk Phutthawan was set to marry 26-year-old Somphon Chanthawong, 47 years her junior, it quickly drew the interest of the local press. The pair…
-
17 killed, 30 injured in Krabi bus accident
PHUKET CITY: A chartered bus taking officials of the Samut Prakan Provincial Administrative Organization on a study tour overturned in Krabi this morning, killing 17 and injuring 30 passengers. The accident occurred at 6:30 am on the Phanom-Khao Tor Road in Krabi’s Plai Phraya district. Twelve passengers died at the scene; five more died at hospitals. Thirty other passengers were…
-
Aussie family narrowly avoids drowning in Phuket
KARON, PHUKET: A family of Australian tourists who ignored red warning flags narrowly escaped drowning at Karon Beach on Tuesday afternoon. Chalong Police identified the victims as Mr Samir Mourad, 58, his daughter Zeinab, 16, and Mr Mourad’s wife, whose first name and age were not reported. According to the report, Mr Mourad was sunbathing while his wife and daughter…
-
Free concerts by Montana State University in Phuket
PHUKET CITY: The Montana State University Symphony Orchestra will be performing two free concerts in Phuket over the weekend; one on Saturday at Rama IX Park (Suan Luang) on Chao Fah East Rd in Phuket City and another on Sunday at Phuket Rajabhat University in Rassada. The Phuket concerts are part of the orchestra’s Southeast Asia goodwill tour. A complement…
-
Two teens arrested, confess to Phuket murder
PHUKET CITY: At a crime re-enactment held yesterday morning it took nearly 200 policemen to prevent a crowd from lynching two teenagers who have confessed to the brutal stabbing murder of an elderly woman last month. Police identified the pair as 19-year-old Hussadin “Mai” Wongrinyong of Phuket City and a 17-year-old male accomplice, whose name was withheld because of his…
-
Phuket jungle walk marks World Environment Day 2009
PA KHLOK, PHUKET: More than 50 Phuket students on Monday morning completed an eight-kilometer jungle trek all the way from Bang Pae Waterfall to Ton Sai Waterfall, located inside Khao Phra Thaeo National Park. The event was organized jointly by PTT Exploration and Production Co (PTTEP), Radio Thailand, and the Phuket Public Relations Department. PTTEP External Relations Manager Sidhichai Jayant…
-
New Phuket Chief Justice urges more mediation
PHUKET CITY: The new Chief Justice of Phuket Provincial Court held a press conference yesterday to promote greater use of the court mediation system to settle legal disputes, the backlog of which is overwhelming the provincial court system and leading to long delays between trial dates. Phuket Provincial Court Chief Justice Varangkana Sujaritkul said she will promote the use of…
-
Monkey business at Phuket Provincial Hall
PHUKET CITY: A brazen monkey wandered onto the grounds of Phuket Provincial Hall this morning, making off with a belly full of fresh cucumbers after a standoff with a stunned food vendor. The unusual visit came at about 9:30 this morning at an open-air curry stall on the grounds of Phuket Provincial Hall. The monkey, one of the many pig-tailed…
-
Phuket bar operators seek closing time extension
PATONG, PHUKET: Phuket Governor Wichai Phraisa-ngop has reacted coolly to a fresh initiative by nightlife operators to extend operating hours, saying any extension must come with Interior Ministry approval. Sompetch Moosophon, president of the Patong Entertainment Business Association, said that local business operators are facing losses resulting in staff lay-offs. Sharp declines in customer numbers have forced around 30% of…
-
30-baht pay-out for stabbing victim
BANGKOK: Stabbing victim Pairat Juntub knew he was entitled to compensation, but he was staggered yesterday at the sum he got from the government. Mr Pairat has the dubious distinction of receiving the lowest amount ever given to a crime victim. “I got 30 baht (approx 86 cents in USD),” Pairat said. “I was speechless when I saw the amount.”…
-
Phuket City begins cable work on Thalang Rd
PHUKET CITY: Work on the project to bury power cables along Thalang Road in Old Phuket Town got underway yesterday morning, with workers marking lines near the pavement to mark the trench that will house the conduit. The narrow trench, about half a meter wide, will run along the right-hand side of the one-way road, once the heart of Phuket’s…
-
Thai Immigration crackdown on border runners
BANGKOK / PHUKET: In a crackdown on foreigners who “abuse” the tourist exemption rule allowing15-day visit extensions at border entry points, the Immigration Bureau has confirmed and informed ThaiVisa.Com of the following new regulation, which went into effect yesterday: A foreigner who has entered the kingdom four consecutive times on 15-day tourist exemption stamps will not be allowed to leave…
-
Czech checks bag bandit and bites back
PHUKET: Authorities in neighboring Phang Nga province are revamping registration procedures for Burmese migrant workers while closely monitoring their activities after a worker attempted to rob a foreign dive instructor yesterday. Provincal governor Yiamsuriya Phalusuk said measures to be taken include more police patrols and possibly stricter regulations on workers traveling at night. Any Thais or employers found to provide…
-
Bt119m for new Rajabhat Phuket commencement hall
RASSADA, PHUKET: Work is well underway on a 119 million baht conference room and commencement hall complex on the grounds of Phuket’s Rajabhat University. A contract between the university and Bangkok-based contractor Kumjornkij Construction Co Ltd was signed in mid-November last year. The scheduled contract completion date is December 27, 2010. The project’s oversight director is Rajabhat Phuket University Associate…
-
Fourth swine flu case confirmed in Thailand
BANGKOK / PHUKET: While there have been no confirmed cases of A-type (H1N1) in Phuket, the Ministry of Public Health yesterday confirmed its fourth case of the disease in Thailand – a Thai man who just returned from the US. The A-type (H1N1) flu has already hit 53 countries, killing 99. Thai Public Health Minister, Witthaya Kaewparadai, said the 50-year-old…
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.