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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Police open fire as drug suspect rams Phuket Town blockade
PHUKET: Police officers opened fire on a suspected drug dealer after he rammed his Honda Jazz into a police patrol pickup blocking his escape in Phuket Town early yesterday evening. Police were following the Honda Jazz of 28-year-old Thaweepong Kerdpol, a suspected drug dealer, after they received a tip-off that he was in the Chalong area. Mr Thaweepong stopped for…
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Phuket Gazette World Sports: Webber to end F1 career
Mark Webber to quit Formula 1 at the end of season Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Red Bull’s Mark Webber will quit Formula One at the end of the season for Porsche’s new sportscar programme, the Australian announced today. The 36-year-old spent 12 years in Formula One, winning nine races and twice finishing third in the championship. Lotus driver Kimi…
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Phuket officials stage pre-emptive strike against canal-clogging flower
PHUKET: Acting early to prevent the flooding, and stagnant water, that plague the Ban Yai Canal area in Srisoonthorn every year, officials took action yesterday to remove the culprit: water hyacinths that grow rampant in the canal. “Local residents complain every year that the hyacinths block water flow and cause flooding and bad-smelling water,” said Somjit Limpattawong, Municipal Clerk of…
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Teenager found hanging in parents’ Phuket home
PHUKET: The body of a teenager was found hanging from a support beam of her parent’s house in Kathu on Tuesday.Police tentatively suspect that the 19-year-old Burmese woman committed suicide because of a breakup with her boyfriend.Thung Thong Police and Kusoldharm Foundation rescue workers arrived at the scene at about 11:30am to find the body of Ms Lat already laid…
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Koh Kaew u-turn lane lengthened to relieve congestion
PHUKET: The northbound u-turn lane at the Koh Kaew intersection on Thepkrasattri Road is in the process of being lengthened in an effort to tackle the chronic congestion in the area.“Right now the u-turn lane is not long enough for all the cars that want to turn at the Koh Kaew intersection, and cars that can’t get into the turn…
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Phuket FC slay the Ratchaburi ‘Dragon’ in Thai FA Cup
PHUKET: The Islanders caused a Thai FA Cup upset last night knocking out Thai Premier League (TPL) side Rachaburi Mitrphol 2-0 at their home ground, Surakul Stadium in Phuket Town. The first half started brightly with both sides adopting an attacking style but the end-to-end football was quickly replaced by caution. Phuket FC started the match against the Dragons, who…
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Phuket Airport Bus can start July 15, says bus owner
PHUKET: The soonest the airport bus can start running is July 15, the owner of the bus company, Prakob Panyawai, told the Phuket Gazette on Tuesday. “I wish the bus could roll on July 1 as the Phuket Land Transport Office (PLTO) chief demands,” he said, “but we’re just not ready [story here].” “All the buses have been checked at…
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Phuket marks International Day against Drug Abuse
PHUKET: Phuket top officials yesterday marked the International Day against Drug Abuse with a mass swearing off drugs and a vow to eliminate drugs in Thailand before the Asean Economic Community (AEC) trade regulations come into effect in 2015.On stage at the Phuket City District Office, Phuket Vice Governor Sommai Prijasilpa read out a national message from Prime Minister Yingluck…
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Phuket Gazette Thailand News: B10bn in drugs goes up in smoke; Haze easing; DSI supercar probe in twists and turns; Health officials contemplate morning after pill
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community More than 3 tonnes of drugs torched The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Some 158,012 of the country’s estimated 2 million drug addicts underwent rehabilitation at 1,287 hospitals over the past nine months, Deputy Public Health Minister Cholanan Srikaew said yesterday. Of them, 84,404 were forced…
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Phuket tuk-tuk drivers protest illegal taxis
PHUKET: A protest by about 100 tuk-tuk drivers today won the drivers a crackdown on illegal taxis, which the tuk-tuk clan says are stealing their jobs. After staging a convoy from Kathu, the protesters parked their tuk-tuks at Sanam Chai, across the street from Provincial Hall in Phuket Town (map here). “We do not have enough money to pay the…
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Monsoon wind to spare Phuket from Indonesian haze
PHUKET: The Phuket weather office has predicted that the strong southwest monsoon wind that has caused the current rough seas along the Andaman coast will also keep the record-level hazardous haze from Indonesia away from Phuket. The haze, born of forest fires across Sumatra (click here for NASA interactive map showing fires and haze), saw air pollution reach record levels…
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Phuket beaches roped off after deadliest weekend
PHUKET: After Phuket’s deadliest drowning weekend, sections of Kata and Karon Beaches have been closed for the first time in the island’s history. “This is the first time we have ever had to hang ropes up across the beach to prevent people from entering dangerous sections of the water. Some of the rip currents run strong across 20 to 30…
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Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Haze hits South; BRN demands troops out before Ramadan; Thailand off money laundering watchlist
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Narathiwat haze level now ‘adverse to health’ The Nation / Phuket GazettePHUKET: Seven provinces in Southern Thailand were affected by smoke from Indonesian forest fires yesterday, with Narathiwat the hardest hit after particulate-matter levels there reached the 129 micrograms/cubic metre considered adverse to health.Meanwhile, Pollution Control Department…
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Singaporean tourists saved at Phuket’s Surin Beach
PHUKET: Amid the spate of drownings over the weekend that saw four tourists drown within four days (story here and here), a dramatic rescue by Phuket lifeguards saw two Singaporean tourists being pulled from heavy surf to safety at Surin Beach. Red “no swimming” flags were flying at Surin Beach, with ocean conditions remaining rough and dangerous despite the sunny…
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Jaguar, Land Rover get new dealership in Phuket
PHUKET: Luxury car importer GB Automobile Co Ltd was recently appointed to be the sole, official authorized dealer for Land Rover and Jaguar cars in Phuket and the rest of Southern Thailand. The official grand opening of the new showroom is set for next month. Meanwhile, GB Auto is undergoing an extensive renovation of their showroom, which is adjacent to…
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AP Superyachts berths new office in Patong
PHUKET: Luxury boating firm Asia Pacific Superyachts (APS) Phuket is growing, reports General Manager Gordon Fernandes. “We’re pleased to announce our headquarters have moved to a brand-new, purpose-built office in preparation for the exciting times ahead as more yachts discover the amazing cruising available in Southeast Asia,” he says. While the new offices offer increased facilities and staff to service…
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Helmeted motorbike driver survives Phuket hill crash
PHUKET: A helmeted motorbike driver was non-responsive but alive after crashing his motorbike into a drainage ditch while descending Patak Road toward Chalong this morning.Ruamjai foundation rescue workers quickly arrived at the scene and placed the man, Surat Udompol, 53, in a neck brace before loading him into an ambulance and rushing him to Vachira Phuket Hospital in Phuket Town.“At…
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Tortured, executed man connected to Phuket drug business
PHUKET: The man found tortured and executed several hundred meters from a Phuket school was involved with drugs despite having a clean police record, Phuket City Police Deputy Superintendent Yongyuth Kongmalai told the Phuket Gazette yesterday. Because of his clean record, police were originally scrambling for a motive for the slaying of Niwat Si-urai, 37, whose body was found dumped…
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Phuket Finance: One rotten apple can spoil the whole barrel
PHUKET: As of the middle of June, the portfolios of many active managers of both mutual funds and hedge funds alike were badly under-performing the benchmark Standard & Poor’s 500 index. In fact, and despite a bull market that had seen the S&P index climb about 16% since the start of the year, over two-thirds of active managers were missing…
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Phuket Property Watch: Big bang of luxury
PHUKET: Welcome to rainy season in Phuket. It’s Friday morning as I ponder the sound of rain pelting down on the roof and it feels almost as if I’m in Syria taking incoming fire. My life is that of a minimalist. Give me a black t-shirt, shorts and a well worn pair of Sanuks. No watch, no jewelry, just an…
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Russian drug smuggler wanted by Interpol arrested in Phuket
PHUKET: Responding to a written request from the Russian embassy in Bangkok, Phuket Immigration last night arrested a Russian national wanted in his home country for “illegal transportation of drugs, committed on a large scale”.The request stated that Anatoliy Gural had been wanted by Interpol since November 2011, and provided details of a false passport he was using to travel.“Mr…
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Phuket Gazette World News: South Africa prepares to say goodbye; US competence in question; Berlusconi guilty on sex charges; Nadal out
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– World news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community South Africans resigned over ‘critical’ Mandela Reuters / Phuket GazettePHUKET: South Africans appeared resigned to the inevitability of one day saying goodbye to former president Nelson Mandela after the 94-year-old anti-apartheid leader’s condition in hospital deteriorated to critical.Madiba, as he is affectionately known, is revered among most…
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Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Woman held for trafficking Myanmar girls in Ranong
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Woman held for trafficking Myanmar girls The Nation / Phuket GazettePHUKET: Police yesterday announced the arrest of a Thai woman suspected of human trafficking and the rescue of 13 Myanmar women – including a 16-year-old and three girls under 18 – allegedly lured into sex work at…
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Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Rice rage afoot; Supercar probe changes gear; White masks rob 7-Eleven; Cartoonist surrenders
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Govt faces rice rage The Nation / Phuket GazettePHUKET: The government is facing mounting pressure with coalition parties criticising its move to cut the price for rice in its controversial pledging scheme and farmers massing in Bangkok today.The Chart Thai Pattana Party expressed dissatisfaction yesterday at the…
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Drunk, loaded and arrested: Man brandishes loaded pistol, nunchucks in Phuket Town street
PHUKET: Phuket City Police this morning arrested a man for brandishing a loaded pistol at local residents in Soi Paniang near Samkong, Phuket Town. Maj Rattaket Munmuang of the Phuket City Police – with about 30 other officers – arrived at the scene at about 8:30am to find that the man had exchanged the loaded gun for nunchucks. The 46-year-old…
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Super moon monsoon rip current takes another life in Phuket
PHUKET: Rescue workers today recovered the body of an 18-year-old who was caught in one of the strong rip currents caused by the super moon that is bringing chaos to Phuket’s beaches. “The moon is as close to the Earth as it will be this year, which causes more dramatic changes between high tide and low tide, resulting in faster…
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Mercedes-Benz driver runs over man on busy Phuket road
PHUKET: Police are investigating the death of an unidentified man who was hit and killed instantly last night by a Mercedes-Benz as he was crossing Phuket’s busy Thepkrasattri Road.By the time police arrived at the scene, near the Srisoonthorn Municipality offices, the driver of the Mercedes-Benz sedan, Virat Aumarat, 56, was already en route to Thalang Police Station.“Mr Virat asked…
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Phuket surf leaves Russian tourist in coma
PHUKET: A Russian tourist in Phuket lies comatose in intensive care today after being pulled from the dangerous surf at Karon Beach yesterday afternoon. The tourist, named by Patong Hospital as Kho Khay Gym, 31, was pulled from the water by beach vendors at about 4:30pm. “He was rushed to Patong Hospital, and later transferred to Vachira Phuket Hospital in…
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Giorgi heads Phuket FC back to fifth
PHUKET: It was an exciting weekend for the Thai Sports world, especially for Thailand’s professional and semi-professional football leagues. Phuket FC seized back their 5th place ranking in the 18-team Yamaha League One (division 1) with a much needed 0-1 win on the road to Rayong United on Saturday evening. The match’s only allowed goal was scored by Georgian import…
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Phuket family flees as restaurant gas cylinder catches fire
PHUKET: A family fled the kitchen of their Southern-Thai style restaurant early yesterday morning after a leaky gas tank burst into flames.No injuries were reported.The two-storey building housing PahMuay restaurant on Soi Patchanee, in the housing estate opposite Super Cheap in Rassada, was consumed in flames by the time firefighters and Phuket City Police officers arrived at the scene around…
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