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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Royal Thai Navy intercepts 27 Phuket-bound Burmese
PHUKET: The Royal Thai Navy Third Area Command arrested 27 Burmese en route to Phuket aboard a fishing boat off the coast of Ranong on February 10. The group were charged with entering the country illegally and were taken ashore to be prepared for deportation. The arrest was made by the staff of HTMS Chonburi under the supervision of Lt…
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Slapping, spitting, boxing and bottling
PHUKET: “He’s blown his only chance, the last thing you want to do is pick a fight with Vitali.” Adam Booth, the boxing trainer of Britain’s David Haye (former WBA heavyweight champion), said Dereck Chisora lost any hope of beating WBC heavyweight champion Vitali Klitschko when he slapped him at Friday’s weigh-in… before their fight. British boxer Chisora, born in…
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Prompong in Phuket to launch tourist safety campaign
PHUKET: Government spokesman Prompong Nopparit was back in Phuket last night to launch a new tourist safety campaign that will see a rapid expansion in the number of closed-circuit television cameras in Patong and other popular tourist destinations. Mr Prompong, a party list MP for the ruling Pheu Thai Party, at 7pm held an informal meeting with the press on…
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Sunday Opinion: Swift actions to regulate Phuket crime
PHUKET: Efforts by the Phuket Provincial Office and related agencies to tackle the problem of unregulated “swiftlet ranching” are admirable in their foresight, but regrettable in approach. (See here to read “Tourism finds swiftlet avaries difficult to swallow”). As many residents of this island are aware, mainland Chinese are one of the largest and most rapidly growing segments of the…
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Patong Carnival tops poll as Phuket’s top funfair
PHUKET: The annual Patong Carnival is Phuket’s top free funfair according to a recent readers’ poll by the Phuket Gazette. The two-week poll, launched late last month, asked readers, “Which of the following annually-staged free events do you most enjoy?” Patong Carnival ranked as the top response, garnering 59.7% of votes overall. The Old Phuket Town Festival ranked second with…
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Phuket experts date Krabi relics at 3,000 years old
PHUKET: A trove of ancient artifacts unearthed in Krabi recently could be up to 3,000 years old, experts at the Fine Arts Department Office in Phuket have estimated. Reporters invited by a village headman in Baan Klang subdistrict, Ao Luek, were the among the first to view the items, discovered by residents of Baan Khao Ngam village last week. Ban…
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Jetstar flights to Phuket to airlift stranded Aussies home
Suggested Heading: PHUKET: Jetstar has scheduled an additional ad-hoc service from Phuket to Australia on Sunday in order to assist travellers stranded by the overnight collapse of Air Australia on Thursday. The ad-hoc services will be operated by an A320 aircraft with up to 180 seats and will fly from Phuket to Darwin (via Singapore) with onward connections to Jetstar’s…
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Chlorine gas guests return safely to Phuket resort
PHUKET: All the guests affected by the chlorine gas cloud at the Phuket Orchid Resort in Karon this morning have safely returned to the resort, it was announced at a press conference this afternoon. “Every single person taken to hospital has returned to the resort. Not a single person has checked out. They are all okay,” said resort general manager…
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Weird World News: Fatal feast of “bypass burger’, dumplings and butt crack cocaine
PHUKET: You are what you eat. Diners at “Heart Attack Grill” should remember this. So should competitors in dumpling-eating competitions and anyone else who ingests alien-objects or pain-inducing toxins into their body without thinking about it. This week’s Weird News round-up is a grim reminder to avoid what’s not fit for consumption. Customer has heart attack while scoffing ‘Triple Bypass…
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Phuket forecast: good chance of rain this weekend
PHUKET: The weekend forecast for Phuket calls for “widely scattered to scattered” thundershowers through Monday, with variable winds and temperatures at night reaching as low as 22°C.For the 24-hour period starting at noon today, the forecast by the Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) center at Phuket Airport calls for partly cloudy conditions with scattered thundershowers covering 60% of the province.Similar forecasts…
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Phuket kickboxer murder fugitive Lee Aldhouse wins right to appeal extradition
PHUKET: The return to Phuket of fugitive British murder suspect Lee Aldhouse remains on hold, as the kickboxer has won the right to appeal an extradition order, the UK media has reported. Lee Aldhouse, 27, successfully fled Thailand after he allegedly stabbed American Deshawn Longfellow to death in August 2010. He was later arrested at Heathrow Airport on an unrelated…
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Phuket Gazette Sports Bag: This week in Sports
PHUKET: The starter’s gun has fired and first out of the blocks is this week’s Phuket Gazette sports round-up.Your international sports page features a sprint through the Premiership with a glance to the side at Spurs’ rout of Newcastle, Thierry Henry’s parting gift to Arsenal, Zambia’s African Cup of Nations win, another Luis Suarez shake-down and why Carlos Tevez is…
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Phuket Gazette: 400 Frankfurt flights cancelled; Pilot dies during flight; Small plane crash
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community 400 flights cancelled as ground controllers strike at Frankfurt airport PHUKET (News Wires): More than 400 flights have been canceled at Frankfurt Airport in Germany after ground controllers launched a two-day strike over a wage dispute yesterday, aviation officials said today. Only 16 of the 200…
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Battle to keep Phuket beaches clear continues
PHUKET: The battle to keep Phuket’s beaches free of illegal vendors continues to be a pitched one, with each small advance seemingly followed by a setback.In the latest development, four local residents have set up small restaurants on the sands of Kata Beach with low-to-the-ground Japanese-style dining tables selling grilled and barbecued meats every evening starting at dusk.Orders by Karon…
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Phuket alcohol ban ahead of local elections
PHUKET: A ban on the sale of alcohol goes into effect in Srisoonthorn Municipality at 6pm tonight ahead of local elections tomorrow.Phuket Election Commission Director Kittipong Thiengkunakrit told the Phuket Gazette, “The alcohol ban will be in effect from 6pm Friday night through to midnight Saturday night due to the Srisoonthorn municipal elections on Saturday, February 18.”Mr Kittipong explained that…
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Qantas, Jetstar offer way home for stranded Air Australia tourists
PHUKET: National Australian airline Qantas and low-cost carrier Jetstar have announced special fares for tourists left stranded by the financial collapse Air Australia yesterday. Air Australia management declared going into voluntary administration late last night Phuket time, which resulted in the immediate grounding of their entire fleet. Qantas this morning announced the airline was drawing up a plan to assist…
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Violence condemned; drone strike; mass escape; Florida execution
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Reporters Without Borders condemns violence by Israeli forces against journalists PHUKET (News Wires): Reporters Without Borders on Wednesday condemned the alleged violence used by Israeli forces against Palestinian, Israeli and foreign photojournalists covering demonstrations against Israel’s West Bank separation barrier. In a statement, the Paris-based press…
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Blasts hit confidence; Security tightened; Bomb expert trained suspects
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Confidence of tourists will be hit by blasts PHUKET (The Nation): Tourism business operators believe that Tuesday’s bomb blasts in Bangkok will have a slight impact on the industry in the current first quarter of the year, according to a survey by the Center for Economic…
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Phuket coral bounces back from bleaching blight
PHUKET: Considerable improvement in the condition of bleached coral reefs around Phuket and along the Andaman Coast has been noted by government researchers, it was announced at a meeting early this week. Boonchob Sudthamanaswong, Director-General of the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources Andaman Coast Group (DMCR-Andaman), chaired a seminar at the Phuket Merlin Hotel on Monday to discuss government…
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Phuket’s Paiboon calls for snap election
PHUKET: Paiboon Upatising, who earlier today announced his shock resignation as president of the Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (OrBorJor), this afternoon explained that his resignation is to pave the way for elections before April 20. Mr Paiboon officially resigned from his position yesterday. “I submitted my resignation to Phuket Governor Tri Augkaradacha yesterday. My term as president was scheduled to…
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Chinese government eyes interest in Phuket light rail
PHUKET: A state enterprise from the People’s Republic of China is the latest party to express interest in investing in Phuket’s light-rail project.An administration and engineering team from Mashucon Co Ltd announced the news in a meeting with Phuket Governor Tri Augaradacha at Provincial Hall yesterday afternoon.Executive Chairman Nopphon Tansakul told the governor that his team came on behalf of…
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Phuket’s Paiboon resigns in shock move
PHUKET: Paiboon Upatising has resigned his position as president of the Phuket Provincial Administrative Organization (OrBorJor). More details about the shock resignation will be revealed at a press conference this afternoon, the Phuket Gazette has been told. Mr Paiboon was elected to office in April 2008, and was cleared of vote-buying allegations by the Appeals Court in Bangkok on September…
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Phuket Video Report: Alleged contract killer surrenders to Phuket police, claims innocence
PHUKET: Phuket businessman Atsadakorn “Pod” Seedokbuab, wanted by police for being the mastermind behind the assassination of Phuket newsman Wisut “Ae Inside” Tangwitthayaporn early last month, surrendered to police this morning. “I had nothing to do with it. I knew Ae very well. Even when he joined the red shirt protests in Bangkok, he called and asked me for money…
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Phuket on high alert in wake of Bangkok terror bombs
PHUKET: Phuket Governor Tri Augkaradacha has ordered all police units on the island to be on high alert following the arrests of three Iranians for the bomb blasts in Bangkok on Tuesday. Phuket Provincial Police Commander Chonasit Wattanavrangkul has also ordered all police to boost patrols in Phuket’s popular tourist areas. The move follows the police learning that at least…
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Phuket Gazette: Fisherman murdered by police; 272 prisoners dead; 54 rhinos poached
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Sri Lanka police open fire on protesters, killing one PHUKET (News Wires): One demonstrator was killed yesterday morning when police officers opened fire on fishermen who were protesting against fuel prices in northwestern Sri Lanka, local media reported. Thousands of fishermen clashed with police during the…
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Bahrain F1 get Bernie’s backing
PHUKET: “I don’t think it’s anything serious at all. It doesn’t change our position in any shape or form.” Bernie Ecclestone, head of Formula One, told British media that despite recent outbreaks of violence in Bahrain, the scheduled April 22 Grand Prix (GP) should take place. He added that if he was advised by the government in Bahrain not to…
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Phuket select XI to play the MCC
PHUKET: The famous Marylebone Cricket Club (MCC) based at the historic Lords ground in England play their first Thailand tour game tomorrow in a momentous event for the ACG and Phuket cricket. Starting at 2pm, a selection of Phuket’s cricket fraternity will don their whites and play a match to be remembered for the rest of their lives. Non-cricketers may…
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Phuket Business: Toyota Sure opens shop
PHUKET: With so many new cars hitting the streets, the island’s used car and trade-in market is rapidly growing – particularly good news for car owners having second thoughts about a recently purchased or leased vehicle. Benchmarking market growth, Phuket’s Toyota Pearl recently held the soft opening of Toyota Sure, the brand’s renowned second-hand car dealership, located off Chalermprakiat (Bypass)…
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130 couples wed at Phuket Muang District Office on Valentine’s Day
PHUKET: Hearts were aflutter at Muang Phuket District Office yesterday, as 130 couples appeared to register marriages on Valentine’s Day 2012. Muang District Chief Supachai Pochanukul told the Phuket Gazette, “We prepared a special registration desk for the couples and gave them all Valentine’s Day gifts. We issued certificates to 130 couples; it was a very lovely day.”Among the newlyweds…
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Phuket Gazette: Thai Deputy Premier wants fast execution of drug convicts
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community PHUKET (The Nation): A legal study is underway on orders from Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yoobamrung to determine whether drug-related convicts on death row can be executed within 60 days after final verdicts have been reached. With national drug-related crime statistics reflecting the surge in arrests…
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