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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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  • Phuket Lomas International Youth Rugby Tournament sees King’s College Bangkok victorious

    Phuket Lomas International Youth Rugby Tournament sees King’s College Bangkok victorious

    PHUKET: The first Phuket Lomas International Youth Rugby Tournament hosted by Thanyapura Sports and Leisure Club (TSLC) enjoyed fantastic support yesterday with King’s College Bangkok securing the inaugural champion’s title. In a tense final against Centaurs RFC of Singapore, the Bangkok side proved their worth as deserving victors by scoring two breakaway tries and one conversion late in the second…

  • Phuket tennis hopes dashed at ITF tennis tournament

    Phuket tennis hopes dashed at ITF tennis tournament

    PHUKET: Hopes of a Phuket player qualifying for the main draw of the Chang ITF Pro Circuit tournament 2011 being held at Thanyapura Sports and Leisure Club (TSLC) were dampened yesterday with Tachakorn Tonnon exiting the competition in the very first match.Tachakorn, who plays his tennis out of Chalong, lost 6-0, 6-0 to Wing-Lun Lam of Hong Kong in a…

  • Phuket All Stars play Thailand’s U23 squad tonight at Surakul

    Phuket All Stars play Thailand’s U23 squad tonight at Surakul

    PHUKET: Thailand’s U23 national team has announced schedule changes for their southern tour schedule, moving their friendly charity match against FC Phuket to Friday, November 4 at 6pm, instead of Saturday as initially announced. The change follows a request by 2011 SEA Games host Indonesia to bring forward the starting date of the SEA Games to November 9 from November…

  • ‘Amateur’ gold thief nabbed by Phuket Police

    ‘Amateur’ gold thief nabbed by Phuket Police

    PHUKET: A 22-year-old Phuket man has been arrested in connection with yesterday’s brazen 950,000-baht gold heist. Dechin Gongsinon was arrested at his home this morning after police followed a trail of clues left by the seemingly hapless thief. Mr Dechin was found in possession of two of the stolen gold chains, police said. “The thief was an amateur,” declared Phuket…

  • Thief makes off with 950k baht in Phuket gold heist

    Thief makes off with 950k baht in Phuket gold heist

    PHUKET: A man posing as a customer made off with almost one million baht in gold yesterday after snatching a display tray from a Phuket gold shop. Police received a report at 3pm that Thong Tanet 1 gold shop near the Kaset Market in Phuket Town had been robbed. Phuket City Police top-brass, including Superintendent Chote Chitchai, Lt Col Jumroon…

  • Phuket Governor pulled into appeal to fix deadly hill road

    Phuket Governor pulled into appeal to fix deadly hill road

    PHUKET: Patong Deputy Mayor Chairat Sukbal today pleaded for Phuket Governor Tri Augkaradacha to order the damaged road on Patong Hill to be repaired. The road was damaged by a landslide on October 13 after heavy rain fell across Phuket. The road suffered further damage after yet another landslide at the same location on October 19. At a meeting at…

  • “Troubled’ lovers plunge from Phuket bridge, whereabouts unknown

    “Troubled’ lovers plunge from Phuket bridge, whereabouts unknown

    PHUKET: A search has been launched for a pair of troubled lovers who were last seen on Thepkrasattri Bridge and are now missing, believed to have leaped into the fast-flowing waters heading out to the Andaman Sea. Tah Chat Chai Police Duty Officer Watcharin Jiratikarnwiwat received a report just after midnight last night that a man and a woman had…

  • Floods force south-bound trains out of Bangkok

    Floods force south-bound trains out of Bangkok

    PHUKET: Floods in Bangkok have forced trains bound for Surat Thani, a popular jump-off point for tourists heading to Phuket, to start from the Nakhon Pathom railway station, on the west of the Thai capital. An operator at the State Railway of Thailand’s call center today told the Phuket Gazette that the move to shut down Southern Line services at…

  • Phuket tourist mum dies, son seriously injured in motorbike accident

    Phuket tourist mum dies, son seriously injured in motorbike accident

    PHUKET: A German tourist was killed and her son seriously injured in a motorbike accident on Wednesday about 100 meters ahead of her husband and the boy’s twin brother, who were on another motorbike.Nicole Wittig, 47, was driving the motorbike at about 11pm on a road near the Laguna resort complex with her 17-year-old son, Mark, riding pillion when she…

  • Thai Floods: Phuket becomes safe haven in Bangkok exodus

    Thai Floods: Phuket becomes safe haven in Bangkok exodus

    PHUKET: Roads and bus, train and airport terminals in Bangkok yesterday were jammed with people exiting flood-struck Bangkok, heading to safe areas including, quite noticeably today, Phuket. The exodus gathered pace yesterday, with long tailbacks on outbound highways with cars and adding to packed accommodations in Pattaya, Hua Hin and Chon Buri, among other destinations. For days, Bangkokians have been…

  • Thanyapura serves up ITF tennis for Phuket on Saturday

    Thanyapura serves up ITF tennis for Phuket on Saturday

    PHUKET: Following their success at the recent Thanyapura Tennis Challenge, Tachakorn Tonnon and Pavaporn Limsakul are now preparing for another opportunity to showcase their talents at the Chang International Tennis Federation (ITF) Thailand Pro Circuit 2011 tournament.Enthusiasts of the sport in Phuket are also anticipating an exciting exhibition of tennis from a number of the finest players in the region,…

  • Phuket Governor goes shopping for flood price hikes

    Phuket Governor goes shopping for flood price hikes

    PHUKET: Governor Tri Augkaradacha today inspected Phuket’s three largest grocery retailers after receiving complaints of price rises on some products following the floods in Bangkok.Joining Governor Tri were Prajiad Aksornthammakul of the Phuket Provincial Office, Phuket Internal Trade Office Director Supatcha Boonpalit, and Phuket MP Raewat Areerob.At each store, Gov Tri and his entourage were welcomed by the store manager…

  • Phuket tourists finger American snatch thief

    Phuket tourists finger American snatch thief

    PHUKET: An American man was arrested last night after allegedly committing a string of snatch thefts in popular tourist beach areas on Phuket’s west coast. Jake Bordes, 27, was stopped by police and charged with robbery after two tourists reported being robbed in separate incidents while walking in Karon. A Chalong Police report states that “Ritua Walli” was robbed at…

  • Phuket Live Wire : Signing up for Internet service – Ten tips

    Phuket Live Wire : Signing up for Internet service – Ten tips

    PHUKET: Over the past month in these Live Wire columns I’ve given you a snapshot of what options you have for internet service in Phuket. Choices range from not-really-tolerable to surprisingly good. Most of all, the competition’s fierce and that bodes well for all of us. The key to it all is staying on top of what’s available, and how…

  • Phuket tourism on high ground

    Phuket tourism on high ground

    PHUKET: Tourism in Phuket will not be negatively affected by flooding in other parts of Thailand – in fact, the industry is doing better than last year, according to Phuket Tourist Association (PTA) Vice President for Marketing Bhuritt Maswongsa. “The flood disaster is not affecting Phuket tourism because most of Phuket’s tourists come from abroad – there are more than…

  • Second event completed in Phuket Dinghy Racing Series

    Second event completed in Phuket Dinghy Racing Series

    PHUKET: The second edition of the Phuket Dinghy Series took place off Nai Yang Beach on October 15 and 16 with 33 sailors in contention for honors. Organizers selected Nai Yang for this edition as part of three different racing areas, with the intention of allowing sailors to experience a range of conditions and test their seamanship throughout the three…

  • Phuket’s schools ready for PTT Cup

    Phuket’s schools ready for PTT Cup

    PHUKET: The PTT sponsored Schools Volleyball Cup will again take place on Karon Beach as a forerunner to the main PTT Swatch FIVB Phuket competition. Four schools will participate, including Rachaprachanukroh School, British International School, Headstart, and SOS Children’s Village. The event will be run over two days, starting on November 5, after the FIVB semi finals, and will finish…

  • Phuket Gazette’s top sport tips: Tennis

    Phuket Gazette’s top sport tips: Tennis

    PHUKET: The second most important shot in tennis is the return of serve. The goal for the return of serve is to neutralize the serve. Returning the ball deep into the court for singles, or at the side “T” for doubles, is where players should aim. The technique is to minimize backswing and forward swing. Measure the racket to the…

  • Phuket Irish Times race 5

    Phuket Irish Times race 5

    PHUKET: What initially looked like a small crowd turned into a fleet of seven for the Irish Times Series race five off Ao Chalong Yacht Club. Participating in the Racing Class were Linda, Dreamtime and Remington, while in the Multihull Class were Nina, Moto Inzi, Miss Saigon and Sidewinder. A sunny day greeted the crews with a good breeze beginning…

  • Running tips by Jurgen Zack for Phuket’s triathlon

    Running tips by Jurgen Zack for Phuket’s triathlon

    PHUKET: I started as a distance runner at the age of 14. I always had the desire to be independent. Running meant freedom for me and I could choose to run on my own anytime and anywhere in the world. Running is a sight seeing tour and I enjoy the stress relieving effect it has on my body. Running, for…

  • Nok Air to resume Bangkok-Phuket flights

    Nok Air to resume Bangkok-Phuket flights

    PHUKET: Nok Air will resume flights between flood-struck Bangkok and Phuket tomorrow by temporarily moving their operations to Suvarnabhumi Airport. Nok Air ground attendant Nonglak Sangcharoen, based at Phuket International Airport, today confirmed to the Phuket Gazette that, “Due to the floods, all Nok Air flights from Phuket to Bangkok from tomorrow, October 27, through to November 10 will land…

  • Phuket Caveat: Man accused of bestiality says his prostitute turned into a donkey | Thaiger

    Phuket Caveat: Man accused of bestiality says his prostitute turned into a donkey

    PHUKET: Expat residents of Phuket are well accustomed to tales bizarre, but this one, reported by local media in Zimbabwe, may trump anything recorded in the Pearl of the Andaman to date.A Zimbabwean court was taken by surprise yesterday when a man accused of bestiality claimed that a prostitute he had hired had transformed herself into a donkey overnight. Sunday…

  • Phuket bus crash driver blames brake failure

    Phuket bus crash driver blames brake failure

    PHUKET: The driver of the Phuket tour bus full of Russian tourists that ran off the road on a steep curve heading into Patong this afternoon told police that brake failure caused the accident. “The brakes failed. That’s what caused the crash,” said Nakrob Tiewtrakul, 42, from Ratchaburi, who suffered a deep cut on his forehead when the bus plowed…

  • Cyclists make the Big Push for Phuket

    Cyclists make the Big Push for Phuket

    PHUKET: TEN riders representing the Royal British Legion and the Thai War Veterans Organization are set to cross Phuket’s Thepkrasattri Bridge tomorrow, completing a 855-kilometer bike ride from Bangkok in a bid to raise 500,000 baht for charity. Completing the ride, called the “Spice Roads Royal British Legion Big Push”, are British ex-service folk, the oldest of whom is Tony…

  • Phuket Breaking News: Bus crash on Patong Hill; many injured

    Phuket Breaking News: Bus crash on Patong Hill; many injured

    PHUKET: A bus carrying 37 Russian tourists from Phuket International Airport has crashed on Patong Hill, injuring many passengers in the second such incident in four days in Phuket. A Russian passenger told the Phuket Gazette that the bus – emblazoned with the company name “J-Siam Holiday Phuket Co” – was carrying 37 Russians, and four Thais: two tour guides,…

  • Floods force Nok Air to cancel Bangkok-Phuket flights

    Floods force Nok Air to cancel Bangkok-Phuket flights

    PHUKET: Flood waters have inundated the runway at Don Mueang Airport in Bangkok, forcing Nok Air to cancel all flights between Phuket and the Thai capital until at least October 31. The immediate cancellation is only temporary, said Prathuang Sornkham, who returned to his position of director at Phuket International Airport about a week ago. “However, if the water does…

  • Phuket Town thieves stealing water meters – again

    Phuket Town thieves stealing water meters – again

    PHUKET: Officers at Phuket City Municipality are urging residents to beware water meter thieves running amok in the town. They are also calling for all scrap metal merchants to be on the lookout for any scrap being sold that suspiciously looks like the ramps used to allow vehicles to ascend curbs and be parked in inner-city garages. The warnings come…

  • Phuket prisoners selected for ‘reintegration training’

    Phuket prisoners selected for ‘reintegration training’

    PHUKET: More than 200 inmates at Phuket Prison today began their first day of rehabilitation training to prepare them for release into society. The two-week course, launched to honor HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s 84th birthday on December 5, aims to help the inmates become “good, moral people” and productive members of society, said Phuket Prison chief Rapin Nichanon at the…

  • Thai property: Food for thought for Phuket expats | Thaiger

    Thai property: Food for thought for Phuket expats

    Phuket NEWS Hound – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket readers PHUKET: An item on the BBC website last week caught the attention of Phuket News Hound. Grand in its simplicity and purpose, and unassailable as a means to improve a troubled nation’s economy, a proposal by two United States senators to woo foreign property buyers – yes,…

  • Phuket dispatches more flood relief for Bangkok

    Phuket dispatches more flood relief for Bangkok

    PHUKET: As Bangkok braces for more floods, which some experts say may last up to a month, Phuket officials yesterday dispatched a second convoy loaded with flood-relief items to help those affected by the disaster. A total of 18 trucks left the Phuket Red Cross center at Saphan Hin. They are expected to arrive in Bangkok tomorrow morning. There to…