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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Phuket Airport safe, security stepped up
PHUKET: Security at Phuket International Airport has been beefed up following outbreaks of violence across Bangkok and other parts of the country today. Airport Director Pratueng Sornkham said more police officers were called in to guard the facility from 11am this morning. Stricter security procedures are now in operation and will remain so until the situation changes, he said. He…
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Turmoil in more cities, but top cop says Phuket safe
PHUKET: Despite the turmoil engulfing parts of Bangkok and some other Thai cities, Phuket’s top cop insists Phuket remains safe. Commenting on reports that two provincial halls in Northeast Thailand have been set on fire by rampaging red shirts, Phuket Provincial Police Commander Pekad Tantipong said the same could not happen here. Tha Chat Chai checkpoint, where police inspect vehicles…
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Phuket to host Seniors World Cup
PHUKET: The island is gearing up to host the fifth annual Football Senior World Cup 2010 tournament that kicks off on May 31. The tournament is to be held in Phuket for the first time since 2006, when the island hosted the inaugural event. Play in this year’s tournament, which runs from May 31 to June 5, will include teams…
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TAT must focus on Phuket
Phuket NEWS Hound – A daily digest of news from around the world compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community PHUKET: An editorial in eTurboNews opines that political unrest in Thailand over the past few weeks now presents the greatest challenge to the reputation of Thai tourism since the December 2004 tsunami. The travel industry site suggests Phuket and…
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Urgent call for blood in Phuket
PHUKET: The Phuket Regional Blood Center is asking for urgent help as Thailand is facing a nationwide blood shortage due to the political unrest in Bangkok. Pareeya Jullaphong, corporate social responsibility project manager at Bangkok Hospital Phuket, said the National Blood Center and Red Cross Society in Bangkok are unable to distribute blood across the country as normal due to…
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Korean, Thai charged over Phuket horror crash
PHUKET: Two men wanted by police for their involvement in a deadly crash on the bypass road earlier this month have reported to police, but only one accepts that his negligence might have played a role in the collision that claimed the lives of a young couple from Kathu. Phuket City Police duty officer Thada Sodarak said that 30-year-old truck…
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HRH Princess Sirindhorn to visit Phuket next week
PHUKET: HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn will pay an official visit to Phuket on May 27. The Princess is scheduled to arrive at Phuket International Airport at 8:30am aboard a Royal Thai Air Force jet. In the morning, the Princess will visit Chalermprakiat Somdejprasrinakarin Phuket School in Saphan Hin to preside over the dedication of a monument to Somdejprasrinakarin, the…
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Kiwi travel warning includes Phuket
Phuket NEWS Hound – A daily digest of news from around the world compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community PHUKET: Radio New Zealand says that country’s ambassador to Thailand has advised New Zealanders in Bangkok to “strongly consider” leaving the city. Ambassador Bede Corry says the trouble may spread to other areas like Phuket and that all non-essential…
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PHUKET OPINION: Thanks, but more airport taxis not needed
PHUKET: The compromise agreement ending the latest dispute between rival taxi concessionaires at Phuket International Airport (PIA) may appease both sides in the short term, but allowing 60 more vans and ‘limousine’ taxis onto airport grounds as the low season sets in will only worsen conditions at the airport in upcoming months. Airports of Thailand (AOT), which runs the airport,…
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Phuket Gazette partner journalist shot in Bangkok
Phuket NEWS Hound – A daily digest of news from around the world compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community PHUKET: Chaiwat Phumpuang, a photo-journalist in the Nation/Gazette news pool, has become the latest victim of the protest violence in Bangkok. The award-winning lensman, who has covered many political crises, was shot in the leg while recording the demonstrations…
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Sunday Summary / update on Thai Crisis
PHUKET: The Phuket Gazette‘s own correspondents and Nation partner reporters in Bangkok join our Phuket-based NEWS Hound team this morning to present a Sunday snapshot of the turmoil in Bangkok and some glimpses into its increasingly adverse impacts. 24 dead as army told to “shoot on sight” Since violence re-erupted in Bangkok on Thursday with the shooting of renegade army…
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More Phuket ‘reds’ to Bangkok
PHUKET: More Phuket people are joining the red shirt protest in Bangkok, one of the leaders of the Phuket United Front of Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD) told the Gazette today. “At the beginning, more than 400 people from Phuket had come to join the protest. Before last night’s fighting, about 100 were left,” Phuket red shirt leader Wisut ‘Ae Inside’…
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Phuket still safe for tourism: Russian Ambassador
PHUKET: The Russian ambassador to Thailand reaffirmed Phuket as a safe tourist destination after a tour of the island last weekend. Santi Udomkiratak, Deputy Honorary Consul of the Russian Federation for Phuket, Krabi and Phang-nga, said that Russian Ambassador Alexander Mariyasov reiterated during his visit that the current political turmoil in Bangkok had very little effect on the safety of…
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Internet outages plague Phuket
PHUKET: Following a week of intermittent internet access, at times leaving consumers with no access at all, Triple Broad Band Internet (3BB) has confirmed that the outages are expected to continue until the end of the month while the company installs a new network. Pongsakorn Yuktawet, General Manager of 3BB’s Upper Southern Region, based in Phuket, said the outages were…
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Phuket hotel occupancy in “massive decline”
Phuket NEWS Hound – A daily digest of news from around the world compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community PHUKET: The Tourism Authority of Thailand’s deputy governor for marketing communications, Prakit Piriyakiet, has just completed an inspection of hotels and resorts in Phuket, Krabi and Khao Lak to shortlist properties for the annual Thailand Tourism Awards. The trip revealed…
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Windmills planned for Phuket
PHUKET: The Energy Ministry is moving forward with plans to build more wind turbines in Phuket. Mr Wichai Limsawad, head of the Renewable Energy Department’s wind power section, told the Gazette that Laem Phromthep is a good spot to erect more windmills. “We have collected wind energy data at the Phromthep Alternative Energy Station windmill since 1983. The turbine there…
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Crucial Phuket road deteriorating
PHUKET: The state of the Patong-Karon road has gotten worse over the years and accidents are now an everyday occurrence, local residents say.The name of the winding road, dubbed Route 4233, changes from Sirirat Road on the Patong side to Patak Road after passing into tambon Karon near Le Meridien Phuket Beach Resort.Three sections are particularly hazardous due to poor…
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Phuket bids to save the dog conch
PA KHLOK, PHUKET: In a bid to increase depleted stocks, fisheries workers released 12,000 cultured dog conch shells into the sea off Pa Khlok in Phuket earlier this month.The operation was conducted jointly by the Marine and Coastal Resources Conservation Center 5 in Phuket and the Phang Nga Coastal Fishery Research and Development Center, where the dog conches (hawy chak…
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“Kathu Culture Road’ fair in Phuket
PHUKET: Kathu will host its second annual ‘Kathu Culture Road’ fair from June 25 to 27, the municipality has announced. Kathu Mayor Chaianan Suthikul said they decided to host this year’s event in June as a way of attracting more tourists in the low season and to preserve Kathu’s unique culture. With a total budget of about 1 million baht,…
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Banyan Tree banks on Phuket
Phuket NEWS Hound – A daily digest of news from around the world compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community PHUKET: The political turmoil in Thailand is hurting Phuket icon the Banyan Tree Group as guests cancel room reservations in the strife-torn nation. The hospitality group said it had lost about $1.2 million in cancellations by May 7, or…
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Thailand, but not Phuket, in lockdown
PHUKET: The Centre for the Resolution of the Emergency Situation (CRES) has imposed emergency law in 15 more provinces in the central, northern and northeastern parts of Thailand, CRES spokesman Sansern Kaewkamnerd said. Phuket, however, is not on the list of affected provinces and remains calm, as it has been since the red-shirt demonstrations began two months ago. The 2nd…
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Patong tuk-tuk drivers get driving lessons
PATONG: Yes, the headline is correct. In hopes of boosting the image of public transport in Patong, the newly-launched Patong Taxi Federation (PTF) saw its first 80 members complete a driver’s training course on May 8 at the Phuket Land Transport Office. Preechavude Keesin, president of the PTF and son of Patong Mayor Pian Keesin, oversaw the training, which consisted…
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Hong Kong man dies in Phuket car crash
CHERNG TALAY, PHUKET: A Chinese man was killed in a car crash when he overshot a curve and slammed into a wall on Monday night. Hong Kong resident Kam Yum Lee, 57, died in his car near Cherng Talay School on Srisoonthorn Road. Cherng Talay Police Duty Officer Suphachai Poolkaew received a report of the accident around 10pm on Monday.…
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Thai FA Cup: FC Phuket downs Samut Prakarn, 2-1
PHUKET: FC Phuket advanced to the third round of the Thai FA Cup thanks to a 2-1 victory away at Samut Prakarn yesterday. The Southern Sea Kirin qualified for the second round match after beating Nakhon Ratchasima 2-1 at home in the opening round. Prolific teenager Adisak Kraisorn, who was named ‘man of the match’, opened the scoring in the…
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Phuket shunned by travellers
PHUKET: In poll results sure to shock many in Phuket, Thailand’s Koh Lanta, Khao Lak, Koh Pha-Ngan and Koh Samui have won 4 out of 10 honors for the Top Ten beach destinations in Asia. Phuket did not rank among them. The poll, conducted by TripAdvisor and titled ‘Traveler’s Choice Awards for 2010’, closed yesterday. The Thai beach resorts were…
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Hot, humid conditions in Phuket
PHUKET: Thai authorities issued a public health warning earlier this week after nationwide temperatures soared to their highest in 20 years. With temperatures across the country hitting 40 degrees Celsius, the Public Health Ministry advised people to stay indoors to avoid getting heat stroke. Public Health Minister Jurin Laksanawisit said exposure to heat could result in abnormally high body temperature,…
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Bomb found at ASTV Phuket office
PHUKET: A shopping bag containing a live hand grenade was found hanging from the front door of the ASTV television network office in downtown Phuket Town this morning. Phuket City Police were informed by the Phuket Special Branch Police at about 9am that someone had called in to report that a bomb had been placed at the office, located in…
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Expo 2020 in Phuket?
Phuket NEWS Hound – A daily digest of news from around the world compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community PHUKET: The Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) will work with the Ministry of Interior to canvas provinces in Thailand, including Phuket, to present their credentials to participate in the bid to a host Expo 2020. According to TTR…
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Phuket police nab serial thief
PHUKET: Chalong Police are seeking a foreign tourist whose credit card and Norwegian driving license were recovered during the arrest of an alleged serial thief over the weekend. Chalong Police Inspector Sutham Rattanasawangwongse received a tipoff at 5:30pm on Sunday that 40-year-old Sombat Supprasit was spotted riding a motorbike without a license plate near Nong Harn Lake in Karon. Mr…
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Riddle in THAI’s Phuket policy
Phuket NEWS Hound – A daily digest of news from around the world compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community PHUKET: Cancellations and a shortfall in advance bookings are forcing THAI Airways to revise its route network, capacity and fleet use to curb losses. Phuket continues to be a riddle in the plans. According to TTR Weekly, adjustments are…
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