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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New box jellyfish found at Ao Nambor
CAPE PANWA, PHUKET: Marine biologists think they have discovered a tiny species of the venomous box jellyfish never seen before in the waters around Phuket. Dr Somchai Bussarawit, Chief of Museum and Aquarium at the Phuket Marine Biological Center (PMBC) said on March 18 that the specimen was discovered at Ao Nambor, the same area where almost 40 specimens of…
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‘Random’ drug testing continues in Patong
PATONG, PHUKET: Drug testing taking place at popular nightlife entertainment venues in Patong has yet to result in any arrests of foreigners in connection with illegal drug use. Kathu Police are focusing mainly on Thai patrons and the bar staff in their mandatory urine testing, which gives on-the-spot results for three ‘recreational’ drugs: ya bah (methamphetamine), ya ice (crystal methamphetamine)…
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Teen killer arrested after return from Ranong
PHUKET: Phuket City Police have arrested a man wanted for the January 2 shooting of 17-year-old Anukul Boonwong. Phuket City Superintendent Wanchai Ekpornpit identified the suspect as Sulaimarn “Chuk” Wetkla, who was presented with an arrest warrant and taken into custody in front of his home in Rassada Village 7 at 11 pm yesterday. Details of the arrest were announced…
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Kamala roads blocked by protesters
PHUKET, KAMALA: Roads in Kamala have been blocked by protesters since yesterday evening. About 400-500 Kamala residents gathered at an intersection near Phuket Fantasea at 8pm on Tuesday evening to protest the local police station’s handling of crime in the area. The protests began at 7pm when a crowd gathered outside the station. The protesters later set up tents and loud speakers…
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Youth stabbed to death in Suan Luang Park
PHUKET CITY: In the latest fatality from teenage gang violence, a 17-year-old boy was found stabbed to death inside Suan Luang Park in the early hours of Sunday, March 15. Phuket City Police received a report of a murder in the park on the emergency hotline (‘191’) at about 1:45 am. Arriving at the scene with rescue workers from the…
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Cherng Talay teen charged with attempted murder
CHERNG TALAY, PHUKET: Police on Thursday morning held a press conference to announce the arrest of a local youth wanted for shooting a rival gang member in late January. Cherng Talay Police Inspector for Investigation Tongchai Matitum identified the suspect as 19-year-old Pharuhat Choochit, a resident of Cherng Talay Village 5. According to the press release, the shooting took place…
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First day in office for Governor Wichai
PHUKET CITY: Today marks the first day in office of Phuket’s new governor, Wichai Phraisa-ngop.Mr Wichai was greeted at the Governor’s Mansion yesterday morning by numerous officials and well-wishers, some traveling from as far away as Phang Nga and Surat Thani to attend the ceremony.Transferred to Phuket from his previous posting as governor of Sing Buri province in the Central…
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PAD to hold huge rally in Phuket
PHUKET: The People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) will stage a large rally at Saphan Hin in Phuket on April 18. All five core PAD leaders – Sondhi Limthongkul, Chamlong Srimuang, Pipop Thongchai, Somsak Kosaisuk and Somkiat Pongpaiboon – are set to attend. Mr Sondhi’s Asian Satellite Television (ASTV) is organizing the rally, which will start at 4 pm and go…
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Suspects held for stealing 1.7 million baht from a Briton
BANGKOK: A Thai graduate student and two female accomplices were arrested for allegedly stealing 1.7 million baht from a Briton via e-banking facilities and ATMs, police said yesterday. Tourist Police Division Chief Maj-General Adis Ngamjitsuksri yesterday presented three suspects at a press conference along with 10 items of evidence that included five mobile phones, a notebook computer and a PC.…
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Battered body found in rubber plantation
CHALONG, PHUKET: Police have yet to identify the body of a man found beaten to death in a rubber plantation off Soi Nakok early Friday morning. Chalong Police Duty Officer Anukul Nuket was notified of the body’s discovery at 9:30 am and went to the scene, about half a kilometer from Chao Fa West Rd on Soi Nakok in Chalong…
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Komkai killing: second suspect surrenders
PHUKET CITY: The second of five suspects wanted for conspiracy to commit murder in the high-profile contract killing of Jintana Plaza heiress Komkai Kositkoon turned himself in to police on Thursday afternoon. The suspect, 46-year-old Sopol Latrana, surrendered himself to Region 8 Police Commander Santarn Chayanon and Phuket Provincial Police Commander Apirak Hongtong at Phuket City Police Station at 5…
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Danish man found dead in Kata hotel
KARON, PHUKET: In what police are treating as a case of death by natural causes, a Danish tourist was found dead in his hotel room at Kata Beach on Wednesday morning. Chalong Police Duty Officer Parichat Jaturonphan identified the deceased as 60-year-old Svarre Mortensen, a guest at the Tropical Garden Resort in Kata. Mr Svarre’s body was discovered lying face…
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Car crash cash cow
SRISOONTHORN, PHUKET: Road accidents can be costly for insurers, so when a dead ox was the cause of a two-car collision on Wednesday local police came up with a pragmatic way to ease one insurance company’s financial burden. Thalang Police Duty Officer Prakorb Boonkwan, notified of the unusual accident on Wednesday morning, was the first to arrive at the scene.…
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Thai Obama sings to a different tune
SARABURI: While your average Southeast Asian would struggle to make his way in the world as a Gerorge W Bush lookalike, America’s dashing new president is providing some exciting new career prospects for some men across the region. One Indonesian has already found fame in the Philippines owing to his uncanny resemblance to President Barack Obama. He was well compensated…
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Irishman fights off crazed attacker
RAWAI, PHUKET: An Irish guesthouse operator is lucky to be alive after fending off a brutal nighttime assault by a crazed, gun-wielding intruder on Tuesday, March 3.Roger Corrigan, 48-year-old proprietor of the Majestic Villas resort on Saiyuan Rd, was awoken at about 4:30 am by a man who jumped on him as he slept in his bed and began beating…
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Billionaires Lead Phuket’s Top 5 Rich and Famous Villa List
PHUKET: Thailand’s resort island of Phuket is fast becoming the place for the rich and famous in search of tropical island living coupled with great investment. According to the recently-launched Phuket Insider blog, two of Forbes magazine’s leading billionaires have uber-luxury villas in Phuket. Phuket’s “Top 5” are reported as: 1. New Zealand’s wealthiest brothers, Richard and Christopher Chandler (one…
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Pattaya, not Phuket, to host ASEAN meetings in April
BANGKOK (TNA): Citing a lack of facilities in Phuket, the government has chosen Pattaya as the venue for two meetings for Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) leaders and their dialogue partners next month, according to Minister of Foreign Affairs Kasit Piromya. Thailand earlier said that it had planned to host the Asean+3 and Asean+6 in Phuket, but Mr Kasit…
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Trang woman commits suicide in Rassada
RASSADA, PHUKET: A woman who committed suicide by hanging was found in the living room of her daughter’s home late Tuesday morning. Phuket City Police Duty Officer Anek Mongkol identified the deceased as 45-year-old Lamoon Injan, a resident of the Wangwiset District in Trang. At about 11:30 am, Mrs Lamoon’s daughter discovered her mother’s body suspended by the neck from…
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Slight drop in demand for residential properties
PHUKET CITY: Demand for residential projects in Phuket has dropped slightly due to the global economic downturn, the Government Housing Bank’s Real Estate Information Center (REIC) confirmed recently. According to an REIC survey, residential projects ready for sale in Phuket now numbered 139, or 12,334 units, said REIC Director-General Samma Kitsin at a recent seminar at the Royal Phuket City…
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Four bodies found in sunken dive boat
PHUKET: The Phuket branch of the Department of Disaster Prevention & Mitigation (DDPM-Phuket) confirmed this afternoon that the bodies of four more victims from the dive boat Choke Somboon 19 have been discovered inside the sunken vessel.Deep sea divers have been working with Marine Police since first light this morning to reach the sunken vessel, which lies 70 meters below…
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German youth arrested for sexual abuse of young boys
PATONG, PHUKET: A 17-year-old German national has confessed to charges of sexually molesting young boys following an investigation by the Department of Special Investigations (DSI) and Kathu Police. The youth, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was arrested at 11.30 pm in Rawai on Monday. The German is accused of conspiring to sexually abuse two young boys together with…
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Red Cross Vigo auction on March 18
PHUKET CITY: The Toyota Vigo that was top prize in the 2009 Phuket Red Cross Fair raffle is to be auctioned on March 18. The 650,000-baht pick-up remained unclaimed at the midnight deadline on Saturday February 28, prompting the auction. Bidding will take place at the Phuket Red Cross Office on Narisorn Rd. Prospective buyers should arrive at the office…
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Thai AirAsia to add direct Hong Kong flights in June
PHUKET / BANGKOK: Thai AirAsia is planning to start direct flights between Phuket and Hong Kong in June and will push Phuket as a second hub in Thailand. An executive of the budget airline said daily flights between the two cities would use new A320s, scheduled for delivery in June. Phuket will be given more links with major destinations in…
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Drowning victim’s body recovered off Rawai
RAWAI, PHUKET: A fishing trip ended in tragedy on Sunday, when a small fiberglass boat with three men aboard sank in a storm off Koh Bon in Rawai. Kathu resident Attakorn Chaiboon, 40, drowned in the accident, which happened at around 8.30 pm. His body was finally recovered from the sea at 3.10 pm on Tuesday. Two survivors, 33-year-old Sittichai…
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Gov Preecha transferred out in civil service reshuffle
PHUKET: Governor Preecha Ruangjan is to be transferred to Phitsanuloke province in the north of Thailand, a source in the Governor’s Office has confirmed. Dr Preecha, a native of Phichit province (which borders Phitsanuloke), was appointed as governor of Phuket less than five months ago under the government of Somchai Wongsawat and his now disbanded People Power Party (PPP). Dr…
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Body of Caucasian woman recovered at sea
AO MAKHAM, PHUKET: The body of a Caucasian woman was this morning found floating near the site of the sinking of the Choke Somboon 19, which capsized about 12 nautical miles off Phuket on Sunday night. For the original story, click here. The identity of the woman has not yet been confirmed. Her body, recovered by a Royal Thai Navy…
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Strong evidence against alleged British pedophile: Kathu Police
PATONG, PHUKET: A British man arrested for allegedly molesting four young boys was returned to Kathu Police Station for a press conference last night, but the conference was delayed pending the arrest of a second suspect on similar charges. A team of Department of Special Investigation (DSI) officers, with the assistance of Kathu Police, arrested 41-year-old UK national Dax J.…
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Seven still missing after freak storm sinks boat near Phuket
PHUKET: Following the sinking of a boat last night that was carrying tourists returning to Phuket from a diving trip near the Similan islands, six foreign tourists and one Thai member of the boat’s crew are still missing. Police have issued the following list of seven people who were on the boat but remain unaccounted for: German national Ms Jetzinger…
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Boat sinks off Phuket, six still missing
BANGKOK / PHUKET: A boat carrying foreign scuba divers sunk off Phuket province late last night. Six of the divers are still missing. The Royal Thai Navy base in Phuket was alerted this morning by a tour operator whose boat, carrying 31 divers, failed to arrive at Chalong Pier (at Phuket island’s southern tip) at 2am as scheduled. The company…
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Jyoti scuba dives his way to win the Singha Thailand Open
LAGUNA PHUKET: After starting the day as joint leader in the final day of the Singha Thailand Open golf tournament in Phuket, Indian national Jyoti Randhawa won the four-day event to take home the King’s Cup and nearly US$80,000. Jyoti led at the 40th Singha Thailand Open at the start of today’s play with fellow Indian SSP Chowrasia and Welshman…
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