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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PAD rallies to continue in Phuket
PHUKET CITY: Local members of the anti-government People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) will continue their evening gatherings at Saphan Hin even though Khunying Pojaman Shinawatra, wife of ex-Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, was found guilty of tax evasion in court on Thursday.Phuket PAD leader Natjarong Ekpermsup told the Gazette, “We will only stop protesting if the Bangkok protests stop.”While the PAD…
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New orphanage nearing completion
KOH KAEW: Construction of the Phuket SOS Children’s Village on 10 rai on the road from Thepkrasattri Rd to British International School (BIS) is expected to be completed by the end of this month. The SOS Foundation of Thailand, under the Royal Patronage of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit, is a member of the Austria-based charity SOS Kinderdorf International (SOS-KDI). The…
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Phuket-bound tourists stranded in Bangkok
PHUKET: Now that One-Two-Go and Nok Air have stopped flying to Phuket, many tourists are unable to find flights to our southern isle.Angry Finnish tourist Arto Tiitinen called from Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok this morning to inform the Gazette that many other irate Phuket-bound tourists were awaiting standby flights.“I’m surprised that there are not extra flights; now my family must holiday elsewhere.…
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Land brokers in murder-suicide
THALANG: A local land broker shot dead his female business partner and then turned the gun on himself in a murder-suicide last Sunday.The incident occurred at Manas House rented apartments on Thepkrasattri Rd in Srisoonthorn.After the owner of the apartment block heard gunshots, he called the police, who arrived at the scene about 5 pm, Pol Maj Prakob Boonkwun told the Gazette.The…
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Police Deputy Commissioner opens new Immigration building
PHUKET CITY: Gen Wiroj Phahonwet, Deputy Commissioner of the Royal Thai Police, arrived in Phuket to lead the opening ceremony of the new Immigration offices at Saphan Hin on Tuesday morning.The three-story building, which sits on 341 square meters of land, was built at a cost of just over 12 million baht.At 9:09 am, the ceremony started with a troupe…
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Nok Air ceases Phuket flights
PHUKET: From August 1, low-cost carrier Nok Air will no longer operate flights between Phuket and Bangkok, the Gazette has confirmed.The move follows Nok Air ceasing its services between Krabi and Bangkok on July 1.“Nok Air has no official statement regarding its marketing strategies, but if one looks carefully at what we are doing they might be able to figure…
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“Wave watcher’ may predict tsunamis
PHUKET: An automatic weather station to be installed on Koh Racha Noi will also measure wave and tidal movements, which may be able to help warn against impending tsunamis.The proposal has been approved by the Royal Thai Navy and the Town & Country Planning Department, though the budget required has yet to be determined, said Chumnong Chitpukdee, Director of Southern…
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Tosaporn named Korean Honorary Consul for Phuket
PHUKET CITY: Phuket Member of Parliament Tosaporn Tephabutra has been appointed the Republic of Korea’s Honorary Consul for Phuket and the new consular office here opened yesterday. Its opening occurs in a year coinciding with the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Korea and Thailand, which will be observed on October 4. Presiding over the opening ceremony at the new office, located near Surakul Stadium on Wichit Songkram…
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Phuket’s first Toy Library opens
WICHIT: Muang District Chief Wisit Kurattanavate today officially opened Phuket’s first “Toy Library”, which has been set up at the childcare center at Wat Thepnimit on Chao Fa East Rd.Organized by the Phuket Community Foundation (PCF), Phuket International Hospital (PIH) and Wichit Municipality, which is responsible for the government-run childcare center, the toy library aims to give underprivileged children the…
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Phuket “69ers’ to promote Thai ICT in China
PHUKET CITY: Representatives from Phuket businesses and other organizations will travel to Nanning City in Guangxi, China, for the 5th China-ASEAN Expo (CAEXPO) to be held from October 22-25.Phuket Vice-Governor Smith Palawatwichai met officers from the Department of Export Promotion (DEP), the Phuket Office of the Software Industries Promotion Agency (SIPA) and Phuket business operators at Phuket Provincial Hall yesterday…
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Immigration chief targets “national stability’
PHUKET CITY: In Phuket to officiate at the opening of the new Phuket Provincial Immigration Office at Saphan Hin today, Immigration Commissioner Lt Gen Chatchawan Suksomchit yesterday announced that he is shaking up his ranks to use technology to be more effective.Gen Chatchawan, Thailand’s top Immigration officer, said his goal is to improve “national stability” in order to restore investor…
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Anti-smuggler task force stages simulation
AO CHALONG: While the record fleet was wrapping up racing in the Six Senses Phuket Raceweek at Chalong Bay on Sunday, the Phuket Marine Police, Thai Customs officers and the Royal Thai Navy Third Fleet staged a co-ordinated, simulated raid on a fishing boat with the crew pretending to be arms smugglers.In the exercise, a response group combining all three organizations…
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Pian wins second term as Patong Mayor
PATONG: Pian Keesin won the Patong Municipality election for the seat as Patong Mayor yesterday, defeating rival Somkiet Kuru by 577 votes.Of the 11,460 eligible voters in the resort town, 7,849 voters (or 68%) turned out to cast ballots at the 23 polling stations set up around Patong.Votes were cast from 8 am to 3 pm, after which the counting…
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Yo!2 blitzes Phuket Raceweek regatta
AO CHALONG: Perth-based sailor Peter Ahern, skippering his new boat Yo!2, left the rest of the fleet in his wake at this year’s Six Senses Phuket Raceweek with eight wins from eight races to take the honors in the top-flight IRC 1 class today. Ahern, who is also the Commodore of the Royal Freshwater Bay Yacht Club in Perth, finished…
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OrBorTor moves to keep Koh Maphrao clean
KOH MAPHRAO: In a move to keep Koh Maphrao clean, Koh Kaew Tambon Administration Organization (OrBorTor), the local authority responsible for Koh Maphrao, will place trash cans around the island.Koh Kaew OrBorTor President Kuakiat Jitkua today told the Gazette, “I’m trying to improve waste disposal at Laem Hin and Koh Maphrao. “On Wednesday, we held a beach cleanup with local…
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Yo!2 finds Raceweek plain sailing
AO CHALONG: Peter Ahern’s crew aboard Yo2! have maintained their lead in the IRC 1 class of this year’s Six Senses Phuket Raceweek with two more wins today, leaving them with four wins from four races so far in the series. Other provisional results posted this afternoon show that Ben Copely’s Swan 42 Katsu, racing in her first Raceweek regatta,…
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“Death truck’ families to receive B35k per victim
BANGKOK (TNA): Relatives of the 54 Burmese migrant workers who suffocated in the back of a seafood truck in Ranong on April 9 will receive 35,000 baht compensation for each relative who died while being illegally transported to Phuket, Suwanna Suwanjutha, director-general of the Rights and Liberties Protection Department, said on Tuesday.A total of 121 people were crammed inside a…
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Vandals slash Patong election campaign posters
PATONG: Ahead of the Patong municipal election on Sunday, many of the campaign posters of mayoral candidate Somkiet Kuru, of the Patong Gao Na (Progress) party, posted throughout the resort town, have been slashed by vandals.Khun Somkiet is the only mayoral candidate opposing Pian Keesin, who is campaigning for his second consecutive term as mayor.Kathu Police Superintendent Col Grissak Songmoonnark…
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Fuel price cuts effective Friday
PHUKET: Phuket motorists will benefit from a reduction in fuel prices tomorrow following an announcement today by the Petroleum Authority of Thailand (PTT) that gasohol, diesel and benzine prices at PTT and Bangchak stations will be lowered.Sunee Sorn-In, owner of the Kata Petroleum gas station operated under PTT, confirmed that the reduction will come into effect tomorrow and that her gas…
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New international school set to open
THALANG: Phuket International Academy (PIA), under construction on Soi Teenped-Nanai, in Baan Nanai and next to Khao Pra Taew National Park, is scheduled to open on September 8 with its first students, ranging from nursery to Grade 4, taking classes.The academy, once complete, will run through senior high school and a boast modern sports and performing arts facilities. All construction is scheduled…
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Kathu killing attracts top-level interest
KATHU (Gazette, Kom Chad Luek): The mafia-style murder of Komkai Kositkoon, whose mother owns Jintana Shopping Plaza in Patong, has caught the attention of some of the nation’s top police.“Maj Gen Chatree Sunthornsorn, a personal assistant to the national police chief, was in Phuket yesterday and has taken control of the case,” Thung Thong Police Superintendent Col Arayapan Pukbuakao told the…
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OrBorJor to offer incentives for rooms tax
PHUKET: In a move to encourage Phuket hotels to pay their dues, Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (OrBorJor) President Paiboon Upatising has said that the OrBorJor would start offering incentives to hotels that paid the controversial rooms tax.Although he did not specifically explain what incentives would be offered, Khun Paiboon said that they would be in the form of personnel or…
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One-two-go, Orient Thai hit by 30-day flight suspension
BANGKOK (Nation): One-Two-Go and Orient Thai Airlines risk seeing their aviation licenses revoked if they fail to tackle the defects that led to the suspension of their flight services today.That possibility comes amid growing concerns about the airlines’ safety standards.About 40,000 passengers on their booking lists will be affected by the 30-day flight suspension starting today and will receive combined…
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Big Buddha cost to top 100 million baht
CHALONG: The total cost of Phuket’s Big Buddha image on top of the Nakkerd Hills between Kata-Karon and Chalong is predicted to surpass 100 million baht, said Suporn Vanichkul, President of the Mingmongkol Faith 45 committee, which is raising funds for the project.K. Suporn told the Gazette that the structural work on the Big Buddha is almost finished and that…
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THAI reopens Narita-Phuket route
MAI KHAO: The first Thai Airways International (THAI) direct flight from Narita, Japan, since the tsunami, arrived at Phuket International Airport yesterday afternoon, bringing some 300 Japanese tourists to the island.The Boeing 777-200 arrived at 3:30 pm, a little ahead of schedule, giving the tourists some more time to be welcomed by Tourism Authority of Thailand Southern Region 4 Office…
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Trawler sinks off Koh Racha Yai
KOH RACHA YAI: Crew on board the Sang Samut scrambled on top of their upturned hull yesterday morning as their 40-foot fishing boat sunk in rough seas off Koh Racha Yai.Sopon Sukkarin, vice-chairman of Koh Racha Yai Conservation and Prevention Network Club, told the Gazette, “The boat started taking on water the night before, when there were torrential downpours and…
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Intarat takes to the air
KARON: Maj Gen Intarat Yodbangtoey, “special adviser” to Natural Resources and Environment Minister Anongwan Thepsutin, wrapped up his two-day visit to Phuket yesterday with a helicopter inspection tour of suspected illegally acquired land plots on Phuket.“About 20 construction sites believed to be illegal are under investigation by the DSI [Department of Special Investigations]. We expect the DSI to announce the…
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Heavy rains cause traffic delays
KOH KAEW: As the rain continues to fall on the island, motorists on Thepkrasattri Rd near Boat Lagoon this morning saw waters rise to more than a meter deep across the three northbound lanes.Police allowed only high-clearance vehicles to pass, such as pickup trucks, directing them in single file through the shallowest point, while diverting other vehicles to alternative routes.Many…
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Southern rebel leader announces end to separatism
Bangkok (Nation): A self-proclaimed spokesman of 11 “underground” separatist groups has announced a ceasefire in the three southernmost provinces of Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat, ending the secessionist movement in the Malay-speaking region.The announcement, delivered by videotape, was broadcast midday today through Thai TV5, an Army-run station and TV 7.Speaking through a translator, the spokesman announced an end to all violent…
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Goat beauties open agricultural fair
CHERNG TALAY: This year’s Cherng Talay Agricultural Fair began today with a beauty contest with a difference – the pageant aimed to find the island’s most attractive goat. Organized by Cherng Talay Tambon Administration Organization (OrBorTor), the five-day event offers islanders a chance to cop an eyeful of Phuket’s most attractive fruits, flowers and farm animals. Flowers and other agricultural…
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