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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Failure rate for Bangkok condos nears 50%
BANGKOK (The Nation): The chance of failure for condominium developers in Bangkok has grown to almost 50 per cent as competition heats up amid a glut of fresh supplies, warned Aquarius chief executive Yongyuth Chaipromprasert.After conducting a study over the past five months, the building consultant said even the inner Sukhumvit area, once deemed immune to downturns, “no longer guarantees success”.“The average take-up…
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Gen Apirak returns to Phuket
PHUKET: Phuket Provincial Police yesterday morning held a ceremony bidding farewell Pol Maj Gen Decha Budnampeth on his last day of duty as Phuket Provincial Police Commander and welcoming back his replacement, Pol Maj Apirak Hongthong.Gen Decha has been promoted to the position of commander of general staff at Police Region 8 headquarters in Surat Thani.Among those attending the ceremony were…
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Tawee still Karon Mayor
KARON: In the Karon municipal council election on Sunday, incumbent Mayor Tawee Tongcham, running unopposed, easily received the minimum 20% of all eligible votes required for him to reclaim the mayoral seat.Voter turnout was just over 60% of the 4,601 eligible voters. Of these, 2,269 people voted for Tawee.Eleven of the 12 regular council seats went to members of Tawee’s…
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4 nabbed, 1,500 pills seized in ya bah raids
PHUKET: Following a three-day investigation, the Muang District drug suppression unit yesterday arrested four men and seized a total of 1,572 ya bah (methamphetamine) pills is a series of sting operations.Police identified the suspects as Nontawat Intawanti, 19; Soontorn Boonjunkong, 24; Wannachai Kongsonpet, 24, and a minor aged 17.Muang District Palad Teerapon Sittaboot told the press that undercover officers arranged…
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It’s a Toy Library
PHUKET: With the aim of developing children’s imaginations, emotional responses and social skills, the Phuket Community Foundation (PCF) and Phuket International Hospital (PIH) will be opening the island’s first toy library at the end of July. The PCF is appealing for donations of new and secondhand toys in good condition and it is hoped that, in time, a series of “toy…
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Fighting chance: green turtle has flipper amputated
CAPE PANWA: A green sea turtle rescued from a fishing net in Satun last week had a badly inflected flipper amputated at the Phuket Marine Biological Center (PMBC) this afternoon.PMBC veterinarians led by Sontaya Manawattana said that the “flipperectomy” was the only way to save the animal, an otherwise healthy 20-year-old female.The turtle was found off Koh Rayatot Yai, in…
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Dial S for stolen
PHUKET AIRPORT: Following the arrest of two baggage handlers for stealing a mobile phone from luggage at Phuket International Airport, police are urging airline passengers not to pack valuables in checked-in luggage.At a press conference last night, Tah Chat Chai Police Superintendent Col Sakchai Limchareon said that Sarawuth Saowarun, 21, of Nakhon Sri Thammarat, and Chiang Rai native Surakrai Sirisor, 22, had…
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BIS calls for donations for mugging victim
PHUKET CITY: The British International School Phuket (BIS) is asking for donations to help pay medical bills for Jake Carey, one of two BIS community members seriously injured in a motorbike crash that resulted from a violent mugging in Patong early Sunday morning.The other victim was Carly Moorhouse, who graduated from BIS last week and is the daughter of well…
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SPECIAL: Letter from Myanmar
BANGKOK: Since Cyclone Nargis devastated the Irrawaddy delta region in Myanmar on May 2, the world has stood by waiting to help those still suffering while the ruling military junta lets in only a trickle of relief supplies and workers. A Thailand-based Rotarian, whose name has been withheld at his request, describes the situation on the ground in Myanmar, and…
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Whale stranded in Patong dies
PHUKET: A dwarf sperm whale that washed up on Patong Beach this morning died from ingesting a wide variety of man-made items, researchers at the Phuket Marine Biological Center (PMBC) today told the Gazette. The whale was discovered by local residents on the beach near the Soi Bangla intersection about 6 am. Villagers and Kusoldharm Foundation rescue workers pushed the…
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US Navy servicewoman dies in Patong
PATONG: A US servicewoman accidentally fell to her death from a seventh-floor hotel room in Patong yesterday, the Gazette has been told.In a news release posted on its website at noon today, Manager Online quoted Kathu Police Superintendent Col Grissak Songmoonnark as identifying the woman as 25-year-old Ebony Cooper.There were few other details in the report, except that police were…
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Korean businesswoman found dead
WICHIT: A Korean woman found dead in her third-floor bedroom in the Tango Pub building on Chao Fah West Rd last Tuesday has been confirmed by police as the pub’s owner, Kim Chu Mi, 48.Lt Col Vijak Tarom of Phuket City Police said that Mrs Kim may have been dead for more than eight hours before she was found by…
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Burmese aid on its way
CAPE PANWA: Stocks of donated food and emergency-shelter supplies today finally began their journey from the Third Naval Command at Cape Panwa to help victims of Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar.Approximately 10 tonnes of supplies were loaded onto four container trucks heading for the Thai-Myanmar Border Fishery Co-ordination Center in Ranong province. From there, the supplies are expected to be distributed…
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PPEO moves to allay manual labor shortage
PHUKET: In a bid to ease Phuket’s manual labor shortage, the Phuket Provincial Employment Office (PPEO) is accepting applications to extend by one year the work permits of the 19,000 Burmese, Laotian and Cambodian laborers working in Phuket whose work permits are set to expire this month.Employers can register their migrant laborers at the PPEO building on Rattanakosin 200 Pi…
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Laguna Marathon traffic restrictions announced
CHERNG TALAY: As the island gears up for the big Laguna Phuket International Marathon on Sunday, June 15, the event’s organizers have announced traffic restrictions that will apply during the marathon so athletes can safely complete the course. Traffic along the following roads will be directed by police for the safety of runners as follows: 1. All roads within Laguna Phuket…
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Nine arrested in series of ya bah raids
PHUKET CITY: The sale of a single ya bah (methamphetamine) pill to an undercover policeman late Sunday night sparked a series of arrests that netted nine suspects and nearly 3,000 pills by dawn yesterday.Muang District police announced at a press conference yesterday that Saroj Sopawaj, 25, was arrested in a sting on Soi Suthat 2 at 11 pm after allegedly…
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Declaration of emergency not warranted: Boonsrang
BANGKOK (The Nation): Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces General Boonsrang Niumpradit sought this morning to allay growing concern that the Thai government might declare an emergency situation to crack down on the current street protests in Bangkok.“Citing of the emergency law might do more harm than good to the country,” he noted, arguing that there are many options to…
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Declaration of emergency not warranted: Boonsrong
BANGKOK (The Nation): Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces General Boonsrang Niumpradit sought this morning to allay growing concern that the Thai government might declare an emergency situation to crack down on the current street protests in Bangkok.“Citing of the emergency law might do more harm than good to the country,” he noted, arguing that there are many options to…
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Burmese doing Thai homeWorks
PHUKET CITY: That unregistered, migrant laborers from Burma continue to play a key role in the island’s construction industry was confirmed on Tuesday when 28 illegal workers were arrested at the one-billion-baht “homeWorks” project site at the Darasamuth Intersection on the bypass road.The arrests followed a tip-off from the Phuket branch of Thailand’s internal intelligence service (santibaan) to Phuket Provincial…
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Tsunami victims to regain access to their homes
CHALONG: Residents of Baan Fah Mai will have a bridge built so they can regain access to their village, which was cut off after excavation of a drainage ditch.Baan Fah Mai, which is located at the end of Soi Mayuree, opposite the entrance to Land & Houses Park on Chao Fa East Rd, comprises homes for about 20 families whose former…
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French mercy mission ship diverts to Phuket
AO MAKHAM (Nation, Gazette): After 10 days in the Indian Ocean waiting for permission to enter Burmese waters, the 24,000-tonne French navy ship Mistral docked yesterday morning at the Phuket Deep Sea Port to unload tons of supplies intended for cyclone victims in Burma.French Ambassador to Thailand Laurent Bili said that an agreement had been reached with the Burmese military government making Phuket…
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5bn baht airport expansion approved
MAI KHAO: Airports of Thailand (AOT) is set to inject 5 billion baht into the expansion of Phuket International Airport (PIA) to bring its capacity up to 11.5 million passengers by the year 2016 – an increase of 77% over current capacity.The announcement was made on May 23 by Deputy Transport Minister Songsak Thongsri, who joined Phuket Vice-Governor Worapoj Rathasima,…
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More donations needed for Burmese aid shipment
PHUKET: Donations of equipment to provide emergency food and shelter for victims of Cyclone Nargis in Myanmar are gradually piling up at collection points around Phuket, but more donations are needed before there is a chance of them providing the much-needed relief. The Royal Thai Navy (RTN) Third Naval Command at Cape Panwa, Baan Kamala School and the Kusoldharm Foundation…
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SIPA takes steps to fast-track yacht and crew registrations
PHUKET: The Phuket office of the Software Industry Promotion Agency (SIPA) has announced its plan for a first step in creating a true one-stop service for yacht and crew registrations at Chalong Pier. In February, SIPA was tasked with creating a “device” to help track yachts visiting Thai waters, as well as streamlining procedures among the Marine, Immigration and Customs…
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Yachties set to battle in the Gulf
KOH SAMUI: The 7th Samui International Yacht Regatta will once again serve as the grand finale of the Asian Yachting Grand Prix Championships series, with this year’s event running from June 1 to 7. Callum Laing, the new organizer of the event, plans to bring this year’s competition to a new level while maintaining the same laid-back island style of…
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5 billion for airport expansion
MAI KHAO: Airports of Thailand (AOT) is set to inject 5 billion baht into the expansion of Phuket International Airport (PIA) to bring its capacity up to 11.5 million passengers by the year 2016 – an increase of 77% over current capacity.The announcement was made on May 23 by Deputy Transport Minister Songsak Thongsri, who joined Phuket Vice-Governor Worapoj Rathasima,…
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Ao Phuket hearing changed to Thursday
PHUKET CITY: The Designated Areas for Sustainable Tourism Administration (DASTA) and Phuket Province will hold a public hearing on Thursday, May 29 to gauge local response to the plan to move forward with the Ao Phuket megaproject, a 100-million-baht marina and convention center on 3,000 rai of reclaimed land in Phuket Bay.The meeting has been moved up one day from its…
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British celebs to storm Patong tomorrow
PATONG: A troop of British celebs will be on hand at the Patong Municipality football field tomorrow morning to train 30 lucky local children. The event is part of the Asian Celebrity Golf Tour charity event, which will see players of all handicaps going head-to-head with the celebs at Loch Palm on May 28 and 29 Among those who will…
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New OrBorJor council convenes
PHUKET: In the inaugural sitting of the new Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (OrBorJor) council on Wednesday, Pradit Sangjan secured 18 votes of the 24-seat council to be elected council chairman.K. Pradit, who represents Muang District 11, in Wichit, bested Somkuan Tansakul, the only other candidate nominated to contest the position.K. Somkuan represents Muang District 1, comprising Samkong in Phuket City.As…
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Royal Phuket Marina dredging wins Governor’s Office support
PHUKET: Phuket Vice-Governor Worapoj Ratthasima and the provincial committee looking into whether Royal Phuket Marina (RPM) should be allowed to dredge Klong Koh Kaew gave its support in principle for the project on May 21.The plan is to dredge the klong the three kilometers from the mouth of the watercourse to the marina. The project aims to dredge the klong…
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