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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Governor to appeal for homes to stay on state land
PHUKET CITY: Governor Udomsak Usawarangkura will ask the Cabinet to allow residents in Soi Kingkaew, near Koh Sireh, to keep their homes, even though government offices have long claimed that the houses have been built on state land.The Governor visited the soi on Tuesday with Phuket Provincial Office of Natural Resources and Environment chief Thongchai Saowapong. The inspection came after…
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Thinner can be a blast
SAMUT SAKHON: As any drug-taker driven to extremes by the government’s War on Drugs Part III can tell you, taking a few deep breaths of paint thinner can give you a buzz. The downside of breathing in thinners is that it may also knock your judgment a teeny bit off kilter, to the point where you forget that it can…
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The final upshot
BANGKOK: Police arrested a 27-year-old man after he was caught taking photos up a girl’s skirt at a motor show at Central Plaza on Phra Ram III Rd last month. Worakarn Jaruphat was collared by security guards after “Amp”, a young woman taking part in the Miss Motorshow Contest, grabbed his wrist when she felt something touch her legs. When…
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B95m Ao Por marina plan unveiled
PHUKET: Thailand’s largest construction company, Italian-Thai Development (ITD), is to invest 95 million baht in its first project in Phuket, a marina at Ao Por.The project will be handled by the Ao Por Pattana Co, a wholly-owned subsidiary of ITD.Project manager Akaraphan Suwanchot said the marina would be built near Ao Por pier, which is itself about to undergo complete…
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WTO helps develop sustainable tourism
PHUKET CITY: Developing tourism as a sustainable industry for Phuket was the topic discussed by World Tourism Organisation (WTO) adviser Hans Carl Jacobsen and local officials at a meeting today at Phuket Provincial Hall.Joining Mr Jacobsen at the seminar were representatives of the Office of Tourism Development and the Ministry of Sports and Tourism, as well as Phuket Governor Udomsak…
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Thai AirAsia launches Phuket-Singapore service
PHUKET: Low-cost carrier Thai AirAsia, an associate carrier of Malaysian low-fare airline AirAsia, yesterday launched a daily, direct flight service between Phuket and Singapore, offering promotional fares as low as 1,200 baht for advanced ticket purchases made over the Internet.Flight FD 3028 departs Phuket at 9:30 am and arrives in Singapore at 12:10 pm local time. The return leg, Flight…
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Couple die in bike smash
CHALONG: An American visitor from Bangkok and her partner have died in a motorbike accident at Chalong.Mary Susan Crosland, 52, and Cha Paen Anukul, also 52, were killed around 10 am on Tuesday, when the motorbike K. Cha was driving, with Ms Crosland riding behind, failed to take a curve near Chao Fa Thani village.The couple lived in Bangkok and…
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TRT confirms parliamentary candidates
PHUKET CITY: Thai Rak Thai (TRT) today confirmed that the party’s candidates for the general election, scheduled to take place by February 13 next year, will be Dr Sriyada Palimapan and Wisut Santikul.Dr Sriyada will contest District 1 (Phuket City and immediate area), while former Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (OrBorJor) Vice-President K. Wisut will contest District 2 (the rest of…
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Pa Khlock people back new pier
PHUKET: A small gathering of interested Pa Khlock residents today gave their backing to a proposal by the Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (OrBorJor) to build a new pier at Ao Por.However, the exact location has yet to be decided, and the land around all the possible sites is in private hands.Staff from the Marine Department gave a presentation on the…
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Amlo land probe “still running’
BANGKOK: Anti-Money Laundering Office (Amlo) Deputy Secretary Pol Col Yuthaboon Disamarn has said he will return to Phuket to continue his office’s investigation into fraudulent land titles.Col Yuthaboon told the Gazette that he felt it was important that his department crack down on illegal land holdings, so that innocent people are not duped into buying government land.He said, “There’s no…
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Paradorn to return to Phuket
PHUKET: Thai tennis superstar Paradorn Srichapan is due on Phuket later this month.Paradon, currently ranked 21 in the world, will be bringing the 2004 Paradorn Super Tour to the island’s Laguna Beach Resort on November 27 and 28.The tour, which features exhibition matches, tennis clinics and autograph signing sessions, starts in Bangkok on November 22 and moves to Nakhon Ratchassima…
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Cabinet to review B63bn Ao Phuket project
PHUKET: The Ao Phuket Project committee yesterday agreed to present to Cabinet for approval a plan to spend 63 billion baht on transforming Saphan Hin and Phuket Bay into a mega-development covering 2,216 rai.The 14-person committee, headed by former Phuket Governor Prof Yuwath Wuthimethee, met at the Governor’s office in Phuket City to review the plan by construction consultants BBMT…
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Police probe death of Briton
PATONG: Police are investigating the death of a Briton, Stephen Harris, 46, born in Birmingham, whose body was found in his room at the Monte Carlo Hotel on Rat-U-Thit 200 Pi Rd on October 29 at around 1 pm.Speaking to the Gazette today, Pol Lt Col Boonlert Onklang of Kathu Police Station said that, according to a doctor who made an…
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Third corpse found in “Burmese Cemetery’
RASSADA: The body of a murdered Burmese fisherman was found at the Rassada Port area on Friday, bringing the number of corpses discovered in what has been nicknamed the “Burmese Cemetery” to three in just two days.Pol Capt Kanuang Pitakkulthorn, of Phuket City Police Station, said he received a call from residents at the port informing him that a body…
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Crackdown on illegal guides launched
PHUKET: The authorities in Phuket have started the high season by launching a crackdown on illegal foreign tour guides, particularly Koreans.The province’s Chief Administrative Officer (Palad), Vichan Busapavanich, told the Gazette the crackdown was in response to “many complaints” about foreigners taking jobs reserved for Thai people, especially foreigners working as tour guides.In the past there has been a shortage…
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US$50,000 reward offered over jewelry heist
BANGKOK: CB Fine Jewelry is offering a reward of US$50,000 for information that will lead to the arrest of Anthony “Dirk” De Weirdt, a Belgian national and the former factory manager of CB Fine Jewelry, in connection with the alleged theft of gems and jewelry said to total 18 million baht from the Bangkok jewelers. Bangrak District Police issued an…
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Road crackdown a boon for police
PHUKET: Statistics tallied from Phuket’s eight police districts between June 1, 2003 and September 30, 2004 recorded a total of 139,320 traffic violations.The central Government designated the 16-month reporting period as a crackdown on traffic violators, during which time police were charged with establishing checkpoints to inspect passing vehicles, the stated goal being to improve road safety. Chatchawan Munpolsri, Deputy…
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Server swamped
PHUKET: Following a bulletin on Wednesday afternoon announcing that the deadline for listings in the Gazette Guide (local yellow pages) for 2005 would be Sunday night, 31 October, the Gazette web server has been under heavy pressure and has suffered sporadic downtime. In what may be a reflection of the booming economy in the Andaman region, approximately 220 new listings…
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Gambling tops crime stats again
PHUKET: In October gambling once again topped the crime statistics in Phuket, with 166 people arrested for indulging in illegal games of chance during the October 1-25 reporting period. Twenty-two of the arrests were linked to the underground lottery.Other crime figures released by the Phuket Provincial Police included 42 arrests for illegal use or possession of narcotics, with 222 tablets…
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Night venues win “unofficial’ 2 am reprieve
PATONG: Entertainment venues in Patong and Kata-Karon this evening won an interim “unofficial” reprieve from the Governor, who has said they may stay open until 2 am.In return, they have agreed to call off their protest at the football field on Thaweewong Rd.After meeting with Phuket Governor Udomsak Usawarangkura early this evening, Sompetch Moosophon, President of the Patong Entertainment Business…
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Phuket 100pc safe – police chief
PHUKET: The island’s highest-ranking police officer gave his assurances today that there is no possibility of the recent violence in the Deep South spreading north to Phuket. The violence, said Phuket Provincial Police Commander Maj Gen Suvith Othong, remains confined to the three troubled southern border provinces of Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat.He said it was “impossible” for an event similar to…
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“One tambon, one lawyer’ scheme launched
PHUKET: Each of Phuket’s 17 sub-districts, or tambon, should soon have its own lawyer, under a new “one tambon, one lawyer” initiative.The tambon lawyers, who will be paid 7,260 baht a month, will give basic legal advice and information about state laws to residents of the tambon where they work, as well as be responsible for trying to resolve disputes.The…
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Plans to solve landslide and flood problems
PHUKET: The Chief of the Phuket Office of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (ODPM), Metha Mekarat, has outlined both short- and long-term plans that he hopes will reduce instances of flooding and landslides in Phuket. K. Metha told the Gazette that the recent flooding and landslides were caused both by nature and by human interference.“Some housing projects have caused watercourses to…
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New law aims to protect Phang Nga
PHANG NGA: The government is debating a new law to preserve and enhance the environment in Phang Nga. The Chief of the Phang Nga Provincial Office of Natural Resources and Environment, Jarin Inkeaw, said the law has been under consideration by the Office of the Council of State (OCS) since September. It will have to be presented to the Cabinet…
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Thief sparks investigation
BANGKOK : The remains of a would-be thief were found lying on the floor of a new home being constructed for Yingluck Shinawatra, sister of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and one Thailand’s wealthiest women. A construction worker arriving at the worksite on the morning of October 21 made the gruesome discovery near the back of the partly-constructed mansion, located on…
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Night venues set for mass protest
PHUKET: Less than one week before the official start of the high season for tourism on November 1, nighttime entertainment venue operators appear set to move forward with their planned work stoppage to protest the government’s early closing times.More than 200 bar owners, staff and others affected by the new regulations gathered at the Crocodile Pub on Soi Bangla last…
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One billion firecrackers, one billion baht
PHUKET CITY: Tonight marks the end of the Phuket Vegetarian Festival 2004, when believers will bid farewell to thousands of Chinese warrior gods as they return to their celestial realm.Sending them on their way at 10 pm will be the explosions of no fewer than a billion firecrackers, according to the official Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) guide to the…
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Patong Carnival to go ahead
PATONG: Despite the gloom brought on by the enforcement of early closing hours, sparking plans to stage a mass protest next Tuesday and possibly even close all entertainment venues indefinitely from that date, the 19th Patong Carnival is still on track to run from November 1 to 3, marking the beginning of the 2004-2005 high season for tourism.This year’s activities…
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Phuket works on stray dog problem
PHUKET CITY: Governor Udomsak Uswarangkura held a round-table discussion at the Provincial Hall Meeting room yesterday to outline his plan for solving Phuket’s chronic stray dog problem.About 30 people attended the meeting, including local and provincial officials and animal charity representatives.The Governor acknowledged that there were “management” problems at the Mid Road Dog Shelter in Thalang, which render the facility…
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German dies from knife wounds
RAWAI: Hans Jurgen Ottmar Bayer, 37, from Germany, died on Monday night from knife wounds sustained in a fight with his live-in partner, Nakorn Koipud, 25, at their home in the Happy Home housing estate.Pol Capt Chana Sutthimas, of Chalong Police Station, said that Nakorn told police she was slicing vegetables in the kitchen at about 9 pm, when Mr…
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