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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Immigration chief appeals for help
PHUKET TOWN: Pol Col Apirak Hongtong, Superintendent of the Phuket Immigration Office, today appealed for people to report to him any misconduct by Immigration officials. Speaking at the Gazette’s offices, Col Apirak said, “I don’t want to see the behavior of a few bad officers destroy the image of all the other officers. “Anyone wanting to report any misconduct by…
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Headless body found on Kata beach
KATA: Authorities are at a loss so far to establish the identity of a headless, armless body that washed up on Kata Beach yesterday. “Uncle Farang,” a 60-year-old member of the cleaning staff at the Kata Beach Hotel, shouted to alert others when he came across the body on the beach about 8 am. Police believe the body had been…
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Get away from my pig, you swine
UDON THANI: Sunthorn Sornyoo couldn’t say why, but when he spotted the pregnant, but still very slinky, sow in Sompetch Samsibai’s pigsty, he felt the juices flow. “I climbed up into the pigsty and raped her until I had an orgasm,” he explained later. Passing the cage a week later, 42-year-old Sunthorn again felt an urge to consort with the…
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Pet roaches face ban
BANGKOK: Public Health Minister Sudarat Keyurapan has warned that cockroaches imported from Madagascar could face an import ban if research finds that they are dangerous to human beings. K. Sudarat’s warning follows the discovery that many vendors at the famed Chatuchak Market recently started selling the cockroches as pets. The imported cockroaches are unusually large, certainly bigger than any cockroaches…
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Governor adds “Rainmaker’ to his titles
PHUKET: Governor CEO Pongpayome Vasaputi revealed today that he has asked the Ministry of Agriculture to “seed” clouds passing over Phuket in order to induce rain. The Gazette understands that the rainmaking, which will be done by dropping chemicals on passing clouds from a helicopter, may start as early as tomorrow (Thursday). Gov Pongpayome explained, “Normally, we should have had…
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Girl, 17, steals B50,000 from Gov’s house
PHUKET TOWN: A 17-year-old girl being held on a charge of stealing 50,000 baht from the Governor’s Residence yesterday tried committing suicide by slitting her wrists with pieces of her broken plastic bracelet. Pol Capt Akkanit Danpitaksasna, of Phuket Town Police Station, today said the girl was being held at the station after confessing to stealing 50,000 baht belonging to…
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Bike deaths keep climbing
PHUKET: Motorcycle accidents claimed 15 lives between June 20 and July 20, according to the latest statistics from Wachira, Thalang and Patong government hospitals. In the previous month, 14 people died in accidents involving motorbikes. The statistics also show that 950 people were injured on motorbikes during the period, compared with 35 injured in cars and 29 in other road…
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Chinese leader flying to Phuket
PHUKET: Li Peng, Chairman of China’s National Assembly, is flying to Phuket on Friday for a three-day official visit. With him on the special flight will be a delegation of senior Chinese officials. Mr Li holds the Communist Party’s No. 2 post. Observers attribute to him the 1989 crackdown on pro-democracy dissidents in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square. As a guest of…
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Dane drowns at Nai Harn
NAI HARN: A 62-year-old Dane who was pulled from the sea unconscious died as rescuers tried to resuscitate him on Nai Harn beach this morning. Police named him as Helge Andreasen, a retiree who lived in Happy Home Village. Mr Andreasen’s death was the latest in a series of drownings and narrow escapes this monsoon season, which has increased pressure…
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Immigration steps up controls
PHUKET TOWN: As part of Phuket Immigration’s plan to tighten immigration control, more than 100 hotel employees attended a workshop at the Phuket Immigration Office on Friday night. Speaking at the workshop, Pol Col Apirak Hongtong, Superintendent of Phuket Immigration Office, said, “The seminar is aimed at training hotel staff, especially front office staff, in what to do if they…
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THAI discounts internal fights
PHUKET: Thai Airways is offering special discounts on domestic flights from now until December 31 to Thais and, in some cases, foreign residents. The discounts are as follows: – Young people aged 12-24 years old who are traveling on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays (except for public holidays or days in lieu of public holidays) receive a 25% discount. – Other…
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Police get tough on traffic offenders
PHUKET TOWN: In a crackdown on traffic offenders, police on Saturday night arrested 38 people at a checkpoint set up at the intersection of Yaowarat Rd and Thalang Rd. Pol Lt Col Weerasin Kwanseng, Deputy Superintendent of Phuket Town Police Station, said today that officers set up the checkpoint after receiving many complaints about people dangerously ignoring traffic laws in…
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Major switch in Patong budget
PATONG: About 50 million baht is to be spent on community services such as education, public health and community activities in Patong’s budget plan for 2002/2003. The budget represents a major switch from heavy infrastructure spending to an emphasis on developing people and communities. After Patong Municipal Council approved the plan yesterday, Sakorn Cheua-yuan, Deputy Mayor of Patong, said, “We…
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Drug offenders keep prison full
PHUKET TOWN: More than 50% of the inmates at Phuket Provincial Prison are behind bars for drug-related offences, according to the latest statistics released by the prison. Of the 1,241 inmates, 503 men and 130 women are serving time for narcotics offenses. Of the remaining prisoners, 213 are being held for theft, 163 for murder or attempted murder, 46 for…
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Hotels pay only 30pc of provincial tax
PHUKET: The Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (OrBorJor) has collected about 30% of the much-reviled hotel room tax and plans to pursue the hotels that have failed to cough up the remaining 70%, which is worth close to 95 million baht. The 40 million baht collected so far is to be spent on various tourism-related projects, including the provision of lifeguards…
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Warning on wet-season power
PHUKET TOWN: The Manager of the Phuket Provincial Electricity Authority (PPEA), Sornchai Uparamai, has warned that wet and windy conditions during the monsoon season may cause electrical accidents. Anyone who sees broken power lines, poles, or other potentially dangerous situations is urged to call the PPEA on 076-210427/8.
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26 arrested, but gambling boss escapes
PHUKET TOWN: Police raided a gambling den in a shack behind the Metropole Hotel early this morning, arresting 22 men and four women. Phuket Town Superintendent Pol Col Paween Pongsirin, who led the raid, said, “We acted on tips from our sources who said there were people gambling behind the hotel. We arrested 26 gamblers, who are all being held…
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Prostitution? Odds are against it
PHUKET: Latest police statistics reveal a big contrast between the crimes of prostitution and gambling in the period between August 1 and August 25. While 223 people were arrested for gambling in that period, up by 21 over the same period in July, there was not a single arrest for prostitution, compared with the 12 made between July 1 and…
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Surasak hits the campaign trail
PATONG: Mayor Surasak Maneesri on Monday got the jump on Pian Keesin, his main rival for the coming Patong mayoral election, by launching his campaign and introducing his team of preferred councilors. Standing in front of about 200 Patong residents gathered outside the old municipal offices on Phisit Gorani Rd, K. Surasak introduced all 23 members of his team. Together…
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Hundreds of Burmese deported
PHUKET TOWN: Hundreds of illegal Burmese were sent home today in trucks, and Immigration officers are hunting for hundreds more they say are still in Phuket. Pol Col Apirak Hongtong, Superintendent of Phuket Immigration Office, said, “We are seeking more escaped Burmese who are hiding out in all kinds of places.” The colonel also said that the department was investigating…
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Green fuel gets green light
AO MAKHAM: Viset Choopiban, President of the Petroleum Authority of Thailand (PTT), this morning announced that the PTT will continue to offer fuel free of excise tax and VAT to the operators of Thai fishing boats. The project, called “Green Fuel for Fishermen in the Andaman Sea” because the tax-free diesel is dyed green, was launched as an experiment six…
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Sea Gypsy village raid nets 500 fish
RAWAI: Phuket Marine Police on Sunday seized more than 500 fish of protected species in a raid at the Sea Gypsy village off Wiset Rd. Two men seen in possession of the fish managed to escape. Pol Lt Col Prathuang Srilamontri told the Gazette that officers, acting on a tip-off, arrived at the village at 9 pm and surprised two…
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Lottery “losers’ win
NAKHORN SRI THAMMARAT: The rules of the new-fangled underground lottery are easy: the player must pick five numbers. If none of these five numbers is the same as the last three numbers of the first prize in the government lottery, the player wins. For each 100-baht bet, the player wins 1,500 baht if his numbers don’t come up. Police, already…
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New tourism targets for the South
PHUKET TOWN: A sweeping plan for tourism in the Phuket region will give each destination a clear identity and a target market. The project, covering all southern provinces, seeks to suggest appropriate government budgets, and focus on the image of each spot. The plan will be overseen by MP Anchalee Vanich-Thepabutr, as President of the Southern Thailand Tourism Improvement Planning…
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Earless body found in “Burmese Cemetery’
PHUKET TOWN: The body of a man with the ears cut off was found in the notorious “Burmese Cemetery” over the weekend. The man’s torso and face bore about 100 stab marks. Villagers found the man, lying face down and dressed only in underwear, in mangroves behind the fishing port on Sri Sena Rd about 8 am on Saturday. While…
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Tourism road show wins buyers
PHUKET: A “Southern Paradise” tourism road show to Singapore and Malaysia was so successful that the Phuket Tourism Association (PTA) has decided to do another, to the Middle East. Panu Masirat, Vice-President of Marketing for the PTA, told the Gazette that the attractions of spas and Thai massage proved very appealing to people in both countries. There were 25 booths…
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Tourist drowns on raft tour
PHANG NGA: A Malaysian tourist drowned on a raft excursion to Song Praek waterfall in Phang Nga on Tuesday. Police said that the man, named as Wee Siaw Kong, 29, could not swim and died despite wearing a buoyancy aid and despite the efforts of guides and fellow tourists. Mr Wee, with three other tourists and two staff of tour…
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Phuket-inspired music CD launched
PHUKET TOWN: Phuket-born album producer Jumpol “Goh Khai” (Older Brother Khai) Thongtan this week launched a limited-release album called “Pleng Phuket”, labeled in English as “Pleasant Tunes of Phuket”. The one-hour launch took place at the classic Sino-Portuguese home of Pracha Tantawanich, a well-known senior citizen of Phuket, whose house is a popular tourist sight in Phuket Town. K. Jumpol…
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Renewal date reminder for foreign labor
PHUKET: The one-year permits for registration of Burmese, Laotian and Cambodian laborers expire on September 25, the Phuket Employers Club (PEC) reminded members yesterday. The rules have also been tightened, the PEC said. The Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare will allow only laborers who already have work permits to renew for another year. In addition, this year, freelance foreign…
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Killer jellyfish “unknown in Phuket’
SURAT THANI: A biologist said today that a killer jellyfish blamed for the deaths of two tourists in separate attacks near Koh Samui had never been seen in Phuket’s waters. Supot Chantrapornsyl, Marine Biologist at Phuket’s Marine Biological Center, told the Gazette that the “Portuguese Man of War” which was found in local waters could sting painfully and inflame the…
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