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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Swiss snorkeler drowns off Racha Noi
PHUKET: A Swiss man drowned on Friday while snorkeling with family and friends off Racha Noi Island. The man, Carlo Wellinger, 45, was on holiday in Phuket, staying at the Sheraton Grande Laguna Beach in Bang Tao. Police said it appeared that Mr Wellinger fainted while swimming. Before he could be pulled from the water, a wave dragged him under.…
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Memory loss holds Gazettes to a draw
SAPHAN HIN: The Phuket Gazettes and the Bangkok British Club (BBC) battled to a 5-5 draw on Saturday in their annual 15-a-side match. Victory would have gone to the Gazettes, were it not for a mental lapse by Thiti Tandavanitk. Toward the end of the third quarter, he made it past the BBC tryline but forgot to touch down, much…
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Refinery fire put out, death toll rises to five
SI RACHA (AFP): Thai firefighters yesterday finally put out a fire which had raged at an oil refinery for 35 hours. By that time the death toll had risen to five, with the discovery of more bodies at the site of the initial explosion and subsequent fire. The blaze started after the blast ripped through a storage tank at the…
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400,000 fish released to mark King’s birthday
KATHU: The Phuket Provincial Fisheries Office today released 400,000 fish in the Bang Wat reservoir as part of the celebrations to mark the 72nd birthday of HM the King. Also present at the fish release was Phuket Governor Charnchai Soontharamut. Chada Wangboonkong, Deputy Chief Officer of the Phuket Provincial Fisheries Office told the Gazette that 100,000 of the fish had…
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Two dead, 15 hurt in refinery explosion
SI RACHA (AFP): A huge fire devoured millions of litres of oil today after a string of explosions ripped through a refinery here, killing two people and injuring 15. Sheets of flame soared 100 meters into the air as hundreds of firemen battled to stop the blaze from engulfing the entire structure run by Thai Oil Co, some 70 kilometers…
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Phuket MP to press for probe into immigration laws
PHUKET: Anchalee Vanich-Thepabutr, Phuket’s Member of Parliament, has agreed to help foreigners living in Thailand by pushing for a top-level inquiry into the way the country’s immigration laws are applied. Khun Anchalee was shown Section 5 of the Alien Registration Act which – as reported in the Gazette on October 15 – requires all foreigners to register with police and…
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Dead whale examined by biologists at Cape Panwa
CAPE PANWA: A dead whale was brought by fisherman from Phang Nga Bay to the Phuket Marine Biological Center this morning for an autopsy. Kongkiat Kittiwattanawong, a biologist at the Center, identified the 4.3 meter long animal as a Bryde’s Whale of one to two years of age. He told the Gazette that the ‘fragrant’ whale had been dead for…
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Angry chicken fanciers besiege Governor
PHUKET OWN: An angry crowd of more than 100 people protested in front of the Phuket Town Police Station yesterday, alleging the police had used unnecessary force on Sunday evening when arresting Rassada villagers for betting on cock-fighting. Among those arrested were three members of the Tambon Rassada Administration Organization. They were released on bail Monday morning, but returned to…
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Singapore, Thailand sign deal on civil servants
SINGAPORE, Nov 28 (AFP): Singapore and Thailand have signed an agreement to improve ties and exchange ideas about civil servants, the Sunday Times reported this morning. It said the agreement, signed yesterday, is aimed at upgrading the quality of civil servants in “both” countries. The Thai government has been slow to upgrade its civil service, one of the most bureaucratic…
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Healthy elephant contest held in Phuket
CHERNG THALAY: “Jintana”, a magnificent 30-year-old cow from the Lagoon Elephant Trekking Club, was declared “Phuket’s healthiest elephant” and given an award and cash prize by Phuket Governor Charnchai Soontharamut in a ceremony held at the Dusit Laguna Resort on Thursday night. The occasion was organized by the Elephant Help Project, a charity created to promote and oversee the well-being…
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Sketch of murder suspect hits glitch
PHUKET: Composition of a police sketch of the foreigner wanted for killing a Thai restaurateur three days ago has hit a snag: the computer used to create the sketches is unable to handle Western faces. Pol Maj Gen Kongpol Suwannaraks, commander of Phuket Provincial Police, told the Gazette that “Yesterday my officers took the witness [the dead man’s wife] to…
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Man arrested for three robberies
PHUKET: Leng Permthong, 21, a construction worker from Ranong province, was arrested last night for robbing three petrol stations during the past few weeks. The arrest confirmed police suspicions, reported earlier in the online Gazette, that the same individual was responsible for all three robberies. When questioned by Pol Col Chalit Thintanee, superintendent of Muang police station, Leng admitted committing…
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Indonesia arrests 56 Thai ships
JAKARTA (AFP): The Indonesian navy has arrested 56 Thai ships and 1,276 crewmen for illegally fishing in the country’s waters, the official Antara news agency reported earlier today. “The 56 Thai ships with their 1,276 crew have been arrested and taken to Sabang from Rusa island in Western Aceh,” said Colonel Syahrin Abdurrahman, who heads the navy base in Sabang…
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“Farang’ gunman kills Thai restaurant owner
BANG TAO: A Thai restaurant owner was shot dead in front of his wife yesterday by a gunman the victim’s spouse described as a ‘farang’ (Caucasian foreigner). Pol Lt Col Chalit Kaewyarat of Cherng Talay Police Station told the Gazette that the dead man was identified as Lor-man Karnjanasadoong, 46, owner of the Alex Restaurant on Bang Tao Beach. He…
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Execution of woman is first in 20 years
BANGKOK (AFP): Thailand has executed its first female prisoner in two decades, the Corrections Department said in a statement today. It said that Samai Barn-in, 59, was executed by firing squad late yesterday, along with two men. She received the death sentence after police found four kilograms of heroin in her possession in 1994. She had 12 previous convictions for…
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Swiss Tourist Drowns at Karon Beach
KARON: A Swiss student, Andrea Antonio Tavecchio, drowned yesterday morning in front of the Phuket Arcadia Hotel at Karon Beach. He was 24 years old. Pol Capt Sanae Panmee of the Chalong Police station told the Gazette that Mr Tavecchio and three friends went for a swim together. His friends reported that he was carried out to sea and in…
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Tourist’s purse snatched in Patong
PATONG: Two men who appeared to be Thai snatched a handbag from a Japanese tourist while she walked along a road at Patong Beach at approximately 7:40 pm on Saturday. According to Pol Capt Boonlert On-klang, the case investigator, Nana Nishizawa, 23, reported that two men were involved. One, described by Ms Nishizawa as a young Thai with long hair,…
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Another murder in the fishing port
PHUKET TOWN: A man thought to be a fisherman was murdered in front of a warehouse on Soi Si Sena in Phuket’s fishing port on Saturday night. Pol Capt Surat Muangsri of the Phuket Town District Police Station told the Gazette that the man, as yet unidentified, was wearing a black T-shirt and brown shorts. On his right shoulder was…
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Cabinet approves huge hike in work permit fees
BANGKOK: A proposal by the Ministry of Labor to raise the price of renewing a work permit has been passed by the Thai Cabinet, bringing massive rises in fees a step closer. The proposal must be ratified by Parliament before the change in legislation comes into effect. This may take up to a year. Should the proposed legislation be accepted…
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Call for divers to join Koh Kai clean-up
PHUKET: Phuket Marine Police and the Phuket Diving Club will be cleaning the sea floor off Koh Kai on Saturday and Sunday, (November 20 and 21), and are inviting all divers to join them. Pol Lt Col Chaleampol Maliwan, inspector of the Phuket Marine Police, explained that there are now growing numbers of tourists diving off Koh Kai, so it…
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Tour Boats Burn at Ao Por Pier
THALANG: Two boats belonging to Lucky Canoe Co Ltd, one of Phuket’s leading sea canoe operators, burned and sank at Ao Por Pier last night. At 8 pm, a fire broke out on the Lucky Canoe 1 and quickly spread to Lucky Canoe 2 which was docked next to her. Initial estimates put the damage at approximately 10 million baht.…
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Policeman commits suicide
KATHU: A nephew of an assistant commissioner of the Royal Thai Police, himself a police officer, committed suicide yesterday morning in Tung Tong, three days before he was due to be married, because he was depressed that he did not have enough money to pay for the wedding. Pol Maj Gen Kongpol Suwannaraks, Commander of the Phuket Provincial Police, told…
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Three witnesses testify in Jennings murder trial
PHUKET: Three witnesses appeared on the stand this morning in the trial of Nongnut Tungkaburi and Kraisorn Kamnoun for their alleged involvement in the December 15, 1997 murder of Roger Jennings, Nongnut’s common-law husband. The first witness, Weeranat Kammanochart, 22, a cashier at the Alice Bar, owned by Jennings and Nongnut, testified that Mr Jennings and Nongnut were nice people.…
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Pirates arrested with hijacked vessel
PHUKET: Authorities in Bombay have arrested the pirates who seized a Japanese freighter off the coast of Indonesia on October 22, Phuket Marine Police said today. The pirates set the crew of the vessel, the Alondra Rainbow, adrift on a raft on October 29. They were found 11 days later by Thai fishermen who brought them to Phuket. Pol Col…
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THAI “may suspend flights around Y2K’
BANGKOK (AFP): Thai Airways (THAI) may suspend flights around the New Year if passengers are worried the millennium computer bug could make aircraft and airports unsafe, the government said today. The national airline is considering not flying for a half-day or a full day in response to passenger concerns, Transport Minister Suthep Theungsuban told reporters. “If passengers do not feel…
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Mother has son arrested
PHUKET TOWN: A frantic mother reported her own son to the police on Friday in a desperate bid to stop him taking ya bah. Pol Lt Parichat Jaturonpan of Phuket Town Police Station told the Gazette that he had received an anonymous phone call urging him to arrest a man at a bicycle shop on Patiphat Rd. The caller said…
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Robbers beat shop owner, steal 600,000 baht
PHUKET TOWN: Two armed thieves held up a woman in her shop on Ong Sim Phai Rd late Saturday night and stole 600,000 baht, a gold chain worth about 6,000 baht, and a mobile phone. They then pistol-whipped the woman and her niece, who arrived on the scene just as the robbers were completing their work. Pol Lt Parichat Jaturonpan…
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Aussie soldiers massacre Gazettes 45-0
PHUKET TOWN: Despite concerted efforts to reduce their opponents’ fitness by feeding them copious amounts of amber liquid the night before, the Phuket Gazettes rugby team were unable to withstand an Australian Army onslaught on Saturday, and were massacred 45-0. After the 15-a-side match at the Saphan Hin stadium, Gazettes skipper Patrick Cotter was gracious in defeat. “It was a…
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Two tourists killed, two hurt in van crash
CHIANG MAI (AFP): Two British tourists were killed and a Dutchman was injured this afternoon when a van crashed near a mountain-top retreat in northern Thailand. According to police, the accident happened when the van, hired by a tour company, went into a spin on a mountain road and hit crash barriers in northern Chiang Mai province, 700 kilometres (420…
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Police launch raids in Phuket Town
PHUKET: Police last night launched a series of raids aimed at catching illegal Burmese workers and cracking down on drug offenses and other crimes in Phuket Town. The raids, ordered by Pol Maj Gen Kongpol Suwannaraks, commander of the Phuket Provincial Police, began at 9 pm with 60 officers swooping on construction camps, the fishing port, rubber plantations, and shops.…
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