Pattaya News
Welcome to The Thaiger’s Pattaya news page, your one-stop destination for the latest happenings in Thailand’s coastal town, AKA Sin City of the East! Our dedicated team delivers up-to-the-minute news, in-depth analysis, and exclusive stories from Pattaya, covering everything from local politics and business to entertainment and lifestyle. Stay informed about the city’s thriving tourism industry, expat community, and vibrant nightlife, as well as updates on events, attractions, and transportation.
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On Deck: A look inside the Royal Pavilion
PHUKET: I recently attended the National Science and Technology Fair in Bangkok at IMPACT Muang Thong Thani. The attraction for me was a Royal Pavilion that included boats made by His Majesty the King of Thailand. Many will know that His Majesty has built a number of boats in his time. Twenty-five to be precise, all dinghies. His first was…
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Foreign suspects celebrated for rape, theft, debt default and smuggling
PHUKET: Seven foreign suspects were rounded up on charges of rape, tax fraud, smuggling and defaulting on debts last week in Phuket, Pattaya, Songkhla and Bangkok. The seven were then celebrated in a parade in front of the media at the Immigration Bureau in Bangkok yesterday. Three of the suspects were Chinese nationals: Wang Jianlan, 31; Zhang Jingjing, 30; and…
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On Deck: Better co-ordination in the marine industry
PHUKET: Almost three weeks of back-to-back yachting events in Phuket sounds great, right? December is set to be a veritable orgy of regattas, boat shows, lavish cocktail parties, gala dinners, pomp and glam – it’s an all-out marine love-in and it starts with the 30 year old Phuket King’s Cup Regatta from December 3-10 at Kata Beach Resort & Spa.…
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Phuket Transport Office vows to continue crackdown
PHUKET: Five hundred seventy-three drivers were arrested during a three-day crackdown in Phuket, July 3-5, according to officials from the Department of Land Transport (DLT). Royal Thai Army personnel and Phuket law enforcement officers set up checkpoints across the island, in what DLT officials called an “attempt to boost Thailand’s image”. DLT director-general Sanit Promwong said on July 5 that…
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Phuket officials, hospitality reps talk safety
PHUKET: Phuket officials met with tourism and hospitality operators yesterday to discuss safety measures and contingency plans in case of emergencies. Phuket Vice Governor Chokdee Amornwat, as well as officials from the Thai Hotels Association and Ministry of Tourism and Sports Phuket Office (MOTS), met with representatives from private and public sector hospitality businesses at a conference held at the…
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Phuket international school eyed for takeover
PHUKET: The British International School Phuket (BISP) is in talks with global education provider Nord Anglia, which is making a bid to take over the school’s operations. In a letter addressed to parents last week, BIS CEO Apiwat Ourairat stated that a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed between the school and Nord Anglia over the potential lease of…
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On Deck: Lessons from the Top of the Gulf Regatta
PHUKET: I’ve spent the last week in Pattaya at the Ocean Marina Yacht Club, reporting on the 12th Top of the Gulf Regatta. I find it’s always good to look outside your ‘home’ town to learn, get some new ideas and a fresh perspective, and the Top of the Gulf Regatta can provide some great lessons for all. Firstly, it…
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Thailand Optimist National Championships to launch in Pattaya
PATTAYA: The next generation of Olympic sailors from Thailand and around Asia are heading to Ocean Marina Yacht Club this weekend to compete in the Thailand Optimist National Championships. Now in its 41st year, the Thailand Optimist National Championships is the country’s second oldest sailing trophy and the pinnacle of competitive youth sailing in Thailand. The Thailand Optimist National Championships…
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TAT sees only small growth in Songkran visitors
PHUKET: The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) estimates that only 2.1 per cent more foreign tourists are coming to Thailand to celebrate Songkran this week compared to last year. “It seems that overall tourism during Songkran this year will likely not be as bustling. This could be due to the economic decline, which is a major cause for many people…
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Tough new laws to help clear Phuket beaches of animal touts
PHUKET: The stakes will be raised for those engaged in the illegal, exotic-animal trade once the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment signs a new law draft, which is expected to take place after the Songkran break. “For more than 20 years we have witnessed the illegal killing and exploitation of endangered and protected wild animals for tourism. Every day,…
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Tri-lingual tryst ‘Patong Girl’ premiers this month
PHUKET: A young German lad falls in love with the mysterious, native beauty Fai while on holiday in Thailand with his family. He follows his heart, but things get complicated… That’s the synopsis of Patong Girl, the latest tri-lingual movie co-produced by Thailand-based moviemaker Tom Waller. Set for release in Phuket on April 18 at SF Cinema at Jungceylon, Patong…
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Phuket to get two of eight new marinas planned for the south
PHUKET: Two new marinas are to be built in Phuket as part of the government’s plan to stimulate economic growth by turning Thailand into a marine leisure hub in the ASEAN region. The marina development plan, announced by Transport Minister Arkhom Termpittayapaisith, includes construction of eight new marinas – four in the Andaman Sea and four in the Gulf of…
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Opinion: Visa Overstay – Nefarious Intentions or Just Bad Planning?
PHUKET: The recent push to publicize the need for foreign tourists not to overstay their visas is long overdue, but we hope the Immigration Bureau will use its sweeping powers in fair and compassionate ways that consider extenuating circumstances – especially those involving victims of accidents or crime. The crackdown, which actually comprises little more than stricter enforcement of existing…
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Confirmed: Minors to dodge overstay blacklisting
PHUKET: Children will not be blacklisted for overstaying their visas, officials confirmed today. Thailand’s implementation of a regulation to blacklist overstayers will not affect those under the age of 18, explained Immigration Commissioner Nathathorn Prousoontorn. The news follows much uncertainty in Phuket after the regulations were announced earlier this month. “The new penalties came into effect on March 20. They…
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Opinion: Putting up with golf prices
Terayout Prasertphol is the recently appointed chief of the Phuket Golf Association and former chief of the Phuket Land Transportation Office. He graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in Law from Ramkhamhaeng University and a Master’s degree in Public Administration from the National Institute of Development Administration (NIDA). Here he talks about how Phuket’s expensive golf industry thrives with high-end tourists.PHUKET:…
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Petition launched to stop wild animal exploitation in Thailand’s tourist spots
PHUKET: Phuket-based animal welfare organization the Wildlife Friends Foundation Thailand (WFFT) has launched an online petition to get the Prime Minister’s backing to put a stop to wild animals being used in the tourist trade in the region and other tourist destinations in Thailand. The campaign, ‘Stop the Killing and Exploitation of Wild Animals for Tourism’, was launched yesterday. “We…
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Phuket food top of the tags on Instagram
PHUKET: Though the sultans of Instagram selfies reign in London, it’s Phuket food that gets the most publicity on the social media giant, according to research by airport transfer company Hoppa. “In the modern era, the holiday experience doesn’t just live in the moment and in the memory, it isn’t even resigned only to traditional photo albums… Because now, the…
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Justice Ministry promises probe Phuket vendors’ grievances
PHUKET: About 300 Karon residents and business operators crowded into a meeting room at Phuket Provincial Hall Friday morning to air their grievances about beach regulations. Karon Beach vendors told Dussadee Arayawuthi, deputy permanent secretary of the Justice Ministry, that they were badly affected by the beach regulating policies implemented within the past two years. “Look at Pattaya, where beach…
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Phuket officials confirm no troubled waters for bridge players
PHUKET: Phuket police have confirmed that playing bridge in Phuket is not illegal as long as there is no gambling involved. The confirmation follows reports of police and military officers raiding a bridge club earlier this month in Pattaya, which led to the arrest of 32 foreigners, including an 84-year-old Dutch woman (story here). “I was unaware of the arrests…
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Across the Land: The persistent growing pains of Phuket
PHUKET: Last month, MasterCard Asia Pacific Destinations Index 2015 announced that Thailand is the most popular regional travel destination for 2015, with three of its cities making the top ten list. Bangkok was the most popular, followed by Phuket in fifth place and Pattaya in eighth. The survey was based on 167 destinations from 22 countries across Asia Pacific and…
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Law and Order: When dogs attack: ownership laws
PHUKET: There are growing numbers of dog owners in Thailand who treat their animals like their children, prized possessions, or members of the family. With the surge in pet ownership, there have been more disputes involving domesticated animals. We have recently been contacted about two dog biting cases. A KIWI BITE The first case was a man from New Zealand…
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On Deck: When only a fraction is enough
PHUKET: What happened to fractional boat ownership? In the not-too-distant past, shared ownership of boats seemed to be the ‘thing’. A great way to introduce non-boaters into boating, and then retaining leisure boaters, with a cost-effective form of ownership. A panacea. In Phuket the concept caught on, but was short-lived. Early pioneers included Simon James, Royal Phuket Marina and Twinpalms,…
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Hong Kong says China not involved in case of missing booksellers
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Hong Kong says “no indication” China involved in case of missing booksellers Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: Hong Kong leader Leung Chun-ying said on Monday he was “highly concerned” about the disappearance of five booksellers specializing in publications critical of China, while playing down speculation one…
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Serious class warfare on final day of King’s Cup
PHUKET: On the final day of the 29th Phuket King’s Cup Regatta 2015 there was some serious class warfare played out in Kata Bay. Keelboats and multihulls hit the water for one last run, as teams fought for the honor to claim Phuket King’s Cup victory in the name of HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej. In IRC0, Windsikher II skippered by…
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Thailand says looking for four Syrians amid Islamic State warning
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Thailand says looking for four Syrians amid Islamic State warning Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: Thailand said on Sunday it was looking for four Syrian nationals who have overstayed their visas, as the country is on high alert after a Russian warning of possible attacks by…
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Syrians linked to Islamic State in Thailand ‘to attack Russian interests’
BANGKOK: Ten Syrians linked to Islamic State (IS) entered Thailand in October to attack Russian interests, Thai police said in a leaked document citing information from the Russian Federal Security Service. In the document, Special Branch police urged an intensification of security around ‘target areas that Russian authorities are concerned about’, including venues associated with allies that have taken part…
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Authorities aware of Islamic State terrorist arrivals in Phuket since October
PHUKET: Despite the recently leaked memo from Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) warning that Islamic State (IS) terrorists had been despatched to Phuket, Thai authorities had been aware of the situation since October, confirmed the Russian Federation Deputy Honorary Consul to Phuket. “Myself and some Thai officials were made aware of the situation in October,” Santi Udomkiratak, the Russian Federation…
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Phuket targets biker gangs after Aussie Hells Angels slaying
PHUKET: Police in Phuket ramped up security measures geared toward tracking international bike-gang members following the gunpoint abduction and slaying of Australian Hells Angels motorcycle gang member Wayne Rodney Schneider in Pattaya this week. “We have been given specific orders to focus on bringing to justice foreigners committing violent crimes, as well as those operating as members of a mafia…
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Phuket boarder among world’s best
PHUKET: Phuket surf star Anni Flynn has added another trophy to her collection, beating most of the best flowboarders from around the world to take second place at the World Flowboarding Championships in Bangkok last weekend. In a field dominated by pro-flowboarders from the US, Anni trounced last year’s world champion, and her personal idol, Xana Kai-Nash, but was held…
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Annual Petanque tournament returns this weekend
PHUKET: Dubai Petanque is back in Phuket to take on three Thailand-based teams in a four-way tournament this weekend. An expansion on earlier versions of the Dubai-Phuket Challenge, this year’s tournament will consist of four clubs – Dubai Petanque; Phuket’s Saphan Hin Club; the French Rawai Petanque Club; and Pattaya’s Khao Rai Club. Each club will play five sets against…
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