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Thailand news, politics, business, crime, lifestyle, and tourism—stay updated with breaking news and in-depth analysis from Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Pattaya, and beyond.
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Sponsored Top 10 reasons for expats to get a comprehensive health insurance in Thailand
Moving to Thailand offers a prospect full of excitement and adventure, but in the same vein, if any injuries were to occur (and god forbid it does), the local healthcare system can be confusing at first glance for many expats...
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Phuket officials combat Karon wastewater, put heat on hotels
PHUKET: Phuket officials yesterday suggested threatening hotels in Karon with having their licenses revoked if they failed to adequately treat wastewater before releasing it. The meeting between officers of the Karon Municipality and Regional Environmental Office 15 follows reports last month of rank black water pouring out of Nong Harn Canal into the ocean at Karon (story here). “Karon Municipality…
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Phuket Sports: The BMW Golf Cup International teed off today
PHUKET: Today marks the beginning of the BMW Golf Cup International at the Blue Canyon Country Club in Thalang. Amateur golf finalists from 50 countries will battle for international glory at the five-day tournament, which plays out from March 10 to 15. The contest is the culmination of about 100,000 players having teed off at 800 tournaments throughout 50 different…
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Eight candidates enter race for Phuket senator, one rejected
PHUKET: Eight candidates have registered to contest Phuket’s sole seat in the Senate in the national election for the upper house to be held on March 30. However, one application to enter the senatorial race was rejected by the Phuket Election Commission (PEC). “The application filed by Siripong Luangchawee was rejected because he resigned as a member of the Pheu…
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Phuket Police arrest drug mule with crystal meth, dealer escapes
PHUKET: Phuket Police on Friday arrested a drug courier with 950 grams of ya ice (crystal methamphetamine) and began a search for a drug dealer who fled from officers, leaving behind one kilogram of ya ice and a motorbike near Srisoonthorn Temple. A Nakhon Sri Thammarat inmate, Kee Honzaitong, tipped police off about members of a drug network transporting ya…
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Phuket stolen passports may unravel missing Malaysian flight mystery
PHUKET: Police are investigating how two passports reported stolen in Phuket were used by persons unknown to board Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, which disappeared over the South China Sea on Saturday (story here). The probe was announced yesterday after two tourists who visited Phuket on holiday were found alive and well after being listed among the 239 passengers on board…
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Phuket Gazette World News: FBI not in on Malaysia crash probe; other U.S. agencies to arrive today
PHUKET: The FBI has not sent agents to Kuala Lumpur to assist in the investigation of a Malaysian Airlines plane that went missing on Saturday, according to a senior U.S. law-enforcement official, though representatives from other U.S. agencies and plane-maker Boeing are expected to arrive on Monday. The plane, a 777-200ER, disappeared suddenly, and though no wreckage has been found,…
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Phuket Gazette World News: Interpol says use of stolen passports on Malaysian flight ‘of great concern’
PHUKET: Interpol is investigating more suspect passports used to board a missing Malaysia Airlines flight, in addition to two European ones that were falsely used by unidentified passengers, the global police agency said on Sunday. An Italian man and an Austrian man were falsely listed as passengers on Beijing-bound flight MH370, which disappeared after takeoff from Kuala Lumpur early on…
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Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Krabi coal plant fight heats up; Senate election nears; Issara assures innocence
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Fights at hearings over Krabi coal plant The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Villagers in the southern province of Krabi have come out in strong opposition to a coal-fired power plant and coal seaport, saying the planned project would cause pollution and damage eco-tourism industries which…
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Phuket expat volunteers back on beat after misunderstanding, says Patong’s new top cop
PHUKET: Striking Region 8 International Volunteers are back to work after negotiations with police, announced Acting Patong Police Superintendent Sakchai Limcharoen. Col Sakchai told the Phuket Gazette this afternoon that the entire issue had stemmed from a misunderstanding. “They are all back on the force. Patong Police and the expat volunteers were patrolling together last night,” Col Sakchaisaid. “Even the…
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Video Report: Uninsured Phuket ship sunk by fire, owners estimate 5mn in losses
PHUKET: The wooden cargo ship that caught fire yesterday off Phuket’s east coast in Phang Nga Bay was not insured and represents a 5-million-baht loss, its owners said. One of the owners, Sompong Maikhaew, and three other men were on the ship when it caught fire, but jumped overboard and were safely rescued by a passing speedboat. “We left Koh…
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Phuket Opinion: Changing the way we see with photos
PHUKET: My friends abroad have been writing to urge me to be careful and take care in light of the anti-government protests. If they thought for a moment, they might remember that Phuket is quite far from Bangkok. It’s the photos that get to them, I think. Photos, valuable documenters of the truth, can sometimes mislead – as any user…
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Phuket Opinion: Road safety: what we’re doing wrong
Thanapong Jinvong, 50, is Director of the Academy of Road Safety at the National Health Foundation and also works at the Department of Disease Control. He graduated from the Faculty of Medicine at Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University with a specialization in epidemiology. Here, he talks about three ways to improve road safety in Thailand, which ranks third in the world…
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Murder investigation launched after discovery of body in Phuket drainpipe
PHUKET: Police launched a murder investigation after the decomposed body of a woman was found yesterday by a medical worker who stopped by the side of the road to urinate. Police believe the body is that of Kanya Yoongnoo, 47, who was reported missing in Cherng Talay in January, but are waiting for DNA test results. Two Paklok Emergency Medical…
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Malaysia Airlines loses contact with plane carrying 239 people
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Malaysia Airlines loses contact with plane carrying 239 people Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: A Malaysia Airlines flight carrying 227 passengers and 12 crew from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing lost contact with air traffic controllers early on Saturday, with the plane likely missing in Vietnamese airspace,…
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Frenchman steals testosterone from Phuket pharmacy in his underpants
PHUKET: Phuket Police arrested two French nationals Wednesday night after one shoplifted 9,000 baht worth of testosterone injections in his underwear while the other created a diversion. Patong Police were informed of the theft at the Health and Herb pharmacy on Soi Bangla at about 4:50pm and rushed to the scene. “A man and a woman came into the shop,”…
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Patong Mayor Pian guilty of vote fraud, but will run for re-election
PHUKET: Deposed Patong Mayor Pian Keesin yesterday was found guilty of electoral fraud in the September 2012 council election, but is free to run for re-election to head Phuket’s key resort town. Also found guilty for their roles in importing voters specifically to cast votes in the election were Jaroern Khwanyeun, Prasarn Noochet, Prasit Phatkor, Mana Phanchalad and Narong Cheuayuan.…
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Log caused Phuket speedboat accident
PHUKET: A log punched a hole in the hull of a speedboat that was rescued yesterday afternoon (story here), said the managing director of Andavaree, the company that owns the boat. “I was notified by our captain that the 47-foot boat, powered by three engines, struck a log near Koh Gai as it was taking 52 people to Phi Phi…
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Krabi villagers build bamboo barriers to protect the coast
PHUKET: After enduring huge waves and strong winds for several years, residents of a seaside village in the province of Krabi have adapted to the effects of climate change by using bamboo to build temporary barriers to prevent coastal erosion. The barriers were built along a 500-meter stretch of coastal area in the fishing community in Klong Prasong, Muang district,…
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Phuket Sport: To carb or not to carb
PHUKET: If you were to take a poll here in Phuket of the types of sports people do for fun or competition, chances are some form of endurance sport would rank number one. Our roads are constantly being utilized by cyclists or runners and our beaches have people going for long runs or swims to stay in shape. No matter…
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Concerns grow over Krabi’s proposed coal projects
PHUKET: Fossilized shells at a beach dating back 75 million years and over 10,000 rai of the country’s second-largest seagrass area in Krabi would be destroyed if the coal seaport and coal-fired power-plant project go ahead, an environmental watch agency warned on March 6. Adding to the concerns over the project, the local tourism association in Koh Lanta is worried…
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Breaking News: Ship bursts into flames off Phuket
PHUKET: A ship carrying cargo was engulfed by flames near Koh Naka, off Phuket’s east coast this afternoon. Phuket Marine Police were notified of the incident at about 4pm by a speedboat captain. First reports are that all on board the ship were safely rescued by the passing speedboat. — Chutharat Plerin
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Phuket Gazette International Sports: Birmingham City FC boss busted for money laundering
PHUKET: Birmingham City Football Club boss Carson Yeung was sentenced to six years in jail on Friday for laundering $93 million following a high-profile trial that cast a spotlight on how the barber-turned-businessman made his fortune. Yeung, 54, was found guilty by a Hong Kong court on Monday of five counts of money-laundering. He had denied the charges. The businessman…
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Travel agent east of Phuket busted for using lost debit card
PHUKET: A Koh Lanta travel agency owner managed to steal almost 130,000 baht using a debit card he found on the ground. Polish tourist Magdalena Holak told Tourist Police that she had lost her debit card while on holiday on Koh Lanta in late February. After police checked with her bank and discovered that the lost card had been used…
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Special Report: Trafficking abuse of Myanmar Rohingya spreads to Malaysia
SPECIAL REPORT PHUKET: Human traffickers have kept hundreds of Rohingya Muslims captive in houses in northern Malaysia, beating them, depriving them of food, and demanding a ransom from their families, according to detailed accounts by the victims. The accounts given to Reuters suggest that trafficking gangs are shifting their operations into Malaysia as Thai authorities crack down on jungle camps…
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Phuket Gazette World News: Singapore police probe ‘unnatural’ death of American CEO of bitcoin trader
PHUKET: Singapore police are investigating what they have called the “unnatural” death of a 28-year-old American woman who ran a small exchange that traded virtual currencies, including bitcoins, from the Asian city state. Autumn Radtke, chief executive of First Meta Pte Ltd, was found dead at her Singapore home on February 26. “The police are investigating the unnatural death,” a…
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Phuket Sports: Reaching the ultimate goal [Video]
PHUKET: The ancient martial art of Muay Thai is alive and strong, especially in Phuket, where fighters from around the world make their way to train with some of the best. The Phuket Gazette and PGTV were able to get the scoop on what’s new in the island’s fighting scene during a recent visit to Tiger Muay Thai gym. Located…
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Phuket Sports: Train like a pro, win like a pro
PHUKET: Roughly 135 is the number of triathlons completed by Jaray Jearanai, Phuket’s homegrown triathlete. “I’ve been running for nine years and each year I run more than 15 triathlons,” he says. But as much as he likes it, it’s not all just for fun. “I want to be the best Thai triathlete. Right now, there are no Thais going…
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Phuket Sport: Getting back to the top
PHUKET: I first saw Alisa Kleybanova bouncing balls across the net during her morning tennis practice at Thanyapura. Not a hint of smile on her face, but 100 per cent focus, precision and power. Later, when she dips into Thanyapura’s Olympic size pool with the members of the Dutch elite swim team who are preparing in the sport complex for…
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Phuket Gazette World News: Crimea joins Russia, Obama orders sanctions; Anwar faces sodomy verdict; India braces for elections
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Crimea votes to join Russia, Obama orders sanctions Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Crimea’s parliament voted to join Russia on Thursday and its Moscow-backed government set a referendum in 10 days’ time in a dramatic escalation of the crisis over the Ukrainian region that drew a…
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Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Satish seeks royal pardon; Surapong to engage envoys; Satun in drought
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Satish appeals to HM over govt order to deport him The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Attempts were under way yesterday to stall a deportation order against Indian-born businessman Satish Sehgal for joining the anti-government protests. Satish, 70, yesterday petitioned His Majesty the King to intervene…
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