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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Deadline warning for those employing illegals
PHUKET TOWN: Employers hiring illegal labor from countries such as Burma or Cambodia have been reminded that they have until next Wednesday, August 4, to report the illegals to the Phuket Provincial Employment Service Office. After that date employers face a fine of up to 60,000 baht or three years in jail, or both, if they are found to be…
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102 road deaths in first six months of 1999
PHUKET: Phuket Health Office has reported that 5,421 people were involved in road accidents in the first six months of 1999. Of these, 4,835 – 92% – were on motorcycles. In the same period, 102 people died in road accidents. Again, bikes accounted for nearly all the statistics – 94 of the dead were on motorcycles. In June 765 people…
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Australian tourist drowns, two others saved
PATONG: The body of an Australian tourist who disappeared while swimming on Monday was found last night in front of the Phuket Cabana Hotel. The tourist, named by police as Henry Ng, 27, was staying with his girlfriend at the Novotel Phuket Resort. While swimming off Kalim beach, the two were hit by a large wave. A fishermen managed to…
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OrBorJor imposes fuel and tobacco taxes
PHUKET: Banlur Tantivit, president of the Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (OrBorJor), announced on Sunday that the organization has agreed to levy taxes on tobacco and fuel. As predicted in the Gazette (July 1, 1999, issue) the tobacco tax will be 4.54 satang per cigar or cigarette, while the fuel tax will be 4.54 satang per liter. Both taxes are already…
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“Good swimmer’ drowns at Kamala
PATONG: A British tourist drowned on Saturday at Laem Sing beach, Kamala. Police named him as Stephen Guy Douglas Desborough, aged 41. Police said that he was swimming alone while his Thai girlfriend stayed on the beach reading the newspaper. She told them that he was a good swimmer, and often swam at Kamala beach, especially when there were big…
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Police drive to boost awareness of crime
PHUKET TOWN: Police have launched a drive to raise public awareness of ways to guard against criminals, particularly burglars and snatch-and-run thieves. The drive takes the form of a card which can be hung on the doorknobs of people’s homes and which gives the following advice to cut down the risk of burglary: Before you leave the house, make sure…
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CAT opens international video conference center
PHUKET TOWN: The Communication Authority of Thailand (CAT) has opened an international video conference center in Phuket, only the second in Thailand. Voravit Vorapiboonpong, chief of the Phuket Telecommunications Center explained that video conferencing was a high-tech way for people from different countries to have a meeting without having to travel, saving both time and cost. The center may be…
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TAT outlines plans to mark the Millennium
PHUKET: It’s early yet, but the Tourism Authority of Thailand has made tentative plans to mark the new millennium with a “Goodbye 1999 -Welcome 2000” party at the sunset-watchers’ favorite location, Laem Phromthep. Anuparp Thirarath, Director of TAT’s southern office, said he is currently waiting for Bangkok to approve his proposal and the 200,000-baht budget it will need. The party,…
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Motorbike taxi driver caught with yaba
TAMBON MAIKAO: A motorbike taxi driver, stopped yesterday at a police checkpoint because he looked suspicious, was found to be carrying 200 amphetamine (yaba) pills in the lining of his helmet. Police, who set the checkpoint at Tambon Maikao near Thalang said the 30-year-old man admitted he had bought the drugs in his home town in Phlypraya District in Krabi…
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False pregnancy lands woman in custody
PHUKET TOWN: A woman who became heavily pregnant, very suddenly, while in the Super Cheap store on Thepkrassatri Rd was arrested yesterday for the theft of two cans of tuna, two cans of rambutans and two of coconut cream, plus a pair of jeans and a pack of plastic bags. Police were called to the store after a staff member…
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New post office opens in Patong
PATONG BEACH: Today saw the opening of a new post office at 41/1 Rat-U-Thit Rd. Wisan Pongtiwattanakul, postal chief in Patong, said he hoped the new branch would make it more convenient for both Thais and foreigners, whether individuals or companies, to handle mail and money transactions. Services offered include domestic and international letter and parcel post, EMS courier, the…
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Fame and money not enough to win local elections
PHUKET TOWN: A survey by Rajabhat Institute into voters’ beliefs in the run-up to Sunday’s Tambon Administration Organization (OrBorTor) elections reveals that voters have very definite ideas of what they expect of those elected. It is also clear that having a lot of money or being well known will not necessarily attract many votes. What most of the voters want…
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Star-crossed couple in double suicide
CHALONG: Police yesterday found the bodies of a young couple who apparently committed suicide when life became too difficult. Alerted by neighbors who called them to investigate a bad smell coming from the couple’s rented room behind Wat Sawangarom, police found the corpses of Kowit Singkasem, 22, and his four-months-pregnant wife Petcharat Sangmanee, 21. Both were hanging from a beam…
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Phuket father and son discover new snail
PHUKET: A species of tiny snail, previously unknown to science, has been discovered by a Phuket father and son who hunted for a live example for nearly two years after finding a fossil. Somnuek Pattamakanthin, 52, who set up the Phuket Seashell Museum in Rawai, and his son Somwang, 22, found a fossil of the snail in 1997 in the…
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Six arrested in drugs raid
THALANG: Police on Saturday raided a house in Baan Pru Somparn and arrested a 42-year-old woman and five men aged between 18 and 50 on charges of possession and trafficking in amphetamines (yaba). Pol. Col. Prapakorn Saksupa, superintendent of Thalang police station, said the raid uncovered 44 yaba pills, three sets of yaba-taking paraphernalia, 32,300 baht and a book listing…
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Japanese tourist drowns at Karon Noi
PHUKET: A Japanese tourist drowned while swimming off Karon Noi beach, in front of Le Meridien hotel, yesterday afternoon. Pol Capt Chokchai Suttimek of Chalong Police Station, said the tourist, whose name he gave as Mr Yoshinori, 56, was swimming with a number of other hotel guests who were all swept out into the sea by heavy seas. Some managed…
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Ten arrested in raid on karaoke club
PHUKET TOWN: Police and Immigration officers raided the Love Karaoke club on Poonpol Rd on Tuesday and arrested two Burmese and three Laotian waitresses found to be in Thailand illegally. The also arrested five Hill Tribe women, also working as waitresses, for working outside the border control area. The 10 waitresses ranged in age from 14 to 22.
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Tong murder trial adjourned until September
PHUKET TOWN: A new prosecutor in the Danis Wayne Tong murder trial this morning asked for an adjournment in order to change the prosecution strategy. The new prosecutor, Jumronsilp Wongintra, said that he believed that the prosecution witness called for this morning’s hearing should not be heard until all other witnesses have first testified. Judge Patchara Panichawara, allowing the postponement,…
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Students in protest over electric shock victims
PHUKET TOWN: About 50 students from Rajabhat Institute yesterday gathered outside the offices of the Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA) to present a petition to the authority following the hospitalisation of three fellow-students with the effects of electric shock. (See story below.) The protest group, led by Somkit Leunrung, was told by Seree Lakaphunt of the PEA that an investigation would…
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Police arrest four on yaba charges
PATONG: In their ongoing drive to crack down on sales of amphetamines (yaba) police arrested a 19-year-old man at a house in Soi Nanai 2 after undercover officers bought drugs from him. After arresting him, police found 19 yaba pills in his shoes. At the police station, he confessed that he sold Yaba for a long time, though this was…
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Three hospitalised after electric shocks
PHUKET TOWN: Three young women are in stable condition in Wachira Hospital after accidentally receiving electric shocks last weekend. The three, Supanee Homrotkra, 22, Sakaoduan Sokdej, 21, and Kanya Tongdee, 21, all students at Rajabhat Institute, received electric shocks while visiting a friend in her apartment at the PT apartment complex on Trepkrastree Road. The three were on a balcony,…
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Dead man identified
PHUKET: Police have identified the body of a man found floating on Tritrang Beach last Monday. He was named as Chalermpon Janyaporn, 37, who slipped on the rocks and disappeared while on a fishing trip with three friends last weekend. The body was sent to Patong Hospital for autopsy.
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Patong car bomb puts three in hospital
PATONG: A gold shop owner, his wife and an employee were hurt yesterday afternoon when a home-made car bomb exploded after they got into their vehicle. The bomb exploded after Somkiet Sopark, 32, his wife Hongsuda, 43, and employee Sirinapa Kaopho-ngam got into the car outside the Soparks’ gold shop and residence at 18 Sirirat Road, Patong. The bomb, which…
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Two youths arrested for possession of ya bah
PHUKET TOWN: Two teenagers were arrested this morning for possession of amphetamines ( ya bah). Muang district police officers detained the two young men, aged 15 and 17, after an undercover operation at a popular snooker hall. The suspects tried to flee on a motorcycle, but were stopped and searched. They were found to be in possession of nine tablets…
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Penguins storm to 51-0 victory in Phuket Rugby 7s
PHUKET TOWN: Like one of the tropical squalls that swept the Saphan Hin field from time to time during the second and last day of the Singha Phuket International Rugby Sevens tournament, the Penguins RFC side – representing England – swept all before them, burying Germany under wave after wave of attacks to rack up a final score of 51-0.…
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England favorites in Phuket 7s; Thailand strong
PHUKET TOWN: Penguin International RFC, representing England, look firm favorites to win the Singha Phuket International Rugby Sevens after the first day of the two-day tournament. On a wet and windy pitch, the Penguins trounced Malaysia 37-0 and thrashed Hong Kong 50-0 to come out top of Pool A. Hong Kong came in second in the pool by beating Malaysia…
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Eight arrested for selling copy watches
PATONG: Authorities confiscated nearly 2,000 fake watches with a street value of more than 5 million baht from two shops, and arrested five men and three women, aged 18 to 41, on charges of violating the Trademark Act of 1991. Pol Maj Gen Teerajitr Uttama, deputy director of the Bangkok-based Center for Intellectual Property and Copyright Violation Control, and Pol…
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Hong Kong RFC romp to victory in Phuket Tens
PHUKET TOWN: The Hong Kong RFC proved too strong for the competition in the Phuket Rugby Tens today at the island’s Surakul Stadium. They thrashed their nearest rivals, the Kuala Lumpur Dogs, 35-0 in the final of the six-team competition. Team captain Katie O’Connor, asked how the team had enjoyed the tournament, replied incomprehensibly: “We had a fine tournament despite…
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Police find hundreds of stolen Buddhist artifacts
BANGKOK, June 30 (AFP): Three Thais have been detained following the discovery of hundreds of Buddhist artifacts, some more than 700 years old, hidden in a pond and bushes around their house, police said this afternoon. Sunthorn Sowapee and his son and daugther were detained Monday after police and Fine Arts Department officials found 341 antique pieces near his house…
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Bangkok airport to close one runway
BANGKOK, June 29 (AFP): The Airports Authority of Thailand (AAT) announced this afternoon that it will close down Bangkok international airport’s west runway for maintenance for four months. The repairs to the 3.8 kilometer (2.3 mile) runway are to cost 420 million baht (11.4 million US dollars) and are scheduled to be completed in February 2000, the AAT said. The…
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