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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Thinking of retiring in Thailand long-term? Thailand is a popular choice for retirees because of its beautiful landscapes, warm climate, and affordable living. Cities like Chiang Mai and coastal areas offer a relaxed lifestyle with friendly communities. The country also...
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Phuket resort staff receive lifeguard training to stave off tourist drownings
PHUKET: Amid concerns over the high number of drownings in recent years, the Phuket Marine Police are providing lifeguard training to staff at hotels and resorts in Patong.The officers are also recruiting more volunteers from Patong’s hospitality industry to join a network of people trained to swiftly report crimes.The two-day training program at the Patong Resort Hotel ended yesterday. “A…
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Phuket Gazette World News: West preps for Syria strike; Mexico’s drug war scaled down; US seeks release of missionary jailed in N Korea; Bishop of Hong Kong warns of violence
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community U.S., allies prepare for probable strike on Syria Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: The United States and its allies geared up for a probable military strike against Syria yesterday that could come within days and would be the most aggressive action by Western powers in the…
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Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Push for bigger cigarette warnings; Rubber rally leaders face arrest; Appeal dropped in police killing; Bt11m to clean up Klity
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Ministry to appeal ruling on cigarette box images The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: The Public Health Ministry is planning to file an appeal with the Supreme Administrative Court so it can go ahead with making the warning graphics on cigarette packets larger. The Administrative Court…
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Phuket Police on standby to counter farmers’ protests in Deep South
PHUKET: Phuket Police are on standby to provide reinforcements for the Nakhon Sri Thammarat Provincial Police as the Deep South province braces for further protests by palm oil and rubber farmers.Oil palm and rubber farmers protesting against the depressed prices for palm oil and rubber blocked the railway at Ban Tun junction in Cha-uat district this morning.In response, Phuket Provincial…
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New evidence in American expat death points to natural causes
PHUKET: A tombstone unearthed in the tiny village of Bang Phuying last month has led a crack team of local forensic scientists to speculate that the apparent death of one of Phuket’s first American expats, Carter J. Wyatt, may have been the result of perfectly natural causes. The head of the team, Police Detective Chadjen Maikaojai, told the Phuket Gazette…
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Italian expat arrested for stealing from Phuket temple
PHUKET: An Italian expat down on his luck was arrested yesterday after he stole 100 baht from a donation box at a Phuket temple. Monks at Karon Temple (Wat Suwankirikhet – map here) reported to police that a man had stolen money from a donation box several times, said Karon Police Deputy Superintendent Sophon Borirak. When police viewed the temple…
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Phuket Gazette World News: Kerry – Syrian chemical weapon use undeniable; Indian Govt criticised over rape cases; Homeless man crushed in Ireland
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– World news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Kerry: Use of chemical weapon in Syria ‘undeniable’ Reuters / Phuket GazettePHUKET: U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said yesterday that the evidence of a massive deadly chemical attack last week was “undeniable” and accused the Syrian government of trying to cover it up, signalling the United…
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Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Flavored meth for kids; Illegal van kills 9; Photo visas; Govt to placate farmers; Red Bull heir case deferred – again
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Flavored ‘yaba’ aimed at kids The Nation / Phuket GazettePHUKET: Parents should keep an eye on their children as a new form of flavoured meth-amphetamine pill is being distributed via Facebook, authorities said yesterday.“We found that yaba makers are trying to change their product to meet the…
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Airport drug-scam allegation puzzles authorities
PHUKET: An Australian couple who told the Australian media that their luggage was tampered with and marijuana planted in it as they were leaving Bangkok may not have been telling the truth, the Phuket Gazette has found. Georgia (not her real name) told an Australian radio station (see here) that she and her boyfriend believe they were being set up…
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Phuket police call for public’s help in identifying cafe thief
PHUKET: Phuket City Police today released CCTV images of a man who robbed a cafe at the top of Rang Hill on August 5. “We’ve searched for the man ourselves, but couldn’t find him. We are now releasing these images with the hope that the public can identify him,” said Phuket City Police Deputy Superintendent Prawit Engchuan.The robbery took place…
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Asia-Pacific consumers careful
PHUKET: Economy-related matters appear to be on top of the list of concerns for today’s Asia Pacific consumers. According to the latest global survey by GfK, two in every five surveyed were worried about recession and unemployment as well as inflation and high prices, and at the same time, one in three said they are concerned about having enough money…
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Ensure fiduciary duty – Phuket Finance
PHUKET: Fiduciary duty basically means that an agent is meant to act in the best interest of his client, and not his own. It is a very simple concept, yet not surprisingly, the real world all too often does not work this way. When it comes down to it, human beings very often fall victim to greed. If I told…
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Staying in touch with Facebook – Phuket Investor
PHUKET: One of the main things I like about Facebook is that I can stay in touch with my family and friends all via one platform. Before I had to keep emailing, making phone calls and writing the occasional letter to and from the US. Now with Facebook, I don’t have to do that anymore. I’m able to share my…
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My house for your car: B2B
PHUKET: Looking to expand locally what is touted as the “world’s largest international barter network”, BBX Thailand is offering to slash its sign-on fee for new members in Phuket. The barter-credit network facilitator, founded in Australia in 1993 and currently operating in nine countries globally, held a Phuket network meeting last week at Ban See Nam restaurant. A BBX representative…
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Chinese, Russian influx a boon for Phuket
PHUKET: Despite a dramatic decline of visitors from Western Europe, Phuket’s tourism industry thrives, thanks to the throngs of Chinese and Russian travellers who fill up hotel rooms but also strain the infrastructure. “For the first time, travellers from legacy markets such as Western Europe are no longer present in the top five arrivals. What has replaced them are Asian…
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Last Call – Table for three, please
PHUKET: The intersection, or better yet juxtaposition between the mythical Cyclops of desire and loathing is hardly visible to the naked eye. I might be going a little too “fru fru” here so let’s back away from the table a bit. Slowly, making sure not to stumble over a nearby sleeping soi dog. Back we go to the beginning of…
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Phuket FC mauled by Port Lions, promotion looks slim
PHUKET: If there was any hope left for Phuket FC to still get promoted following Wednesday’s home draw to Air Force (see story), then it was all but relinquished following their away-loss last night to Singhtarua FC. Played in front of an energetic blue-and-orange-clad “Klong Toei Army” crowd at the PAT Stadium in the heart of the Thai capital, the…
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So far today that Cardiff had a 4-4-2 was…
Quote of the day: The only point of the game so far today that Cardiff had a 4-4-2 was on the list at the start of the match, the rest of the match they seem to have been playing a 1-9-1 a variation of the flat back eleven… – Trevor Fisher (Man City fan & Phuket resident) PHUKET: Fraizer Campbell…
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Americans renouncing tax liabilities
PHUKET: The number of US taxpayers renouncing their citizenship or permanent-resident status reached a new high in Q2 of 2013. The figure of 1,130 people who the IRS listed as renouncing their status is two-thirds higher than the previous recent high, set in Q1 of 2013 and six times higher than Q2 of 2012. It is also the largest number…
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Phuket Gazette World News: Obama weighs Syria options; Yosemite Rim fire grows; Mexican migrant train derails; Myanmar unrest resurfaces
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– World news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community U.S. says Syria’s offer to show chemical attack sites ‘too late’ Reuters / Phuket GazettePHUKET: A U.S. military response to alleged chemical weapons attacks in Syria appeared more likely on Sunday after Washington dismissed the Syrian government’s offer to allow U.N. inspection of the sites as “too…
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Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Laughing gas crackdown; Ranong highway blockades; Inhumane attacks in South; Extortion cops on the run
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Laughing gas not so funny The Nation / Phuket GazettePHUKET: The widespread use of illegal balloons containing laughing gas among tourists at entertainment venues has prompted police in Bangkok’s Chanasongkram Police Station to crack down on vendors selling these balloons on Khao San Road.Sale of balloons filled…
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Police move to detain Rohingya at purpose-built regional shelters
PHUKET: The Royal Thai Police are lobbying Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra to build regional detention centers to house Rohingya refugees across Southern Thailand. The move aims to relieve the pressure on already-overflowing detention centers at immigration offices in Phuket, Phang Nga and Ranong. Maj Gen Kraibun Suadsong from the Royal Thai Police Office of Police Strategy, which oversees the Thai…
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Landslide warning device installed in Phuket hills
PHUKET: A landslide early-detection system costing 4-million-baht has been installed in the Patong Hills. The system was installed in Phuket because of the high risk of landslides in Patong, Kathu and Karon, Thawan Sukkho of the Bureau of Geotechnology, Department of Mineral Resources, explained to Phuket Governor Maitri Inthusut during an inspection on Friday. “The system is comprised of steel…
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Deputy PM calls for “one-stop’ police counters for Phuket tourists, expats
PHUKET: Deputy Prime Minister Pracha Promnok today called for every police station across Phuket to have a dedicated section to receive complaints from foreigners.The call came at a meeting at The Metropole Hotel in Phuket Town attended by Phuket Governor Maitri Inthusut, Provincial Police Commander Choti Chavalviwat and other top-ranking police officers from the Andaman provinces of Phang Nga and…
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Nigerian arrested in Phuket with visa stolen from Malaysia, cocaine
PHUKET: A Nigerian man arrested for possession of cocaine in Phuket yesterday was also found to be carrying a passport with a visa stolen from the Thai embassy in Malaysia.Karon Police on patrol were notified by an undercover officer of the location of the Nigerian, who was believed to be in possession of drugs.“We approached the man and asked to…
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Phuket Town Hungry Ghost festival underway
PHUKET: Phuket Town is honoring its strong Chinese cultural roots with the annual Por Tor Festival, which was launched yesterday in the town’s Queen Sirikit Public Park (map here). More commonly known as the Festival of the Hungry Ghosts across Asia’s Chinese communities, the festival comprises a variety of cultural displays and activities. “The Por Tor festival is an annual…
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Phuket Gazette World News: US moves Navy, ponders Syria strike; Tripoli mosque blasts; Yosemite’s Rim on fire; Child dies in Bolivia prison war
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community U.S. repositions naval forces, no decision on Syria strike Reuters / Phuket GazettePHUKET: The United States on Friday was repositioning naval forces in the Mediterranean to give President Barack Obama the option for an armed strike on Syria, although officials cautioned that Obama had made no decision…
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Phuket drug suspect found with ‘stolen’ visa
PHUKET: A Thai visa sticker believed stolen from the Thai Embassy in Malaysia has been found in the passport of a suspected drug smuggler in Phuket, according to an informed source.The suspect was arrested by Phuket Immigration police yesterday morning on charges of possessing an undisclosed amount of cocaine.“Further checks reveal that he entered Thailand with his passport containing one…
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Phuket man denies being multi-million-baht extortion artist, blames official
PHUKET: A Phuket businessman and adviser to the Thailand Trade Organization turned around allegations of being a Patong extortion artist today, pointing his finger at a government official. However, Chart Chindapol was unwilling to name the official, who he claimed raked in 50 million baht a month, pocketing 3 million for himself. A letter accusing Mr Chart of “distressing, threatening…
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Officials tackle Patong Beach’s “big brown’ water problem
PHUKET: An order was made to review operations at the Patong Wastewater Treatment Plant following tests of the seawater at Patong Beach this morning. The director of the Phuket-based Regional Environmental Office 15, Pornsri Suthanaruk, announced the news as Phuket Governor Maitri Inthusut joined environment officials conducting the water-quality tests. Dr Pornsri explained that private and commercial premises in Patong…
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