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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Russian tourist struck down by Phuket bus
PHUKET: A Russian tourist suffered head and leg injuries when he was hit by a ‘pink bus’ in the middle of Phuket Town yesterday.The tourist was named as Kirill Kulagin by Lt Col Yongyuth Kongmalai, a deputy superintendent at Phuket City Police Station.“The man was hit by an OrBorJor [Phuket Provincial Administration Organization] pink bus at about 10am, when he…
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Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Forbes super-rich list now has 10 Thais
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community 10 Thais on Forbes’ super-rich list, up from five last year Phuket Gazette / The Nation PHUKET: Thai billionaires have seen their wealth skyrocket in a year, with 10 making it into Forbes’ list of the wealthy, compared with just five last year (click here for…
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From the PGA to Phuket
PHUKET: Golf is a sport that has surrounded Michael Brasier all his life. His father, Brett, is a PGA professional and growing up, Michael would watch him teach golf at various clubs around the world, including the Vines in Australia. It was only natural that Michael would follow his father into the sport: playing on the PGA tour, teaching golf…
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Putting it all on the line – Live Wire
PHUKET: With renovations running full-tilt on my new digs in Kathu, near Phuket Town, it’s time for me to stop hypothesizing and analyzing, pays my money, and takes my chances. That’s what this week’s Live Wire is all about – taking chances on a new internet land line. Two weeks ago, I broke down the internet services in Phuket into…
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Myanmar Navy makes historic visit to Phuket
PHUKET: Under a tight program, Capt Aung Zaw Hlaing, Commander of Myanmar Number 1 Fleet, still made time for an exclusive interview with the Phuket Gazette during the navy’s historic first diplomatic visit to a foreign country (click here for story). “We are very pleased to be here. It is the first time our ships have visited Thailand,” Capt Hlaing…
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Phuket Business: A land of opportunity
PHUKET: The island emerged last year as Thailand’s strongest hotel market, according to a recent report by Jones Lang LaSalle. The report, entitled Spotlight on Thailand – Hotel Investment Market said that as of December 2012, year-to-date (YTD), Phuket had an occupancy rate of 72.4%. Meanwhile, it said that the Average Daily Rate (ADR) was 3,902 baht, which resulted in…
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Phuket Business: French ambassador to boost SMEs
PHUKET: The new French Ambassador to Thailand, Thierry Viteau, made his first visit outside of his station in Bangkok recently to discuss in Phuket the need to strengthen relations in the tourism market. “Phuket and Nice in France have been ‘sister cities’ since 1989; I want to take this opportunity to re-strengthen and renew our relations,” Amb Viteau, who assumed…
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Phuket Business: Local firm takes the LEED in sustainability
PHUKET: The island-based construction and development firm, Development Management Group Co Ltd (DMG), recently announced that its Sustainability Manager, John Covello has earned his LEED Accredited Professional (LEED AP) certification. The designation, with a specialization in Building Design and Construction, makes John one of a small number of sustainable building specialists in Thailand. LEED, which stands for Leadership in Energy…
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Phuket Gazette National News: Thailand may oppose protection of sharks, manta rays
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Thailand set to oppose protection of sharks and manta rays Phuket Gazette / The NationPHUKET: Thailand will be juggling several hot-potato wildlife issues as it hosts the 16th Conference of the Parties to CITES, the ‘Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora’,…
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Phuket Gazette Sports: Man Utd out as Ronaldo scores winner
Ronaldo returns to knock out United Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Former Manchester United hero Cristiano Ronaldo scored the winner against his old club to give Real Madrid a 2-1 victory at Old Trafford and a place in the Champions League quarter-finals last night. United, 1-0 up in the game after Real defender Sergio Ramos put through his own goal…
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Phuket Gazette World News: Venezeula’s Hugo Chavez loses battle with cancer
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Obituary: Hugo Chavez – socialist showman who transformed Venezuela Reuters/ Phuket Gazette PHUKET: At two defining moments of his rule, Venezuela’s theatrical leader Hugo Chavez took a small silver crucifix from his pocket and held it above his head. Both marked a quasi-religious “return” for the…
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Police to make alleged karaoke killers sing
PHUKET: Police have arrested two men for stabbing a man to death early Saturday morning outside a karaoke bar in the port area of Phuket Town. Aphichet Janpradit, 33, and Phusithi Phaosuparp, 43, were both arrested on Sunday at their rented room on Koh Sireh for the murder of 28-year-old Surasit Sukhum, Lt Col Prawit Engchua of the Phuket City…
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Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Draconian IS Act to be lifted; Pollsters puzzle; Worawi confident
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community ISA to be lifted in five southern districts Phuket Gazette / The Nation PHUKET: To bolster dealings in the South between authorities and insurgent groups, the draconian Internal Security Act will be revoked in five districts in three provinces and replaced by the softer emergency decree,…
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Phuket Gazette World News: Baby cured of HIV; Girl miraculously survives plane crash; UK Queen leaves hospital
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community US baby’s cure from HIV raises hope, new questions Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: The remarkable case of a baby being cured of HIV infection in the United States using readily available drugs has raised new hope for eradicating the infection in infants worldwide, but scientists…
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Phuket residents protest new B465mn provincial hall
PHUKET: More than 200 Phuket residents protested today against the construction of the new provincial hall. The protesters gathered this morning at Sanam Chai in Phuket Town, opposite the current provincial Hall (map here), to express their concerns that the proposed new hall will negatively affect the lifestyle of people in the area. Former Rassada Mayor Suratin Lianudom and former…
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Phuket Gazette office to be closed tomorrow
PHUKET: The Phuket Gazette would like to inform our readers and advertisers that our office in Koh Kaew will be closed tomorrow, Tuesday, March 5, due to yet another all-day blackout in the area to upgrade power lines. The blackout affects Soi Harn Farang and Soi Koh Kaew 33, and may affect adjoining areas that are supplied electricity from power…
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Phuket FC neutralize Big Bang in season opener
PHUKET: Kicking off the Thai Premier League (TPL) Yamaha One 2013 season, Phuket FC played their season opener out to a 1-1 draw away against Big Bang Chula United (BBCU) on Saturday evening in Bangkok. Played at the Army Stadium, the match was watched by little more than 300 fans, with several dozen Phuket fans making the trip. Relegated last…
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Phuket mob surrounds British expat who hit motorcyclist
Correction: The original story yesterday named the driver, as repeatedly confirmed and spelled out to our reporters by Thalang Police Sub Lt Niphon Temsang, as “Martin Ian Potter”. His reports of the surname were incorrect. The driver charged over the incident was Martin Ian Foster, who reportedly works in the hotel industry on Koh Maphrao. The Gazette obtained the correction…
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Phuket Police raid cockfight
PHUKET: Police broke up a cockfighting match near a rubber plantation in central Phuket yesterday, arresting 16 men and confiscating two roosters and 220 baht found at the scene. The number of men attending the matches had grown steadily over the past few weeks, causing local residents to complain to police, who sent an undercover agent to discover the time…
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Phuket blood bank launches March mobile donation drive
PHUKET: The Phuket Chapter of the Red Cross Society has announced its schedule of mobile donation clinics for the month of March. The Phuket Regional Blood Center (PRBC), often called upon to save the lives of Thais and foreigners, is low on stocks of blood type A. “We need to maintain a daily minimum stock of 200 units of A,…
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Southern Resurgence: Drug cocktail 8×100 makes a comeback
PHUKET: The police crackdown on the indigenous plant kratom, a mild narcotic, is taking its toll, with youngsters now reportedly turning to longkong leaves in order to make a new version of the long-known drug cocktail “4×100”. The new recipe using longkong leaves even sports a new, improved nickname: “8×100”. “Kratom leaves are the main ingredient of the original “4×100″…
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Phuket Gazette World News: Kenya elections; Pope vote; Borneo violence; QEII cancels Welsh appearances
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– World news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Kenyans to vote in tense head-to-head presidential race Reuters / Phuket GazettePHUKET: Kenyans vote today in a presidential election that will test whether the east African nation can restore its reputation as one of Africa’s more stable democracies after a lethal ethnic rampage erupted following the 2007…
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Breaking News: Democrats win Bangkok election, Yingluck concedes defeat
PHUKET: Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has conceded defeat in the election today for Bangkok Governor, handing the election win over to Democrat candidate Sukhamband Parabitra.PM Yingluck publicly announced the defeat at 6:15pm after the ongoing count of votes at the polls showed that Sukhamband had amassed more than a million votes while leading Pheu Thai rival Pol Gen Pongsapat Pongcharoen…
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Under Investigation: Phuket villagers foraging for turtle eggs
PHUKET: The safety of turtle eggs in a protected nesting ground at the northern tip of Phuket is under investigation by the Mai Khao Marine Turtle Foundation. The Phuket Gazette contacted the foundation after a reader reported seeing turtle tracks and people probing for eggs in the area between Maikhao Dream Villa Resort and Spa and Maikhao Beach Bungalows (map…
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Pharmacy raid nets 24 youths in cough syrup blitz
PHUKET: A raid on a Phuket Town pharmacy early yesterday evening turned into a bumper haul for officers as they arrested a procession of youngsters turning up to buy cough syrup specifically to make the local drug cocktail “4×100”. Following an order by Muang District Chief Supachai Pochanukul, the 15 officers arrived at the Pharma Sure drug store on Si…
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Phuket Sports: TNT blown away in a flash by Gordon
PHUKET: In the first match of the second round, the Village took on the TNT at the Alan Cooke Ground (ACG) last Sunday. The Village, last season’s runners up, were desperate to record their first win of the season, while TNT were looking to progress further up the ladder to challenge the top teams of Patong Cricket Club and Laguna.In…
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Phuket Sports: Southern Sea Warriors reinforced ahead of season start
PHUKET: In their first fixture, Phuket FC, taking on the new nickname this year as the “Southern Sea Warriors” are set to play Big Bang Chula United (BBCU), a team relegated last year from the TPL. The match will kick off today at 6pm at the Army Stadium in Bangkok, BBCU’s home pitch. The Southern Sea Warriors’ first home match…
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DNP outlines conservation issues to be presented to CITES
PHUKET: In town yesterday for the investigation into encroachment on Phuket’s Sirinath National Park (story here), Manopat Huamuangkaew, the director-general of the National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation Department (DNP), took time to hand out pro-conservation pamphlets to tourists at Phuket International Airport. The pamphlets also advertise the 16th annual Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna…
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Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Bomb blasts wound Southern peace talks; Bangkok election; ‘Wannabe Myanmar’ line up
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Narathiwat rocked by two blasts The Nation / Phuket GazettePHUKET: Two vehicle bombs in a span of five hours yesterday rocked Narathiwat’s Muang district less than 24 hours after the signing of an agreement in Malaysia between Thailand’s security authorities and four people purportedly representing insurgent groups…
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Phuket Gazette World News: China execution parade; Italy unravels; Syrian scuds; Cardinals pick new Pope
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– World news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community ‘Execution parade’ of four behind Mekong murders angers Chinese Reuters / Phuket GazettePHUKET: An “execution parade” on China’s state television of four foreign men sentenced to death for killing 13 sailors on the Mekong River caused anger in China on Friday, with many people saying it was…
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