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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More metered taxis to serve Phuket Airport
PHUKET: A committee of tourism and transport officials yesterday agreed to allow Phuket Taxi Meter Service to operate 23 more metered taxis out of Phuket International Airport (PIA), while a request by Phuket Mai Khao Company to operate 20 metered taxis was tentatively approved.Chaired by Phuket Vice-Governor Tri Augkaradacha, the committee granted permission for Phuket Taxi Meter Service, which has…
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150 couples take the plunge on Valentine’s Day
PHUKET: Many couples registered their marriages yesterday, Valentine’s Day, with added incentive of the island’s three District Offices offering gifts to newlyweds, including passes to Phuket FantaSea, stays at hotels and resorts and dinners at restaurants on the island.However, the figure was down compared with last year, when 202 couples wed on the international day of love.As expected, florists have…
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American extradited on child molestation charges
PHUKET (Gazette, Nation, Kom Chad Luek): A man wanted for child molestation by police in the US state of Missouri was arrested Tuesday afternoon and has been turned over to the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for extradition.During questioning, the suspect, Earl Russel Bonds, tried to kill himself by cutting his left wrist with scissors, but police seized the…
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Boat explodes, sinks at Boat Lagoon
KOH KAEW: Two Thai men are being treated for serious burns in the intensive-care unit (ICU) at Vachira Phuket Hospital after the speedboat they were working on exploded at the Boat Lagoon about 11:30 am today.Eyewitness Pisek Manasit told the Gazette that the gas tank on board the 35-foot fiberglass speedboat Sakila 6 caught fire and exploded within minutes.“The fire started…
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Abbot killed in “chicken shoot’
KAMPHAENG PHET: A temple abbot was shot dead February 5 after one of his students mistook him for a chicken. Phra Khru Silwachirakan, known to his followers as Luang Por Pheuan, the abbot of Wat Traiphum in Phrankratai district, was tending cattle belonging to the wat with three followers, Phra Pui, 27, Sanong Phobanlang, 37, and Buntham Phairoj, 54, when…
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Danish tourist believed murdered: police
PATONG: Kathu Police are now treating as a murder case the death of Danish tourist Henrik Rasmussen, 47, whose body was discovered in a canal behind the Royal Paradise Hotel on February 7.Citing information from doctors at Patong Hospital who examined the body, Kathu Police Investigations Inspector Pol Capt Pratuang Pholmana told the Gazette he now believes Mr Rasmussen died…
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Seaplanes ordered to land further from Patong shore
PHUKET: Phuket Vice-Governor Smith Palawatvichai this morning confirmed that Destination Air has been ordered to land its seaplanes further from the shore at Patong Bay. “After flying with Destination Air, I can now understand the noise problem, even though the planes require only about one-and-a-half minutes to take off. “The planes should not disturb the tourists on Patong Beach much, but they still…
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Frenchman charged with shoplifting
PATONG: A 68-year-old Frenchman has been charged with stealing leather goods valued at more than 30,000 baht from the Findig store on the Patong beach road.Capt Naruwat Phutharaviro of Kathu Police Station told the Gazette that he received a call from Findig shop manager Nathaya Prasomthong, 34, at 4:20 pm yesterday.K. Nathaya reported that a well-dressed foreign tourist had been…
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Gambling and drugs crimes down in January
PHUKET: The number of gambling and drugs arrests in Phuket fell in January compared with the previous month, according to monthly crime statistics released by Phuket Provincial Police.In January, there were 177 arrests for gambling and 101 arrests for drug-related offenses, 55 of which involved ya bah (methamphetamine) with a total of 1,065.5 pills seized.Twenty-six people were arrested for using…
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Missing Dane found dead
PATONG: The body of Danish tourist Henrik Rasmussen, 47, was discovered late yesterday afternoon in a section of Klong Pakbang behind the Royal Paradise Hotel, police have confirmed.Mr Rasmussen, who suffered from Down syndrome, left the Royal Paradise Hotel about 4:30 am on January 28 and had not been seen since, his cousin Helen Soerenson had earlier told the Gazette.Kathu…
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Concerns grow for missing Dane
PATONG: Danish tourist Henrik Rasmussen, 47, remains missing despite a reward of 10,000 baht for information that helps find the holidaymaker. Mr Rasmussen, who suffers from Down syndrome, disappeared from the Royal Paradise Hotel on January 28. “He left the hotel around 4:30 am to look for his lost mobile phone. We haven’t heard from him since,” said Mr Rasmussen’s cousin…
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Local tourism leaders voice support for Weerasak
PHUKET: Leading figures in Phuket’s tourism industry have expressed satisfaction with the naming of Chart Thai Party member Weerasak Kowsurat as the new Tourism and Sports Minister in the Cabinet led by Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej.K. Weerasak, 43, is Deputy Secretary of the Chart Thai Party. He has a master’s degree in law from Harvard University. Originally from Ubon Ratchathani…
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Major break-ins reported
PHUKET: Police on Thursday reported two major robberies, including a daylight break-in at the residence of a high-ranking civil servant.The first robbery took place in Pa Khlok late last Tuesday night or early last Wednesday morning.Pol Maj Seksan Komsakorn of the Thalang Police told the Gazette that the break-in was reported by Winai Rattanawittayaporn, owner of the Bang Pae Wassadu…
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HK billionaire to build mega-resort in Phang Nga
PHANG NGA: The Year of the Rat is certain to change the fortunes of a sleepy area of Phang Nga province, as a Hong Kong company owned by billionaire Richard Li has announced plans for a mega-resort project along the beach in Thai Muang district.Land acquired by Li’s company Pacific Century Premium Developments Limited (PCPD) in late 2007 totals 1,081.25…
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Lustful teens get lewd in local library
NAKHON SRI THAMMARAT: Most parents would be happy to know that their teenagers were spending their free time hanging out in the library. What better place could there be to engage in some extracurricular learning and curl up with a good book? In Nakhon Sri Thammarat public library, however, teenagers have been curling up for some X-rated extracurricular activities –…
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Rasta roadie nearly roasted at roadside
NAKHON SRI THAMMARAT: A sound technician for the popular Thai reggae band “Marijuana” almost went up in smoke January 17, after the fuel system he had just installed in his sedan malfunctioned and exploded. The technician, identified only as Charin, was driving from Surat Thani to Nakhon Sri Thammarat when he was almost lit up. He was on his way…
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Rogue monks defrocked after temple-‘tech raid
NAKHON SRI THAMMARAT: Places of worship are not generally considered the best places to swig booze and get down to some bangin’ dance tracks. However, three young monks in Nakhon’s Wat Suan Pan turned their dormitory cell into a makeshift disco. News of the temple ‘tech came when neighbors told police that they had seen some monks leading a number…
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Plans laid for B1.3bn airport in Phang Nga
PHANG NGA: The Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) will request a budget of 1.3 billion baht from the new Cabinet to fund construction of a domestic airport in Phang Nga province.Plans have already been drawn up for the construction of an airport that would cover 1,400 rai on Koh Kho Khao, a 45,000-rai island in Takuapa district.The 1.3-million-baht would cover both the…
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New Phuket Airport director aims for expansion
PHUKET: Phuket International Airport (PIA) appointed 54-year-old Wing Commander Wicha Nurnlop as the airport’s new director on February 1, replacing former-Director Squadron Leader Pornchai Eua-aree, who has been transferred to the Airports of Thailand (AOT) headquarters in Bangkok. K. Wicha returns to PIA after spending the past four months as Director of Haad Yai International Airport. Before transferring to Haad…
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Danish tourist missing in Patong
PATONG: A reward of 10,000 baht is being offered for information that helps to find Danish tourist Henrik Rasmusen, 47, who was last seen about 10:30 pm on January 27 at the Royal Paradise Hotel, where he was staying.Mr Rasmusen, who has Down’s Syndrome, is tall, slim, has gray hair and a light gray beard and mustache.Anyone with information that may help locate…
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Burasari confirms “Keith Floyd is fine’
PHUKET: Following reports that 64-year-old British celebrity chef Keith Floyd collapsed with breathing difficulties during a trip to the UK, Burasari Resident Manager Conor O’Leary has confirmed that there is no cause for alarm.Mr Floyd recently returned to the UK after spending four and a half weeks supervising his brasserie at the Burasari Resort in Patong during the peak of…
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New animal shelter nears completion
PHUKET: The Soi Dog Foundation (SDF) has announced that a new dog shelter, animal hospital and education center will open next month in Mai Khao. Situated on 10 rai, the new facilities will not replace the government-run dog pound in Thalang, where the SDF has been operating for the past 15 months. In November, the SDF received a letter from…
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Aussies top tourist arrivals for Q1-3 2007
PHUKET CITY: When all the figures are in, tourist arrivals to Phuket in 2007 are expected to exceed five million and generate as much as 70 billion baht in revenue, Phuket Tourist Association (PTA) Vice-President Bhuritt Maswongsa said yesterday morning.At a meeting chaired by Phuket Governor Niran Kalayanamit at Phuket Provincial Hall, K. Bhuritt said that Tourism Authority of Thailand…
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Gov calls for “right’ Tourism Minister
PHUKET CITY: Phuket Governor Niran Kalayanamit yesterday called on the new central government to appoint a Minister of Tourism and Sports who will push through the “mega-projects” Gov Niran believes will aid Phuket’s development.At the Phuket Provincial Security Committee meeting at Katina Hotel, Gov Niran said that after seven years as Phuket Vice-Governor and one year as Governor, Phuket still…
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Bomb scare in Rawai
RAWAI: Chalong Police closed the road along the Rawai beachfront at midday yesterday for about 30 minutes while bomb squad officers attended to a suspicious package left on the footpath opposite the Mama Klong restaurant.After local villagers reported the package to police, officers taped off a “safe zone” before moving in to disarm the suspected bomb.The incident caused much commotion and concern…
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Man charged for robbing Adrian Zecha’s villa
PHUKET CITY: Police yesterday announced that they had arrested a man for allegedly robbing Adrian Zecha’s villa at the exclusive Amanpuri, which the mogul developed himself as the first Aman boutique resort.At a press conference at Phuket City Police Station, Phuket Provincial Police Commander Maj Gen Decha Budnampeth presented Weerapol Laolang, 22, a resident of Soi Phaneang in Phuket City.Gen Decha said that…
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Robber nabbed after fake-pistol heists
PHUKET CITY: Phuket City Police collaborated with Songkhla Police to bring in a robber who went on a one-month robbing spree around Phuket City armed with a fake pistol.Satun-native Narathon Uraiwong, 30, who was arrested on Saturday, admitted to robbing two grocery stores, one 7-Eleven and one tourist, stealing a total of 21,900 baht, said Phuket City Police Deputy Superintendent Col…
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Desalination plant working at “near capacity’
KARON: After months of rectifying problems related to unstable power supply, Thailand’s second-largest desalination plant is finally working near full capacity, the Gazette has learned.The reverse-osmosis (RO) plant, located at the hairpin turn on the road from Karon to Patong, was completed mid-2006 at a cost of 528 million baht by REQ Water Service Ltd.By mid-2007, the plant was unable…
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Banphaeo Hospital inks deal with OrBorJor
PHUKET CITY: Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (OrBorJor) and Banphaeo Hospital in Samut Sakhon signed a deal on January 26 at Phuket Merlin Hotel that will see the long-abandoned buildings of Phya Thai Hospital renovated and jointly run as a public organization under provincial administration.Public Health Minister Mongkol Na Songkhla and Phuket Vice-Governor Worapoj Ratthasima witnessed the signing that will see…
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