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.
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Sponsored Planning to extend your Thai visa? Why health insurance is more important than ever
If you plan to stay longer in Thailand, having health insurance is now more important than ever. Thai immigration often asks for proof of medical coverage when you apply to extend your visa. This applies to many types of visas,...
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Official opening of Wang Kee On Waterfall in Patong
At 9 am today (December 5), Patong Mayor, Chalermluck Kebsup, hosted the official opening of Wang Kee On Waterfall as the new attraction in Patong, even though it’s been there all the time. “As today is the birthday of The Late King Bhumibol Adulyadej, we agreed to officially open the waterfall to the public on this special day. Patong Municipality…
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THAIGER TODAY Tuesday, December 5
THAIGER TODAY. Tuesday, December 5. Tragic Pattaya road accidents prompts questions | Songkhla schools closed because of flooding | Wang Kee Aon waterfall re-opens in Patong | Fake bomb causes security alert at Myanmar Embassy | Toon meets the PM.
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Pattaya driver that killed two claims epileptic fit – call for ban on epileptic drivers
A tragic accident yesterday morning in Pattaya is again focussing the public’s attention on a call for the Land Transport Department to ban people with epilepsy from driving. The crash occurred when a 44 year old self-described epileptic patient lost control of his pickup truck in Chon Buri’s Pattaya City, causing it to plough into 10 motorcycles, killing two people…
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Don says he knows nothing about Yingluck British passport
Foreign Minister Don Pramudwinai has denied a report of unknown origin that Britain had granted fugitive ex-premier Yingluck Shinawatra a passport. Don said before Monday’s Cabinet meeting that his ministry had no such information and that the British Embassy had not informed the Thai government of any such action. “I don’t want to speculate on or anticipate anything,” he said.…
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Phuket King’s Cup – Racing Day One. Plenty of wind!
Plenty of wind on Day One and the rest of the week is shaping up well in the wind department. Race Day One kicked off with some of the best conditions seen at the PKCR in recent years, winds around 19 knots and more of the same anticipated tomorrow. A total of 83 keelboats and multihulls took to the waves,…
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Social media blowback in Myanmar for Pope. Meanwhile international aid dries up for refugee camps on the Thai-Myanmar border.
PHOTO: Voice of America Pope Francis’s embrace of the Rohingya during a trip to Bangladesh has sparked some angry comment on social media in Myanmar, where just days earlier he chose not to publicly air their plight. On Friday the head of the Catholic church met a group of refugees from Myanmar’s stateless Muslim minority in the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka.…
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Patong Municipality announces the reopening of the waterfall in the town’s heart
Patong Mayor, Chalermluck Kebsup, says that the Wang Kee Aon waterfall in the middle of Patong used to be the main attraction in Patong and HRH King Bhumibol Adulyadej 9 also paid a visit in 1959, which was an important early part of putting Patong on the domestic map for Thailand tourism. “However, later, when the land in front of the…
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Jail, plus a fine, for taking alcohol into national parks
Tourists risk a jail term plus a fine if they step into national parks with alcohol beverages. Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation’s director-general Thanya Netithammakun yesterday warned tourists to stay alcohol-free inside national parks. “Offenders are liable to one month in jail and/or a maximum fine of ]1,000 Baht,” he said. Thanya said he had instructed all…
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MONDAY MORNING BRIEFING – All your news in 3 minutes
First day of the Phuket King’s Cup at Kata today, the island’s most prestigious and popular yacht racing regatta. We wish all competitors fair winds and good sailing for the week. Winds are expected to be up to 20 knots from the ENE. Sure there will be plenty of ‘bubbly beverages’ flowing around Kata this week during the regatta. Not…
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Phuket King’s Cup kicks off today
(left to right) M.L. Tridhosyuth Devakul; Kevin Whitcraft, President of the Phuket King’s Cup Regatta Organizing Committee; Norapat Plodthong, Phuket Governor; Rear Admiral Arkom Tang-on, Deputy Commander, Third Naval Area Command, the Yacht Racing Association of Thailand representative and Chairman of Kata Group Resorts Pramookpisitt Achariyachai join the opening ceremony of the Phuket King’s Cup Regatta 31th at Beyond Resort…
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Phukethon – 9,600 runners competing next weekend
The exciting running event – marketing itself as ‘Asia’s major running festival’ – Phukethon 2017, is being held on December 8-10 with plenty of running categories from fun run to full marathon at Sapan Hin Park. The event’s director of competition from Move Asia, Boonperm Intanapasat, says that there will be 3 distances – 42.19km full marathon, 21.1km half marathon…
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SUNDAY MORNING BRIEFING – All your news in 3 minutes
Welcome to your Sunday news briefing Phuket. Surrounding Phuket Province, many large areas in the south are mopping up serious flooding in the wake of heavy rains all last week – from Chumpon to Yala, mostly along the Gulf of Thailand coast. But Phuket’s been largely spared the extreme rains although it’s been mostly cloudy with moderate rain over the…
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Viral video exposes an alleged call-centre scam
A viral video clip has prompted police to track down the man whose bank account is apparently used by a fraudulent call centre. Investigators from the Muang Lampang Police Station on Friday headed to the house of 37 year old Poonsawat Khamphira to question him over his role in the alleged scam. “I was paid 1,000 Baht to open this…
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SATURDAY MORNING BRIEFING – All your news in 3 minutes
Welcome to the weekend. As usual you can start your day with all the main local news stories from Phuket and Thailand. During the day we also have weather updates every 30 minutes on The Thaiger 102.75 FM (download the free App on your phone). Southern floods claim two, one missing A highly regarded nurse of 12 years service in…
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Upgrading Phuket’s stray dogs
At the Governor-Meets-Media conference today (December 1), the Governor announced a new management strategy for Phuket’s stray dogs, following the project “Disease-Free Animals, Rabies-Free Humans” of HRH Princess Chulabhorn. “There is an estimated total of 11,500 dogs in Phuket, of which a thousand of them are stray dogs that live in public and around tourism attractions and are at risk…
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Conference reports on Phuket’s drop in road death stats
In the decade previous, 1997-2006, Phuket was among Thailand’s five worst provinces in terms of death and injury resulting from road accidents. The dramatic reduction in accidents and casualties has been credited to a focus on accident-prone locations (where crashes were cut by 30 per cent), strict law enforcement using speed guns, breathalysers and cameras at intersections (leading to 10…
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More than 2,000 amphetamine tablets seized at Thachatchai Gateway
Two men from Trang province, 41 year old Uthai Chankarn and 20 year old Puwadol Pornsawangniwate, were arrested at 11pm last night (November 30) while trying to smuggle amphetamine pills onto the island. The two men travelled with a private van and arrived at the Thachatchai checkpoint around 11pm. Officers searched the vehicle and one of the officers, Private Manop…
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SPIA Asia raise $5,000 for Thai CSR project by AFC Dream Asia Foundation
Mr. Eric M. Gottschalk, CEO of MMC Sportz Marketing LLC, organiser of SPIA Asia – Sports Industry Awards & Conference (left) presenting USD5,000 (approx. 160,000THB) to Dr. Annadurai Ranganathan from the AFC Dream Asia Foundation. Asia’s premier sports conference and awards platform, SPIA Asia – Asia’s Sports Industry Awards & Conference, recently concluded in Bangkok with a black-tie Awards Gala Dinner at…
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Eagle wood smugglers nabbed at Suan Pa Bang Kanun, Thalang
Royal Thai Navy officers along with Forestry officials have arrested Assanai Sato, from Prachinburi province, while he was trying to cut the restricted crop, eagle wood with an accomplice. The team led by Rear Admiral Uthai Thongdee from Royal Thai Navy and Chief of Suan Pa Bang Kanun, Sorakrissana Singkham, arrested Assanai in the National Preserved Forest, Suan Pa Bang…
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FRIDAY MORNING BRIEFING – All your news in 3 minutes
Wet, wet, wet start to the day but the forecast says rain should ease during Friday but more on the way tomorrow. Thepa Power Plant update The Government has not made a final decision about the Thepha coal-fired power plant project, according to the PM yesterday. At the same time, an opposition group is promising to carry on its campaign…
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Two civilians injured in Narathiwat bomb attack
Two civilians have been injured after Muslim insurgents detonated a homemade bomb to ambush a team of soldiers from a development corps in Narathiwat’s Joh I Rong district on this morning (November 30). The explosion occurred at 8.45am on Joh I Rong-Ban Yaning Road in Moo 2 village in Tambon Juab. The homemade bomb, assembled in a cooking gas cylinder,…
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Thailand’s Boat Show Season is Here
By Duncan Worthington For a country that has such stunning cruising grounds as Thailand, it’s no surprise there are boat shows to support and promote the marine industry, however, three boat shows within 13 weeks is a bit of a stretch. Ocean Marina Pattaya Boat Show kicked off the season and was held November 23 – 26 at Ocean Maria…
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Phuket setting up tourist service centres along the west coast beaches
Phuket’s Vice Governor, Sanit Srivihok, held a meeting yesterday (November 29) to discuss locations for the tourist service centres on each of Phuket’s main beaches. The implementation of tourist service centres is a policy from Phuket’s Governor aiming to give information to travellers as well as providing support for any issues such as first aid in an accident or a…
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THAIGER TODAY Thursday, November 30
Bali airport re-opens to clear back-log | Government opens its budget pockets | Songkhla protesters released on bail | Army checks for Phuket beach-rules compliance | HM The King grants extension to viewing time at Royal Crematorium | Cheap jet for sale.
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THURSDAY MORNING BRIEFING – All your news in 3 minutes
Protesters released on bail All 15 activists involved in the protest against the proposed Thepha coal-fired power plant have been freed on bail as Songkhla Provincial Court allowed university scholars to use their civil-service status to guarantee their temporary freedom. However, the activists will still have to defend themselves in court as police had prosecuted them with four charges. On…
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Narathiwat floods – more rain and winds predicted for Phuket Thursday
Narathiwat’s provincial administration on Wednesday declared all 13 districts of the southern border province as flood disaster zones after torrential rains continued since Tuesday. Narathiwat Governor Surapol Prommool declared disaster zones covering two municipalities and 301 villages in 60 tambons in all 13 districts. The governor ordered the 13 district chiefs to urgently survey the damage and people’s needs so…
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The Boathouse reveals its stunning make-over
By Pattarawadee Saengmanee Anchored at the end of Kata Beach, the venerable Boathouse Phuket has been freshly refurbished as a boutique hotel and a base for cruise holidays. Extra-comfy beds, first-class hospitality and relaxing beach activities round out the inviting picture. The Boathouse opened in 1991 under the umbrella of the Montara Hospitality Group. This year it was transferred into…
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Observations on the demise of the Phuket Football Club
Tim Newton, camera-in-hand, filming commentary from Steve Johnston at Surakul Stadium, circa 2013. In 2013 and 2014 I was attending most of the Phuket FC matches held at Surukul Stadium as part of my work, reporting stuff for my employer at the time. I had no particular interest in soccer but it was local, it was something our company sponsored…
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Butt pic boys face jail sentence over ‘offensive’ Instagram posts
A couple of Americans who author the Instagram page “Travelling Butts” have been arrested at Don Mueang International Airport for having taken photos showing their backsides with the respected Temple of the Dawn in the background. Police have so far only identified the two as Joseph and Travis, as their identities have yet to be confirmed with the Bangkok Yai…
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THAIGER TODAY Wednesday, November 29
Prayut’s not-so-good trip to Songkhla | Thai tourists getting assistance from Bali Consulate with Mt Agung gurgling | Super Moon on the way | Phuket FC says a sad farewell | Chao Praya boat captain has a bad day. And today & tomorrow’s weather.
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