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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Sponsored Long-term life in Thailand? 5 reasons private health insurance pays off in the long run
Thailand is a great place for expats and retirees, offering a warm climate, affordable living, and rich culture. However, healthcare can be tricky for foreigners since they aren’t eligible for public health coverage, and private care can be expensive. Private...
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Couples invited to participate in traditional wedding ceremony
PHUKET: Couples intending to ‘Thai’ the knot are invited by the Thai Peranakan Association and the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) to join a traditional ‘Baba Yaya’ wedding ceremony. The June 19 ceremony in Phuket Town celebrates more than 200 years of local traditional weddings and is intended to promote the island as a wedding and honeymoon destination. ‘Baba’ and…
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Volunteers needed to establish Phuket suicide hotline
PHUKET: After a rash of tourists dying of allegedly self-inflicted injuries, Dr Surin Bamrungphol, Phuket’s anti-corruption champion, is calling for volunteers to help establish a suicide hotline. “We see frequent newspaper reports of alleged suicides in Phuket, which is very disturbing,” Dr Surin said. “People are driven to take their own lives for many reasons – they could be stressed…
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Artificial reef sunk off Tri Trang Beach
PHUKET: Concrete structures to create an artificial reef were lowered into the sea off Tri Trang Beach on Friday as part of a sustainable tourism initiative backed with private funding. The Department of Marine and Coastal Resources placed more than 120 cement cubes and cones on two rai of seabed to become homes for marine life and attract divers to…
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Krabi locals link temple sinkhole to Naga appearance
KRABI: The sudden appearance of a four-meter-deep sinkhole in the grounds of a temple in Krabi has some locals claiming the hole was made by a Naga – a mythical three-headed snake-like creature. The hole in the ground appeared at Khao Phanom temple and almost swallowed up the temple’s abbot as he was sweeping the temple grounds. “I was clearing…
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Mission Accomplished: Phuket Aussie sets world record with Row2Rio
PHUKET: After 3,400 miles and 55 days at sea, the four extraordinary rowers on the Row2Rio team set a world record after powering their way across the Atlantic. “We departed Portugal and have landed safely in Brazil to an emotional reunion with family and friends,” wrote Luke Richmond, Aussie expat and head coach at Unit 27 in Phuket, yesterday. In…
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Thousands make first crossing on foot between Krabi islands
KRABI: Thousands of members of the public turned out on Saturday to make the first crossing on foot between Lanta Noi and Lanta Yai islands, with the official opening of the recently completed Lanta Bridge in Krabi. Krabi Governor Pinit Boonlert chaired the opening ceremony of the 400-million-baht bridge. The event was titled ‘Starry Night Over Lanta Bridge’. “It was…
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New B650mn sports complex planned for Krabi
KRABI: Ao Nang in Krabi is to get a brand new 650-million-baht sports complex, local officials have confirmed. “We drew up the plans for the 3,000-seat stadium about six years ago and have recently received partial funding of 87.4mn baht from the Sports Authority of Thailand (SAT),” said Ao Nang Administration Organization (OrBorTor) President Pankum Kittithonkun. “Preliminary plans for the…
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Kamala co-operative helps out with annual circumcisions
PHUKET: Cherng Talay Childcare Center in Kamala performed free circumcisions on about 25 Muslim boys aged 5-9 years old yesterday. The tradition involves surgically removing the foreskins of young Islamic males and was sponsored by the Phuket Islamic Saving Co-operative, which donated 20,000 baht to the Kamala Administration Organization (OrBorTor). “The circumcisions are done in different sub-districts each year. This…
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Phuket Immigration not demanding social media account details – yet
PHUKET: Immigration forms asking foreigners to detail their regular hangouts, social media accounts, bank accounts and other personal information are not being used in Phuket, according to a source in the local provincial Immigration office. “The form is only being used in Bangkok, at least until further notice,” the local Immigration officer told Phuket Gazette on condition of anonymity today.…
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Baba Museum artwork to be removed amid outcry
PHUKET: A controversial mural painted on the wall of the Phuket Baba Museum will be removed by the artist following a public outcry. Painted on one of the city’s most historic buildings, the ‘Three-Eyed Kid’ garnered mixed public opinions since its unveiling on April 10. Through social media, residents criticized the artwork’s placement at what was formerly the Standard Chartered…
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Video is the future of digital ads
PHUKET: Digital ad spend is projected to be 9.9 billion baht this year, up almost 25 per cent from last year as a direct result of advertisers shifting from traditional media like print and television to digital media and online marketing. This is believed to be partly because of the cheaper cost of digital advertising and partly because it’s much…
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Former Thai PM Banharn Silpa-archa passes away
THAILAND: Former Prime Minister of Thailand Banharn Silpa-archa died at the age of 83, following an asthma attack last week. The Chart Thai Pattana patriarch passed away peacefully in the early hours yesterday, after two days of treatment at Siriraj Hospital. Mr Banharn was born on August 19, 1932 in Suphan Buri Province as the fourth of six children of…
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Phuket orangutan in critical condition
PHUKET: An orangutan recently confiscated from Phuket Zoo is in critical condition. The beloved 13-year-old orangutan Milo was moved from the Phang Nga Wildlife Nursery Station to the intensive care unit of the Pasupalun Livestock & Wildlife Hospital in Kanchana Buri on Thursday. “Initial tests have shown that her red blood cell count is very low. She also has vitamin…
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Military summons Phuket sea gypsies, activists over land dispute
PHUKET: A total of twelve sea gypsies and human rights activists have been summoned by the 41st Military Circle for questioning about an on-going land dispute between Baron World Trade Company and a sea gypsy community in Rawai. An official letter, issued on April 20, was sent to Rawai sea gypsy community leader Ngeem Damrongkaset. It summoned nine sea gypsies…
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Bangladesh Bank exposed to hackers by cheap switches, no firewall
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Bangladesh Bank exposed to hackers by cheap switches, no firewall Phuket Gazette / Reuters DHAKA: Bangladesh’s central bank was vulnerable to hackers because it did not have a firewall and used second-hand, $10 switches to network computers connected to the SWIFT global payment network, an investigator…
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Island View: Treacherous Thais? I don’t think so.
PHUKET: Thailand is to Asia what Vegas is to America, or at least it’s thought to be. The sin-capital of Asia where ‘anything goes’, or at least that’s what I was told. When I first decided to visit Phuket, it set off alarm bells for everyone around me. I received calls from friends and family members who I hadn’t heard…
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Tourists escape another Phuket bus fire
PHUKET: A group of Chinese tourists narrowly escaped serious injury after fleeing a burning tour bus in Karon yesterday. “The driver was en route from the airport to Patong via Karon at about 5:30pm. After spotting thick, black smoke emanating from the back of the bus, the driver stopped and evacuated the 24 tourists,” said Lt Col Sathid Noorit of…
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Phuket Lifeguard Club signs B22mn contract ahead of monsoon season
PHUKET: The Phuket Lifeguard Club (PLC) renewed its contract last month, extending the island’s life-saving services through the southwest monsoon season, when the waters are most tempestuous. PLC President Prathaiyut Chuayuan told the Phuket Gazette that the 22-million-baht contract with the Phuket Provincial Administrative Organization (PPAO) will end in 10 months, on January 20 next year. “The budget for our…
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Ministry of Farang Affairs: Finding a wife in Thailand
The Ministry of Farang Affairs is a one-stop shop where foreigners in Thailand can learn all they need to know about living here. No, we’re not talking about work permits, visas or taxes. We’re talking about day-to-day life in the Land of Endless Shocks and Riddles, of Blur, Befuddlement and the Bizarre. Stay tuned for weekly insights from Minister Stephff.…
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One tonne of dead fish found in Phuket park
PHUKET: A large number of fish and shrimp have died in a pond in Suan Luang Park in Phuket Town from either a rise in temperature or polluted water, confirmed officials. “The local community around the park has complained about the dead fish,” said Phuket City Deputy Mayor Thavorn Jirapattanasophon. “About one tonne of dead fish have been found since…
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Opinion: Will clubbing Phuket’s beach venues prove to have been worth it?
PHUKET: The demolition of the government-built buildings along Surin’s beachfront, which once housed a number of iconic Phuket beach clubs, marks the end of an era on the island. Unlike numerous other beach venues that have been demolished since the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) started to sweep opportunistic, mafia-style business ventures from Phuket’s sands, tearing down these…
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Must stamp out illegal migrant camps, says Phuket V/Gov
PHUKET: Local officials must prevent illegal migrant camps from popping up along construction sites throughout the province, Phuket Vice Governor Prajiad Aksornthammakul said on Tuesday. “Foreign workers build their shacks in and around local communities. They live in unhygienic conditions that spread disease, and indulge in the illegal trade of vegetables, fish and drugs,” said Vice Governor Prajiad Aksornthammakul. The…
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Excuse Buster: The hidden health dangers of fungi
PHUKET: “It is ironic that this humble fungus, hailed as a benefactor of mankind, may by its very success prove to be a deciding factor in the decline of the present civilization”, said Dr John I Pitt, in The Genus Penicillin, 1979. ‘Antibiotics save lives.’ But has our overuse of antibiotics for killing bacteria contributed to creating a dangerous internal…
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Another Electrician killed, while tampering with a kitchen fan
PHUKET: An electrician was electrocuted and died while installing an exhaust fan in a Kathu house this afternoon. “We received a report around midday that a man was seriously injured from an electric shock in Moo Baan Sinthong Thani,” Lt Sawanya Eiadtrong of the Thung Thong Police said. “We found him lying on the ground in the kitchen, pale-faced and…
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Video Report: Portraits of Princess on show in Phuket Town
PHUKET: An exclusive collection of portrait photographs of Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn is on display at two exhibition venues in Phuket Town throughout April. Photographs by esteemed national artist Nitikorn Kraivixien, who is the president of The Royal Photographic Society of Thailand, are on show at the Baba Museum (Peranakan Nitat) and the On-On Hotel on Phang…
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Video report: New demolition plan brings Surin businesses to the ground
PHUKET: A number of iconic beach clubs on Phuket were crushed during the demolition of the shop houses along the Surin Beach boardwalk yesterday (story here). “We are not ruining Surin Beach; we are returning it back to the unobstructed, beautiful beach it once was,” Phuket Vice Governor Chokdee Amornwat insisted, attempting to explain to a group of stunned tourists…
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Songkran crime sweep nets hundreds of suspects
PHUKET: More than 1,500 arrests related to drug, illegal firearms, gambling and other criminal activities were made in Phuket and the surrounding provinces between April 1 and 17. “In the raids, a total of 171 suspects were arrested for firearms offences. A total of 165 unregistered guns were seized along with 750 rounds of ammunition, as well as two bombs…
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Tickle your tastebuds at Saphan Hin
PHUKET: More than 100 food stalls are cooking up delectable local delicacies for the 18th annual ‘Phuket Good Taste Food Festival’ at Saphan Hin until April 26. “Food aficionados can tuck in to a fantastic range of culinary creations by the first generation of Phuket food vendors, who have been making mouth-watering dishes for more than 30 years,” said the…
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Thai police say 15 bomb suspects at large as two appear in court
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Thai police say 15 bomb suspects at large as two appear in court Phuket Gazette / Reuters BANGKOK: Thai police cannot find 15 suspects in connection with a bomb at a shrine in Bangkok last year that killed 20 people, an officer said on Wednesday, as…
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Belgium says seen signs that IS has sent more fighters to Europe
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Belgium says seen signs that IS has sent more fighters to Europe Phuket Gazette / Reuters BRUSSELS: There are signs that more Islamic State inspired militants have been sent to Belgium and Europe, Belgian authorities said on Tuesday, maintaining the country’s threat status at the second-highest…
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