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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TV anchor seeks to be Cambodia’s political peacemaker to avoid conflict
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community TV anchor seeks to be Cambodia’s political peacemaker to avoid conflict Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: Cambodian TV news anchor Soy Sopheap has again stepped into the role of political peacemaker in an effort to end the feud between Prime Minister Hun Sen and exiled opposition…
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Bill Gates plots a surprise attack on the energy sector
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Bill Gates plots a surprise attack on the energy sector Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: Bill Gates grows most animated when the talk turns to the “cool” new energy technologies that have yet to leave the lab. Gates was a rare civilian sharing the limelight alongside…
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Phuket burglar allegedly takes B20k cash
PHUKET: Police are searching for a burglar who allegedly broke into a house at the Keha public housing estate in Thalang Sunday afternoon. Kasem Pansri, 28, reported to police that he returned home from the Layan Market to discover that 20,000 baht in cash had been stolen from his bedroom. “There were clear signs of an intruder having rummaged through…
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Staying afloat in a niche market
PHUKET: Business that are called ‘labors of love’ are referred to this way because the profit margins, if any, don’t justify the investment. Nonetheless, these business – often small retailers – are the building blocks of unique communities. So is the case with Longtail Paddlesurf Co Ltd. Though the sport of standup paddleboarding (SUP) is still in its infancy in…
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Phi Phi Police struggle to stomp out gibbon touts
PHUKET: Unaware of officers failing to find and arrest an illegal gibbon tout regularly operating at a specific time and location on Phi Phi Don, the recently appointed Phi Phi Police Chief Jetsada Junphum has taken matters into his own hands. “I did not see the video sent to my officers until the Phuket Gazette sent it directly to me,”…
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Man assaulted, pregnant girlfriend abducted in taxi
BANGKOK: A taxi driver, along with his accomplices, reportedly robbed and assaulted a Myanmar passenger before abducting his two-month-pregnant girlfriend on Saturday. Ong Su, 34, told police that he and his 22-year-old girlfriend hailed a green-yellow taxi with an unknown licence plate number from the Rangsit area to go to Samut Prakan province. Two men joined them in the taxi…
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Deaf man dies in alleged suicide
PHUKET: Police have yet to rule out foul play as they investigate the alleged suicide of a deaf man in Thalang yesterday morning. Officers received a report that Amnach Utsaha, 30, had supposedly shot himself in the head with a homemade gun while in bed with his wife Boonruay Aree, 44. “According to Ms Boonruay, Mr Amnach had been complaining…
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Triathlon champ’s return to form at Challenge Laguna Phuket
PHUKET: A field of over 600 individual pro and age group athletes representing 41 nationalities, crowded Laguna Phuket this weekend to participate in the 2015 Challenge Laguna Phuket triathlon. Switzerland’s Ruedi Wild successfully defended his 2014 Challenge Laguna Phuket title in 3:54:45 (swim 21:29, bike 2:12:17, run 1:18:21), breaking his own record of 4:02:43, despite being out of action for…
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Beijing aims to refill medicine chest with
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Beijing aims to refill medicine chest with ‘Made in China’ drugs Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: China, already a global powerhouse in high-tech areas from solar panels to bullet trains, is turning its industrial might to the challenge of making more of its own drugs for…
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World leaders to launch bid for climate breakthrough in Paris
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community World leaders to launch bid for climate breakthrough in Paris Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: World leaders will launch an ambitious attempt on Monday to hold back the earth’s rising temperatures, urging each other to find common cause in two weeks of bargaining meant to steer…
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Indonesia ferry hits trouble on way to Singapore, 97 rescued
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Indonesia ferry hits trouble on way to Singapore, 97 rescued Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: Almost 100 people were rescued when a ferry sailing towards Singapore from the Indonesianisland of Batam hit a floating object and reportedly started to sink, authorities in the city-state said. Ferry…
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Russian woman robbed near British International School
PHUKET: Police are hunting two suspects accused of robbing a Russian woman near British International School Phuket on Saturday morning. Olga Shnyreva, 35, was kicked off of her bicycle and robbed of 400 baht and an iPhone 6 by two men with tattooed faces, confirmed Lt Col Sanit Nukong of the Thalang Police. “A passerby saw Ms Shnyreva sitting by…
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Business Buzz: Cash in on high season
PHUKET: We are coming into the high season and the tourists will be coming, so no matter what their numbers, this is the time to take advantage. There are a couple of things that we can do as business owners to protect our profits and position ourselves for the coming year. The first is to try to avoid the price…
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Chinese diver dies at Similan National Park
PHUKET: A Chinese diver died yesterday during a dive trip with Similan Seven Sea Co Ltd at Koh Bon, Similan National Park. Zhang Lin, 23, was found floating unresponsive at a depth of about 11.9 meters by divers from another dive company. “Ms Zhang was found with her regulator no longer in her mouth by divers from Khao Lak Scuba…
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IKEA opens Asia’s first Pick-up & Order Point in Phuket
PHUKET: The first IKEA ‘Pick Up & Order Point’ in Asia was officially launched in Phuket yesterday, providing service to Thailand’s southern provinces. The newest addition to the Swedish retailer’s furniture and home furnishings business, located on the bypass road in the Biz Town estate, aims to cater to the island’s growing business, real estate and tourism sectors. “Phuket has…
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Finance: Going back to basics
PHUKET: This is something I often write about but so often find ignored by what is done in practice. When it comes to planning your financial future, there are only a few basic principles that you really need to follow. As long as you stay within these guidelines, you can make the odd mistake and still easily recover. The first…
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Opinion: Keeping up the pressure to rid Phuket of jet-skis
PHUKET: All stakeholders in Phuket’s future should thank five visiting ambassadors who kept the pressure on the provincial government to do something about the island’s notorious jet-ski rental industry. As opined many times, this particular industry seems to possess a curious ability that allows it to somehow pass undetected through all barriers of law, order, courtesy and simple common sense.…
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E. coli from Costco chicken salad traced to tainted celery
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community E. coli from Costco chicken salad traced to tainted celery Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: A multi-state E. coli outbreak that has sickened at least 19 people who ate rotisserie chicken salad sold at Costco Wholesale Corp’s stores has been traced to a celery-and-onion mix used…
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Beach boss bans umbreallas at Surin
PHUKET: Disobedient vendors on Surin Beach have given the president of the Cherng Talay Administration Organization (OrBorTor) ‘no choice’ but to designate it as one of Phuket’s ‘virgin beaches’. Though a 10 per cent zone had already been marked, beach vendors renting out umbrellas and offering other services there failed to follow the beach management rules put in place by…
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Thalang Police hunt serial bag snatcher
PHUKET: Police are hunting a possible serial snatch thief who made off with a woman’s purse Wednesday night in Thalang. Namthip Kritkarom, 22, was on her way back from the Loy Krathong festival when the suspect grabbed her bag from the front of her motorbike while driving past her on a black Honda Click, confirmed Lt Suporn Muangkai of the…
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Airport pier project sails forward with multi-million-baht design budget
PHUKET: A 25-million-baht budget was approved for the Phuket International Airport pier project, which will allow tourists to take a ferry down the west coast to Patong, confirmed officials yesterday. The budget for the ‘From The Boat to The Plane’ project, which was tabled in 2013 by Phuket Marine Office Chief Phuripat Theerakulpisut (story here), is set to cover the…
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Foreign sunbathers get boot from Phuket park
PHUKET: Phuket City Police forced three bikini-clad sunbathers soaking up the sun at Saphin Hin to re-dress themselves yesterday afternoon. “I am aware that officers took this action to ensure the safety of the women,” Capt Chatchai Choonoo of Phuket City Police told the Phuket Gazette. “We do not have officers set up at this park, or other similar parks,…
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Mandatory travel insurance tabled in Phuket
PHUKET: The Phuket Governor vowed to raise tourist travel insurance issues to those capable of making changes to national legislation following the honorary consul meeting yesterday (story here). “If a tourist is not covered by insurance in their home country, they are setting themselves up for a difficult situation if they get injured while on holiday here,” said Phuket Governor…
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Phuket cyclist wins “Tour of Wiengsa Crown Prince Hospital’ bike race
PHUKET: Local cyclist Daniel Amby celebrated his victory in the ‘Tour of Wiengsa Crown Prince Hospital’ bike race held in Surat Thani on November 22. On a rolling, 85-kilometer course, Daniel was able to break away early with Pichet Puengrang, recent winner of the Thanyapura Classic, and another cyclist. They created a gap of three minutes, but then Daniel was…
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Myanmar’s Suu Kyi blames lack of safety regulations for deadly landslide
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Myanmar’s Suu Kyi blames lack of safety regulations for deadly landslide Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: A disregard for the rule of law in the jade mining industry in Myanmar had made accidents such as the landslide that killed more than 100 people at the weekend…
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Man pleads guilty to stealing human brains from Indiana medical museum
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Man pleads guilty to stealing human brains from Indiana medical museum Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: A 23-year-old Indiana man pleaded guilty on Wednesday to breaking into a medical museum and stealing preserved human brains and other tissue that he then sold online, authorities said. David…
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Thailand adopts 911 as emergency number
PHUKET: Thailand has officially adopted 911 as its emergency hotline number, confirmed Phuket Governor Chamroen Tipayapongtada. The decision to implement the emergency number was due to tourists’ familiarity with the 911 hotline number already, prompting several other countries to implement its use as well. “The Cabinet approved the use of the number months ago,” said Governor Chamroen. “For some reason,…
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Essential Phuket honorary consul meetings resume
PHUKET: Nearly two years after the once regular governor-honorary consul meetings ceased, the important talks linking 16 national representatives and the provincial government resumed yesterday. At the meeting, Pornphan Sittichaivijit, the Royal Norwegian Honorary Consul, tabled nine different issues of concern: travelling insurance, beach management, illegal tour guides, quality tourists, Thai culture public relations, government and private sector cooperation, traffic,…
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OrBorTor boss not worried by beach businesses’ 10mn-baht lawsuit
PHUKET: The controversial president of the Cherng Talay Tambon Administration Organization (OrBorTor) yesterday shrugged off a 10-million-baht lawsuit filed against him for alleged dereliction of duty. “The owners of two establishments, named Beach Bar and Paul Restaurant, located on Laypang Beach are claiming that I ruined their businesses,” OrBorTor President Ma-ann Samran told the Phuket Gazette. The two restaurants were…
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Smartphones may have role in rise of U.S. traffic deaths
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Smartphones may have role in rise of U.S. traffic deaths Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: The number of deaths from traffic accidents in the United States jumped 8.1 percent in the first half of 2015, suggesting smartphones and other driving distractions could be making America’s roadways…
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