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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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Phuket’s Kata Group opens ‘Beyond Resort’ in Khao Lak
PHUKET: The Kata Group, one of Phuket’s best-known resort chains, celebrated the latest addition to its portfolio of luxury resorts on Friday.Located in Phuket’s neighboring province of Phang Nga, the new property in Khao Lak, branded as the ‘Beyond Resort Khao Lak’, is the group’s first foray out of Phuket since the opening of its Kandaburi Resort and Spa on…
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Phuket Opinion: A tiny price tag for saving the mangroves
PHUKET: It is a pity that regional mass transport issues, and ‘mega-projects’ to whoosh ever-more tourists around the island, trumped the need for more sustainable tourism development during Tuesday’s mobile Cabinet meeting here in Phuket. In the first-ever official visit to the island by a female Thai premier, PM Yingluck Shinawatra performed admirably. She was smiling and charismatic throughout, despite…
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Phuket Gazette Special Report: Thai military unveils plan to stop Rohingya landings
PHUKET: Region 4 of the Internal Security Operations Command (ISOC) has formulated a “Protecting the Andaman” strategy to prevent Rohingya boat people from illegally entering Thailand in Ranong, Phuket and other Andaman Coastal provinces. Maj Gen Manas Khongpanin, director of the ISOC region, revealed that the security plan is to stop the Rohingya from entering Thailand, especially along the coastline…
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Phuket Gazette World News Roundup: Australia shakes; $15bn in China-Indonesia deals; 5 killed in San Francisco shootings; EU raises heat on Syria
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– World news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Strong earthquake strikes central Australia, no damage Phuket Gazette / News WiresPHUKET: The central region of Australia was struck by the country’s largest earthquake in nearly 15 years on Friday evening, seismologists said, but there were no reports of damage or casualties.The 6.1-magnitude earthquake at 7:55pm local…
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Germany’s Pfizenmaier ousts Noppowan in Phuket ITF final
PHUKET: Dinah Pfizenmaier has won the opening Phuket Chang ITF Women’s Pro Circuit event, defeating Noppowan Lertcheewakarn 6-2, 6-4 in the final at Thanyapura Sports and Leisure Club this afternoon.With local support weighing on the side of her opponent and number six seed from Thailand, the 20-year-old German showed early signs of nerves, losing the first game through four unforced…
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Tesco Lotus aerobics show in Phuket on Monday
PHUKET: Tesco Lotus is bringing its popular ‘Get Healthy with Tesco Lotus’ exercise campaign to Phuket for the 6th year running ,with a road show at Tesco Lotus Thalang on Monday. Tesco Lotus Senior Corporate Affairs Manager Charkrit Direkwattanachai said 16 million people nationwide have taken part in the activities since the program started. “This year our target is to…
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Phuket elections: no alcohol sales in Chalong, Rassada
PHUKET: Alcohol sales will be banned in Chalong and Rassada from 6pm today till midnight on tomorrow due to local elections to be held tomorrow in those Phuket subdistricts. Phuket Election Commission Director Kittipong Thiengkunakrit told the Phuket Gazette that Chalong has two voting districts with 7,135 and 7,497 eligible voters, respectively. The mayoral candidates are Thanapong Koudom and Somran…
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Phuket Gazette: Extra, Extra – Read all about it!
PHUKET: In this week’s Phuket Gazette, now on newsstands everywhere across the island, and tucked into the Nation newspaper for national distribution, we probe hard into the ongoing land investigations. We’ve also budgeted space for a financial breakdown of what recent Cabinet meetings have bestowed upon Phuket and the other important Andaman provinces. As always, we received our monthly letter…
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Phuket Business: Copyright fraudsters on the prowl
PHUKET: Operators of entertainment establishments that utilize copyright protected songs should be wary of personnel claiming to be royalty collectors, a statement issued by the Department of Intellectual Property has warned. The warning, published last week on the Ministry of Commerce website, said that the department has recently received a number of complaints from establishment operators in Phuket, Pattaya and…
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Phuket Gazette: Google Street View launched for Phuket
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Google Street View launched for Phuket PHUKET (The Nation): Six months after starting work on the project, Google Thailand yesterday officially launched the ‘Google Street View’ service in the Kingdom – the second country in Southeast Asia in which it is available, following Singapore. Street view…
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Phuket Business: The European tourist market is dormant, but not done
PHUKET: Local officials and tourism industry representatives are optimistic about the revival of the European tourist market in the near future, following the recent success of a Phuket tourism promotion roadshow in Germany. The Internationale Tourismus – Borse 2012 (ITB 2012), one of the largest tourism trade shows in the world, was held in Berlin, Germany. Representing Phuket at the…
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Phuket Business: Batik operations seek integration
PHUKET: The Phuket Provincial Industry Office (PPIO) recently led a seminar to reinforce the continued development and integration of the island’s high-potential Batik fabric industry. The industrial promotion event marked the beginning of the second consecutive year of efforts to develop local production, reinforcing momentum from the forming last year of the Phuket Batik Cluster. That initiative was marked by…
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Phuket Sports: F1; Premiership football; Rugby and international sports news
Button dominates F1 openerPHUKET: Jenson Button of McLaren reveled in his “dream start” at e opening race of the 2012 Formula 1 season at the Albert Park Lake street circuit in Melbourne.Sebastian Vettel of Red Bull managed to gain second by making good use of the safety car on lap 37 to pit, and emerged ahead of Lewis Hamilton, who…
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Phuket Gazette: 15,000 homeless, 2 dead in massive Mexican earthquake
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Government scrambling to assist the homeless from Mexican quake Phuket Gazette / News Wires PHUKET: Two deaths were reported on Friday after a powerful 7.4-magnitude earthquake struck southwestern Mexico on Tuesday, damaging tens of thousands of houses. The first victim, identified as Ernesto Bernal Ruiz, died…
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SPORTS NEWS FLASH: Noppowan secures Phuket ITF final berth
PHUKET: Thailand’s stellar tennis talent Noppowan Lertcheewakarn defeated number four seed Reka-Luca Jani of Hungary to continue her fantastic run of form at the Phuket Chang ITF Women’s Pro Circuit event being held at Thanyapura Sports and Leisure Club (TSLC). Having beaten the number one seed Erika Sema in the quarter final yesterday, and previously beaten the Hungarian, the 20-year-old…
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Phuket Gazette: Price rises beginning to bite in Thailand
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Survey shows Thais in the grips of widespread price increases Phuket Gazette / The Nation PHUKET: Most respondents, 61 per cent, in a poll on the current cost of living in Thailand said they were not confident in the government’s measures to handle the country’s rapidly…
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Phuket Gazette: Terrorist Mohamed Merah killed in ambush by French police
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community French police kill gunman responsible for school massacre Phuket Gazette / News Wires PHUKET: The French gunman behind Monday’s shootings at a Jewish school, and allegedly behind recent attacks against soldiers, was confirmed dead after several hours of confrontation with police forces, local authorities said Thursday.…
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Princess Yachts say ‘thank you’ in style
PHUKET: Princess Yachts Thailand held a lavish ‘thank you party’ at Phuket Boat Lagoon on Thursday evening in conjunction with the launch of the Princess Yachts South East Asia network. The annual Princess Rendezvous started on the evening of March 22 before their cruise to Phang Nga Bay and Hong Island in Krabi on March 23. Hundreds of guests attended…
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FC Phuket fired up for first home game
PHUKET: Final preparations for FC Phuket’s first home game in their Thai Yamaha League Division One campaign are underway at Surakul Stadium. Kick off is scheduled for 4pm on Saturday against Rajpracha FC from Nakhon Pathom province, who finished one place ahead of Phuket in eighth spot at the end of last season. Controversy surrounded their first meeting in February…
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Phuket limo driver found dead in rented room
PHUKET: An airport taxi driver and former volunteer member of the Phuket Kusoldharm Foundation was found dead in his rented room in Srisoonthorn subdistrict early yesterday evening. Thalang Police Duty Officer Somkhit Khaosang was notified of the death by neighbors at 7:20pm. At the scene, a rented room in Srisoonthorn Village 5, police found the body of 51-year-old Uthai Chuti-anan…
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Donald goes old school in PGA
PHUKET: The PGA tour this week hit the Innisbrook Resort in Florida. Rory McIlroy isn’t playing for the next few weeks meaning golf’s world number one spot was up for grabs. That brings us to former number one Luke Donald, whose golf swing now looks as if it’s in slow motion and he has clearly worked out it’s not all…
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Noppowan powers into semi-final at Phuket ITF tourney
PHUKET: Thai tennis sensation Noppawan Lertcheewakarn upset the form books on Thursday by dismissing number one seed Erika Sema of Japan from the Chang ITF Women’s Pro Circuit event being held at Thanyapura Sports and Leisure Club on Phuket. Sema, ranked at 136 in the world, fought back in the quarter-final after losing the first set to the sixth-seeded, but…
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Eerie silence cloaks the Phuket death of a Swedish tourist
PHUKET: The death of a 35-year-old Swedish tourist, whose body was discovered in his hotel room at Kata Beach, has quietly surfaced on Phuket. The resort involved, the Swedish embassy in Bangkok and police have all confirmed that James Karlsson was found dead in his room at the Serene Resort last Wednesday. However, they have all declined to offer any…
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Phuket Gazette: Early execution of drug convicts
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Chalerm pushes for early execution of drug convicts PHUKET (The Nation): Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm today vowed to push for law amendments to have drug convicts executed 15 days after the Appeal Court’s verdict upholds the death sentence. He said he would propose an amendment to…
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Fishermen found dead in Phuket estuary
PHUKET: The body of a fisherman was found dead along the banks of a mangrove estuary on the west coast of Phuket yesterday. Cherng Talay Police were notified of the death by residents of Baan Layan at about 10am yesterday. At the scene, a muddy riverbank near the north end of Layan Beach, they found the body of 52-year-old Praphat…
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Phuket Gazette: Asian economic news round-up
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Top Asean/EU trade officials to convene in Cambodia PHUKET (The Nation): The 2nd ASEAN-EU Business Summit will be held in Phnom Penh on April 1, to bring together entrepreneurs, private investors and public policy-makers from both the EU and ASEAN to address key issues related to…
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Phuket Gazette: Thailand welcomes Burma’s decision to have international observers
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Thailand welcomes Burma’s decision to have international observersPHUKET (The Nation): Thailand has welcomed the Burmese government’s invitations for international representatives as observers for the parliamentary by-election on April 1. Thai Foreign Minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul said that the move demonstrates Burma’s efforts to promote credibility of the upcoming…
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Motorbike taxi driver dies in Phuket u-turn collision
PHUKET: A Phuket motorcycle taxi driver was killed instantly last night when he was hit full force by an oncoming car while trying to make a u-turn on Thepkrasattri Road. Thalang Police were notified of the accident at 9:20pm. Arriving at the scene, on Thepkrasattri Road southbound in front of the electricity substation in Ban Lipon, they found the body…
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Phuket Gazette: Thailand business news
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Honda’s April restart means no plans for relocation PHUKET (The Nation): Honda Automobile (Thailand) will not relocate to Indonesia, as confirmed by its plan to resume operation at the Rojana Industrial Park in Ayutthaya province on April 1, said Industry Minister Pongsvas Svasti. It was reported…
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Phuket Sports: ITF Phuket reaches finals stages
PHUKET: Thailand’s Noppawan Lertcheewagarn exacted vengeance on Aiko Nakamura of Japan yesterday at the Chang ITF Pro Women’s circuit event being held at Thanyapura Sports and Leisure Club on Phuket.Noppowan lost to Nakamura in their first and only meeting five years ago in the Pattaya Open.Both are two-handed players and Noppawan was concerned going into the match that this aspect…
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