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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 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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High ranking officials mourn death of “Pink Panther’
PHUKET: Numerous Phuket officials showed up to pay their respects to former Phuket senator and Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (PPAO) President Paiboon ‘The Pink Panther’ Upatising, who lost his battle against cancer Sunday morning (story here). The well-established politician had been dubbed Phuket’s ‘Pink Panther’ for his use of pink to brand his public projects and his ability to turn…
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Rescuers in Myanmar struggle to reach flood-hit areas, toll seen rising
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Rescuers in Myanmar struggle to reach flood-hit areas, toll seen rising Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: A death toll of 27 from flooding across Myanmar was expected to rise as rescue workers struggled on Monday to reach some of the hardest-hit and most remote inundated areas,…
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Opinion: Fishing for change
Capt Preecha Tuntiruk, 41, of the Third Naval Area Command is head of Phuket’s Port In-Port Out (PIPO) Center. Originally from Samut Songkhram, Capt Preecha graduated from the Royal Thai Naval Academy in 1997. Here, he talks about why PIPO is necessary in Phuket and what role it takes in fighting the battle against illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing vessels.…
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Syrian jet crashes into market, 12 killed
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Syrian jet crashes into market, 12 killed Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: At least 12 people were killed when a Syrian army fighter jet crashed into a busy marketplacein the rebel-held northwestern town of Ariha on Monday, a monitor said. Most of the dead were civilians…
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Mobile phone thieves knock over Phuket shop
PHUKET: Police are searching for a team of thieves that made off with more than 30 mobile phones and about 10,000 baht in cash early Saturday morning. The thieves created a key for the shop shutter of Sapum Mobile on Thepkasattri Road in order to break in. However, they were unable to access the more expensive mobile devices, such as…
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Monster monitor lizard sneaks into Phuket home [video]
PHUKET: Kusoldharm Foundation rescue workers captured a 20 kilogram monitor lizard at a house in Phuket, as heavy rains inundated the island this morning. “It was quite a big monitor; about one-meter long,” Kasun Naepnean, a rescue worker, told the Phuket Gazette. “It was very strong, and difficult to catch.” It took the team about 30 minutes to capture the…
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Patong Police in deep water, must assess damage
PHUKET: Patong Police are knee deep in water as their station was inundated by flooding this morning. “There is about one meter of water in some parts of the station. It happened so fast this time that we were unable to clear everything,” Deputy Superintendent Akanit Danpitaksat of the Patong Police told the Phuket Gazette. “We will just have to…
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Cruising through “Green Season’
PHUKET: Phuket has been recognized as a world-class cruising destination for many years, with the majority of sailors visiting during the ‘high’ season months. This period is noted for its favorable weather that keep the skies clear, cruising grounds sheltered and beaches packed. However, it is the ‘green season’, from June to October, that is becoming a popular alternative, offering…
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Up in the air: Bangkok Airways flies to Hat Yai
PHUKET: Bangkok Airways will launch a new service between Phuket International Airport (HKT) and Hat Yai International Airport (HDY) starting in late October. Tasara Taksinapan, the carrier’s media relations manager, recently confirmed the new route with the Gazette’s ‘Up in the Air’, but said that the carrier had yet to issue an official press statement about the service, which will…
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Small vehicles warned of Phuket flash floods
PHUKET: Flash floods are causing long tailbacks and leaving many motorists pushing their scooters through deep water in Chalong and Patong, as well as at the Samkong underpass construction site, today. “Small vehicles should avoid roads where flooding has occurred,” Santhawat Riwleung, chief of the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) Phuket office, told the Phuket Gazette. “The rate…
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Box jellyfish sting kills woman in Koh Phangan
PHUKET: A Thai tourist died after being stung by a box jellyfish while swimming off Koh Phangan in Surat Thani on Friday night. Police revealed that Chayanan Surin, 31, had travelled to the island from Bangkok with friends and went swimming at around 8pm in Tambon Ban Tai where she was stung. She was pronounce dead at Koh Phangan Hospital…
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Funeral rites announced as Phuket mourns the death of Paiboon Upatising
PHUKET: Former Phuket senator and Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (PPAO) President Paiboon Upatising died this morning at Bangkok’s Thonburi hospital. Mr Paiboon had been fighting colon cancer for several years, succumbing to it at 1.09am today. Funeral rights for Mr Paiboon will begin at 3pm tomorrow, Monday, August 3, at his family home on Vichitsongkram Road, near Surakul Stadium. Many…
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Police hunt Phuket gambling organizer
PHUKET: Police are hunting the organizer of a gambling event in Phuket who managed to evade arrest during a raid in Thalang last night. “There were more than 10 of them taking part in a gambling game known as Gung-pla [literally, ‘shrimp-fish’]. However, many of them managed to scramble free during the raid,” Thalang Police Superintendent Chanuchan Cholsuwat said. Nonetheless,…
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Direct Phuket-Hainan flights tabled to boost tourism
PHUKET: Direct flights to Phuket from the island’s sister province in China were tabled this week during an official Hainan tourism fact finding mission in Thailand (story here). The plan was announced as officials marked the 10-year anniversary of Phuket and Hainan becoming ‘sister cities’, said Phuket Governor Nisit Jansomwong. “The direct flights will be good for both provinces’ tourism…
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Business Buzz: The benefits of websites
PHUKET: Almost every business has a website now, but what are the real reasons for having one and are people using them effectively? When I ask many business owners, they often reply that they need one because everyone else has one. But do most people really understand the reasons a website is so important and how they can add real…
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Phuket police officer found shot in head
PHUKET: Police are investigating the death of a fellow officer who was found in his home with a gunshot wound to the head and a 9mm handgun still in his hand. “When we arrived at the scene yesterday, we had to break down the door, as it was locked from the inside,” explained Lt Peerasit Nhupayan of the Cherng Talay…
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World number 45 golfer swings by Laguna Phuket Golf Club
PHUKET: Prominent golfer, current Asian Tour Order-of-Merit leader and world number 45 golf player Anirban Lahiri recently visited Phuket, where he conducted a golf clinic and played nine holes with three young and promising island-based golfers at Laguna Phuket Golf Club. On the way to the US Open in Seattle, Mr Lahiri stayed at Laguna Phuket’s Banyan Tree Resort and…
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Chinese to “hack’ Phuket tourism industry
PHUKET: The Provincial Communist Party chief for Phuket’s sister province in China arrived in Phuket this week with hopes of ‘hacking into’ the secret to the island’s strong tourism sector. “Hainan officials are here on a fact finding mission to better understand exactly why Phuket hosts so many tourists from so many countries, while Sanya of Hainan is only playing…
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Eleven Colombian military personnel killed in plane crash
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Eleven Colombian military personnel killed in plane crash Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: Eleven Colombian military personnel were killed on Friday when their transport plane suffered engine failure and crashed in the northern province of Cesar, killing all on board, according to a statement from the…
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Donald Trump’s companies have sought visas to import at least 1,100 workers
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Donald Trump’s companies have sought visas to import at least 1,100 workers Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET:Donald Trump is staking his run for U.S. president in part on a vow to protect Americanjobs. But this month, one of his companies, the elite Mar-a-Lago Club resort in…
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China official manufacturing PMI falls to 50.0 in July, below forecasts
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community China official manufacturing PMI falls to 50.0 in July, below forecasts Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: Growth in China’s vast manufacturing sector stalled in July, missing market expectations for slight growth, an official survey showed on today. The official Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) stood at 50…
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Drive at your own risk
PHUKET: Confronted with a never-ending array of road-construction projects from multi-million-baht underpasses to reparation of enormous potholes, drivers travelling on Phuket’s roads – some of the most dangerous in the world – do so at their own risk, confirmed officials this week. The issue of road construction safety measures was thrown into sharp focus after a Phuket lawyer flipped his…
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Opinion: Packed prison
PHUKET: Credit is owed to the government for finally coming through with funding to build a much-needed and long overdue new prison for Phuket. It is well known that the existing Phuket Provincial Prison is dangerously overcrowded. With a maximum capacity of just 800, the 115-year-old facility currently holds more than 3,000 inmates – a recipe for disaster if ever…
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Region 8 Police headquarters to open in Phuket Monday
PHUKET: Despite some protest, the Region 8 Police Headquarters will be partially operational in Phuket on Monday. “There are several systems that need to be put in place, until they are up and running in Phuket, we will also be operating out of our Surat Thani office,” said Region 8 Police Commander Decha Budnampeth. The move of the regional police…
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12-year-old girl killed in hit-and-run
PHUKET: An 18-wheeled truck hit and dragged a 12-year-old girl to death after she fell off the back of her mother’s motorbike this morning. Vassana Kaewkumpa, 40, screamed for the truck driver to stop as it continued down the southbound lane of Thepkrasattri Road just past the Tah Chat Chai checkpoint, explained police. “Ms Vassana found the body of her…
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WRAPUP 5: Plane debris on remote island points to breakthrough in MH370 mystery
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community WRAPUP 5-Plane debris on remote island points to breakthrough in MH370 mystery Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: Plane debris washed up on the French island of Reunion in the Indian Ocean is almost certainly part of a Boeing 777, a Malaysian official and aviation experts said,…
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Boy drowns off Koh Sireh
PHUKET: A 13-year-old boy drowned off Koh Sireh yesterday after his friends were unable to save him and did not report the incident to adults or authorities for nearly three and a half hours. Payu Pairiron, a student at Baan Koh Sireh School, drowned at about 1.30pm after becoming too tired to swim back to the floating walkway. “We started…
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Three more ‘Game of Thrones’ seasons likely, HBO says
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Three more ‘Game of Thrones’ seasons likely, HBO says Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: HBO’s most-watched series, the medieval fantasy drama “Game of Thrones,” will likely continue through three more seasons, a network executive said on Thursday, as he defended the show’s gritty violence. The sixth…
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Hunting club that suspended U.S. hunter donates to top lawmakers
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Hunting club that suspended U.S. hunter donates to top lawmakers Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: A hunting club that suspended a Minnesota dentist who killed Cecil the lion in Zimbabwe has given money to the campaigns of numerous U.S. politicians, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell…
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New taxi queues announced for Phuket
PHUKET: More than a year after the National Council for Peace and Order made a sweeping effort to remove illegal taxi stands from Phuket, the provincial government has announced a plan to establish legal taxi ranks at ten locations throughout the island. “The move to establish the taxi stops at some schools, hospitals and police stations on the island goes…
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