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.
-
Law catches up with alleged foreign skimmers in Phuket
PHUKET: Three alleged ATM skimmers were arrested in Chalong on Saturday night after police tracked them down using the GPS signal from a stolen iPad. Brazilians Lucidio Firmino Da Silva Junior, 24, and Juan Pablo Da Costa Varao, 21, along with 26-year-old French national Phellipe Andre Dias, were apprehended in their rental room in Chalong. The arrests followed Koh Tao…
-
Laguna kicks off Talad Canal weekend market
PHUKET: Laguna Phuket kicked off the high season on Saturday with the launch of its ‘Talad Canal’ weekend market. The event was held at the resort’s Canal Shopping Village, which comprises more than 30 shops that offer a wide selection of quality goods and services, such as handicrafts, clothing and jewellery. Talad Canal market, which will be held every weekend…
-
Luck of the Irish: zooming tourist survives crash with speed limit sign
PHUKET: An Irishman narrowly escaped serious injury when his car veered off the road and into a speed limit sign yesterday morning. Derek John Essen, 67, lost control of the vehicle as he descended the hill between Patong and Kamala, confirmed Lt Col Somnuek Damkham of the Kamala Police. “An eye witness saw Mr Essen driving extremely fast down the…
-
Special Report: The gangs of Phuket
PHUKET: The justice system’s soft handling of criminal youth is at the core of the island’s growing drug-powered gang violence, which led to a 15-year-old bystander being gunned down during the final hours of the Phuket Vegetarian Festival, explained Phuket City Police Deputy Superintendent Khunnadet Nanongkhai. Five suspects have already been charged for the murder of Thanakij Sawirum, 15, and…
-
Business Buzz: Target your customer, not your competitor
PHUKET: We see it all the time in marketing, company X trying to prove they are better than company Y, engaging in tit-for-tat marketing and social media battles trying to out-compete the competition. Now, while there is the theory that any publicity is still beneficial, I would argue it is far better to engage your potential customers directly and build…
-
Finance: Neil Woodford, financial genius?
PHUKET: I know this has been written about in other media already, but as this fund and its manager have a great track record and I believe we are nearing a sale in stocks, it is a good discussion to review. For those of you who don’t know the fund or manager, Neil Woodford ran the Invesco Perpetual Income Fund…
-
Phuket Vice Governor’s virgin beach dream
PHUKET: Although the fate of Phuket’s beach management system remains undecided (story here), Vice Governor Chokdee Amornwat has revealed that he wants the plan to include ‘virgin beaches’. “There will be some beaches that will not have a 10 per cent zone, which means there will be nothing there – no umbrellas, no businesses, nothing. All 100 per cent natural,”…
-
Phuket Challenge: stickk to no bags for a week
PHUKET: I challenge you. Yes, you – whoever you are – to go one week in Phuket without using a single plastic bag. The number of foreign whingers who waddle onto this beautiful island shouting about Thai ignorance in double-bagging that fried sausage on a stick… and then go buy a double-bagged sausage on a stick is dumbfounding. It was…
-
Phuket City serial thief caught
PHUKET: A serial thief was arrested in Srisoonthorn last night after police were able to track down the motorbike he used during the crime spree. Jessadakorn Sukkrajang, 18, was apprehended at his home at about 9pm, confirmed Lt Col Somsak Thongkliang of the Phuket City Police. Within just one month, Phuket City officers received five different reports of broken car…
-
UNODC anti-human trafficking program launched in Phuket
PHUKET: An international e-learning program designed to train law enforcement units to tackle human trafficking was launched in Phuket yesterday. About 40 Phuket officers will be the first in all of Asia to undergo the training developed by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). “The program is designed to provide background information, offer techniques on how to…
-
Mentally unstable man attacks Phuket ATM
PHUKET: Police arrested an allegedly mentally ill man who attacked an ATM machine in Phuket Town with a metal bar yesterday morning. The man, who police declined to name due to his condition, fled the scene without attempting to take any money from the Krungsri Bank ATM. “A police car on patrol in the area quickly responded to the incident,”…
-
Snake sparks electrical fire in Phuket
PHUKET: A Phuket mayor blamed a small snake for a fire near the Shooting Range in Chalong today. “Locals saw the snake slide into the transformer next to the shack right before it exploded and started the fire,” said Rawai Mayor Aroon Solos. “Luckily, no one was injured.” The owner of the shop, which sold decorative household items, was not…
-
Truck driver slams into parked 18-wheeler and dies
PHUKET: The driver of a pickup truck died early this morning after slamming full throttle into the back of a parked 18-wheeled truck on Thepkrasattri Road. Annurak Chompoo, the 40-year-old driver of the 18-wheeler, told police that he had parked on the side of the road with his hazard lights turned on as he prepared to make a delivery to…
-
Gaur killer surrenders to police
KRABI: The killer of a beloved gaur, a protected species of bovine, surrendered to police in Krabi yesterday morning. Preeda Paklaw, 41, presented himself, along with his shotgun, to the Plai Phraya Police. “Mr Preeda said that while he was hunting, he saw something in the dark that looked like a serow. He then shot twice,” said Maj Somporn Deeduang…
-
AMCHAM: Discover how well Phuket hotels actually perform
PHUKET: American Chamber of Commerce (AMCHAM) Greater Phuket Chapter is breaking down how the island’s hotels are really performing in the current, challenging market conditions at the ‘By The Numbers’ event tomorrow night. The event will be led by STR Global’s Area Director Asia Pacific Jesper Palmqvist at Outrigger Laguna Phuket. STR Global’s mission is to democratize data intelligence and…
-
Laguna Phuket Golf Club scores big
PHUKET: After a comprehensive 18-month upgrade, Laguna Phuket Golf Club bagged three prestigious awards at the Asian Golf Awards 2015 ceremony held at Orchid Country Club in Singapore. The Asian Golf Awards are devoted to recognizing and honoring the best facilities in the Asia Pacific Golf industry. Besides being named the Best Renovated Course of the Year, Laguna Phuket Golf…
-
Sea turtle caught with mouthful
KRABI: A local fisherman caught quite a surprise yesterday when he found a sea turtle with a half swallowed fish. Madyah Thamsuan, 63, was fishing near his home in Khlong Thom District when he noticed a turtle with a fish tail hanging out of its mouth. “The turtle appeared to be very weak and was unable to either swallow or…
-
100-baht taxi rides during Patong Carnival
PHUKET: Anyone coming or going from Phuket’s primary party town during the Patong Carnival will now be able to enjoy taxi rides, confirmed Patong Mayor Chalermluck Kebsab. From November 1-3, GrabTaxi and GrabCar will be charging only 100 baht for a ride to or from Patong. “This is a great offer by the company to support the festival and to…
-
Police hunt slayer of beloved gaur
KRABI: Officers are hunting the killer of a much-beloved gaur that was found shot dead in a Krabi palm plantation yesterday. “Locals explained to us that the gaur, which is a protected species in Thailand, had migrated down from Khao Sok National Park. They said that the bull was very calm and peaceful,” said Meechai Aiyasoon, head of the Khlong…
-
Ministry of Farang Affairs: Expensive is better
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.…
-
Phuket policeman killed in big bike crash
PHUKET: A Karon Police officer was killed after he lost control of his Honda big bike in Rawai early this morning. Police believe that Lance Corporal Nattachai Huahin was unfamiliar with the area and hit a curb at high speed just after midnight. “At the scene, we found the body of LCpl Nattachai with a broken neck and severe head…
-
Opinion: Effects of feeding monkeys
Kritkantatong Kantap, 46, has been a member of the research team at the SEA Monkey Project of Chulalongkorn University since 2010 where he is part of a team that studies monkey species in Thailand. He holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from Ramkhamhaeng University. Here he talks about how feeding monkeys can be detrimental to their natural behavior and…
-
Bangkok Hospital Group aims to broaden medical tourism with new facility
PHUKET: One of the primary reasons the Bangkok Hospital Group purchased Phuket International Hospital for 3.61 billion baht last year was to bring the hospital’s exceptionally strong aesthetic surgery branch into the fold, explains Sanguan Kunaporn, the Director of the Phuket Plastic Surgery Institute at Phuket International Hospital. This month, the group will stage the soft opening of a new…
-
Good samaritan chases Phuket gold thief
PHUKET: A Phuket local pursued a snatch thief attempting to flee the scene of the crime for three kilometers before the thief crashed his motorbike today. Supachai Mattanang, 20, witnessed the the man rip a gold necklace, worth about 20,000 baht, off the neck of a Myanmar national near the Down Town Market before fleeing the scene on his motorbike.…
-
Kitten season begins at Soi Dog
PHUKET: Hotter days signify the beginning of cat breeding season, where thousands of kittens will be born. Many of these kittens will unfortunately end up in shelters or on the streets. Every year Soi Dog receives a surplus of kittens waiting to be given to loving homes. All kittens are sterilized and vaccinated at no charge to the adopter. However,…
-
Minivan camera catches epic Phuket truck crash [video]
PHUKET: A tourist heading to Phuket International Airport and his van driver narrowly escaped death after an out-of-control truck piled with construction materials flipped on Kata Hill and skidded to a stop within a meter of them yesterday afternoon. The two people in the crashed truck were minorly injured and taken to Patong Hospital. “The 51-year-old driver, Apichart Toreewong, told…
-
Opinion: Fighting Andaman trash
PHUKET: The excellent work the Phuket Marine Biological Center (PMBC) has done over the years to try to save iconic ocean animals found washed up on the island’s shores deserves the full support of the community. However, as the head of the agency’s Endangered Species Unit has pointed out, the real solutions are preventative measures that see the community tackling…
-
Fifth suspect in Phuket Vegetarian Festival killing surrenders
PHUKET: A fifth man wanted for the gang slaying of a 15-year-old during the closing procession of the Vegetarian Festival surrendered to police yesterday (story here). One more suspect remains at large. A-non Wandee, 27, also known as ‘Non Kolai’, preseneted himself to police, but insisted that he was innocent. Mr A-non was charged with gang murder and attempted murder,…
-
Up in the Air: Bangkok Airways spreads its wings
PHUKET: Bangkok Airways finally launched a daily flight service connecting Phuket and Hat Yai with an inaugural launch ceremony after touchdown at Hat Yai Airport on October 11. As previously reported by Up in the Air, the link between south Thailand’s two busiest airports is long overdue. There are thousands of people from Songkhla and surrounding provinces who have been…
-
Business Buzz: Quick tips to increase results
PHUKET: One of the biggest issues businesses have with online marketing is attracting eyeballs to their content. It doesn’t matter how good your website or social media content is if no one sees it. So the secret to getting much better results is to get your content seen. Here are five quick tips on how to increase your results with…
![Minivan camera catches epic Phuket truck crash [video] | Thaiger](https://thethaiger.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/1_20151027112936847_BelctDYijiIGWzAwjuvKJhXsmehvZBktzoXJrpVU_jpeg.jpeg)
Don't forget to check out some other things to do in Thailand - get help starting a business or finding a job in Thailand, buy Thailand property, rent a yacht or book a medical procedure worldwide.