Pattaya News

Pattaya news, politics, business, tourism, and nightlife—stay updated with breaking stories, events, and expat updates from Thailand’s coastal entertainment hub. Get the latest from The Thaiger, your trusted Pattaya news source.

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    How to reduce out-of-pocket medical expenses in Thailand?

    Managing medical expenses in Thailand is important as healthcare costs continue to rise. The country’s healthcare system includes both public and private options, but even with the Universal Coverage Scheme (UCS) for citizens, many still face high out-of-pocket medical expenses....

  • Singapore officials consider Phuket consulate

    Singapore officials consider Phuket consulate

    PHUKET: Phuket is one of several popular tourist destinations in Thailand being considered as the location for a consulate for the Embassy of the Republic of Singapore. Gabriel Liow, a counsellor from the Singapore Embassy, visited Phuket on Wednesday to wish the island’s officials a happy eew year and discuss issues that concern Singaporean tourists and expats in Phuket. “Mr…

  • Phuket Pads: The island’s chalk and cheese

    Phuket Pads: The island’s chalk and cheese

    PHUKET: Phuket is, in many ways, becoming similar to Pattaya, with more and more cheap condos popping up in Patong, Kathu and other areas of the island. One-bedroom units from 1-3 million baht are becoming the norm to cater to the once-a-year tourist, and Thai investors are becoming eager to make an investment in Phuket’s booming property market. CHALK AND…

  • Fugitive bomber Singh arrested, faces extradition

    Fugitive bomber Singh arrested, faces extradition

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Fugitive bomber Singh arrested, faces extradition The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Thai Police have arrested a Pakistani passport holder convicted of involvement in a high-profile bomb attack in India two decades ago that killed 18 people, including the Punjab chief minister at the time, Beant…

  • Russian economic crisis hits Phuket, Pattaya

    Russian economic crisis hits Phuket, Pattaya

    PHUKET: Russia’s economic crisis is expected to squeeze the hotel and tourism business in Thailand – especially in Pattaya and Phuket – through the current high season and first quarter of next year. “Pattaya has been like a second home for Russian tourists and long-stay guests for many years. They have been contributing huge income to the country’s economy. But…

  • Asian Beach Games: China makes its move

    Asian Beach Games: China makes its move

    PHUKET: Thailand were given a scare yesterday when their grip on the Asian Beach Games crown was loosened by a strong surge from reigning champions China, who scooped nine golds to leapfrog into second. At press time, the hosts lead the medal charge with 34 gold, 25 silver and 28 bronze medals, with China on 14 golds. Thai athletes enjoyed…

  • Swingers tee up record golf cart drive from Pattaya to Phuket

    Swingers tee up record golf cart drive from Pattaya to Phuket

    PHUKET: Golfers Graham Haslam and Mark Cameron are preparing to set a world record by driving an electric golf cart from Pattaya to Phuket to raise funds for local children’s education charity Phuket Has Been Good To Us. The “standard” electric golf cart selected for the record-breaking undertaking, to begin in March next year, will include some modifications, namely solar…

  • Thai youth crowned world sailing team racing champions

    Thai youth crowned world sailing team racing champions

    PHUKET: The Thai team claimed gold in the team racing event at the Optimist World Championship 2014 Argentina on Sunday, returning to shore to cheers from around the world. After a two-year absence from the prestigious international event, the five member team defeated Asian Games gold medalist Singapore in the team racing finals which saw 38 nations competing for the…

  • Phuket Opinion: Tourism meets toilet humor

    Phuket Opinion: Tourism meets toilet humor

    PHUKET: Efforts by the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) to clean up corruption in Phuket have had some dramatic results, steering the island toward sustainability – at least for the time being. Unfortunately, some smaller destinations, including the Phi Phi Island chain, continue to suffer from unregulated development and mass tourism on a scale that has led to…

  • Phuket property rental platform aspires to clear muddied waters

    Phuket property rental platform aspires to clear muddied waters

    PHUKET: Being an entrepreneur can be daunting at times. It often entails subjecting oneself – and one’s bank account – to an unknown level of risk and necessitates taking a blind step into the unknown. There are usually no guarantees and failure is a common, yet unwelcome, outcome. “Five months ago we said ‘we are going to come out to…

  • Boating: Peeking behind Phuket’s Boatshed

    Boating: Peeking behind Phuket’s Boatshed

    PHUKET: Alan Giles from the UK initially came to Phuket 14 years ago to be a sailing instructor for Sunsail. As the years passed, he finally made the move to become a permanent island resident, and to open Phuket’s own Boatshed brokerage. Testament to the name on the door is the assortment of boating goodies in the office at the…

  • Phuket Classic competition to attract 145 bodybuilders [VIDEO] | Thaiger

    Phuket Classic competition to attract 145 bodybuilders [VIDEO]

    PHUKET: This year’s edition of the Phuket Classic bodybuilding competition will see 145 contestants flex their muscles to please the audience. The event will be held at Central Festival Phuket on October 12, from 11am to 7pm and will see 10 foreigners competing in a separate category. “The judges will be evaluating the contestants depending on body type, weight and…

  • German ‘beggar’ to be deported

    German ‘beggar’ to be deported

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community German ‘beggar’ to be deported The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: The Immigration Bureau will begin the process of deporting a German who was found enjoying the nightlife in Pattaya after begging for money on Bangkok streets. Benjamin Holse, 29, claimed his passport and cash were…

  • Vietnamese men arrested for kidnap, extortion and torture

    Vietnamese men arrested for kidnap, extortion and torture

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Vietnamese men arrested for kidnap, extortion and torture The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Three Vietnamese men are in police detention for allegedly kidnapping and chopping off their victim’s finger in an unsuccessful attempt to extort Bt1.5 million from his family. The victim, who is also…

  • Soccer Schools Tournament to kick off at Thanyapura

    Soccer Schools Tournament to kick off at Thanyapura

    PHUKET: Phuket Soccer Schools (PSS) is bringing the National Youth Tournament back to the island, with over 320 players competing in four age divisions. This year’s tournament, to be held on September 27 and 28 at Thanyapura, will see clubs flying in from various parts of Thailand, including Bangkok, Pattaya and Koh Samui, as well as local Phuket teams. To…

  • K-1 World Max Final is coming to Thailand

    K-1 World Max Final is coming to Thailand

    PHUKET: The world-renowned Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) tournament – K-1 World Max Final – is coming to Thailand on October 11. During the event, which will be held at the Indoor Athletics Stadium in Pattaya, Thailand’s martial arts fans will witness Buakaw Banchamekgoing battle it out with Enriko Kehl. The event will be telecast live worldwide. Should Buakaw be able…

  • PM Prayuth targets jet-ski outlaws

    PM Prayuth targets jet-ski outlaws

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community PM Prayuth targets jet-ski outlaws The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: While Thailand is attracting tourists because of its beautiful beaches and wide variety of water sports, the country’s jet-ski rental businesses have become notorious after it emerged some operators were extorting money from tourists. Prime…

  • Escape Hunt’s innovative business venture expands to Phuket

    Escape Hunt’s innovative business venture expands to Phuket

    PHUKET: In hopes of further capitalizing on the success of their first venue in Bangkok, Escape Hunt has opened franchises worldwide, including in Phuket, where a venue opened recently in Kathu. Business partners Jasnam Sachathep, Surasit Sachdev and Navin and Dave Anandsongvit quickly realized the business’ potential in Phuket and celebrated their grand opening on August 11, joining the 23…

  • Full Metal Dojo brings MMA to Patong once more

    Full Metal Dojo brings MMA to Patong once more

    PHUKET: “Full Metal Dojo 2: Protect Your Neck” saw fighters from around the globe (including Thailand, Sweden, France, Canada, Philippines, Cambodia, Afghanistan, Japan and more) enter the cage. History was also made as a professional Thai-against-Thai women’s MMA bout took place inside the kingdom for the first time. FMD veteran Michael Dubois took care of business in under 30 seconds,…

  • British children, abducted by Thai mother, reunited with father in Pattaya

    British children, abducted by Thai mother, reunited with father in Pattaya

    PHUKET: British school children Annie and Aleena Day, abducted by their Thai mother in June while on holiday in Thailand, have been reunited with their father in Pattaya. “I’ve got them. They’re with me now,” a tearful Robert Day told Pattaya radio station Fabulous 103FM late Friday night (click here). Onwarat Gamlem, the 36-year-old non-custodial mother of the children, was…

  • Phuket Police adopt rapid-response policy for missing children

    Phuket Police adopt rapid-response policy for missing children

    PHUKET: Anxious parents of missing children no longer have to wait 24 hours before police can take action to find them, under a new policy revealed by Phuket City Police Superintendent Sermpan Sirikong last week. “Now, when someone in your family goes missing, you can inform police immediately,” said Col Sermpan. The new policy came into sharp focus this week…

  • The fire-powered business of barbecues

    The fire-powered business of barbecues

    PHUKET: In Thailand you’re never far from a barbecue. A massive chunk of the ever-present street food is based on grilling different kinds of meat over an open fire. Still, Brad McElroy felt he wanted a barbecue of his own and decided to import one from his home country, the motherland of barbecue – Australia. That was 18 years ago…

  • Hotels and shops plead for end to martial law | Thaiger

    Hotels and shops plead for end to martial law

    PHUKET: Hotels and shopping malls in Bangkok are pushing for the lifting of martial law before the high season arrives in the hope that tourists and business travellers will come back to the capital. Prakit Chinamourphong, an ex-president and adviser to the Thai Hotels Association, said that if the junta ended martial law, the hotel and travel business would quickly…

  • Tragic end to building collapse in Pathum Thani

    Tragic end to building collapse in Pathum Thani

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Tragic end to building collapse in Pathum Thani The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: A Buri Ram woman who made a desperate dash from the northeast to Pathum Thani in search of her husband – trapped in a building that collapsed late on Monday – was…

  • Phuket officials reveal B20mn fund for tourist victims

    Phuket officials reveal B20mn fund for tourist victims

    PHUKET: Phuket officials today revealed that a national fund of 20 million baht to assist tourist victims of crime and natural disasters was finally available for tourists in Phuket. The news was announced today, when it was disclosed that 44-year-old Antonio Papaleo, a victim of a stabbing attack in Phuket, became the first tourist in Phuket to receive assistance from…

  • Laguna Phuket to host Thailand’s first domestic MICE mart

    Laguna Phuket to host Thailand’s first domestic MICE mart

    PHUKET: Laguna Phuket will be the location of Thailand’s first Domestic MICE (meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions) Mart on August 1. The event is being organized by the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB), a public organization tasked with promoting and developing MICE businesses and events in Thailand. The campaign aims to advocate and enhance MICE industry development in Thailand…

  • Opinion: Horrible history of dolphins in Thailand continues in Phuket

    Opinion: Horrible history of dolphins in Thailand continues in Phuket

    PHUKET: Thailand is witnessing an ever-increasing legal and illegal exploitation of local wildlife and marine life. Dolphins have been kept in captivity in Thailand since 1986. The first wild pink dolphin was caught and kept at Laem Singh in Chanthaburi by Vichai Wattanapong at a venue that later became the Oasis Sea World. But it wasn’t until recent years that…

  • Dutch pot lord arrested in Pattaya

    Dutch pot lord arrested in Pattaya

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Dutchman, Thai wife nabbed for trafficking pot The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: A Dutchman and his Thai wife were arrested yesterday in Pattaya for allegedly conspiring to sell marijuana via a network in the Netherlands that reportedly earned Bt600 million to Bt800 million per year.…

  • Tourists injured in Pattaya banana boat crash

    Tourists injured in Pattaya banana boat crash

    PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Tourists injured in Pattaya banana boat crash The Nation  / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: A 12-year-old girl and another Chinese tourist were sent to hospital yesterday after their banana boat crashed into a sightseeing ship off Pattaya. Two other Chinese holidaymakers riding the inflatable boat were dislodged…

  • Making Phuket conservation profitable

    Making Phuket conservation profitable

    PHUKET: Most boaters and divers are sensitive about coral reef areas and try to do the right thing. However, now, with many corporate social responsibility (CSR) projects recognizing the importance of our coral reefs worldwide, a possible alliance between conservationists and businesses in Phuket could be forming to find a profit-oriented solution to the problem of boaters anchoring in coral…

  • Father offers B100,000 reward for kidnapped British girls

    Father offers B100,000 reward for kidnapped British girls

    PHUKET: Police on Phuket continue to scour the island as the father of two young girls abducted by their mother in Pattaya last month offers a 100,000-baht reward for information leading to their safe return. Robert Day, the British father, has publicized his search for the girls on Thai TV and in newspapers throughout the nation in the hope of…