News
Stay up-to-date with the latest news from across Thailand and beyond with The Thaiger. Our dedicated team brings you breaking news, in-depth analysis, and exclusive stories from this stunning part of the world, covering a diverse range of topics, including local politics, business, culture, and tourism. Keep yourself informed about the Kingdom’s rich history, stunning landscapes, and thriving expat communities, as well as updates on events, attractions, and transportation.
The Thaiger is your essential resource for staying connected with Thailand’s captivating blend of tradition and modernity. To remain in the loop with the country’s most trusted news source, subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on social media.
-
Sponsored Top 5 luxury villas in Phuket and Koh Samui for your next holiday
Ask people to name the most beautiful places in Thailand, and you'll often hear Phuket and Koh Samui being mentioned. Who would disagree? One is renowned for its bustling nightlife, vibrant culture, and lively beach scene, while the other is...
-
Deadly Phuket inferno inspires rethink of firefighting abilities
PHUKET: The deadly fire that claimed four lives, including a family of three, last Saturday has prompted the Phuket City mayor to re-evaluate the city’s firefighting capabilities and find a way to win back city residents’ confidence. Flames engulfed the Chokchai Furniture shop in Phuket Town at about 2am, trapping and killing the Rueanchai family of three and one woman…
-
Australia authorities track down Thai surrogate paedophile
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Australia authorities track down Thai surrogate paedophile The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Australian authorities said Thursday they had finally contacted a man exposed as a convicted paedophile at the centre of a Thai surrogate baby scandal, as his son defended him as a changed man.…
-
Illegal Phuket taxi drivers beg military to call off metered-taxi project
PHUKET: About 30 illegal Phuket taxi drivers from Kata-Karon yesterday appealed to the military to call off the launch of a fleet of metered taxis to serve the island’s tourists and residents. The drivers gathered at the Royal Thai Navy Third Area Command at Cape Panwa, on Phuket’s east coast, late yesterday afternoon to “seek assistance” from the military in…
-
New Phuket underpass at Chalong Circle to cost up to B800mn
PHUKET: The final public hearing for the Chalong underpass was held yesterday as the pre-construction study drew to a close, revealing that an estimated budget of 750-800 million baht would be required for the project. Paisarn Suwannarak, specialist engineer from the Department of Highways, announced during the hearing at the Phuket Merlin Hotel that the project plans would be completed…
-
Skimming: The new frontier for ATM fraud
SPECIAL REPORT BANKS are spending millions of baht upgrading ATMs throughout the country and hope to replace all ATM cards with more secure microchipped versions by the end of next year. The project aims to stem the rising tide of the world’s fastest-growing computer crime: skimming. But what are the best ways to protect yourself – and your money –…
-
Honeymoon over as Djokovic works for win
PHUKET: Gale Monfils let Novak Djokovic know his honeymoon was over and it was time to get back to work by forcing the world number one to battle for a 6-2 6-7 (4) 7-6 (2) second round win at the Rogers Cup on Wednesday. Playing his first match as a married man, Djokovic, a three-time winner in Canada, needed two…
-
Fear of surrogacy being misused for stem cells
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Fear of surrogacy being misused for stem cells The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Following the much-publicised case of the unauthorised surrogacy involving a Thai mother and an Australian couple, a raid by police and soldiers at a Bangkok condominium found nine babies thought to have…
-
Hawaii braces for Hurricane Iselle, with Julio right behind
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Hawaii braces for Hurricane Iselle, with Julio right behind Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Hurricane Iselle barrelled west across the Pacific Ocean towards the Hawaiian Islands on Wednesday, where officials warned residents and tourists of possible flooding and mudslides and ordered schools closed. The storm was…
-
How to survive a plane crash
PHUKET: “I’m flying high over Tupelo, Mississippi, with America’s hottest band, and we’re all about to die”, is one of those great movie lines, in this case from the film Almost Famous. In the end, they didn’t soar straight into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame as Lynyrd Skynyrd did, but the scene tapped into the darkest nightmare of…
-
Father and daughter escape injury in Phuket after tree crashes onto pick-up truck
PHUKET: A father and daughter narrowly escaped injury today as part of a banyan tree – believed by Phuket locals to be 50 years old – fell on the bed of the pick-up truck they were driving in. Phuket native Soonthorn Makphol, 40, was turning into the grounds of Wat Wichit Sangkaram on Narisorn Road in Phuket Town near his…
-
Thai Police target source of human trafficking from Myanmar, but exclude Rohingya
PHUKET: The Royal Thai Police have asked their Myanmar counterparts to launch a public-awareness campaign to make Myanmar nationals aware of the dangers of slavery by accepting to work illegally in Thailand. Royal Thai Police Assistant Commissioner-General ML Pansak Kasemsant announced the news yesterday at the Thailand-Myanmar Bilateral Meeting on Strengthening Law Enforcement and Criminal Justice Co-operation in Combating Trafficking…
-
Phuket student faces charges for running down officer
PHUKET: A speeding student who ran down a Phuket police officer yesterday in an attempt to avoid a helmet check is facing two, possibly three, separate charges for his actions. The 17-year-old, whose name is being withheld, knocked Sen Sgt Maj Chakkapong Korsawat of the Phuket City Police unconscious on Nakhon Road, behind Phuket Wittayalai School, at about 7:35am (story…
-
Phuket taxi drivers wait for military bigwigs to file complaints
PHUKET: Outraged taxi drivers from Phuket’s tourist-popular Kata-Karon area who vowed to file a complaint with military leaders yesterday about the tearing down of taxi stands on private land have pushed back their mission until Friday. “We spoke with officers at the Navy base at Cape Panwa yesterday to find out who we should file the complaint with. They told…
-
Phelps and Lochte set for duel at US nationals
PHUKET: Olympic swim king Michael Phelps and reigning Swimmer of the Year Ryan Lochte will wage a series of duels at this week’s star-studded U.S. national championships in Irvine, California. Phelps, who has competed in four meets since coming out of retirement in April, will face the toughest test of his comeback as he is entered in the 100-metre freestyle,…
-
Four companies honored for green packaging
PHUKET: THE Foundation of Science and Technology Council of Thailand and the Science and Technology Ministry have jointly praised four companies for producing or using green packaging. They are Thai Containers Group, Biodegradable Packaging for Environment (BPE), Thai Namthip, and Nestle (Thai). Chainarong Cherdchu, president of the foundation, said the four companies were recognized as part of its Green Science…
-
Thousands turn to NCPO to resolve woes
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Thousands turn to NCPO to resolve woes The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: The number of complaints filed at Government House seeking help from the junta over the past two months has doubled from the same period last year during the Yingluck Shinawatra administration, according to…
-
Train passengers say they were drugged, robbed
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Train passengers say they were drugged, robbed The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Nine passengers on a southern overnight train believe they were drugged by a thief who got away with 10 mobile phones and Bt2,500 in cash, Songkhla’s Hat Yai Railway Police said yesterday. The…
-
Banned game found offensive to monarchy
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Banned game found offensive to monarchy The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: The Culture Ministry yesterday explained that the simulation game Tropico 5, which allows players to build their own forms of government on a remote island, was banned because it contained content that appeared to…
-
Luxury homes at former DSI chief estate torn down
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Luxury homes in former DSI chief family estate torn down for encroaching on national forest The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Two luxury homes in the compound of former Department of Special Investigation (DSI) chief Tarit Pengdith’s family estate in Nakhon Ratchasima province have finally been…
-
Draft law on surrogacy ready to be submitted for NLA review
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Draft law on surrogacy ready to be submitted for NLA review The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: The use of a surrogate mother remains a grey area for Thailand but there is hope that draft legislation now ready for review by the National Legislative Assembly (NLA)…
-
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…
-
AirAsia flight forced to land in Phuket, suspected bird strike
PHUKET: AirAsia Flight FD3187 was forced to land at Phuket International Airport at 5:15pm today after the captain voiced his concerns about possible engine trouble. “The captain believes that the engine might have sucked in a bird,” an AirAsia staffer* told the Phuket Gazette. The flight, carrying 153 passengers, departed from Nakhon Sri Thammarat at 4:20pm, destined for Bangkok. All…
-
Man United rally for 3-1 friendly win over Liverpool
Second-half strikes from Wayne Rooney, Juan Mata and Jesse Lingard earned Manchester United a morale boosting 3-1 win over Premier League rivals Liverpool in the final of the pre-season International Champions Cup in Miami on Monday. Liverpool took the lead in the 14th minute when the lively Raheem Sterling was brought down in the area by United defender Phil Jones…
-
Phuket taxis run to Navy over demolition of taxi stand on private property
PHUKET: Taxi drivers from Phuket’s tourist-popular west coast beach area Kata-Karon are ready to file a complaint today about taxi stands on private land being destroyed. The complaint against a Karon Police Superintendent will be filed to the Third Naval Area Command at about 4pm. “The taxi drivers say that police tore down a taxi stand that was located on…
-
One injured as Phuket taxi slams into pole at high speed
PHUKET: Police have yet to establish the cause of a high-speed accident that saw a Phuket taxi slam into a power pole near the Heroines’ Monument in Thalang early this morning. Police were called to the scene, near the Tah Reua Shrine, at about 6:50am. “The driver, Somkid Chantakuapa, 42, had already been rushed to Thalang Hospital,” Lt Col Sanit…
-
Phuket student leaves traffic cop unconscious after high-speed crash
PHUKET: A 17-year-old attempting to avoid a helmet check put a Phuket City Traffic Police officer in hospital after running him over this morning. Officers found Sen Sgt Maj Chakkapong Korsawat unconscious on Nakhon Road, behind Phuket Wittayalai School, at about 7:35am. The minor, whose name is being withheld, was standing next to him in shock. “There was blood coming…
-
MICE Mart makes it to Phuket
PHUKET: Phuket played host as the final stop on a five city tour of the first annual MICE Mart trade show on Friday. Organized by the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB), the events sought to promote MICE (meetings, incentives, conventions and exhibitions) activities in hotspots throughout the Kingdom. The Phuket event saw 50 sellers representing hotels, convention venues, business…
-
Health ministry probes surrogacy case
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Health ministry probes surrogacy case The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: The Public Health Ministry has launched a fact-finding probe into a case of surrogacy in which a baby boy born with Down’s syndrome and congenital heart problem late last year was left with the Thai…
-
Boy, 9, killed and 14 hurt as packed songthaew crashes
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Boy, 9, killed and 14 hurt as packed songthaew crashes The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: A Prathom 3 student was killed and 14 others injured when a songthaew, a converted truck used to transport passengers, slammed into a parked 10-wheeler in Nakhon Pathom’s Sam Phran…
-
Woods not yet ready to decide if he can play in PGA – agent
PHUKET: Tiger Woods, his back again in pain, has not yet decided if he can play in the PGA Championship starting on Thursday in Kentucky, his agent said on Monday. The former world number one withdrew during Sunday’s final round of the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational because of back pain and returned home to Florida for medical evaluation. “Way too early. He…
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.