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 Infinito helps hotels in Thailand with revenue management
Maximising revenue and profit–isn’t that the ultimate goal for every business in the hospitality industry? If you run a hotel, you might have heard that revenue management is an effective way to boost your top-line revenue. It involves using data...
-
Two held in death of Vietnamese woman
PATONG: After handing themselves in to Kathu Police on Monday, two Thai men are being held at Phuket Provincial Prison on charges of “causing death during an affray” of a Vietnamese woman whose body was discovered lying in a klong last week.Kathu Police Superintendent Col Grissak Songmoonnak told the Gazette that the men allegedly confessed to killing 37-year-old Tran Thi Mung,…
-
Snake wife makes grand eggs-it
UDON THANI: The peculiar story of a man who married a python said to be a 600-year-old spirit from his past has taken yet another bizarre twist. Satien Kenkudlung’s python wife (pictured, right, with her husband) slithered away last week, after a short marriage. The volume of curious visitors has dried up, but K. Satien has kept the interest of…
-
Monk cops out royally
TAK: While impersonating a policeman for personal gain is nothing new in Thailand, one monk in Mae Sot who thought he may have picked the wrong career took it one step further over the Songkran holidays. The monk not only claimed to be a high-ranking policeman, but also a member of the royal family and a representative of the Bureau…
-
Man stands by limbless bride
UDON THANI: Villagers from across the Northeast and as far away as Laos have been flocking to get a glimpse of a high-profile newlywed couple in Phen District. This couple are not celebrities, but a local Udon man and a female reticulated python he has fallen love with. The happy groom, 35-year-old Sathian Khenkutrang, said he believes that he and…
-
Chen wins Senior Masters with final-day comeback
KATHU: On a day of spluttering showers and overcast skies, Taiwanese Chen Tsang Te rose to the challenge in the final round of the US$200,000 Phuket Asian Senior Masters 2008.Golf’s top seniors from around the world took part in the three-day event at Phuket Country Club, with Australian David Saunders holding a one-shot lead going into the final day’s play.At…
-
Divers help out on Earth Day
PHUKET: More than 100 people took part in beach and underwater cleanups on Tuesday as part of Earth Day activities held on and around the island.In addition to the Royal Thai Navy, private companies took part in the cleanups on the beach and in the sea at Koh Racha Noi and Koh Racha Yai.“More than 30 people were on our…
-
Dog groomer arrested for cat burgling
PHUKET CITY: Phuket City police have arrested a serial thief charged with breaking into 14 homes in Wichit and Chalong during a crime spree that began in mid-2007.Police Superintendent Col Nos Svettalekha and Lt Col Wijak Tarom identified the suspect as 31-year-old Noppakhun Chatchawech, a resident of Chalong Village 4.Noppakhun, who by day worked grooming dogs at a pet shop in Phuket…
-
Local resorts make Conde Nast list
PHUKET: Two local resorts, and their spas, and two Phuket restaurants have made the much-respected Conde Nast Traveler Hot List for 2008. The list is often regarded as the quintessential guide to high-end travel around the globe.The Sala Phuket Resort and Spa in Mai Khao and the Six Senses Hideaway Yao Noi, in Phang Nga province, both made the grade in the…
-
Paiboon promises a perfect Phuket
WICHIT: Paiboon Upatising and his team of Khon Baan Rao councilors yesterday held a press conference to thank their supporters and outline their policies at K. Paiboon’s office at the Morning Star Villa housing estate, one of the many projects he has developed under the Phuket Villa name.K. Paiboon was voted president of the Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (OrBorJor) on…
-
Human trafficking laws to be redrafted
BANGKOK (TNA): Following the deaths of 54 illegal Burmese job seekers who suffocated while being transported to Phuket in the sealed container of a truck on April 9, Thailand is set to issue redrafted laws prohibiting human trafficking on June 6.Senior officials announced the decision yesterday after a meeting between six government agencies and NGOs.Currently, Thailand has a modest law…
-
The “Coral Reef Squadron’ arrives
MAI KHAO: Amidst great fanfare, a convoy of 15 flatbed trucks loaded with the remains of 10 decommissioned military aircraft arrived at the Tah Chat Chai checkpoint at 2 pm on Sunday after a three-day overland journey that began in Lopburi.The convoy departed from Koke Krathiem Air Force Base in Lopburi with the partly disassembled aircraft on Friday.The arrival of…
-
Three bodies found in swamp
MAI KHAO: Police believe the bodies of three men recovered from Pru-Je-San swamp at Baan Dan yesterday afternoon are those of Burmese workers.The police were alerted to the gruesome find by villagers living nearby.Tah Chat Chai Deputy Superintendent Lt Col Payongsak Petchrod told the Gazette that officers arrived at the scene about 1:40 pm with rescue workers from the Kusoldharm Foundation, who…
-
Suspect suffers heart attack during police questioning
PHUKET CITY: A man arrested for possession and sale of ya bah (methamphetamine) pills is back in jail after being rushed for emergency medical treatment after a seizure suffered while in detention at Phuket City Police Station on Saturday night.Pol Capt Thammasan Boonthong identified the suspect as 28-year-old Phuket native Boontham “James” Nuandaeng.Following a tip-off by police informants that the…
-
Paiboon trounces Anchalee in OrBorJor poll
PHUKET CITY: The preliminary count of votes cast in yesterday’s island-wide polling for the presidency of the Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (OrBorJor) saw former Phuket Senator Paiboon Upatising defeat incumbent Anchalee Vanich Tephabutra by more than 20,000 votes.An unconfirmed tally released by the Phuket Election Committee shows K. Paiboon with 59,995 votes (60.6%), compared with K. Anchalee’s total of 39,085…
-
Calcutta outclass Etihad in Sixes final
KARON: The Calcutta Cricket & Football Club (CCFC) produced a Sixes masterclass at Karon Stadium yesterday, sweeping aside all opposition in their quest for the Cup on the final day of the Phuket International Cricket Sixes.First in the Calcutta firing line were the Liquid Lounge Lizards from Phuket, with each team vying for a place in the semi-finals.Needing a win…
-
Alien worker crackdown continues
PHUKET CITY: More than 50 Burmese are in the process of being deported after being caught working illegally by Phuket Immigration Police in two raids over the past two days.Phuket Immigration Police led by Col Chanatpol Yongbunjerd held a press conference at Phuket Immigration headquarters yesterday afternoon to announce the arrest of 43 Burmese workers who were arrested after a…
-
“I robbed to pay for my baby,’ says gold shop suspect
PHUKET CITY: Following information provided by Phuket police, Maha Sarakham police early Wednesday evening arrested Taweesak Bualad, 21, for the robbery of the Kasem Suwan gold shop in Samkong, Phuket City. Lt Col Wijak Tarom of Phuket City Police told the Gazette that the robbery was recorded on the shop’s CCTV system, clearly showing Taweesak brandishing a handgun and demanding…
-
Songkran road toll in Phuket tallies 4 dead, 64 injured
PHUKET CITY: The nationwide Seven Days of Danger road safety campaign ended yesterday, with the final tally in Phuket at four dead and 64 people suffering injuries requiring admittance to hospital. The road toll in Phuket, released today by the Phuket branch of the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, reported 64 road accidents for the period. Police at nine…
-
Annual fishing ban to protect tuna stocks
PHUKET: In a bid to protect declining tuna stocks in Phang Nga Bay, the Department of Fisheries has threatened to fine and confiscate the fishing equipment of any boatmen found bottom trawling or fishing in protected areas with nets smaller than allowed by regulations.From April 15 to June 15, all “otter trawlers” (those that trawl the sea floor) and trawlers…
-
Booze ban set for this weekend
PHUKET: Nighttime actives will be drier than usual tomorrow in preparation for the Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (OrBorJor) elections on Sunday. The Phuket Election Committee has announced that, in accordance with election law, a booze ban will be in effect throughout the province, prohibiting sales and distribution of alcohol, including in bars and clubs, from 6 pm Saturday to midnight…
-
Vice-Governor opens Wat Chalong toilets
CHALONG: Phuket Vice-Governor Tri Augkaradacha this morning chaired the opening ceremony of Wat Chalong’s new three-million-baht public restrooms, which are being hailed as “the first international-standard public toilets” in Thailand by the Office of Tourism Development. The restrooms, built with the help of industrial manufacturing firm SCG (Thailand) Co Ltd, are to commemorate 100 years since the passing away of revered…
-
Dim chef serves self to police
CHERNG TALAY: Cherng Talay District Police on April 10 enjoyed making one of their easiest arrests on record, nabbing a thief who foolishly transferred funds from his victim’s bank account directly into his own.Officers led by Maj Thongchai Matitham arrested 24-year-old Songkhla native Areeyang Talae at 5.30 pm for the theft of an ATM card reported lost by Swede Henrik…
-
Danish tourist dies of suspected pain killer overdose
KATHU: A Danish tourist was found dead in his bed yesterday afternoon at the Delight Village bungalow resort, near the Prince of Songkla University in Tung Tong. Tung Tong District Police Inspector Lt Col Kittipong Klai Kaew identified the deceased as 37-year-old Kenneth Schou Rodnes. Police suspect Mr Rodnes died around 8 pm on Tuesday from an accidental overdose of…
-
Daniel Jackson dies of heart attack
RAWAI: Long-time Nai Harn resident Daniel Leroy Jackson died of a heart attack early Tuesday morning at Phuket International Hospital. He was 62. Friends and neighbors James and Pat Domville informed the Gazette of Mr Jackson’s passing this morning.Originally from Baltimore in the US state of Maryland, Mr Jackson was a Vietnam War veteran who worked as chief public transport safety…
-
107 illegal Burmese rounded up in crackdown
PHUKET CITY: Following a crackdown ordered by new Phuket Immigration Police Superintendent Pol Col Chanatpol Yongbunjerd on April 10, more than 100 illegal aliens found working in the province were arrested and deported before the start of the Songkran holidays. News of the arrests was distributed to the media during a special “meet the press” karaoke event hosted by Phuket…
-
Appeal made for missing Brit
PHUKET: The Immigration Police Tourist Assistance program is asking for anyone with information about Daniel Christian Hall, who was last seen at the Full Moon Party on Koh Pha-ngan on February 24, to contact them. According to a report filed with police, no-one has heard from Daniel since then and he abandoned all his belongings except for his passport in…
-
Crime statistics: prostitutes drop, gamblers rise
PHUKET: Arrests made for prostitution in Phuket decreased in March from the previous month, while the number of arrests for gambling shot up by 127 cases, according to monthly crime statistics released by Phuket Provincial Police.During March, there were 304 arrests for gambling, 139 arrests for prostitution and 110 arrests for drug-related offenses, 58 of which involved ya bah (methamphetamine)…
-
Songkran road toll in Phuket: 2 dead, 40 injured
PHUKET: Phuket recorded its first two road accident fatalities of the 2008 Songkran Festival, as two male teenagers riding motorbikes were killed in separate accidents in Kathu on Sunday. The first victim was identified by the Phuket branch of the National Road Safety Monitoring Center as 15-year-old Chakkrit Titprong. K. Chakkrit was rushed to Vachira Phuket Hospital following a collision…
-
Aussie lifeguards lend a hand
KAMALA: Ahead of the rainy season arriving next month, when the rough surf along the west coast of Phuket becomes dangerous for all but very experienced swimmers, Phuket lifeguards are being trained in surf life-saving techniques at Kamala Beach today and tomorrow.Conducting the training are experienced members of the Avoca Beach Surf Life Saving Club (SLSC) in New South Wales,…
-
Patong restaurateur stabbed
PATONG: The owner of a restaurant off Sawasdirak Rd, near the Patong beachfront, is in stable condition after being stabbed early on Thursday morning.He was allegedly stabbed by a drunk teenager who was dining in his restaurant.Capt Jongserm Preecha of Kathu Police Station told the Gazette that he received a call from Patong Hospital at 3 am reporting that a…
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.