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.
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Bangkok News: Croc trainer gets stitches – croc suspended; Police Chief will face investigation; Liverpool kick-off delayed
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – News from the Thai capital by Coconuts Bangkok compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Trainer receives 30 stitches; Croc suspended from duty Coconuts BangkokBANGKOK: The crocodile trainer who survived a terrifying croc attack earlier this week spoke out for the first time about the near-death experience that left him with 30 stitches on his…
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Trial date set for Phuket taxi driver accused of abducting Chinese teen
PHUKET: The trial of the illegal taxi driver charged with abducting and sexually assaulting a Chinese teen tourist on May 17 will start on September 2. “The case was transferred to the court on July 4,” said Phuket Public Prosecutor Theerasak Srichulalak. Paitoon Kruain, 32, faced five charges: deprivation of liberty; sexual assault; using a Category 1 narcotic; consuming alcohol…
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Slap attack gang members charged for attempted murder in Phuket Town street stabbing
PHUKET: Four members of a teenage gang have been charged with attempted murder after a Burmese man was seriously injured in a knife attack in Phuket Town early yesterday morning. The gang of 10 were riding motorbikes along Tilok U-Thit Road (map here) at about 1:30am when four of them took umbrage with a Burmese man riding his motorbike with…
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Phuket International Boat Show and Royal Phuket Marina partner for five years
PHUKET: The Phuket International Boat Show (PIMEX) has secured its home for the future with the signing of a five-year host venue agreement with Royal Phuket Marina (RPM), the marine and luxury lifestyle destination on Phuket’s east coast. Having recently announced the dates for 2014 being moved to the popular January 9-12 timing, organisers say they are laying strong foundations…
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German consuls in Phuket urge travel insurance for visitors
PHUKET: The German honorary consuls for Phuket and Chiang Mai yesterday urged tourists to take out adequate travel insurance before travelling to Thailand.German honorary consuls Dirk Naumann (Phuket) and Hagen Dirksen (Chiang Mai) handed over a cheque for 100,000 baht to Vachira Phuket Hospital yesterday in appreciation for the facility providing medical services to travellers who were unable to pay…
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“What do you think they are smoking over there at the Emirates?”
PHUKET GAZETTE SPORTS – Quote of the day: Liverpool owner John W. Henry asked on Twitter: “What do you think they are smoking over there at the Emirates?” PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World sports news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Reds favorite ‘son’ Suarez should heed fans: Rodgers Reuters PHUKET: Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers told Luis Suarez…
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Phuket Gazette World News: 56 dead in Spanish train disaster; Interpol alert over Iraqi jailbreak; US keeps NSA taps; Gay violence in Montenegro
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– World news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community At least 56 killed, 70 injured, after train derails in Spain Reuters / Phuket GazettePHUKET: At least 56 people were killed and 70 injured when a train derailed on the outskirts of the northern Spanish city of Santiago de Compostela on Wednesday in one of Europe’s worst…
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Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Northeast floods; B20mn for rice death; Teachers die in Deep South blast
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Northeast still struggling with floods The Nation / Phuket GazettePHUKET: Floods continued in the provinces of Chanthaburi, Trat and Nakhon Ratchasima yesterday, affecting hundreds of residents.Downtown Chanthaburi was submerged in up to a meter of water and authorities warned it would rise further. Schools in flood-hit areas…
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Phuket Police on lookout for “slap attack’ teen gang
PHUKET: Phuket City Police are rounding up teenagers from the streets of Phuket Town in the hope of apprehending the youngsters who have been sneaking up behind unsuspecting victims and slapping them on the back of the head.The reports started flowing in last week, with people complaining that they had just been slapped – hard – by a teenager, Phuket…
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Phuket Gazette World News: Dramatic balloon crash caught on film; Brazilians lose bikinis for the Pope; Cop-turned-actor Dennis Farina dead
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Hot air balloon carrying 11 crashes in Dutch lake, injuring 2 Phuket Gazette / News Wires PHUKET: A hot air balloon carrying eleven people crashed into a lake in the Netherlands on late yesterday evening, injuring two of the people on board, emergency services said. The…
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Phuket’s transport evolution
PHUKET: The long awaited new Airport Express bus service between Phuket Airport and the island’s premier party and entertainment town, Patong, started to roll last Friday, four days later than expected. “We thought we could start on July 15, but we had to push the launch date back,” Mr Prakob Panyawai, the owner of the bus operating company, explained, adding…
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Phuket Gazette World News: Kate and Will show off new prince; Oz tells UK not to leave EU; China’s corrupt healthcare
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Kate and William show off Britain’s new prince Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Prince William and his wife Kate gave the world its first glimpse of their new baby yesterday when they left hospital with the boy who is third in line to the British throne.…
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Mum calls off search for missing American Brett Bean
PHUKET: The Phuket search for missing American surfer Brett Bean, 43, was called off by his mother, Lynne Bean, tonight. “Brett has been in contact with us several times. We are most grateful to the Karon Police department, the US Embassy, the news media and the many friends whom we have met in Phuket,” Mrs Bean wrote in an email.…
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Special Report: Phuket Gazette keeping an eye on corruption
Special Report: Thailand has again ranked poorly in Transparency International’s annual report on corruption worldwide, released last week. How does this report affect Phuket? The Phuket Gazette investigates. PHUKET: Global corruption watchdog Transparency International last week released its annual report on corruption worldwide. Known as the Global Corruption Barometer, the report compiles an international index of all countries based on…
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19 killed in tour bus crash
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Reuters/ Phuket Gazette Nineteen people were killed and 23 were injured when a double-decker passenger bus caught fire after a collision in Saraburi, north of Bangkok. An 18-wheel lorry crashed into the Bangkok-bound overnight bus on Mitraphab highway, one of Thailand’s busiest roads. Most passengers, as…
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Phuket FC lock horns with Bangkok Iron Bulls to no avail
PHUKET: The Islanders dropped one place to sixth of the 18-team Yamaha League One (YL1), after playing out yet another draw – this time to Bangkok FC in a tense yet thrilling 1-1 dead-lock on Saturday evening in Thailand’s capital. Bangkok also lost their 3rd place standing, falling into 4th as a result of the draw and in conjunction with…
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Phuket Beach Safety: Man drowns in 5 minutes
PHUKET: A man believed to be a Russian tourist ignored lifeguards’ warnings and entered the surf at Karon Beach yesterday afternoon – and drowned within five minutes, the Phuket Gazette has been told. Uten Singsom, head of the Kata-Karon Lifeguard Club, said that his lifeguards took 20 minutes to recover the man from the strong surf. “He came to the…
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Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Chiang Mai, Hua Hin best for retirees; Phuket’s best Raceweek
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Chiang Mai, Hua Hin best The Nation / Phuket GazettePHUKET: The Live and Invest Overseas website has ranked Chiang Mai and Prachuap Khiri Khan’s Hua Hin district as a couple of the world’s best places to retire due to the low cost of living and beautiful beaches.The…
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Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Dengue vaccine in the works; Govt ignoring the elderly; Monk’s passport revoked; Biogas stations approved
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Sanofi set to make dengue vaccine The Nation / Phuket GazettePHUKET: Nobody knows for sure whether the trials of a vaccine for dengue fever will bear fruit, or provide new hope to countries plagued by the virus. However, a factory is now ready to start producing the…
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Phuket Gazette World News: UK has new prince; Belguim has new king; Moroccan king to get new government
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– World news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Baby boy for Prince William and wife Kate Reuters / Phuket GazettePHUKET: Prince William’s wife Kate gave birth to a boy yesterday afternoon, the couple’s first child and the third in line to the British throne, heralding celebrations in London and messages of goodwill from across the…
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Phuket rain and rockslides in Ranong
PHUKET: More than 90mm of rain fell at Phuket International Airport overnight and more rain is on its way, according to the latest weather report from the Thai Meteorological Department (TMD). More than 41mm of rain fell across Phuket Town while wind speeds gusted above 32km/h, brought on by a low pressure system reaching all the way from the Philippines,…
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Phuket office identifies 82 “foreign-owned’ businesses suspected of using Thai nominees
PHUKET: The Phuket Business Development Office (BDO) has identified 82 businesses suspected of breaching the Foreign Business Act (FBA) by using Thais as nominees so that foreigners can hold majority control. The businesses were identified ahead of raids by the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) set for this week, targeting illegal foreign businesses in Phuket (story here). “After checking our…
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Phuket boat captain charged for reckless driving resulting in death
PHUKET: A boat captain was charged with reckless driving resulting in death after the pickup he was driving on Chao Fa East road Saturday night struck a man on a motorbike, killing him.A-thit Hannongbua, 35, was travelling toward Phuket Town on Chao Fa East Road when 55-year-old Kittichai Prapanan pulled out from Soi Thanuthep on his motorbike, a witness told…
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Headstrong Phuket buffalo causes three accidents
PHUKET: A pregnant buffalo that wandered onto the bypass road late Saturday night withstood the blows of three cars before dying in the median strip.Kusoldharm rescue workers were called to the bypass road in front of Porntip Sea Store at 1am yesterday to aid the injured motorists.The first vehicle to strike the buffalo was a taxi carrying passengers from the…
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Russian tourist saved from Phuket killer rip, flash warning issued
PHUKET: A proposal to post “Double Red Flag Rip Current” warnings at Phuket beaches gained momentum yesterday after a fit Russian tourist ignored a red warning flag and was caught in a flash rip, leading to a daring and dangerous rescue by members of the Surin-Bangtao Surf Lifesaving Club.The incident prompted lifeguards to issue a flash rip warning at all…
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Phuket alcohol ban for Buddhist holiday, Gazette office closed
PHUKET: The Phuket Gazette would like to inform our readers and advertisers that our office in Koh Kaew is closed today in observance of Asarnha Bucha Day (story here). Asarnha Bucha Day, the full-moon day of the eighth lunar month, commemorates the Lord Buddha’s first sermon to his first five disciples after attaining Enlightenment more than 2,500 years ago. Evening…
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Phuket Gazette World News: MiG fighters found on NK ship; Abe in Japan poll victory; King Albert abdicates; Dubai jails woman for rape report
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– World news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Panama finds MiG fighter jets on North Korean arms ship Reuters / Phuket GazettePHUKET: Panamanian investigators unloading the cargo of a seized North Korean ship that carried arms from Cuba have found the two MiG-21 fighter jets the Cuban government had said were on board, the government…
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Phuket Gazette Thailand News: Health Ministry ramps up War on Dengue; Amnesty bill held to ransom; 2 slain in South; Monks moved
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community New strategy adopted to fight dengue: spray areas promptly The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: The Public Health Ministry has ramped up its fight against dengue fever and now requires hospitals to report to the area disease control department within three hours every time a dengue-fever…
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Kathu Culture Street Festival kicks off tomorrow
PHUKET: The Kathu Culture Street Festival, showcasing the blended cultural heritage of the area, starts tomorrow with a parade beginning at 4:00pm at the Kathu market followed by an opening ceremony at 7pm at the main stage at the Kathu Public Health Center.“The goal of the festival is to preserve Kathu’s cultures and traditions, as well as to encourage locals…
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Phuket Gazette Queer News: Northern women rub it for lucky numbers
PHUKET: A tree that bears a remarkable resemblance to a man’s nether regions is setting pulses racing in a village in the province of Kamphaeng Phet. The mango tree, which was found on land belonging to 50-year-old Mrs Lot Panthap, appears to have two legs, an arse, and a dork (or ‘penis’) hanging in the balance. Local villagers have been…
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