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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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....
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Phuket mob rises after accident kills two
PHUKET: Phuket’s top officials have called an emergency meeting today to discuss new strategies for road safety at the Kor En curve on Thepkrasattri Road after an accident there yesterday killed one woman and an infant on a motorbike. The curve, on the main road to Phuket Airport the main resort areas on the island and Phuket Town, was the…
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PHUKET GOLF: Pattaya pips Phuket for major award
PHUKET: The Mayor of the City of Pattaya, along with representatives from several of that region’s golf clubs, accepted a big award in Turkey on Thursday, the final night of the International Golf Travel Market. The nominees for 2012 included Malaysia, New Zealand, Vietnam and Thailand’s Hua Hin, Pattaya and Phuket regions. This prestigious award was voted for by over…
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Wildfire destroys dozens of homes in Reno, Nevada
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Phuket Gazette PHUKET: A wildfire which broke out near Reno in Nevada this week has destroyed dozens of homes and forced thousands of people to evacuate, officials say. The fire was more than 80 percent contained as of this morning. The fire broke out in the…
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Phuket transport chief puts brakes on negligence
PHUKET: Phuket Provincial Land Transportation Office (PLTO) chief Terayout Prasertphol has announced strict new measures that will hold tour bus companies responsible for the mechanical safety of their vehicles.Under the new measures, tour bus companies stand to have their commercial passenger permits revoked entirely, meaning the companies’ right to operate any commercial passenger vehicles will be terminated, chief Terayout told…
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THAI flights to Phuket still operating “as usual’
PHUKET: Thai Airways International (THAI) is still operating its full schedule of regular flights between Bangkok and Phuket – for now. An officer from the ‘Enterprise Communication Department’ of THAI, asking not to be named, told the Phuket Gazette, “I have yet to receive any news about reductions in flights to Phuket.” Her statement was in response to a report…
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Balls to Bangkok: From Phuket with Love
PHUKET: A total of 100,000 EM (effective microorganism) balls handmade by Phuket students and three flood-rescue boats were handed over to the Royal Thai Army yesterday in the hope of providing some assistance to flood victims in Bangkok. Somboonsri Koeysiripong, president of the Women’s Territorial Defense Volunteer Association (WTDVA), yesterday made a token handover of the balls to Lt Gen…
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Patong Carnival ready to rock Phuket
PHUKET: Phuket’s premier tourist party town of Patong is gearing up for its annual carnival to be held from December 15-20. Run by the Patong Municipality, the annual festival draws thousands of travellers from all over the world and marks the start of the high season in Phuket, which traditionally runs from December to February. Much of the entertainment will…
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Phuket tourism chief calls for “flood travel advisories’ to be lifted
PHUKET: The Phuket Tourist Association (PTA) has asked for the cooperation of foreign governments to reduce and/or lift travel advisories and warnings issued for Thailand. PTA President Somboon Jirayus told the press on Thursday that sensationalized images presented through foreign media have caused a decreasing number of tourists to come to Phuket. “Flooding images in the foreign media have [negatively]…
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FIFA unbalanced
PHUKET: Six Caribbean Football Union officials have received bans from the sport and been fined as a result of breaching ethics rules, according to FIFAs’ website today. Patrick John, Vincent Cassell, Raymond Guishard, Noel Adonis, Tandica Hughes and Everton Gonsalves were handed suspensions from FIFAs’ ethics committee of between two years and one week and had to pay fines ranging…
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Phuket beach vendors evicted – again
PHUKET: A team of about 50 police and municipal officers this morning arrived in force at Phuket’s tourist-popular Karon Beach and removed a restaurant belonging to a local family who were forcibly removed from the same location nine weeks ago. Led by Phuket Governor Tri Augkaradacha, Phuket Provincial Police Commander Pekad Tantipong, Muang, Chalong Police Superintendent Col Krittapad Dej-intorrasorn, the…
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Phuket targets Brazil as tourism source market
PHUKET: Brazilians are among the latest target group of tourists to be lured to Phuket and the Andaman region. Speaking yesterday at a press conference for the Andaman Travel Trade 2011 exhibition, TAT Deputy Governor for International Marketing Juthaporn Rerngronasa highlighted the South American country as an expanding market for incoming tourism. “There will be 10 operators from Brazil to…
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Weird World News: Teens tampon booze craze, man sues dating company for “ugly’ brides and prisoner uses guts for glory
PHUKET: This week’s weird news round-up is a subtle blend of depraved, deplorable and detestable happenings from the around the globe. Health Risk: Teens using vodka-soaked tampons to get drunk PHOENIX Police say a craze that involves teenage girls dousing tampons with vodka and inserting them into their “parts” to get drunk is on the rise and needs to be…
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Phuket Rotary polio campaign: 10,000 kids to get free vaccines
PHUKET: The Phuket Provincial Public Health Office (PPHO) and local Rotary Clubs aim to vaccinate about 10,000 children living on the island, free of charge.Orachorn Saisrithong, district governor of Rotary International (RI) District 3330 covering all of Southern Thailand and parts of Central Thailand, said that the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation has awarded a US$355-million grant to RI’s Polio…
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Phuket offers jobs to the Bangkok flood jobless
PHUKET: The Phuket Skill Development Center (PSDC) along with a consortium of local businesses and recruitment specialists have launched a campaign to secure employment in Phuket for those people who have lost their jobs in Bangkok due to the floods. “An estimated 600,000 people have lost their jobs because their place of work was closed due to the floods,” said…
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Phuket’s ‘troubled lovers’ rumoured to be alive in Surat Thani
PHUKET: Rumors have surfaced that the “troubled lovers”, who were believed to have jumped to their deaths from Phuket’s Thepkrasattri Bridge last month, have been spotted together in Surat Thani Province, police said. “I have heard rumors that the couple survived the jump and they are now living together in Surat Thani Province. I have no proof of anything, so…
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Investigation launched into Phuket police brutality
PHUKET: Police have launched an investigation into their own after a young man yesterday alleged several officers repeatedly beat him and produced false evidence after his arrest. Chalermporn Keawmanee, 20, appeared at the Damrongtham Center [Ombudsman’s Office] yesterday alongside his father, Kaset Keawmanee – owner of NS Cable TV in Surat Thani – to request an investigation into events that…
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Phuket teacher crisis appeal sparks flood of applicants
PHUKET: The Director of the Phuket Primary Educational Office has called for all people wanting to apply for positions as English teachers at government schools in Phuket Town to contact the schools directly. Dr Jian Thongnoon announced the news in the wake of the Phuket Gazette posting online its story about the shortage of English teachers at Phuket schools reaching…
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Johnson quits England rugby post
PHUKET: Rugby fans in Phuket have been informed that Martin Johnson has thrown in the towel as England manager after three-and-a-half years leading the country’s international rugby union side. Several off-field controversies and a wretched performance at the recent World cup in New Zealand, where his charges lost to France in the quarter-final, combined to force Johnson to stand down.…
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FIFA President denies racism in football
PHUKET: “There is no racism [on the field], but maybe there is a word or gesture that is not correct. The one affected by this should say, ‘this is a game’ and shake hands.” FIFA President Sepp Blatter denies racism exists on the pitch during football matches and the odd misplaced comment could easily be forgiven and forgotten with a…
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Official offers homemade fix for Phuket’s water sources
PHUKET: As Phuket enters its tourism high season, the annual period when local water sources are depleted at great rates to cope with the huge influx of people onto the island, one local official has spoken out on Phuket’s water issues and the critical factors in resolving them. Nanyaroon Yadee, 50, of the Pa Khlok Tambon Administration Organization (OrBorTor) Public…
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Rebranded Strategic Airlines continues Phuket flights
PHUKET: Australian Low Cost Carrier (LCC) Strategic Airlines today launched its rebranding as Air Australia, offering special rates to Phuket from AUS$329. The reinvented LCC revealed the news earlier this month, showing off its new-look livery and flight attendant uniforms while emphasizing a commitment to bring Australia a fresh approach to affordable air travel. Strategic Airlines, founded in 2009, has…
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Phuket CCTV: take two
PHUKET: The Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (OrBorJor) is about to install 189 CCTV cameras throughout Koh Kaew and Rassada at a cost of 29 million baht. The roll-out is phase two of the OrBorJor‘s “citizen safety” campaign, which will coordinate with police in providing CCTV footage of traffic accidents and other incidents, explained OrBorJor President Paiboon Upatising. The cameras, some…
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Phuket Live Wire: 3G or not 3G, and what’s 3G+?
PHUKET: First the good news: CAT, like TrueMove-H, is coming out with an HSPA+ service. As you may recall, HSPA+ is the only real “3G” available in Thailand and, at least in theory, it should be substantially faster than other “3G” services currently available – including, confusingly, the service CAT currently calls “3G.” Confused? Yeah, I understand. Let’s start with…
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Another major quake off Indonesia
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Strong earthquake strikes off eastern Indonesia, causing panic Phuket Gazette PHUKET: A strong earthquake struck the Molucca Sea in eastern Indonesia yesterday afternoon, causing panic but no damage or casualties. The 6.4-magnitude quake at 1.05pm local time (11:05am Phuket time) was centered about 69 kilometers (42…
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John Terry wants to come out
PHUKET: “Being captain is about coming out and facing up to it.” England and Chelsea captain John Terry is keen to open up and take it like a man regarding claims he abused Queens Park Ranger player Anton Ferdinand with racist remarks. The query here must be why, after Terry’s last controversy of allegedly having an affair with an England…
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Phuket Red Cross calls for blood donations to help Bangkok flood victims
PHUKET: The Phuket Regional Blood Center (PRBC) is asking for increased donations for November as parts of Thailand experience the worst flooding in half a century. “Due to the floods in Bangkok, the National Blood Center had a shortage of blood at the beginning of the month. The center normally receives about 1,500 units of blood daily from donors, but…
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Bangkok floods boost Phuket short-term rentals
PHUKET: The hospitality and real estate sectors in Phuket are currently benefiting from one of Thailand’s worst floods in a century. A report released by professional services real estate firm Jones Lang LaSalle stated that Bangkok’s housing market has been hit particularly hard by flooding with many major housing areas across the capital are now under water. This has resulted…
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Phuket’s BIS tourney a success
PHUKET: The British International School (BIS) held its10th annual international 7-a-side football tournament in perfect conditions on November 4 and 5. Over 700 players from 25 schools participated in the competition with all teams exhibiting good footballing skills and excellent sportsmanship. Schools, clubs and projects from all over East and South East Asia traveled from as close as Pa Khlok…
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Phuket’s surfing star on the crest of a wave
PHUKET: Local surfing starlet Annissa Tita Flynn is ready to take on the best of Asia in coming weeks as she heads off to Hong Kong and Malaysia for the Reef Cup and the final event of the new Asian Surfing Professional tour at Kuala Terengganu. The Asian tour has been formed not only to promote surfing but also to…
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Phuket’s All Stars bowled over at ACG opener
PHUKET: The eagerly anticipated opening of the Alan Cooke Ground (ACG) was launched in thrilling style recently when the Phuket Cricket Group (PCG) “All Stars” took on the oldest cricket club in Asia, Singapore CC, at Thailand’s newest cricket facility. Heavy downpours the night before meant the new synthetic surface was still damp, making batting a treacherous task. Singapore won…
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