Suspect charged with murder and robbery in death of Swiss tourist on Phuket

The suspect, being held in police custody in connection with the death of a Swiss tourist, told the Thai media today (Sunday) that he only intended to steal her money…

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Suspect in Swiss tourist’s death in police custody in Phuket

Suspect in Swiss tourist’s death in police custody in Phuket

Police are holding a man in custody for questioning in connection with the death of a Swiss tourist, who is thought to have been murdered on Thursday near Ton Ao…

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Phuket, dead Swiss tourist, candlelight vigil

Candle-lit ceremony held on Phuket in remembrance of dead Swiss tourist

Phuket Governor Narong Woonsiew led a group of provincial employees, hotel representatives and residents of Phuket on Friday night, to honour the memory of a Swiss tourist whose body was…

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Swiss tourist under “sandbox” scheme found dead in Phuket, police chief on island for probe

A body of a foreign female tourist, later identified as a Swiss national, who traveled to Thailand through the “sandbox” scheme in which fully vaccinated COVID-negative overseas arrivals are allowed…

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A medical worker prepares Covid-19 coronavirus swab test for international passengers arriving for the “Phuket Sandbox” tourism scheme that allows vaccinated visitors at Phuket International Airport in Phuket on July 1, 2021.

Phuket to seal off from domestic visits amid COVID surge, “sandbox” for overseas arrivals still underway

The southern resort island of Phuket will seal off from domestic visits from August 3rd – 16th, according to a Phuket provincial order dated today (Thursday), amid rising COVID-19 infections…

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(Photo by Tulip Naksompop Blauw)

Will Phuket be the last straw that breaks camel’s back?

The answer will depend primarily on the COVID-19 numbers at Thailand’s popular island resort. But how the Prayut administration will look coming out of a potential Phuket nightmare will also…

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Empty tourist boats anchor off Rawai Beach on Phuket, southern Thailand, Monday, June 28, 2021. Thailand’s government has begun the “Phuket Sandbox” scheme to bring the tourists back to Phuket starting July 1. Even though coronavirus numbers are again rising around the rest of Thailand and prompting new lockdown measures, officials say there’s too much at stake not to forge ahead with the plan to reopen the island to fully-vaccinated travelers. (AP Photo/Sakchai Lalit)

Phuket ‘sandbox’ continues despite more closures amid surge in COVID-19 cases

The Phuket “sandbox” scheme, in which fully vaccinated COVID-19 negative foreign tourists are allowed into the country through the island, without quarantine, as an initial step in the country’s reopening…

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Calm before a storm?

Three more Phuket “sandbox” tourists found infected with COVID-19

Three more foreign tourists, who arrived on Thailand’s resort island of Phuket under its “sandbox” scheme, have been infected with COVID-19, according to local health authorities. Phuket’s provincial health office…

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Tourist-reliant boat operators less optimistic of success in country’s reopening

Locals working for tourism-related businesses on Thailand’s resort island of Phuket, most of them fully vaccinated against COVID-19, have expressed their readiness to welcome foreign tourists once again, after its…

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Celebratory sprays of water are splashed over an Etihad Airways airplane arriving from Abu Dhabi carrying passengers for the “Phuket Sandbox” tourism scheme that allows visits by people vaccinated against the Covid-19 coronavirus, at Phuket International Airport in Phuket on July 1, 2021. Lillian SUWANRUMPHA / AFP

Phuket on alert after airline passenger from Bangkok found infected with COVID-19

Phuket is on the alert after a passenger, who arrived on the island aboard a Thai Smile flight from Suvarnabhumi international airport in Bangkok on July 1st, was found to…

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PM urges people in Phuket to work together to ensure success of “sandbox”

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha, today (Thursday) called on all sectors on the resort island of Phuket to help make the tourism “sandbox” pilot project a success. 249 tourists are scheduled…

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Phuket’s natural attractions welcome limited numbers of tourists as island reopens Thursday

Four natural attractions in Phuket, under supervision of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, began welcoming limited numbers of tourists today (Thursday), as the resort island reopened to fully…

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How the hospitality workforce on the Andaman coast is adapting to survive the coronavirus pandemic

In 2004, when a deadly tsunami hit Thailand’s Andaman coast, Khao Lak in Phang Nga province and Phuket were left devastated. Thousands of people lost their lives, including Thais and…

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Sandbox or quicksand? Thailand on edge as Phuket prepares to welcome back foreign tourists

Despite growing public concern over surging COVID-19 infections, the Phuket Sandbox scheme is set to roll out on July 1. From next month, fully vaccinated foreigners are welcome to fly…

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Command centre for foreign tourists set up in Phuket ahead of July reopening

A command centre, called “EOC Phuket Sandbox” has been set up on the resort island, with 70% of its equipment installation complete. Phuket will be the first province to welcome…

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Reopening of Phuket and Surat Thani to foreign tourists confirmed for July

Thailand’s cabinet has confirmed that Phuket will reopen to fully vaccinated tourists on July 1st, under the “Phuket Sandbox” project, as planned. Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Koh Tao, in…

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Thailand records 3,667 new COVID-19 cases and 32 more deaths on Saturday

New COVID-19 infections in Thailand today (Saturday) surged by 3,667 cases, including 435 cases among prisoners and 32 more deaths, according to the CCSA. Bangkok still ranks at the top…

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10 million COVID-19 vaccine doses to be distributed across Thailand in July

Thailand’s Centre for COVID-19 Situation Administration (CCSA) is aiming to administer about 10 million doses of AstraZeneca and Sinovac vaccines in July in provinces which have high infection rates and…

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Image Credit: Phuket 101 Photo from https://wwwphuket101.net

Phuket prepares for fully vaccinated foreign tourists, as 63% of locals inoculated

Thailand’s resort island of Phuket is preparing to open to foreign tourists in less than two weeks, with 63.3% of the local population having received their first doses and 30.2%…

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field hospital
Prof. Dr. Prasit Watanapa

Prominent doctor urges postponement of Thailand’s reopening to foreign tourists in July

A prominent doctor has urged the postponement of Thailand’s reopening to fully vaccinated foreign tourists without quarantine requirements in July, under the “Phuket Sandbox” project, citing the current low vaccination…

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Image Credit: Manager Online

Indonesian fisherman rescued off Phuket after being adrift without food for nine days

An Indonesian fisherman was safely rescued from the sea, off Thailand’s Phuket Island, after having been adrift without food in his small fishing boat for nine days. The boat was…

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Promthep Cape, Phuket, Thailand / Photo by Sumit Chinchane on Unsplash

Phuket imposes tight restrictions on arrivals by boat and car from today

From today (Tuesday), anyone arriving on Phuket Island by vehicle or boat must prove that they have received two COVID-19 vaccine shots or have passed an RT-PCR or rapid antigen…

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Country reopening the ‘only hope’ for Bangkok’s Chatuchak market vendors

Most vendors at Bangkok’s Chatuchak market are hoping that the Thai government will reopen the country as soon as possible and allow foreign tourists in again, to help revive their…

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Phuket to open to fully vaccinated, COVID-19 free foreign tourists without quarantine in July

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) will proceed with its plans to attract foreign tourists to the resort island of Phuket, without compulsory quarantine, starting July 1st this year, with…

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Flight passengers to Phuket on April 15-26 advised to have Covid-19 test

Passengers who flew to or from Phuket between April 15th and 26th, on seven flights operated by three airlines, should check their seat numbers with the airlines and report for…

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A tourist enjoys the view of the Hong islands from the infinity pool of a resort on Koh Yao Yai island in the Andaman Sea. (Photo by Mladen ANTONOV / AFP)

Will Thailand’s new COVID surge kill a plan to restart tourism in July? 

Although the third wave of COVID-19 has hit Thailand hard, key decision-makers are still keen to launch the “Phuket Sandbox” on July 1. The sandbox will trial Thailand’s reopening by…

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Promthep Cape, Phuket, Thailand / Photo by Sumit Chinchane on Unsplash

Phuket tightens control on all local and foreign arrivals until end of April

Phuket has imposed strict new controls on all people entering the resort island, effective from tomorrow (Wednesday) until the end of April. The new measure, which was approved by the…

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Thailand records 967 new COVID-19 cases today, a single day record in 2021

COVID-19 infections in Thailand continue to surge, with 967 new cases being recorded today (Sunday), according to the CCSA. The new infections include 964 locally acquired infections, of which 530…

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(Photo by Lillian SUWANRUMPHA / AFP)

First foreign tourists in over a year arrive in Phuket

A group of foreign tourists, mostly German, arrived on Thailand’s popular resort island of Phuket on Saturday. They are the first in more than a year. They are here under…

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Thailand to reopen in four phases beginning April 1st

The Thai government is considering easing quarantine requirements and restrictions on travel to Thailand, which will be split into four phases. The spokesperson for the Prime Minister’s office, Anucha Burapachaisri,…

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(Photo by Mike Swigunski)

Will the Phuket Tourism ‘Sandbox’ save Thailand’s holiday island?

Foreign tourists who carry a COVID-19 vaccine passport will be able to enjoy Phuket’s blue seas and white sands without having to undergo quarantine, provided the Thai government approves the…

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Phuket tour bus operators seek government help after a year of unemployment

Tour bus operators on Thailand’s resort island of Phuket are asking for help from the provincial administration after being sued for missing their lease repayments, with some facing bankruptcy, due…

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Thailand beach Phuket

TAT to propose “Sandbox” travel bubble model to the CCSA this Friday

The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is to propose a new travel bubble model, for tourists from certain countries or cities, to enter the country without the requirement for quarantine,…

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Area quarantine to be discussed by tourism minister and operators in Phuket on Wednesday

Thailand’s Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn is scheduled to meet with representatives of hotels and other tourism-related businesses on Thailand’s famous resort island of Phuket on Wednesday, to discuss…

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(Photo by Lillian SUWANRUMPHA / AFP)

Private sector in Phuket wants quick, self-funded vaccinations so it can reopen

The private sector on Phuket has joined forces to push for a self-funded vaccination program, to inoculate up to 70% of its population, in the hope that the resort island…

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Tao Ming School Photo by Phoowadon Duangmee

A tiny historic town well worth a detour

Not far from the well-known beaches of Khao Lak, Takua Pa offers a delightful reminder of bygone days Takua Pa, 25 kilometres northeast of Khao Lak and some other of…

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Photo from Phuket PR

First 150 Chinese tourists due to arrive in Phuket on Thursday from Guangdong

The first group of 150 Chinese tourists will fly into Phuket tomorrow, from China’s Guangdong province on a chartered flight, as Thailand conditionally reopens to foreign tourists, to ease the…

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©Mike Swigunski

First group of Chinese tourists to arrive in Phuket on Oct 8th 

On October 8th, a group of 150 Chinese nationals, issued with special tourist visas (STV), will be the first foreign tourists allowed into Thailand, under the conditional entry scheme for…

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Image Credit: Phuket 101 Photo from https://wwwphuket101.net

Phuket gears up for reopening to long-staying foreign tourists in October

Thailand’s resort island of Phuket is preparing to reopen to long-stay foreign tourists on October 1st and one of the areas being improved is road safety.   According to a…

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Four French tourists allowed into Phuket as part of a trial reopening

Four French tourists recently arrived in Phuket on a private jet and were approved to enter Thailand by the CCSA, to test the readiness of COVID-19 preventive measures on the…

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Finance Ministry considers incentives for Thais who spend on local tourism 

Thailand’s Finance Ministry is to roll out an incentive scheme to encourage Thai people to travel and spend domestically, in order to revive the local tourism industry, hard hit by…

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Promthep Cape, Phuket, Thailand / Photo by Sumit Chinchane on Unsplash

Phuket to reopen conditionally to visitors on Monday

Thailand’s popular resort island of Phuket will reopen to outsiders on Monday, to coincide with the third phase of the easing of lockdown restrictions. Phuket Governor Pakkapong Thaweepat said that…

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Hua Hin’s horses for hire to return to beaches next Friday

Life is gradually returning to Thailand’s Hua Hin seaside resort, after Prachuap Khiri Khan provincial administration eased lockdown restrictions on May 18th, allowing hotels, food shops, shopping malls, department stores,…

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International tourists, predominantly Russian nationals, enjoy the beach despite concerns over the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus and restrictions for travellers at a resort in Phuket on March 20, 2020. (Photo by Mladen ANTONOV / AFP)

Provincial governors ordered to screen everyone arriving from Phuket

All Thailand’s provincial governors have been instructed, by the country’s Interior Ministry, to screen everyone arriving from the southern resort province of Phuket and to quarantine anyone suspected of being…

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Image Credit: NBT

Thailand reports five new COVID-19 infections on Sunday

Five new COVID-19 cases have been officially recorded in Thailand today, but no new fatalities. Accumulated infections in the country are now 3,009, while death toll remains at 56 with…

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Photo from twitter Duangthip_ThaiPBS (File Photo)

Three new infections as Thailand begins a limited easing of COVID-19 rules

The daily rate of new COVID-19 infections in Thailand fell to 3 today, as the country takes the first steps in the relaxation of lockdown restrictions. Accumulated infections in the…

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Krabi’s deputy governor apologizes for derogatory comment about Phuket

The deputy governor of Thailand’s Krabi province has offered a public apology to the people of Phuket for his derogatory and unproven claim that they had spread coronavirus to his…

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Promthep Cape, Phuket, Thailand / Photo by Sumit Chinchane on Unsplash

Unemployed migrant workers allowed to leave Phuket

A group of unemployed migrant workers were allowed to leave the resort island of Phuket to return home yesterday (Tuesday), as the provincial administration agreed to temporarily lift the travel…

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Phuket orders lockdown of famous Patong area

Phuket governor Pakkapong Thaweepat has ordered a lockdown of resort town’s night entertainment zone, as the provincial administration steps up its fight against the spread of COVID-19. Effective today (Sunday)…

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International tourists, predominantly Russian nationals, enjoy the beach despite concerns over the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus and restrictions for travellers at a resort in Phuket on March 20, 2020. (Photo by Mladen ANTONOV / AFP)

Phuket governor orders all hotels on the resort island closed

All hotels on Thailand’s popular resort island of Phuket have been ordered to close from Saturday until further notice. Governor Pakkapong Thaweepat issued the order today, in the wake of…

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Phuket headed for a complete lockdown

The tourist island of Phuket is headed for a complete lockdown as its airport will be closed to all traffic starting April 10, according to an order of Governor Pakkapong…

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In this March 26, 2020, photo, tourists play on a beach in Phuket, Thailand. Tourists across Asia are finding their dream vacations have turned into travel nightmares as airlines cancel flights and countries close their borders in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic. (AP Photo/Penny Wang)

Phuket lockdown comes into effect at midnight on Sunday

Citing the worsening COVID-19 situation in Phuket province, Governor Pakkapong Thaveewat has imposed a lockdown of the popular resorting island, prohibiting all land and sea access to and from the…

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In this March 26, 2020, photo, tourists play on a beach in Phuket, Thailand. Tourists across Asia are finding their dream vacations have turned into travel nightmares as airlines cancel flights and countries close their borders in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic. (AP Photo/Penny Wang)

Tourists stranded in Asia by canceled flights, shut borders

PHUKET, Thailand (AP) — From the sun-soaked beaches of Thailand to the foothills of Mount Everest, tourists across Asia are finding their dream vacations have turned into travel nightmares as…

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Tourist sector in Phuket reeling from lack of Chinese tourists

Tourism-related businesses in Phuket have been hard hit by the sharp drop in the number of tourist arrivals, especially Chinese, as a direct result of the COVID-19 outbreak in China…

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Seabourn Ovation cruise ship ©seatrade-cruise.com

Two cruise ships dock in Phuket today

Two cruise ships from Malaysia and Singapore, carrying about 2,400 mostly European passengers and crew, docked in Phuket deep-seaport this morning for a brief visit. Provincial health officials boarded the…

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(Photo) Sira Jenjakha/Facebook

Palang Pracharat apologizes for conduct of its Bangkok MP Sira Jenjakha  

Palang Pracharat party deputy spokesman Thanakorn Wangboonchana has apologised to the public over the conduct of one of the party’s MPs, who has been heavily criticized on social media for…

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Super yacht catches fire in Phuket

A 100-million baht super yacht caught fire at a pier in Phuket yesterday. Pol Col Thirawat Liamsuwan, superintendent of Thalang district police, said that no one was injured on board…

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Day 5 – Search continues as parents of Angelo Cortez hope he is found alive

On Sunday (July 21st) rescue teams were still searching for Mr. Angelo Bien Rafael Cortez, 29, a Filipino tourist who went missing while playing in the sea near Phuket’s Freedom…

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(Photo) Siengtai News

Day 4 – Search for missing Filipino Angelo Cortez continues

Rescue workers continue to search for missing Filipino tourist, Angelo Cortez, 29, after the body of his friend, Noah Ibay, 43, was recovered from rocks near Freedom Beach yesterday (Friday)…

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The body of one of the two missing Filipino tourists found

It is confirmed that a body, discovered this afternoon, is that of 43-year-old Noah Ibay. Mr. Ibay was one of the two Filipino tourists who went missing in heavy weather…

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(Photo) Siengtai news

Day 3 – Body of Thai fisherman found, search continues for two Filipino tourists

Authorities continue to search for two Filipino tourists, identified as Angelo Cortez, 29 and Noah Ibay, 43, who remain missing from Phuket’s Freedom Beach after swimming in stormy weather on…

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(Photo) Tiew Prasa Gu Facebook page

Updates – Rescue operation for missing Filipino tourists hindered by bad weather

Mr. Apichet Yim-on, head of the Kusoldharm Phuket Foundation rescue team, told Thai PBS World this morning that the rescue operation for the two missing Filipino tourists near Freedom Beach…

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(Photo) Tiew Prasa Gu Facebook page

Two Philippine tourists missing in Phuket seas

Rescue workers from Kusoldharm Phuket Foundation have been searching for two missing tourists from the Philippines, who were reported to have been swept into the sea by high waves near…

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Freshest of Phuket Morning Market

By – Ohhappybear Wise people, and I mean wise foodie people, once told me that to get to really know the place well, you might want to start at the…

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Phuket’s Oldest Tea Snack ‘Pang Pia’

By Ohhappybear It is now not a secret that Phuket folks love their foods. They say with pride that locals, one proudly born and bred in town, are mostly familiar…

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Phuket faces water shortage which may become critical in May if there are no rains

Thailand’s popular tourist destination of Phuket is now experiencing water shortage, with water in the province’s three reservoirs just enough for the production of tap water until May and the…

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file photo

Police bust Chinese call centre gang in Phuket

Thai police, in Thailand’s southern resort province of Phuket,have broken up a Chinese call centre fraud gang, arresting 16 Chinese nationals at a rented house on Tuesday. The police also seized 18 computers, 68 cell phones…

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Speed boat carrying Chinese tourists crashes into oil tanker off Phuket, 1  seriously injured

A number of Chinese tourists were injured, one seriously, when a speed boat in which they were travelling struck an oil tanker in the seas off Phuket province this afternoon…

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French woman and Chinese tourists drown in Koh Samui and Phuket

The body of a French woman was found floating in the sea off Thong Gate beach in the popular island of Koh Samui on Tuesday. Hotel staff at the beach…

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Tourist arrivals in Phuket increase 10 percent during high season

Tourist arrivals in the famous resort town of Phuket have increased by 10 percent, with more visitors from India though Chinese arrivals have not picked since the Phoenix tourist boat…

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Bangkok top destination in the world last year: Mastercard’s Index

Bangkok was the world’s top destination last year, three years in a row, with 20.05 million people visiting the capital in 2017 and a 9.6% growth in number of visitors…

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Over 20 sea turtles beach and most die in Phuket and Phang-nga in two months

More than 20 sea turtles landed on two beaches in Phuket and Phang-nga provinces and most of them died with the rest being seriously injured with little chance of survival…

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PM thanks all for successful recovery of victims of Phuket boat tragedy

Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha thanks all authorities, both Thai and Chinese, for having successfully recovered the bodies of all 47 victims who died on July 5 when the Phoenix dive…

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Operation underway to retrieve last Phoenix victim

An operation is now underway to retrieve the body of a Chinese tourist, believed to be the last victim, stuck under the wreckage of Phoenix boat near Koh Heh in…

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Divers to scour Phoenix dive boat for 23 passengers still missing

Navy divers equipped with special diving gears will today scour the sunken Phoenix dive boat in a search for 23 passengers, most of them Chinese tourists, still missing. The Phoenix…

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58 still missing off Phuket after boats capsize

A search will continue today for 58 people, most of them tourists, who are still missing after three accidents in strong seas off Phuket involving two jet skis, a dive…

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Search mounted for 49 people missing in sea off Phuket

Forty-nine people are still missing while 89 others were plucked from the rough sea off Phuket this afternoon after one dive boat and a yacht capsized. Phuket governor Norapat Plodthong…

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