Phuket ; Thai: ภูเก็ต,, Malay: Bukit or Tongkah is one of the southern provinces (changwat) of Thailand. It consists of the island of Phuket, the country's largest island, and another 32 smaller islands off its coast. Phuket lies off the west coast of mainland Thailand in the Andaman Sea. Phuket Island is connected by the Sarasin Bridge to Phang Nga province to the north. The next nearest province is Krabi, to the east across Phang Nga Bay.
Phuket International Airport is an international airport serving the island of Phuket and its province in southern Thailand. It is located 32 km (20 mi) north of downtown Phuket in the Mai Khao subdistrict of Thalang district. The airport plays a major role in Thailand's tourism industry, as Phuket is a popular resort destination. It is the third-busiest airport in Thailand in terms of passengers, after Suvarnabhumi Airport and Don Mueang International Airport in the Bangkok Metropolitan Region. The airport set a record of 15.1 million arrivals and departures in 2016, up 17.8 percent from 2015.
Walkabout is an Australian themed pub and restaurant chain in the United Kingdom, owned by Stonegate Pubs since December 2016.
Prostitution in Thailand is not itself illegal, but public solicitation for prostitution is prohibited if it is carried out "openly and shamelessly" or "causes nuisance to the public". Due to police corruption and an economic reliance on prostitution dating back to the Vietnam War, it remains a significant presence in the country. It results from poverty, low levels of education and a lack of employment in rural areas. Prostitutes mostly come from the northeastern (Isan) region of Thailand, from ethnic minorities or from neighbouring countries, especially Cambodia, Myanmar, and Laos. In 2019, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) estimated the total population of sex workers in Thailand to be 43,000.
The Bartons Arms is a public house in the High Street in the Newtown area of Aston, Birmingham, England. Under new management as of August 2024.
The Ettamogah Pub is a cartoon pub that was featured in the now defunct Australasian Post magazine. The cartoonist Ken Maynard, loving empty spaces and having nothing around him, enjoyed an area just outside Albury at Table Top, New South Wales, named Ettamogah, thus christening the eponymous name of his now famous pub the "Ettamogah Pub". The "Ettamogah Pub" chain of such pubs now exist in various parts of Australia including Sydney in New South Wales, and Cunderdin in Western Australia.
Udon Thani International Airport is in the Nong Khon Kwang subdistrict, Mueang Udon Thani district, Udon Thani province in northeastern Thailand. It is approximately 450 kilometres (280 mi) northeast of Bangkok. It currently has domestic flights to and from Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Hat Yai, Phuket, Rayong, and Ubon Ratchathani. In 2006, the airport had 677,411 passenger movements and 1,558 MT cargo movements. In 2013, the airport handled 1,325,305 passengers. In 2015, it handled 2,213,689 passengers and 3,678 tonnes of freight. It has been managed by the Department of Airports (DOA).
Tourism is an economic contributor to the Kingdom of Thailand. Estimates of tourism revenue directly contributing to the GDP of 12 trillion baht range from one trillion baht (2013) 2.53 trillion baht (2016), the equivalent of 9% to 17.7% of GDP. When including indirect travel and tourism receipts, the 2014 total is estimated to be the equivalent of 19.3% of Thailand's GDP. According to the secretary-general of the Office of the National Economic and Social Development Council in 2019, projections indicate the tourism sector will account for 30% of GDP by 2030, up from 20% in 2019, Thailand expects to receive 80 million visitors in 2027.
Thai Indians are Thai people with full or partial Indian ancestry. But these ancestral ties are usually left out of statistics. About 65,000 Indian Thais have full Thai citizenship, but around 400,000 persons of Indian origin settled in Thailand mainly in the urban cities. Intermixing and interethnic marriages of the earlier migrants have led to a large indigenous Thai Indian community.
The Southerners Sports Club is an informal, non-commercial Bangkok-based club of expats and Thais. The Southerners field teams in Bangkok's local rugby, netball, touch rugby and cricket competitions, and also tour to neighbouring countries for regional-based sports tournaments.
The Asian Beach Volleyball Championships is an international beach volleyball competition held every year in Asia and Oceania contested by the double-gender beach volleyball of the members of Asian Volleyball Confederation.
Koreans in Thailand consist mainly of North Korean refugees and South Korean expatriates, along with a tiny number of South Korean immigrants who have naturalised as citizens of Thailand and their descendants. According to South Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, in 2013 there were about 20,000 Koreans living in the country.
Crime in Thailand has been a defining issue in the country for decades, inspiring years of policy and international criticism. Drug use and corruption make up the majority of the crime in Thailand and due to this, many Thai administrations attempted to curtail the drug trade, most notably Thaksin Shinawatra with the 2003 War on Drugs. Since 2003 crime has been decreasing with the crime rate decreasing from 9.97 to 2.58. Despite this, juvenile delinquency has been increasing in recent years.
The year 2008 was the 227th year of the Rattanakosin Kingdom of Thailand. It was the 63rd year in the reign of King Bhumibol Adulyadej, and is reckoned as year 2551 in the Buddhist Era. Much of the year was spent under the 2008 Thai political crisis, which saw political protests leading to the dissolution of the ruling People's Power Party by the Constitutional Court.
Phuket is a city in the southeast of Phuket Island, Thailand, and the capital of Phuket province. As of 2020 the city had a population of 79,308. It covers the subdistricts (tambons) Talat Yai and Talat Nuea of Mueang Phuket district.
Soi Dog Foundation is a nonprofit organisation dedicated to improving the welfare of stray dogs and cats across Asia. Its headquarters is in Phuket, Thailand, and it is a legally registered nonprofit organisation in Thailand, US, Canada, Australia, France, UK, Switzerland, and the Netherlands. Its primary goal is to care for homeless and abused dogs in Thailand.
The year 2019 is the 238th year of the Rattanakosin Kingdom of Thailand. It is the fourth year in the reign of King Vajiralongkorn, and is reckoned as year 2562 in the Buddhist Era.
