Phuket News
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Turkish tourist found dead in Phuket residence
A 30 year old Turkish national was found dead in a residence in Kamala, Phuket, on May 26, with police reporting no signs of assault or foul play. Cannabis and drug paraphernalia were discovered in the room where the body was found. Kamala Police Station received reports from rescue workers at around 3.30pm, and officers travelled to a three-storey house…
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Mum walks out of Phuket restaurant without fully paying tab
A foreign woman was criticised online after refusing to fully pay a bill at a restaurant in Phuket after saying a drink she ordered was not up to standard. The incident occurred at New Break Taek restaurant in the Chalong area of Phuket on Saturday, May 23, and was later shared on Thai social media. According to footage circulating online,…
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Foreigners pose with Phuket sea turtle, raising online debate
Authorities are investigating the identities of foreign tourists seen in a viral video handling a sea turtle near Cape Panwa in Phuket, raising concerns over possible harm to protected marine wildlife. The Phuket Times Facebook page shared footage on Saturday, May 23, showing several foreign tourists taking turns holding a sea turtle while posing for photographs and videos. In the…
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Phuket locals demand investigation into foreign woman in police uniform
Residents in Phuket are calling for an investigation after a foreign woman shared photos and videos online showing herself wearing clothing resembling a Thai police uniform. The Phuket Times Facebook page posted images of the woman yesterday, May 21. In the photos, she appeared wearing a black vest featuring a Thai flag and a Royal Thai Police patch. She was…
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Austrian man deported for blocking road and demanding money in Phuket
Phuket immigration police revoked the visa of an Austrian tourist and prepared to deport him after he caused public disturbances in Rawai by blocking roads and demanding money from residents and tourists. Videos showing the man’s behaviour circulated on Thai social media on Tuesday, May 19. The suspect was later identified as 39 year old Austrian national, Raphael. In the…
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Foreigner criticised for paying Phuket man to pass police checkpoint
A foreign tourist was caught on video paying a Thai food delivery rider to ride a rental motorcycle through a police checkpoint in Phuket, prompting speculation online about his motives. The incident was first shared by the food delivery rider on his social media account before being reposted by the Shadow Phuket Facebook page, where it attracted widespread attention. The…
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Swede surrenders after attacking Indian hotel owner in Phuket
A Swedish man surrendered to Phuket police yesterday, May 19, after assaulting an Indian man outside a hotel in Patong following a dispute over missing money. Footage of the incident was shared by the Newshawk Phuket Facebook page yesterday, but the incident reportedly took place on Monday, May 18, outside the Patong Platinum Hotel. The suspect was identified as a…
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Russian man arrested with large drug haul on Phuket-Pattaya bus
A Russian man was arrested at a Phuket checkpoint yesterday, May 18, after police found multiple types of drugs in his backpack during a search on a coach bus travelling to Pattaya. Officers at the Tha Chat Chai Checkpoint in Mai Khao subdistrict, Thalang district, stopped a Phuket-Pattaya coach bus for routine inspections and requested identification documents from passengers. Police…
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Phuket locals demand action after foreign teens damage property
Police arrested four foreign teenagers yesterday, May 17, after they stole and damaged a lamp shade outside a resident’s home in Phuket. The incident was reported by the Phuket Times Facebook page, which also shared CCTV footage of the theft. The incident took place on Phang Nga Road in the Phuket Old Town area. In the video, one of the…
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Body believed to be missing police officer found on Phuket Beach
A body believed to be a missing police officer was found washed ashore at Nai Thon Beach in Sakhu subdistrict, Thalang district, Phuket, this morning, May 17, two days after he was swept into the sea by strong waves. The man went swimming at Nai Thon Beach on May 15, during strong winds and waves more than two metres high.…
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Anutin calls corrupt Phuket officials ‘disgusting’ after beach encroachment
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul criticised corrupt officials in Phuket for facilitating land encroachment at Freedom Beach, describing the actions as “disgusting”. The Freedom Beach encroachment case gained national attention after People’s Party MP Chaloempong “Sam” Saengdee claimed he received death threats while investigating illegal occupation on Freedom Beach and surrounding land under the Khao Nak Kerd National Forest in Kathu district.…
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Swedish renter’s unpaid Patong locker exposes five guns, 100 bullets
Staff at a monthly rental storage company in Patong, Phuket, discovered five firearms and 100 rounds of ammunition on May 12 inside a locker rented by a Swedish man who had failed to pay rent for more than 120 days. The discovery was reported after Patong Police Station received a report from representatives of Mespace Self Storage Patong, located inside…
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Indian tourists accused of ganging up on Thai man in Phuket
A Thai man was allegedly attacked by a group of Indian tourists in Phuket early this morning, May 12, after he tried to stop a dispute over one of the tourists sitting on the bonnet of a parked car. The incident reportedly happened at around 4.30am near the end of Bangla Road in Patong subdistrict, Kathu district, Phuket. Officers later…
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Foreign man remains at large after injuring Phuket teenager in hit-and-run
A Thai mother is seeking public assistance in identifying a foreign motorcyclist after her teenage son was seriously injured in a hit-and-run in Phuket on May 10. The crash occurred at around 2.30pm in Rawai subdistrict. According to the mother, who shared details on her Facebook account, Rainbow Sarnrach, a foreign man riding a motorcycle with two passengers, suddenly changed lanes…
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Foreign rider damages rental motorcycle in Phuket during off-road riding
A foreign motorcyclist, believed to be a Russian national, drew criticism online after a video showed him damaging a rental motorcycle while attempting to ride off-road in Phuket. The footage was shared today, May 11, by the Phuket Times Facebook page, which claimed the incident involved a foreign rider using a rented motorcycle on an off-road track in Phuket. The motorcycle…
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5 Russian nationals held after viral altercation in Phuket night market
Five Russian nationals were arrested following a violent altercation at a night market in Phuket after footage of the incident circulated widely on Thai social media yesterday, May 10. The Phuket Times Facebook page shared videos from the disturbance at Midtown Phuket Night Market with a caption alleging, “A drunk foreign man caused trouble in the city centre by assaulting…
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4 Indian tourists fall unconscious before 1 dies in Phuket hospital
Police are continuing to investigate after four Indian tourists lost consciousness at a restaurant on Kamala Beach in Phuket early Friday morning, May 9, before one of the men later died in hospital. Officers from Kamala Police Station and rescuers from the Kamala Subdistrict Administrative Office Foundation were called to the beachfront restaurant after receiving a report from a security…
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AI camera catches Nigerian, Ivorian men overstaying in Phuket
Tourist police in Phuket arrested two foreign nationals who had allegedly overstayed their visas for more than two years after an AI facial recognition system flagged them on May 8 in Kathu district. The arrests were made during a crackdown on foreigners suspected of immigration offences and other illegal activity in major tourist areas. Tourist police said the operation followed…
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Israel embassy warns Israelis as Phuket tightens foreigner rules
The Embassy of Israel in Thailand has warned Israeli nationals in Phuket to follow local laws after provincial officials reportedly ordered stricter enforcement measures against foreigners on the island. The statement, written in Hebrew, was shared yesterday, May 7, on the Facebook page Israel in Thailand. According to the post, authorities would strictly enforce local laws and regulations, with offenders…
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Phuket teenager praised for saving foreign man after roadside collapse
A Thai teenager was praised after performing CPR on a foreign man who collapsed on a road in Kathu district, Phuket, last night, May 7. Images and videos of the rescue were shared by several Thai news agencies and Facebook pages, showing the boy assisting the injured foreign man, who had a visible head wound and was lying motionless on…
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Foreign woman dies after motorcycle hits van on Phuket road
A foreign woman died, and a man was seriously injured after a head-on motorcycle crash involving a van on Patak Road in Karon, Phuket, at around 8pm on Wednesday, May 6. Footage of the incident circulated on Thai social media yesterday, May 7. The crash occurred on a curve near the Holiday Inn hotel in Karon district. The video showed…
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Nigerian, Belgian nationals arrested for cocaine sales in Phuket
Two foreign men, from Nigeria and Belgium, were arrested in Phuket on May 7, after tourist police allegedly found cocaine during an operation targeting foreigners suspected of selling drugs in Patong. The suspects were identified as Samuel Egbujonuma Silas, a Nigerian national, and Bruno Trunfio, a Belgian national. Both were also found to have overstayed their visas. Egbujonuma Silas was…
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Foreign family caught using children to steal from Phuket convenience store
A foreign family allegedly stole items from a convenience store in Patong, Phuket, on May 6, and challenged the staff to pursue legal action. The incident occurred at around 8pm, with video later posted by the Phuket Times Facebook page on May 7. The family’s nationality was reported as Israeli, but this has not been confirmed by police. CCTV footage…
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British man allegedly goes on rampage, damaging motorcycles and shop sign in Phuket
A British man reportedly went on a rampage in Phuket, damaging motorcycles and a food shop sign with a knife, yesterday, May 6. Images and footage of the incident were shared by the Phuket Times Facebook page with a caption that read… “A British man went on a rampage in Phuket, brandishing a knife and shouting. It is believed that…
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Russian man arrested over unlicensed Phuket fishing tours
A Russian man accused of running an illegal tour operation in Phuket was arrested at sea today, May 6, after police traced fishing trips allegedly sold through Telegram to Chalong, Mueang Phuket, Phuket. The case began with a tip-off to the Tourist Police hotline. Police were told that a group of foreigners had been advertising tour packages on Telegram, prompting…
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Thailand plans 80 billion baht airport expansion to become aviation hub
Thailand airport expansion projects worth around 80 billion baht are being prepared as the government moves ahead with plans to position the country as a regional aviation hub. Deputy Prime Minister and Transport Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn recently met with Airports of Thailand (AOT) executives and related officials to discuss aviation development projects aimed at improving airport facilities and passenger capacity.…
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Police seize heroin hidden in Thai clothing sets bound for Australia
Police in Phuket seized more than six kilogrammes of heroin hidden inside 48 Thai clothing sets on April 30 after a suspicious parcel shipment from Loei was sent to a house in Sakhu, Thalang, allegedly for onward delivery to Australia. The shipment, packed in two sacks, was sent through a private delivery company from Chiang Khan district, Loei, to a…
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Phuket man loses 58,000 baht in money showing scam by foreigners
A Thai man lost 58,000 baht to a group of foreign suspects outside a bank in the city centre of Phuket last night, May 4, after reportedly showing cash to a foreign woman. The victim shared details of the incident with the Phuket Times Facebook page. He said he had arrived at the bank at around 6pm to withdraw cash…
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Foreign couple held after sex on moving tuk tuk in Phuket
A foreign couple was detained yesterday, May 4, after they were caught on a viral video engaging in sexual activity while travelling on tuk tuk in Patong, Phuket. A Phuket tuk tuk incident involving a foreign couple engaging in sexual activity in public led to their arrest yesterday, May 4, after video of the incident, recorded by a passerby, circulated…
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Phuket taxi driver denies assault after argument video goes viral
A Phuket taxi driver denied physical assault on a foreign man after a video of their argument went viral on Thai social media yesterday, May 4. The footage was posted by the Facebook page Koh Kalok Phuket with a caption questioning how the situation should be handled and included hashtags criticising taxi drivers. In the video, a foreign man is…
Phuket is a province in the south of Thailand. Phuket's beaches face the Andaman Sea allowing the west coast beaches fantastic sunsets right throughout the year. If you're looking for news in Phuket, go to thethaiger.com/phuket Or follow our instant news in our Facebook pages.
The good news is that Phuket is famous for its foodie scene with an enormously diverse range of local and international foods - Phuket and southern favorites, street food along with international choices catering for the 12 million visitors to the island each year. Thaiger follows Phuket news and information 24 hours a day with regular updates.
Phuket is only 'just' an island with a 300 metre bridge linking it to Thailand's mainland. We're always reporting in the news that the channel beneath is frequently dredged to maintain Phuket's status as an island. On the other side of Sarasin Bridge is the Province of Phang Nga.
Getting to Phuket is easy as the island has land, air and sea connections. Phuket is also used as a take-off point for local island trips as Thailand's largest island is surrounded by over 30 pristine islands. Koh Phi Phi and the famous Maya Bay are always in the news and would be the best known of the island's just off Phuket's shores.
Phuket is an island and a province. It's the largest island in Thailand – 48 km north to south, 21 km east to west.
It's about 20% smaller, in area, than Singapore but much less densely populated. Whilst the island nation of Singapore boasts a population of nearly 6 million, Phuket has a permanent population of around 400-450,000 (but varies a lot with the influx of tourists and a workforce that is always changing). Most of Phuket remains jungle and tropical rainforest despite an acceleration of development over the past 20 years.
Unlike some of Thailand's other popular islands (that are in the Gulf of Thailand), the news is that Phuket is located in the Andaman Sea.
Phuket is 878 km north of the equator.
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