Phuket News
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Russian woman arrested over illegal Phuket beauty clinic
Police arrested a Russian woman at a luxury villa in Thalang, Phuket, today, June 7, for allegedly operating an illegal clinic offering Botox and filler injections without the required licences. The accused, identified only as 45 year old Kristine, was arrested on charges of operating a medical facility without permission, selling unregistered medical devices, and selling modern medicine without a…
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Phuket airport to launch automated passport gates June 13
Phuket International Airport will open automated outbound passport gates on June 13 to reduce immigration waiting queues after social media complaints about congestion and alleged special paid lane services. Deputy Government Spokesperson Ploytalay Laksameesaengchan said today, June 3, that the government had instructed relevant agencies to address congestion at the airport’s immigration checkpoint. The move follows social media posts about…
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Phuket selected as setting for season 13 of Below Deck
Phuket will serve as the main filming location for the 13th season of the American reality television series Below Deck, with production crews expected to spend 40 days filming across the province and the Andaman Sea. The programme follows crew members working aboard luxury superyachts catering to ultra-wealthy guests and has built a large audience in key tourism markets, particularly…
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Foreigner confronts Phuket police after disturbance, theft attempt
Police arrested a shirtless foreign man after he reportedly caused disturbances at a convenience store and attempted to steal items from outside a local’s home in Phuket yesterday, June 1. The incident came to public attention after a Thai homeowner shared a video on Facebook showing two police officers confronting the foreign man outside her house. In the post, published…
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Thailand first nation to impose mandatory Ebola quarantine
Thailand tightened Ebola measures, placing 11 travellers from high-risk countries who arrived in Phuket under 21-day health monitoring. Phuket Governor Nirat Pongsitthavorn announced during a meeting with provincial public health officials, stating that Phuket’s large number of international direct flights required the province to remain vigilant over Ebola outbreaks abroad. According to Nirat, the 11 travellers arrived at Phuket International…
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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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Australian tourist found dead with white powder nearby in Phuket condo
An Australian tourist was found dead inside a condominium in Phuket at around 7.30pm yesterday, May 20, with police finding white powder on a plate near his body. Officers at Karon Police Station received a report of a death at the condominium and went to inspect the scene. Inside, police found the body of a foreign man on the floor. He…
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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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CCTV captures souvenir theft by foreign woman in Phuket
A foreign woman was caught on CCTV stealing a souvenir from a shop in the Thalang district in Phuket yesterday, May 17. Footage from the shop’s security cameras was shared on the Phuket Times Facebook page to warn other business owners in the area and help identify the suspect. The shop owner said the incident occurred at about 3.45pm. In…
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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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Phuket bar owners protest ‘benefit-seeking’ state officials
Operators and staff from Bangla Road entertainment venues in Patong Beach, Kathu district, Phuket, gathered for a protest yesterday, May 13, to oppose alleged extortion and “benefit-seeking” by state officials, while calling for faster action on business licensing issues. The gathering took place near the Bangla police box at the entrance of Bangla Road in Patong subdistrict, Kathu district, Phuket.…
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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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Chinese tourists filmed with protected parrotfish and starfish in Phuket
Phuket locals are calling for legal action against a group of Chinese nationals after videos circulated online showed them hunting protected parrotfish and handling starfish at Kata Beach. The footage, which spread widely on Thai social media, prompted criticism from residents and environmental supporters concerned about the treatment of marine wildlife and the lack of immediate enforcement action by officials.…
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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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Russian tourist praised for helping elderly vendor in Phuket
A kind foreign man, reportedly a Russian tourist, received praise online after stopping to help an elderly Thai vendor push a cart up a steep hill at a windmill viewpoint in Rawai, Phuket, yesterday, May 7. The incident was shared by the Facebook page โหดจัง จังหวัดภูเก็ต, which posted a video showing the Russian man helping push the vendor’s cart up…
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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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No mafia in Phuket, only foreign criminals
Phuket Provincial Police Commander confirms the province is free of mafia networks and ransom operations. Crypto extortion plots were orchestrated by foreign nationals attempting to strike and flee, but all were arrested. Authorities are actively cracking down on foreign nominees taking local jobs. Pol. Maj. Gen. Sinlert Sukhum, Commander of the Phuket Provincial Police, gave an interview on May 6,…
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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…
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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