Phuket News
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Sponsored How to reduce out-of-pocket medical expenses in Thailand?
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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Booze bonanza: Phuket bars cleared to serve on holidays
Thirsty tourists and locals can breathe a sigh of relief, Phuket’s bars and entertainment venues have been officially cleared to serve alcohol this Asarnha Bucha Day and on other major Buddhist holidays, the island’s top cop has confirmed. Confusion erupted earlier this week when a bar in Koh Kaew, which doesn’t sit squarely in a designated tourist area, was warned…
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Phuket woman escapes car crash at roadside stall with minor injury
A Thai woman narrowly escaped serious injury after a car crashed into her roadside beverage stall in Phuket on Sunday, July 6. The driver later accepted full responsibility for the incident. The vendor, Naruemon Thorthip, shared CCTV footage of the crash on Facebook the same day. According to the timestamp in the video, the incident occurred at around 2pm near…
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Thai Vietjet launches cheap Mumbai-Phuket flights
Holidaymakers dreaming of sun-soaked Phuket get ready to pack your bags – budget airline Thai VietJet Air is turning up the heat on the India-Thailand travel scene with a brand new direct flight from Mumbai to the island paradise. The low-cost carrier, part of the larger VietJet Aviation Group, is set to launch the highly anticipated route in August, giving…
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Burmese family in Phuket apologises after viral motorcycle photo
A Burmese family in Phuket issued a public apology after a photo of all seven members travelling on a single motorcycle went viral and sparked controversy on Thai social media. The image, showing a family of seven riding a motorcycle through the Sam Kong Tunnel in Phuket, was widely circulated on social media yesterday, July 7. In the photo, the…
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Last farewell: Thai-Swedish couple arrested in Phuket for selling cocaine
A Swedish man and his Thai girlfriend bid farewell to each other after they were arrested at a condominium in Phuket yesterday, July 6, for selling cocaine. Officers from Patong Police Station reported the arrest of the two suspects, a 41 year old Swedish man and his 31 year old Thai girlfriend, yesterday. The names of the suspects have not…
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Family of 7 on motorcycle sparks safety outrage in Phuket
A couple in Phuket sparked online criticism after a photo showing them dangerously transporting five children on a motorcycle circulated on Thai social media. Phuket Hotnews, and Newshawk Phuket, shared images of the family of seven riding on a single motorcycle yesterday, July 6, accompanied by a caption reading, “How many people can you count?” According to the pages, the…
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Phuket’s got night fever as new market hits the spot
Phuket Town has a new reason to stay up late, a sprawling night market has officially opened near Surin Circle, giving a boost to small businesses and offering a fresh hotspot for locals and tourists alike. The Plern Pao Night Market was launched with a flourish on Saturday, July 5, with Phuket MP Thitikan Thitiphrutikul presiding over the opening ceremony.…
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Kuwait too late: Pensioner dies in Phuket beach tragedy
A 74 year old Kuwaiti man who ignored warnings not to swim in rough seas drowned at a Phuket beach, the latest in a string of tourist deaths in treacherous Thai waters. A holidaying Kuwaiti pensioner died after being pulled unconscious from the sea at Bang Tao Beach in Phuket early on Saturday morning, July 5. Police arrived at the…
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Ice, ice baby-faced! Teen dealer nicked in Phuket drug bust
Phuket’s drug crisis took another grim turn as cops busted a baby-faced teen dealer and two accomplices in a major meth raid, with over 3,400 pills, a crystal stash and illegal ammo seized in a Thalang sting. Police swooped on a house in Moo 1, Thepkrasattri, on Saturday (July 5), arresting three suspects during a coordinated drugs operation led by…
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2 Iranian men arrested for stealing trainers from Phuket shoe shop
Police on Friday arrested two Iranian men for stealing a pair of trainers in the Patong neighbourhood of Phuket. Officers from Patong Police Station reviewed CCTV footage from a second-hand shoe shop on Phang Mueang Sai Kor Road, in the Patong sub-district of Kathu District, Phuket, after being alerted to the theft on Thursday, July 3. Two foreign men were…
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Spare us change! Thai minister begs tourists not to feed beggars
Instead of tackling Thailand’s growing homelessness crisis head-on, a top Thai minister has urged the public to stop giving handouts to beggars, especially in tourist hotspots like Phuket, Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Chon Buri. Varawut Silpa-archa, the Minister of Social Development and Human Security, claimed well-meaning generosity was actually making the problem worse. “Begging has existed for years but it’s…
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Burmese duo busted after luxury handbag theft in Patong
It was a brazen late-night grab that stunned beachgoers—but police didn’t take long to track down the culprits. Patong Police have arrested two Burmese suspects accused of snatching a luxury handbag from a tourist in the early hours along Patong Beach. The arrest took place yesterday, July 4, when officers swooped on a property at 122/4 Soi Prom Phriang, in…
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Phuket’s billion-baht bet: New cruise port promises tourism boom
To prove that it’s more than just one of Thailand’s most popular holiday hotspots, Phuket is poised to become Southeast Asia’s cruise capital. The island has unveiled its gleaming new cruise terminal at Ao Makham Port, a project officials believe will supercharge tourism and catapult Phuket onto the itineraries of the world’s biggest cruise lines. The facility, which opened its…
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Busted: Phuket grocery shop doubled as Yaba drug den
A quiet neighbourhood grocery shop in Phuket has been exposed as a brazen front for drug dealing, after stunned officials swooped in on a sting operation that netted hundreds of methamphetamine (meth) pills. The arrest unfolded on Wednesday evening, July 2, at around 6.30pm, in Baan Phru Samphan, Thepkrasattri subdistrict. Phuket Provincial Defence Officer Akkara Suwatthikul led the raid, backed…
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Norse Atlantic soars with new Thailand routes, slashes US services
Norse Atlantic Airways is ramping up its winter schedule, adding four exciting new routes connecting Europe with Thailand as part of its ongoing expansion into Southeast Asia. Set to launch in October and December, these new flights are designed to tap into the surging demand for travel to Thailand, one of the top destinations for European leisure travellers. The carrier…
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Phuket kicks off health expo to boost wellness tourism
Phuket is on a mission to become the world’s top wellness tourism hub, and the island is off to a strong start with the launch of the Phuket Health Expo 2025. Kicking off yesterday, July 2, the five-day event, held at Central Festival Phuket, aims to position the island as the ultimate destination for health, wellness, and lifestyle tourism. The…
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7 Phuket cannabis shops shut down in crackdown blitz
A major cannabis crackdown has rocked Phuket’s Cherng Talay area after officials swooped in and shut down seven shops caught flouting regulations in broad daylight. The Thalang District Office wasted no time ordering the immediate suspension of licences following a coordinated raid that exposed a litany of offences, ranging from illegal sales to on-site smoking. The operation unfolded yesterday, July…
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Phuket double whammy leaves locals with no water and no power
Locals in a swanky corner of Phuket are set for a scorching Friday as power and water supplies are cut off simultaneously, thanks to scheduled maintenance works by the island’s utilities overlords. The Provincial Waterworks Authority (PWA) Phuket warned that the entire Kamala area and parts of Cherng Talay will go dry from 9am to 4.30pm tomorrow, July 4, all…
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Shocking victory: Russian fighter’s electrifying celebration (video)
A Russian MMA fighter got more than just a buzz from the crowd after winning a bizarre cannabis-fuelled fight in Thailand, he got electrocuted while celebrating. Ivan Parshikov, a former ONE Lumpinee contender, had just won his bout at the controversial Weed Boxing Championship, where fighters are allowed to blaze up before stepping into the ring. But as Parshikov clambered…
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Thalang thief caught red-handed with stolen bike hidden in room
A man has been arrested in Thalang after being caught hiding a stolen motorbike inside his room just hours after it was reported missing. The theft unfolded yesterday, July 1, when police swooped in on 38 year old Supachai Kaewplod at his residence in the Keha U-Athorn housing estate in Srisoonthorn. The arrest was led by Police Colonel Nikorn Chuthong,…
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Bomb scare patrol: Phuket orders crackdown on abandoned motors
Local government officials in Phuket have been ordered to hunt down abandoned cars and motorbikes, over fears they could be used to hide bombs. The sweeping directive came during a high-level security briefing yesterday, July 1, chaired by Phuket Governor Sophon Suwannarat at the Provincial Hall. “All agencies must take this seriously,” the governor warned. “We need to ensure the…
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Phuket boosts security with 98 million baht ‘Phuket Eye’ expansion
Phuket is about to get a major security upgrade as local officials unveil plans to expand the “Phuket Eye” initiative, a groundbreaking security model aimed at making the island safer. With crime suppression, tourist safety, and traffic management as top priorities, the initiative promises to bring peace of mind to both residents and visitors. Police Major General Sinlert Sukhum, a…
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Filipina killed in horror Patong crash as SUV ploughs into bikes
A Phuket holiday turned into a nightmare after a Filipina woman was killed and several others injured when an SUV smashed into motorbikes in a horrific evening pile-up. A serious multi-vehicle collision claimed the life of a Filipina woman and left several people injured on the main road through Kalim, just north of Patong, last night. The crash occurred at…
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Phuket bomb scare sparks mosque security clampdown
A disturbing wave of bomb scares has rattled Phuket, triggering a security crackdown at mosques as leaders vow to defend the island’s reputation as a top travel destination. Komol Damluk, President of the Phuket Islamic Council, called for unwavering vigilance and full cooperation with police after a string of coordinated bomb threats shook the province last week. Speaking to The Phuket…
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Phuket police probe death of man found with knife in chest
Police in Phuket are currently investigating the death of a 39 year old man from Sisaket province, whose body was discovered with a knife in his chest in a rented room in Patong. The body was found at approximately 10.45am on June 28, when Patong Police were alerted to an incident in a room on Soi Jintana. Police Lieutenant Colonel…
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Japanese tourist drowns at Phuket’s Karon Beach
A Japanese tourist drowned at Karon Beach, Phuket, shortly after arriving with his wife. Hikaru Oami, a 34 year old, was declared dead at Patong Hospital after being pulled from the water on June 28. Police received notification of the incident around 12.30pm on June 28. Police Lieutenant Colonel Charas Lempan from Karon Police Station was informed by Patong Hospital…
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Man arrested in Phuket with illegal firearm and ammunition
A 24 year old man from Satun province has been detained in Phuket for possessing an illegal firearm and ammunition. This arrest is part of ongoing security measures in the area aimed at enhancing public safety. On June 27, around 9pm, officers from the investigation unit of Phuket City Police Station conducted patrols to monitor suspicious activities. During their patrol…
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Monk arrested after fatal shooting at Phuket temple
A senior monk at a Phuket temple shot a fellow monk, resulting in the latter’s death near a toilet, before hiding in his room. The incident occurred today, June 29, at 7.10am at Khao Rang Temple in Mueang district, Phuket province. Police Lieutenant Jaruwit Joubkwamsuk, an investigator with the Mueang Phuket Police Station, received a report of the shooting and,…
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Russian drug kingpin hunted down in Phuket paradise bust
A Russian fugitive who thought he could hide in Phuket’s tropical playground has been dragged back into the spotlight after Thai police swooped in to end his run from justice. Phuket Immigration officers arrested 46 year old Igor, a Russian national, after uncovering he was wanted on an international Red Notice for drug trafficking and membership of a serious criminal…
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Aussie man searches for long-lost Thai mother, makes public plea
A 38 year old Australian man is making an emotional plea for help as he embarks on a mission that has consumed his entire life—finding his Thai mother. Jeffrey, who was separated from his mother when he was just a child, has spent decades searching for answers, clinging to the hope of a reunion. Born in Phuket, Jeffrey lived with…
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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