Phuket News
Phuket news, politics, business, tourism, and nightlife—stay updated with breaking stories, events, and expat updates from Thailand’s top island destination. Get the latest from The Thaiger, your trusted Phuket news source.
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Phuket suffers first fatality in New Year “Seven Days of Danger’
PHUKET: A Mercedes-Benz and a motorcycle collided at 12:10am today, resulting in the first fatality of the Seven Days of Danger safety campaign – which targeted zero deaths. The Mercedes, driven by Chaichana Seaong, 40, collided with the motorcycle in front of the Mook Phuket shop on Chao Fa East Road, near the Kwang Road intersection. Witnesses claim the the…
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Phuket New Year gifted International Space Station flyby
PHUKET: In addition to the New Year’s Eve celebrations held throughout Phuket tonight, stargazers will be treated to the sight of the International Space Station (ISS) passing overhead. If the skies are clear, the ISS will be visible to the naked eye as its substantial bulk will reflect sunlight during its brief south-southeast trajectory, passing to the west of Phuket,…
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Private jets can set down, but not stay at Phuket Airport for New Year, say officials
PHUKET: Private jets can continue to land at Phuket International Airport over the New Year holidays, but are restricted in how long they can remain parked at the airport, the Phuket Gazette has been told. An order issued by the Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) mandated that priority be given to commercial flights at Phuket Airport until January 5, confirmed…
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Records tumble at We Freedive Suunto Series final in Phuket
PHUKET: A number of national records were brushed away as the We Free Dive Suunto Series drew to a close on December 21. All eyes were on American Katie Wierenga, who is ranked third among the USA female Dynamic No Fins (DNF) athletes after an outstanding performance in October. Having surpassed the USA DNF record in practice, Wierenga pushed hard…
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Patong’s Keesin clan yet to face Phuket mafia charges
PHUKET: The Public Prosecutor has yet to press formal charges against Prab and Pattawee Keesin, both sons of former Patong Mayor Pian Keesin, for operating a mafia organization. Pisitpol Phumsawat, chief Phuket public prosecutor, confirmed to the Phuket Gazette that his office was still reviewing evidence presented by the police “I have dedicated a team to investigate the police claims,”…
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Famed director arrested for trespassing to make tsunami horror film
PHUKET: Famed Thai-film director Anon Mingkwanta, better known as Poj Anon, was arrested at Suvarnabhumi Airport last night after allegedly trespassing at a derelict Phuket resort to film a tsunami horror movie. Charges against Mr Anon were filed at Tah Chat Chai Police Station on September 12 by Nipon Rangsimanwong, a representative of the Toon Maha Larp Company, which owns…
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Teen killed in Phuket Town drive-by shooting
PHUKET: Police are hunting a man who shot dead an 18-year-old in a Phuket Town drive-by late last night. “Chalong Netphetdang*, 19, was riding pillion with a friend when two men pulled up close to them on a motorbike,” Phuket City Police Superintendent Sermphan Sirikong told the Phuket Gazette. “One of them pulled a gun on the pair and shot…
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Phuket pick-up truck smash near Mission Hospital
PHUKET: Emergency medical orderlies at Mission Hospital, north of Phuket Town, rushed out to rescue several injured people from a road accident directly outside the facility yesterday morning. An Isuzu pick-up truck had hit the back of Honda saloon car opposite the Toyota dealership on the southbound side of the road, causing the car to skid and hit a motorcycle…
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Kiwi arrested in Phuket for drug dealing, wanted for fraud
PHUKET: A Kiwi charged for dealing ya ice (crystal methamphetamine) and cocaine in Phuket is wanted on fraud charges in his homeland, The New Zealand Herald has reported. The man, named by Patong Police as Taylor Grainge, 41, is in fact Grainge Taylor, after having changed his name in 2010, confirmed Jeff Montgomery, registrar-general and general manager for births, deaths,…
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Video Report: Khao Lak 10 years on – remembering the tsunami
PHUKET: Thailand’s primary tsunami 10-year commemoration ceremony – presided over by Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha – took place on December 26 at the Tor 813 Police Boat Tsunami Memorial Site in Khao Lak. The program consisted of disaster control drill presentations followed by a number of keynote speeches by dignitaries, including PM Prayut and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister…
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Phuket expat, Microsoft MVP Henry Habermacher passes away
PHUKET: Long-time Rawai resident Henry Habermacher passed away peacefully on the morning of December 11. Born Heiri Habermacher on July 2, 1961, in Sachseln, Switzerland, he graduated from ETH Zurich in 1986 with a degree in electrical engineering, specializing in acoustics project management superconductivity. In 1994, he received a graduate degree in business management from HWV Luzern – IBR University.…
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Phuket’s “naughty maid’ strikes again in Patong
PHUKET: Reports of Phuket’s infamous “naughty maid” surfaced yesterday, following a police warning about her kleptomaniac behavior in May (story here). Patong Police repeated their warning yesterday, cautioning any prospective employers to be on the watch for the still-unidentified woman. “We received a complaint from a hotel on Nanai Road that a woman took a job as a maid and…
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Russian tourists injured as Phuket tour bus flips, crashes
PHUKET: Nine Russian tourists were rushed to hospital after the tour bus they were travelling in crashed and flipped onto its roof in Kamala, on Phuket’s west coast, this morning. The bus was carrying 37 Russian tourists from Phuket International Airport to Patong when the accident occurred at about 7:30am. The bus driver, Aroon Yaemkua, told police that he was…
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Popular Phuket pier needs “facelift’, says Gov Nisit
PHUKET: Rassada Pier – a bustling arrival and jump-off point for Phuket tourists – needs to be cleaned up, said Phuket Governor Nisit Jansomwong during his inspection of the facility today. “They need to improve the sanitation and general aesthetics of the pier. We will coordinate with the Marine Office, local authorities and private businesses operating at the pier to…
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Krabi monk injured in inferno
PHUKET: One novice monk was injured when a dormitory at a temple in Krabi was engulfed by flames yesterday evening. Sarawut Likitkarn, 16, suffered from smoke inhalation and rushed to Krabi Hospital. However, doctors have since confirmed that he is in a stable, safe condition. The fire broke out on the second floor of the monks’ dormitory at Wat Keaw…
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Love, humanity ripples through Phuket tsunami memorial service
PHUKET: The devastating loss of hundreds of thousands of lives to the Indian Ocean Tsunami 10 years ago also brought a wave of humanity among the differing peoples of Phuket and the global community, Phuket Vice Governor Suthee Thongyam told those gathered at the Light Up Phuket memorial event on Patong Beach on Friday. “It is a great honor to…
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Phuket officials stymied by sprawling trash pile
PHUKET: Officials are struggling to stem the growing tide of trash at what has become a sprawling dump site on the coastal road north of Kalim, between Patong and Kamala on Phuket’s west coast. The news follows the Phuket Gazette receiving a copy of a complaint about the site sent to the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO). “These…
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Russian economic crisis hits Phuket, Pattaya
PHUKET: Russia’s economic crisis is expected to squeeze the hotel and tourism business in Thailand – especially in Pattaya and Phuket – through the current high season and first quarter of next year. “Pattaya has been like a second home for Russian tourists and long-stay guests for many years. They have been contributing huge income to the country’s economy. But…
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Pickup truck crash at gas station leaves one dead, one injured.
PHUKET: Excessive speed is believed to have been the cause of a dramatic single-vehicle crash near a gas station on the Airport Road on Friday. A four-door pick-up truck was seen to lose control and crash into a ditch, ending upside down. The passenger, Thawatchai Sermrat, 31, was thrown clear and died at the scene, while the driver, Leng Jampathong,…
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Thais dominate Phuket ancient muaythai boxing event
PHUKET: Thais dominated the Kard Chuek Original boxing event at Saphan Hin on December 25, winning eight of the 10 fights against their international rivals – no less than seven of them by knockout. Only one fight was decided on points, with Petcheak Lookporkhun defeating Saliman Sing-Patong of Algeria in the opening bout. To get the event underway at 4pm,…
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French, Iranian tourists arrested for B1mn Phuket hotel robberies
PHUKET: Two tourists have been charged for robbing guest safe boxes at three Phuket hotels and making off with more than a million baht in mixed currencies. Receptionists at the Baan Luktan Resort said that the men gave them spiked drinks that made them fall asleep, so that the pair could break into the safe boxes. Iranian Shahram Ghorbaniafshar, 48,…
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Ten Years On: Wave of media responsibility post-tsunami
PHUKET: In an age where first reports of natural disasters come in through tweets and Facebook status updates it’s hard to imagine the vacuum of information after the Dec 26, 2004, tsunami. First reports by the local English-language news agency the Phuket Gazette in Phuket, which quickly become the location of choice for international media coverage of the devastation, led…
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Phuket students learn to save lives
PHUKET: Several emergency-response experts were called in to train about 100 students in essential life-saving skills at a special training event this week. The emergency-response event was held at the Phuket ICT Skill Development and Learning Center in Saphan Hin on Wednesday, with the aim of instructing students on how to respond to different emergency scenarios. “As part of our…
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Phuket light-rail system to cost B23bn
PHUKET: The long-awaited light-rail project, expected by many to help alleviate Phuket’s ever-worsening traffic congestion, is expected to cost 23 billion baht, it was revealed this week. Kanok Khemnak, an expert in assessing the environmental impact of mass-transportation systems, delivered the news at a meeting of officials at Boat Lagoon Marina, in Koh Kaew, on Tuesday. “The plans and design…
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Win a car at Phuket Red Cross fair
PHUKET: The Phuket Annual Red Cross fair kicks off at Saphan Hin tonight and runs until January 5, offering 200,000 baht in gold lucky draw prizes and the chance to win a Toyota Altis 1.6. The popular 11-day fair features hundreds of stalls selling local delicacies, knickknacks, clothing and a huge variety of other items. Additionally, there will be entertainment…
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Small service at Phuket’s Tsunami Memorial Wall honors victims
PHUKET: About 50 people gathered at the Tsunami Memorial Wall in Mai Khao this morning to honor those who died in the disaster 10 years ago. The traditional service began at 8:30am with Buddhist monks conducting a mass prayer, followed by a Muslim service and then a Christian service. After the religious ceremonies, attendees observed one minute of silence to…
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NDWC tsunami-warning app still not in English
PHUKET: Budget issues have prevented the English-language version of the tsunami warning application for smartphones from being released, two years after the announced release date, the Phuket Gazette has been told. “We have yet to make any further progress in developing the application,” National Disaster Warning Center (NDWC) Specialist Yaiying Sirithanapivat said. The application was up and running for Apple…
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Video Report: Machete-wielding man attempts to publicly slay traffic cop in Krabi
PHUKET: A Krabi man attempted to slay a traffic police officer with a machete in front of hundreds of tourists after he was issued a warning for parking in a no-parking zone in the beach town of Ao Nang on Monday. Sgt Apichart Narksa-nga and Sgt Jirameth Laosirikul of the Krabi City Police had noticed a pick-up truck parked in…
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Soldiers detained over abducting Phuket foreigners, Military Police probe ordered
PHUKET: Five soldiers arrested by the Chalong Police may face court martial for the alleged abduction of a Ukrainian businessman and his wife last week. “The soldiers are now at the 41st Military Circle barracks at the Royal Thai Army’s Region 4 base in Nakhon Sri Thammarat,” Region 4 Deputy Commander Ruangsak Suwannaka told the Gazette on Wednesday. The Military…
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Phuket tsunami memorial ceremonies begin tomorrow
PHUKET: The world’s eyes will be on the Andaman coast tomorrow, as Thailand and the region honor the victims of the Indian Ocean Tsunami, which devastated the region’s coastline on December 26, 2004. Services will be held at the Tsunami Memorial Wall in Mai Khao, on Patong Beach, and in Khao Lak in remembrance of the more than 5,000 people…
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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