Phuket News
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If you plan to stay longer in Thailand, having health insurance is now more important than ever. Thai immigration often asks for proof of medical coverage when you apply to extend your visa. This applies to many types of visas,...
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Phuket lifeguards put lives first, agree to PPAO conditions
PHUKET: Lifeguards are set to return to Phuket beaches on May 21 as the lifeguard club gave up its demands for an increased budget at a meeting with the Phuket Provincial Administrative Organization (PPAO) this morning. “The conditions they offered us today were the same: 22 million baht to pay for our expenses and an increased salary for 88 guards,”…
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Aussie lifeguards help bring man back to life
PHUKET: After 30 minutes of cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and six injections of adrenaline, Mike Reynolds’ heart started to beat again. His 18-year-old daughter, Kristi, rushed into the emergency room as the two holidaying Australian lifeguards that had saved him from a drowning-induced heart attack while on a trip to Phi Phi Island waited outside. Also standing outside the room was…
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V/Gov Chamroen pushes for funds for Karon wastewater
PHUKET: Vice Governor Chamroen Tipayapongtada vowed yesterday to push for funds to expand Karon’s water treatment facilities as soon as possible. The vice governor spoke as he inspected the recent efforts of Karon municipality to prevent untreated wastewater in the Nong Han canal from spilling over onto the town’s popular tourist beach as it has already three times this year,…
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Don’t pay money under the table, fight it in court – says Employment chief
PHUKET: All foreigners who believe that they have been wrongfully arrested for breaching the conditions of their work permit must fight for their rights, said the chief of the Phuket Provincial Employment Office (PPEO). “If the police insist on arresting you, let them do it. If they threaten to detain you, let them. You have the right to deny the…
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Phuket Open cancelled
PHUKET: The promoters of the FIVB Beach Volleyball Open in Phuket have decided to cancel the event scheduled for October 15 to 19 quoting continued political unrest in Thailand as the reason for their decision. With the safety and security of players and officials of paramount importance, the FIVB have accepted the promoter’s decision to cancel the event. The next…
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Snatchers snitch on sex drug seller
PHUKET: Using a tip-off from recently arrested bag-snatchers, police raided a Phuket pharmacy on Tuesday evening, seizing more than 10,000 pills of drugs being sold illicitly. Among the pills were sex aids, antidepressants, steroids and the notorious “date rape” drug Rohypnol. “Four bag-snatchers told us they planned to buy Zolam at a pharmacy in Patong,” said Patong Police Deputy Superintendent…
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Fast and Furious: Patong joy ride in boss’ car ends in crash
PHUKET: A drunk driver injured a Phuket motorcyclist early yesterday morning during a high-speed joy ride in his boss’ Toyota Fortuner; the ride ended abruptly when he slammed the SUV into a utility pole. “At about 6:40am we were notified that a driver in a Toyota Fortuner had knocked a man off his motorcycle and crashed into a power pole…
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Fears of corpse confirmed, but not human
PHUKET: Police called this morning to investigate a possible corpse wrapped in a bag in Phuket Town found the bodies of two dogs instead. Residents called authorities after noticing a rotting odor coming from the bag, found outside an abandoned house near the Revenue Department office on Narisorn Road. Rescue workers who were first on the scene hesitated to investigate.…
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Phi Phi cargo boats engulfed in flames
PHUKET: Police are investigating the cause of a fire which gutted two Phi Phi cargo boats anchored off Krabi early yesterday morning. Fire fighters responded to reports that Unity 2 and Unity 3 were ablaze near the Ko Huang Fishing Pier in Saithai Sub-district at about 5am. “The boats were too far from shore for firefighters to try to save…
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Phuket chief wages war to bring common sense to employment laws
Special Report Poor definitions in work permits have left loopholes that allow criminal foreigners to skirt the law and corrupt officials to take advantage of law-abiding foreigners. To this, Phuket Provincial Employment Office (PPEO) chief Yaowapa Pibulpol is waging a war to bring common sense to the enforcement of employment regulations. The Phuket Gazette’s Saran Mitrarat reports. PHUKET: The events…
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Wilson leads Man U to win over Hull City
PHUKET: Manchester United’s past and future collided as debutant James Wilson scored twice in a 3-1 win over Hull City on Tuesday that marked the end of stalwart Nemanja Vidic’s Old Trafford career and set tongues wagging about Ryan Giggs. Wilson, 18 years old and one of two debutants on show, scored in each half before Matty Fryatt pulled one…
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Phuket runway maintenance affects Chinese flights
PHUKET: Sichuan Airlines will relocate its Phuket operations to Krabi from May 15 through August 12 while runway maintenance is carried out during overnight hours at Phuket International Airport. The affected flights will be the Chengdu to Phuket and Chongqing to Phuket services. Sichuan Airlines offers two flights per week from both Chengdu and Chongqing direct to Phuket. Shanghai Airlines…
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Police face corruption probe for letting Aussie gunmen free
PHUKET: The Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) will investigate the Patong Police officers who failed to provide enough evidence to charge two Australians with attempted murder after the pair opened fire on a busy street in Patong last year. The Australians, tattoo parlor owners John Cohen, 32, and Adam Shea, 26, injured two German tourists while trying to gun down…
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Russian escapes serious injury in drunken motorbike crash
PHUKET: A Russian woman escaped serious injury yesterday morning when she crashed a motorbike into a power pole while not wearing a helmet and under the influence of alcohol. Rescue workers were called to the scene, on Thepkrasattri Road, at about 9am. “Rescue workers administered first aid at the scene before transporting the woman to Wachira Phuket Hospital,” said Lt…
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Fight night at Ta-ied Stadium
PHUKET: Tonight, Ta-ied Stadium will host seven Muay Thai fights, including two semifinal fights and a Super Fight. The stadium is located on Soi Ta-ied in Chalong with the fights starting at 9pm. The fighters include Tukkatatong from Tiger Muay Thai, Nakornsri from Rawai Muay Thai, Mongkornpet from Dragon Muay Thai and Sangmoreragot from Phuket TopTeam. The Super Fight card…
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Video Report: Phuket police extortion charges true, PACC says
PHUKET: The Public Sector Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) has proposed that two Chalong Police officers be charged for the extortion of members of the dive community following the conclusion of their investigation in Phuket (story here). “We have collected enough evidence to prove that the allegations of extortion filed by 41 members of the Phuket dive industry are true,” said PACC…
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Visa crackdown risks stranding Phuket expats in Myanmar
PHUKET: Officials at Ranong Immigration today confirmed to the Phuket Gazette that they are turning away any foreigners attempting to enter Thailand after using three consecutive “walk-in” visas. The news follows reports of immigration officers allegedly stopping Phuket expats on visa runs to Ranong from exiting the country. Ranong, nearly 400km north of Phuket, has for decades been a prime…
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Wanted Phuket woman arrested for stealing 52 cars
PHUKET: A woman wanted for car theft since 2012, with outstanding arrest warrants in every district of Phuket, was arrested yesterday in Cherng Talay after being recognized by police. “Sukanya Chanthanarak, 40, had five arrest warrants in Cherng Talay alone. Her face was familiar to area police,” said Lt Col Sommai Onkham of the Cherng Talay Police. Ms Sukanya rented…
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Women’s tennis star succumbs to liver cancer
PHUKET: Former British women’s number one Elena Baltacha has died at the age of 30 from liver cancer, the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA)announced on Sunday. “The news of the death of Elena Baltacha, one of the shining lights of British women’s tennis of recent generations, is devastating to everyone who has ever had the privilege to know her, play against…
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Surf’s up in Khao Lak
PHUKET: After crossing the bridge off the island, the sense of immediacy, impatience and the hustle and bustle of Phuket fades quickly. The pace of life slows to what is expected of a tropical island. Dozens of people experienced this as they made their way to Khao Lak for the first annual Khao Lak Surf Competition last weekend. They drove…
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Governor orders probe into alleged Phuket beach land swindle
PHUKET: The Phuket Governor has ordered a direct investigation into how a man claiming to be a real estate agent allegedly conned villagers near Layan Beach into signing a document that empowered him to mortgage their land for 20 million baht. The incident came to light on Thursday when the villagers, led by Cherng Talay Tambon Administration Organization (OrBorTor) President…
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Italian man found hanged in Patong
PHUKET: The body of an Italian man was found hanged from a rooftop steel bar at the Happy Apartment building in Baan Nanai Patong yesterday. Roberto Becchetti, 46, was last seen in the building carrying a coil of nylon rope about two hours before his body was discovered in a narrow gap between the apartment building and the building next…
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Phuket Employment office to hold seminar on dive professionals’ work permits
PHUKET: The Phuket Employment Office (PPEO) will be holding an eight-hour seminar on May 22 at the Royal Phuket City Hotel in Phuket Town to clarify regulations and work permits for dive professionals. The seminar comes as a Public-sector Anti Corruption Commission (PACC) team continues its investigation into allegations that Chalong Police used legal loopholes in work permits to extort…
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Taiwanese tourist drowns at Koh Yao Yai, off Phuket
PHUKET: A Taiwanese tourist drowned at Koh Yao Yai yesterday after waves pulled him out to sea. Chung-Hsin Lu, 64, was swimming with a friend at about 2pm when the pair started struggling in deep water. Bystanders were able to rescue Mr Lu’s friend, but Mr Lu disappeared below the surface and could not be found, says a Kusoldharm rescue…
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Five in ATM skimming network arrested in Phuket
PHUKET: Five foreigners believed to be part of a skimming network stretching across Thailand were arrested in possession of multiple credit cards under different names and 700,000 baht in cash yesterday. Three were caught in the process of skimming an ATM in Karon. The other two were apprehended as they were allegedly attempting to evade officers. The men were named…
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Police rescue driver from mob after two killed at Phuket’s ‘hundred bodies curve’
PHUKET: Police yesterday quickly whisked away the driver of a six-wheeled truck that killed two people and injured four others at Phuket’s notorious “100 bodies curve” on Chao Fa West Road, to spare him from the wrath of an angry mob. Uthai Pilaput told police that he was heading northbound at about midday when he lost control on the wet…
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Black market coral trade takes hit as police seize more than 600 live samples in Phuket
PHUKET: Chalong Police are hunting coral poachers who abandoned a long-tail boat containing more than 600 illegally cut pieces of coral that were destined for the black market. Officers rushed to the scene yesterday morning after being tipped off by locals who had watched the suspects carry the coral ashore. Locals told officers that the suspects were waiting to meet…
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Win a free flight with the Gazette Reader Survey 2014
PHUKET: In the 20 years since our launch on May 4, 1994, the Phuket Gazette has evolved from a 12-page monthly, hand delivered by its founder to Phuket’s then tiny expat community, into the 80-page weekly that it is today as part of the island’s leading multimedia news organization. We’ve been here for our readers through natural disasters, coups, booming…
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Former Phuket art teacher, turned alcoholic, found dead at public park
PHUKET: A former art teacher at Phuket Rajabhat University was found dead near the new indoor sports stadium in Saphan Hin yesterday. The body of Prasit Songkramma, 57, was found at about 2pm by Ngaojai Kusuya, a 50-year-old cleaner at the stadium. “At this stage we believed he died from heatstroke and, from what we have learned, he was an…
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Phuket drug dealer identified by hair loss, arrested
PHUKET: Police arrested a drug dealer in Rawai on Monday with more than 1,500 pills of ya bah (methamphetamine) and 57 grams of ya ice (crystal methamphetamine). A tip-off from undercover police that a balding man about 170cm tall was selling drugs in Rawai led officers to a house on Wiset Road at about 7pm. “The man who answered the…
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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