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 to stage tsunami drill at Kamala Beach
Sun, surf… and sirens? Tourists and locals on Phuket’s Kamala Beach are set to witness a full-scale tsunami emergency drill as Thailand prepares for the worst with one of its biggest disaster response simulations to date. From June 24 to 27, the Phuket Provincial Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Office (DDPM Phuket) will take part in the Crisis Management Exercise: C-MEX…
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2 foreign tourists found dead in Phuket hotels
A holiday in paradise ended in tragedy yesterday after a 52 year old Swedish tourist was found dead in his hotel room in Patong, prompting a police investigation into the circumstances surrounding his sudden death. Patong police were alerted to the incident at approximately 12.58pm yesterday, April 23. Officers quickly responded to the scene on Thaweewong Road, along with emergency…
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Phuket Airport baggage belt still broken amid repairs
Holidaymakers flying out of Phuket are being urged to stay calm, despite ongoing baggage belt breakdowns that continue to cause delays at Thailand’s second-busiest international gateway. Yesterday, April 23, Phuket International Airport (HKT) confirmed that one of its four main baggage conveyor belts in the international terminal remains out of action, while three lines have been repaired and are back…
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8,000 runners set for biggest Phuket marathon yet
Lace up those trainers and pack your sunblock — the Laguna Phuket Marathon 2025 is set to be the biggest yet, drawing more than 8,000 runners from 50 countries for an unforgettable weekend of sweat, speed, and stunning scenery. Phuket Governor Sopon Suwannarat and Laguna Phuket’s Managing Director Paul Wilson officially launched the event at a press conference in Bangkok yesterday, April…
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Man caught stealing from Buddhist donation tree in Phuket
A man has been captured on CCTV stealing money from a Kathin offerings tree at a shop on Bangkok Road in Phuket Town, inciting anger among residents. The footage, shared online, depicts a grey-haired man in an orange motorcycle taxi vest entering the shop and lingering near the counter. Once confident no one was watching, he approached the Kathin offerings…
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Phuket urges residents to save water as dry season drags on
As Phuket approaches the final leg of the dry season, the Provincial Waterworks Authority (PWA) is ramping up calls for water conservation across the island. Marking Earth Day yesterday, April 22, the PWA issued a public plea urging residents to adopt mindful water-use habits and report any burst pipes immediately, reinforcing that every drop counts in the battle against dwindling…
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Moan alone: Randy foreign couple put on x-rated show in Patong
It’s not just the waves keeping Patong awake at night, one randy foreign couple has been giving locals an x-rated earful with their nightly sex sessions, complete with open curtains, loud moans and zero shame. Residents of Sai Kaew Road in Phuket’s Patong Municipality say they’ve endured four sleepless nights thanks to a passionate pair who seem determined to share…
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Decomposed body of Thai man found in abandoned Phuket building
Authorities in Phuket are investigating the discovery of a decomposed body in an unused building located in the Kathu district, found on 21 April. Police were alerted to the scene around 5.40pm, joined by a forensic doctor from Vachira Phuket Hospital and rescue workers from the Kusoldharm Phuket Foundation. The body, identified as a Thai male, approximately 40 years old,…
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Drunk foreign man ends Phuket beach party with graveyard nap
Locals in the Bang Tao area of Phuket rescued a drunk foreign man who was found sleeping in a graveyard after attending a beach party. The Phuket Times shared photos of the man lying on a grassy area yesterday, April 21, with the caption: “5.20pm. A foreigner was found lying unconscious in the Bang Tao kubur (kubur means burial ground…
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Phuket probes construction site over erosion concerns
Phuket officials have launched a major investigation into a hillside construction project in Karon after public concerns over potential illegal development and environmental damage. The inspection, conducted yesterday, April 21, was led by Surasak Anusorn, Director of the Phuket Natural Resources and Environment Office, and accompanied by officers from the Phuket Provincial Public Works and Town & Country Planning Office.…
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Making waves: Illegal jet ski operators sunk in Phuket crackdown
Five jet ski operators have been arrested in a significant operation to clamp down on illegal rentals in Phuket. Officers from the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) and the Marine Police Division arrested the suspects, who were caught operating unregistered jet skis at Kamala Beach and a pier in Koh Kaew. The arrests highlighted ongoing concerns over unregulated tourist services in…
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Australian caught with loaded gun on Patong’s Bangla Road
An Australian man has been arrested in Patong after being caught with an illegal, loaded firearm in the early hours of yesterday morning. Lachlan James McGahey, 31, was detained by police during a routine patrol on Bangla Road at around 3.40am, yesterday, April 21. Officers discovered that McGahey was carrying a Thai-made .38-calibre handgun, which was loaded with eight rounds…
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Police hunt suspect in fatal Phuket stabbing
Police are in pursuit of a suspect involved in a stabbing in Phuket, where a 59 year old man was fatally wounded. The incident occurred yesterday, April 20 at 1.30pm in Soi Hon Sai Thong, Mueang Phuket district, Phuket province. The victim had been stabbed under the right rib cage and was discovered seriously injured in the middle of a…
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Arrest warrant issued against Swiss man who kicked Thai doctor
Phuket Kwaeng Court issued an arrest warrant for a Swiss man who allegedly kicked a female Thai doctor in the back outside his luxury villa in Phuket after he failed to appear in court as scheduled. The 27 year old Thai doctor, Tarndao Chandam, filed a lawsuit against 46 year old Swiss national Urs Fehr in February last year. She…
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Phuket sting operation: man arrested with meth in rubber plantation
A coordinated sting operation led by the Thalang District Administrative Special Operations Unit resulted in the arrest of a man in Thalang, Phuket. Thousands of methamphetamine pills and a significant amount of crystal meth were discovered hidden in a rubber plantation. The arrest was announced during a press conference on April 18. Among those present were Phuket Vice Governor Adul…
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Phuket teen injured after hand stuck in meat grinder
A 15 year old boy in Phuket suffered severe injuries to his right hand after an accident where he got his hand stuck in a meat grinder at a butcher’s shop in Ratsada on Friday afternoon, April 18. Emergency personnel responded swiftly to the scene. Rescue workers from the Kusoldharm Phuket Foundation, along with an advanced EMS unit from Vachira…
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Teenager surrenders after fatal stabbing in Phuket
A 19 year old man has turned himself in to the police following the fatal stabbing of a 59 year old man in Phuket. The stabbing victim, identified as Chatuchok, was found unconscious with a knife wound to his abdomen near a grocery store in Soi Hon Saithong, Mueang district. Emergency services transported him to the hospital, but he later…
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Phuket landslide probe delayed due to missing evidence
The investigation into the fatal landslide in Kata, Phuket, which occurred last August and resulted in 13 deaths and numerous injuries, has been delayed as Karon Police are awaiting further documentation to confirm whether construction was a contributing factor. The questioning of victims has been concluded, but additional documents are needed, according to Police Lieutenant Colonel Ekkasak Kwanwan, Senior Inspector…
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Officials probe illegal land grabs in Phuket wildlife zone
Phuket’s lush green hills are fast becoming battlegrounds in a land war fuelled by booming tourism, high-end development, and shady deals — and now, investigators are closing in. Officials launched a fresh investigation into suspected illegal land grabs within a protected wildlife reserve in Wichit, Phuket, raising alarm over how the island’s natural beauty is being sacrificed for profit. “Phuket’s…
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Phuket hospital seeks donations to build operating rooms
A Phuket hospital is making a desperate plea for public donations to build its own operating rooms, after receiving woefully insufficient funding from the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH). Chalong Hospital, which serves more than 160,000 patients a year across the Rawai, Karon and Chalong areas, is in urgent need of six modern operating theatres — but only has a…
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Punches and passports: Bangla Road fight goes viral (video)
It was less of a beach holiday and more of a boxing match in Patong, as a shocking video of foreign tourists brawling on Phuket’s infamous Bangla Road has gone viral, drawing heavy criticism and fuelling online debate about visa policies and foreign gangs in Thailand. The drama unfolded in the heart of Patong’s nightlife zone, where two men were seen…
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Phuket braces for floods as emergency pumps deployed
Phuket is battening down the hatches as officials race to prevent flash floods and landslides, with a massive emergency response underway across the island. With heavy rainfall already soaking parts of the province, the Phuket governor has issued an urgent directive to all district chiefs, local government leaders, and heads of government agencies to launch immediate preventative action. The warning…
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Phuket reports zero road deaths during Songkran so far
Phuket is defying the odds this Songkran, with zero road deaths reported during Thailand’s notorious Seven Days of Danger, despite dozens of accidents involving both locals and foreign tourists. As the annual road and marine safety campaign nears its end, officials gathered today, April 17, at Phuket Provincial Hall to review the province’s performance. The meeting, chaired by Phuket Vice…
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Phuket airport scrambles to explain cyberattack on digital screen
Travellers at Phuket International Airport got more than just flight updates last week when a digital screen in the departure hall was hijacked in a shocking cyberattack, sparking serious concerns over airport cybersecurity. The incident, which occurred on April 8 around 7.30am, saw unauthorised messages and images suddenly appear on a screen at the international terminal’s departure check-in hall on…
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Bar worker beaten outside Patong hotspot after jealous row
A Patong bar worker was left bloodied and bruised after a savage street brawl erupted outside one of the island’s busiest nightlife zones — all sparked by a petty case of jealousy. The violent incident unfolded in the early hours of Monday morning, April 14, just outside a popular bar near the beach road entrance to Bangla Road. The victim,…
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Bare-faced cheek: Phuket shoppers shocked by naked man
Shoppers at a Phuket market got more than they bargained for yesterday morning, when a naked man strolled casually through the streets, leaving stunned onlookers doing double-takes. The bizarre incident unfolded yesterday, April 16, in the Tha Ruea area of Thalang district, near a fresh market and the local branch of Bangkok Bank. The man, believed to be aged between…
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Phuket’s buffalo orange gets GI push to juice up global fame
The beautiful resort island of Phuket is hoping its native fruit, the Garcinia or som khwai (buffalo orange), will peel into prestige as a Geographical Indication (GI) product, adding some serious juice to the province’s agricultural and food industries. In a recent workshop led by deputy governor Suwit Pansa-ngiam, local producers were schooled on the ins and outs of GI…
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Soaked: Flash floods fury leaves Phuket in deep water
Phuket woke up underwater yesterday as torrential overnight downpours triggered flash floods, swamped roads and sparked fresh fears of landslides, turning paradise into panic. Parts of of the popular holiday resort resembled rivers rather than roads yesterday morning, April 15, after relentless rain pummelled the island overnight, flooding key areas and prompting landslide warnings across southern Thailand. Among the hardest-hit…
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Man found dead after fall in Phuket’s Wichit district
A 44 year old man was found dead after falling from an abandoned building in the Wichit district, Phuket. Before the incident, he had a dispute with his wife and left on a motorcycle. The police are investigating the cause of death. At 8.50pm yesterday, April 12, Police Lieutenant Colonel Fonthip Kaewsaen, Deputy Inspector of Wichit Police Station, was informed…
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Truck crash causes major disruption on Phuket road
Motorists are being warned to steer clear of Patak Road over Kata Hill, following a dramatic accident involving a 10-wheel truck. The truck skidded on the wet, rain-slicked road and crashed into three power poles, bringing down live cables and causing major disruptions. The incident, which occurred at approximately 12.15pm yesterday, April 11, has led to a temporary road closure…
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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