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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Sponsored 5 ways retirees in Thailand lose money (and how to stop it)
Retiring in Thailand can be affordable and enjoyable, but many retirees lose money due to common mistakes. High living costs, scams, and unexpected expenses can quickly drain savings. There are five ways that retirees in Thailand can lose money and...
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One rescued, one missing after rescue at Karon Beach
PHOTOS: Karon Police An Indonesian man is missing whilst a female Ukranian friend has been pulled out from surf at Karon Beach yesterday (August 26) Karon Police were notified at 7.30pm that a tourist was missing while another tourist had been rescued from surf near the Karon roundabout. Emergency responders and police arrived at the scene to find that lifeguards…
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Big-bike rider killed on Phuket road
A big-bike biker has died following a collision into the the back of a parked mini truck in Koh Kaew this morning (August 25). The Phuket City Police were notified of the accident at 4.05am near the PTT gas station in Koh Kaew on Thepkrasattri Road, southbound. Police and emergency responders arrived at the scene to find a parked mini…
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Indian tourist dies after being pulled out of the surf at Kata Beach
PHOTOS: Karon Police, Newshawk An Indian male tourist has been pronounced dead after being hauled out from the Kata Beach surf yesterday (August 24). Karon Police were notified at 5pm that three tourists had been recovered from the surf in a red flag zone area. They were taken to hospital. Karon Police reported that the tourists taken the Chalong Hospital…
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Floods and landslides in Phang Nga damage homes
The Nation is reporting that flash floods damaged nearly 30 homes in Phang Nga while a landslide hit a house in the Kapong district. The governor Sitthichai Sakda led a team to inspect the damage today (Friday). Sitthichai, along with Kapong district chief Surat Laichan and Phang Nga disaster prevention and mitigation chief Sayan Kijmano, inspected the damage at Ban…
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Phang Nga’s white dog is waiting for its owner
Kind-hearted folks in Muang Phang Nga have been cautiously feeding a rain-soaked lost dog for a week, believing it may have fallen off its owner’s pickup truck and was waiting for him to return. The white dog appeared to be weakening on its adopted turf in the centre island of a road near the Wang Mor Kaeng intersection. Facebook user…
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Tourists back on Mudong Canal after frantic clean-up
Water quality of the Mudong Canal in Wichit is starting to be return to normal while tourists are back on nature boat sailing tours along the canal. Local residents near Mudong Canal in Wichit, Phuket have been calling for officials to clean up the filthy canal after wastewater was found flowing along the canal and out to the sea. Dead…
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Overnight rains trigger floods in Phang Nga
Last night it rained and rained in parts of Phuket and Phang Nga. This morning there were floods affecting many of the main arteries in both provinces. Several roads and villages in Phang Nga were hit with hillside runoff and landslides following heavy rain overnight. Officials say the Bang Sai-Pakweep road in Ban Dok Daeng village in Tambon Bang Sai…
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Four religions join in prayer ceremony for Phoenix boat victims
A prayer ceremony has been held at Saphan Hin for the 47 victims of the Phoenix boat disaster. The ceremony represented the four different religions of people who drowned on the evening of July 5. The ceremony was led by the the Minister of Tourism and Sports Weerasak Kowsurat and the Phuket Governor Norraphat Plodthong. Buddhist, Christian, Hindu and Sikh…
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Phuket garage owner arrested with drugs and firearms
Sakoo Police have arrested a garage owner and seized drugs, firearms and bullets. Police have arrested 34 year old Pohnchai ‘Jane’ Petcharat, from Phuket, who is a garage owner in Sakoo. Officer have seized a handgun, two handmade handguns, a BB gun, a rifle and 67 bullets. Police also seized 319 methamphetamine pills. Phonchai was taken to Sakoo Police Station where…
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Waste water flowing in Mudong Canal
Local residents near Mudong Canal in Wichit, Phuket, are calling for officials to clean up their act after wastewater has been flound flowing in the canal and out to the sea. Dead animals have also found floating in the canal. Yesterday (August 22) officials from the Environment Office Region 15 Phuket and others inspected the Mudong Canal. Local residents say…
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Flooding in Phuket, Phetchaburi and Mae Hong Son
PHOTO: Samkong underpass, Phuket – Newshawk Bad weather has hit Phang Nga and Phuket this morning whilst the flooding waters from the Kaeng Krachan dam in Phetchaburi are now reaching the main business district. In Phuket the major arteries are being clogged by flooding waters creating havoc for this morning’s peak hour. The Marine Office has issued a warning for…
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From tropical paradise to busy urban island – Phuket
By Bill Barnett Phuket’s tourists, expats and property buyers are finding new reasons to head to the Pearl of the Andaman. They’re now spending more time and money seeking out alternative activities in areas other than the famed west-coast beaches. A report says that the island is transforming into a more well-rounded destination as visitors and new residents takes advantage…
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Phuket Vegetarian Festival dates announced
FILE PHOTOS Phuket Vice Governor Prakob Wongmaneerung has announced the dates for this year’s Vegetarian Festival. The nine day festival will take place from October 9-17. The event attracts thousands of visitors to Phuket to witness the festivities, which include fire-walking, bladed-ladder climbing, daily parades, body piercings and, of course, hundreds of stalls fully stocked with vegetarian foods Vice Governor…
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Mass prayer ceremony held for victims of the Phoenix boat disaster
A mass prayer ceremony was held this morning (August 22) at Saphan Hin for victims of the Phoenix boat disaster, marking 49 days since the tragedy. The government held the ceremony to acknowledge the Chinese victims of the Phoenix boat tragedy on July 5. The two day ceremony is being held on August 22-23. Volunteers’ activities and walk-run activity are…
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Old Phuket Town Sunday market launches no-smoking campaign
The Phuket City Municipality is launching a no-smoking campaign for the weekly Lard Yai Sunday market on Thalang Road each Sunday night. The Phuket City Mayor Somjai Suwansuppana says, “We are concerned about the danger of cigarette smoking, especially secondhand smoke that can be inhaled by other people, including children. Tourists and local residents in Old Phuket Town will be…
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Cindy Sirinya Bishop to attend Café del Mar Family Fun Fiesta charity event
On Saturday, September 8, Cindy Sirinya Bishop is attending Café del Mar’s Family Fun Fiesta Fundraiser. Families are welcome to a day of fun and games to support Phuket Has Been Good To Us. There will be many activities for the kids – face-painting, bubble-making, circus class, dancing lessons, pool party, drumming sessions, piñata-making and much, much more. The Guest…
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Phuket ready for ‘hungry ghost’ festival
The Phuket City Municipality has organised a wide range of activities for the annual Por Tor festival from August 23 to September 9 in Phuket Town. Promoted by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) regional office in Phuket Town, the Por Tor festival has its roots from the Chinese “Spirit” or “Hungry Ghost” festival, one of the most important ancestor worship events on the Chinese…
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Getting THAT ‘plane’ pic at Phuket Airport
The Phuket International Airport runway is built right on the beach, Nai Yang Beach. The actual runway, running east/west, finishes about 150 metres before the actual beach. So, when planes are landing from the west they come down really low over the people on the beach just before it touches down. Pilots like to land fairly close to the start…
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Motorbike driver killed in Thepkasattri road
A motorbike driver has died after colliding with a pickup truck last night (August 20). The incident happened near the new Honda Marine showrooms and offices on Thepkrasattri road, southbound, at about 11.45pm last night. Rescue workers and police arrived at the scene to find a damaged motorbike on the road. Nearby they found the body of a motorbike driver…
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Sea turtle has laid eggs on Nai Thon Beach after ten years
A sea turtle laid a clutch of eggs at Nai Thon Beach yesterday (August 19). The Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) reported that a one metre green turtle laid eggs on Nai Thon Beach in front of Trisara Hotel. Four more nests have also been found near but no eggs have been laid over the weekend. The eggs haven’t…
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Lights, camera, action – Soi Dog
Soi Dog Foundation has arranged a dog photo contest, ‘Snap for Stray’, which is open to both professional and amateur photographers with any kinds of digital camera – DSLR to mobile phone. The contest aims to reflect the beautiful perspective of stray dogs through the lens by letting the contestants choose their model dog from Soi Dog Foundation. The dogs…
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A rat found in a bag of fermented fish
Phuket consumer protection officials inspected Phuket’s main department store in Rassada after a customer found a dead rat inside a packet of Thai fermented fish (Pla ra) products. A team of officials from the Office, headed by Somnuek Halem, inspected the large department store in Rassada after the news had already gone viral in social media. Officials found that all…
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Mövenpick Resort & Spa Karon Beach adopts a gibbon from Phuket’s Rehabilitation Centre
Mövenpick Resort & Spa Karon Beach Phuket continues its ongoing CSR efforts within Phuket’s community by recently adopting a gibbon from Phuket’s Gibbon Rehabilitation Centre. On Saturday, August 11, the resort’s Green Team visited the Rehabilitation Centre to provide financial support to the foundation. During the visit, the team was introduced to Arya, a seven year old female gibbon born…
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Minister of Tourism follows up on Phoenix boat tragedy
“We have to be careful about news which might affect tourism.” The Thai Minister of Tourism and Sports, Weerasak Kowsurat, flew down from Bangkok to follow up on the PR mop-up following the Phoenix boat disaster. He spoke to the media at the Phuket Yacht Control Centre (PYCC) at Chalong Bay. Khun Weerasak says, “We have to be careful when…
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TAT article promoting ‘friendly waves’ gets slammed
Bad timing for the TAT (Tourism Authority of Thailand) after they posted a feature on August 10 that promoted surfing off Phuket’s west coast beaches. Phuket is currently facing a crisis of confidence over the lack of adequate lifeguard services along its west coast beaches, battered annually by heavy seas and deadly rip tides and currents from the south-west monsoon.…
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Private sector proposes southern economic plan to mobile Cabinet
PHOTO: Emulating the French Riviera, but with better beaches. “The Andaman Riviera”? Emulating the famous French Riviera coast is part of a plan to promote the Andaman coastline, which includes Ranong, Phang Nga and Phuket as the star attractions and wrapping up other southern provinces into the new tourist precinct – just a part of recommendations to the mobile cabinet sitting…
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Chinese tourist drowns at Koh Racha
A male Chinese tourist, who ignored red flags, has drowned at Koh Racha yesterday (August 19). Chalong Police were notified at 1.40pm that a tourist was unconscious after being pulled from surf just off the island’s main beach. The tourist was immediately taken on a speedboat back to Chalong Pier. The tourist was later identified as 32 year old Zhang…
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Whale shark sighted off Phuket
A whale shark was sighted off Ao Tue in Koh Racha yesterday (August 17). Videos and pictures posted by a personal facebook page ‘Saran Hassaya’ have been shared widely in social media. Videos and photos were taken yesterday by female tour guide Kristsada Sukjacharee who is also a dive instructor of the ‘Blue Corner’ tour boat company and a volunteer…
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Central Phuket opens on September 10
The new Central Phuket is set to open its doors on September 10. The announcement was made at Centara Grand Beach Resort, also owned by the Central Pattana Group. The concept of the new shopping centre, twice as big as the current Central Festival, is ‘The World Comes To Play’. The new complex will feature 20 of the world’s biggest…
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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