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 motorbike thief blames island’s lack of public transport | Thaiger

    Phuket motorbike thief blames island’s lack of public transport

    PHUKET: A 24-year-old local handyman says Phuket’s lack of public transport is the reason he stole a motorbike to go visit a friend. Phuket City Police arrested Koson Hongthong yesterday morning at the old weekend market on Phang Nga Road in Phuket Town (map here). Mr Koson was found in possession of a Yamaha Fino that was reported stolen by…

  • Phuket on alert for German fugitive | Thaiger

    Phuket on alert for German fugitive

    PHUKET: Police across Phuket are on alert for a German fugitive who managed to escape Australian police officers guarding him as they waited for a connecting flight at Suvarnabhumi International Airport.Carlo Konstantin Kohl, a 25-year-old burglary suspect, escaped from the airport’s “day room” – a waiting room for transit passengers who do not need to go through immigration formalities –…

  • Phuket Video Report: More than 100 tourists rescued from sinking ferry | Thaiger

    Phuket Video Report: More than 100 tourists rescued from sinking ferry

    PHUKET: More than 100 people were rescued from a tourist boat that started sinking while returning from Phi Phi Island to Phuket this afternoon after being damaged by big waves.No injuries were reported.The ferry, Puean Foong II, was near Chicken Island (Koh Kai), about 15 nautical miles from Phuket, when it took on water, said Phuket Marine Police Inspector Chatchai…

  • Phuket Police post YouTube video of gold shop suspect, unmasked | Thaiger

    Phuket Police post YouTube video of gold shop suspect, unmasked

    PHUKET: Police have posted a YouTube video showing the man they believe committed the gold shop murder-burglary in Phuket on April 8 in the hope that members of the public can identify him. The CCTV footage shows a man with a slight limp smoking as he walks back and forth in front of the C.P. Gold Master & Jewelry store…

  • Phuket tourist safety, security tops Chinese ambassador’s agenda | Thaiger

    Phuket tourist safety, security tops Chinese ambassador’s agenda

    PHUKET: The Chinese Ambassador to Thailand has placed tourists’ safety and security at the top of his agenda for his visit to Phuket tomorrow, the Phuket Gazette has learned.Ambassador Guan Mu will meet with Phuket Vice Governor Sommai Prijasilpa to discuss a range of issues affecting tourists and expats.“The Chinese Ambassador and his team are going to discuss Chinese tourists’…

  • Longtail boats resume island tours after Krabi storm | Thaiger

    Longtail boats resume island tours after Krabi storm

    PHUKET: Krabi longtail boat operators have resumed tourist services to outlying islands following storm seas capsizing much of the local fleet on Saturday. The move to resume tours to the islands in Thailand’s iconic boats comes despite warnings by the Thai Meteorological Department for small boats to stay on shore. The decision follows damage to 77 longtail boats on Saturday,…

  • Gas tanker leaks 2.5km trail of fuel through Phuket Town | Thaiger

    Gas tanker leaks 2.5km trail of fuel through Phuket Town

    PHUKET: A six-wheeled gasoline tanker truck leaked a trail of fuel 2.5 kilometers long through Phuket Town yesterday, causing motorbikes to skid and fall, resulting in at least one hospitalization. Police responded to a report at 11am that a gas tanker had leaked “gasoline” along Yaowarat Road, from the intersection with Mae Luan Road (map here) all the way to…

  • Phuket lifeguards linger on beaches another month, contract pending | Thaiger

    Phuket lifeguards linger on beaches another month, contract pending

    PHUKET: Lifeguards are staying on Phuket’s key tourist beaches for another month, as the Phuket Provincial Administrative Organization (PPAO) wades through the Phuket Lifeguard Club’s contract again this year, beginning yet another saga (story here). To ensure the safety of tourists and residents at the approach of monsoon weather – often the cause of dangerous swimming conditions – the PPAO…

  • Thai Football: Phuket Islanders halted by Trat Elephants | Thaiger

    Thai Football: Phuket Islanders halted by Trat Elephants

    PHUKET: Picking up their seventh draw in 12 matches, Phuket FC let a two goal lead slip in their away match to Trat FC on Saturday night, which ended with a final score of 3-3. It was a roller coaster ride for the hundreds of fans across the island – tuned in to the live Football Siam TV broadcast –…

  • Burmese man slashed in Phuket gas pump fracas | Thaiger

    Burmese man slashed in Phuket gas pump fracas

    PHUKET: A Burmese man working as a pump attendant at a Phuket gas station was slashed yesterday after he punched one of five Burmese customers who did not have the money to pay for the gas they had just received. Patong Police inspector Pratuang Polmana arrived at Patong’s only gas station, the Esso gas station on Phra Barami Road (map…

  • Phuket’s fans given football treat as Munich crowned Euro champs | Thaiger

    Phuket’s fans given football treat as Munich crowned Euro champs

    Ribery and Robben combine to give Bayern victory Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: A brilliant Franco-Dutch move involving Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben in the final minutes settled a memorable all-German Champions League final as Bayern Munich beat Borussia Dortmund 2-1 at Wembley. Watched by many avid football fans across Phuket who saw Frenchman Ribery’s backheel allow Dutchman Robben to…

  • Rough seas along Krabi coast capsize 60 boats, two injured | Thaiger

    Rough seas along Krabi coast capsize 60 boats, two injured

    PHUKET: Heavy weather wreaked havoc on the Krabi coast, across the bay from Phuket, flipping over 60 long-tail boats and injuring at least two this afternoon. Around noon today, rough seas capsized 10 longtail boats anchored close to shore, injuring one tourist, said Krabi Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Chief Thalerngsak Phuwayanapong. “One tourist was reported injured, and was transferred to…

  • Steep road construction investigated, locals fear landslides across the bay from Phuket | Thaiger

    Steep road construction investigated, locals fear landslides across the bay from Phuket

    PHUKET: Business owners’ fears of landslides that could be caused by a recently constructed road on a steep hill in the Ao Nang area across the bay from Phuket, led to an investigation on Thursday of the construction site.Locals also claimed that the road had been developed on Hat Noppharat Thara – Mu Koh Phi Phi National Park land. However,…

  • Nine dead in Phuket wedding guest truck crash | Thaiger

    Nine dead in Phuket wedding guest truck crash

    PHUKET: Nine died and seven were injured after two pickup trucks – one carrying wedding guests returning to Trang from Phuket and one ferrying road construction workers – collided in Krabi last night. Police were called to the scene at the dangerous curve known as harm tai (“forbidden to die”) in Sai Khao district at 8pm. There they found two…

  • Asia’s top sailors set for Samui | Thaiger

    Asia’s top sailors set for Samui

    PHUKET: The line-up of boats for the 2013 Samui Regatta, set to take place from today to June 1 off Chaweng Beach, features a strong mix of top international racers and regional regatta veterans. Organized by Regattas Asia, a leading regatta and marine-based sporting event management company in Asia, Samui Regatta is celebrating its 12th year. Familiar faces on the…

  • Phuket Sports: May the tread be with you – F1 | Thaiger

    Phuket Sports: May the tread be with you – F1

    PHUKET: Last week, the world’s press was attacking Pirelli for its tyres. This column supported Pirelli, and received grumpy responses from those who supported the Red Bull tirade (click here for article). When Pirelli agreed to change their tyres from the Canadian GP, Ferrari and Lotus felt Red Bull had pressured Pirelli into conforming to their demands. The ‘Tyre Wars’…

  • Phuket Sports: Laying odds for French Open; Murray ruled out | Thaiger

    Phuket Sports: Laying odds for French Open; Murray ruled out

    PHUKET: If I were a gambling man, which thank the Lord I’m not, then a punt on Serena Williams and Rafael Nadal would seem an obvious bet for the French Open. But even linked together as a double, the odds would be prohibitively short. Why? Just look at their 2013 records. Rafa, back after a seven month lay-off, has reached…

  • Phuket Sports: Champions League Final preview; Football round-up | Thaiger

    Phuket Sports: Champions League Final preview; Football round-up

    PHUKET: Borrussia Dortmund central defender Mats Hummels looks set to be fit for Saturday’s Champions League final against German rivals Bayern Munich, despite an ankle injury picked up in the Bundesliga season finale. Dortmund midfielder Mario Goetze, who will join Bayern next season, is also racing to recover from a muscle injury in time for the final at Wembley. Dortmund…

  • Islanders look to trek the Elephants after Stallions rein in Phuket | Thaiger

    Islanders look to trek the Elephants after Stallions rein in Phuket

    PHUKET: Hungry for a win, Phuket FC are on the road this weekend, having bused it up to the area near the Cambodian border to take on Yamaha League One (YL1) newcomers, Trat FC tonight. The match, to be played at Trat city’s Central Sports Stadium with a 6pm kickoff, will be broadcast live on Siam Sports cable channel 114,…

  • Gold shop thefts on the rise, police practice response | Thaiger

    Gold shop thefts on the rise, police practice response

    PHUKET: With millions of baht worth of gold being snatched from Phuket gold shops over the last year, Phuket police and gold shop owners joined together for a gold shop crime drill earlier this week. “The recent increase in the number of gold shops and supermarket robberies has made it necessary for shop owners and police to know exactly what…

  • Visakha Bucha Day underway in Phuket, alcohol sales halted | Thaiger

    Visakha Bucha Day underway in Phuket, alcohol sales halted

    PHUKET: People gathered across Phuket and Thailand today to offer alms to Buddhist monks at merit-making ceremonies to mark Visakha Bucha Day.The public holiday commemorates three important events in the life of the Buddha: his birth, enlightenment and passing away. These events occur on the same day of the year in the Buddhist calendar: always on the full moon during…

  • Phuket Python excites early morning Patong crowd | Thaiger

    Phuket Python excites early morning Patong crowd

    PHUKET: An excited crowd was drawn to Soi Nanai at the unusual time of 7:40am this morning as Phuket rescue workers attempted to dislodge a three-meter long Python from a drain.A startled shopkeeper had called rescue workers after spotting the moderately sized snake in the drain below her.Rescue workers were able to lift the grate and safely extract the python…

  • Dredging clears path for cleaner Phuket Bang Tao Canal water | Thaiger

    Dredging clears path for cleaner Phuket Bang Tao Canal water

    PHUKET: Bang Tao Canal water, which was blamed for a rash of health problems for Phuket tourists and boatmen, is now flowing more freely with 80 per cent of the canal-dredging process complete. Akkarawat Hirunphun, director of the Phuket-based Regional Environmental Office 15, said tests conducted by his officers in April confirmed that the water in the canal at multiple…

  • Mob violently bounces Aussies from Kangaroo Bar | Thaiger

    Mob violently bounces Aussies from Kangaroo Bar

    PHUKET: Two drunk Australians were beaten down by a mob on Phuket’s famous party street, Soi Bangla, early yesterday. At about 1:30am Patong Deputy Superintendent Akanit Danpitaksat arrived on Soi Bangla (map here) to find both Australians sitting in the middle of the road covered in blood. Having only recently arrived in Phuket, the two men* Anotny Souners, 26, and…

  • Phuket house construction worker dies in fall | Thaiger

    Phuket house construction worker dies in fall

    PHUKET: A Phuket construction worker died yesterday after falling from scaffolding at a house being built in Thalang. Thalang Police were called to the site, in Soi Lak Maung in Baan Muang Mai, at about 10:30am. At the scene they found Manit Mongkhon, 42, from Nan Province in Northern Thailand, dead from a fatal head injury. Coworkers Sataphon Phaojumroon, 49,…

  • Phuket shop owners urge mayor to reverse parking ban | Thaiger

    Phuket shop owners urge mayor to reverse parking ban

    PHUKET: More than 30 vendors with stores located opposite Vachira Phuket Hospital in Phuket Town have appealed to the Phuket City Mayor to reverse the decision to install no parking signs in front of their shops. The new signs, which prohibit parking in the area from 7am to 6pm, were installed on May 16 as a way to try to…

  • Chinese arrested for illegally selling souvenirs at Phuket temple | Thaiger

    Chinese arrested for illegally selling souvenirs at Phuket temple

    PHUKET: Nine Chinese were arrested on Tuesday for illegally selling amulets and souvenirs at Wat Kathu, one of the oldest temples on the island. Phuket Immigration Office Superintendent Pol Col Sanchai Chokhayaikij led officers to the revered site at about 4:30pm, where they found the Chinese nationals actively selling amulets and souvenirs to visitors at the temple (map here). “We…

  • Phuket Governor faces taxi doubleheader at Phuket International airport | Thaiger

    Phuket Governor faces taxi doubleheader at Phuket International airport

    PHUKET: Phuket Governor Maitri Inthusut was met en masse late yesterday by the drivers of a second taxi company after having already been dragged to Phuket International Airport due to an all-night vigil held by the illegal taxi drivers of Mook Andaman co-operative outside his official residence Tuesday night (story here). After concluding his meeting with Mook Andaman, with no…

  • Phuket illegal taxi drivers stalk Governor, demand resolution | Thaiger

    Phuket illegal taxi drivers stalk Governor, demand resolution

    PHUKET: A sortie of about 30 illegal taxi drivers from the Mook Andaman co-operative staged an all-night vigil in front of the Governor’s Residence last night, finally causing the governor to agree to meet with them today to seek a resolution to their demand to serve passengers at Phuket International Airport. Police were called in to ensure the drivers kept…

  • Phuket monsoon weather hits tourism, seafood prices | Thaiger

    Phuket monsoon weather hits tourism, seafood prices

    PHUKET: The rough seas brought on by the onset of the annual southwest monsoon have taken their toll on the Phuket tourist day-trip trade, with companies reporting only half the usual number of passengers.Meanwhile, fishing boats have been unable to put to sea, with the resulting fall in supply causing an upsurge in seafood prices.“The monsoon weather has arrived in…

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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