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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Volcanic eruption: Buriram pounds Phuket 7-0
PHUKET: FC Phuket took their worst pummeling of the season this evening, going down by the embarrassing score of 7-0 at Buriram FC. The Volcanoes took a 2-0 lead into halftime on early goals by Sumanya Burisay (6 minutes) and Suriya Domthaisong (9 minutes). A complete defensive collapse in the second half led to an orgy of scoring that starting…
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Man on ledge claims being Phuket hitman target for two days
PHUKET: Traffic screeched to a halt on Phisit Gorani Road near Patong Temple about 7pm yesterday as motorists and other passers-by watched a team of Phuket rescue workers snatch a man from the ledge of a three-story building while he was preparing himself to jump. The man, 25-year-old tattoo artist Surasak Buranaphanit, later told Phuket police he was being hunted…
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Team Premier wins Phuket King’s Cup Regatta
PHUKET: The strongest winds of the week at the Phuket King’s Cup Regatta boded well for skipper Hannes Weimer and his Team Premier crew as they scored a first place and a second place finish in their two races yesterday to win the IRC Zero Class with 13 points. “We’ve raced in 10 [Phuket] King’s Cups now, but this is…
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Phuket Dancer: Matt Harding to jig around Siam
PHUKET: Internet sensation Matthew “Dancing Matt” Harding was in Phuket yesterday to record his latest video and promote the Tourism Authority of Thailand’s most recent promotional campaign: “Go Thailand: All That Is Missing Is You”. Perhaps the world’s most well-known globetrotter, Matt was in Phuket for just one day. He met with the media at Mission Hills Phuket Golf Club…
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Pre-match primer: FC Phuket at Buriram on Sunday
PHUKET: A busload of FC Phuket football players and team executives arrived in Buriram yesterday in preparation for their showdown with Thai Premier League Division One leaders Buriram FC tomorrow night. Having already clinched promotion to the elite Thai Premier League, the Buriram “Volcanoes” (27-7-1) look to maintain their undefeated-at-home slate, while Phuket (11-10-7) will strive to be the first…
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Phuket mangrove land grab allegations continue
PHUKET: About 50 local residents yesterday morning protested over alleged encroachment onto eight rai of mangrove forest land in Rassada, on the east coast of Phuket. Despite the fact that trees had already been cleared, the protesters were today trying to prevent Phuket Land Office surveyor Thanawut Jiarabutr from surveying the land, ownership of which is claimed under a Sor…
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Phuket Darts: Hemingways A gets Swedish firepower
PHUKET: Hemingways A team has managed to put together quite possibly the best dart side the Phuket dart scene has ever had. One-legged Tony C, the long time Patong league stalwart from the UK, is now supported by Rappe and Tony E, both former Swedish champions, and Big Ronnie. Even the talented Ulf (the Ulfman), or the “in form” Aey…
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Phuket expat saved in beach rescue – again
PHUKET: An emotionally distraught man was saved from drowning at Phuket’s Nai Harn Beach this afternoon. It was the fourth time in recent weeks that the man has been rescued from drowning in the same fashion. Beach vendor Song “Dui” Sa-ingtong told the Phuket Gazette that the Belgian man, aged in his 40s and a regular visitor to the beach,…
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Poll: What is Phuket’s top tourist attraction?
PHUKET: Let’s face it, Phuket has so many tourist attractions that most visitors to the island do not have enough time to see them all during their stay. Given this fact, the latest Phuket Gazette online poll asks our esteemed readers which of five very popular tourist destinations on the island they think the number one “must see” attraction. And…
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Phuket, Krabi road show ‘refloats’ tourism from Middle East
PHUKET: A consortium of Phuket and Krabi tourism representatives have just returned from the Middle East where they spearheaded a road show to boost tourists’ confidence in visiting Thailand.“The floods scared so many tourists who planned to visit Thailand. Many of them even canceled their trips since they thought it was that bad,” said Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (OrBorJor) President…
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French girls rescued from Phuket red light district
PHUKET: Excellent field work by Phuket Tourist Police Volunteers has led to the rescue of two preteen French girls thought to have been living on the streets of Phuket for up to eight months. Using photos supplied by the French Embassy, Phuket Tourist Police Foreign Volunteers were asked to keep an eye open for the two sisters, ethnic Moroccans aged…
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Phuket schoolgirl vanishes after Facebook session
PHUKET: A distressed mother is appealing to the Phuket public for help in finding her 12-year-old daughter, who has been missing since Tuesday. The mother, 43-year-old Samruay Saenthaweesuk, reported her daughter Samudchaya “Nong Pin” Yanpunya missing with the Phuket City Police on Tuesday. Mrs Samruay also contacted the Phuket Reporters’ Club at Phuket Provincial Hall yesterday asking for help. She…
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Bill Gasson and the origins of Phuket’s King’s Cup Regatta
PHUKET: With race day four hosted by AIA Thailand and Centara Grand Beach Resort Phuket underway, we take a look at one of the personalities that has contributed to the success of the King’s Cup Regatta. Three sailors hold the distinction of winning the racing division of the Phuket King’s Cup four times in its 25 year history. These stalwarts…
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Patong cricket clinic open for Phuket league
PHUKET: The fourth match of the Island Furniture League season saw last year’s champions, Patong, take on Island Cricket Club (ICC) on Sunday at the Alan Cooke Ground (ACG).Following an upset against Laguna in the first match of the season, Patong were determined to get their league campaign back on track.However, a number of key players were not on the…
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Royal Pardon: 155 released from Phuket Prison today
PHUKET: Over 150 inmates were released from Phuket Provincial Prison this morning following the Royal Pardon decreed by HM The King on the occasion of his 84th birthday on December 5. Phuket Governor Tri Augkaradacha and Phuket Provincial Prison Director Rapin Nichanon presided over the release ceremony this morning, when 155 inmates were freed. A Buddhist monk was on hand…
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Phuket Police need help from tourists: investigator
PHUKET: Foreign tourists who are victims of crime in Phuket all too often leave the country before police can investigate their claims, allowing perpetrators to continue roaming the streets in search of new victims, a Patong Police investigator has said. “I want foreign tourists who are victims of crimes in Phuket to cooperate with us when we investigate their cases,…
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Phuket’s Klong Krata reservoir project delayed by rain
PHUKET: Work on Phuket’s third major reservoir is behind schedule, but officials expect the Klong Krata project in Chalong to be completed on schedule by January next year. Project engineer Nattakom Nookhom of the Region 15 Irrigation Office in Surat Thani said rain has put the work significantly behind schedule. “According to the work schedule we should be near the…
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Phuket lifeguard dies off Karon Beach
PHUKET: A Phuket lifeguard died yesterday morning in the waters off Karon Beach Phuket after assisting a kite surfer in distress. After helping the surfer back to safety in front of the Centara Grand Beach Resort Phuket, lifeguard Pongsatorn Sea-Lim, 43, passed away from apparent exhaustion trying to return to shore himself, according to resort General Manager Denis Thouvard. Mr…
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Missing Swede may be in Phuket: daughter
PHUKET: A Swedish woman is asking Phuket Gazette readers for information to help locate her father who has gone missing and is believed to be in Thailand. The father, Tommy Nyberg, is 60 years old with blue eyes and thinning reddish-brown hair, thin on the top of his head but still thick on the sides. He has a birthmark the…
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Thanyapura Phuket to host Holiday Night Market
PHUKET: Phuket’s Thanyapura Sports and Leisure Club (TSLC) will host a “Holiday Night Market and Festival of Lights” on Friday from 5pm onwards. Those attending can enjoy an array of canapé delicacies, drinks from the bar and live acoustic sounds as the sun sets while awaiting the lighting of a uniquely decorated Christmas Tree at 7pm. Also on the same…
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Phuket called on for urgent blood donation to help Russian tourist
PHUKET: Vachira Phuket Hospital is in urgent need of donations of blood type A-negative so doctors can perform an operation on a Russian tourist injured in a motorcycle accident. “Anyone who has – or knows of anyone with – blood group A-negative is urged to visit Vachira Phuket Hospital and donate blood in order to allow the tourist to receive…
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Austrian tourist stabbed, robbed by Phuket youth gang
PHUKET: An Austrian tourist is recovering from a punctured lung and other injuries sustained in a brutal robbery attack by four knife-wielding youths in Phuket yesterday. Patong Police identified the victim as Rupert Wilhelmstatter. Mr Wilhelmstatter, in his 50s, was returning by motorbike to his hotel in Patong at 1:45pm when the attack occurred. He was returning from Paradise Beach,…
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Phuket Yacht Haven staff praised for averting marina fireball
PHUKET: A power boat berthed at Yacht Haven Marina in Phuket went up in flames last night, but heroic action by staff at the facility minimized the damage to surrounding vessels as they were able to tow it safely out to deeper water. No injuries were reported. Phuket Kusoldharm Foundation emergency rescue workers, called to the scene at 7:45pm, watched…
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Phuket King’s Cup Regatta: Pong rebounds with win, Premier leads the way
PHUKET: Hannes Weimer’s Team Premier surged to the top of the IRC Zero standings to lead the class with five points after the second day of yacht racing today in the 25th Phuket King’s Cup Regatta. Frank Pong’s Jelik II fought back from two fourth-place finishes yesterday to win today’s Race Three in good winds at the start line, easing…
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Phuket police step up student road safety campaign
PHUKET: Officers at Phuket’s Kathu Police Station today stepped up their campaign to have students at Kathu Witthaya School use the pedestrian bridge instead of risking life and limb by crossing the busy road in front of the school. Tung Tong Police Superintendent Col Kraitong Chantongbai told the Phuket Gazette that nearly every day he receives reports of students being…
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Pardoned: Phuket Prison population to plummet 10%
PHUKET: More than 200 inmates at Phuket Provincial Prison will be back on the streets soon, following the Royal Pardon decreed by HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej on the occasion of his 84th birthday yesterday. Phuket Provincial Prison Director Rapin Nichanon said prison officials were still reviewing the paperwork and could not give an exact figure on how many inmates would…
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Phuket Marine Office to set up holiday safety center
PHUKET: To ensure tourist safety during the upcoming New Year holiday period, the Phuket Marine Department office will step up inspections and open a safety center at its office in Wichit, the agency has announced. Phuripat Theerakulpisut, chief of the Marine Department Region 5 office, said his agency is gearing up for an expected large influx of tourists over the…
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Phuket Skywatch: Total lunar eclipse to mark Thai Constitution Day
PHUKET: The second lunar eclipse to be visible from Phuket this year will occur on the night of December 10, a date annually observed in Thailand as the Constitution Day public holiday. Weather permitting, the entire eclipse should be visible from Asia and Australia. However, North America and Canada will witness only the start of totality as the moon dips…
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Thai Division 1 football: FC Phuket 0 – 2 Chanthaburi FC
PHUKET: FC Phuket lost their third home game of the season yesterday, going down 2-0 to Chanthaburi FC in front of a smaller-than-expected crowd of about 2,400 fans at Surakul Stadium. In a match that saw both sides enjoy good scoring chances in both halves, it was Chanthaburi FC that drew first blood at 36 minutes, when Rattaphon Sae-tan jumped…
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Phuket news: 26,000 prisoners get Royal Pardon
PHUKET: In a show of compassion, HM The King today issued a royal command pardoning some 26,000 prisoners nationwide. The decree, signed by His Majesty, was based on the one initiated last year by the Democrat Party-led government. In a statement published in the Royal Gazette, His Majesty said the convicts should be given a second chance. This year’s pardon…
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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