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.
-
Sponsored Limited-time deal: Save 20% on Cigna's expat health plans forever
Starting a new life abroad is exciting—new culture, new lifestyle, and new chances to grow. But living far from home also means taking steps to protect your health in unfamiliar surroundings. Without the right coverage, even small health issues can...
-
Tour bus crash on Patong Hill seriously injures driver
A tour bus crashed into a power pole on Patong Hill early this morning, with the driver suffering serious injuries to his leg. The bus slammed into a power pole on the final curve heading into Patong on Phra Baramee Road at around 5am, The Phuket News reported. Police and rescuers arrived on the scene to find the red Phiphairat…
-
After a walk on the beach, Russian tourists get lost in Phuket jungle
A walk on the beach turned into a disaster for two Russian tourists who ended up getting lost in a Phuket jungle on Tuesday night. The head of Sirinat National Park, Sorasak Rananan, said the park received a notification from the Phuket Tourist Police at 10pm that two tourists were lost near the Sai Koo Mountain in the area of…
-
Phuket motorbike accident kills woman, seriously injures man
Another tragic motorbike accident has claimed a life in Phuket. A motorbike accident killed a woman and seriously injured a man on Phuket’s Patong-Kamala road last night. Police were notified of the accident at 9.50pm, The Phuket News reported. Police and emergency responders arrived on the scene about 100 metres away from Panya restaurant. There, they found a blue and…
-
Phuket is the backdrop of new season of The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip
The famous island paradise of Phuket is the stunning backdrop for the third season of the popular US reality TV series, The Real Housewives Ultimate Girls Trip. Premiering exclusively on Peacock streaming service tomorrow, March 23, the show will feature a new group of eight fan-favourite housewives from various cities, who will come together for an unforgettable trip to Thailand.…
-
First charter flight from Mahan, Iran makes its way to Phuket
The first charter flight from Mahan, Iran, made its way to Phuket on Monday. Mahan Air flight W557/IRM057 landed at Phuket International Airport at 2.30pm. As tourism from the Middle East continues to be a major target market for Thailand, the new charter flight network was warmly welcomed. Officials and staff were on hand to greet passengers as they walked…
-
Phuket Marine Police bust jet ski operators over licenses
Jet skiing is a popular activity for tourists in Phuket, but not all operators seem to be following the rules. The Phuket Marine Police last week busted jet ski operators for crimes involving improper licenses. This news comes as the police have been ramping up jet ski inspections at popular tourist beaches. The six operators on Bang Tao Beach were…
-
Arrest warrants for Swiss man and Thai women allegedly involved in Patong bar scandal
UPDATE Police issued arrest warrants for a Swiss man and two Thai women allegedly involved in the Patong bar scandal that came to light last week. The scandal involved underage girls being exploited for sexual services. A number of individuals were arrested, and five Patong Police officers were transferred to other posts for their connections to the scandal last week.…
-
PM Prayut says Phuket Expo 2028 could bring in 40 billion baht
Phuket has its eye on hosting the Specialised Expo in 2028 and received the backing of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha. The PM reckons the massive exposition could rake in as much as 40 billion baht. If the Phuket Expo 2028 bid is accepted, the event would run from March 20 to June 17, 2028. The expo would have the theme…
-
Chinese ambassador visits Phuket as tourism surges
Chinese tourist arrivals are expected to surge to over 300,000 in April, according to the Chinese ambassador to Thailand, Han Zhiqiang. The ambassador made a courtesy visit to Phuket governor Narong Woonciew at the Provincial Hall on Saturday, where the two worked to strengthen ties between Thailand and China and increase tourism to Phuket and beyond. Narong and the Chinese…
-
Sea turtle eggs continue to pop up across Phang Nga
Nature and animal lovers will delight at the news that sea turtle eggs are continuing to pop up across Thailand’s Phang Nga province. On Friday, locals came across sea turtle eggs on Das Beach on the island of Koh Ra. The island is located in the Koh Phra-Thong sub-district of the Khura Buri district. Officials from the Department of Marine…
-
Foreign owner of Patong bar in trafficking scandal flees thailand
UPDATE The foreign owner of the Patong bar at the centre of a recent sex trafficking scandal fled Thailand to Laos, according to the Deputy Commander of the Royal Thai Police, Surachate “Big Joke” Hakparn. Big Joke arrived in Phuket yesterday to follow up on the case. He said the bar is related to a network of bars in Bangkok…
-
Tourists rescued from capsized boat headed for Phuket
Tourists were rescued from a capsized boat headed for Phuket from Koh Lanta yesterday. The boat capsized in the Andaman Sea near Koh Ma. Marine police and officials from the Hat Nopparat Thara National Park rushed to rescue the three tourists and four crew members after they received a distress call from the Andaman Adventure Company, the operator of the…
-
Phuket restaurant caught selling stonefish, known to be venomous
Yet another Phuket restaurant has been caught selling a protected fish, this time a stonefish, which is known as the most venomous fish in the world. Yesterday, officials from the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) Phuket Office received a tip-off that the restaurant, located in Rawai sub-district in Phuket’s main city district, was selling protected marine animals. Officials…
-
Phuket thief nabs German tourist’s mobile phone
There’s been another theft against a tourist in Thailand, this time in Phuket. A Phuket thief nabbed a German tourist’s mobile phone yesterday morning. The thief snatched the victim’s mobile phone on Soi Cherng Talay. The victim was a 56 year old German man named Haugg Fred. After receiving a report at about 9.50am, Cherng Talay Police arrived on the…
-
5 police officers transferred over child prostitution ring at Patong bar
Five officers from Patong Police Station were transferred after they were connected to the child prostitution scandal at a bar in the Patong neighbourhood of Phuket. The Operation Underground Railroad anti-trafficking organisation, the Department of Provincial Administration (DOPA), found evidence to implicate the officers involved in the child prostitution racket at the Velvet bar, which saw the eventual rescue of…
-
TAT welcomes inaugural Chinese flight, with tour groups headed to Phuket and Phang Nga
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) welcomed an inaugural flight from Guiyang to Phuket on Tuesday, on the Chinese airline 9 Air. The flight was almost full with 172 people, a good sign for TAT’s goal of drawing five million Chinese tourists to Thailand this year. The airline is carrying tour groups headed to Phuket and Phang Nga. The airline is…
-
In Phang Nga, 165 baby sea turtles hatch and venture into the sea
In a heartwarming event, 165 baby hawksbill sea turtles hatched and ventured into the sea in Phang Nga on Tuesday. The Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) reported that a mother hawksbill sea turtle had laid a total of 190 eggs on January 15 this year. The successful hatching of the baby turtles took place at Chong Khao Kad…
-
Patong bar raided for child prostitution, 6 teenagers rescued
The special operation unit from the Department of Provincial Administration (DOPA) conducted an undercover raid on Velvet bar on Bangla Walking Street in the Patong neighbourhood of Phuket yesterday after being notified of child prostitution involving teenagers under 18 years old. The international anti-trafficking organisation, Operation Underground Railroad, complained to the DOPA that Velvet bar on Bangla Walking Street lured…
-
Pod of dolphins makes an appearance in Phang Nga
A pod of dolphins made an appearance in Phang Nga‘s Mu Ko Surin National Park in the Khura Buri district, much to the delight of tourists. A tour boat was travelling through the park when the captain spotted the dolphins. The captain slowed the speedboat to let the tourists admire the creatures. The dolphins stayed to hang out around the…
-
Car crashes into Phuket power pole, two children and an adult injured
A car crashed into a power pole in Phuket on Monday night, injuring two children and an adult. The sedan crashed into a power pole on Chao Fah – Suan Lueang Road in the Wichit sub-district of the main city district. Rescuers arrived on the scene to find the sedan damaged in the middle of the road. The power pole on…
-
Phuket gets green light for Songkran water splashing
Phuket has been given the green light for water splashing festivities during the upcoming Thai New Year of Songkran. The president of the Phuket Provincial Administration Organisation, Rewat Areerob, confirmed the good news after a three-year break of no water splashing. The official celebrations will be held in Phuket Town on Dibuk Road, in front of the Limelight Avenue shopping…
-
Patong Police bust 7 for allegedly illegally processing cannabis buds
There’s been another bust in Patong over nightlife and substances. Patong Police on Monday night busted seven people for allegedly illegally processing cannabis buds. Police apprehended the seven individuals on Bangla Road, and Soi Sane Sabai. This was after the police, along with staffers from the Department of Traditional Thai medicine, inspected cannabis shops on the roads. The seven people…
-
Phuket villager stumbles upon mother sea turtle laying 107 eggs
A Phuket villager stumbled upon a mother sea turtle as she was laying 107 eggs. Sirinat National Park said in a Facebook post that the villager, Kriangkrai Dejom, found the mother turtle laying eggs on a beach near Sai Khu Bay at around 5am on Monday. The beach is located in the Sakhu sub-district of Thalang district. Kriangkrai patiently waited…
-
Tigerair Taiwan to launch only direct Taiwan – Phuket route
Budget airline Tigerair is launching direct flights between Taiwan and Phuket, southern Thailand, in May. Tigerair, a subsidiary of China Airlines, will be the only airline currently servicing the Taipei – Phuket route directly, twice per week. Phuket will become the airline’s second destination in Thailand. Tigerair currently serves direct flights between Taoyuan and Don Mueang Airport (DMX) in Bangkok.…
-
New Executive Assistant Manager appointed at Four Points by Sheraton Phuket Patong Beach Resort
Press Release Four Points by Sheraton Phuket Patong Beach Resort has announced the appointment of Benoit Mouclier as Executive Assistant Manager. Prior to this appointment, Mr. Benoit was the Director of Sales & Marketing of the resort. A highly skilled hospitality professional with previous work experience in China and Hong Kong, Mr. Benoit has worked at a variety of Marriott…
-
Two foreign kayakers rescued from Phuket sea
The search for two missing foreign tourists who disappeared after renting kayaks from a hotel on Coconut Island in Phuket, southern Thailand, on Friday has been called off. It turns out they were rescued by the captain of a yacht later that day. At 6pm yesterday, officers at Mueang Phuket Police Station, Tourist Police, Phuket Marine Police, and Koh Kaeo…
-
Tuk Tuk driver caught stealing Swedish tourist’s phone
A tuk tuk taxi driver was arrested on Saturday in Patong for stealing an iPhone 14 Pro Max from a Swedish tourist in Patong. According to the Patong Police, Merdzana Pepic reported to the police station that she might have forgotten her mobile phone in a Tuk Tuk taxi. She had taken the tuk tuk taxi earlier in the morning,…
-
78 baby sea turtles hatch, 96 more eggs laid in Phang Nga
It’s been a good week for sea turtles in Thailand, particularly in the southern province of Phang Nga. Not only did 78 baby leatherback sea turtles successfully hatch, but a green sea turtle laid 96 eggs this week. In a positive sign for conservation efforts in Thailand, dozens of baby sea turtles have hatched and made their way to the…
-
Coral Rehabilitation for Divers Volunteers protects reefs
A new Coral Rehabilitation for a Divers Volunteers training program in Phuket has attracted several foreign divers interested in the restoration project. The course aims to provide participants with knowledge of how to operate procedures in coral rehabilitation following academic principles. The program, created by the Royal Thai Navy (RTN) and the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) has…
-
2 Phuket restaurants busted with protected marine life
In Phuket, two floating restaurants have been busted possessing protected marine life in violation of environmental laws. The Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) inspected floating restaurants in Phuket on Friday to check whether they had protected marine life and found a stash. Social media posts shared the findings online. The DMCR inspection found that both restaurants had ornamental…
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.
Don't forget to check out some other things to do in Thailand - get help starting a business or finding a job in Thailand, buy Thailand property, rent a yacht or book a medical procedure worldwide.