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 9 most common health issues covered by insurance for expats in Thailand
Thailand is a popular destination for expats due to its affordable lifestyle and excellent healthcare system. However, settling in a new country often brings health concerns. To ensure you’re covered for the most common medical needs, understanding what expat health...
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Phuket your plans: Steer clear of roadwork zones at night
Motorists are being urged to steer clear of Thepkrasattri Road, Dibuk Road, and Phuket Road in Phuket Town during nighttime due to ongoing construction work aimed at installing power cables underground. Phuket Town Mayor Saroj Angkhanapilas announced that this project, which started on November 14 last year and is set to conclude by November 7 this year, aims to enhance…
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Thai PM calls for tourist safety in Phuket ahead of high season
Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin insists tourist safety in Phuket must be prioritised ahead of the upcoming high season. The Thai premier made these remarks during a meeting with tourism-related agencies in Phuket yesterday, August 12, to prepare for the high tourist season from September to February. The meeting was attended by representatives from the Royal Thai Police, Provincial Police Region…
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Brawl erupts on Karon Beach between tourists and local workers
A photo posted on a popular social media page in Phuket today ignited controversy after capturing a brawl on Karon Beach. The image depicted a group of Indian tourists in a physical altercation with local workers responsible for managing beach umbrellas. The caption accompanying the post read: #Clashing! Brawl on Karon Beach, Karon Subdistrict, Mueang district, Phuket province. A group…
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Woman injured by debris from grass-cutting operation in Phuket
A woman was seriously injured when debris from a roadside grass-cutting operation hit her eye while she was riding her motorcycle in Phuket. Local government officials and the responsible company have initiated discussions regarding accountability and compensation. The incident occurred yesterday, August 10, at 9am on Phatthana Road, Soi 3, Talat Nuea subdistrict, Mueang Phuket district. A police officer from…
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Russian tourist’s tragic fall from Phuket condo under investigation
A 20 year old Russian tourist tragically fell to his death from a seventh-floor condominium in Phuket. Police are investigating the incident and have contacted the Russian embassy to inform the family and repatriate the body for religious rites. Officers from Chalong Police Station in Phuket received a report about a male tourist who had fallen from a height. The incident…
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Phuket hotel and police accused of covering up fatal electrocution
The family of a Thai woman electrocuted to death in a Phuket hotel is seeking justice after they accused the hotel and police of attempting to cover up the cause of her death to avoid taking responsibility. The 26 year old woman, Kanokwan “Nam” Intachak, worked as an assistant chef at a well-known hotel in Phuket and died while working…
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Foreign man in Phuket protests after Thais take over his home
A foreign man in Phuket submitted a complaint to the Ministry of the Interior after a bunch of Thai people took over his home. The Phuket Times shared a picture of the foreign man, whose identity was not revealed, protesting on Cherngtalay Road on Wednesday, August 7. The foreigner was sitting outside Krungthai Bank with a sign written in four…
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Phuket Vegetarian Festival to sprout excitement and turnip the fun
The annual Phuket Vegetarian Festival is set to “sprout” with residents ready to “turnip” the excitement from October 3 to October 11, confirmed by Phuket Governor Sophon Suwannarat. In a meeting jam-packed with officials and local figures at Phuket Provincial Hall, Governor Sophon, Vice Governor Norasak Suksomboon, and Phuket Culture Office chief Pichaiyut Singhasami finalised the festival dates. The focus…
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Asian woman found dead on Phuket’s Kata Beach
An Asian woman was found dead on Kata Beach in Phuket early this morning. The grim find was made by a lifeguard, according to Karon police. The victim, who was clad in a black two-piece swimsuit, was approximately 160 centimetres tall, around 30 years old, with long black hair. Her body was discovered lying face down on the sand, directly…
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Phuket Airport grounded: Power cut leaves flights in the dark
Phuket International Airport faced a brief power outage last night because of a power failure in the Provincial Electricity Authority’s (PEA) 115kV electricity distribution system. The outage, which started at 6.25pm, yesterday, August 6, impacted the Thalang district area, including the airport, according to an announcement from the Airports of Thailand Phuket branch (AoT Phuket). The disruption was attributed to…
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Man caught in Phuket after two-year hunt for selling modified guns
A 29 year old man has been apprehended in Phuket following a two-year manhunt for his involvement in modifying blank guns and selling them via live broadcasts on Facebook. The suspect, known only as Kittiphon or Tom, managed to evade capture by fleeing from Phang Nga to Phuket. Officers from the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) and the Crime Suppression Division…
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Justice minister visits Phuket prison, focuses on rehabilitation
Justice Minister Police Colonel Tawee Sodsong, accompanied by the Inspector-General of the Department of Corrections, Narong Nukong, visited Phuket Provincial Prison yesterday to inspect prisoner conditions and encourage inmate rehabilitation. Joining them were Phuket Vice Governor Norasak Suksomboon, MP Chalermpong Saengdee, Rewat Areerob, President of the Phuket Provincial Administrative Organisation (PPAO), and Arkom Phusri, Director of the Phuket Provincial Prison.…
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Reel trouble in Phuket: Man hooked for fishing in temple pond
A Thai man in Phuket sparked controversy by fishing in front of people releasing fish at a temple pond, and ignoring their reactions. The incident, which took place at Wat Chaiyathararam in Chalong, was captured in a 29-second video shared by the Facebook page Newshawk Phuket. The video shows a man in a black shirt calmly fishing, despite onlookers releasing…
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Phuket motorists disrupted by Heroines Underpass pole relocation
Motorists in Phuket should prepare for further disruptions at the Heroines Monument as Thalang Traffic Police continue the relocation of power poles along Thepkrasattri Road. This work is part of the preparations for constructing the Heroines Underpass. The initial phase of this relocation project, which started last Wednesday, July 31, has been completed. Yesterday, August 4, Thalang Traffic Police announced…
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Pygmy killer whales rescued in Phuket mangrove forest (video)
A group of pygmy killer whales stranded in Phuket’s mangrove forest prompted urgent action from marine officials. Five whales were rescued, while one tragically died. Pacharawat Wongsuwan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, shared that reports from Pinsak Suraswadi, Director-General of the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources, came in early yesterday, August 3, about six…
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Phuket immigration volunteers trained to boost efficiency
A training session aimed at enhancing the efficiency of Phuket Immigration volunteers was conducted yesterday at the Royal Phuket City Hotel. The event took place in the Bon Mai Thon Meeting Room and was overseen by the Commander of Immigration Bureau 6. Police Major General Songprot Sirisukha. The Superintendent of Phuket Immigration, Police Colonel Kriangkrai Ariyaying, along with various Phuket…
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Phuket Peeping Tom escapes lynching, abandons panties (video)
A Thai man involved in a Peeping Tom incident in Phuket narrowly avoided being lynched. He fled the scene, leaving behind his motorcycle and several items, including women’s underwear, condoms, a cucumber, and drug paraphernalia. Another Thai man shared the incident on social media, which occurred at approximately 10.45pm on Wednesday, July 31, to warn locals in the Pa Klock…
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Top nightclubs in Phuket
Thailand is a country where it is clearly defined what is allowed in terms of entertainment and what is not. For example, even though the country’s neighbours have more or less relaxed gambling policies, this type of entertainment is almost completely banned in Thailand. Neither visitors nor locals have a chance to enter a casino. The policy also applies to…
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Two tourists drown in Phuket beach tragedies
Two tragic incidents unfolded on Phuket’s beaches yesterday resulting in the drowning deaths of a Hong Kong father at Patong Beach and a Kazakh tourist at Karon Beach. At Patong Beach, yesterday, July 31, Che Ka Fai aka Andy, a 52 year old Chinese national from Hong Kong, was pulled from the water unconscious and unresponsive. Police Lieutenant Colonel Phongpipat…
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Officials tee up hunt for wayward crocodile at Phuket golf course
Officials in Phuket are stepping up efforts to capture a crocodile spotted at Mission Hills Golf Course. The sighting on July 31 prompted an urgent response from local authorities and specialist crocodile capture teams. It seems the croc is making a real ‘swing’ at disrupting the course, and officials are keen to ‘par’ the situation before it escalates. Nikhom Suksawat,…
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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