Phuket News
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Many expats feel worried that their pre-existing health problems will stop them from getting insurance in a new country. This fear is common, especially when medical care can be expensive. But the good news is, some insurance, like the plans...
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British tourist rescued after motorbike plunges into Patong canal
A British tourist had a close call when his motorbike plunged into a canal behind Patong Hospital, but thanks to quick-thinking rescue workers, he was saved with only minor injuries. The incident occurred yesterday, June 10, on Sai Nam Yen Road, with emergency teams from the Kusoldharm Phuket Foundation’s Patong unit rushing to the scene after receiving the call for…
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Albanian tourist drowns at Karon Beach, husband in distress
A 43 year old Egyptian man was seen in distress at a hospital’s emergency room in Phuket after his 41 year old Albanian wife drowned at Karon Beach. They had arrived in Phuket, checked into a hotel, and within two hours, she tragically drowned. Police Captain Charat Lempan from Karon Police Station received a report at 6pm yesterday, June 10,…
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Mystery man goes viral for ‘following’ cars at Phuket traffic light (video)
A strange and amusing moment captured on TikTok has taken the Internet by storm, as a young man in Phuket gained viral attention for his quirky behaviour at a traffic light intersection. The video, shared by a TikTok user named Pond, shows the man standing at a red light on Wichit Songkhram Road in Kathu subdistrict, pretending to drive behind…
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Thai netizens divided over video of foreign couple having sex in car
Thai netizens are divided after a video of a foreign couple in Phuket having sex in their car went viral on Thai social media today, June 11. The Phuket Times Facebook page reported that the incident took place in a vehicle parked outside Phuket International Airport. The page stated in the post… “Disgusting!’ The car is shaking! They’re having sex…
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Urgent search for missing 72 year old woman in Phuket canal
Rescue teams in Phuket were alerted to a missing person incident, prompting an urgent search effort for a 72 year old woman. Relatives believe the woman, Yenjit Pae-Ui, might have fallen into Khlong Bang Yai. Her shoes were discovered near the canal, but the strong currents led to the suspension of the search. Plans are being made to resume the…
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Catamaran drifts 24 miles before being safely recovered in Phuket
A 48-foot catamaran has been recovered after breaking free from its mooring in Chalong Bay yesterday and drifting an astonishing 24 nautical miles. The vessel, named Seabeat, was set adrift by strong winds and rough seas, triggering a swift rescue operation that ended in success. At around 8.10am, yesterday, June 9, the Thai Maritime Enforcement Command Centre Region 3 (Thai…
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Police arrest eight teens in Wichit street racing crackdown
A late-night police operation in Wichit resulted in the arrest of eight teenagers and the seizure of five motorbikes, as officers intensify efforts to combat illegal street racing that has disrupted residents’ sleep. The initiative was undertaken following numerous complaints from locals residing along Sakdidet Road in the Baan Bo Rae area, who reported frequent and disruptive motorcycle races at…
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Phuket’s Biennale aims to put Thai art on global map
Thailand is aiming for artistic immortality, quite literally, with the launch of its 2025 Thailand Biennale campaign under the theme Eternal Kalpa, or more accurately, Eternal Eternity. The Ministry of Culture kicked off its promotional push at the Royal Phuket City Hotel, unveiling plans for the international contemporary art festival, which officials say will catapult Thai creativity onto the global…
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Phuket locals plea for help for German man with leg injury
Residents of the Rawai sub-district in Mueang district, Phuket, are seeking assistance for a German man with a leg injury after witnessing him sleeping on the roadside for several days. Concerned locals shared photos of the man, believed to be a German national, with the Phuket Times Facebook page yesterday, June 8. They urged the local news agency to publicise…
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Danish tourist found dead in Patong rental bathroom
A 66 year old Danish tourist was found deceased in a bathroom at a rental property on Nanai Road in Patong yesterday, June 8. The man had been suffering from diarrhoea and fatigue, according to those at the residence. Patong Police, led by Police Lieutenant Colonel Chomphonuch Anantayakun, are investigating the incident alongside forensic officers and emergency responders from the…
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2 foreigners assault 2 Phuket guards after public urination dispute
Two foreigners remain at large after physically assaulting two Thai security guards on Saturday, 7 June, for stopping them from urinating outside a shopping mall in Phuket. One of the victims is now in critical condition. The Phuket Times Facebook page reported that the brutal assault occurred at 6.14am on Saturday outside a shopping mall in the Patong area of…
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British man goes missing from luxury yacht off Phuket coast
A British man went missing yesterday, June 8, during a private yacht trip with four other family members in Phuket sea. The personal secretary of the missing British, 30 year old Kanokkorn, filed a report with Thalang Police Station yesterday stating that 28 year old British businessman Dane Johnson Endler had disappeared from his family yacht, De Mareft. Endler had planned…
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Phuket cops team up with school to fight drugs and helmet rebels
Wichit Police have joined forces with Darasamut School in Phuket in a bold new campaign to tackle teen drug use, vaping, and traffic law violations, all while promoting safer, smarter behaviour among students. The initiative, held under the direction of Wichit Police Chief Police Colonel Somsak Thongkliang, was led by Police Lieutenant Colonel Wutthawat Liangbunchinda, Deputy Superintendent of Investigation. He…
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Knife-wielding man removed from Phuket streets
A mentally ill man accused of causing repeated panic in Phuket’s Soi Palai area has finally been removed from the community after over a year of complaints. The man, identified as Thiranai Chanphong, was taken into custody and transferred to Vachira Phuket Hospital for psychiatric treatment on Thursday, June 5. The breakthrough came after frustrated landlady Pranee Boonsawang, 51, took…
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Phuket marine life in crisis as biologists save species
Marine biologists in Phuket are working tirelessly to protect the island’s marine life, with two sea turtle rescues and an investigation into the mysterious death of a dolphin. Yesterday, June 5, the Phuket Marine Biological Centre (PMBC) and the Rare Marine Animal Rescue Network sprang into action after receiving reports of two critically endangered species in distress. The first rescue…
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Phuket tackles plastic pollution for World Environment Day
Over 350 participants gathered at Dragon Square in Phuket Town yesterday as the Phuket Provincial Administrative Organisation (PPAO) launched its World Environment Day campaign. The event, held at Queen Sirikit Park, focused on the urgent need to eliminate single-use plastics, aligning with the United Nations’ 2025 global theme, Beat Plastic Pollution. The event, presided over by PPAO President Rewat Areerob,…
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Terror in Chalong: Landlady’s plea after year of harassment
A distressed landlady in Chalong has reached out to the media after more than a year of harassment by her mentally unstable neighbour, claiming police inaction and a lack of mental health support have left her with no choice but to go public. Pranee Boonsawang, 51, known as Som, owns an apartment complex in Soi Palai, Village 2, Chalong, where…
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No room for vroom: Phuket police fine foreign tourists in fancy rides
Phuket police earned praise online after ticketing a convoy of foreign supercar owners who brazenly parked in a no-go zone, proving that in Thailand, the rules apply whether you’re in a tuk tuk or a Lamborghini. The crackdown came after jaw-dropping photos of high-end motors, including several bearing foreign plates, lined up along red-and-white curbs outside a swanky restaurant in…
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Syphilis surge grips Phuket as tourism booms again
A shocking surge in syphilis cases has hit Phuket, with infections now reported in all three districts of the island province. Health officials are sounding the alarm as the rise coincides with the post-pandemic rebound in tourism and a return to riskier sexual behaviour. “Youths remain a high-risk group, but syphilis can affect people of all genders and ages who engage in…
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British tourist dies in tragic fall in Phuket after night out
A 59 year old British tourist died after falling approximately 7 metres from a steep incline in Patong, Phuket, following a night of dining and drinking. The incident left the victim’s partner, Stewart Raynor, in shock. Today, June 4, Police Lieutenant Chittawan Pengkaew, Deputy Inspector at Patong Police Station, Phuket, received a report from the Patong Radio Centre about the…
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Russian scammer nabbed at Phuket Airport in digital crime bust
A suspected Russian cyber crook has been collared at Phuket International Airport, accused of helping to run a high-tech fraud racket that’s fleeced thousands and left victims across Thailand reeling. The 36 year old unnamed man was nicked in the arrivals hall around 1.50pm on June 2, following a sting by Phuket Airport Immigration’s Investigation Team and Surat Thani Police.…
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Wee-bit out of order: Tourist blasted for peeing on Phuket street
A red-faced tourist is in hot water after being caught on camera peeing in the middle of a busy Phuket street, sparking fury and fresh calls for a police crackdown on unruly holidaymakers. The 14-second clip, filmed on Soi Saensabai in Patong, shows the tourist brazenly urinating in public as people walk by. The footage, posted by the popular Facebook…
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Phuket tiger park denies attack claims, blames false reports
Operators of a tiger park in Phuket, located in Kathu, have denied claims that an Indian tourist was attacked by a tiger at their venue. They also refuted accusations of animal cruelty after reports had circulated that a tourist was mauled while attempting to take a selfie at the attraction. In a now seemingly deleted video which went viral earlier,…
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Phuket Port to transform into cruise and cargo hub
The Deputy Minister of Finance, Phaophum Rojanasakul, visited the Phuket Port Improvement Project in Wichit subdistrict, Mueang district, Phuket province, yesterday, May 2. The project aims to enhance the port’s capacity to accommodate large cruise ships and stimulate tourism in the Andaman region. The Treasury Department is overseeing the transformation of the Phuket Port into a tourism and cargo hub.…
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Patong police probe suspicious foreign car with hidden plates
Police in Patong are currently investigating a suspicious vehicle left by a foreign national near Paradise Beach, with its license plates intentionally hidden. The situation came to light around 9am today, June 3, when members of the Patong Crime-Free Community Project LINE group reported the incident. They informed the police that a foreign man had parked a sedan opposite an…
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4.5 magnitude quake hits Chiang Mai, no damage reported
The Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) reported a 4.5 magnitude earthquake centred in Mae Pang subdistrict, Chiang Mai province, prompting the director-general, Phasakorn Boonyalak, to instruct four provinces to monitor the situation closely. The DDPM swiftly initiated damage assessments in the affected areas, utilising the Cell Broadcachinst alert system. The Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) promptly sent out the…
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American tourist dies in Phuket motorbike accident after heart attack
A 56 year old American tourist passed away in Patong on May 31, following a suspected heart-related medical emergency while riding a motorbike. The incident occurred on 50 Pi Rd in the evening, and the deceased was identified as Larry Dean Chupp Jr from Georgia. Police and rescue services arrived at the scene at approximately 7pm. Investigation officer Police Lieutenant…
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Ukrainian tourist dies after rooftop fall in Phuket
A Ukrainian tourist, 28 year old woman, tragically died after falling from a rooftop at a villa in Chalong, Phuket, in the early hours of yesterday, May 31. She succumbed to her injuries at Chalong Hospital. Police were alerted at 5am about the incident. Officers from Chalong Police Station, led by Police Lieutenant Kriangkrai Daokrajai, visited the villa estate on…
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Phuket immigration boss hits back at UK drug claims
A British tourist’s mother claims he was set up by Phuket airport officials with drugs planted in his passport—but Thailand’s immigration chief says her story doesn’t add up. Phuket Airport Immigration Chief Police Colonel Rasarin Thiraphatthanakun has strongly denied explosive claims made in the British press that her officers planted cocaine on a British tourist arriving in Thailand. The allegations,…
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Tiger selfie turns savage: Indian tourist mauled in Phuket (video)
A dream holiday snap turned into a nightmare for one tourist in Phuket after a tiger lashed out during a selfie stunt—leaving social media stunned and raising serious questions about animal welfare at popular tourist attractions. An Indian tourist suffered minor injuries after being attacked by a tiger at Tiger Kingdom in Phuket. The man, whose identity has not been…
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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