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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10kg monitor lizard found in Phuket home
PHUKET: A 10kg monitor lizard was released into a forest after it was found in a foreigner’s house in Thalang yesterday. “We received a request from the owner of the house to help catch the lizard in Baan Suan Neramit 5, Srisoonthorn sub-district. When we arrived, it was hiding somewhere in the house,” said Pongpan Juanan of Kusoldharm Foundation. “It…
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Carcass of 10-meter whale washes up at Phuket beach
PHUKET: The carcass of a 10-meter-long whale in a state of advanced decay washed ashore at Surin Beach yesterday morning. Officers are trying to identify the cause of death and find a place to bury it. “We received reports that the body of an unidentified marine animal had washed up at about 11am. We have identified it to be a…
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Private entrepreneurs reveal plans to launch ‘smart buses’
PHUKET: The shareholders of Phuket City Development Co Ltd (PKCD), a group of private entrepreneurs who came together late last year to form a company to work hand in hand with government departments to boost investment and promote seamless business operations in Phuket (story here), revealed their latest plans on Tuesday. The company announced that six separate “offshoots” would handle…
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Phuket fishermen protest closure of community seafood restaurant
PHUKET: Local fishermen and representatives from fish processing groups yesterday morning gathered at the Damrongdharma Center to ask for help after the Phuket Fisheries Office ordered the closure of the Sarasin Seafood Restaurant in Tah Chat Chai. The group of 30, led by Ronnakorn Hongsa, president of Fish Processing Group Baan Tah Chat Chai, submitted a letter to Damrongdharma Center…
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Phuket City museum officials give 30-day deadline for reopening
PHUKET: Phuket City Municipality officials have confirmed that the Peranakannitat Museum launched earlier this month will be ready and open to the public within a month’s time. Last week, officials announced that the museum would temporarily remain closed until exhibitors could return all the items borrowed from Phuket residents to display during the grand opening ceremony, but could not give…
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29-year-old killed in high-speed Phuket crash
PHUKET: A motorbike rider was killed after he lost control of his bike at a bend in the road and crashed into the back of a parked car in Phuket’s Rassada sub-district early this morning. “The accident occurred on Thepkrasattri Road northbound. At the scene, we found the victim lying on the road, covered in blood. His Kawasaki motorbike was…
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Two Phuket fires cause B400,000 worth of damages
PHUKET: Two fires broke out in Phuket yesterday and early this morning, both of which are believed to have occurred from short circuits. The total damage from the two incidents is estimated at 400,000 baht. The first fire started at ‘Mahanakorn’, a popular local bar in Phuket Town, at midnight yesterday. Phuket Disaster Prevention and Mitigation officers, Kusoldharm Foundation rescue…
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Major Phuket ‘casino’ raid: 63 arrested, B2mn confiscated
PHUKET: A joint team of Army and police raided a large illegal ‘casino’ in Phuket Town and arrested 63 gamblers on Saturday night. Officials also confiscated about 2 million baht in cash, a shotgun, four pistols, 39 bullets, 22 cars, 34 motorbikes and gambling paraphernalia. The joint team included officers from Infantry Division 5 (Artillery 25) and Phuket City Police.…
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Thailand’s much-debated Computer Crimes Act goes into effect
PHUKET: The newly-amended Computer Crimes Act (No. 2) B.E. 2560 (2017) was put into effect this week, after it was published in the Royal Gazette on January 24. It replaces the Computer Crimes Act B.E. 2550 (2007). One of the most talked about sections of the amended Act states that any person who sends computer data or electronic mail to…
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PEA says electricity cables not to blame for overhead disgrace
PHUKET: Governor Norraphat Plodthong met with officials from the Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA) yesterday to discuss possible solutions to the messy overhead cables in Patong. The plan to bury the mess in Patong began two years ago, with a 230-million-baht project to cover the three kilometer stretch of Thaweewong Road (story here). After receiving a horde of complaints about the…
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Phuket City museum “temporarily’ closed after grand opening
PHUKET: Officials have announced that the newly-launched Peranakannitat Museum is temporarily closed until exhibitors return all the items borrowed from Phuket residents to display during the grand opening ceremony held in Phuket City last week. However, they could not give an estimated date as to when that might be. The issue came to light after dozens of people complained on…
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New P-REA president highlights plans for developing Phuket
PHUKET: Boon Yongsakul, Phuket-born businessman and Deputy Managing Director of Boat Development Company, was chosen as the new president of the Phuket Real Estate Association (P-REA) in a ceremony held at the Phuket Boat Lagoon earlier this month. Mr Boon will hold this position for two years. “It is a great honor to be chosen as the president of the…
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Phuket fishing boat rescues sunken Burmese vessel
PHUKET: A Phuket-bound fishing boat rescued 15 crew members of a sunken Burmese vessel yesterday afternoon. The boat was carrying cargo from Penang, Malaysia to Myeik, Burma. The crew left on May 18 and were due to arrive on Saturday, but their boat was wrecked after experiencing stormy weather and strong waves near Racha Noi Island. “The Burmese boat, Aung…
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Patong transport operators protest reduction in taxi stands
PHUKET: Patong public transport operators will continue to utilize 84 taxi stands for now until the Phuket Governor and Army 4 commander announce their final decision about the number of stands on the island. The public transport management committee had announced on May 18 that Patong was to see a 75 per cent reduction in taxi stands (from 84 to…
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Phuket police recapture escaped drug dealers
PHUKET: Police yesterday recaptured two suspects who fled custody after being arrested for possession of drugs on May 2. Suriya Lakpech and Wasurat Malikabutr, both 21, had been found with 7kg of ya ice (cystal methamphetamine) and 10 ya bah pills (methamphetamine) in their possession. On the way to the police station, they had “managed to unlock their hand cuffs”…
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Phuket tourists injured, driver’s arm severed in another high-speed crash
PHUKET: A taxi driver’s arm was severed in a high-speed crash early this morning after he lost control of his vehicle in a curve, crashed into an electric pole and fell into a five-meter-deep ditch at roadside. “We received reports of an accident near Phuket International Airport at about 7am. At the scene, we found a heavily damaged black Toyota…
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21-year-old biker killed in Phuket pick-up collision
PHUKET: A 21-year-old biker was killed after he crashed into a pick-up truck in Wichit yesterday afternoon. Maj Narong Muangduang of Wichit Police provided details of the accident that took place in Moo 3, Kwang Road. “We found the body of Chalermchat Podok, 21, covered in blood and lying on the road. We also found a severely damaged big bike…
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Alleged murderers injured in car crash after shooting teen
PHUKET: Five suspects were injured in a car crash in Krabi last night after fleeing a murder scene in which a teenager was killed and another injured. “We first received reports of the shooting at about 6:30pm in Pru Din Na. We found the body of a 16 year-old teen identified only as ‘Jak’ on the ground with two bullet…
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Phuket police commander dispels bomb threat rumors
PHUKET: Officials have warned the public to be careful about sharing unconfirmed reports on social media after a bomb threat warning created panic among Phuket vendors last week. The original source of the message is unknown, but it was widely circulated on line. It read: “Stop going to walking street market, Chilva market or any other weekly markets in Phuket.…
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Illegal cock-fighting, gambling ring busted, 15 arrested
PHUKET: Fifteen people were arrested while 15 others are on the run after Thalang Police raided a cock-fighting ring in Moo Baan Para yesterday afternoon. Lt Col Prasarn Toworn of Thalang Police led a team of officers to inspect the area after receiving complaints from locals about illegal cock-fighting and gambling there. “The suspects included both Thais and Burmese. They…
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Three arrested for extortion, impersonating police officers in Phuket
PHUKET: Three men were arrested for impersonating police officers and trying to extort money from two teenagers in Phuket yesterday. The arrests were made by a joint task force of Region 8 and Cherng Talay Police officers at a PTT gas station in Cherng Talay. The suspects, Thongchai Katthong, 30; Ittipol Kranara, 32; and Pathompong Rattanasuvan, 51; had Civil Defense…
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Phuket gov’s social media imposter sparks security concerns
PHUKET: Cyber security and Facebook seem to be the hot topics this week as Phuket police hunt for a Facebook user who made a fake profile with a name closely resembling the Phuket Governor’s and used his picture to impersonate him. The suspect also asked several high-ranking Phuket officials to transfer money to his account. The Facebook account was set…
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Students injured in festival fireworks malfunction
KRABI: At least 24 people, including several teenagers, were injured when a fireworks display at an event organized by the Krabi Provincial Administration Organization malfunctioned. The event was titled ‘Legend of Krabi: City of 12 Zodiacs’ and held at Krabi Town yesterday. The opening ceremony for the festival was chaired by Krabi Vice Governor Somkuan KanNguen, with officials from the…
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7-Eleven robber caught at rented room in Phuket
PHUKET: A robber was arrested at his rented room in Thalang yesterday evening, 14 hours after he held up two cashiers at a 7-Eleven near the Heroines’ Monument and stole all the cash from the store’s register. Capt Kraisorn Boonprasob of Thalang Police provided details of the incident which occurred early yesterday morning. “Baragis Yamdibu, 24, and Ronpirun Chujai, 32,…
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Body of 21-year-old found in Phuket apartment
PHUKET: Police are investigating the cause of death of a ladyboy whose body was found in her room in Rassada this morning. “We received a report from an apartment complex near Rajabhat University at about 9:20am that a pungent smell was emanating from a room on the second floor,” said Lt Col Chao Phomna of the Phuket City Police. “We…
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Phuket district chief vows to crack down on illegal hotels
PHUKET: Kathu District Chief Jirawat Namatra issued an ultimatum to illegal hotel operators after locals and members of the business community filed complaints about unlicenced hotels operating in Patong. In February, more than a thousand unlicensed hotels applied for registration as hotels after a two-month ultimatum was issued at the end of November last year by then Phuket Governor Chokchai…
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Another jump: Man safely rescued in Phuket Town
PHUKET: A man was safely rescued after he climbed up an electric pole with intent to jump in Phuket Town last night. “The incident occurred in Poonpon. We found a man walking on electric wires outside the fourth floor of a building. A big crowd of people had gathered underneath and were watching him in shock when he stopped on…
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HRH Princess Sirindhorn inaugurates museum in Phuket Town
PHUKET: Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn presided over the grand opening ceremony of the Peranakannitat Museum in Phuket Town on Wednesday afternoon. Phuket Governor Norraphat Plodthong and Phuket City Mayor Somjai Suwansupana, along with other officials and hundreds of Phuket citizens, were present to welcome the Princess. The museum building, erected a hundred years ago in traditional Phuket…
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Krabi officials remove dozens of illegal fishing nets
KRABI: The Krabi Provincial Fisheries Office yesterday removed 58 illegal fishing nets (‘poh’) from the waters of Krabi. The nets were also in violation of spawning season restrictions. Sakda Sukkasem led a team of officers to hunt for illegal fishing activities after several locals filed complaints with the office. “It is illegal to use this type of fishing net to…
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Phuket police yet to uncover reason for toilet fight involving foreigner
PHUKET: The motive behind an attack on a toilet attendant in Patong by a group of foreigners remains unclear as the victim has refused to a file a complaint. On May 3, a Facebook user offered a reward of 5,000 baht to anyone who could help him find the foreigner who allegedly refused to pay a 10 baht fee to…
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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