Phuket News
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Sponsored Why 8 Atelier Residence is poised for growth: Phuket’s investment hotspot in the making
Phuket’s residential real estate market is no longer defined only by beachfront villas and short-stay resort condominiums. The island is now seeing sustained interest from international investors targeting long-term yields, capital stability, and access to full-scale lifestyle infrastructure. Looking at...
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Saudi tourist found dead after Bang Tao Beach disappearance
A 22 year old Saudi tourist, Dhaher Suhayb Mohammed S, who went missing while swimming at Bang Tao Beach on July 26, was found dead near Layan Beach in Cherng Talay today, July 28. Lifeguards discovered his body early in the morning near the southern end of Sirinat National Park, wearing only swimming trunks. Cherng Talay Police, along with rescue…
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Van crash in Phuket leaves driver seriously injured
A 25 year old van driver sustained serious injuries after his vehicle collided with a power pole in Koh Kaew, Phuket, during the early hours of July 26. He remained trapped in the wreck for nearly 30 minutes. The incident occurred around 3.30am on Thepkrasattri Road near the Bangkok Bank Koh Kaew branch, heading towards Phuket Town. The Narendhara Andaman…
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Body of missing swimmer found at Nai Thon Beach
The body of a 23 year old man, Nianus Salae, has been discovered near the rocks at Nai Thon Beach after he was swept away by waves while swimming. Rescue workers have taken the body for forensic examination before it is returned to his family for religious rites. Nianus, who worked in Phuket but hailed from Pattani province, was swimming…
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Phuket police arrest 43 in anti-drug raids across 26 sites
Phuket law enforcement agencies have apprehended 43 people following a series of coordinated raids across 26 sites on the island over the past week. These actions are part of the ongoing NO Drugs NO Dealers campaign aimed at eradicating drug-related activities in the province. Between July 22 and July 25, police arrested 24 people for serious drug offences and 19…
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Artists flock to Phuket for Asia’s biggest sketch fest
Phuket is gearing up to welcome an international crowd of artists, art lovers and cultural travellers for the Asialink Sketch Walk Phuket 2025, a major arts event aimed at boosting creative tourism and rebranding the island as a year-round cultural hotspot. Scheduled for August 14–17, the event was officially announced at a press conference held at Limelight Avenue Phuket, led…
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Weed stench driving tourists away, claims Phuket MP
A Phuket MP has lit up controversy by claiming that the smell of cannabis on local beaches is driving away big-spending tourists and damaging the island’s reputation. Yesterday, July 25, Chalermpong Saengdee, an MP for Phuket from the People’s Party, issued a fiery statement slamming the lack of cannabis regulation and the government’s “careless” visa-free policy, warning that Thailand’s top…
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Thai police ends child predator’s reign of terror in Phuket
A 53 year old man, accused of heinous crimes against a child, was apprehended in Phuket by the CIB’s Anti-Human Trafficking Division, ending a terrifying ordeal. The incident began when the child revealed to her mother that the suspect, Anan, had allegedly abducted her and taken her to Langu district, Satun province. Swift and decisive action by officers at Langu…
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Phuket unshaken by border conflict fears
As artillery fire shakes the Thai–Cambodian border, Phuket officials have stepped forward to squash growing fears that the island’s world-famous tourism is at risk. In a rare bilingual statement issued yesterday, July 24, Phuket Governor Sophon Suwannarat reassured tourists and locals that the island remains “safe, calm, and completely unaffected” by the ongoing military conflict hundreds of miles away. “Phuket…
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Vodka vroom: Drunk Russian wrecks Thai woman’s car in Phuket
A Thai woman is seeking accountability from a Russian man who crashed his car into her two parked vehicles while driving under the influence in Phuket on Tuesday, July 22. The victim, Atiya Sharon, took to social media to request assistance from netizens in locating the Russian suspect. She posted details of the drink-driving incident along with CCTV footage showing…
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AC unit blamed for fire scare at Karon hotel spa
A fire broke out last night at the Karon Phunaka Resort & Spa in Phuket, sending staff into emergency mode just before guests were due to arrive. The blaze, which erupted in the spa lounge’s reception area, is believed to have been sparked by a faulty air conditioning unit. Police were alerted to the incident around 6.30pm yesterday, July 23,…
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Caught red-handed: Copper crook’s Phuket crime spree ends
A 25 year old man has been apprehended in connection with a series of copper wire thefts that have disrupted Phuket Town over the past two months. The repeated incidents have caused significant inconvenience and frustration among the public. Officers from the Phuket City Police apprehended Pipatson “Nok” Thongwicha at a rental room on Surin Road in Phuket Town around 4pm…
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2 year old Thai girl loses life in motorcycle accident in Phuket
A two year old Thai girl tragically lost her life in a motorcycle accident on a mountain road in the Thalang district of Phuket. Three other victims sustained injuries in the incident. The accident was reported to Thalang Police Station at approximately 12pm yesterday, July 23. It occurred on a steep section of Khao Lad Mountain in Thalang. The four…
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Phuket heartbreak as young Aussie tourist found dead in hotel
A 21 year old Australian man has been found dead in a Phuket hotel room, just five days after an accused rapist from Down Under was also discovered lifeless on the same Thai island. Police in Thalang, northern Phuket, are investigating the sudden death of a young Aussie traveller who was found dead in his hotel room yesterday, July 23,…
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Phuket-bound Air India Express flight aborts after 16 minutes
Air India makes the headlines again as Air India Express is involved in the latest aviation mishap, where a tropical holiday turned into a mid-air nightmare after a Phuket-bound Air India Express flight was forced to return to Hyderabad just 16 minutes after take-off—leaving frustrated passengers fuming. Flight IX110, operated by a Boeing 737 Max 8, was scheduled to land…
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Fire erupts at abandoned Ratsada house after 20 years of silence
A long-forgotten home in Ratsada lit up the night sky as flames erupted from the derelict property—despite it being untouched for nearly 20 years. The blaze broke out around 11.20pm yesterday, July 22, at a single-storey house located on Thepprathan Road in Village 1, Ratsada. Though the fire was extinguished before firefighters could reach the scene, the aftermath was anything…
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2 foreign men arrested for riding stolen rental motorcycles from Krabi to Phuket
Police successfully recovered two rental motorcycles from a shop owner in Krabi after two foreign men failed to return the vehicles on time and were suspected of riding them to Phuket. The official Facebook page of Choeng Thale Police Station posted images of the two foreign men and urged the public to assist officers by reporting any sightings. Police stated…
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Phuket camp inferno sparks fear as migrant scandal probe heats up
A fire tore through a migrant workers’ camp in Phuket yesterday morning, just hours before a bombshell corruption complaint involving foreign labourers rocked officials in Bangkok. Flames ripped through the Wasi M&E Co compound in Moo 4, Srisoonthorn, at 8.19am yesterday, July 22, damaging around 10 rooms and destroying the personal belongings of the camp’s Myanmar residents. Thankfully, no one…
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Phuket woman hunts for foreign motorcyclist in hit-and-run
A Thai woman took to social media in a bid to track down a foreign motorcyclist involved in a hit-and-run on a beach road in Phuket. The Thai motorcyclist appealed to netizens for help identifying the foreign man who collided with her motorcycle at 7.53am yesterday, July 21. She posted brief details of the incident, along with video footage, to…
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RTN backs down in Phuket land clash as zoning deal takes shape
A bitter turf war between villagers and the Royal Thai Navy (RTN) in Phuket’s protected forest reserve is finally moving towards resolution — and the RTN is backing off. At a high-stakes meeting at Phuket Provincial Hall, chaired by Vice Governor Adul Chuthong, provincial officials and senior RTN chiefs agreed to push forward with a zoning plan aimed at ending…
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Homes wrecked, power poles downed in Thalang storm chaos
Fierce winds and torrential rain turned northern Phuket into a storm zone, leaving a trail of destruction across Thalang district. The Thalang District Office confirmed extensive damage throughout the area, with multiple subdistricts hit hard as the tropical squall ripped through homes, felled trees, and toppled power poles. In Pa Khlok, nine houses near Soi Na Yao in Village 8…
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Phuket woman runs from Grab rider after fake cash promise
A Grab motorcycle rider in Phuket shared a bizarre experience with the online community, claiming that his female passenger unexpectedly ran away from him to avoid paying the fare. The app-based motorcycle taxi rider recounted the incident to the Phuket Times yesterday, July 21, along with a video of the passenger running away. The page published the post with a…
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Gale warning! Phuket reels as freak storm rocks island (video)
Phuket was left battered and on edge after a violent tropical storm tore across the island, killing one and injuring another, with officials warning the danger isn’t over yet. Governor Sophon Suwannarat urged residents, tourists and boat operators to stay on high alert after the Sunday downpour unleashed chaos across all three districts, Mueang, Thalang and Kathu, smashing into 17…
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Phuket drug dealer caught with his pills down
A suspected drug dealer was arrested in his boxers during a pre-dawn police raid in Phuket, with officers uncovering a massive stash of more than 3,500 meth pills tucked away in his house. The bust happened in the early hours of yesterday morning, July 21, in Thepkrasattri, Thalang district, as part of a targeted crackdown under the island’s tough new anti-drugs…
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Two men injured as motorbike crashes into Thailand canal
Two young men in Thailand were injured after their motorbike veered off an unlit, narrow road and fell into a canal in Wichit late on the Saturday night, July 19. Emergency services from the Kusoldharm Phuket Foundation responded to the incident in Soi Thida at approximately 11.45pm. Upon arrival, they found the two men in a canal about 4 metres…
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No place for predators: Phuket cracks down on child sex tourism
From five-star hotels to beachside bars, tourism bosses in Phuket are being told to open their eyes and shut the door on child sex tourism and human trafficking in a bold new campaign to protect the island’s most vulnerable. Local government officials in Phuket have launched a hard-hitting initiative aimed at stamping out child sexual exploitation in Thailand’s most visited…
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Arab tourist tries to impress woman but crashes motorcycle into Phuket pharmacy
An Arab tourist crashed a rented motorcycle into a pharmacy in Phuket on Friday, July 18, after allegedly riding at high speed and performing a wheelie to impress a woman. Channel 7 reported that the incident occurred at a pharmacy on Patong Beach Road in the Kathu district of Phuket. Witnesses told the media that they saw the pharmacist running…
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Chinese woman killed by falling tree on Phuket beach (video)
A Chinese woman lost her life after being struck by a falling tree during a heavy thunderstorm in Phuket yesterday, July 20. Her husband sustained minor injuries in the incident. Officers from Chalong Police Station responded to the fatal tree fall at approximately 5.30pm on Koh Hey Beach in Chalong sub-district, Mueang district, Phuket. Locals who witnessed the incident already…
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Naked Russian man jumps to his death at Phuket villa
A naked Russian man reportedly climbed onto the roof of a villa on Nai Thon Beach in Phuket before jumping off and dying on Saturday, July 19. Rescue workers from the Kusoldharm Phuket Foundation and officers from Chalong Police Station responded to the incident at a villa on Nai Thon Beach in Phuket’s Rawai subdistrict after being alerted by the…
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Thailand mulls first suspension bridge to link Phuket and Phang Nga
Thailand is considering constructing its first suspension bridge to connect Phuket with Phang Nga province, as part of a significant upgrade to the region’s Highway No. 402. This development, led by the Department of Highways, aims to improve connectivity and boost local tourism. The new bridge, proposed during a seminar held at the Royal Phuket City Hotel, would be the…
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Illegal homestay found on aquatic cage off Phuket’s coast
Officials from the Phuket Marine Office and Thai Maritime Enforcement Command Centre Region 3 (Thai-MECC 3) have identified an illegally constructed homestay off Phuket’s east coast. According to Captain Pichet Songtan, spokesperson for Thai MECC 3, the structure was discovered on a cage used for raising aquatic animals near Koh Kala, Mai Khao. Koh Kala is a small island located…
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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