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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Project to reverse Patong traffic flow hits a speed bump
PHUKET: A long-awaited plan to reverse the direction of one-way traffic flow in Patong was expected to take effect in June, but has been delayed as work to complete a new roundabout at the north end of the beach road has fallen behind schedule. The 4.2-million-baht Laem Petch Circle project was delayed due to the need to remove utility poles…
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Truck driver charged after Phuket woman crushed in rush hour
PHUKET: The driver of a six-wheeled truck with a dual-axle trailer in tow has been charged with reckless driving causing death after his trailer clipped a 58-year-old woman riding a motorbike to work this morning.The woman, Prapha Charoensiri, fell on to the road and died instantly after she was crushed under the wheels of the juggernaut.Maj Kittiphum Tinthalang of Phuket…
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Aussie tourist who cried ‘rape’ in Phuket deported today
PHUKET: Stevie Rochelle Bamford, the 21-year-old woman convicted of falsely reporting that she was raped in Patong, was deported to her native Australia today. Patong Police escorted Ms Bamford to Phuket Immigration Headquarters at midday in preparation for her return flight. The officer escorting her said Ms Bamford was scheduled to board a flight home with her boyfriend this afternoon.…
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Outrigger to buy Phuket’s Laguna Beach Resort
PHUKET: Outrigger Hotels and Resorts announced today in a press release that it has entered into an agreement to acquire the 254-room Laguna Beach Resort, located on Bang Tao Bay on the northwest coast of Phuket. The transaction is scheduled to close in the first quarter of 2013. The press release did not stipulate how much the resort was being…
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Phang Nga man crushed in Phuket crane accident
PHUKET: The operator of a pile-driving crane was crushed to death when the machine fell off its trailer in Phuket this morning. Thalang Police were notified of the accident in front of the Thalang National Museum in Srisoonthorn at 9:25am today. Kusoldharm Foundation rescue workers raced to the scene to find a man’s body pinned under the retractable boom of…
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Patong, Phuket set for election alcohol bans
PHUKET: The sale of alcohol will be banned across Phuket on August 26 and again in Patong on September 2 as voters go to the polls for local elections. The August 26 island-wide alcohol ban will come into effect as residents vote in the upcoming Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (OrBorJor) council election. The ban, in accordance with the Election Act,…
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Phuket Hospital cuts red tape for free treatment of officials
PHUKET: Local government officers can now receive medical treatment at the Phuket Provincial Hospital in Phuket Town without going through the “pay first, be reimbursed later” process. The deal was inked by Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (OrBorJor) President Paiboon Upatising yesterday, when he signed an agreement to provide a medical care advance credit arrangement at the hospital for public-sector workers.…
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Thailand Open commences August 9
PHUKET: The Thailand Open commences August 9-12 at Suwan Golf & Country Club. Players from Europe and Asia will be competing for US$1 million in prize money at the OneAsia event. Veteran golfer, Prayad Marksaeng, hopes to put behind him the disappointment of coming a close second last year to Australia’s Andre Stolz. The Australian beat Prayad scoring 22-under compared…
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Patong residents voice support for “Special Admin Zone’
PHUKET: The push to designate Phuket’s top tourism town of Patong as a “Special Administrative Zone” received much positive support at a public meeting on Friday. The meeting, held to gather feedback from local residents, was headed by Pridi Chotechuang, Deputy Secretary General of the Political Development Council and fellow PDC member Jinda Boonjun. The PDC is an independent “think…
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Phuket FC draw with Songkhla, 0-0
PHUKET: Despite some good scoring chances and strong crowd support, Phuket FC were only able to take a single point away from last night’s encounter with Songklha FC, which ended in a 0-0 draw. Going into the match mired in the five-team relegation zone, Phuket FC went on the attack early with some good scoring chances. Former FC Phuket goalkeeper…
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Ukraine dance troupe wows Phuket
PHUKET: Fans of traditional eastern European dance will have a chance to catch the world-renowned Vohon Ukrainian Dance Ensemble at the Simon Star Cabaret in Phuket this afternoon. The 50-strong troupe is on the island courtesy of the Tourism Authority of Thailand, who helped organize the event in order to raise funds for the Thai Red Cross Society, Phuket Chapter.…
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Exciting sailing caps finale to Phuket Raceweek
PHUKET: The best was saved for last as the final day of the 2012 Cape Panwa Hotel Phuket Raceweek saw 10-12 knots of breeze gusting to 15, and some spectacular competition around the southern islands of Phuket, which brought to an end an exciting and successful week. Two races – a windward/leeward and an islands course – for all except…
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Ex-cop found dead in Phuket Town hotel
PHUKET: A former police officer from Ranong was found dead in his Phuket Town hotel room on July 18. Police say there were no signs of a struggle and believe the officer died of natural causes while on holiday.The late Lt Col Chokchai Charucharee had recently retired from service at Suk Samran Police Station in Ranong, where he was a…
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Phuket Surfing: Stoked on a bit of star power
PHUKET: The monsoon season is back and you know what that means – the Quiksilver Thailand Surf Competition will soon return to Phuket. This year features an all new, star-studded lineup.More than 300 surfers from all over the world are expected to participate in the event, which will be held from September 12-15 at Patong Beach. The competition is organized…
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Rak Phuket group files lese majeste petition against Thai-born Kiwi
PHUKET: The Rak Phuket Club rallied against improper gestures made by a Thai expat in Bangkok last week by filing a letter of complaint to Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yubamrung Thursday morning. Rak Phuket Club President Boonsupa Tantai, along with several other club members, presented the protest letter to Phuket MP Raywat Areerob. The club…
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Big changes as Phuket FC prep for Songkhla
PHUKET: Star Brazilian goalkeeper Alonso Da Silva will leave Phuket FC in a surprise transfer move marking the height of a mid-season team overhaul. Though Da Silva was not available for questioning at the time of this report, a reliable source has confirmed to the Gazette that rumors about the transfer circulating on the team’s Facebook fan page on Thursday…
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Foreign couple in Phuket pass fake UK banknotes at Kata currency booth
PHUKET: The owner of a currency exchange booth in Kata fell victim to a pair of unidentified foreigners that systematically passed off a series of counterfeit British £20 banknotes. Kanyarat Tiewsakul, 48, who owns the exchange booth, and the massage parlor and spa next door, said that twelve counterfeit £20 notes were exchanged by the couple between July 17 and…
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Urban encroachment: Owner of Phuket project ordered to halt construction
PHUKET: The owner of a building project in Patong was ordered to halt work on Wednesday, when an inspection by Phuket provincial officials found the structure broke multiple regulations. Having received a complaint about the work through the Damrongtham Center at Phuket Provincial Hall, Vice Governor Somkiet Sangkaosutthirak led an inspection team to the site on Soi Phra Baramee 7,…
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Phuket weekend weather outlook
PHUKET: Blue skies over Phuket late this afternoon raise hopes for a fine weekend of sailing at the The 2012 Cape Panwa Hotel Phuket Raceweek this weekend. The 24-hour forecast from 5pm issued by the Thai Meteorological Department center at Phuket Airport reports a “moderate” southwest monsoon prevailing over the Andaman Sea and the Southern Thailand West Coast. The forecast…
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PTA reward Phuket Police Bt100,000 for arrest of Aussie tourist killer
PHUKET: The Phuket Tourist Association (PTA) earlier this week awarded 100,000 baht to provincial and regional police for bringing the killers of Australian travel agent Michelle Smith to justice. The handover was made at a small ceremony at the PTA office on the bypass road in Rassada on Tuesday. PTA Vice President Bhuritt Maswongsa stressed that although the stabbing was…
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Phuket Sports: Round-up for July 20
PHUKET: Defending Olympic gold medalist, Rafael Nadal, has withdrawn from the games claiming he is not in the right condition to compete. Nadal’s withdrawal opens the way for a Federer vs Djokovic final. Track cycling: Jason Kenny will ride the individual sprint for Team GB in place of defending Olympic champion, Sir Chris Hoy. Basketball: The star studded US basketball…
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11 arrests in Phuket loan shark hunt
PHUKET: Two suspected loan shark operations in Phuket were shut down by Crime Suppression Division (CSD) Police yesterday morning, putting eleven suspects behind bars. “CSD police searched the two houses today because we received reports from locals of loan shark operations running rampant. We also recently heard that a man who vouched for a loan was attacked by a group…
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Phuket Raceweek gets off to a lively start
PHUKET: The 2012 Cape Panwa Hotel Phuket Raceweek got off to a lively start last night with the opening party attracting over 500 guests.With thirty-four boats registered, competing over seven classes and divisions, day one looked looked set for some good competition as predicted winds of 10-12 knots gusting to 15, arrived on cue.Race Officer Simon James announced Windward/Leewards (Course…
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27 youths test positive for meth at Phuket drug checkpoint
PHUKET: Police and district officials rounded up 27 suspected drug users on Tuesday night at a random checkpoint set up on Soi Nakok in Chalong subdistrict, Phuket. Soi Nakok, adjacent to the TOT compound on Chao Fa West Road, is home to the housing estate where drugged-up burglar Kittikhun Wonghajak strangled 17-year-old Sunisa “Nong Som” Saiyoy on July 10. Suwat…
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New crab trap regulations not causing a snag in Phuket
PHUKET: Compliance with a new crab trap regulation established in late June was highlighted as one of the hot topics for the Traditional Fishing Preservation Group meeting held yesterday in response to their letter of complaint filed with the Phuket Provincial Office. In their complaint, the group highlighted two major issues facing the smaller local fishing operations: compliance with the…
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Phuket lifeguards save 333 swimmers after return to beaches
PHUKET: Officially back on the beaches May 28, after another contract signing saga, Phuket lifeguards saved 333 people in the following 31 days, according to an announcement made by Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (OrBorJor) President Paiboon Upatising yesterday. “Despite the work of the lifeguards, four people have drowned this year. They drowned because they either ignored the red warning flags…
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Blade runner – I will run quick
PHUKET: The London Olympics are just over a week away and one man knows he is lucky to be going. South African Oscar Pistorius, known as Blade Runner, had both his legs amputated below the knee when he was a baby and runs with the aid of carbon fiber lower legs. Pistorius will compete in the individual 400 meters and…
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Bangkok again top destination city in Asia
PHUKET: Good news for the Phuket tourism industry comes from a recently-released report by MasterCard that has Bangkok nestled into third place on the credit card giant’s list of major cities with the most tourist arrivals. The MasterCard Global Destination Cities Index report by economist Yuwa Hedrick-Wong projected 2012 tourist arrivals in the Thai capital at 12.2 million, behind only…
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Pickup crashes into Phuket beer garden, 8 injured
PHUKET: Eight people were injured and numerous vehicles damaged when an out-of-control pickup truck full of Burmese workers slammed full force into a restaurant on Monday night. At about 10pm, Phuket City Police were informed of an accident at the River Beer Garden on Pracha Uthit 1 Road, which runs parallel to the bypass road in Rassada subdistrict. Police led…
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Phuket vendor wins Bt4m in Thai National Lottery
PHUKET: A kind-hearted Phuket vendor won a 4 million baht grand prize in the Thai National Lottery draw on Monday. The winner, 35-year-old Kaewtaa Khan-asa, reported the win to Chalong Police yesterday, asking that her possession of winning ticket number, “904050”, be recorded in the daily log as evidence. Mrs Kaewtaa, listed as a resident of Ban Doong District in…
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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