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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Southern Andaman Sea closed to fishing during spawning season
PHUKET: Large fishing vessels will be banned from working in the southern Andaman Sea from April 1 to June 30, it has been announced. A total of 4,696 square kilometers from Phuket to Trang will be closed during the spawning season. “According to our research, most marine life in the Andaman is breeding between April and June. This is a…
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Orient Thai refutes allegations of panicked staff during emergency landing
PHUKET: Orient Thai in a statement issued to the Phuket Gazette today denied reports of panicked staff and minor injuries to passengers after flight OX682 from Phuket to Chengdu, China, was forced to make an emergency landing. “All the crew and passengers were safe. Nobody was injured. The cabin crew took good care of the passengers and were not panicked,…
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Phuket Cycling Fest hailed for “eco-tourism peddle power’
PHUKET: The Phuket Cycling Fest returned for its second year last weekend with more than 680 cyclists joining a 46km fun-ride tour of the south of the island on Sunday. Phuket Governor Nisit Jansomwong chaired the opening ceremony at Saphan Hin on Saturday evening, joined by Uthit Limsakul, deputy director of the Tourism of Thailand (TAT) Phuket office. Governor Nisit…
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Last chance: Lay Pang restaurant owners given seven-day demolition deadline
PHUKET: The owners of a group of restaurants still standing on Lay Pang Beach have been given seven days to demolish their illegal structures, or be charged with encroachment. Cherng Talay Tambon Administration Organization (OrBorTor) officials, along with officers from the Thalang District Office and military personnel, inspected Lay Pang Beach and handed out the final demolition orders yesterday. “We…
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Thai airlines take hit as Phuket flight to China plunges from sky
PHUKET: An Orient Thai airlines flight en route from Phuket to Chengdu, China, reportedly suffered an engine failure and plunged from the sky, before levelling out and safely making an emergency landing at Kunming Airport on Saturday. UK daily newspaper The Daily Mail reported that an engine failure sent the aircraft into a dramatic plunge, prompting oxygen masks to be…
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Reward offered for alleged Phuket tour company fraudster
PHUKET: A 10,000-baht reward has been put on the head of a man who left hundreds of tourists stranded on their holiday, and is now wanted for allegedly defrauding a Phuket tour company of about 1.5 million baht. Peerapat ‘Deer’ Singhon, 25, was working as a freelance sales representative for Phuket Diamond Tours as he sold extraordinarily cheap holiday packages…
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Canadian tourists rescued after speedboat capsizes
PHUKET: Two Canadian tourists were safely rescued after their speedboat capsized off Krabi yesterday afternoon. The boat overturned near Koh Dang and Hang Nak Cape, to the west of the tourist-popular beach resort town of Ao Nang. The two tourists and their Thai driver were safely rescued by a nearby fishing boat. “We were fishing around Koh Dang, and a…
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Phuket beach wedding nightmare as couple’s plans bounced
PHUKET: There are no solutions for a distraught wedding couple who already booked everything for a beach wedding before discovering through a Phuket Gazette story (click here) that such ceremonies were banned on the island, confirmed Vice Governor Somkiet Sangkaosutthirak. “We’ve a small beach wedding planned for the end of March. When we paid deposits three weeks ago, nobody warned…
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Boy, 9, drowns in Nai Harn Lake
PHUKET: A 9-year-old boy was pronounced dead this morning, after being recovered from the bottom of Nai Harn Lake yesterday afternoon. After 20 minutes of searching, off-duty lifeguards pulled Sarun Srisongkram from the water at about 5pm last night. He was not breathing, and was immediately given cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) by lifeguards who happened to be training on the beach…
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Phuket man killed in motorbike crash with parked 18-wheeler
PHUKET: A man died after crashing his motorbike into an 18-wheeled truck parked near Siam Niramit on the bypass road yesterday afternoon. At the scene, police found the body of Warodom Withayanithidilok, 25, with a broken neck and injuries to his face, said Maj Rachan Punwai of the Phuket City Police. The visor of Mr Warodom’s helmet was completely shattered…
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Phuket fighters score gold at national youth games
PHUKET: Youngsters from Phuket won gold in seven competitions at the 31st National Youth Games, held in Chanthaburi last week. Thammawat Wongcharoenyot, president of Phuket Sports Association of Thailand Phuket office, was proud of the squad’s performance, especially in the martial arts events. “Phuket won 39 medals this year: 7 gold, 10 silver and 22 bronze. Now Phuket is ranked…
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No road closures for Phuket Cycling Fest
PHUKET: Police will be stationed at road intersections to help with traffic flow during the Phuket Cycling Fest ride tomorrow morning (story here). However, no roads will be completely closed the Phuket Gazette was told today. Nonetheless, drivers are asked to avoid the cycling route to prevent congestion if possible. Cyclist will depart from Saphan Hin at 6:15am. They will…
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Expert fears Phuket touts feeding meth to slow lorises [video]
PHUKET: Police are looking into a wildlife expert’s concerns that slow lorises being touted in Phuket and other popular tourist destinations in Thailand are being drugged with methamphetamine or another stimulant. “My officers will be keeping an eye out for slow loris touts. After we make an arrest, we will be questioning them about whether or not they are drugging…
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Domestic tourist safe after longtail boat capsizes in Krabi
PHUKET: Five domestic tourists were safely rescued after their longtail boat capsized in Krabi yesterday afternoon. At about 3:40pm the longtail boat, Jaosapandaman, flipped over while taking the tourists from Koh Hong to Ao Nang. “Near the area of Saphanlek, close to Klong Muang Beach, the waves were too big. A wave broke the motor free from the boat, and…
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Drunk Australian perp caught pocketing prawns in Phuket
PHUKET: A drunk Australian tourist was arrested for stealing two tiger prawns from a seafood restaurant in Patong yesterday. “The man walked through our restaurant and took two prawns. Our staff asked him to put them back, but he refused, and then disappeared onto Soi Bangla,” 36-year-old Tropica restaurant manager, Aruni Mahasena, told the Patong Police. After receiving the report,…
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No security boost ordered for Songkran festival in Phuket, yet
PHUKET: Phuket Tourist Police have yet to receive an order to boost security during the upcoming Songkran Festival, which will be celebrated from April 13 to 15. The news follows the The Nation reporting that Thailand’s Tourist Police are preparing all major tourist destinations to ensure the utmost safety during the world-famous water-filled holiday (story here). “We will do security…
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Phuket’s Eva Beach responds to probe into legality of beachfront resort
PHUKET: The management of The Eva Group has issued a statement in response to an inspection carried out earlier this year by a chief judge and a team of experts into an upscale property project under construction in Rawai. Tawatchai Sontiwanit, chief judge of the recently formed environmental division of the regional Administrative Court responsible for Phuket, led the inspection…
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Video Report: Phuket United unveil 2015 Futsal League lineup
PHUKET: The island’s sole team in the national Futsal League, Phuket United FC, unveiled their squad for 2015 Futsal League lineup, which gets underway on Saturday. The team, unveiled by Phuket Vice Governor Somkiet Sangkaosuttirak last weekend, includes two Brazilians: 26-year-old defender Francisco Da Silva Soares, and Jackson Santos, 29, who plays pivot. Headed by coach Chalermpong Saengdee, just 27…
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German tourist recovering after propeller slashes head
PHUKET: A German tourist who was struck in the head by the propeller of a longtail boat off Karon Beach on Wednesday (story here) is recovering well, a tourism official has confirmed to the Phuket Gazette. Santi Pawai, director of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports (MOTS) Phuket office, visited the injured tourist, 54-year-old Rudi Dann, at Bangkok Hospital Phuket…
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Phuket officials charge captain of illegal Antarctic toothfish vessel
PHUKET: Officials have charged the Peruvian captain of an illegal, unreported, unregulated (IUU) fishing vessel for falsely reporting the cargo of his ship as he attempted to offload 182 tonnes of Antarctic toothfish illegally caught in the Southern Ocean. The ship, which recently had its name changed from Kunlun to Taishan, had already fled from the navies of New Zealand…
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Phuket expat murder charge: Police to hand Pendlebury case to prosecutor in late April
PHUKET: Patong Police expect to hand over their case against Mark Pendlebury, a long-time expat accused of murdering a Thai nightclub bouncer on March 11 (story here), by the end of April. “I think I will be able to compile all evidence and complete the investigation by late April. Then, we will handle to case to public prosecutor,” Lt Col…
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Phuket police ordered to follow up on taxi mafia, billion-baht-beach scheme cases
PHUKET: A group of high-ranking police officers and island officials met with Phuket Public Prosecutor Pisitpol Phumsawat yesterday to follow up on the progress in the island’s high-profile taxi mafia and billion-baht-beach scheme cases. “I have been ordered by the Royal Thai Police and the National Council for Peace and Order to follow up on these cases, as they have…
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No lifeguards on Phuket beaches tomorrow
PHUKET: There will be no lifeguards on Phuket’s beaches starting tomorrow, as the annual government contract comes to an end. No party has come forward to bid on the 22-million-baht concession to sign the new contract – not even the Phuket Lifeguard Club (PLC), who have guarded the beaches for years. The Phuket Provincial Administrative Organization (PPAO) offered a concession…
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Phuket’s Lighthouse Weekend Market returns with a taste of Fantasia
PHUKET: Phuket’s liveliest marina is going Fantasia for this month’s Lighthouse Weekend Market at the Boat Lagoon with world-class acrobatic performances and live acoustic vibes from one of the country’s top guitarists to accompany the smorgasbord of street-side treats from local vendors and boutique stores. Bring the entire family for a fun-filled evening in ‘Never Never Land’ from 5pm to…
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Two dead as ghost-driving pick-up slams head-on into six-wheeler
PHUKET: A ghost-driving pick-up truck driver travelling in the wrong direction on the one-way road leaving the island slammed into a six-wheeled cargo truck early this morning, killing himself and his passenger and injuring two others. Police were called to the scene at about 4am, where they found a white six-wheeled SuperCheap truck and a demolished pick-up truck on the…
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Phuket’s Kingdom crew fly high at Platu TransWorld
PHUKET: Phuket-based yachtsman Scott Duncanson and his crew Trent Pedersen, Alfie Rowson, Tony Harman and Paul Burke on Kingdom Property have won second place in the inaugural Platu TransWorld Invitational. The four-day international competition based at the Ocean Marina Yacht Club in Pattaya featured crews from Sweden, Russia, Singapore, Japan, Holland, the United Kingdom and Australia, but was ultimately won…
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Euro tour golfer Spilkova swings by Laguna
PHUKET: Ladies European Tour player Klara Spilkova recently visited Laguna Phuket Golf Club’s newly upgraded course, designed by renowned golf architect Paul Jansen, to practice ahead of her first event of the 2015 season. As part of her stay, Spilkova conducted a golf demonstration, showcasing her golf talents to Laguna Phuket Golf Club’s lucky lady members. “It was such a…
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Phuket readies for Earth Hour
PHUKET: The chief of the Phuket office of the Provincial Electricity Authority (PPEA) is urging people to join the Earth Hour 2015 event this Saturday to show their support for saving the world’s energy. “It is a very good campaign that everyone can join. You can take part while at home or work, by simply turning off unnecessary lights,” PPEA…
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Phuket tour bus crash: 3 Chinese tourists dead, driver blames brake failure
PHUKET: Three Chinese tourists were killed and 15 others injured, three seriously, when the tour bus they were riding in tumbled off the road and rolled down Kata Hill on the way to Chalong this afternoon (story here). Initially, 11 of the injured tourists were taken to Vachira Phuket Hospital after the accident, and four were taken to Patong Hospital…
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Breaking News: Three dead in Phuket bus crash
PHUKET: Three people were killed after a Phuket tour bus crashed on Kata Hill as it headed toward Chalong Circle at about noon today. First reports at the accident site say that 18 tourists were on board the Morning Sun tour bus when it tumbled off the road and rolled down the hill. Concerns were raised in January last year…
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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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