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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Quarantine period reduced to 10 days starting tomorrow
Starting tomorrow, quarantine will be reduced 10 days. Reports in Thai media say the quarantine will be reduced to 7 days for vaccinated tourists starting tomorrow as well, but Thai embassies in the US, UK and Australia only mention the 10 day quarantine. Those travelling from countries were the coronavirus has mutated will still need to quarantine for 14 days.…
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Thai PM will consider waiving quarantine for vaccinated visitors to Phuket
The Thai PM says he’s willing to consider a call from the Phuket business community to allow vaccinated foreigners to bypass quarantine. Prayut Chan-o-cha says in order to compete with other countries popular with tourists, Phuket plans to re-open fully to vaccinated foreigners from July, meaning the government must make sure the country’s vaccine rollout is on track. “The point…
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Phuket sets questionable goal of vaccinating 50,000 in 7 days
Phuket is hoping to inoculate 50,000 people within 7 days of the vaccine’s delivery to the island. The governor of the island, Narong Woonciew is asking for residents to register for the vaccine to get the ball rolling as soon as possible to help make the island ready for a possible July reopening. “We will certainly receive 100,000 doses of vaccines…
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Phuket expects tourist from China in July, Europe end of year
Phuket is reopening to foreign tourists starting July 1 with the quarantine period waived for vaccinated travellers, but it’s likely that most of the tourists will be from China. Chartered flights are scheduled to begin in July from China, while European visitors are expected to start returning in winter. Phuket expects about 2 million visitors, mostly from China and Europe,…
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Phuket wants Chinese tourists to jump-start sandbox scheme
Phuket wants Chinese tourists to jump – start its sandbox scheme which will let vaccinated international visitors enter the Andaman island without undergoing quarantine as of July 1. The targetting of Chinese visitors comes after data revealed that they contributed to 1/5 of the pre-Covid economy. The move to allow tourists to enter without undergoing quarantine is important as officials…
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Phuket unemployment rates rise, average monthly income drops
With the lack of foreign tourists visiting Phuket, many tourism-dependent businesses have suffered. Officials have reported a spike in unemployment in Phuket and say average monthly income has dropped down to 1,900 baht. Government officials are now discussing potential measures for economic rehabilitation on the island province as well as the so-called “sandbox” travel scheme, which is expected to help…
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We took a poll in Phuket… re-opening the island in July
The Thaiger put up a poll on our YouTube channel yesterday. Completely unscientific, but trying to guage some of the viewers opinions about the latest plan, Phuket Sandbox, to open up Phuket, in July this year, as a pilot for future re-openings around Thailand for travellers, without quarantine. With the government claiming that the plan won’t go ahead unless 70%…
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Phuket businesses welcome quarantine-free re-opening plan
Businesses on the southern island of Phuket have welcomed the government’s approval of a quarantine-free re-opening for vaccinated foreigners from July 1. From that date, Phuket will become the first province to waive mandatory quarantine for international arrivals who have been vaccinated against Covid-19. The re-opening is expected to generate over 84 billion baht. Like many parts of the country…
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Thai man dies after motorbike hits tree in Phuket
A Thai man has died after over shooting a curb and hitting a tree in Phuket Town last night. 36 year old Narongchai Samat, from Phang Nga, became the 23rd person to die on Phuket roads this year. Phuket City Police were called around 10:15pm last night, to the scene of the accident, which was near the Phuket office of…
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5 other provinces adopting Phuket’s sandbox reopening model
5 other Thai provinces will be adopting Phuket’s sandbox model between the months of October and December, with a full reopening of Thailand, set to take place in January 2022. The Tourism Authority of Thailand governor says the plan to reopen the tourism provinces will need local residents’ support and a detailed map of where tourists would be allowed to…
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UPDATE: Phuket’s tourism ‘sandbox’ plan gets approved by CESA
Phuket’s tourism sandbox plan has been approved, as of today, by The Centre for Economic Situation Administration. The meeting was chaired by the Thai PM. The scheme, which would allow vaccinated tourists to skip quarantine starting July 1, still needs to be discussed between the Tourism Authority of Thailand, the CCSA, and the Phuket governor before becoming official. Tourists who…
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July re-opening for Phuket expected to get government approval today
Today, the government is expected to approve a quarantine-free re-opening for the southern island of Phuket from July. However, the re-opening does require the island to have achieved herd immunity status by vaccinating 70% of its population before then. Deputy PM Supattanapong Punmeechaow says the Centre for Economic Situation Administration will consider the plan at its meeting later today, which…
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Foreigners seeking 60 day tourist visa extensions crowd Phuket Immigration
Many foreigners seeking to extend what some are calling the “Covid visa” crowded Phuket Immigration this morning. The queue stretched from the second floor, out the door and down the stairs at the front of the building. One man told the Phuket News that many were waiting to file a 60 day tourist visa extension. The visa extensions are intended…
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Phuket’s upcoming reopening aims to help residents avoid poverty
Phuket’s upcoming reopening in July is aimed at helping local residents avoid falling into poverty. According to Phuket Vice Governor Pichet Panapong, the average monthly income of local residents before the Covid-19 pandemic sat at 43,000 baht per month. Now, Pichet says it has fallen to only 8,303 baht per month, signaling a drastic fall nearing the poverty line. “If…
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Tour bus operators in Phuket call for government help after a year of no work
Tour bus operators on the southern island of Phuket are calling for government assistance as they face ongoing legal action over missed lease payments on their equipment. Some operators say the threat of bankruptcy looms over them after a year of unemployment. The Covid-19 pandemic has wreaked havoc with tourism on Phuket, but tour bus operators say they have never…
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Phuket approves quarantine-free stays for foreign travellers from July 1
Foreign travellers to Phuket can enjoy their stays free from quarantine restrictions starting July 1. Today, the infectious disease committee approved the plan to allow foreign tourists to skip quarantines on the premises that local Phuket residents will be inoculated before then, as part of plans to achieve a herd immunity. The plan was supposed to be originally submitted this…
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Phuket to present reopening plan this Friday with fingers crossed
Phuket is expected to present a reopening plan for approval that would allow vaccinated tourists visit without undergoing quarantine starting in July. The plan will be submitted to the Centre for Economic Situation Administration this Friday. Yuthasak Supasorn, the governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand, says the Phuket Tourism Sandbox plan can only be successful if the Andaman island achieves…
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Phuket and Koh Samui request bulk deliveries of AstraZeneca Covid vaccines
Now Thailand’s Covid vaccine roll out has begun, it is starting to gather speed. The southern resort islands of Phuket and Koh Samui have made requests to the Public Health Ministry for enough doses to vaccinate the majority of the islands’ residents in anticipation of an early return to some semblance of tourism. Both holiday islands have a high reliance…
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Health minister says locals on Phuket and Koh Samui will be vaccinated before tourists return
Thailand’s health minister is reassuring the public that there will be enough vaccines to immunise locals, particularly on the popular holiday islands Phuket and Koh Samui, before Thailand reopens to foreign tourists. Public Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul says 800,000 doses of the Chinese-made Sinovac vaccine arrived in Thailand over the weekend. He says 100,000 doses will go to Phuket and…
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Patong official denies wastewater to blame for macro algae bloom along beachfront
A Patong official is denying that wastewater flowing into the beach’s bay is causing a large influx of algae, leading to mass amounts of red sea urchins being stranded on the shore. Nattawut Thepthon, Chief of the Patong Municipality Sanitary Works Division told The Phuket News that the appearance of sea urchins is a natural phenomenon. But the chief of…
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Watch your step, hundreds of red sea urchins wash up on Patong Beach
Hundreds of red sea urchins washed up on Phuket’s Patong Beach yesterday, prompting marine life experts to investigate and lifeguards to warn beachgoers to watch out their steps to avoid the sharp spines. Marine experts say the sea urchins are the same species that washed up on Patong beach earlier this month. On March 2, hundreds of the red sea…
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Phuket officials warn public of crocodile spotted near Chalong pier
Officials in Phuket are warning residents near Chalong Pier of a crocodile sighting in the area over the weekend. Nation Thailand reports that Natchaphong Pranit from the Phuket Port Authority Office says the reptile was spotted in the water around 3pm on Saturday. “We advise operators of boat services and general public to exercise extra caution when entering the pier…
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Sri Panwa luxury resort owner injured in car accident in Phuket
The owner of the luxury resort Sri Panwa in Phuket, which offers the new “villa quarantine” for travellers from overseas, was injured in a car accident last night. Police say 40 year old Vorasit “Pla Wan” Issara drove into a power pole on Sakdidet Road in the Wichit district. Officers suspect Vorasit lost control of the car while driving around…
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American has false negative Covid-19 test result in Thailand, positive result after returning to the US
An American, who recently travelled to Phuket and Bangkok, tested positive for Covid-19 after returning to the United States. The man was tested prior to leaving Thailand and Thai health officials now say that result was a false negative. Thailand’s Department of Medical Sciences reviewed the man’s Covid-19 test that was taken right before leaving Thailand and now say the…
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Aging American expat “living the dream” in Phuket on US $2,500 a month
An American says he is living the dream in paradise in Phuket for only US$2,500 a month. 70 year old Pete Bowen arrived in Thailand back in 2009 with only a suitcase and guitar after self-admittedly making an impulsive decision to sell his house and belongings and move across the world to look for a place in which he could…
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“Sandbox” tourism scheme for foreign travellers in the works for Phuket
Tourism officials are working on what they’re calling the “sandbox,” a new pilot program to reopen Phuket and other destinations by the Andaman Sea to foreign visitors. The sandbox is like the “travel bubble” idea and would allow quarantine-free travel to certain areas. The sandbox model will be pitched to the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration next Friday, Tourism and…
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Police step up Phuket gold shop inspections to increase security
Phuket police are stepping up gold shop inspections in the area to help increase security. They say they have already started inspecting the shops in Phuket Town to make sure security measures are up to par with officers now patrolling areas where gold shops are located more regularly. Phuket Provincial Police Commander Pornsak Nuannu says his offices have already met…
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Phuket aims for mass Covid-19 immunisation by October
The Phuket government is pushing for more Covid-19 vaccines with the hopes to hit mass immunisation by October. So far, just under 2,000 people on the island province have been injected with China’s Sinovac vaccine. The local officials say they will file a request to get enough doses to vaccinate roughly 78% of the population by October. With the Phuket…
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Officials meet in Phuket to discuss implementing “area quarantine” from April
A number of officials, including Tourism Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn will meet in Phuket today to discuss the implementation of area quarantine on the southern island, possibly as soon as next month. Thai PBS World reports that various hotel representatives and other tourism businesses are expected to attend the meeting. The idea of area quarantine has been proposed for a number…
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Travellers undergoing yacht quarantine to wear wristbands to track location and monitor health
Foreign tourists travelling to Thailand by yacht and undergoing the mandatory quarantine period onboard the vessel will be asked to wear a smart wristband to monitor their health and track their location. The Digital Economy Promotion Agency teamed up with Advanced Info Service, known as AIS, and Phuket tourism operators to launch the so-called “Digital Yacht Quarantine” programme. Apparently, tourist…
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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