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.
-
Sponsored Limited-time deal: Save 20% on Cigna's expat health plans forever
Starting a new life abroad is exciting—new culture, new lifestyle, and new chances to grow. But living far from home also means taking steps to protect your health in unfamiliar surroundings. Without the right coverage, even small health issues can...
-
New “Mayor’ for Laguna
CHERNG TALAY: Michael Ayling will take over from James Batt next month as Managing Director of Laguna Resorts & Hotels PCL (LRH), the Gazette has learned.Mr Ayling, who was born in Kent, England, is an Associate Chartered Accountant of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales, and holds a BA (Hons) in accounting and finance from Manchester Metropolitan…
-
Gumballers launch from Phuket
PHUKET: Movie star Darryl Hannah of Kill Bill fame, stuntman extraordinaire Ryan Dunn, Oscar winner Adrien Brody, Jackass’s Bam Margera, skateboarding legend Tony Hawk, hip-hop superstar Missy Elliot, singer Pink and many others were among participants in the Gumball 3000 race, which took off with smoking tires from Phuket this morning, headed for Bangkok.The rally participants, driving everything from ancient…
-
World music festival for Patong Beach
PHUKET: Popular entertainer Todd Thongdee and Phuket Governor Udomsak Uswarangkura met this morning to discuss a festival of world music to be held in Patong from December 26 to 30.The aim of the event, which will be called Music World, is to bring together musicians from 14 tsunami-affected countries, including Kenya, Tanzania, Malaysia, Indonesia and Somalia, to perform live on…
-
Officials launch crackdown on smuggled fuel
PATONG: Marine Police and Customs officers are conducting random inspections of ships in the Andaman region while police officers and Department of Energy officials are inspecting gas stations on the island in a crackdown on fuel being smuggled into Thailand.Arthon Keesiri, Director of the Investigation and Suppression Office, Excise Department, Ministry of Finance, announced at a seminar on Saturday, “The…
-
Beware of police impostors – Police Chief
PHUKET CITY: Phuket Provincial Police Commander Pol Maj Gen Decha Budnampeth yesterday warned people to be on the lookout for gangsters impersonating police officers.“Many rubber plantation owners have complained that thieves are disguising themselves as police, and even carrying pistols, in order to demand money from their Burmese laborers,” Gen Decha said.“Most cases reported have been from labor camps in…
-
Chinese official calls for greater safety for tourists
PHUKET CITY: Yao Bomin, China’s Consul-General in Songkhla, has called for the Thai government to help make travel to Phuket safer for Chinese tourists following the deaths of three Chinese nationals from accidents in Phuket earlier this year.“The Chinese government is very concerned about the safety of Chinese tourists, especially as three have died as a result of accidents in…
-
CAT cuts overseas call rates
THAILAND: CAT Telecom yesterday cut international call rates to 10 countries to 5 baht a minute, whether calls are made from a fixed-line phone or a mobile phone.CAT Deputy Managing Director Maroot Buranasettakul said that rates for all 009-prefix calls to Brunei, Canada, China (including Hong Kong and Macao), Guam, Kuwait, Laos, Malaysia, Russia, Singapore and the US (including Alaska…
-
Publisher assassinated
PHUKET CITY: Opas Noothong, 59, owner of the recently-launched newspaper Fahkumnod (“Natural Order”) and of the Jao Khun Karaoke on Luang Por Rd, was gunned down by two teenagers while walking back to his office about 11:30 pm on Saturday.Pol Capt Rassada Kluengwong, of Phuket City Police Station, told the Gazette, “Witnesses said that K. Opas was walking from Chatuchak…
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.
Don't forget to check out some other things to do in Thailand - get help starting a business or finding a job in Thailand, buy Thailand property, rent a yacht or book a medical procedure worldwide.