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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Managing medical expenses in Thailand is important as healthcare costs continue to rise. The country’s healthcare system includes both public and private options, but even with the Universal Coverage Scheme (UCS) for citizens, many still face high out-of-pocket medical expenses....
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Immigration chief highlights Rohingya plight in Thailand
PHUKET: Immigration Bureau Commissioner Pharnu Kerdlarpphon, in Phuket for a closed-door meeting of high-ranking officials, has expressed his concern for the growing number of Rohingya refugees being detained in Thailand.Lt Gen Pharnu’s visit to Phuket on Tuesday was to head a meeting tabled to discuss the bureau’s “working policy” at which Phuket’s own immigration superintendent did not attend.Following the meeting,…
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Phuket bike burner confession treated as ambiguous, police continue search
PHUKET: A man who rambled while confessing to police that he had burned several motorbikes in Phuket has been arrested while police continue their investigation and look for accomplices.Police picked up Thaweesak Nathang, 37, on Monday because he looks similar to a man seen in CCTV images of a motorbike burning in Kamala.When questioned by police, Mr Thaweesak confessed to…
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Serial Phuket resort thief nabbed
PHUKET: A joint investigation by police from Karon, Kathu and Phuket City has resulted in the arrest of a Bangkok couple who stand accused of robbing guest rooms at nine high-end hotels and resorts in Phuket.Ritthimeth Singhaumpai, 33, and Sasithorn Seekam, 22, were arrested on Wednesday after they entered the Jungceylon car park in a black-on-black Mercedes-Benz E200 sports sedan.The…
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After five months, missing American Brett Bean calls home
PHUKET: Brett Bean, the American expat whose disappearance last November gained extensive press coverage, has contacted his family after 155 days of unnerving silence, the Phuket Gazette has confirmed. “It was a very brief call,” his mother, Lynne Bean, said. “We still do not know where he is, but it was very good to hear his voice,” she added. “At…
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Phuket Wake Park latest victim of illegal Russian raids
PHUKET: Following the arrest of 35 Russians found allegedly working illegally in Patong nightclubs last week (story here), three more Russians have been arrested at the tourist-popular Phuket Wake Park in Kathu. Cherdsak Wisutthikul, from the Department of Employment in Bangkok, led a team of 20 officers to raid the wakeboard park at about 5:30pm on Thursday. Following a chaotic…
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Phuket FC to entertain with Singhtarua
PHUKET: The Islanders will be hoping to get their push for promotion back on track when they host 4th place Singhtarua FC at Surakul Stadium this evening. Phuket FC lost their last away game to Air Force United 2-1. The match was the second time in three days the two teams played each other at Thupatemee Stadium, on the northern…
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Burmese girl, 6, first dengue fatality on Phuket this year
PHUKET: In the wake of a six-year-old Burmese girl dying from dengue fever after arriving on the island in April, the Phuket Provincial Health Office (PPHO) is urging everyone to bolster efforts to remove possible breeding grounds for mosquitoes potentially carrying the disease. The young girl was in Phuket for less than two weeks before she was admitted to Vachira…
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Phuket visa run destination Kuala Lumpur stops issuing 12-month non-imm B visas
PHUKET: The Royal Thai Embassy of Kuala Lumpur, a popular visa run destination for Phuket expats, has confirmed that it is no longer issuing 12-month non-immigrant B visas. Embassy official Orawan Heemmamhad confirmed to the Phuket Gazette that the embassy in the Malaysian capital stopped issuing 12-month business visas late last year. “It is the Kuala Lumpur embassy policy not…
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Phuket’s Top Cop calls for more CCTV cameras to fight crime
PHUKET: Phuket’s top brass highlighted the importance of CCTV in police investigations and the need for more cameras on the island at a meeting to discuss unsolved high-profile crimes with the Deputy Commissioner of Provincial Police Region 8 this week.“The Phuket Provincial Police only have about 300 CCTV on the island, which is not enough to cover everywhere,” said Phuket…
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Phuket Governor joins prison dawn search
PHUKET: A pre-dawn search of Phuket Prison on April 30 led by the Phuket Governor failed to discover any drugs or contraband being hidden by prisoners, reconfirming the facility’s status as a Department of Corrections “White Prison”.Governor Maitri Inthusut led about 200 officers, including Phuket Provincial Police Commander Choti Chavalviwat and Phuket Prison Chief Rapin Nichanon, in conducting the mass…
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Phuket Police suspect American died of drug overdose
PHUKET: A 29-year-old American woman found dead in her bed shortly after checking into a Phuket rental room is suspected of having suffered from a drug overdose, said Chalong Police.The woman was identified from her passport as Faetra Petillo, and family members have been notified of her death.At the scene Ruamjai Foundation rescue workers, who were contacted by Chalong Police…
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Phuket to spend B60mn on flood defense
PHUKET: Phuket Provincial Administrative Organization (PPAO) President Paiboon Upatising has pledged to spend 60 million baht on flood-defense projects across the island.The news comes as the annual monsoon winds from the northeast swing around to start bringing rain from the southwest.“We will support all projects from every local administration,” said Mr Paiboon.“The budget is ready to be allocated to finalized…
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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