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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Sponsored Long-term life in Thailand? 5 reasons private health insurance pays off in the long run
Thailand is a great place for expats and retirees, offering a warm climate, affordable living, and rich culture. However, healthcare can be tricky for foreigners since they aren’t eligible for public health coverage, and private care can be expensive. Private...
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British family’s £4,000 Phuket villa holiday turns nightmare
A family’s dream Christmas holiday in Phuket turned into a nightmare after discovering their £4,000 (around 176,000 baht) villa booking was a scam, leaving them stranded and scrambling for last-minute accommodation. After a gruelling 30-hour journey, Judy and Richard Loader arrived in Phuket only to discover the villa they booked through Booking.com for over £4,000 simply didn’t exist — turning…
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Phuket boosts tourism with 7 new developments
Phuket’s booming tourism industry is set for a fresh injection of new developments as four hotels and three condominiums received approval from the Expert Committee on Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) during a recent meeting. The third EIA committee gathering of the year took place at the Phuket Provincial Natural Resources and Environment Office, chaired by Vice Governor Samawit Suphanphai. The…
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Mud and done it! Phuket villa project sinks after landslide scandal
A swanky Phuket villa project has been slapped with a construction ban after furious locals complained it was turning their neighbourhood into a mudbath. The VIP Galaxy Villa development in Rawai was ordered to down tools earlier this month after a series of alleged planning breaches, including triggering mudslides onto public land. The two-storey luxury pad project, built from reinforced…
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2 meth dealers arrested in police bust in Phuket
Phuket’s drug suppression unit struck a significant blow against the local narcotics trade on Monday, arresting two suspects and seizing methamphetamine and related paraphernalia in a crackdown led by top provincial police officials. Under the command of Police Major General Sinlert Sukhum, Phuket Provincial Police deployed a focused operation headed by Police Lieutenant Colonel Phichit Thongto, head of the Narcotics…
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Phuket anti-corruption chief slams dropped appeal in graft case
Phuket’s top anti-corruption official has sharply criticised the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) for declining to appeal the overturned conviction of MaAnn Samran, a former local official convicted of corruption but later acquitted on appeal. MaAnn, once the powerful Chief of the Cherng Talay Tambon Administration Organisation (OrBorTor) overseeing Phuket’s prized beach areas, including Bang Tao, was sentenced in…
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Major power outage hits Cherng Talay in Phuket May 29
Residents and businesses in Cherng Talay are bracing for a major power outage this Thursday, May 29, as the Provincial Electricity Authority’s Thalang branch (PEA Thalang) undertakes essential upgrades to the high-voltage distribution system. The electricity cut will last from 9am to 4.30pm, affecting a wide area stretching from Blue Tree Water Park to the entrance of Wat Thepwanaram. This…
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Foreign woman arrested for failing to pay bill at Phuket bar
Police arrested a foreign woman at the weekend after she failed to pay a bill at a bar in Phuket and allegedly insulted Thai people. A Thai TikTok user, @tunroychannel, shared a video of the incident on on Sunday, May 25, with a caption that read, “Free visa tourist insults Thai people. She came to travel but did not have…
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Teen gun and firecracker attacks spark Phuket crackdown
Seven people have been arrested for the gun attack on Saturday. Last weekend, a group of teenagers unleashed gunfire and massive firecrackers in Phuket, injuring two people. The trouble began late on Saturday night, May 24, in Soi Bang Thong 3, Kathu, when a gang of teenagers opened fire and hurled explosives. A 15 year old boy, Athinan Ruangsantidamrong, was…
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Jet-ski operator arrested for helmet attack in Phuket
In Phuket, a jet-ski rental operator has been detained following an altercation involving an elderly three-wheeler driver, during which the suspect used a helmet as an attack weapon in Thalang yesterday, May 25. The incident occurred at approximately 10.30am and was caught on video, which gained traction on social media. The footage shows the 45 year old, identified as Wisan…
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Myanmar man’s body found after tragic Phuket fishing accident
The body of a 26 year old Myanmar man, who was swept into the sea while fishing with friends near Paradise Beach, Phuket, has been recovered, as confirmed by the police. The incident occurred on May 24. Wasana Khamchomphu reported the disappearance of her employee, Lone Lone, to Patong Police at 5.53pm on the same day. Lone Lone and two…
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Thailand integrates AI to transform tourism sector
Assistant Minister Supachai Jaismut from the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation attended a national seminar in Phuket to promote the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into Thailand’s tourism sector. The event, AI for Next Gen – Transforming New Era Tourism with AI, took place at the Blockchain Technology Centre in Chalong from May 24 to May 25.…
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Phuket violence: teens clash with guns and explosives
In Phuket, an altercation between rival groups of young people escalated into a violent incident involving firearms and explosives. Today, May 25, at 12.35am, Police Lieutenant Sumet Phetruenthong received reports of teenagers using vehicles to pursue and shoot at each other, including throwing large firecrackers, along a road near Chamcha Market in the Talat Nuea subdistrict. Upon arriving at the…
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Cement mixer crash sparks chaos on Phuket’s slippery roads
A cement mixer truck overturned on a rainy morning in Phuket, leaving a driver injured and traffic snarled on a busy route. At 9.45am yesterday, May 23, rescue teams at Kusontham Muang Mai Centre were alerted by the Andaman Narendra Centre about the accident. The incident took place on Thep Krasattri Road, just before the Mueang Mai Tunnel’s red light.…
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Bomb threat panic on Phuket flight sparks emergency evacuation
Chaos broke out yesterday at Phuket International Airport when a passenger on an AirAsia flight caused panic by jokingly warning of a bomb in his bag — triggering a full-scale emergency response and a police investigation. At 3.50pm yesterday, May 23, officials were alerted after 62 year old Thanawut Wichaidit reportedly told a flight attendant, “Watch out for the bomb…
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Swiss man on the run from jail sentence for assaulting Thai doctor
A Swiss man who attacked a Thai doctor at a luxury villa in Phuket has been sentenced to one month in prison — but has already fled the country, defying an arrest warrant. The dramatic case stems from an incident on February 24, 2024, when Dr Tharadao Chandam, widely known as Dr Pai, accused David, real name Urs Fehr, a…
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Foreign tourists caught defecating outside restuarant in Phuket
A Thai restaurant owner in Phuket urged the government to consider increasing the number of public bathrooms after foreign tourists defecated outside his business on two separate occasions. The owner of Salaloy Restaurant, Pananut Asawapitakchon, shared details of the unpleasant incidents on his Facebook account yesterday, May 22. He explained that the incidents occurred twice beforehand, last week and this week,…
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China backs green Phuket push to boost tourism and tunnels
China is throwing its support behind Phuket’s dream of becoming a low-carbon tourist haven, following a high-level diplomatic visit that’s turned heads across the island. Yesterday, May 21, Chinese Consul General in Songkhla Wang Zhijian paid a courtesy visit to Phuket Governor Sophon Suwannarat at the Phuket Provincial Hall. The visit wasn’t just ceremonial—both sides reaffirmed their commitment to deepen…
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Patong card game bust: 4 arrested in secret gambling raid
A not-so-secret card game ended in handcuffs when police raided a small shop in Patong, arresting four people allegedly caught gambling illegally. The dramatic bust took place in Soi Kebsup, at the southern end of the island’s party capital, following an investigation into what officers described as a “covert gambling network” operating under the radar of Patong’s bustling nightlife scene. Patong…
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‘Little Moscow’ boom: Russians fuel Phuket property frenzy
Phuket’s luxury property scene is getting a flashy new address—“Little Moscow.” Tucked in the serene north of the island, Nai Thon Beach is rapidly transforming into Thailand’s next ultra-luxe real estate hotspot, fuelled by foreign money, especially from Russian buyers escaping war and winter. The sleepy seaside village, nestled within Sirinat National Park and just minutes from Phuket International Airport, is…
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Body of foreign man found floating near Nui Beach, Phuket
The body of a tattooed foreign man has been found floating in the sea off Phuket’s Nui Beach, marking yet another tragic case of tourists meeting their end in the island’s waters. Karon Police were alerted to the grim discovery at around 3.20pm yesterday, May 21, after beachgoers spotted a body drifting offshore. Lifeguards responded quickly, using a speedboat to…
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Russian woman busted in Phuket sex sting in tourist crackdown
A late-night sting in Phuket ended with the arrest of a young Russian woman accused of selling sex at a luxury villa, just as Thai police ramp up efforts to clean up crimes affecting tourism. Tourist Police confirmed the 25 year old woman, whose name has not been released, was arrested around midnight on Tuesday, May 20, at a private…
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Royal Thai Navy seizes illegal Indonesian fishing boats off Phuket
A dramatic high-seas sting netted two Indonesian fishing boats and 18 crew members, all caught red-handed illegally operating in Thai waters — and the Royal Thai Navy wasn’t letting them get away. The bust took place on Monday, May 19, when the HTMS Longlom intercepted the foreign boats about 80 nautical miles southwest of Phuket, within Thailand’s Exclusive Economic Zone…
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Dozing driver ploughs into truck at Phuket intersection
An early morning delivery turned into a nightmare for two young men after a delivery truck driver nodded off at the wheel and crashed into the back of another truck waiting at a red light in northern Phuket. The high-impact collision took place around 5am today, May 21, at the Old Airport Intersection in Village 1, Mai Khao, Thalang district,…
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Motorcyclist driving wrong way in Phuket kills woman
A heavily intoxicated 32 year old man drove his motorcycle against the flow of traffic, resulting in a tragic accident that claimed the life of a woman. Police confirmed the suspect had high blood alcohol level in his system after he admitted to consuming alcohol before the incident. Police Colonel Yutthaphon Wathaseth, an investigating officer from the Thalang District Police Station,…
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Thai motorcyclist and Italian passenger seriously injured in Phuket crash
A dramatic day unfolded on the roads of Phuket yesterday, when a Thai motorcyclist and his Italian passenger made a swift getaway after smashing into a van. Their escape, however, was short-lived as they later collided with an SUV, leaving both with serious injuries. Officers from Patong Police Station responded to the accident near Phra Baramee Soi 5 on Phra…
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Phuket Covid surge: Island ranks 3rd in Thailand
Phuket’s picture-perfect beaches may be drawing tourists in droves but the island is quietly battling a Covid-19 surge that places it among the top three provinces for infection rates in Thailand this year, though remarkably, not a single death has been reported. According to the Department of Disease Control, from January 1 to May 10, 2025, Phuket recorded 1,287 cumulative…
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Phuket thief busted with 18 stolen gadgets including smartphones
A high-tech thief’s lucky streak came to a crashing halt after police caught the light-fingered 26 year old man red-handed with a stash of stolen electronics, including iPads and smartphones, allegedly taken from multiple shops across Phuket’s popular Kata-Karon area. Somwang ‘Jay’ Phonpradit was arrested at around 8pm yesterday, May 19, at a rental room on Mueang Thong–Khao Khad Road…
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Phuket shopper horrified by squirming surprise in salted fish
Nothing says “good morning” like finding live worms wriggling in your breakfast. That’s exactly what happened to one unfortunate shopper in Phuket who made a stomach-churning discovery in a serving of fried salted fish bought from a local shop. The shocking incident, which quickly went viral, sparked a wave of online outrage and renewed calls for stricter food safety standards…
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Runaway van slams into 4 taxis outside Phuket Airport
A chaotic crash unfolded outside Phuket International Airport’s international arrivals terminal yesterday afternoon when a van’s accelerator reportedly jammed, setting off a domino-effect collision involving four taxis. The incident happened around 12.50pm yesterday, May 19, right on the first-floor platform. Despite the heavy impact, no injuries were reported. Witnesses were left stunned as the Toyota Commuter van, bearing the distinctive…
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Phuket lawyer accused of misconduct and affair with client’s girlfriend
A Thai man accused a lawyer in Phuket of letting him down both professionally and personally by failing to represent him properly in the court and having an affair with his girlfriend. The 29 year old man, a resident of the Kathu district in Phuket, shared his story with the media to expose the lawyer‘s alleged misconduct. He claims to have…
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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