Phuket News
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Germany’s strength in depth delivers ultimate prize
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Germany’s strength in depth delivers ultimate prize Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Germany’s impressive strength in depth proved the decisive factor in their 1-0 extra-time World Cup final victory over Argentina on Sunday as Lionel Messi failed to deliver the golden touch for the South Americans.…
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DNP chief locked and loaded: targets high-ranking officials over Phuket land snatching
PHUKET: More than 1,000 rai of Phuket land illegally owned by former ministers, deputies and provincial governors will be returned to the public, said Samak Donnapee, director of the Bureau of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP). “The 92 plots being taken back are in Sakoo and Cherng Talay,” confirmed Sirinath National Park Chief Kitiphat Tharapiban to the Phuket…
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Phuket police hunt human smugglers after rescuing debt-trapped Burmese fishermen
PHUKET: Fast action by the Phuket Marine Police freed two Myanmar nationals who were trapped in indentured labor on a fishing vessel as Thailand continues its campaign to rebut its downgrade to the lowest tier on the US State Department’s “Trafficking in Persons” report. “We take this issue very seriously,” Lt Col Panya Chaichana of Phuket Marine Police told the…
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Speedboat rescues Phuket captain found floating at sea in life jacket
PHUKET: A boat captain bobbing at sea in a life jacket was rescued by a speedboat 20 minutes after his boat sank near Koh Yao Yai yesterday afternoon. Apichart Lawthong, 51, was the only person on board when the boat, which was carrying construction supplies, foundered in rough seas. “I left Phuket at about 11am, headed to Phi Phi,” Mr…
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Police suspect kickstand played role in fatal Phuket motorbike crash
PHUKET: A helmet-less Myanmar national was killed after losing control of his motorbike on a curve while driving with his kickstand down in Phuket yesterday. When police arrived at the scene on Phra Phuket Kaew Road, they found 27-year-old Phyo Maung Maung’s motorbike, with the kickstand down, on the median and Mr Phyo’s body in a lane of oncoming traffic.…
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Military silent on ‘cash for clearance’ at Phuket Airport
PHUKET: Navy officers have fallen silent over their investigation into immigration officials at Phuket International Airport who allegedly solicit cash payments from tourists to clear immigration queues. On Wednesday, one of the top-ranking officers who led a Monday raid of the airport declined to reveal to the Phuket Gazette whether or not his officers were continuing their investigation into the…
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Police warn local officers over taxi mafia revival
PHUKET: The leading police officer who spearheaded the recent purge of Phuket’s illegal taxi mafia has vowed to investigate any local police officers who allow illegal taxi drivers to return to their regular roosts. Maj Gen Paween Pongisirin of Region 8 Police said that he considered any further action against illegal taxi operators a matter to be dealt with by…
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Big snake caught choking the chicken in Phuket
PHUKET: A Phuket resident woke with a start in the middle of the night Tuesday after a python started dining in his chicken coop. “I heard my chickens panicking, so I went to the henhouse to see what was wrong,” Thanarat Manlin told the Phuket Gazette. “I was so shocked when I peeked inside and saw a big python killing…
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Unemployed Phuket tour bus staffers plead for help
PHUKET: Local tour operator staff made redundant by companies using their own buses, drivers and guides to provide tours of Phuket appealed yesterday to the Governor’s Office for help in alleviating their plight. Kanlaya Rakvaree, the lead representative of the group, explained that many local jobs had been lost to companies that no longer hire Phuket tour companies to conduct…
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Phuket house burglar’s rampage comes to abrupt end
PHUKET: Police yesterday snared a serial burglar who confessed to having robbed 12 Phuket residences since mid-June. The 22-year-old Phang Nga native, Raewat Kasirak, was identified by police from many CCTV footage clips recovered from throughout the island, explained Lt Col Somsak Thongkliang of the Phuket City Police. Mr Raewat, who was arrested in front of the Phuket Vocational College…
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Twin Sharks turns turtle, to rejoin regatta racing tomorrow
PHUKET: Hot favorite Twin Sharks, which capsized during practice in strong winds off Phuket yesterday, is expected to begin its campaign in the Firefly Sport 850 class in the Multihull Solutions Regatta tomorrow. The racing catamaran turned turtle in Chalong Bay yesterday afternoon amid strong winds gusting up to 25 knots (story here). Skipper and owner John Newnham and his…
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Pressure on Phuket Governor over Surin Beach ‘failure’
PHUKET: Three Cherng Talay residents who last week filed a petition and a police complaint against Phuket Governor Maitri Inthusut over the clearing of Surin Beach returned to Cherng Talay Police Station on Wednesday. The complaint alleged that Governor Maitri had failed to perform his duties as the Governor of Phuket by not clearing all structures from Surin Beach (story…
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Phuket man found at lake bottom after midday fishing, drinking session
PHUKET: The body of a 65-year-old man was recovered from a lake in Cherng Talay by rescue divers hours after his wife reported him missing. Arwin Norkam went searching for her husband, Don Norkam, at about lunch time this afternoon. At the lake, where he had gone to fish, she found his clothing, shoes, fishing tackle and a bottle of…
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Rio’s Christ to light up Twitter’s World Cup campaign
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– World sport selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Rio’s iconic Christ statue will be lit up on the eve of Sunday’s World Cup final in the colours of each of the finalists’ flags with Twitter users to determine which is displayed the longest. Starting on Wednesday, Twitter Inc users around the world can participate by…
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ICC win the first match of the Outrigger T20 League
PHUKET: In the first outrigger 20/20 cricket league match of the season, Island Cricket Club (ICC) played Village Cricket Team in the morning match on the 6th July 2014. Village captain Martin Platts won the toss and elected to Bat. Village opening batsman Divan Mydeen (1) was caught behind early on from the bowling of Arun Virdikar, who struck again…
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Phuket catamaran flips in regatta warm-up
PHUKET: All crew are safe after a Phuket boat flipped in practice this afternoon ahead of the Multihull Solutions Regatta, which starts tomorrow. Twin Sharks, one of the fastest Firefly catamarans in the fleet, flipped in strong winds gusting up to 25 knots on Chalong Bay. The boat owner, John Newnham, and his three crewmen are safely back on shore…
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Phuket beach shops fetched B7mn apiece, B400k a year in rent, say officials
PHUKET: Shops and restaurants torn down by officials at Nai Thon Beach yesterday were bought for as much as 7 million baht apiece and fetched rental fees of up to 400,000 baht a year, officials have revealed. “It is obvious that the people who run these shops are business operators, not local people living day by day,” Sirinath National Park…
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Argentina beat Dutch in shootout to reach final
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Argentina beat Dutch in shootout to reach final Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Argentina’s Sergio Romero saved two penalties in a 4-2 shootout win over the Netherlands to seal their first World Cup final place in 24 years after the first ever goalless semi-final at the…
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Rules announced for Phuket beach development
PHUKET: Local residents have been forbidden to make any changes to the island’s new beachscape by order of Phuket Governor Maitri Inthusut. “If anyone tries to alter the beach landscapes or is caught violating the details of this order, they will face legal action,” the provincial order read. The order also provided the sole circumstances under which the beach could…
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Ousted Patong beach vendors promised employment-advice meeting
PHUKET: The more than 1,000 Patong beach vendors dislodged from the sands today have been promised a meeting with Patong Municipality and Army officials to discuss how they may continue earning a living without encroaching on public land. The vendors were served eviction notices yesterday and given a Friday deadline for removing all illegal structures from the beach. More permanent…
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Phuket Governor cleans Karon Beach, urges beachgoers to obey red flags
PHUKET: While leading a mass beach cleanup at Karon this morning, Phuket Governor Maitri Inthusut urged tourists to heed the red flags posted along the waterline. “Beach guards have told me that tourists ignore the red flags,” Governor Maitri said. “This is very dangerous. We would like tourists to enjoy Phuket without putting themselves at risk. Please listen to the…
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Breaking News: Phuket beach vendors push back at military attempt to clear Patong Beach
PHUKET: More than 100 Phuket beach vendors surrounded Patong Mayor Chalermluck Kebsab and Kathu District Chief Sayan Chanachaiwong as they, with the backing of military personnel, attempted to clear Patong Beach this morning. “This is where we earn a living; we have been here for many years. We are not harming anybody. Why would you stop us from earning a…
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Ruthless Germany stun the world with rout of Brazil
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Ruthless Germany stun the world with rout of Brazil Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Germany inflicted the most shocking result in World Cup history when they crushed hosts Brazil 7-1 in a semi-final that brought grief to millions of home fans and caused utter astonishment around…
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Immigration looks to enforce life ban for overstays within weeks
PHUKET: New penalties that will lead to some foreigners caught overstaying their permits-to-stay being blacklisted from re-entering Thailand for life may be introduced before the end of the month. The news follows reports of a new form, titled “The Acknowledgment of Penalties for Visa Overstay”, being distributed to all immigration checkpoints throughout the country. The new proposed penalties are listed…
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Phuket fishermen save severely injured sea turtle
PHUKET: Local fisherman saved an olive ridley sea turtle that washed onto a Phuket beach missing a flipper today. The fishermen notified Kusoldharm Foundation rescue workers, who collected the turtle from Sai Kaew Beach and transported it to the Phuket Marine Biological Center (PMBC) at Cape Panwa. “The turtle’s shell was damaged and its front flipper had been cut off.…
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Myanmar thugs threaten farmers at gunpoint in Phuket land grab
PHUKET: Phuket Governor Maitri Inthusut led about 50 Army and Navy armed personnel yesterday to investigate claims by villagers in Wichit that a gang of thugs from Myanmar hired by an “influential person” had threatened them at gunpoint to vacate their land. The sortie into the Nakkered Hills National Forest, near the Bang Wad Reservoir, took place after 20 families…
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Breaking News: Phuket land verification center to end national park encroachment
PHUKET: A land legality verification center will be established on Thursday to help investors be assured that the property they are purchasing is not encroaching on national park land or Phuket’s famed beaches. “We will set up a center where prospective investors can establish that the land documents, as well as the land they are looking to acquire, are legal,…
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Brazil without captain as nation awaits Germany clash
PHUKET WORLD SPORT – World sport selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Brazil without captain as nation awaits Germany clash Reuters/Phuket Gazette Brazil will be without captain Thiago Silva for their World Cup semi-final against Germany after FIFA on Monday rejected an appeal against his yellow card, denting home hopes of lifting the trophy for the sixth time.…
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Coup leaders invite corruption complaints from Phuket
PHUKET: The island’s representatives of the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) are inviting residents and tourists to file anonymous complaints of suspected corruption, as well as suggestions for coup leaders on how to improve the country. Any complaints filed as highly confidential will be treated as such, the island’s leading authorities have assured. “You can report any trouble…
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Phuket begins fight against slavery on fishing boats
PHUKET: The nationwide push to eradicate slavery in Thailand’s fishing industry started in Phuket today as the Phuket Provincial Employment Office (PPEO) began to receive lists of migrant workers employed in the field. Following the order by the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO), fishing boat operators have until July 21 to report the names of their migrant workers…
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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