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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  • War on drugs underway | Thaiger

    War on drugs underway

    BANGKOK (TNA): The government has launched a new round of drug suppression in a ceremony presided over by Prime Minister Somchai Wongsawat last Thursday. The 90-day “war on drugs”, which kicked off on November 3, is scheduled to last through till the end of January. In his speech announcing the crackdown, PM Somchai encouraged authorities to devote their full attention…

  • Phuket Carnival dates announced | Thaiger

    Phuket Carnival dates announced

    PATONG: This year’s Phuket Carnival will take place from December 15 to 20 at Patong Beach, some six weeks after the traditional starting date of November 1. Phuket Deputy Mayor Chairat Sukban said this year’s events will differ slightly from carnivals in past years, which have featured top rock acts including Modern Dog and even a performance once by the…

  • Americans dominate beach volleyball final

    Americans dominate beach volleyball final

    KARON: In the final playoff of the Swatch FIVB Beach Volleyball 2008 tournament, Jennifer Boss and April Ross overcame fellow Americans Nicole Branagh and Tyra Turner to win at Karon Beach on Sunday. After two sets, the teams couldn’t be separated with Branagh and Turner winning the first set 21-18 and Ross and Boss the second 21-14. The final went…

  • Deadline for local ‘yellow pages’ listings | Thaiger

    Deadline for local ‘yellow pages’ listings

    PHUKET: Businesses wishing to appear in the 2009 Gazette Guide, Phuket’s ‘yellow pages’, have until 6pm on Wednesday, November 12, to enter (or update) their listings. Businesses entered after that date will appear in the Gazette Guide Online only – not in the hard-copy book for 2009. Listings, which are for Phuket Phang-nga, Krabi and Samui businesses only, can be…

  • Israir announces direct flights from mid-December | Thaiger

    Israir announces direct flights from mid-December

    PHUKET: Israeli airline Israir announced Wednesday that as of December it will begin operating two flights to Thailand, including direct flights between Israel and Phuket. Israel-based news service ynetnews.com reported that the flights, aboard Airbus A-330 planes, will be available during the height of Phuket’s high season: from December 15 to February 28. The flights will leave Israel on Sundays…

  • Urgent need for B Rh Negative blood | Thaiger

    Urgent need for B Rh Negative blood

    BANGKOK: Foreign Correspondents Club Thailand (FCCT) member and well-known local restaurateur Thomas McNamara is in critical condition and in need of blood type B Rh NEGATIVE. If you or anybody you know has this rare blood type, please contact Bumrungrad Hospital in Bangkok (Tel: 02-6671000) where Mr McNamara is being treated in Intensive Care Unit 526. A transfusion will help…

  • Young Brit dies in mystery fall | Thaiger

    Young Brit dies in mystery fall

    PATONG: A young English tourist mysteriously fell from a building in Patong early Monday evening and died en route to hospital. Kathu Police Superintendent Col Grissak Songmoonnark identified the deceased from his passport as UK national Joseph John Nason, age 22. Mr Nason and a friend, aged 19, had just arrived in Phuket on a flight from Bangkok and were…

  • Phupanee and Yunsuwan crash out of Phuket Open Volleyball

    Phupanee and Yunsuwan crash out of Phuket Open Volleyball

    KARON: Crowd favorites Orradee Phupanee and Aunchalee Yunsuwan of Thailand crashed out in straight sets (21-16 and 21-15), losing to the more experienced Swedish pairing of Tora Hansson and Camillia Nilsson yesterday in the Swatch FIVB Phuket 2008 Women’s Open volleyball tournament. The Swedes, seeded sixth, won the match in straight sets in just 27 minutes. At 16 years of…

  • Laguna Phuket turns to China, Middle East as Europe stays away | Thaiger

    Laguna Phuket turns to China, Middle East as Europe stays away

    PHUKET: Laguna Phuket, the giant five-star resort complex on Bangtao Beach, Phuket, says it plans to look more and more towards China and the Middle East next year to compensate for a continuing plunge in bookings from European tourists. The operators expect the global financial crisis and domestic political unrest to continue affecting international arrivals next year, particularly Europeans, long…

  • Stress taking a toll | Thaiger

    Stress taking a toll

    BANGKOK (The Nation): Heads of families or breadwinners in urban areas in Bangkok and 18 other provinces are suffering from stress due to political turmoil and economic woes, an Abac poll revealed yesterday. The poll was conducted from October 10 to November 1. Of 3,293 respondents surveyed, 59 per cent said they were ‘stressed out’ by the country’s ongoing political…

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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