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 5 ways retirees in Thailand lose money (and how to stop it)
Retiring in Thailand can be affordable and enjoyable, but many retirees lose money due to common mistakes. High living costs, scams, and unexpected expenses can quickly drain savings. There are five ways that retirees in Thailand can lose money and...
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Big Joke to travel to Phuket following Patong sex trafficking bust
UPDATE The Deputy Commander of the Royal Thai Police, Surachate “Big Joke” Hakpark, plans to travel to Phuket following the recent sex trafficking bust in Patong, ThaiRath reported yesterday. Yesterday, the deputy chief of Provincial Police Region 8, Pol. Maj. Gen. Wasan Techaakasen, went to Kathu Police Station to follow up and apprehend more suspects involved in the scandal. They were charged…
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Phuket restaurant caught selling stonefish, known to be venomous
Yet another Phuket restaurant has been caught selling a protected fish, this time a stonefish, which is known as the most venomous fish in the world. Yesterday, officials from the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) Phuket Office received a tip-off that the restaurant, located in Rawai sub-district in Phuket’s main city district, was selling protected marine animals. Officials…
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Phuket thief nabs German tourist’s mobile phone
There’s been another theft against a tourist in Thailand, this time in Phuket. A Phuket thief nabbed a German tourist’s mobile phone yesterday morning. The thief snatched the victim’s mobile phone on Soi Cherng Talay. The victim was a 56 year old German man named Haugg Fred. After receiving a report at about 9.50am, Cherng Talay Police arrived on the…
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5 police officers transferred over child prostitution ring at Patong bar
Five officers from Patong Police Station were transferred after they were connected to the child prostitution scandal at a bar in the Patong neighbourhood of Phuket. The Operation Underground Railroad anti-trafficking organisation, the Department of Provincial Administration (DOPA), found evidence to implicate the officers involved in the child prostitution racket at the Velvet bar, which saw the eventual rescue of…
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Phuket hit with petty crime after money boxes stolen
Petty crime has hit Phuket as police charge a couple for stealing a tip box from a Karon resort. According to a report by the Phuket Info Centre, the tip box was stolen from the Kata Tranquil Villa Hotel reception desk on Soi Patak 12, Karon, at around 11pm last Friday. The Phuket News reported that Karon police checked CCTV…
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In Phang Nga, 165 baby sea turtles hatch and venture into the sea
In a heartwarming event, 165 baby hawksbill sea turtles hatched and ventured into the sea in Phang Nga on Tuesday. The Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) reported that a mother hawksbill sea turtle had laid a total of 190 eggs on January 15 this year. The successful hatching of the baby turtles took place at Chong Khao Kad…
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Patong bar raided for child prostitution, 6 teenagers rescued
The special operation unit from the Department of Provincial Administration (DOPA) conducted an undercover raid on Velvet bar on Bangla Walking Street in the Patong neighbourhood of Phuket yesterday after being notified of child prostitution involving teenagers under 18 years old. The international anti-trafficking organisation, Operation Underground Railroad, complained to the DOPA that Velvet bar on Bangla Walking Street lured…
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Pod of dolphins makes an appearance in Phang Nga
A pod of dolphins made an appearance in Phang Nga‘s Mu Ko Surin National Park in the Khura Buri district, much to the delight of tourists. A tour boat was travelling through the park when the captain spotted the dolphins. The captain slowed the speedboat to let the tourists admire the creatures. The dolphins stayed to hang out around the…
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Phuket taxi driver praised after returning Louis Vuitton bag to tourist
A Phuket taxi driver is being praised after returning a 150,000 baht Louis Vuitton purse to a Chinese tourist. The Phuket Info Centre, operated by the Phuket office of the Ministry of Interior, posted about the incident. According to Phuket News, the post was titled, “Good deeds must be admired.” The Centre said the bag was returned to the tourist…
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Phuket gets green light for Songkran water splashing
Phuket has been given the green light for water splashing festivities during the upcoming Thai New Year of Songkran. The president of the Phuket Provincial Administration Organisation, Rewat Areerob, confirmed the good news after a three-year break of no water splashing. The official celebrations will be held in Phuket Town on Dibuk Road, in front of the Limelight Avenue shopping…
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Patong Police bust 7 for allegedly illegally processing cannabis buds
There’s been another bust in Patong over nightlife and substances. Patong Police on Monday night busted seven people for allegedly illegally processing cannabis buds. Police apprehended the seven individuals on Bangla Road, and Soi Sane Sabai. This was after the police, along with staffers from the Department of Traditional Thai medicine, inspected cannabis shops on the roads. The seven people…
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Phuket villager stumbles upon mother sea turtle laying 107 eggs
A Phuket villager stumbled upon a mother sea turtle as she was laying 107 eggs. Sirinat National Park said in a Facebook post that the villager, Kriangkrai Dejom, found the mother turtle laying eggs on a beach near Sai Khu Bay at around 5am on Monday. The beach is located in the Sakhu sub-district of Thalang district. Kriangkrai patiently waited…
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Vocational education to aid Phuket labour shortage
Phuket tourism completed a full turnaround from the Covid-19 pandemic days of no customers to so many customers that there aren’t enough workers to take care of them. Now, an agreement has been signed between the Office of Vocational Education Commission (OVEC) and representatives of the business sector in Phuket to address the labour shortage in the province’s tourism and service…
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New Executive Assistant Manager appointed at Four Points by Sheraton Phuket Patong Beach Resort
Press Release Four Points by Sheraton Phuket Patong Beach Resort has announced the appointment of Benoit Mouclier as Executive Assistant Manager. Prior to this appointment, Mr. Benoit was the Director of Sales & Marketing of the resort. A highly skilled hospitality professional with previous work experience in China and Hong Kong, Mr. Benoit has worked at a variety of Marriott…
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Two foreign kayakers rescued from Phuket sea
The search for two missing foreign tourists who disappeared after renting kayaks from a hotel on Coconut Island in Phuket, southern Thailand, on Friday has been called off. It turns out they were rescued by the captain of a yacht later that day. At 6pm yesterday, officers at Mueang Phuket Police Station, Tourist Police, Phuket Marine Police, and Koh Kaeo…
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Tuk Tuk driver caught stealing Swedish tourist’s phone
A tuk tuk taxi driver was arrested on Saturday in Patong for stealing an iPhone 14 Pro Max from a Swedish tourist in Patong. According to the Patong Police, Merdzana Pepic reported to the police station that she might have forgotten her mobile phone in a Tuk Tuk taxi. She had taken the tuk tuk taxi earlier in the morning,…
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Officials bust Patong hookah venue over violations
Officials busted a Patong hookah venue on Friday night following complaints. The raid at Crystal Club on Bangla Road was ordered by Phuket Governor Narong, along with other officials. During the raid at around 11.30pm, officials seized a total of 52 hookah sets along with shisha and other equipment, and handed it to police, The Phuket News reported. The officials…
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Coral Rehabilitation for Divers Volunteers protects reefs
A new Coral Rehabilitation for a Divers Volunteers training program in Phuket has attracted several foreign divers interested in the restoration project. The course aims to provide participants with knowledge of how to operate procedures in coral rehabilitation following academic principles. The program, created by the Royal Thai Navy (RTN) and the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) has…
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2 Phuket restaurants busted with protected marine life
In Phuket, two floating restaurants have been busted possessing protected marine life in violation of environmental laws. The Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) inspected floating restaurants in Phuket on Friday to check whether they had protected marine life and found a stash. Social media posts shared the findings online. The DMCR inspection found that both restaurants had ornamental…
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Chinese tourists bring Thai school uniform trend to famous spots in Phuket
Chinese tourists have now brought the new trend of dressing up in Thai school uniforms to famous spots in downtown Phuket. These hotspots include Museum Phuket, ThaiRath reported yesterday. The museum is a well known landmark with its clock standing high above the main building. Chinese tourists also enjoyed taking photos of themselves dressed in Thai school uniforms at Chiang Mai…
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Body spotted off Phuket believed to be missing Romanian diver
Nearly two months after the search for the Romanian diver who went missing at sea off Phuket ended, officials believe that his body has been found. A body was spotted floating off Phuket’s Koh Kaew island yesterday, The Phuket News reported. At 12.30pm, an unnamed boat captain told Chalong Police that he found a legless body in the water some…
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Another meeting with French consul on French motorbikers in Phuket
There’s been yet another meeting with the French Consul in Phuket addressing the issue of dangerous motorbike driving by French nationals on the island. This is after the former French Consul in Phuket met with Patong Police over the issue just last month. The Honorary Consul of France in Phuket, Alain Faudot, along with the Consul at the French Embassy…
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Patong Police still probing the cause of Belgian man’s death
UPDATE Patong Police are still probing the cause of the death of a Belgian man reported on Wednesday. The Phuket Express reported yesterday that Patong Police are reviewing the incident to determine if the man did indeed slip and fall, as was reported earlier, or if his death was caused by a physical confrontation. The victim’s friend said they got in…
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Why Phuket is the best destination for wedding?
Press Release Phuket is one of the most beautiful destinations in the world and is perfect for a wedding. It offers a wide range of resorts and venues that can accommodate any budget and size of wedding. From beachfront villas to luxurious resorts, Phuket has something for everyone. With its stunning views, lush green landscape, and crystal clear waters, it…
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Belgian man tragically dies after trying to defuse argument in Patong
A Belgian man tragically died after he reportedly tried to defuse an argument in Patong. The man’s friend told Patong Police that he had been in a heated argument with a Thai man at an apartment in Soi Nanai. The victim had been trying to stop the heated exchange, and for unknown reasons, he reportedly ran and slipped, hitting his…
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Phuket man fires gun in hospital car park in spat over parking space
Yet another parking spat in Thailand has resulted in a gun being drawn. A Phuket man yesterday fired a gun at another man’s car in a hospital parking lot in a spat over parking space. The incident happened on the fifth floor of Vachira Phuket Hospital’s car park building at 9.30am. The man, 31 year old Thanakorn Thongek, had reportedly…
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Thai navy busts Phuket umbrella operator for beach encroachment
The Royal Thai Navy busted a Phuket umbrella operator for encroaching on a beach yesterday. The incident happened on Koh Racha Yai, an island off southern Phuket. The navy inspected the island yesterday and found the operator on Ao Pratok Beach. Twenty sets of umbrellas were seized, and the operator was arrested and brought to Chalong Police Station for further…
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Phuket cops on the prowl for hit-and-run driver
Phuket cops are on the prowl for a hit-and-run driver who sideswiped a motorbike, knocking the rider onto the ground. The incident happened on Saturday at 12.02am on Wiset Road in the village of Rawai. CCTV footage showed that the car was half in the left lane while it passed the Honda Click motorbike before it sideswiped the motorbike and…
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Tragic road death in Phuket after young man hits reduce speed sign
A tragic road death occurred in Phuket after a young man hit a reduced-speed sign with his motorbike on Sunday. The incident happened on Thepkrasattri Road southbound in Tambon Thepkassattri at 7.40am, The Phuket News reported. Rescuers arrived on the scene to find the victim, 24 year old Thanongsak Raiyai, lying dead near his motorbike. Thanongsak’s neck was broken, and…
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Shortcut road between Kathu and Thalang in the works
Phuket authorities are planning to construct a shortcut road between Kathu and Sri Soonthorn in Thalang. The road is being built in hopes of easing traffic congestion in Koh Kaew. The move was announced by Phuket Provincial Administration Organisation (PPAO) President, Rewat Areerob, who revealed that three prominent families in the region have donated land for public use to enable…
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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