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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Couple die in bike smash
CHALONG: An American visitor from Bangkok and her partner have died in a motorbike accident at Chalong.Mary Susan Crosland, 52, and Cha Paen Anukul, also 52, were killed around 10 am on Tuesday, when the motorbike K. Cha was driving, with Ms Crosland riding behind, failed to take a curve near Chao Fa Thani village.The couple lived in Bangkok and…
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TRT confirms parliamentary candidates
PHUKET CITY: Thai Rak Thai (TRT) today confirmed that the party’s candidates for the general election, scheduled to take place by February 13 next year, will be Dr Sriyada Palimapan and Wisut Santikul.Dr Sriyada will contest District 1 (Phuket City and immediate area), while former Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (OrBorJor) Vice-President K. Wisut will contest District 2 (the rest of…
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Fast visas and work permits coming – Sipa
PHUKET CITY: The man charged with transforming Phuket into a “cyber paradise” says procedures for fast-track visa and work permit approvals for foreign IT workers will be operational next month.Dr Manoo Ordeedolchest, President of the Software Industry Promotion Agency (Sipa), has announced that applicants will be able to apply to the Sipa office, which will then coordinate with the Board of…
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Pa Khlock people back new pier
PHUKET: A small gathering of interested Pa Khlock residents today gave their backing to a proposal by the Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (OrBorJor) to build a new pier at Ao Por.However, the exact location has yet to be decided, and the land around all the possible sites is in private hands.Staff from the Marine Department gave a presentation on the…
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Paradorn to return to Phuket
PHUKET: Thai tennis superstar Paradorn Srichapan is due on Phuket later this month.Paradon, currently ranked 21 in the world, will be bringing the 2004 Paradorn Super Tour to the island’s Laguna Beach Resort on November 27 and 28.The tour, which features exhibition matches, tennis clinics and autograph signing sessions, starts in Bangkok on November 22 and moves to Nakhon Ratchassima…
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Cabinet to review B63bn Ao Phuket project
PHUKET: The Ao Phuket Project committee yesterday agreed to present to Cabinet for approval a plan to spend 63 billion baht on transforming Saphan Hin and Phuket Bay into a mega-development covering 2,216 rai.The 14-person committee, headed by former Phuket Governor Prof Yuwath Wuthimethee, met at the Governor’s office in Phuket City to review the plan by construction consultants BBMT…
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Police probe death of Briton
PATONG: Police are investigating the death of a Briton, Stephen Harris, 46, born in Birmingham, whose body was found in his room at the Monte Carlo Hotel on Rat-U-Thit 200 Pi Rd on October 29 at around 1 pm.Speaking to the Gazette today, Pol Lt Col Boonlert Onklang of Kathu Police Station said that, according to a doctor who made an…
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Third corpse found in “Burmese Cemetery’
RASSADA: The body of a murdered Burmese fisherman was found at the Rassada Port area on Friday, bringing the number of corpses discovered in what has been nicknamed the “Burmese Cemetery” to three in just two days.Pol Capt Kanuang Pitakkulthorn, of Phuket City Police Station, said he received a call from residents at the port informing him that a body…
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US$50,000 reward offered over jewelry heist
BANGKOK: CB Fine Jewelry is offering a reward of US$50,000 for information that will lead to the arrest of Anthony “Dirk” De Weirdt, a Belgian national and the former factory manager of CB Fine Jewelry, in connection with the alleged theft of gems and jewelry said to total 18 million baht from the Bangkok jewelers. Bangrak District Police issued an…
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Two bodies found in “Burmese Cemetery’
RASSADA: The bodies of two unidentified men thought to be Burmese fishermen were discovered near the fishing docks in Tambon Rassada yesterday morning. Pol Lt Pattrawut Onchuay of the Phuket City Police told Gazette today that his department received a report of fighting involving several people just after midnight on October 28 and went to investigate. The combatants managed to…
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Road crackdown a boon for police
PHUKET: Statistics tallied from Phuket’s eight police districts between June 1, 2003 and September 30, 2004 recorded a total of 139,320 traffic violations.The central Government designated the 16-month reporting period as a crackdown on traffic violators, during which time police were charged with establishing checkpoints to inspect passing vehicles, the stated goal being to improve road safety. Chatchawan Munpolsri, Deputy…
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Server swamped
PHUKET: Following a bulletin on Wednesday afternoon announcing that the deadline for listings in the Gazette Guide (local yellow pages) for 2005 would be Sunday night, 31 October, the Gazette web server has been under heavy pressure and has suffered sporadic downtime. In what may be a reflection of the booming economy in the Andaman region, approximately 220 new listings…
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Night venues win “unofficial’ 2 am reprieve
PATONG: Entertainment venues in Patong and Kata-Karon this evening won an interim “unofficial” reprieve from the Governor, who has said they may stay open until 2 am.In return, they have agreed to call off their protest at the football field on Thaweewong Rd.After meeting with Phuket Governor Udomsak Usawarangkura early this evening, Sompetch Moosophon, President of the Patong Entertainment Business…
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Plague of bugs hits coconut trees
PHUKET: Phuket’s coconut trees have been attacked by an estimated one billion coconut hispine beetles this year.Songwat Tiwthao, of Phuket Provincial Agriculture Office, told the Gazette that the problem was a new phenomenon, with the beetles (scientific name brontispa longissima) being found in Phuket only during the past two years. They are particularly prevalent in Chalong and RawaiThe coconut hispine…
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Phuket 100pc safe – police chief
PHUKET: The island’s highest-ranking police officer gave his assurances today that there is no possibility of the recent violence in the Deep South spreading north to Phuket. The violence, said Phuket Provincial Police Commander Maj Gen Suvith Othong, remains confined to the three troubled southern border provinces of Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat.He said it was “impossible” for an event similar to…
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“One tambon, one lawyer’ scheme launched
PHUKET: Each of Phuket’s 17 sub-districts, or tambon, should soon have its own lawyer, under a new “one tambon, one lawyer” initiative.The tambon lawyers, who will be paid 7,260 baht a month, will give basic legal advice and information about state laws to residents of the tambon where they work, as well as be responsible for trying to resolve disputes.The…
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New law aims to protect Phang Nga
PHANG NGA: The government is debating a new law to preserve and enhance the environment in Phang Nga. The Chief of the Phang Nga Provincial Office of Natural Resources and Environment, Jarin Inkeaw, said the law has been under consideration by the Office of the Council of State (OCS) since September. It will have to be presented to the Cabinet…
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PM to review 1 am closing – Gov
PHUKET: Following mass protests in Patong and Phuket City today, Governor Udomsak Usawarangkura has informed representatives of the entertainment industry in Phuket that Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra will discuss closing times with the Cabinet next Tuesday (November 2).Packdee Ritthisaman, of the Phuket City Entertainment Association, told the Gazette that the Governor informed him that the Cabinet will discuss a proposal…
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Night venues set for mass protest
PHUKET: Less than one week before the official start of the high season for tourism on November 1, nighttime entertainment venue operators appear set to move forward with their planned work stoppage to protest the government’s early closing times.More than 200 bar owners, staff and others affected by the new regulations gathered at the Crocodile Pub on Soi Bangla last…
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One billion firecrackers, one billion baht
PHUKET CITY: Tonight marks the end of the Phuket Vegetarian Festival 2004, when believers will bid farewell to thousands of Chinese warrior gods as they return to their celestial realm.Sending them on their way at 10 pm will be the explosions of no fewer than a billion firecrackers, according to the official Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) guide to the…
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Locals welcome first hotel on Koh Maphrao
PHUKET: Koh Keaw Tambon Administration Organization (OrBorTor) has welcomed the news that a 600-million-baht hotel is to be built on Koh Maphrao, in Phang Nga Bay, east of Phuket City.Managing director Lily Udomkunnatum unveiled Burasari Resort’s plans for the development, the first hotel on Koh Maphrao, and the company’s third in Phuket, after the Burasari Resort, Patong, which opened in…
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Phuket works on stray dog problem
PHUKET CITY: Governor Udomsak Uswarangkura held a round-table discussion at the Provincial Hall Meeting room yesterday to outline his plan for solving Phuket’s chronic stray dog problem.About 30 people attended the meeting, including local and provincial officials and animal charity representatives.The Governor acknowledged that there were “management” problems at the Mid Road Dog Shelter in Thalang, which render the facility…
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German dies from knife wounds
RAWAI: Hans Jurgen Ottmar Bayer, 37, from Germany, died on Monday night from knife wounds sustained in a fight with his live-in partner, Nakorn Koipud, 25, at their home in the Happy Home housing estate.Pol Capt Chana Sutthimas, of Chalong Police Station, said that Nakorn told police she was slicing vegetables in the kitchen at about 9 pm, when Mr…
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TAT backs F1 powerboat race
PHUKET: The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has agreed in principle to give the Phuket Chamber of Commerce the 30 million baht it requested to bring F1 powerboat racing to Phuket next March.The decision was made today at Kata Beach Resort after the Vice-Governor of the TAT, Santichai Euajongprasit, and the Director of the TAT office in Phuket, Suwalai Pinpradub,…
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Myanmar upheaval “no cause for concern’
PHUKET CITY: The current political upheaval in Myanmar should not cause any material changes to the position of Burmese labourers in Phuket, the Superintendent of Phuket Immigration Office, Pol Col Witawat Buranasompop, said today.Col Witawat told the Gazette that his office had been advised by the national immigration office to monitor Burmese labourers on the island in the wake of…
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Underground power plans delayed by funds hurdle
PHUKET: The Phuket Provincial Electricity Authority (PPEA) will start to install underground power cables in Phuket City and Patong … when the money can be found for the project.PPEA Manager Amorn Sang-hearn told the Gazette today that the PPEA had earmarked Thalang Rd in Phuket City and Thaweewong Rd in Patong as the first places where power cables would be…
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Early hours will cut flesh trade – Gov
PHUKET CITY: Governor Udomsak Usawarangkura has revealed a long-suspected but until now unstated reason for the new rules mandating 1 am closure of entertainment venues – the need to reduce prostitution.The Governor was responding to threats by entertainment business leaders in Patong to close their doors indefinitely from October 26 to protest recently introduced rules requiring venues in entertainment zones…
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Vice-Governor to move
PHUKET CITY: Phuket Vice-Governor Pongpow Ketthong has been appointed Deputy Director-General of the national Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department (DPMD).V/Gov Pongpow was officially informed of his new appointment yesterday and will take up his post on October 26. His replacement as Vice-Governor has yet to be announced.He told the Gazette that one of his tasks in his new job would…
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Night venues threaten indefinite closure
PHUKET CITY: Entertainment venues throughout Phuket are set to close their doors for an indefinite period on October 26 in protest against the government’s new early-closing policy.Sompetch Moosophon of Patong Entertainment Business Association (PEBA) told the Gazette that PEBA members had decided to take the drastic decision to close their businesses at a meeting on Saturday at The Metropole hotel.According…
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Road death toll shows improvement
PHUKET: Official figures for the year to September 20 show 122 deaths of people on motorcycles on the roads of Phuket, 15 more in cars, and one on foot for a total of 138.The figures are an improvement on those for the same period of 2003, when 145 died on Phuket’s roads, 139 of them while riding motorbikes.Sixteen people died…
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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