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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Phuket woman dies after brutal assault by partner
A tragic incident unfolded at a rental room in the Mueang district of Phuket, where a woman succumbed to injuries following a violent altercation with her partner. Police apprehended the suspect, who later confessed to the assault. At approximately 10.45pm yesterday, April 13, Police Lieutenant Wutthichai Chanpai, Deputy Inspector of Wichit Police Station, was alerted to a domestic dispute resulting…
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Man found dead after fall in Phuket’s Wichit district
A 44 year old man was found dead after falling from an abandoned building in the Wichit district, Phuket. Before the incident, he had a dispute with his wife and left on a motorcycle. The police are investigating the cause of death. At 8.50pm yesterday, April 12, Police Lieutenant Colonel Fonthip Kaewsaen, Deputy Inspector of Wichit Police Station, was informed…
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Truck crash causes major disruption on Phuket road
Motorists are being warned to steer clear of Patak Road over Kata Hill, following a dramatic accident involving a 10-wheel truck. The truck skidded on the wet, rain-slicked road and crashed into three power poles, bringing down live cables and causing major disruptions. The incident, which occurred at approximately 12.15pm yesterday, April 11, has led to a temporary road closure…
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Water spouts create spectacle in Chalong Bay, not a tornado
Water spouts moving through Chalong Bay’s anchorage sparked online discussions yesterday, April 11, with many referring to the event as a “tornado.” However, Brent McInnes from the Phuket Cruising Yacht Club, who witnessed the event, clarified that this was not the case. Several videos of the water spouts were shared online by onlookers, including staff at the Phuket Tourist Assistance…
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Booze cruise: Patong police nab 6 foreigners in drink-drive blitz
Patong police launched their Songkran road safety crackdown in dramatic style last night, collaring six foreign revellers for drink-driving in the early hours, some more than three times over the legal limit. Officers set up a checkpoint near Loma Circle on Thaweewong Road between 12.30am and 2.30am today, April 11, as part of the nationwide Seven Days road safety campaign,…
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New Zealand man caught smuggling cocaine to Phuket in passport
Police arrested a New Zealand man at Phuket International Airport for smuggling cocaine into the country by concealing it inside a passport. Officers at the international arrivals terminal of Phuket Airport yesterday, April 10, discovered a packet of cocaine in the possession of the 24 year old New Zealander, whose identity was not disclosed in the report. According to a…
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Who’s a cheeky monkey? Phuket cops go ape over missing orangutan
Police raided the home of a Chinese woman in Phuket after a neighbour spotted an orangutan inside the property last week. However, no monkey was found during the search. The Phuket Info Centre news page reported the raid on the Chinese woman’s residence on Wednesday, April 9. The house is located in Supalai Lake Village on Thep Kasattri Road, in…
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Phuket police probe Aussie man’s apparent suicide
Just days after a previous suicide scare, a 62 year old Australian man was found dead in a Phuket home. His tragic end sparking renewed concerns about mental health support for expats. The Aussie, from Darlinghurst, Sydney, was found dead in an apparent suicide at a house in Village 2, Rawai, on the afternoon of April 9. Chalong Police were…
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American man found dead in Phuket gas suicide
Neighbours were left horrified after discovering a 73 year old American man dead in his Phuket home in what appears to be a disturbing suicide involving cooking gas and a plastic bag. Police are investigating the bizarre death of a foreigner found lifeless in his Patong residence yesterday, April 9, with evidence pointing to intentional inhalation of gas as the…
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Phuket Airport security questioned after sign hacked
A digital sign inside Phuket International Airport was hacked with a political message condemning Israel’s genocide in Palestine just days before Thailand’s busiest travel period. The incident occurred yesterday, April 9 and was reported to the Airports of Thailand (AoT) Phuket, but officials have yet to provide any response. The compromised sign, located near the baggage scan area, flashed the…
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Phuket faces water crisis as reservoirs run dry
Warning bells are ringing in Phuket as reservoir levels plunge and fears of severe drought grip the island. Officials scramble to prevent a looming water crisis before the taps run dry. Phuket chief Sophon Suwannarat and top provincial officials joined a high-level video conference on April 8 to strategise urgent drought mitigation measures. The session, chaired by Minister of Interior…
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Decomposed dugong found in Phuket likely died of natural causes
Marine officials reported that a dugong found ashore at Ban Ko En in Mai Khao, Phuket likely succumbed to natural causes linked to a chronic illness. The exact cause remains uncertain due to the advanced decomposition of the carcass. The female dugong, measuring 251 centimetres and weighing around 130 kilogrammes, was discovered on April 8, as confirmed by the Andaman…
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Soaked and secure: Phuket gears up for a safe splash this Songkran
With Songkran just around the corner, Phuket is ramping up its efforts to ensure safety during the festival. A major new operation centre has been launched to prevent road and marine accidents, as the island prepares for an influx of tourists and local festivities. Today, April 9, at 9.30am, Phuket Governor Sophon Suwannarat officially opened the Road and Marine Accident…
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Newborn abandoned in pickup truck in Phuket, rescued
A chilling discovery in Phuket has left locals shaken after a newborn baby was found abandoned in the back of a pickup truck. The infant, still with the umbilical cord attached, was miraculously alive and is now in hospital receiving care. Today, April 9 at 10.30am, Police Lieutenant Colonel Khajornkiat Khamwichairat, Deputy Inspector of Investigation at Cherng Talay Police Station,…
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Bets off: Phuket residents roll the dice against casino plan
A group of Phuket locals has rallied against the controversial casino bill, urging the government to halt its progress. Dressed in white shirts, they gathered at Phuket Provincial Hall to submit a petition that firmly rejects the push for casinos in the popular tourist destination. A group of concerned residents, entrepreneurs, and members of the Phuket State Enterprise Labor Relations Confederation…
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Phuket drug bust: 6 arrested with heroin
A major drug crackdown in Wichit, Phuket, led to the arrest of six suspects, including a man caught with over 79 grammes of heroin. The coordinated raids, carried out yesterday, April 8, have sent shockwaves through the local community, highlighting the ongoing battle against drug trafficking in the region. Six suspects were arrested in a well-executed drug operation led by…
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Phuket immigration busts 5 Indians in crackdown on illegal workers
Phuket Immigration officers, in collaboration with Region 8 Police, arrested five Indian nationals and a Thai woman involved in illegal employment. The operation, led by senior officers, highlights the province’s ongoing efforts to combat unlawful foreign workers and ensure the safety of residents and tourists. In a coordinated effort led by Police Colonel Kriangkrai Ariyaying, Superintendent of Phuket Immigration, along…
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Russian man arrested for 332-day overstay in Phuket
Officers from the Phuket Provincial Immigration Bureau arrested a Russian man yesterday for overstaying his visa by nearly one year. Immigration officials yesterday, April 8, informed Phuket Hotnews that they were conducting a crackdown on foreign criminals in the province from April 7 to 11. The operation is targeting foreigners who are residing in the province illegally, as well as…
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Locals slam Phuket cops for freeing thug after savage attack on foreign woman
Phuket residents criticised the police for releasing a man just two days after his arrest for an unprovoked, vicious assault on an unnamed foreign woman. The Phuket Times shared a video of the assault on April 4. The incident occurred at around 1pm on Thep Kasattri Road in the Thalang area of Phuket. The video showed the foreign victim standing…
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Woman dies in Kathu crash after car crosses median
A tragic accident occurred in Kathu in the early hours of yesterday morning, resulting in the death of a woman after her car crossed a road median and crashed into an oncoming pickup truck. Police were notified of the accident at 1.46am, yesterday, April 7, with Police Lieutenant Colonel Somchai Nubun from Kathu Police Station responding alongside rescue personnel from…
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Van-detta in Phuket: Foreign tourist sued for road rage ruck (video)
A Thai van driver filed a lawsuit against a foreign man for allegedly assaulting him and another motorist during a traffic dispute on the Bypass Road in Phuket on Sunday, April 6. Newshawk Phuket Facebook page shared a video of the physical altercation yesterday, April 7. The incident was detailed in the caption which read, “#Phuket #ForeignerPunchesThais This incident took…
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Holiday heartbreak: American dies in Phuket after night of drinking
A 22 year old American tourist from Washington State tragically died in Phuket Town after a night of heavy drinking, leaving behind stunned friends and a heartbroken girlfriend. The young man, whose identity is being withheld pending notification of his family, had been staying at the Rabbit Hotel on Phang Nga Road near Phuket Bus Terminal 1. He was travelling…
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Fatal Phuket car crash claims woman’s life, injures couple
A tragic car crash in Phuket resulted in the death of a 30 year old woman after her car veered across the median and collided with an oncoming pickup truck. The collision also severely injured a married couple in the truck. Earlier today, April 7, Police Lieutenant Somchai Nuboon from Kathu Police Station in Phuket was informed of a car…
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Brief encounter! Lawyer cuffed over ‘land grab’ threats in Phuket
A Phuket lawyer found himself on the wrong side of the law after allegedly trying to muscle in on someone else’s land, using threats and intimidation to stake his claim. Anantrak Phethin was nicked in broad daylight on Thursday morning, April 3, in the car park of the Phuket Provincial Land Office, after cops swooped in with a court-issued arrest…
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German tourist arrested in Phuket for assault and theft spree
A 20 year old German tourist has been apprehended in Phuket, accused of assaulting a Thai man to steal his motorcycle and subsequently stealing a mobile phone from a department store, as confirmed by local police. Ryan Leo Akam was detained by officers from Chalong Police Station following two incidents that were reported on April 4. The first incident took…
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Scottish tourist arrested after allegedly attacking teen, vandalising motorcycle in Phuket (video)
A 40 year old Scottish tourist was arrested in Phuket after allegedly attacking a teenage boy in front of his mother and a shopkeeper. George Paterson, from Glasgow, reportedly went on a rampage in the early hours of the morning on April 4, first vandalising a motorcycle outside a local store before turning violent. CCTV footage showed Paterson attempting to…
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Teen racers busted in Phuket midnight police crackdown
Reckless teen bikers got a rude awakening this week as Wichit Police swooped in on a notorious Phuket racing hotspot, hauling in 17 underage riders and seizing 10 souped-up motorbikes in a late-night sting. The crackdown, carried out in the early hours of yesterday, April 4 in the Laem Dinso area, was part of an intensified campaign to tackle illegal…
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Phuket lawyer arrested over harassment and multiple marriages
Police in Phuket apprehended a well-known lawyer following allegations of harassment and multiple marriages. An arrest warrant was executed yesterday, April 4, as the Phuket Provincial Investigation Unit detained Anantarak, a social media-famous lawyer, at a local car park. This comes after previous revelations on a television show regarding claims of harassment and his admission of being involved with over…
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Dorm inspected in Phuket after quake sparks safety fears
In the wake of last week’s devastating earthquake in Myanmar, scrutiny has intensified on a Chinese contractor linked to multiple construction projects across Thailand, including a long-delayed female student dormitory at Phuket Rajabhat University. On April 3, officials from the Phuket branch of the Department of Public Works and Town & Country Planning (DPT Phuket) carried out an urgent inspection…
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Battery blast injures crewman off Phuket’s Cape Panwa
A fishing trip turned into a terrifying ordeal yesterday evening when a battery exploded on board a trawler off the coast of Cape Panwa, leaving one crew member injured and sparking a coordinated rescue mission. The incident occurred aboard the vessel L. Thanakorn, which was approximately 7.3 nautical miles south of Cape Panwa at the time. The Thai Maritime Enforcement…
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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