Phuket News
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Indian getaway: SpiceJet adds daily Phuket flights
India’s domestic airline SpiceJet has announced new daily non-stop flights from Delhi and Mumbai to Phuket, giving Indian travellers more options for short-haul international holidays. SpiceJet has announced new daily services linking Delhi and Mumbai to Phuket, one of Thailand’s most popular holiday hotspots. The flights are timed to coincide with the busy winter travel season. According to the airline,…
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Debt and despair: Man dies from shotgun wound in Wichit
A man has died from a self-inflicted shotgun wound at his family home in Wichit, prompting a police investigation into the tragic incident. Wichit Police said they received a report at about 10.50am on Sunday, September 28, and arrived at the two-storey house in Village 8, Wichit, shortly after. The 30 year old man, a local, was found dead in…
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Phuket boosts hospital upgrades with 45.8 million baht investment
Phuket authorities have rolled out a 45.8 million baht plan to upgrade three hospitals across the island in a bid to modernise services and reduce patient transfers. On September 26, Phuket Governor Sophon Suwannarat and Provincial Administrative Organisation (PPAO) President Rewat Areerob officially handed over the funds to the Phuket Provincial Public Health Office (PPHO). The budget will be split…
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Phuket ice cream vendor sparks debate with free ride for foreign tourists
Thai netizens are left divided after an ice cream vendor in Phuket allowed two foreign men a free ride on his ice cream cart. View this post on Instagram A post shared by The Thaiger (@thethaigerofficial) A Thai motorcyclist encountered the two men on the cart and shared a video of them on his TikTok account, @lionqueenzyy, on…
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Californian man found dead in Patong hotel room
An American tourist was found dead in his Patong hotel room, prompting police to launch an investigation into the cause of death. Police have launched an investigation after a 31 year old American man was found dead in his hotel room on Nanai Road in Patong, Phuket. The tourist, who had travelled from California and checked into the hotel alone,…
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Patong’s promenade revamp drags on with no end in sight
A major promenade upgrade in Patong has fallen behind schedule, with only partial progress made and no confirmed completion date. The long-awaited redevelopment of the Thaweewong Road promenade in Patong has hit a major snag, with only 30% of the work completed, well past its deadline and with no firm end date in sight. Kittisak Morasilp, Director of Patong Municipality’s…
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Russian pickup driver surrenders over viral sex video in Phuket
A Russian man surrendered to police today, September 26, admitting that he was the driver of the black pickup truck featured in the viral sex video in Phuket. The explicit footage, showing 23 year old Russian national Georgii and a 42 year old Thai woman engaging in sexual activity on the moving vehicle along Phuket Bypass Road, to the ire…
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Nearly 10 million smuggled cigarettes seized in Phuket sting
Phuket Airport Customs have intercepted a massive haul of illegal cigarettes worth more than 71 million baht in what is being hailed as one of the island’s largest-ever anti-smuggling operations. The seizure, confirmed by customs officials, involved a total of 9.57 million contraband cigarettes and was made as part of a national crackdown targeting violations of customs and intellectual property…
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Chinese woman accuses Phuket taxi driver of sexual assault attempt
A Chinese woman sought help from locals on a roadside in Phuket after accusing a Thai app-based taxi driver of attempting to sexually assault her yesterday, September 25. Residents who assisted the woman shared details of the incident on the Phuket Times Facebook page yesterday. The incident reportedly occurred at around 2am in the Patong area of Phuket. According to…
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Unidentified foreigner drowns at sunset off Karon Beach
A foreign man drowned while swimming off a Phuket beach at sunset, prompting police to investigate his identity and the circumstances surrounding his death. A foreign man, believed to be around 60 years old, was pronounced dead last night after being pulled from the water off Karon Beach. His identity and nationality remain unknown. The incident occurred around sunset yesterday,…
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Phuket pickup truck sex: Russian man banned and Thai woman arrested
Police yesterday, September 25, arrested a Thai woman who was caught having sex with a Russian man in the back of a moving pickup truck on a road in Phuket. She claimed the foreign man threatened her into making the video and paid her 1,000 baht. An explicit video of the Russian national, 23 year old Georgii, and the 42…
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Phuket boat captain dies in 500kg meth bust at sea
A massive haul of meth was seized from a tourist boat in Phuket after a late-night raid, leaving one crew member dead while trying to escape arrest. More than 500 kilogrammes of crystal meth were seized from a tourist dive boat anchored in Chalong Bay, Phuket, during a late-night police operation. The vessel’s captain, a 61 year old Myanmar national…
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Phuket Thai-Chinese Association ushers in new president
Phuket’s Thai-Chinese community held a ceremony to appoint a new leader and honour historic ties between Thailand and China through a cultural celebration. The Phuket Thai-Chinese Association marked a significant chapter this week, commemorating both the 76th anniversary of the People’s Republic of China and its own 37th year of service to the island’s community, all while welcoming a new…
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Gold necklace swiped in late-night burglary in Phuket’s Wichit
Police are investigating a burglary at a housing estate in Wichit, where a gold necklace worth over 170,000 baht was reported stolen during the early hours. The break-in occurred during the early hours of today, September 25, prompting a call to Wichit Police Station at 1.37am. The report was made by Sujittra Phummuang, the homeowner, who discovered signs of forced…
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Hooked turtle rescued in Phuket as another dies from net injury
Marine officers in Phuket rescued an injured sea turtle found with a fishhook in its mouth, while another died after being entangled in a discarded net. At around 6.45pm yesterday, September 24, Cherng Talay Police received a report of a stranded turtle near Leypang Beach. Police Lieutenant Suwarin Mueat Muang, a patrol officer from Layan, was dispatched to the scene,…
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Foreign couple filmed having sex on moving pickup in Phuket
Police are searching for a foreign couple, believed to be Russian nationals, after they were caught having sex in the back of a moving pickup truck on a road in Phuket. The footage appears to have been recorded along the Phuket Bypass Road. View this post on Instagram A post shared by The Thaiger (@thethaigerofficial) Explicit images and…
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China donates rescue boat to strengthen Phuket disaster aid
The Chinese Consul-General in Songkhla donated a rescue boat and equipment worth over 500,000 baht to the Phuket Kusontham Foundation for disaster relief. The handover ceremony took place at 11.30am today, September 24, at the Kusontham Phuket Foundation headquarters. Wang Zhijian, Consul-General of the People’s Republic of China in Songkhla, presented the boat and equipment to the foundation in front…
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Phuket pushes 300km pipeline plan to secure water future
Phuket officials met with consultants to discuss a proposed 300km pipeline project aimed at securing long-term water supplies for the island and nearby provinces. The Provincial Waterworks Authority (PWA) Phuket Branch and Team Consulting Engineering and Management Public Co Ltd met Governor Sophon Suwannarat yesterday, September 23, to present updated findings from a feasibility study on the ambitious project. According…
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Phuket underpass chaos as 15-car crash halts traffic
A multi-car crash in a Phuket underpass left one person injured and caused hours of traffic disruption as police and rescue teams rushed to the scene. The crash happened at around midday yesterday, September 22, in the Darasamutr Intersection underpass, prompting a large police and emergency response. Wichit Police confirmed that 15 vehicles were damaged in the collision, though no…
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Bhumjaithai bets big on Phuket with 3 fresh candidates
The Bhumjaithai Party has announced three candidates who will contest Phuket constituencies in the next general election as it targets seats in the South. The move is part of the party’s ambitious drive to capture 30 seats across South Thailand. At a press conference yesterday, September 22, senior party figure Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn joined Supachai Jaisamut, Bhumjaithai’s legal team leader, to…
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Missing Bahraini tourist found after drowning at Karon Beach
The body of a Bahraini tourist, feared to have drowned, after he went missing while swimming at Karon Beach last Friday evening, September 19, has been found after a three-day search, according to the Phuket Ruam Jai Foundation. Rescue workers discovered the body of Jasim Abdali Almeshkhas this morning, September 22, among rocks at the southern end of Karon Beach.…
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Bahraini tourist missing after ignoring red flags at Phuket beach
A man is missing and presumed drowned after he and his brothers entered the sea during dangerous surf conditions at Karon Beach in Phuket on Friday evening, September 21. Karon Police were alerted to the incident at around 6.30pm. Three Bahraini men had entered the water despite red warning flags being clearly posted along the shoreline. All three were swept…
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Phuket’s fuel consumption soars over 1 million litres daily
Phuket’s residents are consuming over a million litres of fuel daily, with expectations for this figure to rise, according to Rattakorn Klinchan, Chief of the Ministry of Energy Phuket Office. Last year, fuel expenditure in Phuket reached 13.7 billion baht, averaging 37.534 million baht daily. This accounts for 37.5% of the nation’s total fuel purchases. Rattakorn emphasised the need for…
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Patong denies approval of Jewish New Year event on public beach
Patong municipality has refuted claims of approving a public Jewish New Year celebration on Patong Beach, initially reported to occur tomorrow, between September 22 and 23. In a statement released on Saturday, the municipality clarified that no authorisation had been given for conducting religious activities on public property, due to the issue’s sensitivity. This announcement followed a letter from the…
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Phuket-bound IndiGo flight diverted after bomb threat
An IndiGo flight from Mumbai to Phuket was diverted to Chennai, India after a bomb threat claimed explosives were onboard, prompting a full security response. The aircraft, carrying 176 passengers and six crew members, had taken off from Mumbai yesterday, September 19, before the scare unfolded. Midway through the journey, Mumbai airport staff received a call from an unidentified person who…
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Phuket ramps up rehab plan in fresh anti-drug crackdown
Officials in Phuket held a meeting to discuss plans for expanding and accrediting drug rehab centres as part of efforts to improve the island’s treatment system. A working group convened yesterday, September 19, to review plans for expanding services and setting national-standard accreditation criteria for rehabilitation facilities. The meeting was chaired by Phuket Vice Governor Samawit Suphanphai and held at…
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Chinese fugitive caught in Phuket after 272-day overstay
A Chinese man wanted for embezzlement was arrested in Phuket after being tracked to a restaurant by immigration officers for overstaying his visa in Thailand. The 37 year old man, identified only as Peng, was arrested by Phuket Immigration officers on Wednesday, September 17, after investigators tracked him to a Chinese restaurant in the Wichit area. Peng was wanted in…
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4 Brits arrested after robbing American lawyer in Phuket heist
Police in Phuket arrested four British nationals after an American tourist was ambushed on his motorbike and robbed of a luxury watch worth millions of baht. The violent attack, which was caught on dashcam and widely shared on social media, took place on Layan Soi 7 in Cherng Talay district, Thalang. A blue car struck the victim’s motorcycle before two…
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Taxi turf war erupts as Phuket drivers block cruise cab
Police intervened at Phuket’s main cruise port after local taxi drivers blocked an outside cab from collecting tourists, sparking a tense standoff. The confrontation erupted at about 3pm at Phuket Deep Sea Port in Wichit, shortly after the Genting Dream cruise liner arrived with 4,200 foreign tourists. According to police, around 60 community taxi drivers gathered at the pier and…
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Phuket cracks down on illegal restaurants in protected park
Officials in Phuket inspected Mai Khao Beach and confirmed that restaurants are operating illegally inside Sirinat National Park, prompting a renewed crackdown. The joint inspection took place yesterday, September 17, in Villages 3 and 4 of Mai Khao, where officers confirmed that several operators continue to run beachfront businesses despite the area being legally designated as part of the national…
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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