Phuket News
Discover the latest news and updates from Thailand’s most famous and beautiful island, The Thaiger’s hometown, having previously operated as the Phuket Gazette.
Our team brings you breaking news, in-depth analysis, and exclusive stories from Phuket, covering everything from local politics and business to lifestyle and tourism. Learn about the island’s stunning beaches, vibrant nightlife, and thriving expat community, as well as keeping updated on events, and attractions.
The Thaiger is your ultimate guide to staying connected with Phuket’s ever-evolving landscape. To keep up with the most reliable news source on the island, subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on social media.
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The holiday season is here, bringing warmth, joy, and a chance to reflect on the year gone by. As an expat in Thailand, this Christmas is a great time to invest in something that truly matters: health. Whether for you...
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Phuket Police investigating attack on Chinese passengers by taxi driver
Phuket Police are investigating an incident where Chinese passengers were allegedly attacked by a taxi driver in Patong this morning. Cherng Talay Police report that they were notified from some Chinese tourists that they had been attacked by a taxi driver after they were unable to negotiate a taxi fee from Patong to Cherng Talay. They were staying at a…
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Chinese tourist rescued after choking on water in Koh Similans
PHOTOS: DNP A female Chinese tourist was rescued after choking on water at Koh Payu, in the middle of the Similan National Park island group, yesterday. The head of Similan Natioanl Park Ruamsin Manajongjaroen says that national park officers were notified about a Chinese tourist, 63 year old Gou Shifeng, who had got into difficulty whilst swimming at Koh Payu…
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Body of missing Burmese man found in reservoir in Chalong
The body of a Burmese man, who had been missing since Sunday night, has been found. Two Burmese men were swimming in a lagoon in Chalong late on Sunday afternoon. Searching was stopped at midnight on Sunday and resumed yesterday. Read more about the missing man HERE. Searching continued yesterday from noon. At 6.45pm the body of the Burmese man was found…
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Counterfeit items valued over 1 million baht destroyed
8,904 counterfeit items, with a potential street value over one million baht, including prohibited imported goods, have been torched at the incinerator in Phuket Town today. The destruction of the fake goods was held this afternoon and led by Phuket Customs Office Chief Kanjana Suwachino. The goods seized were from 94 recent cases of seizures – in total 8,904 items valued around 1,015,272…
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Come into my world. Tribhum is now open.
“Tribhum – The Mystical Three Worlds” is Phuket’s newest tourist attraction situated in the new Central Floresta. It’s a 3D walkthrough adventure theme park in which visitors are transported into a mystical realm of Siamese legend and fantasy. “Tribhum” is pronounced try-POOM (with soft ‘OO’ sound). Located on the roadside of the new Central Floresta, “Tribhum – The Mystical Three…
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Locals and business operators protest luxury condo in Kata Noi
Business operators and locals in Kata Noi have marched to protest a luxury condo construction. Kata Noi locals were led by executive president of the Kata Thani Collection hotels group, Sombat Adiset. The protest aimed to halt the construction which has already begun. Khun Sombat says, “This started two years ago and locals have been fighting to stop the construction…
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Staging and structures demolished on beach in Cherng Talay
Structures on a beach in Cherng Talay (map below) have been demolished where a hotel was preparing for a large wedding party over the weekend. Ma-ann Samran, Cheif of the Cherng Talay Tambon Administration Organisation (OrBorTor) was notified from locals that wedding party was been prepared on Pan Thri Beach, between Surin Beach and Bang Tao beaches. Officials visited the…
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Burmese man missing in dam in Chalong
Two Burmese men were swimming in a lagoon in Chalong last night. As of this this morning, one of them remains missing. Kusoldharm rescue workers were notified of the incident at the Klong Katha reservoir behind Wat Luang Pu Supa (Silsuparam Temple) at 4pm last night. At the scene they spoke to a 23 year old Burmese man named ‘Joe’,…
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Phuket City mulls water restrictions, again
PHOTO: Bang Wad Dam, Kathu Despite issuing orders for odd/even water restrictions, and then rescinding them the day after, the Phuket City Municipality is again urging residents to take care in the use of their tap water to stretch the available water supply through to the end of the dry season, and has issued its second warning in a week…
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Phuket tourist decides hotel awning more comfortable than his room
PHOTOS: Rawai Rescue workers / Phuket Tourist Police The Phuket Tourist Police have been notified that a tourist had jumped from a building in Rawai and ended up on a steel awning covering the bottom floor today. But that wasn’t, in fact, what had happened. The local Tourist Police say the owner of the building told staff at the Tourist…
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Patong motorbike racer arrested and fined – VIDEO
PHOTO: Patong Police Patong Police yesterday arrested a motorbike racer after identifying him and his motorbike from video clips that were popular in social media this week. Patong Police are investigating alleged foreign motorbike racing gangs in Patong after video clips went viral in local social media. Read more about the racing around Patong’s streets HERE. Patong Police report that they…
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500 free helmets handed out to motorbike drivers in Patong
Patong Development Foundation together with Patong Police and Patong Municipality have given 500 helmets to motorbike drivers in Patong today under the campaign ‘Wear your helmet’. Handing out the 500 helmets to motorbike user in Patong was led by Patong Police Chief Col Anothai Jindamanee, Patong Municipality Chalermluck Kebsup and President of Patong Development Foundation Preechawut ‘Prap’ Keesin. Col Anothai…
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Fire destroys house in Phuket Town in an alleged arson attack
Fire has destroyed a house that was selling petrol bottles out the front in Phuket Town earlier today. Witness say they saw a woman near the house before the fire started. Phuket City Police were notified of the house fire in Soi Hatchaniwet in Phuket Town t at 1.50am this morning. Fire fighters headed to the scene with five fire…
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Police investigate motorbike hoons in Patong
PHOTOS: Patong Police Patong Police are investigating alleged foreign motorbike racing gangs in Patong after a viral video clip in local social media. The Patong Police report that the clip of tourists who have been driving their motorbikes at high speed around the streets of Patong has been very popular and provided them with a lot of information about the…
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Elderly motorbike driver dies in Thalang crash
A 74 year old motorbike driver has died after colliding with a high speed taxi in Thalang this morning. The Thalang Police headed to the accident near an intersection of Thepkrasattri – Nai Yang Road in Thalang at 7.40am. When they arrived they found a damaged taxi. Nearby they located the damaged motorbike. 74 year old Somchai Uttasaha, the motorbike…
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Motorbike driver dies in Phuket collision
A motorbike driver has died after colliding with a car in Phuket Town yesterday. The Phuket City Police were notified of the incident on Takua Pa Road in Phuket Town at 2am yesterday. Police and emergency responders arrived to find a damaged car driven by 28 year old Tanyapat Donkamnerd who was waiting for police at the scene. Nearby they…
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Two arrested with 100 kilograms of kratom in Phuket
Two men have been arrested carrying 100 kilogram of kratom leaves at the Phuket Checkpoint early this morning. A team of officers at the Phuket checkpoint arrested the two Thai men: 49 year old Natee Martmanang from Songkhla and 34 year old Tanan Chotchuang from Satun. They were arrested while coming through the checkpoint at the north end of Phuket…
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Italian tourists injured in goring attack by bull elephant in Phang Nga park
A 29 year old Italian tourist, and his travel companion, are in a Phang Nga hospital this morning following an elephant attack. The man was seriously injured yesterday when a 12 year old male elephant, that he and a friend were riding as part of a tourist activity in Phang Nga’s Mueang district, suddenly shook them to the ground and…
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Motorbike driver dies after slamming into the back of a parked bus, Phuket
A motorbike driver has died after colliding with the rear of a parked bus on the side of the road in Thalang this morning. Thalang Police say the incident happened at 5am on Sanambin Mueangmai Road (4026) which is about 200 metres from the Thalang Technical College. Police and emergency responders arrived to find the parked bus. Embedded into the…
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Baby Risso’s Dolphin rescued at Railay Beach in Krabi
PHOTO: DMCR A baby Risso’s Dolphin has been rescued after being found on Railay Beach in Krabi on Sunday. Officials at the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) were notified that the baby dolphin was found of the east end of Railay Beach. The DMCR says that the species is a baby Risso’s dolphin. This one is 250 centimetres…
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Motorbike driver files official complaint after accident from fallen cables in Kata
A motorbike driver has filed a report with police against a cable company after he became tangled up in their cabling while driving to work in Kata. 26 year old Chakaree Yawaekaree filled the report with Chalong Police against the local cable company. Mr Chakaree told Police that he was driving to work in Kata on Friday morning. When he…
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Motorbike driver dies after colliding with sedan on Thepkasattri Road, Phuket
A motorbike driver has died after colliding with a sedan driven by a Russian driver who was allegedly making a “risky” U-turn on Thepkrasattri Road in Koh Kaew yesterday. The incident happened at 3.30pm yesterday. Police and other emergency responders arrived to find a white sedan, a motorbike and a pickup truck. The motorbike driver had sustained serious injuries –…
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54 year old Swede dodges traffic in Thepkasattri Road, Phuket
PHUKET: Achadtaya Chuenniran A 54 year old Swedish tourist is now in custody after running around Thepkasattri road yesterday morning dodging cars and causing traffic mayhem. Luckily no cars came in contact with the man police described as ‘mentally ill’. A video clip from the incident shows the man running in and out of the traffic on Thepkasattri Road in…
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Hong Kong property tzars team up for new Phang Nga development “Aquella”
FILE PHOTO Two of Hong Kong’s leading entrepreneurs Allan Zeman and Richard Li are developing a mixed-use project in Thai Muang, Phang Nga named Aquella. The initial phase of the development includes a par 72, 18 hole golf course, resort pool villa residences with two to four bedroom unit configurations back of a massive land site that offers over 2.5…
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Phuket: Area to have water shut off for 12 days
The Phuket Water Authority (PWA) has announced that water supply in some areas of Cherng Talay will be cut from February 16 to February 28. The supply will be shut off in some areas during day and night. Water will be shut off while work is being carried out moving and replacing water pipes. Areas to be affected in area around…
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Phuket City football club has been announced
The news of the new team was announced to the press today. President of the Phuket City team, Tammawat Wongjaroenyod, says, “I love sport especially football. It is my most favorite sport. I have decided to be the president of the team as Phuket is an international tourism city. I want tourists to know more about beautiful natural places in…
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Couples get hitched in Phuket on Valentines Day
Many Thai and foreign couples have registered marriage certificates today, Valentines Day, at the Phuket District Office. The Phuket Vice Governor Prakob Wongmaneerung has present at the office where about 35 couples registered for marriage certificates when the doors opened at 10am. A Thai couple was first, followed by a foreign couple. But the Office predicts there will be at…
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Chinese tourist rescued after a diving incident at Koh Racha
PHOTOS: Go-Eco Phuket A male Chinese tourist is currently in a satisfactory condition in hospital after a diving accident off Koh Racha Yai, south west of Phuket, yesterday. Go-Eco Phuket, a local conversational group, reported that they were notified of the incident at about noon. “The male Chinese tourist bought a diving course from a diving operator on the island.…
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Laguna Phuket selected to host inaugural Thai Fight Phuket Asia’s premier
Thai Fight and the Sports Association of Phuket are jointly hosting the inaugural ‘Thai Fight Phuket’, a televised international sport entertainment event showcasing Muay Thai boxing and promoting Phuket tourism. The event will be on Saturday, February 23 at Laguna Phuket. Thai Fight Phuket will feature King’s Cup Champions; Saenchai, Saensatarn, Payak-Samui and Thai Fight’s Fighter led by Tengnung and…
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Two injured Chinese tourists head home
The Tourist Police have escorted two Chinese tourists, who sustained injuries from last Saturday’s speedboat accident, back to the airport for their return to China. The speedboat captain has now been charged over a “reckless act causing injury” but continues to deny the charge. Read more about the latest charges and investigation into Saturday’s incident HERE. Last night Col Tongchai Wilaiprom…
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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