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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Sponsored This Christmas, give the gift of health: essential options for expats in Thailand
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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Cash for sea turtle eggs
by Pratch Rujivanrom Cash for spotting sea turtle nests. That’s the promise from national parks officers along the Andaman coast who are offering cash rewards for anyone who discovers sea turtle nests and notifies park officers. The innovative scheme is another attempt to protect the local endangered species from extinction. Marine National Park Operation Centre 2 in Phuket has announced…
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Central Group set to open new lifestyle mall in Cherng Talay
RENDERINGS: From Phuketify website Cherng Talay has become the new ‘go to’ area with an exciting array of new retail and entertainment options opening up at the end of this year and into next year. Including this one… A new lifestyle shopping mall is set to open by the end of 2019 in Cherng Talay, with Central Group investing a…
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Nine British passengers escape luxury yacht fire
PHOTOS: Newshawk Phuket / The Phuket PR Office. VIDEO: ออส สมทิพย์ A luxury yacht has been completely destroyed after catching fire north off Koh Ngam in Phang Nga Bay yesterday. Nine Bristish passengers were saved and unhurt in the incident. The Phuket Marine Police were notified by rescue workers that a boat had caught fire after being hit by lightning.…
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Luxury yacht completely destroyed by fire in Phang Nga Bay
VIDEOS: ออส สมทิพย์ / Newshawk Phuket A luxury yacht caught fire yesterday afternoon (Saturday) off Koh Ngam, near Laem Sai in Paklok on the north-east coast of Phuket in Phang Nga Bay. The white sloop, called ‘Emmjay’, was 51 feet in length. The fire started around 4.45pm. At this stage investigators believe it was hit by lightening, setting off the…
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Welcome to Patong Carnival 2018 – PHOTOS
Our photographer Kritsada was hard at work last night. Here’s a bit of the atmosphere from last night’s Patong Carnival annual opening night parade…
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Local tour guides protest over illegal tour guides
Phuket tour guides today protested at the Phuket Provincial City Hall over illegal tour guides they say are taking their jobs. About 100 Phuket tour guides protested in front of the Phuket Provincial City Hall and handed a letter to Phuket’s Vice Governor Tanyawat Chanpinit pleading for fairness in the situation. President of Andaman Tour Guide Association, Krit Thepbamrung, who…
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9 years of providing Phuket’s lifeguards comes to an end
PHOTO: Constant training and up-skilling was at the core of the Phuket Lifeguard Service The nine year relationship between the Phuket Lifeguard Service and the Phuket provincial and Thesaban administrators is over. The contract for providing professional lifesavers at Patong beach, the final beach under their watchful eye, finished yesterday. Speaking to the MD of the Phuket Lifeguard Service Company,…
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Phuket Carnival 2018 kicks off in a blaze of colour
More Than 30,000 oThai and foreign tourists, as well as Phuket residents lined the streets of Patong last night to usher in the annual Patong Carnival, held each year to mark the beginning of the tourism high season. Titled “Colorful of Patong Beach”, the grand opening parade was a lot better than the Organiser’s grammar. Joining in the opening ceremony…
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Suspects arrested with methamphetamine pills and kratom in Phuket
Sakhu Police have arrested three suspects and seized 8,498 methamphetamine pills and liquid kratom. Police have arrested 36 year old Nikorn ‘Mui’ Jantawong from Phuket. Police seized 8,498 methamphetamine pills. He has been charged with illegal possession of Category 1 Drugs with intent to sell. The arrest came after police received a tip-off that Nikorn was selling drugs in the…
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Two suspects arrested over Chalong robbery
Police have arrested two suspects who robbed a shop in Chalong and sped away with cash and a gold necklace last week on October 23. Chalong Police were originally notified about thentwo suspects robbing the shop in Soi Songkhun in Chalong. Read about the original reports HERE. Yesterday Police arrested 27 year old Puwanart ‘Nam’ Maneechot from Phuket following the issuing…
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Female Russian jumps from her condominium in Wichit
A female Russian has died after jumping from a condominium in Wichit this afternoon. Wichit Police were notified around 1.30pm. The incident was also widely reported on social media. Wichit Police, along with the Phuket Tourist Police and rescue workers, arrived at the seven story condominium. A body of a 48 year old female Russian (name withheld at this stage)…
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Phuket Carnival at Patong “ready to rock Phuket”
The five day Patong annual carnival, this year themed “The Colours of Patong Beach”, starts tomorrow. The annual Patong Carnival is a celebration marking the beginning of the high season in Phuket. The carnival is usually held right at the beginning of November when the weather is starting to get sunnier. The carnival is run by the Patong Municipality and…
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62 year old man arrested in Phuket after killing his wife’s paramour
A 62 year old Thai man has been arrested in Phuket after shooting and killing a soldier who was his wife’s paramour. The incident happened in Sa Kaeo Province on the Cambodian border. On Friday, Wattana Nakhon Police in Sa Kaeo were notified of the incident at a restaurant in Wattana Nakhon District in Sa Kaeo. Police and rescue workers…
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Darasamut Underpass to be temporary closed
The Phuket Highway Office has issued an announcement that says the Darasamut Underpass (adjacent to the Central shopping precinct) will be closed from tomorrow from 9am to 3pm (Tuesday, October 30). The announcement says, “The underpass will be temporary closed. Workers will be carrying out repairs of the electrical systems and cleaning the underpass.” “We apologise for any inconvenience during the…
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Northern temperatures to drop 3-5 degrees Celsius
OK, so we’ve exaggerated a bit. Mercury in Thailand’s north is set to drop another 3-5 degrees from tomorrow until Friday. Meanwhile southern regions are facing forecast rains and isolated heavy rain in some areas. The Thai Meteorological Department says another strong cold front out of China is looming south to cover the upper regions of Thailand from October 30-November…
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Patong Municipality responds to waste water flowing into bay
PHOTOS: Patong Municipality A video clip of wastewater flowing into sea at Patong Beach has gone viral in social media over the weekend. Patong Municipality yesterday issued a statement saying, “Referring to the case of waste water adjacent to the Diamond Cliff Beach Resort and Spa, Kalim Beach, two water pumps transferring waste water had stopped working due to the amount…
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Volvo explodes into flames outside Phuket Temple
Fire has engulfed a parked Volvo sedan next to a temple in Phuket town. The car’s owner was taking part in a funeral inside the temple last night (Sunday). Firefighters were notified of the incident at Wat Kosit Wiharn Temple in Phuket Town at 7.11 pm. Two fire engines headed to the scene along with Phuket City police. The engine…
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Phang Nga Court convicts 11 men over gang rape of 14 year old
A Phang Nga court has convicted 11 men and sentenced them to lengthy jail terms for gang-raping a 14 year old girl in the province last year. Read the original story we broke on The Thaiger HERE. News about the assaults came to light in September 2017 after the mother filed charges with police. She outlined a litany of abuses…
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100 million baht of counterfeit goods seized in Patong
Acting Immigration Police Chief Maj Gen Surachete Hakparn last night headed down to Soi Bangla and seized more than 50,000 counterfeit items with a street value of more than 100 million baht. Illegal foreigners, allegedly working without proper papers, were also arrested. Maj Gen Surachete says, “Phuket is one of Thailand’s most important tourism destinations. Many people from difference countries…
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Man found dead in his car at Ranong
A Ranong man has been found dead inside his car at a tourist spot today. Ranong is a five hour drive north of Phuket. Police were alerted this morning that a car had been parked overnight in the parking lot of Grass Mountain in the main central district. When police unlocked the car they found the body of a man,…
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Warning for boats going to sea
The Phuket Marine Office has made an official announcement for boats to be “careful when going to sea”. The announcement was issued today stating that “The Meteorological Department of Thailand (TMD) has forecast today that the Andaman sea wave waves more than two metres in the open sea.” “For navigation safety, boat captains have to be careful when going to…
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One dead two injured in Thalang road accident
PHOTOS: Thalang Police One motorbike driver has died whilst two others have been injured in motorbikes accidents in Thalang last night. The first accident accident occurred at 7.10pm in front of a restaurant on Srisoonthorn Road in Thalang. Police and rescue workers arrived to find a motorbike and two injured – the male driver, 27 year old Piyakan Uppala from…
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Pickup driver survives after high-speed collision with speed sign
A pickup truck driver has survived after the vehicle he was driving collided with a speed sign on the side of the road in Thalang this early morning. The Thalang Police were notified of the incident on Thepkrasattri Road, southbound, in Thalang at 1am early this morning. Kusoldharm Rescue workers arrived to find the damaged pickup truck at right angles…
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Three arrested with drugs and guns around Sakoo
Phuket police have arrested three suspects and seized drugs, gun and bullets in Sakoo this week. Sakoo Police arrested 25 year old Chayan Srinuan and 37 year old Adiraek Manseb in Sakoo. Police seized 988 of methamphetamine pills and 24.35 grams of crystal methamphetamine along with weapons and 7 bullets. The pair have been charged with illegal possession of Category…
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Police continue hunt for three suspects after breaking a checkpoint
Phuket police are continuing to hunt for three suspects who were involved in breaking through a checkpoint and an ensuing chase from Rassada to Chalong on Monday. The unidentified suspects broke through the routine checkpoint in Rassada and then abandoned their car in a soi Chalong on October 22. Read more HERE. The Phuket Provincial Deputy Commander Col Sermpan Sirikong…
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Phuket smartens up to bring tourists back
Marimi Kishimoto, Nikkei staff writer Reeling from a deadly boat accident this summer, Thailand’s Phuket Island is using “smart” technologies to tackle issues like safety and traffic in an effort to get back on track amid the Southeast Asian tourism boom. The international tourist destination has seen tourist traffic drop off after two boats capsized in July, killing dozens. It…
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Water shut off in parts of Karon and Patong
The Phuket Water Authority (PWA) has announced that water supply in some areas of Patong and Karon will be shut off from 9am to 5pm this Thursday, October 25. Water will be shut off while work is being carried out on the Reverse Osmosis (RO) water pumping station in Karon. Areas to be affected include parts of Patong and Karon.…
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Power outage to hit parts of Patong tomorrow
The Phuket Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA) says they’re going to have scheduled blackouts in Patong tomorrow (Wednesday). Residents of Patong are being advised that there will be scheduled power outages during the day from 9am to 5pm as the PEA continues its work on high power voltage systems in the area. Areas to be effected are near the intersection on…
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Fire destroys plastic water pipes in Rassada
PHOTOS & VIDEO: Kritsada Mueanhawong & Newshawk Phuket Last evening (Monday) a fire swept through a storage area for huge pipes in Rassada which were to be used for the Phuket City Municipality flood problem-solving project. No injuries was reported as the blaze engulfed the storage area. At about 6.30pm, at the rear of the Phuket Provincial Administrative Organisation (OrBorJor)…
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Phuket Administrative Court officially opens
The Phuket Administrative Court has been officially opened which provide service for the Krabi, Phang Nga, Ranong and Phuket provinces. The Administrative Courts adjudicate on cases relating to people and private business versus state-run departments, enterprises and political entities. The official launch ceremony was held this morning at the new Phuket Administrative Court in Mai Khao and led by Piya…
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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