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.
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Cable TV company raided and taken off air in Phuket
National Broadcasting and Telecommunication Commission (NBTC) officials, together with the Phuket City Police and soldiers, today raided a cable TV company in Phuket Town over illegal operating services. At 10am officers raided KPP Enterprise on Phang Nga Road in Phuket Town after it was found that the company had been illegally operating the cable services. The license was revoked on…
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New ‘Phoenix’ salvage team starts operations
PHOTO: Previous attempts of the salvage operations last August A new salvage team has started work to bring the ‘Phoenix’ back to the surface with a one thousand tonne crane from Singapore. Boat salvage operations started again yesterday morning with a specialist crane that had arrived from Singapore. The salvage is expected to be completed in five days according to…
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Man escapes after killing ex-girlfriend in Mai Khao
PHOTOS: Tha Chatchai Police Police are now hunting for a man who stabbed his ex-girlfriend to death in Mai Khao yesterday before escaping. Police believe the violent act was over jealousy. The two had been together for three months. Tha Chatchai Police were notified of the incident at Soi 1 in front of Tha Chatchai Temple in Maikhao at 4.30pm…
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Second-hand car shop raided, owner arrested in Chalong
Soldiers and police have raided a second hand car shop in Chalong. The shop owner has now been arrested and charged. Police arrested Manat Promprung from Phuket yesterday. He was arrested at ‘Manit Jaroenyon second hand car shop’ in Chalong. Officers seized two registered handguns, 80 bullets, four cars and two motorbikes. The arrest followed officials receiving complaints from victims…
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Rawai Mayor confirms lifeguards patrolling Nai Harn Beach everyday
Rawai Mayor Aroon Solos has confirmed that Nai Harn Beach has lifeguards to keep an eye on beachgoers every day. The Mayor claims that some news agencies have stated that four famous Phuket beaches, including Nai Harn Beach, don’t have lifeguards. “This news has damaged Phuket tourism a lot. All 12 beaches have lifeguards every day.” Mayor Aroon says, “We…
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Meliá Hotels International signs up Meliá Phuket Karon
Meliá Hotels International, a leading Spanish hotel company, has announced the signing of Meliá Phuket Karon, the second property in Thailand, followed by Meliá Phuket Mai Khao. Meliá Phuket Karon will be the group’s sixth property in Thailand, continuing their dedication in providing exceptional hospitality with a Spanish touch, to the island’s thriving accommodation market. Scheduled to open in 2021,…
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Legal action taken against yacht helmsman and Thai crew
PHOTOS: Newshawk Phuket Legal action has been taken against a Scottish helmsman and a Thai yacht charter ‘caretaker’ in Saturday’s luxury yacht fire. The Phuket PR Office reports that the the fire started by ‘natural causes’ after the 51 foot yacht was hit by lightning just after 4pm on Saturday afternoon. Police have already taken legal action against the helmsman…
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Phoenix salvage team walks away from contract – police to take over
A private sector company has walked away from the contract to salvage the ‘Phoenix’ and bring it back to the surface after numerous failed attempts and two months of excuses why they were unable to resurface the vessel. The company continually complained about weather and strong currents despite many calm days during their fruitless two months of operations. They have…
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Chinese tourists escape serious injury in Karon minivan incident
PHOTOS: Nok Rai Rang / Newshawk Phuket Four Chinese tourists and a minivan driver have escaped serious injury in an accident in Karon this morning. The Karon Police were notified of the incident at a curve on Patak Road in front of Hilton Hotel entrance in Karon around 2.30am. The Karon Police reported that the minivan driver, 25 year old…
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Boats warned to avoid the area of the burnt out yacht
The Phuket Marine office is warning boats to be careful when going near the area where the ‘Emmjay’ yacht was destroyed after burins to its waterline on Saturday. The announcement states that, due to the ‘Emmjay’ yacht catching fire on Saturday afternoon while traveling between Koh Ngam and Koh Payu in Paklok, and later sinking, boats should be very careful…
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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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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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Patong Carnival schedule
For those interested in getting involved in the Patong Carnival festivities, here is the latest schedule released by Patong Municipality for this year’s events.. November 2 9am – 6pm Kite show 3pm – 4pm Puppet (Marionette) show 6pm – midnight Performance from Pida Dance Academy, Yamaha music contest, shows from Hotels Patong Association, shows from Cowboy group. November 3 9am…
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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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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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Power outage to hit parts of Patong tomorrow
The Phuket Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA) says they’re going to have scheduled blackouts in parts of Patong tomorrow. Residents of Patong are being advised that there will be scheduled power outages during the day as the PEA continues its work on high power voltage systems in the area. Areas to be effected include… Near Patong Police Station to Sawaddi Hotel…
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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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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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Phuket motorcyclist falls off bike at checkpoint – VIDEO
A video clip of a man falling off his motorbike at a checkpoint in Rassada last night has gone viral in local social media. The elder brother of the injured man claims that police grabbed his brother’s collar when he was on the bike. Facebook user ‘Chaolert Tunsakun’ has posted the video clip last night with a message reading, “You…
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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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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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Even more blacktip reef sharks spotted at recovering Maya Bay – VIDEO
Blacktip reef sharks have again been spotted at the recovering Maya Bay on Koh Phi Phi yesterday. Director of the National Park Management Division Kamon Nuanyai says, “at 8am yesterday Hat Nopparat Thara – Mu Koh Phi Phi National Park officials have recorded a video clip of Blacktip reef sharks near the shores at Maya Bay. During the ongoing Maya…
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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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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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13 provinces on alert for flash flooding
The Deputy PM Gen Chatchai Sarikalya explained today that winter will officially begin in the nation late this month and the Meteorological Department has assessed that rains in all regions except the south will be 10-20 percent less than the usual average for this time of the year. Meanwhile, flood warnings are in force in the south until Saturday night. Permanent Secretary…
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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