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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Big Bike rider dies in Phuket road accident
PHOTO: Kjnine999 / Newshawk Phuket A motorbike rider died in a road accident in Kathu early this morning (September 21). Rescue workers were notified about the accident on Phra Phuket Kaew Road, heading from Kathu to Patong near the Bang Chak gas station at 2.10am. Rescue workers arrived at the scene to find the body of a man who was…
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Phuket woman arrested with over 20,000 methamphetamine pills
A Phuket woman has been arrested with 20,772 of methamphetamine pills and 73.43 grams of crystal methamphetamine in Chalong. A team of patrol police arrested 39 year old Jiraphon ‘Sao’ Chauykerd. She was arrested in front of a house in Soi Luang Por Cham in Chalong. Police seized 20,772 of methamphetamine pills and 73.43grams of crystal methamphetamine from the residence.…
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Anatomy of a photo
PHOTO: หญิง’ โลนลี่ / ¥.OunG.¥ / เหยี่ยวข่าว ภูเก็ต Yesterday a dramatic photo of an approaching storm front was a big hit, being shared many thousands of times. It was taken at the Phuket International Airport at 14.39, according to the time stamp. The photo was taken by members of the Newshawk news team in Phuket, news partners with The Thaiger.…
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Russian tourist stung by ‘fire jellyfish’ at Patong Beach
PHOTOS: Patong Lifeguards / Newshawk Phuket A female Russian tourist has sustained a painful sting on her leg from a ‘fire jellyfish’ at Patong beach today (September 20). Patong lifeguards are warning of jellyfish known locally as the ‘fire jellyfish’ at Patong Beach. Fire Jellyfish or Morbakka fenneri can be discovered in tropical watersa. The physical appearance of this jellyfish…
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Seven arrested with illicit drugs
The Phuket City Police have arrested 7 drugs suspects with quantities methamphetamine and kratom leaves this week. The seven unrelated cases were all aged between 20 and 63 years old. • 63 year old Sanom Netsawang was arrested with 19 of methamphetamine pills. • 24 year old Kosin Daman and 20 year old Wirat Nookun were arrested with 1,250 millilitres of…
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Celebrate The Melbourne Cup in style – Phuket charity event
The Good Shepherd Phuket and Phuket Has Been Good To Us Foundation are thrilled to be hosting the Melbourne Cup 2018 again on Tuesday, November 6 from 9am-2pm. Join us the Outrigger Laguna Phuket Beach Resort for an exceptional day. Guests will be treated to 5 hours free flow of food and beverages including bubbles, white, pink, red wine and…
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Canada/Australia consular service share in Phuket, Krabi and Phang Nga
Canada and Australia have added Phuket, Krabi and Phrang Nga, to the Canada-Australia Shared Consular Services Agreement. Shared Consular Services are now found in 30 consular missions around the world. The Canada and Australia Consular Services Sharing Agreement dates back to the principles that were agreed to by both countries in 1986, recognizing the similarities of our philosophies underlying the…
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Chinese tourists injured in Phuket minivan accident
PHOTOS: Sayan Thammaphan Three Chinese tourists have been injured after a minivan they were travelling in rear-ended an 18 wheeler truck in Chalong today (September 19). Rescue workers rushed to the scene of the accident on Chao Fa West Road near Nakok Intersection about noon. They arrived to find the minivan ploughed into the rear end of the 18 wheeler truck at the…
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Motorbike rider dies in Phuket road accident
A motorbike rider has died after colliding with a pole in Paklok last night (September 19). Thalang Police were notified about the accident in Soi Bang Ga in in Paklok at 8.35pm. Rescue workers arrived at the scene to find the body of a man who was later identified as 30 year old Bancha Sangsawang from Nong Khai. His body…
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Police commander follows up on shooting of a man who ran a checkpoint
The Phuket Provincial Police Commander has followed up the case where a Thai man was shot after breaking through a police checkpoint. The Phuket man, who ran a Phuket City Police checkpoint in Rassada yesterday morning, died after attempting to open fire on police in Cherng Talay very early yesterday morning (September 18). Read more of the story HERE. The Phuket Provincial…
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DNA tests reveal Phuket’s Yanui is a….
PHOTOS: The Phuket PR Office The DNA tests are in and it reveals that Yanui is a saltwater crocodile. The Phuket Fisheries Office Chief Kowot Kaoeian says, “Yanui is a saltwater crocodile (Crocodylus porosus).” “The crocodile has been reacting well to treatment. No microchip was found on the crocodile. Scratches were found on its tail, legs and mouth. One tooth…
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Statement from Tiger Marine Charter Phuket
Following the incident over the weekend where a 70 foot charter yacht from Tiger Marine ended up stranded off Koh Phi, necessitating the Spanish tourists to swim over to another vessel to be taken back to shore, Tiger Marine have contacted The Thaiger (no connection) and asked us to post their response. The original story HERE. Here’s the Tiger Marine…
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Man dies after breaking through checkpoint and threatening to shoot police
A Phuket man, who broke a Phuket City Police checkpoint, has died after attempting to open fire on police in Cherng Talay very early this morning (September 18). Cherng Talay Police were notified that a pickup truck broke through the Phuket City Checkpoint at 1.30am today (September 18). Emergency responders arrived on Srisoonthorn Road in Cherng Talay to find a…
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Israeli tourist injured after attack by Krabi man
An Israelian tourist has sustained head injuries after being hit with a glass bottle by a young Thai man last week, allegedly over an issue of ‘jealousy’ in Krabi. You guessed it, over a love-interest. Koh Phi Phi Police were notified of the tourist’s injuries following last week’s attack. Police arrived at a restaurant to find an injured male tourist…
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Body found hanging on the side of the road in Thalang
A dead body has been discovered the side of the road in Thepkasattri Road in Thalang. The body was discovered by a motorist passing by this early morning (September 17). Thalang Police were notified of the incident at 5.30am on Thepkrasattri Road, northbound. Emergency responders arrived at the scene to find a body of a man age around 45-50 year…
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780kg of kratom seized at Phuket Checkpoint in separate incidents
Three people have been arrested with a total of 780 kilograms of kratom. That’s a LOT of kratom leaves! Three suspects have been arrested in two separate cases with 780 kilograms of kratom seized at the Phuket Checkpoint during the weekend. On Saturday (September 15), a team of officers at the Phuket checkpoint arrested 38 year old Wichan Kraikaew from…
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Bus driver charged with reckless driving in Patong bus incident
PHOTOS: Kusoldharm Foundation A tour bus driver has been charged with reckless driving after steering his tour bus, carrying 23 Vietnamese tourists, through the roadside barriers on the side of the road yesterday (September 16). You’ll never guess what the excuse was… (roll the drums)… Brake failure. Kathu Police were notified of the incident just after the hairpin turn, heading…
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Tourists rescued from tour boat stranded off Koh Phi Phi
by Sitthichai Sikhawat Officials from the Hat Noppharat Thara–Mu Koh Phi Phi National Park in Krabi province and a private boat operator helped 14 Spanish tourists – including four children – return ashore after their boat engine broke down in rough sea between Koh Phi Phi Don and Koh Phi Phi Le yesterday afternoon (Saturday). The Marine Department’s Krabi office…
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Over 20 sea turtles dying off Phuket and Phang-Nga in two months
One of Thailand’s best known marine biologists is alerting us about the carnage for Phuket’s turtle population over the past two months. More than 20 sea turtles have landed on beaches in Phuket and Phang-nga, most of them dying with the rest being seriously injured and little chance of survival in the past two months. Thorn Thamrongnavaswasdi, Vice Dean of…
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Maya Bay – closed for one extra month
FILE PHOTO It won’t open to tourists now until November 1. A one-month extension to the four month closure of Maya Bay on Koh Phi Phi is to better allow the full recovery of coral reefs, mangrove areas and the general ecosystem, as well as to protect tourists from strong winds and high waves during the period. The Hat Noppharat…
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JW Marriott Phuket Resort & Spa supports International Coastal Clean Up Day
JW Marriott Phuket Resort & Spa supported the Annual International Coastal Clean Up 2018 on the #suituptocleanup campaign to cut down the amount of plastic and garbage entering the ocean for oceans worldwide. This global action began in 1986 by Ocean Conservancy Organisation to encourage worldwide awareness and action for the world’s ocean conservancy. The clean up happened on Mai…
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Phuket monkey sterilisation Stage Two underway
PHOTOS: The Phuket PR Office Southern long-tailed macaques, captured at Khoa To Sae have been sterilised today. 129 macaques were captured yesterday (September 13) at Khao To Sae in Rassada as part of Stage Two in the capture/steralise/release program. Read more about the capture of the monkeys HERE. A total of 250 monkeys at Khao To Sae and Khao Rang have been…
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129 Phuket monkeys caught for sterilisation
PHOTOS: Khao Phra Thaew Non-Hunting Area 129 southern long-tailed macaques have been captured (September 13) at Khao To Sae in Rassada for sterlisation. The start of the monkey sterilisation process began on June 12 after public meetings agreed that the island’s monkeys, in the public ‘hot’ zones, needed to be sterilised and re-homed in a systematic program. Stage One to capture,…
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Surf for Soi Dog at SurfHouse Phuket
Surf House Phuket Kata Beach is teaming up with Phuket charity Soi Dog Foundation for a pawsome day of surfing, with proceeds from their surfing sales being donated to help the suffering dogs and cats of the island and wider Thailand. Founded in 2003, Soi Dog Foundation cares for the stray dog and cats of Phuket and beyond, through its programs…
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No conclusion yet over Phuket hospital issue – police commander
Executives of Vachira Phuket Hospital have still not resolved a situation that got our control outside their emergency rooms this week. Several videos of the incident went viral on social media showing a man being prevented access to the hospital to be with a relative in the emergency area. A report was filed with police concerning the man’s behaviour whilst the…
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Phoenix might be raised today – VIDEO
PHOTOS AND VIDEO: The Phuket Marine Office Divers headed underwater again yesterday (September 13) to check attachments to Phoenix in readiness to bring the wreck up to the surface. The Phuket PR Office reports that… “a team of divers yesterday morning (September 13) went down 45 metres underwater again. The first diver team arrived at the boat at 10am to check…
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Four live, one dead sea turtle, washed up on Phuket Beach
PHOTOS: Bang Yat / Newshawk Phuket Four live sea turtles and one dead were washed up on Nai Yang Beach this morning (September 13). All of them were stuck in fishing nets. Sririnat National Park officers were notified this morning about the four lives turtles that were found on Nai Yang Beach. The five turtles were stuck in the one…
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Warning for boats going to sea in Phuket
The Phuket Marine Office has made an official announcement for boats to be “careful when going to sea until September 18, due to Typhoon Mangkhut. The announcement was issued yesterday (September 12) stating that “the Typhoon Mangkhut in the Pacific Ocean is likely to move through The Philippines and Taiwan during the period from September 14-15.” “It will then move…
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Stage Two in ‘Project Monkey’ being rolled out in Phuket
PHOTOS: The Phuket PR Office Stage One to capture, sterilize and release some of the excess monkey population around Phuket has been a great success. Time now for Stage Two. Cages have been placed at the two main hills overlooking Phuket Town – Khao To Sae and Khao Rang – yesterday (September 12) to catch some more Phuket monkeys for…
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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