Phuket News

Phuket news, politics, business, tourism, and nightlife—stay updated with breaking stories, events, and expat updates from Thailand’s top island destination. Get the latest from The Thaiger, your trusted Phuket news source.

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  • Biometrics ID System being tested at Phuket Airport | Thaiger

    Biometrics ID System being tested at Phuket Airport

    A new Biometrics System is currently being installed and tested at the Phuket International Airport before going live this July. The biometrics system, a machine for personal facial identification and finger prints is being installed and tested at the Phuket international Airport today. The system is being installed at 16 airports around Thailand and is about 70% completed. Deputy police…

  • Maya Bay’s closure could be further extended – Dr Thon | Thaiger

    Maya Bay’s closure could be further extended – Dr Thon

    Maya Bay, closed to the public since last June to allow its beach and coral to recover, will remain shut to visitors for at least another two years as its ecology needs more time to heal. “The director-general of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, Tanya Netithammakul will have the final say on whether to reopen the…

  • Ultimate parties at The Bay and Beach Club, Patong | Thaiger

    Ultimate parties at The Bay and Beach Club, Patong

    Newly built and super stylish, The Bay and Beach Club is the hottest addition to the island’s most favorite resort neighborhood of Patong. Elegant and luxurious with a modern design and spacious rooms, the resort sets the benchmark for beachfront accommodation in Phuket. With a convenient location right on the sands of Patong Beach, a holiday spent at The Bay…

  • Motorbike driver dies after colliding with truck in Thalang | Thaiger

    Motorbike driver dies after colliding with truck in Thalang

    PHOTOS: Kusoldharm Rescue Foundation A female motorbike driver died after colliding with a truck in Thalang yesterday. Kusoldharm rescue workers were notified of the accident on Thepkrasattri Road, southbound, in Baan Liphon in Thalang at 6am in the morning. Rescue workers arrived at the scene to find the body of a female motorbike driver on the road near a damaged…

  • Man found hanged at rental property in Wichit | Thaiger

    Man found hanged at rental property in Wichit

    A man has been found hanged at a rental property in Wichit. His mother believed that he was stressed after being arrested with drugs, and was unemployed. Wichit Police were notified of the incident inside Soi Pracha Saeree in Wichit yesterday. Police and rescue workers arrived to find the body of a man hanged inside his room. He was identified…

  • Large tree crashes onto car in Chalong | Thaiger

    Large tree crashes onto car in Chalong

    A big tree has fallen in Chalong where it has tried to squash a parked Honda Jazz parked in front of a house in Chalong this morning. Staff from the Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Chalong Office were notified of the big tree collapsing and hitting a car in Soi Kritsada in Chalong in the midst of high winds and rain…

  • Warning for boats going to sea off Phuket | Thaiger

    Warning for boats going to sea off Phuket

    The Phuket Marine Office has made another official announcement today for boats that will remain in force until May 10. The announcement was issued yesterday stating that “The weather forecast of strong westerly winds is expected to bring heavy rains to southern Thailand and the Andaman coast from today until at least May 10.“ “The warning is in effect for…

  • Pork-seller arrested with gun, ammunition and drugs in Kathu | Thaiger

    Pork-seller arrested with gun, ammunition and drugs in Kathu

    A pork seller has been arrested with a gun and crystal methamphetamine in Kathu. Kathu Police arrested 43 year old pork seller Peerapan Saechua yesterday. Police seized crystal methamphetamine, a handgun and 68 bullets. The arrest follows a tip-off from the owner of the rented house in Kathu claiming that Peerapan used a gun to threaten him while also alleging…

  • Weather warning issued for Phuket | Thaiger

    Weather warning issued for Phuket

    PHOTO: Phuket Lifeguard Service An urgent weather warning for heavy rains, strong winds and wave warning has been issued by the Phuket Governor. Issued at 11am today, the warning forecasts “a strong westerly wind is expected to bring heavy rains to southern Thailand and the Andaman coast from today until at least May 10.” The warning is in effect for Ranong,…

  • Naked body found floating in Phuket Town public park | Thaiger

    Naked body found floating in Phuket Town public park

    The body of a naked dead man has been found floating in the lagoon at Suan Luang park in Phuket Town this morning. The Phuket City Police were notified of the grisly find at 8.30am at Suan Luang Public Park. Police and rescue workers arrived to find the naked body of a man laying face down in the water. The…

  • One dead, one injured after stabbing in Chalong | Thaiger

    One dead, one injured after stabbing in Chalong

    Police are hunting for a Burmese suspect who was involved in the stabbing of a fellow Burmese couple in Chalong. One person is dead and another injured. Chalong Police were notified of the incident in Soi Klumyang at Chalong on Sunday. The Burmese couple who were stabbed were taken to Vachira Phuket Hospital. Police arrived at the hospital where they…

  • Fire destroys steamed-bun shop in Wichit | Thaiger

    Fire destroys steamed-bun shop in Wichit

    Fire has gutted a steamed bun shop in Wichit this afternoon. Wichit Police were notified of the fire at the steamed bun shop near the Dawroong Intersection in Wichit at 12.35pm. Fire fighters arrived at the building to find fire and smoke had already engulfed part of the third floor. The shop was not open at the time. Fire fighters…

  • One boy drowns, two two others plucked out of the surf in Phang Nga | Thaiger

    One boy drowns, two two others plucked out of the surf in Phang Nga

    A boy has drowned while two others have been rescued from the seas off Phang Nga. At 4.20am this morning the dead body of a 12 year old was found under the Natai Bridge, about one kilometre from where he went missing. Kokkloi Police were notified that the three children had been washed out to sea by a wave near…

  • Six gamblers arrested in Thalang | Thaiger

    Six gamblers arrested in Thalang

    The Thalang Police have arrested six gamblers his weekend. Police have arrested six gamblers at the side of a road near a rubber plantation in Srisoonthorn over the weekend. Some of them have escaped when the police approached. Police say they are unsure at this stage why the gamblers were playing on the side of the road in sight of…

  • Sea turtle rescued on Kamala beach | Thaiger

    Sea turtle rescued on Kamala beach

    PHOTOS: Niruj A sea turtle has been rescued after being washed up on the shores of Kamala beach. Tourists who were walking along the beach discovered the beached turtle. They informed beach vendors. Kusoldharm rescue workers were then contacted and headed to the scene. The turtle was still alive but was weak and becoming dry as it has been sitting…

  • Chinese continue to soak up Thailand’s condo glut | Thaiger

    Chinese continue to soak up Thailand’s condo glut

    There are man reasons why Thailand is a favourite location for property buyers from Hong Kong and mainland China – the street food and great weather are just a part of the allure. Chinese nationals spent a record 40 billion baht (US$1.25 billion) on Thai properties in 2018, according to the Bank of Thailand. So who is buying Thailand’s condominiums?…

  • British man who locked himself in Phuket condo to be deported | Thaiger

    British man who locked himself in Phuket condo to be deported

    PHOTO: Police waiting for officials to enter the man’s room from the outside of the ninth floor The man who locked himself in a Phuket Town condo for over three months is going to be deported and banned from re-entry for up to five years. David Maclean was evicted, by force, from the Supalai Condo yesterday afternoon at 3pm. Officers…

  • Police summons issued for Phuket’s seastead couple | Thaiger

    Police summons issued for Phuket’s seastead couple

    Wichit Police have issued a summons for the ‘seastead’ couple after Phuket Immigration pressed another charged against the couple. Phuket Immigration have now pressed charges saying that the pair departed the kingdom without clearing through the immigration channels. The charge follows the couple heading out more than 12 nautical miles offshore from Phuket to set up and live in the…

  • Truck brings down six power poles in Chalong, one injured | Thaiger

    Truck brings down six power poles in Chalong, one injured

    A motorbike driver has been injured while 13 Burmese workers on the back of a pickup truck have escaped injury after ta truck brought down six power poles in a Chalong soi. The incident was in Soi Tanuthep in Chalong at 11.20am today. Police and rescue workers arrived to find the pickup in the middle of the road. Fallen cables…

  • Fire destroys apartment in Rassada | Thaiger

    Fire destroys apartment in Rassada

    Fire has gutted an apartment in Rassada this morning. Staff at the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation heard about the fire at the apartment in Soi Sakornket in Rassada at 7.45 this morning. Three fire engines arrived at the apartment on the ground floor of the building. Fire and smoke had totally engulfed the room. It took firefighters about…

  • British man injured after stabbing in Wichit, Phuket | Thaiger

    British man injured after stabbing in Wichit, Phuket

    Police are investigating after a British man was stabbed by a teenage suspect in front of a restaurant in Wichit last night. Wichit Police were notified of the incident in the parking area of a restaurant on Chao Fah West Road at 7pm last night. Police report that they arrived and staff told them that the injured man had already been…

  • Kra Canal – the 28 Billion Baht shortcut | Thaiger

    Kra Canal – the 28 Billion Baht shortcut

    By Jintana Panyaarvudh Despite a history going back three centuries, the highly controversial and politically sensitive proposed Kra Canal mega-project in southern Thailand is once again up for debate. At a forum held yesterday by Rangsit University entitled the “Stakeholders in Kra Canal@Klong Thai”, national security and the canal’s impact on tourism were among the main issues of concern as…

  • German man found dead at house in Rawai | Thaiger

    German man found dead at house in Rawai

    A 73 year old German man has been found dead inside a house in Rawai. The Chalong Police were notified of the situation at a house in Rawai at 1pm yesterday. Police and rescue workers arrived at the house to find the body of a foreign man who was later identified as a 73 year old German man (The Thaiger…

  • Fishing crew release Manta rays after getting snared in their nets | Thaiger

    Fishing crew release Manta rays after getting snared in their nets

    A fishing boat has released two giant Manta rays, tangled in its nets, back to the Andaman Sea off Phang Nga’s Kura Buri. The crew have won wide praise for releasing the snared rays. Thana Ketsa-ard, owner of the Thanakorn 99 fishing boat, posted a video on Facebook at 12.30am on Tuesday night showing his workers rescuing the two Manta…

  • Aussie lifeguards and Navy conduct local lifesaver program | Thaiger

    Aussie lifeguards and Navy conduct local lifesaver program

    PHOTO: The HMAS Canberra and HMAS Newcastle sit off Patong Bay as Navy officers conduct the beach activities yesterday. Surf Life Saving Australia and the Australian Navy have joined with Phuket’s lifeguards for some marine safety training at Patong Beach. About 100 young people and teenagers from around the island joined in the training as part of the project ‘Australia…

  • 49 passengers on Bangkok-Phuket bus as it skids off road in Surat Thani | Thaiger

    49 passengers on Bangkok-Phuket bus as it skids off road in Surat Thani

    PHOTOS: Newshawk Phuket An express bus which was traveling from Bangkok to Phuket has skidded off the road in Surat Thani. 49 passengers escaped injury following the wayward bus careering off the main road into roadside gravel and bushes. Newshawk Phuket reports that, at 7.47am this morning, a bus travelling from Bangkok heading to Phuket skidded off the road in…

  • Drunk man arrested after collecting parking fees in Phuket Town | Thaiger

    Drunk man arrested after collecting parking fees in Phuket Town

    PHOTOS: The Phuket City Police Police have arrested an intoxicated man who was collecting parking fees around a department store in Phuket Town. The Phuket City Police arrested the man, Adisak Rueathong, who had been collecting parking fees around Robinson Ocean Department Store in Talad Yai, Phuket Town. The arrest follows police receiving complaints last week that there was a…

  • Thailand’s Michelin Guide adds Chiang Mai | Thaiger

    Thailand’s Michelin Guide adds Chiang Mai

    Michelin say they’re extending The Michelin Guide in Thailand to cover the northern city of Chiang Mai with the new edition The Michelin Guide Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket & Phang Nga 2020. The extended foodie guide will be released at the end of 2019. This third edition of The Michelin Guide in Thailand will continue to showcase the country’s three unique and…

  • Coral off Phuket suffering from bleaching | Thaiger

    Coral off Phuket suffering from bleaching

    by Thai PBS Corals have started to bleach off the coast of Phuket. The problem is due to the warming of the sea, according to reports from the Phuket-based operations centre of the 2nd National Marine Park. Marine scientists at the centre conducted a survey of coral reefs off Nai Yang beach in the Sirinat national park last Thursday and…

  • Australian Navy and Phuket Consulate join in ‘Big Cleaning Day’ | Thaiger

    Australian Navy and Phuket Consulate join in ‘Big Cleaning Day’

    Officers from the Royal Australian Navy and representatives from the local Australian Consulate joined with Rassada Municipality officials and staff for the ‘Big Cleaning Day’. This morning in Rassada, led by Rassada Mayor Phudit Raksarat, officials launched the activity together with officers and crew from the Australian Navy’s HMAS Canberra and HMAS Newcastle, and delegates from the Australian Consulate General…

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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