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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Overnight rains trigger floods in Phang Nga
Last night it rained and rained in parts of Phuket and Phang Nga. This morning there were floods affecting many of the main arteries in both provinces. Several roads and villages in Phang Nga were hit with hillside runoff and landslides following heavy rain overnight. Officials say the Bang Sai-Pakweep road in Ban Dok Daeng village in Tambon Bang Sai…
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Location on hills in Patong, Karon and Kata to lose pressure Friday
The Phuket Water Authority (PWA) has announced that the water supply in some areas of Patong, Kata and Karon will be shut off from 9am to 5pm Friday (August 24). Water will be shut off as the Patong Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA) will have to temporarily shut the electric off in some areas. Areas to be affected are locations on hills in Patong,…
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Four religions join in prayer ceremony for Phoenix boat victims
A prayer ceremony has been held at Saphan Hin for the 47 victims of the Phoenix boat disaster. The ceremony represented the four different religions of people who drowned on the evening of July 5. The ceremony was led by the the Minister of Tourism and Sports Weerasak Kowsurat and the Phuket Governor Norraphat Plodthong. Buddhist, Christian, Hindu and Sikh…
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Waste water flowing in Mudong Canal
Local residents near Mudong Canal in Wichit, Phuket, are calling for officials to clean up their act after wastewater has been flound flowing in the canal and out to the sea. Dead animals have also found floating in the canal. Yesterday (August 22) officials from the Environment Office Region 15 Phuket and others inspected the Mudong Canal. Local residents say…
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Flooding in Phuket, Phetchaburi and Mae Hong Son
PHOTO: Samkong underpass, Phuket – Newshawk Bad weather has hit Phang Nga and Phuket this morning whilst the flooding waters from the Kaeng Krachan dam in Phetchaburi are now reaching the main business district. In Phuket the major arteries are being clogged by flooding waters creating havoc for this morning’s peak hour. The Marine Office has issued a warning for…
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Warning for boats going to sea until tomorrow
The Phuket Marine Office has made an official announcement for boats to be “careful when going to sea until tomorrow (August 23), due to poor weather”. The announcement was issued yesterday (August 21) stating that “The Meteorological Department of Thailand (TMD) has forecast that from August 21-23 the monsoon will cause waves up to three metres in the open sea.”…
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From tropical paradise to busy urban island – Phuket
By Bill Barnett Phuket’s tourists, expats and property buyers are finding new reasons to head to the Pearl of the Andaman. They’re now spending more time and money seeking out alternative activities in areas other than the famed west-coast beaches. A report says that the island is transforming into a more well-rounded destination as visitors and new residents takes advantage…
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Mass prayer ceremony held for victims of the Phoenix boat disaster
A mass prayer ceremony was held this morning (August 22) at Saphan Hin for victims of the Phoenix boat disaster, marking 49 days since the tragedy. The government held the ceremony to acknowledge the Chinese victims of the Phoenix boat tragedy on July 5. The two day ceremony is being held on August 22-23. Volunteers’ activities and walk-run activity are…
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Old Phuket Town Sunday market launches no-smoking campaign
The Phuket City Municipality is launching a no-smoking campaign for the weekly Lard Yai Sunday market on Thalang Road each Sunday night. The Phuket City Mayor Somjai Suwansuppana says, “We are concerned about the danger of cigarette smoking, especially secondhand smoke that can be inhaled by other people, including children. Tourists and local residents in Old Phuket Town will be…
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Old Phuket Town goes underground
FILE PHOTO The Phuket City Mayor is warning of inconvenience to traffic in Old Phuket Town while work is underway installing underground cabling. The Phuket City Mayor Somjai Suwansuppana says, “We are working on the underground cable system in Old Phuket Town areas – Phang Nga Road and Rassada Road. The work is 62 percent complete. The new underground electrical…
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Cindy Sirinya Bishop to attend Café del Mar Family Fun Fiesta charity event
On Saturday, September 8, Cindy Sirinya Bishop is attending Café del Mar’s Family Fun Fiesta Fundraiser. Families are welcome to a day of fun and games to support Phuket Has Been Good To Us. There will be many activities for the kids – face-painting, bubble-making, circus class, dancing lessons, pool party, drumming sessions, piñata-making and much, much more. The Guest…
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Getting THAT ‘plane’ pic at Phuket Airport
The Phuket International Airport runway is built right on the beach, Nai Yang Beach. The actual runway, running east/west, finishes about 150 metres before the actual beach. So, when planes are landing from the west they come down really low over the people on the beach just before it touches down. Pilots like to land fairly close to the start…
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Motorbike driver killed in Thepkasattri road
A motorbike driver has died after colliding with a pickup truck last night (August 20). The incident happened near the new Honda Marine showrooms and offices on Thepkrasattri road, southbound, at about 11.45pm last night. Rescue workers and police arrived at the scene to find a damaged motorbike on the road. Nearby they found the body of a motorbike driver…
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The new Blue Tree waterpark and entertainment precinct unveiled
Phuket’s tourism industry has received a major shot in the arm with the unveiling of the new Blue Tree Phuket – a US$40 million investment and multi-dimensional destination waterpark and entertainment complex set over 140 rai in Cherng Talay. Positioning themselves as ‘Phuket’s premier family attraction’, Blue Tree is the island’s first international-standard, fully integrated waterpark and family entertainment complex.…
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Sea turtle has laid eggs on Nai Thon Beach after ten years
A sea turtle laid a clutch of eggs at Nai Thon Beach yesterday (August 19). The Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) reported that a one metre green turtle laid eggs on Nai Thon Beach in front of Trisara Hotel. Four more nests have also been found near but no eggs have been laid over the weekend. The eggs haven’t…
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A rat found in a bag of fermented fish
Phuket consumer protection officials inspected Phuket’s main department store in Rassada after a customer found a dead rat inside a packet of Thai fermented fish (Pla ra) products. A team of officials from the Office, headed by Somnuek Halem, inspected the large department store in Rassada after the news had already gone viral in social media. Officials found that all…
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Mövenpick Resort & Spa Karon Beach adopts a gibbon from Phuket’s Rehabilitation Centre
Mövenpick Resort & Spa Karon Beach Phuket continues its ongoing CSR efforts within Phuket’s community by recently adopting a gibbon from Phuket’s Gibbon Rehabilitation Centre. On Saturday, August 11, the resort’s Green Team visited the Rehabilitation Centre to provide financial support to the foundation. During the visit, the team was introduced to Arya, a seven year old female gibbon born…
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Bangla lady boy caught stealing tourists’ wallets
A lady boy has been taken to Patong Police station after being caught by tuk-tuk and taxi drivers after allegedly stealing tourists’ wallets on Bangla Road early today (August 20). At about 5am this morning, taxi and tuk-tuk drivers were helping to catch a lady boy who had been allegedly stealing wallets from Republic of Czechoslovakia tourists while they were…
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Minister of Tourism follows up on Phoenix boat tragedy
“We have to be careful about news which might affect tourism.” The Thai Minister of Tourism and Sports, Weerasak Kowsurat, flew down from Bangkok to follow up on the PR mop-up following the Phoenix boat disaster. He spoke to the media at the Phuket Yacht Control Centre (PYCC) at Chalong Bay. Khun Weerasak says, “We have to be careful when…
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Private sector proposes southern economic plan to mobile Cabinet
PHOTO: Emulating the French Riviera, but with better beaches. “The Andaman Riviera”? Emulating the famous French Riviera coast is part of a plan to promote the Andaman coastline, which includes Ranong, Phang Nga and Phuket as the star attractions and wrapping up other southern provinces into the new tourist precinct – just a part of recommendations to the mobile cabinet sitting…
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Chinese tourist drowns at Koh Racha
A male Chinese tourist, who ignored red flags, has drowned at Koh Racha yesterday (August 19). Chalong Police were notified at 1.40pm that a tourist was unconscious after being pulled from surf just off the island’s main beach. The tourist was immediately taken on a speedboat back to Chalong Pier. The tourist was later identified as 32 year old Zhang…
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More fake goods seized in Patong
Yesterday (August 17) police and soldiers raided a warehouse in Patong and seized more than 200 counterfeit goods. A team of officers from the Economic Crime Suppression Division (ECD) joined the raid at the warehouse of Lanta Souvenir in Patong’s OTOP Market on Rat-Uthit 200 pi Road. 28 year old Wut Boonkanpai was present and was acting as the shop’s…
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Whale shark sighted off Phuket
A whale shark was sighted off Ao Tue in Koh Racha yesterday (August 17). Videos and pictures posted by a personal facebook page ‘Saran Hassaya’ have been shared widely in social media. Videos and photos were taken yesterday by female tour guide Kristsada Sukjacharee who is also a dive instructor of the ‘Blue Corner’ tour boat company and a volunteer…
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Tourist numbers tumble as Chinese media expose entrenched safety problems
The fallout from July’s tragic boat accident are just now starting to bite as tourists, who would have been about to make a booking around the time the accident happened, decided to book an alternate holiday destination instead. Despite the bravado and PR exercises, many Thai business people are secretly worried about the big drop-off in numbers. The drop in…
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Hilton Phuket helping with English lessons for Kamala students
Markus Kosch, general manager of Hilton Phuket Arcadia Resort & Spa, together with hotel management teams, recently visited a local school in Kamala to assist with English lessons for the day whilst providing sponsorship for the school valued at 100,000 baht. The donation was made to the Phuket Has Been Good To Us Foundation in May 2018 in order to…
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Five suspects arrested with illicit drugs
Five drug suspects have been arrested with methamphetamine pills, crystal methamphetamine and kratom. A team of officers led by Capt Teerasak Narasri from the Phuket City Police Station have arrested four suspects including 46 year old Tanet ‘Pok’ Saeton from Phuket at a house in Rassada. Police seized 534.8 grams and a parcel box. He has been charged with illegal…
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Signs posted warning land encroachers in Rassada
Officers have set up official warning signs in front of a 50 rai plot of land on national reserve forest at Klong Bang Chela – Klong Tajeen in Rassada . The Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives had given approval for the Phuket Provincial government to use 50 rai plot of land in the area of the national reserve forest as a…
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Warning for boats going to sea until August 19
The Phuket Marine Office has made an official announcement for boats to be careful when going to sea from today, August 17-19, due to poor weather. The announcement was issued yesterday stating that “The Meteorological Department of Thailand (TMD) has forecast that during August 17-19 the monsoon will cause waves up to four metres in the open sea.” “For navigation…
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Phuket 13 beaches get ‘star’ treatment from environment office
13 Phuket beaches have received certificates after passing environmental tests and qualification. 34 business operators in the Andaman provinces also received wastewater management certification. Phuket Vice Governor Thawornwat Kongkaew yesterday (August 15) presented the certificates at Pearl Hotel in Phuket Town to local administrative organisations for ‘star’ beaches and business operators for good wastewater management. “There are 13 famous Phuket…
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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