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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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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…
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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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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 hunting for two men who robbed shop in Chalong
Police are still hunting for two suspects who last night robbed a shop in Chalong and sped away with 3,000 baht cash and a gold necklace. The Chalong Police were notified of the incident at 7.15pm last night, that two suspects had robbed the shop in Soi Songkhun in Chalong. CCTV footage showed the two suspects on a motorbike stopping…
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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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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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Soi Dog Foundation responds to rabies and dog registration stories
PHOTO: Bangkok Thailand Soi Dog Phuket’s Soi Dog Foundation has sent The Thaiger a response to an article published on October 16. The story was sourced from our Bangkok partners ‘The Nation’ and, according to Soi Dog, contains some glaring inaccuracies. You can read the original article HERE. We reprint the response from the Soi Dog Foundation below… “The Department…
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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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Police hunt for suspects after an early morning car chase around Phuket
Phuket police are now hunting for suspects who broke through a checkpoint in Rassada and then abandoned their car in Chalong early this morning. The Phuket City Police set up a routine checkpoint at 2am on Rassada Nusorn Road in Rassada. A Lop Buri licensed sedan approached the checkpoint but slowly turned back and sped away. The car then collided…
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Two injured after car overturns and hits a bridge
Two people have sustained injuries after their car overturned, colliding with a bridge and mains water pipe in Chalong early this morning. The Chalong Police were notified about the accident at 2am today. Police and emergency responders arrived to find a damaged Honda Jazz car overturned at the bridge on Chao Fa East Road in Chalong. The driver and passenger…
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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