Phuket News
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Sponsored Why 8 Atelier Residence is poised for growth: Phuket’s investment hotspot in the making
Phuket’s residential real estate market is no longer defined only by beachfront villas and short-stay resort condominiums. The island is now seeing sustained interest from international investors targeting long-term yields, capital stability, and access to full-scale lifestyle infrastructure. Looking at...
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Phuket hotels under pressure to perform
by Bill Barnett C9 Hotelworks Despite registering a record high 9 million passenger arrivals at the island’s gateway international airport in 2018, performance data is indicating that a slowdown in its double-digit growth rates over the past few years is on the horizon for Thailand’s resort destination of Phuket. While airport arrivals grew 8% year-on-year, the gains posted were at…
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UPDATE: Taxi driver shot dead in Patong
A taxi driver was shot and killed in Patong this morning, apparently over an ongoing dispute at a taxi rank they worked at together. Patong police headed to the scene at 10.20am on Phra Metta Road (aka. Phang Muang Sai Kor Road) in Patong (third road back from the beach). The incident occurred at a make-shift taxi stand between The Marina…
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Taxi driver shot dead over taxi queue disagreement in Patong
A taxi driver has been shot dead in Patong this morning. The Patong Police were notified of the incident at 10.20am at a taxi stand on Phra Metta Road in Patong. Patong Police report that the suspect’s shooter was 48 year old Paradorn Puchaiyan. The injured 46 year old Songpon Suwansa-ard was taken to Patong Hospital where he was pronounced…
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Drunk woman recovered from lagoon in Rassada
PHOTOS: Tan Promedic Phuket Police have reported that a drunk woman walked straight into a lagoon in Rassada last night. Rescue workers helped to bring her back to shore before she drowned. She was rambling about wanting to see a mythical creature. Kusoldharm rescue worker were notified at 10.30pm that someone had walked into the lagoon in Soi Paneang in…
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Rawai luxury villas on ‘pause’ along Ao Sane beach
PHOTOS: Chatchanon Na Thalang Rawai Municipality have put a halt to the construction of the controversial luxury villas being constructed on the cliffs overlooking Ao Sane Beach. The municipal building officers say a pool and spa were found under construction, in contravention with the approved plans. Rawai Mayor Aroon Solos says, “the construction of four buildings, including a pool, is…
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Two killed when motorbike rider and passenger ploughed into a house
A motorbike driver and passenger have died after a collision in Thalang this morning. The Thalang Police were notified of the accident on Thepkrasattri Road in Thalang at 3.10am. Police and emergency responders arrived to find a motorbike after it had collided head-on with a wall at the front of a house. Nearby they found two bodies, later identified as…
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Wanted Russian arrested after hiding in Phuket for four years
PHOTOS: Immigration Bureau A Russian man, wanted over illegal financial business dealings after hiding in Phuket for four years, has been arrested. The Immigration Bureau says that the suspect, 36 year old Alexey Dolzhenkov, a Russian national, was arrested last week. Immigration officers allege he was a broker who operated illegal financial businesses in the Russian language, from Phuket. They claim he…
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Russian woman dies after falling from fourth floor in Patong
PHOTOS: Patong Police A Russian woman has died after falling from the fourth floor at a hotel in Patong earlier today. Patong Police were notified of the incident at the hotel on Ratchapatanusorn Road at 2.15am. The foreign woman was identified by police as 27 year old Elena Kusovnikova, a Russian national. Her body was on the ground in front…
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Three fined for fishing illegally in the Mu Koh Similan National Park
PHOTO: DNP Three men have been fined after they were found catching fish in Mu Koh Similan National Park area in Phang Nga yesterday. Private fishing is illegal inside the marine national park area. The head of the Mu Koh Similan National Park Ruamsin Manajongjaroen says that yesterday three men were fined after being discovered catching fish in the national…
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Whale shark sighted off Phang Nga – VIDEO
SCREENSHOT: Mu Koh Similan National Park Facebook / Sor Somboon 3 boat Another mighty whale shark has been sighted of Phang Nga yesterday, the latest in a recent series of positive sightings. Mu Koh Similan Nation Park officials confirmed that a whale shark was sighted at a deep diving point at Koh Tachai in Phang Nga yesterday at 4.30pm . The…
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44 baby leatherback sea turtles headed to sea in Phang Nga – VIDEO
PHOTO: DMCR A third group of baby leatherback sea turtles have now hatched on Kuekkak Beach and headed out to sea for their new life off the Takua Pa district in Phang Nga. A first batch of 48 baby leatherback sea turtles survived and headed straight for the Andaman Sea once they got their bearings on Kuek Kak Beach in…
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Five metre king cobra caught in Kathu
PHOTOS: Pannakorn Pongpao/Kathu Rescue Foundation/Kusoldharm Rescue Foundation A five metre king cobra has been caught at a worker’s house in Kathu. Kusoldharm Rescue workers were notified of the king cobra discovered by a worker next to his house in the Kathu – Nakoh road in Kathu last night. Nokoh Road runs behind the Loch Palm Golf Course, between Kathu and…
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Drunk pickup driver kills one, injures two others in Chalong
A drunk pickup truck driver has collided with cars and motorbikes at a traffic light in Chalong. One person has died, two others are injured and six vehicles are damaged. Chalong Police were notified of the incident at an intersection on Chao Fa East Road near Wat Tai (Ladthiwanaram Temple) at 1.50pm yesterday. Chalong Police and emergency responders arrived to…
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Canadian motorbike driver killed in Phuket road accident
A female Canadian motorbike driver has died after her head was crushed under a truck’s wheels after trying to overtake a truck in Kata today. Karon Police were notified of the incident on Kata Hill at 11am. Police and emergency responders arrived to find the truck stopped on the road. Nearby they found a motorbike on top of the body…
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Wanted Russians walk into Pattaya immigration office
Two Russians wanted on an arrest warrant originating in Phuket have been found and arrested hiding in Pattaya. Immigration police had no trouble in locating 48 year old Artur Stotskii and 34 year old Iaroslav Scherobatyk. The pair made it very easy by showing up for visa extensions at the Chonburi Immigration Office on February 18. The January 16 arrest…
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Foreign motorbike racer arrested in Patong
PHOTOS: Patong Police Patong Police yesterday arrested another foreign motorbike racer driving erratically around Patong’s roads. Police report that they arrested the man who was driving his motorbike at high speed and doing ‘wheelies’ (front wheel raised off the ground) yesterday. “He doesn’t care for other people’s safety and was annoying other road users. He was been taken to Patong…
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Flights delayed and cancelled at Phuket Airport – Closure of Pakistan airspace
Flights have been affected at the Phuket International Airport, a knock-on affect from the closing of airspace over Pakistan. Latest in the tensions between India and Pakistan HERE. Thai Airways resumes flights. Read about that HERE. The Phuket International Airport has announced flights that have been affected at the Phuket International Airport. Delayed flights… AEROFLOT airlines flight SU278/279 from Moscow…
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Fire damages garage along main road in Rassada
A fire has damaged a garage on Thepkrasattri Road in Rassada early today. Fire fighters headed to the fire in Rassada, just north of Phuket Town, around 4am this morning. Emergency responders arrived at the scene with four fire engines to find the back of the garage well ablaze. It took about an hour to bring the fire under control.…
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Python rescued from water drain cover in Wichit
PHOTOS: Phurita Cho / Kusoldarm Foundation A two metre python has been rescued after getting stuck in a water drain cover in Wichit yesterday. Kusoldarm rescue workers heard from locals that the python was stuck in the water drain cover near the Wichit Police Station. A specialist snake catcher from Kusoldarm Foundation, Poonsab Saeueng, along with other rescue workers arrived at…
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Grass fire destroys motorbikes in Rawai
A localised grass fire has spread destroying four motorbikes parked in front of a rental house in Rawai. No injuries were reported. Chalong Police were notified of the fire in Soi Suksan 2 on Wiset road in Rawai yesterday afternoon. Seven fire engines arrived at the scene where the fire was ablaze. Strong easterly winds made the fire spread quickly.…
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Construction of luxury condo development in Kata continues despite local protests
The Owner of the luxury condominium in Kata has confirmed that that the land is legal and the construction will continue, despite protests from locals and business competitors. Business operators and community in Kata Noi marched in protest about the construction of the luxury condo development. Read more about the protest HERE. Manasanan Nararattanawee, managing director of Kata Beach Company, the…
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Phuket Police investigating attack on Chinese passengers by taxi driver
Phuket Police are investigating an incident where Chinese passengers were allegedly attacked by a taxi driver in Patong this morning. Cherng Talay Police report that they were notified from some Chinese tourists that they had been attacked by a taxi driver after they were unable to negotiate a taxi fee from Patong to Cherng Talay. They were staying at a…
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Chinese tourist rescued after choking on water in Koh Similans
PHOTOS: DNP A female Chinese tourist was rescued after choking on water at Koh Payu, in the middle of the Similan National Park island group, yesterday. The head of Similan Natioanl Park Ruamsin Manajongjaroen says that national park officers were notified about a Chinese tourist, 63 year old Gou Shifeng, who had got into difficulty whilst swimming at Koh Payu…
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Body of missing Burmese man found in reservoir in Chalong
The body of a Burmese man, who had been missing since Sunday night, has been found. Two Burmese men were swimming in a lagoon in Chalong late on Sunday afternoon. Searching was stopped at midnight on Sunday and resumed yesterday. Read more about the missing man HERE. Searching continued yesterday from noon. At 6.45pm the body of the Burmese man was found…
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Eleven passengers recovered from dive boat after it hit rocks off Koh Similan group
PHOTOS: Phang Nga DDPM Four foreigners and seven Thai boat crew have been saved after a diving boat collided with rocks off the Similans yesterday morning. Similan National Park officials were informed that the diving boat, named ‘Panthip 2’, had collided with rocks off Lek Beach near Koh Miang in the Similan island group at 2.45am yesterday. National Park official…
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Come into my world. Tribhum is now open.
“Tribhum – The Mystical Three Worlds” is Phuket’s newest tourist attraction situated in the new Central Floresta. It’s a 3D walkthrough adventure theme park in which visitors are transported into a mystical realm of Siamese legend and fantasy. “Tribhum” is pronounced try-POOM (with soft ‘OO’ sound). Located on the roadside of the new Central Floresta, “Tribhum – The Mystical Three…
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Locals and business operators protest luxury condo in Kata Noi
Business operators and locals in Kata Noi have marched to protest a luxury condo construction. Kata Noi locals were led by executive president of the Kata Thani Collection hotels group, Sombat Adiset. The protest aimed to halt the construction which has already begun. Khun Sombat says, “This started two years ago and locals have been fighting to stop the construction…
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Staging and structures demolished on beach in Cherng Talay
Structures on a beach in Cherng Talay (map below) have been demolished where a hotel was preparing for a large wedding party over the weekend. Ma-ann Samran, Cheif of the Cherng Talay Tambon Administration Organisation (OrBorTor) was notified from locals that wedding party was been prepared on Pan Thri Beach, between Surin Beach and Bang Tao beaches. Officials visited the…
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Shy baby turtles get a helping hand in Phang Nga
PHOTOS: The Nation Thirty-five new hatchling leatherback turtles, reluctant to leave their nests on Phang Nga’s Ta Sai Beach, have been given a helping hand to find their way to the sea. Marine and Coastal Resources Department officials yesterday noticed that there were signs in the sand that the baby turtles had hatched, but became concerned this morning after none…
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Phuket City mulls water restrictions, again
PHOTO: Bang Wad Dam, Kathu Despite issuing orders for odd/even water restrictions, and then rescinding them the day after, the Phuket City Municipality is again urging residents to take care in the use of their tap water to stretch the available water supply through to the end of the dry season, and has issued its second warning in a week…
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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