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.
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Monkey chase in Chalong
Whilst mischievous monkeys are being rounded up and sent to uninhabited islands around Phuket, one has found its way into a Chalong residential area. A monkey was found running around homes in Chalong yesterday (June 16). Officers of the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) stationed at Chalong Municipality were notified at 10.05am that a monkey was searching for…
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Phuket Governor warns of heavy rains and possible flooding
Following the heavy rain, Phuket’s Governor, Norrapat Plodthong, is expressing his concerns yesterday about more flash flooding. “According to the Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) Office of the Southern West Coast, from yesterday (June 16) until Wednesday (June 20). There is a Southwest monsoon that is affecting the Andaman Sea as well as the whole west coast of southern Thailand.” “The…
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Five days of wind and rain for the south
The forecast over the next five days in Phuket and southern provinces is not good, if you’re a tourist. According to the Thai Meteorological Department, “The southwest monsoon across the Andaman Sea and the Gulf becomes stronger leading to rough sea continuing between June 16-20. 2-4 metre waves will be likely in the Andaman Sea and 2-3 metres in the…
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Brand Andaman ready to start promoting the region
A meeting held at the Phuket City Hall, and hosted by Phuket’s Governor Norraphat, announced that southern provinces are planning to boost tourism with the ‘Andaman’ branding. Governor Norraphat says, “A research paper has been submitted on the creation of a tourism brand to develop Andaman tourism, related to Phuket tourism infrastructure. The brand will focus on tourist locations and…
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Futsal charity to raise money for light aircraft crash victim
Friends of a male student, who was one of the passenger victims in the light aircraft crash in Paklok on March 10, are planning a futsal charity match this Sunday (June 10) to raise money for him to assist in his recovery. A small plane crashed in a field in front of the Phuket Air Park, in Paklok last March.…
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Burmese woman arrested with drugs in sting operation
Police have arrested a Burmese woman with methamphetamine pills and crystal methamphetamine. A team of the Phuket City Police arrested 46 year old Thet Mar Win, a Burmese national at a house in Rassada, east of Phuket Town. She was found with 1.08grams of crystal methamphetamine and 14 of methamphetamine pills. Mar Win has been charged with possession of Category…
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Phuket marks World Blood Donor Day
The Phuket Red Cross is continuing its donation promotion under the slogan ‘Be there for someone else. Give Blood, Share Life.’ The event, held at Novotel Phuket Phokeethra in Phuket Town, was led by the Phuket Governor Norraphat Plodthong and his wife who is President of the Phuket Red Cross, Sudarat Plodthong. Mrs Sudarat says, ‘The International Federation of Red Cross and…
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Great Phuket Monkey Exodus of 2018: 37 more monkeys captured in Rassada
In the Great Phuket Monkey Exodus of 2018, water tanks are now being installed on Monkey Island and 37 monkeys have been captured in Rassada for sterilisation and then re-location. Yesterday (June 15), water tank were being installed on Koh Payu while 37 long-tailed macaques were caught at Soi King Kaew in Rassada. Pongchart Chouehorm, the Director of the Natural…
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Two charged over Chinese tourist assault
Two men have been charged with assault after they attacked two Chinese tourists following an argument on a speed boat yesterday (June 13). The arrests come after a video clip went viral in social along with a headline ‘Yunnan tour guide hit Chinese tourists at Nontasak Pier.’ The Phuket Provincial Police Commander Maj Gen Teeraphol Tipjaroen has ordered an investigation…
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Suspect arrested with 180 kg kratom in refrigerated truck
A man has been arrested with 180 kilograms of kratom which were being transferred by a coconut refrigeration truck yesterday in Rassada. Police arrested 28 year old Tanabat Petmanee from Songkhla. They then seized 180 kilograms of kratom leaves inside his refrigerated truck. The arrest came after police received a tip-off that Tanabat was transferring kratom to Phuket. Police were…
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48 long-tailed macaques caught for sterilisation in Paklok
Some of Phuket’s monkeys are on their way to new homes off the island. But first a quick vet-check and a ‘snip’ before they continue their journey. 14 long-tailed macaques have been captured at Bang Rong Pier while another 34 long-tailed macaques have been caught in Baan Yamu, both in Paklok, central east in Phuket. The capture is the first…
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Phuket police chat to students about illegal World Cup football gambling
The World Cup starts today. So do the gambling crackdowns. The Phuket Provincial Police Commander Maj Gen Teeraphol Thipjaroen says, “the World Cup football is started today (June 14) so Phuket police are strictly keeping an eye on illegal world cup gambling. “We have arrested 12 cases already involving illegal football gambling while the Phuket Tourist Police have arrested three…
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Driver found dead at the back of his bus
A Phuket-Pattalung bus driver has been found dead in a parked bus at a gas station in Phuket Town today (June 13). Phuket City Police were notified about the sad discovery at a gas station on Damrong Road in Phuket Town at 11am. Police and rescue workers arrived to find a body of 52 year old Surat Nooklin lying on…
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Six arrested in Phuket drug shakekdown
Cherng Talay Police have arrested six suspects found with kratom and marijuana yesterday (June 12). • Police arrested 34 year old Ampohn Chitchonlatan from Phuket. She was found with 15 of kratom leaves, 0.45 litres of liquid kratom, a bottle of cough syrup and a bottle of Coca Cola drink. • Police arrested 29 year old Tippawan Chueasaman from Phuket.…
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Chinese tour bus crash on Kata hill
A Chinese tour bus has collided with a pickup truck then ended up dangling precariously down the hill. 33 Chinese tourists have luckily escaped from serious injury. Karon Police were notified about the incident on Patak Road in front of the Kata power plant at 11.05pm last night (June 12). Emergency responders arrived at the scene to find a white…
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Female van driver, Chinese tourists injured in Phuket van crash
Ten people were in a passenger van when it slammed into a power pole yesterday afternoon (June 12). The female van driver has sustained serious injuries. Thalang Police were notified of the accident at 3.30pm on the Thepkrasattri – Nai Yang Road north of Thalang. Emergency responders arrived at the scene to find a damaged Toyota van smashed into a power…
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Officials investigating alleged encroachment in a Layan mangrove
Local fishermen in Baan Layan have filed complaints to the Damrongdhama Centre at the Phuket City Hall yesterday (June 11) calling for an investigation over alleged mangrove encroachment in Cherng Talay. More than 20 of Layan’s local fishermen, led by Somsak Prokaew, have handed a letter of complaint to the Phuket Vice Governor Prakob Wongmaneerung and the Phuket Fisheries Office…
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Monkey’s birth control starts in Phuket
The start of the monkey sterilisation process has begun in Phuket today (June 12) after all the public meetings agreed that the island’s monkeys, in the public ‘hot’ zones, needed to be sterilised in a systematic program. Read more HERE. Five islands that have been surveyed as the monkey’s new home, are not in reserved forest areas. Authorities will be…
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Veterinarians unable to save striped dolphin
The striped dolphin that was washed up on Kamala beach last week, died yesterday (June 11) while the sperm whale which was found at Coconut Island is reported to have died of ‘natural causes’. Read more HERE. Veterinarians at the Phuket Marine Endangered Species Unit say, “The dolphin had a blood infection. We tried to help the dolphin to the…
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Two Burmese arrested over immigration and drug issues
Police have arrested two male Burmese nationals accused of being illegal aliens and found with heroin last week. A team from the Phuket Provincial Police first arrested 36 year old R-wang, a Burmese national, in the Dowroong housing estate in Wichit. R-wang was taken to Wichit Police Station where he was charged with being an illegal alien. On the same…
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One arrest leads to three other in the ongoing drug crackdown
A team from the Phuket Provincial Police, led by Lt Col Pongpan Siripattaranukun, last week arrested four drug suspects. On Monday (June 4), Police arrested 22 year old Chaianan ‘Ham’ Kaewamporn at a house in Kathu. Police seized 3.37 grams of crystal methamphetamine. He was taken to the Kathu Police Station. On Tuesday (June 5) police arrested 34 year old…
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Upgraded measures discussed over Chinese tourists safety
At a meeting was held today (June 11), hosted by the Phuket Provincial Police Commander Maj Gen Teeraphol Thipjaroen along with his guest, the Chinese Consulate-General in Phuket, Ma Cui Hong. Maj Gen Teeraphol says, “The meeting today is aimed at finding additional measures to assure the safety of Chinese tourists, especially warning and direction signs in the Chinese language, placed…
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Three more arrested in Phuket loan shark crackdown
Phuket Provincial Deputy Commander Col Sermpan Sirikong says, “We’ve arrested one male and two female suspects in a loan shark crackdown. From May 24 until now we have arrested 18 suspects.” Read more about last month’s arrests over loan shark charges HERE. “The male suspects are 41 year old Songkran Moonthongkam from Nakhon Pathom. He was arrested at a house in…
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Dutch Ambassador shares concerns over safety of Phuket tourists
Phuket’s Vice Governor Thawornwat Kongkaew welcomed the Ambassador-Designate in Thailand Kees Rade and Dutch Honorary Consul for Phuket, Seven Smulders, over the weekend. Vice Governor Thawornwat says after the meeting, “We have discussed about tourist safety, things like tourists who rent motorbikes without motorbike license, beach safety and emergency situation management.” “We have surveyed a number of rental motorbike companies…
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Dead sperm whale found off Phuket under investigation
Officials at the Phuket Marine Endangered Species Unit are investigating yet another mammal washed up on our beaches, this time aa dead sperm whale which was washed up on a beach at Coconut Island on Saturday (June 9). Officials at the Phuket Marine Endangered Species Unit were notified on Saturday afternoon that the dead whale has been washed onto the…
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Burmese national arrested over murder in Rassada
A Burmese national killed another Myanmar man saying that he “was angry that his father was slapped on the face” yesterday (June 10). Phuket City Police were notified of an incident at a rented property in Rassada yesterday afternoon. Police and rescue workers arrived at the scene to find the body of a 37 year old La, a Burmese national…
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Laguna Phuket Marathon Results – All the winners
ALL PHOTOS: Naratip Golf Srisupab/SEALs Sports Images The Laguna Phuket Marathon has been run and won for 2018. Here are the winners. Congratulations to all the participants and organisers. Here are the Top Three results for each distance… Marathon (42.195km) – Male Koji Nishizawa (JPN), 02:44:16 Supit Chantharat (THA), 02:54:52 Jaray Jearanai (THA), 02:59:37 Marathon (42.195km) – Female Sabrina Polito (ITA), 03:30:27…
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Thai, Italian and Japanese runners star at Laguna Phuket Marathon 2018
PHOTO: Naratip Golf Srisupab/SEALs Sports Images Nine thousand runners from more than 50 countries took to the start line of the 2018 Laguna Phuket Marathon on 9th and 10th June and even before the first start, records had been smashed: Largest field of runners ever (9,000); the largest number of international participants (1,300), the largest ever Marathon participation (2,000),…
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Three sea turtles washed up on Phuket beaches
A green turtle and two hawksbill sea turtles have been found on Laypang, Kata and Kamala Beaches yesterday (June 9). Officials at the Phuket Marine Endangered Species Unit were notified by a staff member of a hotel in Cherng Talay that a turtle had been washed up on to Laypang Beach entangled in a fishing net. Hotel staff members were…
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Municipalities clear Phuket’s beaches of monsoon trash
Trash has been found on almost every beach along the west coast with the onset of this year’s monsoon. On Kata and Karon beaches a huge municipal beach clean has taken place over the past two days. More than 200 tonnes of trash were collected on just these two beaches alone. A team of Karon Municipal staff members cleared up…
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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