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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Sponsored 5 ways retirees in Thailand lose money (and how to stop it)
Retiring in Thailand can be affordable and enjoyable, but many retirees lose money due to common mistakes. High living costs, scams, and unexpected expenses can quickly drain savings. There are five ways that retirees in Thailand can lose money and...
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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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Phuket ready for ‘hungry ghost’ festival
The Phuket City Municipality has organised a wide range of activities for the annual Por Tor festival from August 23 to September 9 in Phuket Town. Promoted by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) regional office in Phuket Town, the Por Tor festival has its roots from the Chinese “Spirit” or “Hungry Ghost” festival, one of the most important ancestor worship events on the Chinese…
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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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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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Lights, camera, action – Soi Dog
Soi Dog Foundation has arranged a dog photo contest, ‘Snap for Stray’, which is open to both professional and amateur photographers with any kinds of digital camera – DSLR to mobile phone. The contest aims to reflect the beautiful perspective of stray dogs through the lens by letting the contestants choose their model dog from Soi Dog Foundation. The dogs…
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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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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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TAT article promoting ‘friendly waves’ gets slammed
Bad timing for the TAT (Tourism Authority of Thailand) after they posted a feature on August 10 that promoted surfing off Phuket’s west coast beaches. Phuket is currently facing a crisis of confidence over the lack of adequate lifeguard services along its west coast beaches, battered annually by heavy seas and deadly rip tides and currents from the south-west monsoon.…
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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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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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Central Phuket opens on September 10
The new Central Phuket is set to open its doors on September 10. The announcement was made at Centara Grand Beach Resort, also owned by the Central Pattana Group. The concept of the new shopping centre, twice as big as the current Central Festival, is ‘The World Comes To Play’. The new complex will feature 20 of the world’s biggest…
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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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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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DSI crackdown on foreigners using Thai nominees: Law firm raided in Bangkok, Phuket and Samui
Four offices of the same investment advisory firm have been raided in Bangkok, Phuket and Samui. Coordinated raids on the offices of what appears to be a single advisory firm were conducted by the DSI (Department of Special Investigations), police and Board of Investment representatives. Pictures showed that the company is DFDL Thailand Legal and Tax. This company offers “investment advisory…
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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…
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Fire destroys bedding warehouse in Rassada
A fire has destroyed a bedding warehouse in Rassada this morning (August 16). Two dogs were reported to have died in the blaze. The Phuket City Police were notified of the incident at 4am this morning in the in Soi Pruyai, 500 metres from the main SuperCheap store in Rassada. Firefighters arrived with five fire engines to find the fire…
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Body found floating off Kata Beach identified as Surat Thani man
The body of a man who is believed to be from Surat Thani was found floating just off Kata beach yesterday (August 15). Back on Monday evening, Karon Police were alerted about a tourist who was missing. A search was launched and kept going until midnight. Read more HERE. Karon Police were then notified yesterday from locals that a body…
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Black-out in parts of Patong tomorrow
Some residents in Patong are being warned that the Patong Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA) has a scheduled blackout in parts of Patong from 9am to 5pm tomorrow (August 16). They say the interruption to electricity services is necessary to work on high-voltage power lines. The affected area include Sirirat Road from Phuket Simon Cabaret to the Front Village Hotel. The…
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Yanui the crocodile has her DNA tests today
Veterinarians from Mahidol University took blood from ‘Yanui’ the crocodile for DNA testing this morning. The results of Yanui’s precise species will have to wait for about two weeks. Today (August 15), at the Phuket Coastal Fisheries Research and Development Centre in Pa Khlok, officials and Veterinary staff visited Yanui to take blood samples for DNA testing. No microchip has…
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Phoenix boat owner’s lawyer calls for ‘fairness’
The lawyer of the owner of Phoenix filed a letter to the Phuket Provincial Police Commander for ‘fairness’ in legal action being taken against the boat’s owner. At the Phuket Provincial Police Station the lawyers for the boat owner, Nalin Intarasombat and Nipit Intarasombat, spoke to the press after handing a letter to Phuket’s Police Commander. Lawyer Nipit says, “the boat owner…
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Phoenix will rise again… today
Divers and engineers attempting to bring Phoenix up to the surface yesterday say they were struggling with strong underwater currents yesterday (August 14). So the anticipated rise of the Phoenix had to be postponed. They say they were hoping to attach the last hook yesterday morning but the currents were making things difficult for the underwater salvage team. The boat was expected…
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New Phuket governor arrives October 1
The New Phuket Governor will start to work on the island on October 1 while the current governor Norraphat Plodthong will be finishing at the end of next month. The cabinet has approved the new Phuket governor to replace current Phuket Governor Norraphat Plodthong who will be retiring this September 30. The new Phuket governor, Pakkapong Tawipat, is the current…
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University students arrested with 14K methamphetamine pills
Eight suspects have been arrested with over 14,000 methamphetamine pills and 104 grams of crystal methamphetamine over the past two days. Two of them are senior university students. 28 year old Tanapat Naoprai and Sarocha Horgiean were living at a house in Rawai. Both are senior law students of a university in Phuket. Officers seized 14,000 methamphetamine pills from their…
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Emergency water shut off hits Kamala
The Phuket Water Authority (PWA) says that water supply in some areas of in Kamala will be shut off today (August 14) as the mains pipe broke earlier this morning. The mains have been shut off from 11am until repair works can be completed. The PWA says that water supply in some areas of Kamala will be shutoff while work is being…
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Rise of the Phoenix – sunken tour boat to be raised today
Attempts to salvage the Phoenix have been struggling with the recent strong winds and waves. It’s hoped that the boat will be raised by the end of today (August 14). The owner of Phoenix failed to recover their boat after it sank on July 5, which resulted in 47 Chinese tourists drowning. The company that owns the boat will now be sued for…
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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