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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Anonymous corpse retrieved floating near Rawai
A dead body, which is believed to be of a western man, has been discovered floating near Koh Kaewpissadan, on the west coast of Rawai yesterday (March 21). Police from Chalong station, Marine Police, Forensic Police and a medical team from Vachira Hospital as well as Phuket Ruamjai rescue team went out to collect the body with a boat belonging…
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Police ban water splashing on main roads for Songkran
The Royal Thai Police are looking to impose a total ban on water splashing activities on main and secondary roads throughout Thailand during from April 11-17, the Songkran holiday break. They are citing road safety as the reason for the drastic plans. In phuket, in the past, Chao Fah east and west, Viset Road in Rawai and parts of Thepkasattri…
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Phuket gives away more than 12,000 shirts to public drivers
Phuket Vice Governor, Sanit Srivihok, chaired a give-away ceremony this morning (March 21), aiming to encourage public transport drivers to dress more professionally. The 12,810 shirts are divided into categories of public transport by color, including a white shirt for taxi, Tuk Tuks with the number plate that begins with 30, bus and van drivers with the plates that begin…
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Van carrying Swedish tourists smashes into truck in Phang Nga
Just one day after a double fatality in a tour bus in Phang Nga (story HERE) another passenger van has crashed into the back of a 10 wheel truck on the Phetkasem highway in the Takua Thung district, Phang Nga. The truck was carrying seven Swedish tourists, three have been injured. Yesterday, a passenger van carrying Chinese tourists crashed into…
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THAIGER TODAY Wednesday, March 21
Soi Dog Foundation comments about Rabies ‘scare’ | HM The King visits exhibition of gifts celebrating 200 years of bilateral relations with the US | Phang Nha gunman rounded up by locals | PM calls for political parties to ‘tow the line’ with setting election date | Investigation continues into fatal Phang Nga tour bus crash | Premchai’s wife charged…
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Takuapa hitman bailed up by locals
A 50 year old hitman, Banjong Chaisawad, was caught by local people in Takuapa District, Phang Nga, after shooting two men who were working on a fishing raft at the time. Ban Namkem Police received a report yesterday (March 19) about two men being shot, including 39 year old Sudkhet Samranrat, who was shot in his lower ribs, near his…
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Truck crashes into motorcycle and kills 63 year old
A 10-wheel truck has crashed into a motorcycle and killed a 63 year old woman, Nunoi Kraisat, instantly. After an investigation, Muang Phuket Police found that the motorcyclist was riding with her niece at the back heading to the Piboon Sawaddee School for a graduation ceremony. She stopped to wait to turn right while the truck followed and hit the…
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Chinese tour van crashed, kills two in Phang Nga
A Chinese tour van crashed this morning in Kokkloy, Phang Nga, just north of Phuket, into a 18-wheel, truck resulting in two casualties and seven injuries. The van, full of passengers, was traveling from Phuket to a pier in Phang Nga. At the scene, the truck was making a U-turn and the van crashed into the back of the truck.
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Marine rescue workshop underway in Phuket
The Ministry of Tourism and Sports, Phuket Office, held a marine rescue workshop at the Dara Hotel in Kathu this morning (March 19) chaired by Deputy Secretary General of the ministry, Santi Pawai. The workshop was aiming to teach attendees about methods to deal with divers and customers in case of emergency, both underwater and on the surface, in the…
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THAIGER TODAY Monday, March 19
Wrist band ID for tourists and facial recognition tech. for 7-11s | DNA results are in for the Premchai case | PM encourages Thais to wear traditional costumes when in public | Chiang Mai air pollution ‘sixth worst in the world’ | Fire in BKK factory | Scaffolding collapse on BKK worksite.
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Car thieves arrested in Soi Namtok in Kathu
Police received a report from Weeraporn Khamyindee that her Toyota Vios had been stolen inside Soi Namtok, Kathu, on March 17. After checking local CCTV cameras, police found that two thieves, 36 year old Prakarn ‘Aek’ Sangsawang from Prachinburi and 27 year old Seksan ‘Ton’ Ountan from Phuket. The two were arrested on March 18 at a hotel on Kra…
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30 million baht to be spent on Rawai wastewater treatment
Following the complaint about wastewater in front of the Fisherman Way Village in Rawai being released into the public water in Chalong Bay, Phuket’s Governor has announced that Rawai Municipality is preparing to spend 30 million Baht on building a public water treatment lagoon. “The area is located in Rawai Municipality, in front of Fisherman Way Village. There are 2…
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Phuket public transport service centre kicks off
The central pillar of Phuket public transportation was launched yesterday (March 16) at the Phuket Bus Terminal 2 on Thepkassatri Road, aiming to become a one-stop-shop where people can call for car taxis and motorbike taxis. The automatic system to call for taxi services is expected to help solve problems relating to taxi fees and service standards as well as…
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Russian tour bus crashes in Krabi
A tour bus transporting 36 Russian tourists crashed this morning (March 16) after trying to avoid a motorcycle, which cut in front of it abruptly, according to the driver. After avoiding the motorbike, the bus crashed into a tree on the side of the road in Krabi. Police found that it has fallen into a 1 metre drain and its…
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THAIGER TODAY Friday, March 16
Six confirmed human deaths from Rabies | ‘X-Ray Outlaw Foreigner’ crackdown | Prawit gets another extension to explain himself | Burmese man drowns off Maithon Island | Thais are discussing ‘final solution’ to stray dog problem | Storms flatten homes in north-east.
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Fatties in Thai Business Class? Mai dai!
Passengers intending to fly business class on Thai Airways’ new Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft will have to first pass the waist test (that’s ‘waist’ not ‘waste’!). Flight Lieutenant Pratthana Pattanasirim, THAI’s director of security and flight standard division, says that a passenger with waist bigger than 56 inches (142 cm) cannot fly business class on the fleet’s Boeing 787-9 aircraft.…
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Boat sinks off Maithon Island. Burmese man drowns.
A fishing boat sank after its anchor was stuck in a reef near Maithon Island three days ago (March 13), a Burmese fisherman downed in the incident. Phuket Marine Police received a report that a fishing boat ‘Chok Ubon’ sank at the north side of Maithon Island before another fishing boat came to their rescue and found a 38 year…
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Over 100 nationwide arrests of ‘dark skinned’ illegals
The Tourist Police headed by “Big Joke” Surachet Hakpal have made their strongest statement yet about their intention to clear out illegals and over-stayers. Many of their targets are referred to as “dark skinned”. The Tourist Police Bureau have produced a five minute video outlining their prior actions and future courses of action. https://www.facebook.com/1155TPB/videos/561865057514267/ The video features Surachet – the…
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THAIGER TODAY Thursday, March 15
Dog and cat registration may become compulsory | Premchai shows up to acknowledge charges | ONE…BIG…SNAKE | BKK Japanese restaurants reject fish from Fukushima | Mercedes invests in local electric car plant | Thanathorn’s new ‘Future’ party launched this morning.
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Phuket thief arrested after robbing Cherng Talay convenient store
A 50 year old local man, Jamlaeng Thatiebthong, has been arrested by Cherng Talay police after robbing a convenient store using a fake gun yesterday (March 13). After checking the CCTV camera, police were able to track the route he took with his motorcycle, which is Ban Don – Ban Ya – Ban Pon – Thepkasattri – Koh Kaew –…
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THAIGER TODAY Wednesday, March 14
Rabies situation ‘under control’ | Motorbike driver lucky to walk away from accident | No toilets at tsunami museum | BKK motor tollways free over Songkran | Prosecution case ready over Toyota Thai Football League match-fixing | FBI attempts to interview ‘sex-therapist’ couple who ‘know things’ | Indian man and Thai accomplice arrested over visa scam.
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Tourist facilities lacking at Khao Lak tsunami museum
By Another Ngandee Tourists are still visiting the tsunami memorial monument and museum at Khao Lak beach in Phang Nga’s Takua Pa district 13 years after the event, but there is no toilet facilities to serve them, a tourist guide has complained. The guide posted on her Facebook wall that she took 11 Japanese tourists to visit the monument, which is situated…
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Green sea turtle exhausted after laying eggs
Mu Ko Similan National Park officers rescued a mother green sea turtle who laid eggs earlier on Nui Beach but was too exhausted to walk back to the sea. The Chief of Mu Ko similan National Park, Ruamsin Manajongprasert, said that the national park officers of Miang Island received a report from a tour guide that some tourists found a…
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More wastewater outlets flowing into sea at Krabi
Can we allow this wastewater to keep flowing into our beaches? Krabi video footage from Karl Vandenhove. https://www.facebook.com/phuketgazette/videos/1642758232468665/
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“Labels Out For Autism Campaign”. Monday, April 2.
World Autism Day, April 2, 2018, wear your “Labels Out For Autism Campaign” On Monday, April 2, 2018, join The Thaiger, KIS Phuket and NP Graphics and Photography in celebrating the individuals on World Autism Awareness Day and raising autism awareness in Phuket. Simply bare your label and wear your shirt inside out for one day, to show we all understand…
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Yacht sunk off Railay Beach
A yacht was found sunk at Railay Bay, Ao Nang, Krabi yesterday (Monday). The cause is believed to be a leak while left at anchor. No reports of anyone injured or missing. The Chief of Hat Noppharat Thara–Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park, Worapot Lomli, received a report about the incident and ordered officers to head to the sunken yacht…
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Half-sunken garbage barge threatens Phi Phi beaches
The owner of a sinking garbage boat near Koh Phi Phi in Krabi has been told by harbour officials today (Monday) to fix it as quickly as possible amid fears it would pollute the water. The boat, Chachandee, which measures 23 x 4 metres, slipped off its anchor at a bay in front of Koh Phi Phi in Tambon Ao…
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Argentinian man arrested for robbery claiming to find money for sick wife
A 25 year old Argentinian man, Nahum Pedre, was arrested yesterday (March 11) in Rawai after robbing Chinese tourists twice. Nahum robbed two Chinese tourists, one that goes by the name of Jin Yang, using a knife nearby the viewpoint on the Saiyuan – Kata route on March 9 at 10.40 am. He got a bag with a wallet, 3…
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Phone thief nabbed in Surin Beach convenience store
FILE PHOTO Phuket police arrested a Thai man soon after he stole a bag containing an iPhone 8 Plus from a Russian tourist at a beach on Sunday evening. 27 year old Preach Homsup from Ubon Ratchathani, was arrested at 7pm in front of a Family Mart convenience store in Tambon Choeng Thalay, Thalang district, near Surin Beach. He was…
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Tourists arrested over alleged illicit drug use in Ranong
Twenty-seven tourists have been arrested and charged with drug abuse on Koh Phayam in Ranong province (north of Phuket near the Myanmar border) after testing positive for substance abuse. Friday’s raid in the province’s Muang district was part of the authorities’ joint operation to search the island’s three night entertainment venues, Ranong Tourist Police inspector Pol Lt-Colonel Manaporn Likhitmanont told…
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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