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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Vale Chef Ronnie
Filipino celebrity chef Ronnie Macuja, who opened ultra chic VSet Restaurant and Bar at Chalong Pier showcasing his modern Mediterranean/Asian cuisine, as well as Higher Restaurant at Seduction nightclub in Patong, and more recently at Café Del Mar, died suddenly in the early hours of Friday morning. Ronnie’s chef career started at the Manila Hilton. They offered him a two…
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The Great Expedition – finding the Ancient Road To Kamala
The Great Expedition continues to find the famed Ancient Route To Kamala from the sleepy Kathu valley. In our second attempt to get over the hill from tracks off Soi Namtok (leading to the Kathu Waterfall) our intrepid adventurers failed again to find the Great Hidden Track. Last time we headed up the road where tourists are taken for the…
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Closing Maya Bay – Tough steps to save reeling paradise
By Piyaporn Wongruang The young American backpacker Richard found his way to Bangkok, arriving in Khao San Road bustling with backpackers, before venturing further to a so-called paradise, where he joined the neo-hippie lifestyle pursued by a number of adventurous tourists who arrived before him. It’s Maya Bay on Phi Phi Island, famously chosen as the so-called paradise setting for…
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Russian woman slashes her throat in Patong convenience store
The videos of a 41 year old Russian woman trying to cut her own throat inside a 7-11 in Patong have gone viral. The videos were captured on the store’s CCTV as well as staff mobile phones. The videos show a woman wearing a yellow-black shirt and black trousers cutting her throat in front of a fridge at a store…
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Phuket OrBorJor introduces 34 beach lifeguards for 5 beaches in Thalang
Phuket’s Governor Plodthong, together with an armada of local authorities and media, hosted an opening ceremony for the operation of Thalang Beach Lifeguards on April 5. “There are a lot of tourists that drown or get harmed from accidents in the sea every year because they either don’t understand the red flags, can’t or don’t read the warning signs, the…
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Drug crackdown in Krabi’s palm oil plantation
A man and a woman in Krabi have been arrested in an palm oil plantation with more than 2,000 amphetamine pills, 83 grams of methamphetamine, 500 millilitre of Kratom leave water and a gun alongside their assets valued at about 1 million Baht. The 29 year old man, Athorn Luknoi, was arrested with 208 amphtamine pills, 0.72 grams of methamphetamine…
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Search is on for a new contractor to complete Phuket Provincial Hall construction
Phuket’s Vice Governor, Thavorn Kongkaew, has updated the media about the new Provincial Hall project after the previous contractor has had their contract cancelled. They are searching for a new contractor to complete the construction that is now way past it its projected completion date. “The previous contractor had their contract cancelled because they couldn’t work within the deadlines and…
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One dead, one injured in Kalim motorcycle/van crash
A crash between a van and a motorcycle in Kalim has resulted in one casualty and another critically injured. The accident occurred in front of Soi Phra Baramee 7 on Phra Baramee Road, Kalim yesterday. Police found the yellow plate van driver, Suthep Yoosuk, and a French man, Dault Julien Sebastian, who rode the motorcycle, and Lamprai Pako who sat…
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Robbery gone wrong in Soi Ta-iad
A 39 year old robber, Chatchai Sittipanya, tried to rob a hotel room in Soi Ta-iad (Soi Muay Thai) without realising that the whole street is renowned for Muay Thai and MMA training. Everything was going well until he was confronted by the person occupying the room he was trying to rob. He ended up by getting man-handled and locked…
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4th set of turtle eggs found on Miang Island, Similan National Park
More than 106 turtle eggs have been found on Nui Beach, Miang Island in the Similan National Park. This is the 4th time on Miang Island and the 2nd time at Nui Beach that turtles have chosen to lay their eggs there. Today, the Chief of Mo Koh Similan National Park in Kuraburi District, Ruamsin Manajongprasert, said that the forest…
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Myanmar robber arrested thanks to his tattoo
Ko Htwe Ovoen, from Myanmar, was arrested by Wichit police after robbing houses in the area. Police tracked him down partly due to the distinctive tattoo on his neck. After receiving a report about a robbery in Villa Doarung village on March 25 and at Phuket Villa California village on March 31, Wichit Police checked the CCTV camera footage in…
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Krabi vendors are revolting – Officials try to arrest beach vendors on Ao Nang beach
Officials from the Tambon Ao Nang Municipality had to call on other government agencies to send reinforcements to help crackdown on vendors hawking to foreign tourists at Ao Nang beach in Krabi’s Muang district. Video of vendors chasing Tambon officials from the beach shows vendors were not happy with officials walking into ‘their’ workplace and asking them to tone down…
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Five things you need to know about the Phuket Smart Bus
It’s here, it’s the start of Phuket’s public transport revolution. It’s backed by people that have the resources and the ‘smarts’ to make the initiative a success. The initial route of Phuket Smart Bus will be followed up with new routes in the future. The organisers recognise that there are a few wrinkles to be ironed out. We’ll keep you…
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Krabi military fixing bridge washed away in rain
Krabi military officers brought in machineries to Tupprik Sub-District yesterday (April 2) to fix Huay To Bridge after it has been damaged by flash flood. The damage of the bridge blocked a local community of 30 houses near Khao Panom Benja National Park as well as tourists from entering the national park. They had to walk through water to get to…
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Transgender beauty queen is a hit at annual military lottery
Isaree ‘Nat’ Mungman, who was crowned Miss Trans Universe 2018 and Miss Beauty Boy 2018, joined the military lottery in Khao Panom District, in Krabi. The annual lottery applies to all Thai men aged 21 – 26. The lottery randomly selects men for compulsory military service for two years. But there are a number of exemptions. The unexpected arrival of…
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Phuket green plate taxi arrested for drugs at Airport
Saku Police officers, Royal Thai Navy officers and Phuket International Airport officers arrested a green-plate taxi driver, 36 year old Warin Maithong, with amphetamine pills and methamphetamine. The officers set up a checkpoint to search for illegal items at the airport and at about midnight today (April 3), the taxi driver was stopped for a search. The officers found 10.5…
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Phuket welcomes new catamaran ‘Wasuthep’
Phuket Marine Police have received their new patrol catamaran named ‘Wasuthep’ aiming to strengthen marine safety around the water surrounding the island with a fast, contemporary design vessel. Phuket Governor, Norapat Plodthong, chaired a ceremony to welcome the new addition at Rassada Pier after the boat arrived in Phuket from Surat Thani. The catamaran is constructed of aluminum to Lloyd…
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Football betting house crackdown in Phuket
A house in Soi Patchanee – Bangcheelao in Rassdada Sub-District was searched by police and military officers once they discovered it was used as a football gambling den over the weekend. On the ground floor police found the area for customers to write down their bet on the printed forms and the computers used to record the bets. Police say…
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Smart Bus takes the coastal route
Phuket’s new smart bus kicked off yesterday featuring two initial routes around the island. The route travels along Thepkasattri Road until it reaches Thalang where it takes a turn towards the coast through Cherngtalay and Bang Tao and on to Surin, Kamala and Patong. Then it continues along the coast to Karon and Kata, over the hill at Kata Noi…
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Outrigger Touch Rugby Season 2018 Finals
The 2018 Outrigger Touch Rugby Competition at Alan Cooke Cricket Ground The Outrigger Laguna Phuket Beach Resort once again hosted a well organised and incredibly competitive Touch Rugby tournament at the Alan Cooke Cricket Ground in Cherngtalay, during the month of March. Following on from the previous two successful seasons, five teams from Phuket battled it out on the playing…
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Rohingya boat people land in Thailand
By Supalak Ganjanakhundee A boat carrying 56 Rohingya landed before dawn yesterday in an area between Koh Ha and Koh Lanta in Krabi province, local officials said, adding that 19 children were onboard. The group was then held in Lanta district yesterday. Krabi’s Governor Kitibodee Pravitra confirmed that people travelling on the boat were Rohingya and that they were hoping…
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Thalang robber arrested
Thalang Police have arrested a 27 year old man from Phang Nga, Kittikorn Somsert, who robbed valuables worth about 200,000 Baht from a local house during daylight. The police saw the robber riding a bicycle along with plenty of bags and seemed suspicious so they stopped him to talk. Police found that the stolen items include a bicycle, a Nikon…
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4 metre king cobra found in a Krabi toilet
A four metre long king cobra has been found in the toilet of a local man’s house. The owner of the house, Amnuay Ritthong, said that he was heading to the toilet, which is built next to his house, and spotted the snake next to the toilet before it quickly slithered inside the stall. He called Ao Luek Villa Rescue…
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Drugs crackdown at Sapanruam Community in Rassada
Police have arrested 5 people with drugs and electronic cigarettes. The Sapanruam Community in Rassada was the target. Police have long recognised it to be a drug trading area. Police initially arrested 67 year old Daeng Chuaysod at the community with 5 kilograms of Kratom leaves and 46 bottles of coughing syrup, 60 ml each. Then police arrested 21 year…
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Your Say – Closure of Maya Bay during the monsoon 2018
A decision to temporarily close Maya Bay to all tourists during the wet season from this June to September has been approved by the marine national parks chiefs. The move follows proposals from prominent academics and concerned locals to restore the coral reefs and ecosystem to allow nature to recover from the impacts of uncontrolled tourism during the rest of…
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Closed for maintenance – Maya Bay closes for wet season
Maya Bay,on Koh Phi Phi, will be closed to all visitors for four months during this monsoon season in an effort to restore its natural ecosystem that has been damaged by excessive tourism. The decision to temporarily close Maya Bay to all tourists during the wet season from this June to September was approved at a meeting of marine national…
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New ferry service to link Phuket Airport to nearby provinces
File Photo The Harbour Department will build a new pier near Phuket Airport and open five ferry routes linking Phuket, Krabi and Phang Nga according to the department chief today (Thursday). Jirut Wisaljit, director-general of the Harbour Department, said the new port and the “Andaman Ring Route” ferry service would reduce congestion at the Phuket airport and on roads in…
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THAIGER TODAY Thursday, March 29
NACC hands down decision on Prawit case today | Patong and Kamala are #1 in international affordable 5 star hotel survey | Snake under a taxi | French tourist dies after visit to Emerald Cave | Woman push back on calls for females to ‘dress appropriately’ during Songkran | Police juniors complain about their wages being docked for boss’s air…
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Six sentenced to death over last year’s Krabi murder of eight family members
PHOTO: The Worayuth Sunglung family murdered over a Land Deed argument in Krabi last year The Krabi Provincial Court has sentenced “Bang Fut” and five others to death for the execution-style murders of eight members of the one family in Krabi that shocked the country last year. The ruling of the court was overseen by the Royal Thai Police commissioner…
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4.5 metre King Cobra captured in Karon
This morning (March 28), the Phuket Ruamjai Rescue Foundation captured a 4.5 metre male king cobra. Records show that there have been about 80 snakes captured within the past 3 months by the Ruamjai team. The rescue team was contacted by a local about the snake in Soi Patak 24 in Karon. The snake was hidden underneath a green-plate taxi parked…
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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