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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Driver wraps pick-up around Thalang pole, killing one
A pick-up truck has lost control and smashed into a lamp post after driving at high speed during early morning rain resulting in one death and another in Thalang Hospital in critical condition. Just after midnight today (November 22), at the intersection of Thepkasattri Road (in front Wat Phra Nang Sang), a white pick-up truck driven by 31 year old…
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Boat explosion at Chalong Pier
An explosion on a speed boat called ‘Choksomboon’ at Chalong Pier has injured two boat staff while the bottom of the boat has also been damaged. At about 4 pm yesterday (November 21), Chalong police got a report about an explosion and blaze near Chalong Pier. At the scene police found a 2 outboard engine speedboat docked at the port…
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THAIGER TODAY Wednesday, November 22
Big rains in Hua Hin | Horrible crash in Thalang overnight | Football game-fixing exposed | Huge methamphetamine pill haul in Samut Prakhan | 5 of the 20 escapees caught in Songkhla.
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Wednesday Morning Briefing – everything you need to know in 3 minutes
How many methamphetamine tablets!? PHOTO: The Nation The Kathu Police Station Superintendent is heading to Patong to be the acting Patong Police Station Superintendent. This follows the transfer of several officers over the ongoing bribe scandal including former Patong Superintendent, Pol. Col. Tassanai Oladirek. Pol. Col. M.L. Pattanachak Chakrabhan will move from Kathu Police Station to be acting Patong Police…
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Blaze in Krabi’s famous nightclub
A famous nightclub in Krabi, the “Number One”, caught fire early this morning (November 21) at about 5.30 am. Luckily, the club was closed at the time and nobody was at the scene. The fire started in the DJ booth before expanding to the walls and the air-conditioned vents. It took firefighters about 20 minutes to extinguish the blaze. The…
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THAIGER TODAY Tuesday, November 21
Stabbings in Thalang and Phuket Town | US 7th Fleet Admiral and Thai PM attend Sail Past in Pattaya | 20 escape from Songkhla detention | ‘Spotlight Phuket’ dumps the dirt on Patong corruption | MRT Blue Line in BKK ditches passenger seats.
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Phang Nga sets example for managing plastic waste
Ao Phang Nga National Park will be cited at a regional meeting this week as an example of Pracha Rath (public-private partnerships in development) being put to use in managing seaborne plastic waste. The success that officials and residents have enjoyed in curbing waste in the waters of the Phang Nga park will be outlined at the ASEAN and China…
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Widespread graft exposed in Phuket police case
In the wake of the corruption investigation focusing on Phuket police, academics and stakeholders told a seminar held by the watchdog Police Watch that business operators on the island face police extortion worth millions of baht per month. The seminar was held at the Thai Journalists Association in Bangkok on Sunday. Thammarat Suwanphosri, founder and administrator of the “Spotlight Phuket”…
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Two stabbings in Thalang
Police have arrested two suspects in Thalang; one is a Myanmar worker who allegedly stabbed his employer to death and another one is a husband who allegedly stabbed his wife. At a media conference today (November 20), police revealed information about the two murder cases. In the first case, police have arrested a Myanmar worker, May, who works at a…
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THAIGER TODAY Monday, November 20
50th anniversary for ASEAN Navies in Pattaya | Police – get a haircut! | Laguna Phuket Triathlon | Two entertainment venues closed for five years | Boat Lagoon Weekend returns next month.
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Marine and Coastal Resources check for protected shark meat in Karon
Officers from the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources, Area 9 Phuket Office visited a Karon restaurant after a picture of them selling shark meat had gone viral on social media. The team visited the avenue on November 19 but couldn’t find sharks being sold as in the pictures. The shop owner, Narongchai Thanataweesakul, told the investigating team that the…
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Familiar faces take honours in the Phuket Triathlon
PHOTO: Facebook/Laguna Phuket Triathlon Firm favourites Michael Raelert of Germany and Amelia Watkinson of New Zealand successfully retained their titles in contrasting fashions in the Laguna Phuket Triathlon yesterday. 37 year old Raelert came from behind in the swim to stay neck and neck with arch-rival Anthony Costes of France in the concluding run before speeding up at the end…
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Ice-cream man shot dead in Patong apartment
At 5.30am (November18), 39 year old Punya Yingdung surrendered to Patong police for killing a man. The crime scene was the 4th floor of the Pumpui Bar staff’s apartment in Soi Suk Charoen, Phrametta Road, Patong. Police found 47 year old Ampan Suksawad covered in blood. He was shot once, the 9mm bullet hitting him near his collarbone. Punya, the…
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16 million Baht budget for second lifeguard auction
The OrBorJor Phuket has announced it will launch another auction to supply Phuket lifeguard services offering a budget of 16 million Baht. The date shall be confirmed within this month. Meanwhile, Satien Kaewpraprab, deputy secretary of the OrBorJor Phuket revealed that the organisation has been hiring individual lifeguards to station at 7 beaches which started on November 1, including Nai…
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Dr Thon urges authorities to scrap the Surin Beach retention wall
Dr Thon Thamrongnawasawat, assistant dean of the Faculty of Fisheries at Kasetsart University and a renowned marine specialist, has commented on the retention wall project of Cherngtalay OrBorTor that is planned to be built on Surin Beach saying that such a wall will be harmful for the local eco-system and beach environment. “The retention wall project on Surin Beach, which…
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Fisheries to send ‘Laypang’ the crocodile to Phuket Zoo
An agreement has been reached by the Fisheries Department that the crocodile found in an old tin mine near Laypang Beach will be sent to the Phuket Zoo next month. The Director General of Fisheries Department, Dr. Adisorn Promthep, said today (November 17) that, following the DNA test by Mahidol University, they found that Laypang is a ‘mixed’ breed between…
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Whale shark family spotted near Koh Hong, Krabi
Weerasak Srisajang, Chief of Than Bok Khorani National Park, has revealed that three whale sharks have been spotted yesterday afternoon (November 15) by national park officers during their survey after getting some reports of sharks swimming near the area recently. The three whale sharks were swimming together near Koh Hong, which is the largest number of whale sharks found at…
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THAIGER TODAY Thursday, November 16
Meet Francesc Rovira, Michelin Star Chef | 3 dead and 48 injured in a bus crash | Toon OK after health scare | Building at Ao Sane will stay | four to be arrested for using drone during Royal Funeral.
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DSI visits Laypang Beach to recover encroached land from illegal businesses
An earlier attempt to remove Tony Restaurant from Laypang Beach in April 2016. The Director General of DSI, Pol Col Paisit Wongmuang, and the Deputy Director General, Pol Lt Col Prawut Wongsinil, along with their team and local authorities, visited Laypang Beach today (November 16) to give notice to the business operators who still occupy the land. The direction is…
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Krabi kindergarten teacher being investigated for pupil abuse
After a gathering of interested parents and teachers from the Utarakij School students at Krabi Damrongtham Centre, calling for the expulsion of the kindergarten teacher of class 1 and 2, after she allegedly abused her students (and allegedly attacked parents as well as locking up her students), Krabi Primary Education Office Deputy Director, Songserm Mengbut, has updated the situation. He…
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Bad day on Phuket’s roads
There was a fatal accident just after 8am this morning on the By Pass Road, southbound, just near the Keehin hardware store. The black pick-up truck was carrying eight Burmese migrant workers. The injured were taken to Vachira Hospital. There was heavy traffic across the Patong Hill early in the morning, also later in the afternoon and traffic along Viset…
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THAIGER TODAY Wednesday, November 15
Another drowning off Karon Beach | Illegal migrant numbers in Phuket rising | Condos are not a ‘bubble’, sales high | Governor pushes forward on dog pound | ASEAN skirts around Suu Kyi | One dead and another seven taken to hospital following crash on By Pass road this morning.
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60 year old Brit drowns at Karon
A 60 year old British tourist, Collin William Dean, drowned in Karon yesterday (November 14) after swimming in a red flagged zone. He went to the beach with his wife and drowned after getting dragged under by a strong waves. His wife called for help around and the people nearby jumped into the water to help him. He was brought…
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Phuket stray dog pound make-over takes shape
During a morning meeting at the Provincial Hall (November 14), Phuket’s Governor, Noraphat Plodthong revealed the development plans for the Suan Pa Bang Kanun dog pound. He has ordered the Phuket Livestock Office to push forward the paperwork relating to the land of Suan Pa Bang Kanun so the renovation and development can progress as soon as possible. A lighting…
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THAIGER TODAY Tuesday, November 14
HRH Princess Sirindhorn opens conference in Phuket | Thailand’s annual road toll increases | Checks on Patong Beach smoking ban | APEC doesn’t sanction Myanmar over Rohingya | Removal of ‘red flags’ on Thai airlines | HM The King sends a gift to ‘Toon’.
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Authorities check the smoking ban along Patong Beach
The Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) Director General, Chatuporn Burutpat, along with his team, visited Patong Beach to follow up on the cigarette prohibition now in force on the famous tourist beach. 26 smoking spots were set up along the 3 kilometre stretch of beach by Patong Municipality last week. The Director General and Patong Mayor, Chalermluck Kebsup,…
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HRH Princess Sirindhorn opens astrophysics conference in Phuket
HRH Princess Sirindhorn Chaired the 11th International Olympiad on Astronomy and Astrophysics (IOAA) 2017 hosted at the Duangjitt Resort in Patong. The opening ceremony was arranged for yesterday morning (November 13). A number of Phuket authorities including Phuket’s Governor, the Patong Mayor, Rawai Mayor and the Dean of Prince of Songkla University welcomed HRH Princess at the ceremony. The IOAA…
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Phuket’s Soi Dog launches its education program
Phuket’s Soi Dog Foundation arranged its 1st education workshop at Banbangneaw Municipal School on November 10 – 11, chaired by the Phuket Mayor, Somjai Suwansuppana. The workshop aims to share knowledge about dogs and cats to teacher representatives and executives to create activities for their students in order to nurture love and understanding about animals. The workshop, under the title…
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Two killed in eight hours on Phuket’s roads
Accident on Patong Hill killing one this morning At about 2 am this morning (November 13), Kathu police got a report of a pick-up truck that had an accident hitting an electric pole killing the 35 year old driver, Wittaya Chanadet, while the passenger suffered from injuries and was taken to Hospital. The passenger was not named. Police revealed that…
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Government crackdown uncovers 100,000 illegal immigrants
The 95 arrested in Phuket last week for overstaying their visas could be just the tip of a 100,000 person iceberg, according to the country’s Deputy PM Prawit Wongsuwan. 62 Indians, 11 Pakistanis, 6 Egyptians and 16 foreigners from other nationalities were rounded up last Friday by immigration police whilst 15 Phuket-based police are being being asked to ‘please explain’ why…
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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