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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Chinese tourist dies after photo attempt
KRABI: A Chinese tourist drowned on Tuesday after attempting to take underwater photos at a national park in Krabi. At about 4pm, Jampen Pormpakdee, chief of the Koh Hong protection zone at Than Bok Khorani National Park, and lifeguards recovered 31-year-old Wang Xitiang, administered CPR, and transferred her to Krabi Hospital. “I heard shouts for help and found Ms Xitiang…
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Phuket Governor transferred out just six months into the job
PHUKET: Phuket Governor Chokchai Dejamornthan has been transferred out after just six months on the job, with Norraphat Plodthong – previously Provincial Management Adviser at the Office of the Permanent Secretary of Interior – being named as his successor. As reported on the Phuket Gazette Facebook Page, last night, the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) yesterday afternoon issued…
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Organizers, athletes celebrate close of Phuket off road triathlon
PHUKET: Athletes, families and friends came together at Layan Beach on Saturday for the ‘Xterra Off Road Triathlon and Trail Run’ organized by Active Management Asia (AMA) and Xterra Thailand. More than 350 athletes participated in six events, including triathlons, duathlons and trail runs. Winners of each event are as follows: Xterra Phuket Individual Triathlon Standard 1. Kieran McPherson (New…
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Laguna Phuket extends deadline on charity concert refund
PHUKET: Ticket holders for the Laguna Phuket ‘Big Body+ Charity Concert’ scheduled to be held on August 13, 2016 (story here) have been given an extended deadline to claim ticket refunds, until May 1, 2017. Laguna had previously announced, in September and December last year, that those who wished a full refund, or to contribute the amount toward donations to…
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Officials to examine disputed Phuket elephant’s documents
PHUKET: Ao Nang Police yesterday visited a shelter in Phuket to sequester a disputed elephant currently housed there. Last month, Krabi resident Somsak Riangnguen claimed that the elephant (named ‘Yo’) was stolen from him 14 years ago (story here), whereas the shelter claims they purchased the animal from Tak Province. The shelter, named ‘Amazing Bukit Safari’, is located in Chalong.…
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Phuket celebrity temporarily avoids Military draft, encourages others instead
PHUKET: A Thai celebrity today made an appeal to avoid being drafted in the military this year. The appeal was made at a recruitment drive that is set to receive 3,000 young men for military service from the province. The two-day event started this morning. Tanon Chamroen, Phuket-born winner of popular TV show ‘The Voice Thailand‘, sought his first deferment…
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Phuket Municipality brings in 150,000 baht at fishing festival
PHUKET: The Phuket Municipality Office hosted the 8th annual Fishing festival yesterday afternoon, raking in about 150,000 baht for shrine renovation and supporting education. Phuket City Mayor Somjai Suwansupana chaired the event, which took place at 4 pm at the Prince Chumphon Khet Udomsak Shrine in Saphan Hin. She also helped cook food to be distributed at the festival. “The…
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Swedish tourist dead at Phuket hotel after injury
PHUKET: A Swedish tourist succumbed to unidentified health issues in a Patong hotel room yesterday. “We arrived at the 4th floor room in the Patong Merlin hotel room to find the body of the 27-year-old woman on the bed. There were vomit stains on the bed and blanket,” said Lt Col Somsak Thongleang of Patong Police. According to the woman’s…
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Ghost riding Phuket motorcyclist killed in collision with British woman
PHUKET: A 62-year-old motorcyclist was killed in a collision with a car driven by a 31-year-old British woman in Thalang last night. “The accident occurred at about 9:05pm on Thepkrasattri Road (southbound) near the Shell gas station in Thalang. At the scene, we found the body of Pongsak Sripuek lying face down on the ground. His arms and legs were…
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B5mn bust, two arrests help unravel drug network in Phuket
PHUKET: Two suspects from a major drug network were arrested yesterday with a kilo of ya ice (crystal methamphetamine) and nearly 8,000 pills of ya bah (methamphetamine) worth about 5 million baht. The first suspect, Sompan Meemuangnork, was apprehended at Phuket Bus Terminal 2. “We got a report from one of our sources about a big drug delivery from Bangkok…
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Decaying body found in Phuket
PHUKET: An unidentified rotting corpse has been found at Khao Rang this afternoon. Capt Udom Petcharat of Phuket City Police along with officers and rescue workers arrived at a forest pond in the area to find the body floating in the water. “Chinese people normally bury their ancestors’ bodies here. We can’t tell whether it is male or female due…
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Australian tourist, 49, dies in Phuket truck collision
PHUKET: Police have yet to press any charges in the death of a 49-year-old Australian tourist who was killed after his bike crashed into a cement truck near Tri Trang Beach last night. “We found the victim’s body partially stuck under the wheel of the truck and covered in blood. A Honda Click motorbike, helmet and phone were lying nearby,”…
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Phuket taxi driver returns British tourists’ purse
PHUKET: Two British tourists rejoiced last night after a taxi driver reunited them with their lost purse containing 70,000 baht. “Danny Kevin Chay Mackney and April Claire Cush called on the Tourist Police helpline (1155) yesterday afternoon, after they realized that they had forgotten their purse in the taxi they had taken from the Merlin Hotel to the Phuket Town…
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Chinese national and hilltribe man arrested for working illegally in Phuket
PHUKET: A Chinese national and a Chiang Rai hilltribe man were arrested at Chalong Temple yesterday for working illegally as photographers in Phuket. The suspects, Li Ming Xing, 25, and Awoi Jathor, 22, claimed they had been hired by an agent in China through a Phuket company named ‘Love Island Wedding Studio Co Ltd’. The arrest followed complaints that foreigners,…
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Emergency tsunami, fire drill held in Phuket
PHUKET: An earthquake and fire drill was organized in Phuket this morning. “At 10am, we simulated an 8.9 richter earthquake in Sumatra, Indonesia, which is 1,097 kilometers away from Phuket. We then waited for a tsunami warning from the National Disaster Warning Center,” said Phuket Vice Governor Sanith Sriwihok. All relevant officers were instructed to warn locals and be ready…
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Phuket police officer transferred after allegations of threats and bribes
PHUKET: An ex-Patong Police major is under investigation after Prime Minister Gen Prayuth Chan-o-Cha ordered his transfer to Phuket Provincial Police. Gen Prayuth told media in Bangkok on Tuesday that he had received a complaint regarding the officer from a local. Phuket Provincial Police Commander Teerapol Thipjaroen told the Phuket Gazette that Maj Thanturong Wuthiwong was the officer in question,…
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Thousands pawn valuables to cover back-to-school costs in Phuket
PHUKET: The Phuket City Municipality Pawn Shop has kept 80 million baht in stock in anticipation of the start of the school term, during which time thousands of people come in to pledge their belongings in return for cash to meet everyday expenses. The municipality has also reduced the interest on loans to help the public. “We will propose keeping…
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Phuket reservoir dredged to prepare for dry season
PHUKET: Royal Thai Army officials on Tuesday visited a dredging site at Suan Luang reservoir, where a project to increase the water retention capacity in preparation for the dry season has been underway since December last year. The team was welcomed on site by Phuket City Mayor Somjai Suwansupana and other relevant officers. “This project has been implemented by the…
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Angry German charged in Phuket for running red light, tossing car keys
PHUKET: An indignant German woman was arrested this morning after she ran a red light and threw the keys to her BMW on the roof of a house near Chalong Circle. Lt Thanakrit Iemchonkham of Chalong Police received reports of the incident at about 10am. “We were told that the driver of a BMW X1 SUV ran a red light…
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Thanyapura, Sports Camp Australia to organize sporting programs in Phuket
PHUKET: The Thanyapura Health & Sports Resort has partnered with Sports Camp Australia (SCA) to organize interschool games and sporting programs. Nearly 20,000 parents, students, supporters and coaches from Australasia are expected to participate, generating more than 40,000 room nights for Phuket. Fifty per cent of the room nights will be spread out among other resorts in the area. “Thanyapura…
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Two injured in four-vehicle Phuket crash
PHUKET: Two people were injured in a four-vehicle crash in Cherng Talay yesterday afternoon. Facebook user ‘Tan Promedic Phuket’ posted a 32-second video clip of the accident, which occurred at a traffic light near Laguna Phuket. The video shows a speeding van losing control, crossing over into the other lane and hitting a pick-up truck coming from the opposite side.…
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Energy conferences held in three Southern provinces
PHUKET: Three simultaneous conferences on energy and power generation were held in Krabi, Surat Thani and Songkhla today, between officials and representatives from 14 southern provinces, including Phuket. The conferences started at 9:30am and were slated to continue until this evening. One of the main aims of the events was to promote awareness and find the best possible solutions for…
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Body of fishing boat crew member brought to Phuket
PHUKET: The body of an Indonesian crew member working on a tuna fishing boat was finally brought to Phuket on Saturday, five days after the victim passed away on board. “The boat docked at the sea port in Wichit. Inside the cold storage room, we found the body of Ali Hariyadi, 45, covered by a piece of cloth,” said Lt…
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Gamblers arrested in undercover Phuket raid
PHUKET: Fifteen suspects were arrested with more than 45,000 baht in cash for gambling at a sleeping restaurant in Wichit yesterday. “The restaurant, named ‘Eat and Sleep’, is located in Soi Wirat Hongyok. The suspects were caught in the act while playing a popular local game called ‘gung-pla’ (shrimp-fish),” said Lt Col Patak Kwanna of Wichit Police. Undercover officers went…
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Teen biker killed at Phuket Bypass U-turn
PHUKET: Another teenaged motorcyclist has been killed on Phuket’s roads today, this time in a bloody crash with an airport taxi while in a U-turn on the Bypass Road. Maj Natthaya Suwannapong of Phuket City Police arrived with Kusoldharm Foundation rescue workers at the U-turn in front of the Ikea store. The taxi driver, Atiwara Samarnthong, 37, was waiting for…
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Phuket shelter elephant causes ownership dispute
PHUKET: A Krabi man has filed a complaint at the Damrongdhama Center after an elephant he claims was stolen from him 14 years ago turned up with a new owner in Phuket. Somsak Riangnguen, 35, said he bought the elephant (named ‘Yo’) and registered him in Surin Province in 2001. “In 2003, I took Yo to work in Krabi, where…
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Couple die by electrocution at Phuket resort
PHUKET: A Myanmar couple died by electrocution while working at a Rawai resort last night. “The resort is located on Soi Sermsook, Moo 4. We found the body of Min Thaik Non, 29, lying face up on the ground near the bathroom door. We also found a woman’s body lying face down inside the bathroom. She was named by police…
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Former policeman and wife killed in four vehicle pile up
PHUKET: A former police lieutenant and his wife were killed, while three others were injured in a four-car crash in Phuket’s neighboring Phang Nga province this afternoon. Capt Chalermsak Aksornpian of Thai Mueang Police arrived at the scene on Petchkasem Road with rescue workers. “We arrived to find the road littered with metal and plastic car pieces, glass and blood.…
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Australian sentenced for girlfriend’s jet-ski death in Phuket
PHUKET: An Australian man, whose partner was killed in a tragic jet-ski accident in Phuket last month, is free to return home after his trial ended earlier today. Thomas Keating, 22, and Emily Jayne Collie, 20, came to Phuket for a holiday and had rented jet-skis to ride from Karon Beach to Kata Beach. They collided with one another, causing…
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Phuket Roads: Two more critically injured in five-vehicle crash
PHUKET: Two people were seriously injured after a speeding truck driver lost control and hit two parked vehicles, two motorbikes and a restaurant in Thalang again last night. “The accident occurred in the southbound lanes of Thepkrasattri Road in front of the Makamdeekwai restaurant. According to witnesses, an Isuzu pick-up, driven by Amorn Det-Aran, 29, was making a U-turn at…
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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