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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Thachatchai checkpoint to be renovated – better security
Phuket authorities, led by the Governor, are planning on the renovation of Thachatchai checkpoint, the northern gateway of Phuket. Yesterday (August 6), the meeting gathered many local departments to discuss on how to make the gateway of Phuket more modern in terms of equipments, building and manpower and increase the security standards. “Phuket is the centre of passenger arrivals by…
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THAIGER TODAY Thursday, September 7
11 suspects identified over Phang Nga rape case | The ‘Dowry Scammer’ has netted 2 – 3 million Baht | ‘Persecution of Muslims in Burma’ report released in Bangkok | High-speed railway starting next month | ‘Run 2 Gether’ route around Phuket Town announced | Sea Turtles saved from trawler nets
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Urban push is on in Phuket’s Cherngtalay area
Phuket tourism is no longer just about the beach and the urban push is ‘game on’. One leading example is Cherngtalay which is near to the destination resort Laguna Phuket and Bangtao Beach. Upcoming in the fourth quarter of this year will be the X2 Vibe Bangtao that is set to usher in a rush of new ‘off beach’ properties. Within…
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A girl denies having been raped – Phang Nga Rape Case
Another girl who was mentioned by the 14 year old from Baan Koh Raed village is denying ever being raped while villagers maintain they are very stressed about the case. Drugs utensils were found in the shack described as the rape scene in front of the beach. The 17 year old girl has denied being involved in the rape case…
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Let’s ‘Run 2 Gether’ on October 1
‘Run 2 Gether Phuket Town’ is the very first event combining able-bodied and disabled runners to be held in Phuket on October 1, 2017. It will be a Fun Run/Walk of 3.3 Kilometres around Phuket Town with the first 900 registered to receive a Shirt and Medal. It starts at 5am in the morning and will start and finish outside…
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Hawksbill Sea Turtles saved from trawler nets
The crew from the Nikorn Marine 824 speed boat have saved two Hawksbill Sea Turtles near Racha Island yesterday (September 5). They were both injured from trawler nets. The turtles were found on the way from Racha Island back to Chalong Pier. After a veterinarian’s inspection, the turtles were found to be injured from the netting wrapped around their flippers.…
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THAIGER TODAY Wednesday, September 6
Terrorist plot thwarted in KL | Gender imbalance report for Asian countries | Following Yingluck’s CCTV trail | 13 grounded airlines named | 15 year old rape victim’s family ‘harassed’.
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Special October broadcasting to honour HM Rama IX
The Government is asking television broadcasters to return to black and white and show programs about His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej during the 20 days leading up to his cremation, starting from October 1. For the duration of funerary rites, the Thai Cabinet is asking all channels to cooperate by toning down their programming – to black and white and low-key…
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Seub Nakhasathien Foundation visits Phuket’s crocodile
‘Laypang’, the 200 kilogram male crocodile from the old tin mine near Laypang Beach has been moved to a bigger rehabilitation pond today (August 5). A specialist vet has found that it’s now moving more easily in the larger enclosure while the Seub Nakhasathien Foundation paid a visit to provide some advice. The new, larger cement pond is 6×5 meters…
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Ten reef sharks found off Phuket
Blacktip reef sharks have been found in shallow water in Koh Hong area, Krabi, today (September 5). The sharks were about on metre long and weighing an estimated 10 kilograms each. They were spotted at the beach in Koh Hong where they hunt for small fish in the shallow waters. The national park officers were able to get some pictures…
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More victims and drugs involved in Baan Ko Raed Phang Nga rape case
The ‘Muslim for Peace Foundation’ is calling for help after the 14 years old and her family were threatened by villagers while the girl reported more information that there are more victims and she was forced to use drugs before being raped. “The girl has been moved from the village to a children’s shelter in Phang Nga because she has…
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THAIGER TODAY Tuesday, September 5
Police investigating 40 men in Phang Nga village over rape case | Khao San Road vendors being moved off the footpath | 16 Thai airlines grounded | Our favorite crocodile has a name | Samui has critical rubbish problem
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Bang Tao crocodile has a name
After another veterinarian checkup, the saltwater crocodile found in an old tin mine near Layan and Bang Tao beaches has been named “Laypang”. Fisheries Officers visited a crocodile farm, show and zoo but haven’t found yet any record about a missing crocodile while the Marine Specialist said that this maybe the beginning of a saltwater crocodile study in Thailand. Yesterday…
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14 year old Phang Nga girl raped by 40 local men
On September 3, the mother of a 14 year-old girl from Takuatung, Phang Nga, reported to Kokloy Police that her daughter had been raped by 40 men from the same village – repeatedly from May to October last year. There are 3 men charged over the case so far. “We still can’t reveal the number of the criminals in this…
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THAIGER TODAY Monday, September 4
Nigerian charged over shooting/robbery but claims innocence | Phuket’s favorite crocodile not eating | Five provinces still inundated with floodwaters | The Cambodian Daily forced to close paper today | Dolphins sighted between Koh Racha and Coral Island.
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Captured Croc isn’t eating. BKK specialist on the way.
Fisheries officers are investigating whether the captured crocodile comes from nature or was owned by an individual. After catching the crocodile spotted at Bangtao Beach on August 25 and which came from a tin mine lake near Laypang Beach, Phuket’s Governor visited the crocodile at the rehabilitation pond in Thalang. The 200-kilogram reptile still hasn’t eaten any food provided by…
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Rawai thief and girlfriend to face charges
Phuket’s Police Chief has announced that the Nigerian suspect, James Chukwunweike Chijioke, the suspect for a shooting robbery in Rawai (story here https://thethaiger.com/news/suspect-arrested-shooting-robbery-rawai) will be charged with robbery and attempted murder even though he denied all the charges. The Police say they have enough evidence to prove his guilt. Following the shooting robbery in Rawai, when 52 years old Russian expat…
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DSI assisting Rawai’s Sea Gypsies with land probe
A DSI (Department of Special Investigations) team led by Deputy Director of the DSI, Pol Lt Col Prawut Wongsinil, visited the village yesterday (August 31) drawing a crowd of approximately 100 villagers. “We visited the sea gypsies today to advise them on how to present their proof in Court efficiently. If they forget or leave out some details, it can…
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Tuk Tuk driver fined 500 Baht for threatening tourists
Following a video posted on the Facebook page “Spotlight Phuket”, showing a Tuk Tuk driver threatening tourists after failing to negotiate the fare, Patong police have fined the driver, 36 years old Pannawit Nakamin, 500 Baht. The incident took place in front of a massage shop in Soi Kebsup at about 5.00 am yesterday (August 31) after the Tuk Tuk…
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THAIGER TODAY Friday, September 1
Crocodile captured after two day hunt around Bang Tao beach | Songkhla’s much BIGGER croc problem | Huge individual drug haul in Krabi valued at 100 million Baht | 459 metre tower gets Government funding | Buddhist nationalists protesting Rohingya violence | Tricks from last week’s Flow Jam event in Bangkok.
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Suspect arrested over shooting robbery in Rawai
A 27 years old Nigerian, Chijcke Jamer Hukwunwe, has been charged over the alleged shooting/robbery of Russian woman, Elena Kharenko, in Rawai on August 30. He was found in a house in Rawai at 7.30pm last night (August 31) with many valuables such as gold necklaces, watches and some cash following the investigation of CCTV footage near the crime scene.…
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Bang Tao Croc Captured. Week-long search over.
That crocodile, that was first spotted swimming off Bang Tao beach and then making its way into an old tin mine lake, has been captured after two days and two nights of hunting. The 3 metre crocodile is a salt water crocodile, originally thought to be a fresh water croc. Headed by the Phuket Fisheries Office, croc experts and local…
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And you thought WE had problems with crocodiles!?
OK, so we have one elusive crocodile playing hide ‘n seek with a ‘consortium’ of crocodile hunters (we’ll admit we don’t know what the collective noun is for crocodile hunters). But Songkhla have a whole different croc problem. An unknown number of crocodiles have escaped from a farm in Songkhla’s Singhanakorn district after a wall at their enclosure collapsed on…
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Phuket drownings – The Facts
In the first eight months of 2017 there have been 294 rescues recorded around Phuket’s beaches patrolled with surf lifeguards on duty. Of these, 265 have been foreigners and the remainder Thai locals. The good news is that these numbers are trending a lot lower than 2016. Last year there were 761 rescues recorded in the full 12 months. In…
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100 million Baht drug bust. Krabi’s biggest drug network.
45 year old Somporn Ratchapibun, from Surat Thani, has been arrested with the enormous haul of 486,000 amphetamine pills and 10 kilograms of meth amphetamine. The whole lot has a combined value of more than 100 million Baht. He was arrested at a rented house in Krabi with 3 mobiles phones and a Toyota Vios car. Police found drugs hidden…
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Progress on shooting/robbery of Russian woman in Rawai
Police report that they’ve learned that the two thieves used a car to commit the crime on Tuesday night. The car was parked 100 metres away from the house where they robbed and shot Russian expat, Elena Kharenko. However, the color, brand and plate number hasn’t yet been ascertained. The Chief of Region 8 Police, Maj. Gen. Pawat Prommakrit, has…
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THAIGER TODAY Thursday, August 31
Crocodile hunters on the trail | 43 year old from Phattalung arrested with drugs valued at 2 million Baht | DSI in town to check bonfides of Sor Koh 1 Title Deeds | 400,000 Rohingya in border camps as another 18,500 flee across Myanmar border | Phuket Hotels Association tackle mega beach clean.
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Phuket’s Croc Hunters
A hunting team spotted the crocodile in an old tin mine lake near Laypang Beach yesterday afternoon (August 30). The 50-rai lake is located about 300 meters from where the crocodile was spotted earlier. Initially, a team from Thalang District Office was placed to block the crocodile from swimming out of the lake. At about 8.00 pm, a “crocodile whisperer”…
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Two million Baht worth of drugs off the streets
A 43 year-old man from Phatthalung, Preecha “Ann” Utapala, was arrested in his house in Phuket with almost 4,000 amphetamine pills and one kilogram of meth amphetamine with an estimated market value of over 2 million Baht. With police reporting that drug trading volume in Phuket remains high, undercover police continue to investigate all the drug dealer networks. Preecha was…
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THAIGER TODAY Wednesday, August 30
UK National Crime Authority under fire for leaking sensitive information during Koh Tao murder investigation | More about THAT crocodile | Thai PM doesn’t believe Yingluck is seeking asylum in the UK | Man caught with 400,000 Baht value of stolen goods in Thalang | Fake goods raid on beach road in Patong
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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