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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Phuket cops dress as postmen to nab B500K worth of drugs
PHUKET: A suspected dealer was busted with drugs worth about half a million baht by undercover police officers in Phuket Town on Sunday. A tip from another dealer, who had surrendered himself on Saturday, led Phuket City Police officials to the post office behind Provincial Hall. “The dealer told us that a man named Korapat Thipasak, 33, would come to…
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Lifeguard chief says budget cut will not impact service quality
PHUKET: The quality and number of lifeguards in Phuket will remain unaffected in the new contract despite a 10 percent cut in the budget, the president of the Phuket Lifeguard Club (PLC) told the Phuket Gazette today. Public concern about the budget cut for Phuket’s lifeguards has been voiced by both the local and international communities here, with the California-based…
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Another taxi driver kills another motorcyclist in Phuket
PHUKET: A motorcyclist was killed late last night in a head-on collision with a taxi in Cherng Talay. Lt Col Rassada Kluengwong of Cherng Talay Police received reports of the incident at about 1:50am. “We arrived to find the body of 43-year-old Sarayuth Duangjan lying face down on the asphalt in the middle of the road,” said Col Rassada. “Rescue…
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Police hunt for shooter of injured Burmese woman
PHUKET: A woman was shot during a ya bah (methamphetamine) ‘exchange’ at a Burmese workers’ camp yesterday morning. Capt Kraisorn Boonprasob of Thalang Police received reports of the incident from 41-year-old Mongkol Wongpradit, the caretaker of the camp located in Thalang. “Chan, a worker at the camp, told us that two Thai men on a white motorbike approached him and…
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Man killed in bike crash at Bang Wad dam
PHUKET: A 37-year-old man was killed in a bike crash at Bang Wad dam near Phuket Provincial Waterworks Authority last night. Kathu Police officers and rescue workers arrived at the scene about 10:30pm to find the body of the victim, named Teerayut KittiKhun, lying on the road with his bike thrown to the side. “Rescue workers administered CPR [cardiopulmonary resuscitation],…
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Opinion: Need to practice responsible journalism
PHUKET: As a regional tourism and transport hub, Phuket has an important role to play in easing the hardship of the hundreds of thousands of people who have been affected by the worst flooding in the Thai south in decades. Our island is fortunate to have been spared the kind of severe flooding that has stricken much of the region…
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Routine bus inspection yields four drug, alcohol-related arrests
PHUKET: A routine inspection of a passenger bus resulted in four seemingly unrelated arrests at Tah Chat Chai checkpoint yesterday. A passenger, back-up driver and bus attendant were apprehended for possession of drugs, whereas the bus driver was arrested for drunk driving and driving with an expired licence. “The bus was headed from Nong Khai to Phuket. We stopped it…
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Royal Thai Air Force pilot killed in Children’s Day airshow crash
SONGKHLA: A fighter jet pilot was killed in a fiery crash during a Children’s Day airshow in Hat Yai, Songkhla this morning. The pilot, Squadron Leader Dilokrit Phattawee, was flying a Gripen 39c at Wing 56, Air Division 4 airbase, the Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) announced in their official statement. RTAF spokesman Pongsak Semachai said a committee would be…
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Phuket prepares to celebrate Children’s Day 2017
PHUKET: Prepare for the hustle and bustle of a day full of entertainment and fun activities as Phuket celebrates Children’s Day tomorrow. The first Children’s Day in Thailand was held in 1956, and since then government leaders have annually branded the event with a slogan. Celebrated on the second Saturday of every year, the slogan created by Prime Minister Gen…
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Drunk foreigner hits parked car and runs off into the woods
PHUKET: A drunk foreigner ditched his car and ran off into the woods after he smashed into a parked vehicle in Kathu yesterday. Lance Corporal Prawattinun Fuengfoo of Kathu Police received reports from locals at Bang Thong Village, who claimed that they tried to chase down the intoxicated driver of a white Toyota Vios but could not catch him. “The…
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Construction company ‘warned’ for discharging wastewater
PHUKET: A building contractor, KMIT Construction, was let off with a warning for discharging murky brown rainwater onto Tri Trang Beach today. Patong Municipality officials went on site to investigate the source of the brown water flowing directly onto the beach, following complaints regarding the issue by concerned local residents who may have thought it was bio-contaminated. The locals told…
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Indian, Pakistani expats unite for flood donation drive
PHUKET: The Indian and Pakistani expat communities on the island have joined hands to help flood victims in the south of Thailand. Since Phuket Governor Chokchai Dejamornthan’s announcement of a flood donation drive last Friday (story here), locals and expats have organized their own efforts to help the more than one million people so far impacted by the deluge. Firoz…
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Bang Ku Underpass to open temporarily during Royal visits
PHUKET: One northbound lane of the Bang Ku Underpass will be open from January 14-20 to ease the flow of traffic during two upcoming Royal visits next week. “We have received a request from traffic police to temporarily open the lane, as Her Royal Highness Princess Ubolratana will visit the island on January 16 and Her Royal Highness Princess Maha…
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Phuket’s serial top-up machine thieves caught red-handed
PHUKET: Two cellphone top-up machine thieves were charged in Thalang yesterday after they confessed to committing the act at least six times in order to obtain money to buy the locally illicit drug krathom. A 22-year-old suspect named by police as Attaphol Panyasak, accompanied by a minor, were seen stealing the machines on CCTV. “We had received reports over the…
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Escaped prisoner prompts jail security upgrade request
PHANG NGA: Phang Nga Police officials are planning to request the Royal Thai Police to improve the standard of nationwide prison locks after a prisoner used a three-inch metal wire to escape from Takuapa Police Station on Tuesday. The runaway prisoner, named Panom Sirikul, 36, was recaptured yesterday, following which police made him demonstrate the lock-picking technique that reportedly took…
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Leaky Phuket domestic terminal pictures go viral
PHUKET: Pictures of plastic buckets put in place to collect water leaking from the roof of Phuket International Airport were posted on social media yesterday. A Facebook page titled Siang Prachachon Khon Phuket (The Voice of Phuket Citizens) shared a post with the caption: “This is the condition of the walkway at Phuket International Airport. There are holes in the…
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Cardiac arrest victim prompts emergency landing at Phuket International Airport
PHUKET: A Malaysian man was pronounced dead, after an emergency landing of his Malaysia-bound flight at Phuket International Airport last night. The Turkish Airlines flight was on its way to Kuala Lumpur from Turkey, but the 60-year-old passenger’s troubled breathing prompted aircraft staff to seek medical attention for him in Phuket. “He was rushed straight to Thalang Hospital, where he…
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Koh Racha receives new buoys, artificial coral
PHUKET: Fifteen new buoys and sets of artificial coral were installed at Koh Racha yesterday, following the allocation and approval of a 300,000 baht budget for environmental preservation by the Marine and Coastal Resources Conservation Department (DMCR). In recent weeks, Koh Racha has seen a spate of environmental issues, including coral damage (story here), fish feeding and coral theft by…
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Phuket donates by the truck-load
PHUKET: Both private and government sectors have stepped up to generously donate daily items of use for flood victims in the south of Thailand. Most of the southern provinces have been adversely affected by floods following incessant rains last week, after which Phuket Governor Chokchai Dejamornthan launched a donation drive (story here). On Monday, Phuket Provincial Police loaded two ten-wheelers…
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Police hunt for foreign woman caught stealing on CCTV
PHUKET: Police are hunting for a foreigner who stole merchandise from a souvenir shop in Patong last week. CCTV footage of the incident was shared on social media by Facebook user Wiyada Wittayatantithem on Sunday, with a caption that read: “Please beware of this foreign woman. She stole things from a store in Patong and then signaled to a foreign…
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Two Italians charged for disrespecting Thai flag
KRABI: Two Italian tourists were arrested on Sunday after CCTV footage showing them disrespecting the Thai flag and damaging public property in Krabi emerged on social media the day before. The video shows the men – named Ian Gerstgrasser and Tobias Gamper – pulling down the flags and dragging them on the ground. The footage has been shared thousands of…
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Thalang locals ask for help following spree of burglaries
PHUKET: Thalang locals are urging police to investigate a spate of robberies that reportedly took place on several occasions last month in their area. The inhabitants of Moon Baan Phanason Park Ville 3 in Srisoonthorn yesterday appealed to officials to attend to the matter, claiming that cash from over ten houses had already been stolen and asked why the burglars…
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Phuket serial thief finally apprehended
PHUKET: A serial thief who broke into nearly two dozen vehicles during the New Year’s holidays was apprehended on Saturday. Phuket Provincial Police Commander Teeraphol Thipjaroen, along with his team, spoke at a press conference at Phuket Provincial Police Station yesterday regarding the arrest of the suspect, Ging Phonsae. “In two months, Mr Ging broke into cars in Phuket Town,…
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Tourist injured in old school bar fight at Bangla Road
PHUKET: An Indian tourist was injured after a friendly banter with bouncers turned into an argument on Bangla Road on Saturday night. The tourist, named by police as Rauka Ayush, was punched in the face at least three times and was taken to Patong Hospital before police arrived at the scene. “We called the bouncers, Sarawut Samroengkit, 23, and Wanchalerm…
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Phuket university student killed by driver who fell asleep
PHUKET: A university student was killed after a taxi, the driver of which reportedly fell asleep at the wheel, crashed into her motorbike in Thalang this morning. “The incident occurred at about 7:30am on the road between Thalang and Baan Don. The victim, Jiraporn Plotpai, 21, was lying on the side of the road, her face and body covered in…
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Unidentified Thai man found hanging in Pa Klok
PHUKET: An unidentified Thai man was found hanging in a house in Pa Klok this morning. Lt Sunan Petnhu of the Thalang Police received the report about 9.20am. “When we arrived we saw the body of the 25 to 30-year-old man hanging by rope on the first floor of the two-storey house. He was about 165cm to 170cm tall, wearing…
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British woman found hanged after argument
PHUKET: A 27-year-old British woman was found hanged in an apartment early this morning in Chalong. It was reported that she had had an argument with her boyfriend a few hours prior. The Phuket Gazette is withholding her name until police confirm that the British Embassy and her relatives have been notified. “We received the report about 6:45am from her…
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Phuket Gov launches flood donation drive
PHUKET: A special unit to help those affected by the floods in southern provinces was set up by Phuket Governor Chokchai Dejamornthan yesterday. The Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) Phuket office opened for donations such as rice, instant noodles, water and other dried foods for distribution in the south. “The floods have affected Nakhon Si Thammarat, Surat Thani,…
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Phuket police hunt for exotic marine creature smugglers
PHUKET: Phuket officials intercepted a delivery of exotic marine creatures on a Bangkok-bound bus at Tah Chat Chai checkpoint about 7pm yesterday. Several rare and endangered marine creatures were found hidden in the luggage compartment when officials stopped the bus for a random check. “We were conducting checks in accordance with the orders of Phuket Provincial Police Commander Teeraphol Thipjaroen.…
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Swiss man “lost and found’ after two days
PHUKET: An elderly Swiss man who had wandered off from his Karon rental house two days ago was found in Thalang this morning. Rescue workers arrived at the scene after they received a call from locals regarding the man about 10am. “The man was found by locals sitting at a grocery store in Baan Lipon. When they couldn’t communicate with…
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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