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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Phuket Lifeguards finish this Saturday – not renewing contract
There will be no more lifeguard on Phuket beaches from the end of this month according to Phuket Lifeguard after 7 years of duty. The meeting of the Phuket Lifeguards announced that the Company won’t be joining the auction organised by the Phuket OrBorJor this year. Their final duties finish at 6.30 pm on September 30. “We will finish the…
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Fire jellyfish washing up on Koh Phi Phi beaches
A large number of jelly fish have been found washed up on the shores of Koh Phi Phi. The chief of Hat Noppharat Thara–Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park warns for swimmers to be aware of the jelly fish around Phi Phi after a lot of them were found washed up on the beaches. “on Ao Ling (Monkey Beach) on…
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Phuket expecting 5 – 7 percent increase in high-season tourists
Phuket Hotels Association President Anthony Lark The Phuket Hotels Association is expecting the number of international direct passenger arrivals at Phuket International Airport for the high season of 2017 to 2018 to increase by between 5 per cent and 7 per cent year year-on-year. This, according to Association President Anthony Lark. The latest figures show that from January to April…
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THAIGER TODAY Monday, September 25
Truck crash in Saraburi kills four | Aussie detained at BKK airport for trying to smuggle 26 new iPhones | Weather warning out for southern provinces | Police on the hunt for third suspect in San Buri bombing | Thai Air Asia adds more HKT flights | Phuket’s Car Free Day, report from yesterday.
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First bird photograph exhibition@ Limelight – Vachira Hospital fund
Yesterday (September 23) at 4pm, at Limelight Avenue Mall, was the launch of the first bird photograph exhibition aiming to raise funds to assist final-stage patients at Vachira Hospital. The opening ceremony was attended by heads of sections involved including the Hospital Director, Dr Chalermpong Sukhonthapol and Chief of Nature and Wildlife Education Centre at Khao Phra Thaeo Non-Hunting Area,…
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Rang Hill road closure following large cracks appearing
Phuket Municipality has announced that Kosimby Road on Rang Hill, from behind of Khao Rang Hill restaurant all the way to Khao Rang Temple at the bottom, will be closed down soon to fix the road and build up landslide protection systems. This follows a large crack of about 50-80 meters on one side of the road. Police have already…
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UPDATE – Weather damages Ton Sai, some beaches remain closed
Ton Sai Waterfall has been affected from the recent downpours while some beaches along the west coast remain closed. Chief of the Nature and Wildlife Education Centre at the Khao Phra Thaew Non-Hunting Area, Pongchat Chuahom, along with his team, visited Tonsai Waterfall which is a part of a popular trekking route and found some damage. However, there’s no report…
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Phuket arrangements for the funeral of HM Rama IX
Phuket is set to arrange the ceremony for His Late Majesty the King Bhumibol Adulyadej Rama IX’s cremation at the main stage of Sapanhin Park, Phuket Town on October 26, 2017. People who are interested in supporting food and beverage, please contact the Office of Local Government Support, Phuket Provincial Hall on 064 789 9478 or 088 753 1868 before…
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Phuket Waterworld – New ‘off beach’ condo for Bang Tao
A new 555-unit hotel managed residence project named Phuket Waterworld is now offering apartments for sale. Located ‘off beach’, near to Casuarina Shores and the Outrigger Laguna Beach Resort, the project is being developed by the New Nordic Group. Phase one units range for studios from 26 square metres, one bedroom apartments and two bedrooms up to 104 square metres.…
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Phang Nga gang-rape case – Nine suspects deny positive ID from the victim
Following on the investigation of the Phang Nga gang rape case yesterday (September 20), the victim, facing the suspects for the first time since the incident (story HERE), pointed out the same 9 men twice but all of them declined to sign a document accepting the identification. The police brought 9 suspects (out of 11 suspects) of the gang rape…
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Beaches and underpass closed (for different reasons)
Beach closure has been announced due to the bad weather and big waves include 10 beaches around Phuket which are Mai Khao Beach, Nai Yang Beach, Nai Thorn Beach, Bangtao Beach, Surin Beach, Kamala Beach, Patong Beach, Karon Beach, Kata Beach and Nai Harn Beach. Meanwhile, the underpass at Darasamuth School intersection has also been closed down for painting the…
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THAIGER TODAY Thursday, September 21
Jet Airways bomb-scare in BKK | Ofo launching share-bike around Phuket Town on October 1 | PSU safe sex project packs 25,000 condoms | Orange is the new black… Toyota | Chinese FM backs Myanmar at UN | Krabi’s prosecutor files case over July’s Krabi massacre.
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Victim in Phang Nga gang-rape case faces suspects
A teenage girl who was allegedly gang raped in Phang Nga faced suspects in the case during a process to identify the alleged perpetrators at a police station on Wednesday. The identification procedure was ongoing yesterday at the Kok Kloi Police Station in Phang Nga’s Takua Thung district amid complaints from local residents, who said the scandal had ruined their…
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PSU sending a Safe Sex message – 25,000 condoms at a time
Students from Phuket’s Prince of Songkhla University were busy this afternoon preparing thousands of condom packs. It’s a regular voluntary activity each semester at PSU. Carex in Bangkok provide the condoms, the students pack them into small packs for distribution. Over the years Carex have provided more that 150,000 condoms and lubrication for the project. The activity is on behalf…
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THAIGER TODAY Wednesday, September 20
Flame jellyfish stinging a few swimmers at Nai Harn | Ministry of Labour poised to review Thai-only jobs | Royal Thai Navy on alert for Rohingya boat-people | 40 women from Baan Koh Raed complaining about media ‘image’ | 19 year old and his mother been fined for potty-mouth spray at police.
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UPDATE Jellyfish at Nai Harn
Marine experts and lifeguards are keeping an eye on Phuket’s beaches for any more of the pink/purple jellyfish that stung a number of tourists at Nai Harn yesterday. After getting a report from Nai Harn lifeguards that about 6 tourists were stung by anonymous jellyfish, Rawai Mayor, Aroon Solos, headed down to the beach to discuss with the local lifeguards…
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UPDATE “Suspects haven’t confessed to charges” – Phang Nga rape case
Today (September 19), 40 women from Baan Koh Raed village, led by the lawyer, Sanpetch Thipmontien, gathered in front of Phang Nga Provincial Hall calling for justice for the 11 men accused of gang rape, stating the suspects have not confessed to any charges. The group filed their complaints to the Phang Nga Vice Governor, Ekkarat Leesen, while holding signs…
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A Chinese tourist injured after fall from parasail ride on Patong Beach
Parasail landing on Patong Beach (file photo) Late morning today (September 19), 62 year old Zhao Jianying fell from a parasailing ride on Patong Beach’s sandy ground. He injured his left hip. A team of Patong Lifeguard applied first aid before rushing him to Patong Hospital. After the X-ray, doctors revealed that he only ended up with a bruise from…
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Phuket prepares 450,000 funeral wood flowers for HM Rama 9 cremation
Today (September 18), Phuket’s Governor, alongside the Phuket provincial Abbot monk, chaired a local Buddhism ceremony in order to respectfully receive the 450,000 funeral wood flowers that will be sent to Bangkok for the forthcoming cremation of the Late King Bhumibol Adulyadej. A number of flowers made by locals reached more than the expected 438,000 and people can still participate to…
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THAIGER TODAY Tuesday, September 19
Two men arrested in Buri Ram over molestation of 9 year old girl | Some of Phuket’s troublesome monkeys on the move | Thai PM visiting central Thailand for talks with locals | Mega drug crackdown has netted astonishing amounts of drugs in 2017 | Big win for the Big Mango in the Business Traveller Awards 2017.
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Trang drug network infiltrated – dealers arrested
Police announced today (September 18) that they’ve arrested Sakorn “Mam” Soithong, a drug dealer from a Trang network, with 36,400 amphetamine pills worth 910,000 Baht. Police initially arrested a first drug dealer, 36 year old Aekkachai Suanya, in Kathu with about 70 grams of meth amphetamine on September 12. Aekkachai implicated Somying “Ja-Ying” Poo-Ngern, who is the wife of a…
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Shooting ‘no accident’ – Kathu Police
Police believe a fatal shooting in Kathu was not an accident A woman was shot dead early today (September 18) in Kathu, allegedly by her friend. Piamsiri Tharadonpipat, the girlfriend of 30 year old Kanchalee Sriwirot, the gunshot victim, says that they were in the room with a friend, Boonsoong “Doi” Rakchat who brought out a revolver and ‘accidentally’ shot…
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THAIGER TODAY Monday, September 18
Two more arrested over Phang Nga rape case | Australian woman dies after ignoring red flags on Kamala Beach | Border controls on the look out for cigarette/alcohol smuggling after excise increases | 1,100 lone children cross the border into Bangladesh | Lonely Planet report pilot ‘Upcycling’ program on Koh Samet.
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Aussie woman dies after swimming at red-flagged Kamala Beach
Yesterday afternoon (September 17), Kamala Beach lifeguards rescued 65 year old Barbara Fistrovic from the sea after she went swimming in the red flagged zone part of the beach. She was swept by a big wave and disappeared before her husband, 75 year old Ivan Fistrovic, rushed to call for help. The lifeguards provided CPR and first aid and send…
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The Thai Canal – cutting through the project’s hype
(Photo from mothership.sg) September 11, 2017 was the latest gathering of minds related to the challenges in establishing the much-discussed Kra Canal (now referred to as the Thai Canal) in Bangkok. The canal, if it happens, would slice a new shipping canal through the the slimmest section of the Malay Peninsula, anywhere from Chumpon to south of Phuket. The Thai…
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UPDATE – Landslides, potholes and budgets. Aftermath from Phuket’s floods.
Today (September 16) a team from Phuket Provincial Highway Office has closed and is fixing Bangpae Bridge, which is on Tharua road, on the way towards Baan Para in Thalang, after the bridge collapsed due to the flood. The bridge is expected to be finished by 8pm. Another team led by Vice Governor, Siriporn Chuasawad, also visited and helped the…
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Intrepid beach cleaners head out into the storm
Gloves on and umbrella up, Phuket’s Governor Noraphat Plodthong does his bit to help clean Karon Beach Despite the postponement of the mega Phuket Hotels Association organised beach clean today, due to the inclement weather, many Phuketians still rolled up their sleeves to make a difference on Phuket’s beaches. The Governor and representatives from local municipalities, police and the US…
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THAIGER TODAY Friday, September 15
Flooding around Phuket whilst Typhoon ‘Doksuri’ slams into Vietnam | Patong Tunnel underway next year – maybe | Bomb attacks in Yala kill two | And Thais welcome the ‘departure’ of the TM6 Immigration Form.
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Wet feet at Patong Police Station again – Photo essay
Patong traffic police are warning people to avoid traveling on Patong’s roads following the floods and small landslide across the road to Kalim after a sustained downpour. The Patong Police station has been inundated by 60 cm of water. The roads affected include Phra Metta Road in front of Patong Hospital up to Banzan Market, Rat Uthit 200 Pee Road…
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4 year old Chinese boy drowned in Patong Beach
Family and friends assist The Rawai Municipality Rescue Team at Nai Harn in another near-miss yesterday One drowning and two other ‘near misses’ in the past 24 hours. A 4 year old Chinese boy, Wu Muyang, was taken to hospital from Patong beach last night (September 14) after he was washed into the rough seas by a big wave near…
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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