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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Thailand's healthcare system is affordable and supported by the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) scheme, offering essential services to most citizens. However, hidden healthcare costs can surprise patients and lead to unexpected expenses. These include specialist fees, insurance gaps, emergency services,...
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Special Report: Phuket hospitals facing huge losses from uninsured patients
PHUKET: There is no lack of evidence about the alarming number of tourist deaths in the ‘Land of Smiles’. According to the ‘Bureau of Prevention and Assistance in Tourist Fraud’, there was a whopping 54 per cent increase in tourist deaths in 2015 (latest data available) as compared to 2014. This figure includes tourists only. The actual number including expats…
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Little Phuket girl rewarded for returning bag full of cash and gold
PHUKET: A nine-year-old girl received a reward for returning a bag containing 130,000 baht in cash and 90 grams of gold yesterday afternoon. Piyarat Boonkek and her parents met with 55-year-old Nukhlia Sangkaew, the owner of the bag at Kamala Police Station to return it. Ms Nukhlia told Police officers that at about 2:30pm she withdrew the cash from the…
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Samui Taxi driver wins 30 million baht lottery
SAMUI: A taxi driver yesterday won 30 million baht in lottery winnings in Koh Samui. Sittichai Samthong, 40, was surrounded by friends and family to celebrate his good fortune. “I was confused at first because I did not expect to win. I have now notified Samui Police,” Mr Sittichai told the Phuket Gazette. “I will continue to drive my taxi…
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B116mn expansion planned for Phuket deep sea port
PHUKET: The transport and marine departments last week announced plans for a 116-million-baht expansion at Phuket deep sea port in Vichit. Deputy Minister of Transport Pichit Akrathit and Marine Department Director-General Sorasak Sansombat held a conference to reveal details of the planned project. “The current port is about 360 meters wide and unable to handle big cargo ships and passenger…
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Foreigners, local arrested in Krabi credit card scam
KRABI: Police in Krabi arrested five suspects and are looking for two more involved in alleged credit card fraud to purchase a hotel this weekend. “Last Wednesday, staff of a Bangkok Bank branch in Ao Nang notified us that three men and two women were attempting to purchase the 700 million baht Krabi Heritage Hotel on a 300mn baht contract…
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Traditional Songkran festivities held in Chalong, Phuket Town
PHUKET: Unlike Songkran celebrations in tourist-heavy areas, Chalong and Phuket Town underwent an alcohol cleanse to host a more traditional commemoration of the holiday up until yesterday. Chalong Mayor Samran Jindapon with the general public made offerings of food to monks at Soi Ta-iad at about 7am. Since it was also official ‘Old age Day’ on Thursday, members of the…
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Phuket tour bus crashes in Patong
PHUKET: A tour bus full of Chinese nationals crashed into several cars on Patong Hill road last night, creating a massive traffic jam due to additional Songkran visitors. Lt Col Pattapee Srichai of the Patong Police received reports of the incident at about 7pm. “We arrived to see a ‘Somsak Transport Company’ bus with a broken front windscreen and several…
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Two arrested with more than 250,000 baht worth of krathom
PHUKET: Police arrested two Burmese workers with about 200 kilograms of krathom in Patong yesterday. Col Chaiwat Auikam of Patong Police handled the case. “We same a man, who we later learned was called ‘Piew’, acting suspicious in front of SuperCheap Patong. He tried to escape when we approached him. He was clean, but upon inspecting his motorbike we found…
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Songkran festivities hit Patong, police warn against sexual harassment
PHUKET: Patong is now heaving with tourists as the much anticipated Songkran festivities kicked off prematurely this morning. Despite warnings by officials to restrict water-throwing activities to tomorrow, April 13, Phuket locals and tourists jumped the gun and began celebrating the holiday today. Lt Col Seksan Komsakorn of Patong Police notified Phuket Gazette reporters that three main checkpoints for the…
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New Phuket Governor meets with officials, orders “organized’ disbursements
PHUKET: New Phuket Governor Norraphat Plodthong met with local officials at Provincial Hall for the first time this morning. He was welcomed onto the island this Monday (story here), and ordered authorities to work smart and ‘manage’ expenditures related to local government projects. “I am ready to help Phuket move forward and become stronger. I also intend to continue development…
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University students killed in horrific Phuket crash
PHUKET: Two university students were killed in a horrifying crash when a garbage truck ran over them in Chalong on Monday. Lt Chanat Hongsittichaikul of Chalong Police and rescue workers arrived at the scene at about 6pm. “Prince of Songkla University (PSU) studenta Passatorn Chaicharoensun, 20, from Hat Yai, and Panicha Mingkanitkul, 19, from Trang, were heading toward town on…
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Businesses hiring 1,700 students for school break
PHUKET: More than 1,700 students can spend their school break earning a wage and gaining experience in a program arranged by the government’s Employment Department. Waranon Pitiwan, the department’s director-general, said 243 businesses have offered to temporarily take on 1,760 students aged 15 and up, in jobs such as customer service, cashiers and sales assistants. They include Ek-Chai Distribution Systems…
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Officials say Phuket ready to deal with Songkran influx
PHUKET: The island’s officials are preparing to manage the influx of visitors, both local and foreign, who swarm into Phuket during Songkran, which is being celebrated nationwide this week. Phuket International Airport Director Monrudee Gettuphan has confirmed that an in-line screening system was recently added to the airport, which will help ease passenger congestion, make processing times faster and highlighting…
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New Phuket governor arrives on the island
PHUKET: Newly-appointed Phuket Governor Norraphat Plodthong arrived in Phuket this morning, a week after ex-Governor Chokchai Dejamornthan’s transfer was announced by the National Council for Peace and Order (story here). Governor Norraphat visited Wat Phra Thong, or the ‘Temple of the Golden Buddha’, and paid his respects at the Heroines’ Monument before arriving at Provincial Hall. “My first priority is…
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Phuket gold thief arrested in Songkhla
PHUKET: A Chiang Mai woman who stole items from two gold shops last month in Phuket was arrested this Saturday in Songkhla. The woman had reportedly entered gold shops in Wichit and Talad Nue and was seen stealing items on CCTV footage before escaping (story here). Region 8 Police led by Lt Col Prawit Engchuan of Ao Nang Police were…
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One arrested, one on the run in B1.2mn Phuket drug bust
PHUKET: Police seized more than 300g of ya ice (crystal methamphetamine), a bomb and car from a rented room in Patong today. One suspect was arrested while another is on the run. The bust was conducted at Phra Metta Road and the haul was valued at 1.2 million baht. “We received complaints from locals that a woman named Urai Haha,…
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British expat believed to have died of electrocution in Phuket
PHUKET: Officials have been instructed to examine a power pole that may have electrocuted and caused the death of a British expat at his house yesterday afternoon. “We received reports of the incident in Rawai and went there to investigate further. At the scene, we found the unconscious body of Paul Wilkinson, 55,” said Lt Col Kanan Somrak of Chalong…
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Woman escapes injury after vehicle catches fire in Phuket
PHUKET: A Phang Nga woman escaped injury after her car caught fire in Phuket yesterday afternoon. Thalang Police officers received a report of a burning vehicle at the Mud Dok Khao-Nai Yang junction. “Weeraya Thitiwanna, 34, had just driven from Phang Nga to Phuket when her car started smoking and caught fire,” said Capt Chatree Chuwichian of Thalang Police. “She…
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Phuket taxi driver returns Swiss tourist’s belongings
PHUKET: A Swiss tourist was all smiles when a Phuket taxi driver returned belongings that he had accidentally left behind in the vehicle. On Wednesday, Roth Alexander, 29, hailed a taxi from Phuket International Airport to the ‘Bliss Hotel’ in Patong. “Mr Alexander was travelling from the airport to his hotel with some friends. He disembarked, accidentally leaving some of…
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Nine-year-old survives Phuket fire
PHUKET: A young boy escaped a fire that gutted his house on Tuesday morning near the Rajabhat Junction in Phuket Town. The fire caused at least 300,000 baht worth of damages, while the 9-year-old sustained minor injuries. “At about 9:30am, we received reports of a single story house on fire about 20 meters away from local Member of Parliment (MP)…
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Rawai residents battle floods after heavy rains
PHUKET: Rawai residents have gone into recovery mode after heavy rains in the area caused flooding yesterday afternoon. Inhabitants of the sea gypsy village in Moo 2 helped each other to transport their belongings to higher ground. “The water is about 20-50cm deep on the roads within a 100 meter radius. A number of vehicles were stranded and at least…
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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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Birthday-boy survives near-fatal Phuket crash
PHUKET: A local man celebrating his birthday was severely injured after his car collided with a construction barrier early this morning. Police received reports of the incident in front of the Great Glove factory on Si Sunthon road in Thalang at about 2am. “We arrived at the scene to find a badly damaged pick-up truck. The 37-year-old driver, Maysa Tongjub,…
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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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Phuket bar fight ends in fatal stabbing, killer arrested
PHUKET: A man was stabbed to death by a fellow staff member at a Phuket Town bar early yesterday morning. “We found the body of Srichan Intaburi, 48 at a bar named Cowboy Pue Chiwit on Surin Road, with knife wounds to his chest and stomach. He was lying face up on the kitchen floor in a pool of blood,”…
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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…
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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