Phuket News
-
Phuket’s Governor visits Tritrang Beach to inspect action over effluent
A team of Phuket authorities headed up by the Phuket Governor, Norapat Plodthong, have visited Tritrang Beach again following up another report of wastewater being released into the seas off Patong Beach. “Every office and all departments involved have to integrate their resources to find a sustainable solution to this problem. This is my second visit to Tritrang Beach. The…
-
THAIGER TODAY Tuesday, February 27
Flooding in BKK | More than 100 new political parties poised to register | Two Aunties waiting to be charged over Great Driveway Affair | Activists asking for transparency over Premchai case | Update on Russian ‘love-making’ classes in Pattaya | Tourists chastised over climbing photos in Ayutthaya | Makha Buscha this Thursday – Public holiday.
-
Big crowds and long waits at Phuket airport after runway closure
PHOTO reprinted with permission from Pimmie Pimpathu The closure of runway 09 resulted in a big back-up of ‘not happy’ passengers waiting for their delayed flights. The runway fix started early morning yesterday (February 26) and finished at 6.30am this morning as planned. However, there are a large number of remaining passengers as the relative authorities reshuffle arrival and departure times…
-
Search continues for missing Chinese tourist off Phang Nga coast
Officials are continuing their search off Phang Nga Sea for a Chinese tourist who was swept away by a big wave and went missing on Friday evening. Officials from the Phang Nga disaster prevention and mitigation office, sailors from the Navy’s Phang Nga base, marine police and Kusoltham Phuket Foundation rescuers resumed the search for 27 year old Yang Juan…
-
THAIGER TODAY Monday, February 26
59% of those polled don’t want a political party with Prayut as leader | Repairs to Phuket Airport runway | More carnage on Patong Hill | Poorly planned ATM snatch it Krabi | January’s numbers for new cars and tourism | Toon hands over the cash – 1.3 billion baht | Police raid Russian sex classes in Pattaya.
-
Phuket Airport Runway 09 closed for repairs
Runway 09 at the Phuket International Airport was closed today, February 26, and will be closed again tomorrow from 2 am – 7am for fixing cracks in the runway surface. There are small cracks in an are covering 9 square metres while there is another 84 square metres area between the runway and the taxiway that requires repair attention. PIA…
-
Patong Prawn Fraud. Price-gouging in Patong restaurant.
Phuket’s Tourist Police have arrested the owners of an overpriced restaurant named ‘6 Restaurants’, located in Patong, after receiving reports from more than 19 Chinese tourists. Apart from the reports, photos from the restaurant also went viral in Chinese social media about the over-priced prawn dish of 300 baht per 100 grams (3,000 baht per kilogram!) The report mentioned that…
-
Brake failure causes a bus to crash into 6 cars on Patong Hill
At about 2 pm yesterday (February 25), a bus suffered alleged brake failure, crashing into 6 cars in front of the temple down Patong Hill, resulting in one injury. The bus damaged 6 cars including 2 vans, a Toyota car, 2 Nissans and a Mazda pick-up truck. All the cars were driving in front of the bus driven by 40…
-
Waste-to-energy plant protests in Krabi
The Baan Nai Chong preservation group are protesting a new waste-to-energy plant over the future health impact on their community. The power plant is planned to be built at the local landfill of Krabi Municipality, which is nearby their community. The signs have been installed since yesterday (February 23) under the leadership of group president, Warrant Officer 1st Class Panya Hiran.…
-
Two Chinese tourists drowned. Another missing in Phang Nga.
Two Chinese tourists have drowned and another is missing after swimming at a beach in Phang Nga’s Thai Muang district last night. Two other Chinese tourists were injured in the incident in high surf in front of the Dusit Hotspring Beach and Spa Hotel around 6pm. Police were alerted to the incident at 8pm. The two drowned tourists have been…
-
Local administrative organisations to take over lifeguard contracts
Phuket’s Governor, Norapat Plodthong, says that the local administration organisations will take control of the lifeguard hiring budget instead of the Provincial Administrative Organisation (OrBorJor) to avoid the problems with the annual lifeguard contract and beach safety. “Especially this year, there has been a lot of people drowning at our beaches during the time we didn’t have an effective lifeguard…
-
Making Phuket a special administrative region
Business enterprises in Phuket, Krabi and Phang Nga have put a proposal to the Tourism and Sports Ministry to make Phuket a special administrative region. Phuket authorities and the heads of tourism-related organisations gathered at the Beyond Resort Kata. The meeting was to address the administrative problems and obstacles that affect the tourism in the region whilst it continues to…
-
THAIGER TODAY Friday, February 23
Greenpeace demands something is done about BKK air quality | Premchai doesn’t turn up to yesterday’s interview with police | A lift falls at Maxx Hotel in capital | Woman lied about Taxi driver attack | Driveway dispute forces closure of nearby markets | Pick-up hits elephant | Chinese tourist falls off Kamala villa rooftop.
-
Krabi Social Insurance Office provides support for King Poseidon captain
The Chief of Krabi Social Insurance Office, Pornthep Sripaiboon, together with officials from the Krabi Labour Office, visited Kiengsak Boonsri, the captain of King Poseidon speedboat, which exploded in front of the Viking cave off Koh Phi Phi Ley two months ago. He has been in hospital ever since. Video of boat fire HERE. The team granted 7,002 Baht in…
-
Chinese tourist falls from Kamala roof top
A 31 year old Chinese man, Gao Zhiyum, has died after falling from the 16 metre high rooftop of a villa in Kamala. The Chinese man was staying at the villa with 6 other people including his wife and friends. On Wednesday night (February 21) at about 11 pm, all 6 were drinking together on the rooftop until 1.40 am.…
-
THAIGER TODAY Thursday, February 22
Opening day of Thailand Yacht Show | Prawit extends chat with NACC, again | Best & worst roads in Asia | Chonburi boy gets foot stuck in drain | TaT seeking assistance from counterparts in China to curb tourist behaviour | King Cobra season in Krabi | 4G speeds around the world | Latest in the Great Driveway Drama |…
-
Samkong landslide killed one worker, injures another
Yesterday’s (Wednesday) landslide occurred at the construction site of a clinic near Vachira Hospital where there is a 3-4 metre retaining wall. A team of police, rescue teams and a Vachira Hospital medical team tried to save a Myanmar worker, 22 year old Nay Sol Lin, by digging the soil around him and providing saline water. It took about 20…
-
7 Krabi King cobras reported in one day – 5 captured and released
The Ao Luek Rescue Team in Krabi received a report last night (February 20) at 8.30 pm from 23 year old Nutchanart Bangyabyeo, saying that she found a 4 metre king cobra under the dish washing sink. The team put a snake catcher under the sink and the cobra showed up after 5 minutes. The team tried to capture it…
-
THAIGER TODAY Wednesday, February 21
Four die in a Krabi road smash | More of the Bangkok driveway-blocking drama | A BIG find on a Gulf beach | Suthep announces new political party | New engine-size tax for motorbikes | Government caves into power plant protesters.
-
TAT seeks help to stop damage by Chinese tourists
Frequent cases of Chinese tourists damaging coral reefs and other fragile sea natural resources have prompted the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) to seek help from its Chinese counterpart. Phanu Woramitr, director of the TAT office for Hat Yai, Songkhla and Satoon said on Tuesday that TAT has sent a letter to the Chinese tourism agency asking it to warn…
-
Worker dies, another injured, in Samkong worksite landslide
https://www.facebook.com/phuketgazette/videos/1620819127995909/ Emergency responders are working to extract a worker from a construction site in Samkong near Vachira Hospital this morning following a landslide. One worker died in the work-site landslide.
-
Thailand Yacht Show 2018 – starts tomorrow (Thursday)
Some of the world’s most prestigious marine brands are assembling at the Ao Po Grand Marina for the third edition of the Thailand Yacht Show. It starts tomorrow (Thursday) and runs until Sunday. Buyers, charterers and locals are invited to climb aboard and experience the watercraft – superyachts, catamarans, sailboats, sports-fishers, dinghies, tenders, water sport boats and day cruisers, in…
-
Rare animal – a moonrat – found in Krabi
A small creature that looks like a mouse, with a nose and mouth shaped like a pig, has been found in Krabi. It is believed to be a moonrat. Krabi Defense Volunteer Officer, 53 year old Pornchai Sudrak, who found the animal, explains that he was jogging near his house in the evening and heard his dog barking so he…
-
Four killed on a dangerous corner in Krabi
A pickup truck reportedly lost control on a curve, crossed the traffic island in the middle of the road and crashed into another pickup truck on the opposite lane, killing four people in Krabi province. The accident occurred last night on Phetchakasem Road, Nuaklong – Klongthom route. At the scene, Nuaklong police found a gray pickup truck with Phang Nga…
-
THAIGER TODAY Tuesday, February 20
Woman NOT happy with pick-up parked over her driveway | Car chase for two Nigerians on Cambodian border | Vandals leaving their mark in Krabi | How NOT to reverse a container truck | 23 tourists stung by jellyfish | 62 year long-term resident in Pattaya giving back to his community. Coming to you from the Floating Donut in Laguna…
-
301 ‘lucky number plates’ up for bidding
The Phuket Land Transport Office announced the auction of 301 plates with ‘lucky numbers’. The profit from the auction will be donated to the road accident victims fund. The Chief of Phuket Land Transport Office, Banyat Kanta, said that the 13th auction will kick off on March 3 – 4 at the conference room of Phuket’s Rajabhat University. “This will help…
-
Tourists leave their mark on Railay Beach
Tourists seeking to leave their mark on Thailand have vandalised a cave tunnel leading onto Krabi’s popular Railay Beach, carving their names and other graffiti in the rock walls and stalactites. Hard objects were used to scrawl names and messages along the 200 metre passage, said Somboon Ngafa, chairman of the Railay Bay Tourism Association Club. The beach and bay…
-
Firefly’s direct Penang flights go daily from March 25
Firefly are upping the direct flights from Penang to Phuket from four a week to daily starting March 25. The regional airline is owned by Malaysian Airlines and flies ATR 72s with 70 seats. Flying out of Penang, Firefly flies internationally to Banda Aceh on Sumatra, Indonesia and Phuket. Locally it serves Langkawi and Kota Baru. For now the new…
-
Truck crash-reverses into ditch in Karon
Traffic is closed between Patong and Karon as police and emergency responders try and clear a nearly-overturned container truck at the bottom of the hill between the Novotel Karon and Centara Beach resort. Police are expecting it to take at least a couple of hours to clear for traffic. https://www.facebook.com/phuketgazette/videos/1618908354853653/
-
PIA air-conditioning breaks down, again
…and this woman’s not happy about it. Hundreds of Facebook users have given their support to a woman’s complaint about a breakdown of air-conditioners at the Phuket International Airport, which she says causes heat to be trapped and body odour to spread inside the passenger building. “Is this a model of a green airport?” Facebook user Paithoon Tou Monpanthong asked…
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.
Don't forget to check out some other things to do in Thailand - get help starting a business or finding a job in Thailand, buy Thailand property, rent a yacht or book a medical procedure worldwide.