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 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…
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B5mn bust, two arrests help unravel drug network in Phuket
PHUKET: Two suspects from a major drug network were arrested yesterday with a kilo of ya ice (crystal methamphetamine) and nearly 8,000 pills of ya bah (methamphetamine) worth about 5 million baht. The first suspect, Sompan Meemuangnork, was apprehended at Phuket Bus Terminal 2. “We got a report from one of our sources about a big drug delivery from Bangkok…
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Decaying body found in Phuket
PHUKET: An unidentified rotting corpse has been found at Khao Rang this afternoon. Capt Udom Petcharat of Phuket City Police along with officers and rescue workers arrived at a forest pond in the area to find the body floating in the water. “Chinese people normally bury their ancestors’ bodies here. We can’t tell whether it is male or female due…
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Russian expat arrested for property fraud in Phuket
PHUKET: The Immigration Police on Wednesday arrested a Russian expat wanted for property fraud in Phuket. The police team, led by Col Guntapat Phongsathabodee, arrested Matvey Shuvalov at his house in Cherng Talay. An arrest warrant for Mr Shuvalov was issued by Interpol in July last year for allegedly scamming Russian buyers out of US$248,000 for the purchase of 200…
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Phuket taxi driver returns British tourists’ purse
PHUKET: Two British tourists rejoiced last night after a taxi driver reunited them with their lost purse containing 70,000 baht. “Danny Kevin Chay Mackney and April Claire Cush called on the Tourist Police helpline (1155) yesterday afternoon, after they realized that they had forgotten their purse in the taxi they had taken from the Merlin Hotel to the Phuket Town…
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Chinese national and hilltribe man arrested for working illegally in Phuket
PHUKET: A Chinese national and a Chiang Rai hilltribe man were arrested at Chalong Temple yesterday for working illegally as photographers in Phuket. The suspects, Li Ming Xing, 25, and Awoi Jathor, 22, claimed they had been hired by an agent in China through a Phuket company named ‘Love Island Wedding Studio Co Ltd’. The arrest followed complaints that foreigners,…
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Emergency tsunami, fire drill held in Phuket
PHUKET: An earthquake and fire drill was organized in Phuket this morning. “At 10am, we simulated an 8.9 richter earthquake in Sumatra, Indonesia, which is 1,097 kilometers away from Phuket. We then waited for a tsunami warning from the National Disaster Warning Center,” said Phuket Vice Governor Sanith Sriwihok. All relevant officers were instructed to warn locals and be ready…
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Chinese pilot in ICU after being hit by a car in Phuket
PHUKET: A Chinese national was seriously injured after he was hit by a car while trying to get away from soi dogs in the road in Thalang last night. “The accident occurred at about 7:40pm. We received a report of the crash near Mission Hills Phuket Golf Club Resort and Spa. We found the victim, Xing Chen, 27, lying on…
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Thousands pawn valuables to cover back-to-school costs in Phuket
PHUKET: The Phuket City Municipality Pawn Shop has kept 80 million baht in stock in anticipation of the start of the school term, during which time thousands of people come in to pledge their belongings in return for cash to meet everyday expenses. The municipality has also reduced the interest on loans to help the public. “We will propose keeping…
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Phuket reservoir dredged to prepare for dry season
PHUKET: Royal Thai Army officials on Tuesday visited a dredging site at Suan Luang reservoir, where a project to increase the water retention capacity in preparation for the dry season has been underway since December last year. The team was welcomed on site by Phuket City Mayor Somjai Suwansupana and other relevant officers. “This project has been implemented by the…
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Angry German charged in Phuket for running red light, tossing car keys
PHUKET: An indignant German woman was arrested this morning after she ran a red light and threw the keys to her BMW on the roof of a house near Chalong Circle. Lt Thanakrit Iemchonkham of Chalong Police received reports of the incident at about 10am. “We were told that the driver of a BMW X1 SUV ran a red light…
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Diving instructor, company to face charges
PHUKET: Officers from the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) yesterday filed a complaint at Chalong Police Station against a diving company and instructor for allowing tourists to step on coral at Koh Racha Yai. A social media user who calls himself ‘Seaman Freeman’ captured and uploaded pictures of dive company activities that included two Korean tourists and a…
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Two injured in four-vehicle Phuket crash
PHUKET: Two people were injured in a four-vehicle crash in Cherng Talay yesterday afternoon. Facebook user ‘Tan Promedic Phuket’ posted a 32-second video clip of the accident, which occurred at a traffic light near Laguna Phuket. The video shows a speeding van losing control, crossing over into the other lane and hitting a pick-up truck coming from the opposite side.…
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Energy conferences held in three Southern provinces
PHUKET: Three simultaneous conferences on energy and power generation were held in Krabi, Surat Thani and Songkhla today, between officials and representatives from 14 southern provinces, including Phuket. The conferences started at 9:30am and were slated to continue until this evening. One of the main aims of the events was to promote awareness and find the best possible solutions for…
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Body of fishing boat crew member brought to Phuket
PHUKET: The body of an Indonesian crew member working on a tuna fishing boat was finally brought to Phuket on Saturday, five days after the victim passed away on board. “The boat docked at the sea port in Wichit. Inside the cold storage room, we found the body of Ali Hariyadi, 45, covered by a piece of cloth,” said Lt…
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One dead after “police chase’ in Phuket
PHUKET: One man succumbed to his injuries after a Krathom-carrying duo’s ‘police chase’ went awry yesterday afternoon near the entrance to Rassada Pier. Lt Col Santi Prakhobpran of Phuket City Police received a report at about 2:20pm. “Witnesses told us that a pick-up truck was turning right when two motorcyclists attempted to pass across its front. They scratched past the…
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Teen biker killed at Phuket Bypass U-turn
PHUKET: Another teenaged motorcyclist has been killed on Phuket’s roads today, this time in a bloody crash with an airport taxi while in a U-turn on the Bypass Road. Maj Natthaya Suwannapong of Phuket City Police arrived with Kusoldharm Foundation rescue workers at the U-turn in front of the Ikea store. The taxi driver, Atiwara Samarnthong, 37, was waiting for…
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Phuket shelter elephant causes ownership dispute
PHUKET: A Krabi man has filed a complaint at the Damrongdhama Center after an elephant he claims was stolen from him 14 years ago turned up with a new owner in Phuket. Somsak Riangnguen, 35, said he bought the elephant (named ‘Yo’) and registered him in Surin Province in 2001. “In 2003, I took Yo to work in Krabi, where…
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Couple die by electrocution at Phuket resort
PHUKET: A Myanmar couple died by electrocution while working at a Rawai resort last night. “The resort is located on Soi Sermsook, Moo 4. We found the body of Min Thaik Non, 29, lying face up on the ground near the bathroom door. We also found a woman’s body lying face down inside the bathroom. She was named by police…
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Phuket locals protest closure of access to Laem Singh Beach
PHUKET: Officials from the Ministry of Justice visited Laem Singh Beach this morning to follow up on a long-standing land dispute between the public, particularly local Thai people and thousands of foreign tourists, and an organization called ‘Bangkok Broadcasting & Television Co Ltd (BB&T)’. The company, which airs Thai national television Channel 7, has announced that starting April 17, they…
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Australian sentenced for girlfriend’s jet-ski death in Phuket
PHUKET: An Australian man, whose partner was killed in a tragic jet-ski accident in Phuket last month, is free to return home after his trial ended earlier today. Thomas Keating, 22, and Emily Jayne Collie, 20, came to Phuket for a holiday and had rented jet-skis to ride from Karon Beach to Kata Beach. They collided with one another, causing…
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Phuket Roads: Two more critically injured in five-vehicle crash
PHUKET: Two people were seriously injured after a speeding truck driver lost control and hit two parked vehicles, two motorbikes and a restaurant in Thalang again last night. “The accident occurred in the southbound lanes of Thepkrasattri Road in front of the Makamdeekwai restaurant. According to witnesses, an Isuzu pick-up, driven by Amorn Det-Aran, 29, was making a U-turn at…
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Large vessels banned from fishing during spawning season
PHUKET: Large fishing vessels will be banned from working in the southern Andaman Sea during the spawning season, from April 1 to June 30, the Fisheries Department announced yesterday. About 4,696 square kilometers of fishing space will be closed off in Phuket, Phang Nga, Krabi and Trang. “According to our research, most marine life in the Andaman breeds between April…
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Korean tourists and dive instructor ‘hunted’ for damaging coral off Phuket
PHUKET: A concerned diver captured pictures of Korean tourists and their Thai dive instructor stepping on coral while diving at Koh Racha Yai yesterday. The diver then shared the snaps with other divers and officials in the hopes of bringing the offenders to justice. A social media user who calls himself ‘Seaman Freeman’ shared the pictures of ‘Try Dive’ activities…
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Angsana to hold candlelight dinner for Earth Hour
PHUKET: The Bodega & Grill steakhouse at Angsana Laguna Phuket is holding a candlelight dinner to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the international energy-saving event ‘Earth Hour’ this Saturday. The event is being held in line with Banyan Tree Hotels & Resorts’ ‘Stay For Good’ philosophy “to build a better society by embracing the environment and empowering people”. The a…
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Defunct Phuket travel company sold out at auction
PHUKET: The Anti-Money Laundering Office (AMLO) has sold all of Tranlee Travel Co’s assets, 151 items in all, after four auctions yielded total revenue of only 204 million baht (approx US$6 million). The last auction was held yesterday at Phuket City Municipality (story here), where the company’s last 15 buses were sold off. Pawornan Thamanyatanan of the AMLO led the…
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Canadian tourist found dead in Phuket
PHUKET: A 49-year-old Canadian tourist was found dead in a condo in Kathu this morning. He is believed to have been dead for at least two days before his body was discovered. Police received a report of the incident at about 11am from ‘Plus Condo 1’. “We noticed a peculiar smell outside his room, which was on the 6th floor.…
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Wanted: Phuket gold thief robs two jewelry stores
PHUKET: Police are hunting for a suspect who stole gold from at least two jewelry stores in Wichit and Phuket Town last week. The woman’s face was captured by CCTV cameras at both stores. She is believed to be about 30 years old and 150cm tall. The footage was shared on various social media forums, including LINE groups, warning other…
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Troops of monkeys go swimming during heatwave
KRABI: At least a hundred monkeys climbed down a hill to cool off in a pool of water at Wat Tham Sue in Krabi yesterday. Krabi has not seen rain for about two months and this particular area has experienced a severe rise in temperature. “The monkeys climbed down into the pool, close to where tourists had come down for…
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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