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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Teen gunman kills Myanmar girl in Phuket shooting
A tragic shooting incident in Phuket resulted in the death of a young Myanmar woman, sparking a police manhunt for the teenage gunman involved. Police in Kathu district, Phuket, received a report about a fatal shooting incident. The incident occurred while Kittipong Jantawong, a 27 year old man, was driving a white Toyota pickup truck with the license plate บม…
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Local roti vendor hailed as hero after rescuing woman in Phuket
A local vendor is being hailed as a hero after he rushed across a busy street to rescue a young woman from being harassed inside a dental clinic. The incident occurred in Rassada, Mueang District, Phuket. A 35 year old man, identified as Pongsak, was arrested by Phuket City Police for indecent behaviour towards a 21 year old female customer…
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Singaporean tourists assault hotel guard at Patong hotel
A confrontation between two Singaporean tourists and a hotel security guard in Patong yesterday led to all three individuals being hospitalised. The incident took place at the Patong Bay Residence Hotel, where the tourists reportedly tried to leave without completing the mandatory check-out procedure. Police Lieutenant Colonel Phongpipat Khamchumphu, Deputy Superintendent of Investigation at Patong Police Station, was alerted to the…
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Russian dad’s Phuket heartbreak: Wife bolts, leaves him penniless
A Russian man and his five year old son living in Phuket appealed for help after his Thai wife left him penniless and took his belongings. A Thai man, Ekkawit Suratwadee, shared the story of 57 year old Russian man Oleg Magdeev and his five year old son on social media, hoping to seek assistance for the foreigner. Magdeev wanted…
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New Russian Consul General Ivanov meets with Phuket Governor
Egor Ivanov, the newly appointed Russian Consul General for Phuket, met with Phuket Governor Sophon Suwannarat yesterday to formally introduce himself after his credentials were accepted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In the meeting, Ivanov expressed his gratitude to Governor Sophon and his team for their efforts in looking after Russian tourists. He also conveyed his readiness to support…
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2,000 debtors flock to Phuket fair for a chance to clear the air
Over 2,000 debt-ridden individuals yesterday turned out for the 55th Debt Relief Fair at The Pago Hotel in Ratsada, north of Phuket Town. The event, hosted by the Ministry of Justice’s Department of Rights and Liberties Protection and the Legal Execution Department, in collaboration with the Phuket Provincial Justice Office and other organisations, aimed to offer guidance on managing various…
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Thailand aims to host InterPride World Conference 2025
Thailand is reaffirming its commitment to LGBTQIA2S+ rights and preparing to bid for the InterPride World Conference in 2025, with further aspirations to host WorldPride in 2030. The Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) held an event titled Thailand Announcement — Unity in Action: Thailand’s Next Steps in Equality to celebrate the passing of the Marriage Equality Bill and to…
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Phuket your plans: Steer clear of roadwork zones at night
Motorists are being urged to steer clear of Thepkrasattri Road, Dibuk Road, and Phuket Road in Phuket Town during nighttime due to ongoing construction work aimed at installing power cables underground. Phuket Town Mayor Saroj Angkhanapilas announced that this project, which started on November 14 last year and is set to conclude by November 7 this year, aims to enhance…
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Brawl erupts on Karon Beach between tourists and local workers
A photo posted on a popular social media page in Phuket today ignited controversy after capturing a brawl on Karon Beach. The image depicted a group of Indian tourists in a physical altercation with local workers responsible for managing beach umbrellas. The caption accompanying the post read: #Clashing! Brawl on Karon Beach, Karon Subdistrict, Mueang district, Phuket province. A group…
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Woman injured by debris from grass-cutting operation in Phuket
A woman was seriously injured when debris from a roadside grass-cutting operation hit her eye while she was riding her motorcycle in Phuket. Local government officials and the responsible company have initiated discussions regarding accountability and compensation. The incident occurred yesterday, August 10, at 9am on Phatthana Road, Soi 3, Talat Nuea subdistrict, Mueang Phuket district. A police officer from…
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Self-harming woman hospitalised after rent dispute in Phuket
A 35 year old woman has been hospitalised after being found with self-inflicted knife wounds at a small guest accommodation in Patong, Phuket. Police responded to the incident at a hotel on Phra Mettha Road at 6.56am yesterday, August 11. Upon arrival, officers and rescue workers discovered the woman on a bed with stab wounds to her abdomen and a…
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Russian tourist’s tragic fall from Phuket condo under investigation
A 20 year old Russian tourist tragically fell to his death from a seventh-floor condominium in Phuket. Police are investigating the incident and have contacted the Russian embassy to inform the family and repatriate the body for religious rites. Officers from Chalong Police Station in Phuket received a report about a male tourist who had fallen from a height. The incident…
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Foreign man in Phuket protests after Thais take over his home
A foreign man in Phuket submitted a complaint to the Ministry of the Interior after a bunch of Thai people took over his home. The Phuket Times shared a picture of the foreign man, whose identity was not revealed, protesting on Cherngtalay Road on Wednesday, August 7. The foreigner was sitting outside Krungthai Bank with a sign written in four…
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Phuket Vegetarian Festival to sprout excitement and turnip the fun
The annual Phuket Vegetarian Festival is set to “sprout” with residents ready to “turnip” the excitement from October 3 to October 11, confirmed by Phuket Governor Sophon Suwannarat. In a meeting jam-packed with officials and local figures at Phuket Provincial Hall, Governor Sophon, Vice Governor Norasak Suksomboon, and Phuket Culture Office chief Pichaiyut Singhasami finalised the festival dates. The focus…
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Phuket launches urgent cleanup to boost tourism on Karon Beach
Phuket officials initiated an urgent cleanup operation at Karon Beach, aiming to address concerns over its impact on tourism. Governor Sophon Suwannarat led a meeting with the local Joint Public and Private Sector Committee on Economic Development, focusing on regulating beach umbrellas at Karon Beach, Kata Beach, and Patong Beach. The cleanup drive targets the removal of beach umbrellas and…
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Asian woman found dead on Phuket’s Kata Beach
An Asian woman was found dead on Kata Beach in Phuket early this morning. The grim find was made by a lifeguard, according to Karon police. The victim, who was clad in a black two-piece swimsuit, was approximately 160 centimetres tall, around 30 years old, with long black hair. Her body was discovered lying face down on the sand, directly…
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Man caught in Phuket after two-year hunt for selling modified guns
A 29 year old man has been apprehended in Phuket following a two-year manhunt for his involvement in modifying blank guns and selling them via live broadcasts on Facebook. The suspect, known only as Kittiphon or Tom, managed to evade capture by fleeing from Phang Nga to Phuket. Officers from the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) and the Crime Suppression Division…
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Justice minister visits Phuket prison, focuses on rehabilitation
Justice Minister Police Colonel Tawee Sodsong, accompanied by the Inspector-General of the Department of Corrections, Narong Nukong, visited Phuket Provincial Prison yesterday to inspect prisoner conditions and encourage inmate rehabilitation. Joining them were Phuket Vice Governor Norasak Suksomboon, MP Chalermpong Saengdee, Rewat Areerob, President of the Phuket Provincial Administrative Organisation (PPAO), and Arkom Phusri, Director of the Phuket Provincial Prison.…
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Croc on the run finally in the net after a week of gator-aid in Phuket
A saltwater crocodile, which had been eluding capture for six days, was finally apprehended by local officials in Phuket. The reptile, discovered in an old mining pond, will undergo health and species checks at a coastal fisheries research centre. Security guards at a golf course in Pa Khlok, Thalang District, Phuket, first spotted the crocodile on July 31. The sighting…
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Reel trouble in Phuket: Man hooked for fishing in temple pond
A Thai man in Phuket sparked controversy by fishing in front of people releasing fish at a temple pond, and ignoring their reactions. The incident, which took place at Wat Chaiyathararam in Chalong, was captured in a 29-second video shared by the Facebook page Newshawk Phuket. The video shows a man in a black shirt calmly fishing, despite onlookers releasing…
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Pygmy killer whales rescued in Phuket mangrove forest (video)
A group of pygmy killer whales stranded in Phuket’s mangrove forest prompted urgent action from marine officials. Five whales were rescued, while one tragically died. Pacharawat Wongsuwan, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, shared that reports from Pinsak Suraswadi, Director-General of the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources, came in early yesterday, August 3, about six…
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Phuket immigration volunteers trained to boost efficiency
A training session aimed at enhancing the efficiency of Phuket Immigration volunteers was conducted yesterday at the Royal Phuket City Hotel. The event took place in the Bon Mai Thon Meeting Room and was overseen by the Commander of Immigration Bureau 6. Police Major General Songprot Sirisukha. The Superintendent of Phuket Immigration, Police Colonel Kriangkrai Ariyaying, along with various Phuket…
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Phuket Immigration arrests seven foreigners for visa overstays
Phuket Immigration officers apprehended seven foreigners for overstaying their visas as part of a focused initiative to identify and remove individuals illegally residing in Thailand. The targeted operation, conducted from last Tuesday, July 23 to yesterday, August 1, led to the arrests of seven individuals. These individuals were charged under the Immigration Act 1979 for being an alien who has…
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Phuket Peeping Tom escapes lynching, abandons panties (video)
A Thai man involved in a Peeping Tom incident in Phuket narrowly avoided being lynched. He fled the scene, leaving behind his motorcycle and several items, including women’s underwear, condoms, a cucumber, and drug paraphernalia. Another Thai man shared the incident on social media, which occurred at approximately 10.45pm on Wednesday, July 31, to warn locals in the Pa Klock…
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Two tourists drown in Phuket beach tragedies
Two tragic incidents unfolded on Phuket’s beaches yesterday resulting in the drowning deaths of a Hong Kong father at Patong Beach and a Kazakh tourist at Karon Beach. At Patong Beach, yesterday, July 31, Che Ka Fai aka Andy, a 52 year old Chinese national from Hong Kong, was pulled from the water unconscious and unresponsive. Police Lieutenant Colonel Phongpipat…
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Officials tee up hunt for wayward crocodile at Phuket golf course
Officials in Phuket are stepping up efforts to capture a crocodile spotted at Mission Hills Golf Course. The sighting on July 31 prompted an urgent response from local authorities and specialist crocodile capture teams. It seems the croc is making a real ‘swing’ at disrupting the course, and officials are keen to ‘par’ the situation before it escalates. Nikhom Suksawat,…
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Urgent call for O-negative blood donations in Phuket
A call for urgent blood donations has been issued by the RH-Emergency Donation group to aid a Frenchman in dire need of O-negative blood. The plea highlights the scarcity of this blood type among the Thai population, underscoring the importance of donations from Westerners. This urgent request was made through a Facebook post, emphasising the critical need for O-negative blood…
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Phuket police seize nearly 3 kilogrammes of crystal meth in Rawai
Phuket police apprehended two men in possession of nearly 3 kilogrammes of crystal methamphetamine at a residence on Saiyuan Road in Rawai. The arrests, executed by the Crime Suppression Division of the Phuket Provincial Police, were led by Police Lieutenant Colonel Phichit Thongto yesterday. A 47 year old man, Tribut Samaktalay, aka Tor, who is registered as living in Moo 4,…
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Motorbike taxi driver assaults UAE tourists in Patong
Patong Police are still yet to confirm any action taken against a motorbike taxi driver who assaulted two tourists from the United Arab Emirates in Soi Saen Sabai on July 29. The incident took place in front of the Hallo Massage shop, leaving the two tourists injured. The police were alerted to the situation around 10pm. The victims, identified as…
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Man dies after fainting and falling off bicycle in Phuket
A 60 year old man tragically died early today, falling off his bicycle after fainting en route to Thalang Hospital in Phuket for his regular medication. Police Captain Kraisorn Boonprasop of Thalang Police was alerted to the incident at approximately 6.50am and promptly arrived at the scene with Pol. Lt. Sin Saijit and an EMS Advance Unit from Thalang Hospital.…
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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