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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Escaped prisoner prompts jail security upgrade request
PHANG NGA: Phang Nga Police officials are planning to request the Royal Thai Police to improve the standard of nationwide prison locks after a prisoner used a three-inch metal wire to escape from Takuapa Police Station on Tuesday. The runaway prisoner, named Panom Sirikul, 36, was recaptured yesterday, following which police made him demonstrate the lock-picking technique that reportedly took…
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Leaky Phuket domestic terminal pictures go viral
PHUKET: Pictures of plastic buckets put in place to collect water leaking from the roof of Phuket International Airport were posted on social media yesterday. A Facebook page titled Siang Prachachon Khon Phuket (The Voice of Phuket Citizens) shared a post with the caption: “This is the condition of the walkway at Phuket International Airport. There are holes in the…
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Chinese national dead in Phuket after motorbike crash
PHUKET: One man died while another was injured following a motorbike crash in Karon early this morning. Two Chinese nationals, named Yang Dong, 36, and Hengquan Zhang, 22, were found lying on the ground in pools of blood at the Karon beachfront near the ‘Beyond Resort’ hotel at about 2am. “By the time the ambulance arrived, Mr Dong had already…
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Cardiac arrest victim prompts emergency landing at Phuket International Airport
PHUKET: A Malaysian man was pronounced dead, after an emergency landing of his Malaysia-bound flight at Phuket International Airport last night. The Turkish Airlines flight was on its way to Kuala Lumpur from Turkey, but the 60-year-old passenger’s troubled breathing prompted aircraft staff to seek medical attention for him in Phuket. “He was rushed straight to Thalang Hospital, where he…
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Phuket donates by the truck-load
PHUKET: Both private and government sectors have stepped up to generously donate daily items of use for flood victims in the south of Thailand. Most of the southern provinces have been adversely affected by floods following incessant rains last week, after which Phuket Governor Chokchai Dejamornthan launched a donation drive (story here). On Monday, Phuket Provincial Police loaded two ten-wheelers…
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Police hunt for foreign woman caught stealing on CCTV
PHUKET: Police are hunting for a foreigner who stole merchandise from a souvenir shop in Patong last week. CCTV footage of the incident was shared on social media by Facebook user Wiyada Wittayatantithem on Sunday, with a caption that read: “Please beware of this foreign woman. She stole things from a store in Patong and then signaled to a foreign…
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Fisherman dies after boat capsizes in rough seas
PHUKET: The corpse of a local fisherman was found near the Koh Sirey Bridge yesterday evening. Locals gathered around the pier as the body of Wirot Thongrueng, 56, was brought to shore. “His capsized boat was found near a mangrove forest in the area, while his body was found near the bridge. His lungs were filled with water, so we…
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Two Italians charged for disrespecting Thai flag
KRABI: Two Italian tourists were arrested on Sunday after CCTV footage showing them disrespecting the Thai flag and damaging public property in Krabi emerged on social media the day before. The video shows the men – named Ian Gerstgrasser and Tobias Gamper – pulling down the flags and dragging them on the ground. The footage has been shared thousands of…
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Phuket serial thief finally apprehended
PHUKET: A serial thief who broke into nearly two dozen vehicles during the New Year’s holidays was apprehended on Saturday. Phuket Provincial Police Commander Teeraphol Thipjaroen, along with his team, spoke at a press conference at Phuket Provincial Police Station yesterday regarding the arrest of the suspect, Ging Phonsae. “In two months, Mr Ging broke into cars in Phuket Town,…
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Tourist injured in old school bar fight at Bangla Road
PHUKET: An Indian tourist was injured after a friendly banter with bouncers turned into an argument on Bangla Road on Saturday night. The tourist, named by police as Rauka Ayush, was punched in the face at least three times and was taken to Patong Hospital before police arrived at the scene. “We called the bouncers, Sarawut Samroengkit, 23, and Wanchalerm…
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Four rescued after boat sinks in stormy weather
PHUKET: Four people were safely rescued after their boat sank due to strong waves at Koh Racha Noi yesterday morning. The Thailand Maritime Enforcement Coordinating Center Area 3 (Thai-MECC 3) received reports of the incident about 10:30am yesterday. “A fishing boat named Thepsiri, whose owner was named as Sirisak Seethep, left the shore last week with four crew members on…
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Phuket university student killed by driver who fell asleep
PHUKET: A university student was killed after a taxi, the driver of which reportedly fell asleep at the wheel, crashed into her motorbike in Thalang this morning. “The incident occurred at about 7:30am on the road between Thalang and Baan Don. The victim, Jiraporn Plotpai, 21, was lying on the side of the road, her face and body covered in…
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British woman found hanged after argument
PHUKET: A 27-year-old British woman was found hanged in an apartment early this morning in Chalong. It was reported that she had had an argument with her boyfriend a few hours prior. The Phuket Gazette is withholding her name until police confirm that the British Embassy and her relatives have been notified. “We received the report about 6:45am from her…
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Phuket Gov launches flood donation drive
PHUKET: A special unit to help those affected by the floods in southern provinces was set up by Phuket Governor Chokchai Dejamornthan yesterday. The Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) Phuket office opened for donations such as rice, instant noodles, water and other dried foods for distribution in the south. “The floods have affected Nakhon Si Thammarat, Surat Thani,…
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Phuket Bus flips and crashes in Krabi
PHUKET: A bus headed from Phuket to Trang flipped on its side and crashed into a power pole in Krabi last night, injuring the driver and 22 passengers on board. The crash took place on Petch Kasem Road in the Baan Klang sub-district. Capt Suwit Kaewpreecha of Ao Luek Police received the report about 8:30pm. “It happened on a straight…
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Phuket police hunt for exotic marine creature smugglers
PHUKET: Phuket officials intercepted a delivery of exotic marine creatures on a Bangkok-bound bus at Tah Chat Chai checkpoint about 7pm yesterday. Several rare and endangered marine creatures were found hidden in the luggage compartment when officials stopped the bus for a random check. “We were conducting checks in accordance with the orders of Phuket Provincial Police Commander Teeraphol Thipjaroen.…
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Jail breaking teen finally arrested
PHUKET: A 19-year-old robbery suspect who escaped a police station while being interrogated for his crime was finally arrested yesterday in the northern province of Maha Sarakham. The suspect, named as Chaiwalan Pennuanong, was first arrested on December 13 of last year, after he and his accomplice stole a girl’s bag – the girl subsequently chased them down and crashed…
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One dead, one severely injured in Phuket truck crash
PHUKET: One man was killed and another seriously injured when a watermelon delivery truck crashed into the steel pillars surrounding the Heroines’ Monument early this morning. Police and rescue workers rushed to the scene about 5:45am. “The truck was stuck to the pillars, while pieces of broken fruit were strewn everywhere. Rescue workers had to separate the vehicle from the…
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Business: Thailand’s airports to get overhauls
PHUKET: As authorities anticipate 34 million foreign-tourist arrivals and 150 million domestic air travellers in 2017, major airports including Phuket International, Suvarnabhumi, Don Mueang International, U-tapao Rayong-Pattaya International, Krabi International and Chiang Rai Mae Fah Luang International are undergoing renovations or expansion. Meanwhile, there have been calls for some small airports upcountry, such as in Roi-et, Nakhon Ratchasima and Hua…
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Officials hunt perpetrators defacing coral
PHUKET: Officials are hunting for six people suspected of stepping on coral, stealing live coral and feeding fish in Koh Racha between Monday and Tuesday. This move by officials comes after locals at Koh Racha tried to stop an Asian tourist from taking a bagful of coral from the island earlier this week and asked authorities to take immediate action…
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Four injured in another routine Patong Hill crash
PHUKET: Four people were injured when a six-wheeler crashed into the side of the road on Patong Hill early this morning. Rescue workers arrived at the scene a little after 1:30am to find the truck on its side, with the driver and passengers still stuck inside. “The truck was on it’s way from Patong to Phuket Town and had fallen…
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Severe weather warning issued for Phuket, southern provinces
PHUKET: The Phuket Marine Office (PMO) today issued a warning for all boats to proceed with caution and for small boats to not leave shore tomorrow or Saturday, due to large waves and predictions of heavy rain. The Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) issued a weather warning, titled ‘Heavy to Very Heavy Rain in Lower South and Strong Wind Waves in…
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“Seven days of danger’ ends with two deaths
PHUKET: The ‘Seven days of danger’ campaign in Phuket came to a close yesterday with a total of two deaths and 81 injuries. The campaign ran from December 29, 2016 to January 4, 2017. Both fatalities occurred on Sunday, day 4 of the campaign (story here). The following day, Phuket Vice Governor Teera Anantaseriwidhya visited four checkpoints on the island…
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Phuket police investigate series of holiday break-ins
PHUKET: Police are investigating a car break-in at Saphan Hin Park on Tuesday night, reported to be one of at least 15 such cases that occurred throughout Phuket during the holiday period. Phuket City Police officers received a report that someone had broken into a white Honda City by smashing the driver’s side window. “The car owner, named Supawaan Whamaak,…
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Firefighters spend six hours battling Phuket hotel flames
PHUKET: Firefighters spent more than six hours putting out a blaze in a Patong hotel basement. It started last night and continued into the early hours of today. Guests dining at a restaurant adjacent to Beyond Hotel Patong, noticed smoke wafting out of it at about 8pm and alerted the hotel’s staff. Patong Police officers, rescue workers and firefighters arrived…
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Phuket cabaret employee caught stealing on video
PHUKET: A cabaret show employee was caught on video while expertly stealing a pair of sunglasses from a woman’s bag on Sunday night. The 32-second clip, which shows a uniformed employee of the Aphrodite Cabaret Show in Kathu pretending to pose with a tourist while digging his hand into her bag to extract the glasses, went viral on social media…
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Gang of seven rob undercover officers, charged with theft
PHUKET: A gang of seven was arrested for attacking and robbing two undercover police officers in Phuket Town on Sunday morning. The Phuket City Police officers went straight to their station to report the crime and worked together with Col Kamol Osiri in order to locate the suspects via CCTV footage. “The teens had robbed the officers of two guns,…
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Samui expats rescue tourists from drowning
SAMUI: Two Russian tourists luckily escaped drowning on New Year’s Day when a group of expats dove in to rescue them from ferocious waves at Chaweng Noi Beach in Koh Samui. Officials had placed red warning flags advising the public not to swim that day due to the rough seas, but the man and woman, both believed to be in…
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Shorter peak season expected in Phuket
PHUKET: Phuket is bound to experience a shorter peak season this year due to a change in the market, and it is a matter of concern for hospitality firms when it comes to the low season, says Bill Barnett, managing director of C9 Hotelworks. “In previous peak seasons, rates or surcharges had benefited many hotels in Phuket, but this year…
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Officials hunt for owner of illegal fishing boats
PHUKET: The Royal Thai Navy and the Illegal Fishing Suppression unit are trying to locate the owners of seven fishing vessels that faked nationality documents to enter Phuket in November last year. The vessels, with 10 crew members on board, were denied entry when officials checked the ownership documents stating Bolivian ownership that turned out to be forged (story here).…
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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