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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Sponsored Infinito helps hotels in Thailand with revenue management
Maximising revenue and profit–isn’t that the ultimate goal for every business in the hospitality industry? If you run a hotel, you might have heard that revenue management is an effective way to boost your top-line revenue. It involves using data...
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Phuket’s Row2Rio adventurer nearly obliterated by cargo ship
PHUKET: The Row2Rio challenge was almost cut short earlier this week when the boat’s auto tiller went on the fritz as a 180-meter cargo ship barrelled toward the four-person crew rowing across the Atlantic. “Our AIS alarm (close proximity to other vessels) went off and in the distance the ship’s spotlight came on. They were sweeping the water looking for…
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“Fastest man in Phuket’ bags top spot at Powerman Malaysia
PHUKET: Thanyapura triathlon coach Ricky Ekkarat Phanthip announced his return to form with a win at the Powerman Malaysia – Asia Duathlon Championships last weekend. The ‘fastest man in Phuket’ sped his way back into action, after taking a year off following knee surgery, and won first place in the men’s 30-34 age group category. Mr Phanthip led his athletes…
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Phuket blood donors save American’s life
PHUKET: Thanks to the generosity of at least 20 blood donors in Phuket, an American car crash victim is now out of danger and recovering from a second round of surgery. Chonita Michelle Cleary, 24, and two of her friends were involved in a collision with a taxi when heading from Cherng Talay to Thalang town at about 1am on…
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BREAKING NEWS: Foreigner killed at Phuket shooting range
PHUKET: A foreigner allegedly shot himself in the head at a Phuket firing range at about 2pm today. The man, who registered at the Patong Hill Shooting Range under the name ‘Andres’, reportedly fired seven shots at the target before discharging the eighth round into his head, confirmed Lt Sawanya Eiadtrong of the Thung Thong Police. Police are at the…
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Health, safety top priorities for Phuket beach volley tournament
PHUKET: Preparations for the 2016 Thailand Beach Volley Festival Phuket powered by PTT are in high gear ahead of the international tournament to be held at Karon Beach, March 23-27 (story here), with security at the top of the agenda. Phuket Vice Governor Prajiad Aksornthammakul said this morning that with more than 300 participants – about 100 athletes and 200…
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Krabi adds buoys to protect corals
KRABI: In an effort to protect marine life, Krabi officials yesterday announced the installation of 16 additional buoys near popular tourist attractions. “The purpose of the buoys is to mark the presence of coral reefs so that ships and boats can avoid anchoring there,” said Sarayuth Tanthien, chief of the Hat Noppharat Thara – Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park.…
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Krabi officials find Chikungunya virus in monkey, public urged not to panic
KRABI: Krabi officials are asking the public not to panic after monkeys at popular tourist areas were found to be infected with the dengue-like virus Chikungunya. “This viruses cannot be directly transmitted from monkeys to humans. It is passed through mosquitoes only, so there is a very low probability that humans will be infected,” said Chief of the Krabi Provincial…
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A Decade Ago: Coral reefs and tidal waves of wastewater
PHUKET: As the Phuket Gazette scuba diving columnist for the last four years, I was dumbfounded when I stumbled over the headline screaming from page one of the 2006 March 4-10 issue: HUGE REEF DISCOVERED. A unique swath of biodiversity for Thailand that consumed at least four square kilometers of seabed off Tai Muang in Phang Nga was the biggest…
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Foreign tenants told to go to court for property dispute
PHUKET: A group of tenants living at The Aspasia Phuket, who were hoping to have issues about the property’s management ironed out by the governor, have been told to go to court to settle their disputes. The group of ten expat tenants led by Dutch national Jan Cornelis van Zuilekom were told by Vice Governor Prajiad Aksornthammakul yesterday that they…
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Phuket sea hare mass spawning caused by water temperature rise [video]
PHUKET: The millions of sea hares that washed onto a Phuket beach yesterday (story here) were part of a mass spawning due to a slight increase in the temperature of the sea. “It is normal during warmer months for the temperature to rise just enough to trigger a spawning response in sea hares. The animals die shortly after spawning, which…
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Miss Andaman Power 2016 makes sparks at Jungceylon
PHUKET: Andaman Power is celebrating sexual diversity and spreading sexual health awareness with its upcoming competition ‘Miss Andaman Power 2016’ to be held at various locations from March 25-30. However, the real fun for the public won’t be until the finalists take the stage in Jungceylon for the beauty pageant part of the event, which will include a fashion show,…
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French pensioner mugged by Phuket ‘teenage’ thugs
PHUKET: Phuket police are hunting for two men who mugged a 70-year-old French woman as she was riding a bicycle along Lay Pang Beach yesterday evening. Martine Delaloy was riding her bicycle along the beach at about 5pm when two suspects, thought to be teenagers, drove past her on a motorbike and snatched her bag, causing her to fall. “When…
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Understanding what AEC means for Phuket
PHUKET: The feared impact the Asean Economic Community (AEC) will have on Thais in Phuket’s tourism industry is unwarranted, said AEC Information Center Director Thitipasook Jaratjessada. After years of anticipation and some delays, the AEC was officially launched on January 1, 2016. However, there are no changes to visa requirements or labor laws for citizens of member nations seeking employment…
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Boat owner gets warning for coral damage [video]
PHUKET: The operator of a boat that was filmed anchored on fragile coral off Koh Racha Yai on February 16 has escaped a hefty fine and possible prison time after apologizing for the incident. Officials tracked down the owner after a diver took underwater video of the boat’s anchor line trailing across the coral. The diver also recorded the name…
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Video Report: More than 1 million sea slugs wash onto Phuket beach
PHUKET: Marine experts are attempting to understand why more than a million sea slugs washed up on a Phuket beach this morning. The name ‘sea slug’ is a common name used specifically for gastropods that are not shell-bearing or appear not to be shell-bearing. Experts believe that the sea slugs found on Kamala Beach are, in fact, sea hares. However,…
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Phuket school for adults welcomes freshies
PHUKET: A school for adults in Rassada welcomed a new batch of students aged between 40 and 80 years old on Friday. Rassada Mayor Phudit Raksarat presided over a ceremony to welcome the new students. Operated by Rassada Municipality, the school aims to support self-development and lifetime learning for elderly members of the community, said Mayor Phudit. “The school encourages…
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Bangkok boat explosion prompts safety overhaul
BANGKOK: The Marine Department plans to require the owners of commuter boats to check the engine and fuel system of vessels twice a year, in the wake of an explosion on a commuter boat on Bangkok’s Saen Saeb Canal on Saturday that injured 71 people. Boat owners were previously required to perform the check annually. Marine Department Deputy Director-general Nat…
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Phuket to host ACM-ICPC World Finals
PHUKET: Phuket is set to host the 40th Association for Computing Machinery – International Collegiate Programming Contest (ACM-ICPC) World Finals from May 15-20. The ACM-ICPC is a multi-tiered annual programming competition sponsored by IBM, held among universities throughout the world. “We have been submitting requests to host the world finals every year since 2011 and finally we were chosen,” said…
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Krabi police scoop up reef thieves
KRABI: Krabi officials arrested three men yesterday after they were apprehended illegally collecting coral and sea anemone near Koh Pu. Samart Janlamoon, 39, Natthapol Watjinda, 21, and Somrit Suksai, 41, were found in possession of 15 boxes of the precious marine life after officers inspected their boat, confirmed Jaroenchai Srisuwan, chief of the Krabi Fishery Management Center. “Last night, five…
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Police commander assures island safety amid foiled gang plot
PHUKET: Local officials are assuring the island’s safety after a member of the gang that attempted to rob a Bangkok gun shop revealed that the weapons may have been destined for either Chiang Mai or Phuket. Phuket Provincial Police Deputy Commander Peerayuth Karajedee this morning reaffirmed that all necessary security measures were already in place on the island. “We have…
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Experts unable to confirm species of Kata jellyfish
PHUKET: A Phuket diver photographed what he believed to be a box jellyfish while diving off of Kata Beach last Sunday. The photo was supplied to the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) Region 5 by Kanawut Krongraksa, who spotted the creature at a depth of about eight meters. However, experts have yet to confirm the exact species. “I…
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Blood donations flow in for injured American teacher
PHUKET: At least 20 people have donated blood following an urgent call this morning for O-negative blood for an American woman requiring emergency surgery after a road accident, confirmed the Phuket Regional Blood Center (story here). “Chonita Michelle Cleary, 24, and two of her friends – who declined to be named – were involved in a collision with a taxi…
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Foreign tenants ask Phuket Governor to mediate property dispute
PHUKET: A contingent of tenants leasing rooms at a luxury resort in Kata met with the governor at Phuket Provincial Hall yesterday to hand him a letter demanding an investigation into issues over the property’s management. Leading the ten foreign tenants from The Aspasia Phuket resort was Dutch national Jan Cornelis van Zuilekom. Mr Zuilekom, who referred to himself as…
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Open-air cinema part of Boat Lagoon Lighthouse Market tonight, tomorrow
PHUKET: It’s another day of perfect weather in Phuket, so grab your family and friends and head over to the Phuket Lighthouse Market at Boat Lagoon for an evening of eating, chilling and shopping. To keep the air buzzing, there will be a medley of music at 6pm starting with pop music, and then taking it down a notch hour…
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Suspected teenage arsonists allegedly burn Phuket motorbike
PHUKET: Police are tracking down suspected teenage arsonists wanted for allegedly setting fire to a motorbike Wednesday evening in Phuket Town. The motorbike, belonging to a 25-year-old Myanmar national, named only as Musor, was completely destroyed, confirmed Lt Col Chana Suthimas of the Phuket City Police. “Locals told officers that they saw about four or five teenagers sitting near the…
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Urgent: Blood needed to save American, 24
PHUKET: The Phuket Regional Blood Center (PRBC) has issued an urgent call for O-negative blood to save the life of a 24-year-old American woman involved in a road accident in Phuket. “The patient is being treated at Bangkok Hospital Phuket,” said PRBC Chief Pornthip Rattajak. “They have completed one operation. However, more blood is needed for a second one.” Only…
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Day 3: Rowers battle seasickness, sleep deprivation in Atlantic crossing
PHUKET: Only three days into an estimated 2-month voyage of rowing across the Atlantic, the Row2Rio team is already facing enormous physical and mental challenges. “It was a brutal first day and night, sea sickness had three of us spewing all at once, only Jake seemed unaffected. I was sure I was about to die,” wrote Australian expat and head…
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Phi Phi Island releases 83% wastewater untreated
PHUKET: About 83 per cent of wastewater on the popular tourist island of Phi Phi Don is flowing directly into the ocean untreated, confirmed officials today. A stink about the untreated wastewater was raised after it was revealed that about 1,800 cubic meters of wastewater was produced on the island each day, but only 300 cubic meters could be handled…
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Navy officer charged for armed bank robbery in Phuket Town
PHUKET: Police arrested a Royal Thai Navy officer yesterday for the armed robbery of a Phuket Town bank. The suspect, petty officer Sahapracha Chadawong, allegedly made off with about 470,000 baht from the Krungthai Bank branch on Sakdidet Road on Friday afternoon (story here). After threatening a bank teller with a firearm and exiting the building, the suspect fired one…
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International teams prepare for 2016 Samui Regatta
SAMUI: Boat owners and sailors throughout Asia and the world have the 2016 Samui Regatta firmly marked on their calendars, as boats ranging in size from 23 to 72 feet head to Thailand’s second largest island to compete in the event’s 15th edition. The marine event, which sees the finale of the AsianYachting Grand Prix Championship, will be held at…
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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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