Phuket News
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Phuket van crash kills Russian woman, injures 11 others
A Russian woman was killed, and 11 other Russian nationals were injured in a Phuket van crash on Thep Kasattri Road in Thalang district in the early hours of today, March 18, while travelling to Similan Island in Phang Nga. Thachatchai Police Station officers were notified about the fatal accident at about 4am and went to the scene with rescuers…
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British man found dead in drainage canal near Phuket beach
A British man found dead in a drainage canal near Bang Tao Beach in Phuket on March 14 was seen on CCTV appearing restless outside a hotel shortly before his body was discovered. A Burmese national went to the canal in the Bang Tao area at about 12.30pm on March 14 to harvest morning glory and came across the body.…
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Tourist finds used syringe on plate at Phuket hotel buffet
A family holiday meal at a Phuket hotel has raised food safety concerns on March 17 after a tourist and their group found what appeared to be a used syringe on a plate at an all-you-can-eat seafood buffet. The incident was shared via a Facebook post to a group, which is a community for Chinese travellers in Bangkok. The original…
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Foreign man assaults girlfriend and tuk tuk driver in Phuket
A foreign man physically assaulted his girlfriend on a tuk tuk in Phuket and later attacking the Thai driver who tried to intervene. The tuk tuk driver posted the footage to Facebook under the account name Ko Nus Ok on Friday, March 13. He said the couple had asked him to stop so the woman could buy medicine at a…
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Two Thai women filmed brawling on Phuket street over customers
A late-night fight between two Thai women, reportedly over customers, in Soi Bangla, Patong, Phuket, today, March 15, was captured on video and later shared online, drawing criticisms on social media. The incident occurred around midnight in the busy nightlife street in Patong subdistrict, Kathu district, an area frequented by both Thai and foreign visitors. The footage shows the two…
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French Interpol Red Notice suspect detained in Phuket
A French national was detained in Phuket yesterday, March 12, as immigration police acted on a French Embassy request involving a suspect wanted in France and subject to an Interpol Red Notice. The request was sent through the Royal Thai Police Foreign Affairs Division and sought cooperation to arrest the man, revoke his permission to stay in Thailand and deport…
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Phuket landlord says tenant leaves room with mountains of rubbish
A social media post shared yesterday, March 12, showed the interior of a rented room in Phuket, which a landlord said was discovered filled with rubbish after the tenant left without paying rent. The Facebook page Phuketandamannews published photos reportedly taken inside a room at a dormitory in Koo Koo subdistrict, Mueang district. The images show large piles of waste…
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German captain arrested in Phuket over unlicensed yacht tour
A German national was arrested yesterday, March 12, after officials responded to a tip-off about alleged unlicensed tour activity linked to a sailing yacht named Moana in Phuket. The arrest came after the Tourism Business and Guide Registration Office under the Department of Tourism, working with Phuket Marine Police and Phuket Tourist Police, inspected Moana, a sailing yacht operating in…
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Air India Express plane stuck on runway after hard landing in Phuket
An Air India Express flight carrying 133 passengers made a hard landing at Phuket International Airport today, March 11, leaving the aircraft disabled on the runway and disrupting airport operations. No injuries were reported. Tourist police were notified at about 11.20am after an aircraft encountered a landing problem at the airport. The plane was identified as Air India Express flight IX938…
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Foreign couple criticised for kissing in Phuket temple
A foreign couple drew criticism online after sharing a photo of themselves kissing at Chalong Temple in Phuket, where complaints also focused on the woman’s revealing dress. Phuket Times posted the image yesterday, March 10, asking whether the behaviour was appropriate. Its caption said, “Appropriate or not? A foreign couple, with a woman in a revealing dress, shared a picture…
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Phuket restaurant owner defends refusal to serve Israeli man
A Phuket restaurant owner defended his decision to refuse service to an Israeli man, saying the foreigner provoked a confrontation by demanding he remove a Palestinian flag displayed inside the restaurant. The owner posted videos of the incident on Facebook on Monday, March 9. The footage showed him telling the man to leave, following him out of the premises and…
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Phuket restaurant owner sparks debate for refusing serve to Israeli man
A Phuket restaurant owner drew mixed reactions online after posting videos showing him chasing an Israeli man from his restaurant and shouting “free Palestine” as the man walked away. The restaurant owner shared two videos on his Facebook account yesterday, March 9. In his caption, he said he asked the man to leave after seeing Hebrew on the man’s phone…
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2 Russian women caught on CCTV taking pet cat from Phuket man
A Thai man in Phuket accused two Russian women of stealing his pet cat from his home, while the women denied the accusation, saying they only carried it back to feed it before returning it. The cat’s owner, Veerapong Santanoon, posted a video on his Facebook account yesterday, March 8, showing him confronting one of the women and demanding the…
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Phuket tackles work permit delays for 130,000 foreign workers
Phuket‘s provincial officials are moving to address significant delays in renewing and issuing work permits for more than 130,000 foreign workers, following mounting complaints from employers about the backlog’s impact on businesses across the island. The issue was raised during a monthly meeting of labour agencies at the Phuket Provincial Labour Office on March 4, prompting Phuket Vice Governor Teeraphong…
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Israeli man allegedly assaults old foreigner over Middle East conflict argument
An Israeli man allegedly assaulted an old foreigner on Bangla Road in Phuket after an argument over the escalating conflict in the Middle Eastern countries. He also displayed aggressive behaviour toward a Thai police officer who intervened in the incident. The Phuket Times Facebook page reported the incident today, March 6. The page suggested it happened last night, March 5, but…
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Russian tourist left severely injured after Patong hotel fall
Patong police were called at 6.05pm on March 4 after receiving a report that a Russian tourist had fallen from the fourth floor of a hotel in Kathu district, Phuket. The incident reportedly happened after the tourist had an argument with her husband. Police Lieutenant Colonel Chanan Memkchai, an investigation officer at Patong Police Station, received the report and travelled…
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Foreigner filmed leaving Phuket steakhouse without paying
A Phuket dine and dash was reported after a foreign man left a steakhouse in Choeng Talay through a back door without paying yesterday, March 3. The Phuket Times Facebook page posted about the incident today, March 4, saying it happened at about 9pm last night at a steak restaurant in the Choeng Talay area. The page did not name…
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Phuket drivers rush to fill tanks as fears of a fuel price rise spread
Phuket motorists rushed to refuel yesterday evening, March 3, with long queues forming at a Bangchak petrol station in Kathu as concerns grew that fuel costs could rise amid uncertainty in the Middle East. Vans and taxis running main routes such as Kathu to Patong were among those filling up, along with riders and other residents. The queue reportedly stretched beyond…
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Bangladeshi woman arrested in Phuket Airport with cocaine and fake documents
Police arrested a Bangladeshi woman at Phuket International Airport on Friday, February 27, after she was found with cocaine and counterfeit documents. Officers from Phuket Airport Immigration detained the 26 year old Bangladeshi woman, whose name was not released, at the international departures terminal on Friday as she was preparing to board a flight back to Bangladesh. According to a…
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Swede charged after alleged single slap leads to Australian man’s death
Police arrested a Swedish man after he killed an Australian man following a slap in the Patong sub-district, Kathu district, Phuket, on Wednesday, February 25. A Thai woman called Patong Police Station and sought emergency assistance after her 58 year old Australian boyfriend, Alan Roger Jolliffe, collapsed and suffered a serious head injury after being struck in the face by…
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Phuket transwoman seeks justice after foreign man breaks iPhone
A Thai transwoman appealed for help on social media after accusing a foreign man of damaging her mobile phone, worth more than 43,000 baht, during an argument in Phuket. The woman, whose name was not disclosed, provided video footage and her account to the Phuket Times Facebook page. The page shared the clip publicly yesterday, February 25. In the video,…
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Foreign woman walks away calmly with stolen suitcase in Phuket
CCTV footage captured a foreign woman, believed to be an Indian national, stealing a suitcase from a luggage shop in Phuket yesterday, February 25. The Phuket Times Facebook page shared the security camera clip today, February 26. The footage showed a woman walking along a footpath in front of the luggage store before stopping outside. She was then seen taking…
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Patong police investigates death of Australian tourist in Phuket
Police in Phuket are investigating the death of an Australian man who died at a hospital late yesterday, February 25, after reportedly being assaulted earlier the same day in Patong. Patong Police were notified at about 11pm that a foreign tourist had died at Patong Hospital, prompting officers to attend and begin an investigation. The deceased was identified as 58…
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Phuket tuk tuk driver filmed hitting car of Russian couple
A Russian couple had accused a Thai tuk tuk driver of threatening them and damaging their car during a road dispute outside a convenience store in Phuket. The Phuket News Facebook page reposted a video of the incident and the couple’s account yesterday, February 24. The footage, recorded by the couple, showed a tuk tuk driver in a white T-shirt…
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Thai fishermen rescue foreigner as unmanned boat spins off Phuket beach
Thai fishermen rescued a foreign tourist after he fell from his dinghy, causing the unmanned boat to spin in circles off Nai Yang Beach in Phuket yesterday, February 22. The incident was shared publicly after a police officer, Bandasak Silert from Ao Luek Police Station, recorded the scene on his mobile phone while spending time on the beach with his…
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Foreign woman alleges rude treatment in Thailand, sparking controversy
A foreign woman drew criticism online after posting a TikTok video claiming Thai people were rude to her by ignoring her questions due to language barriers. The foreign tourist, who identified herself as Farah, shared the video on her TikTok account @fdontcare on February 21. In the caption, she wrote, “So bad I love it here but be ready for…
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Woman arrested in Bangkok over Phuket crypto investment scam
The Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) today, February 20, arrested a woman in Bangkok, in connection with a crypto investment scam arrest case linked to a complaint in Phuket. CIB officers from the Special Operations division arrested 34 year old Haruethai at Mo Chit 2 bus terminal in Lat Yao, Chatuchak, under a December 27, 2022, arrest warrant issued by the…
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Phuket airport bus denies forcing Thai students off for foreigners
Phuket airport bus denied abandoning Thai students to make room for foreigners after a video and complaints from parents circulated online. Parents shared a clip with several local news agencies yesterday, February 19. The video showed students getting off an airport bus operated by Phuket Mahanakorn Company, which reportedly runs services between the Thalang area and Phuket International Airport. Parents…
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Four arrested as police seize cocaine in Patong and Phuket airport
A joint operation in Phuket last night, February 17, led to the arrest of four foreign suspects and the seizure of more than 3.1 kilogrammes of cocaine, as police move to disrupt an alleged transnational drug network targeting tourists. The operation was led by the Narcotics Suppression Bureau (NSB) under Lieutenant General Achayon Kraithong, along with Phuket Provincial Police commander…
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Russian tourist rescued after leg slips into drainage in Phuket
Police in Sakhu, Phuket, assisted a Russian tourist yesterday evening, February 17, after her leg slipped into a drainage opening at Naithon Beach, with officers and bystanders working together to free her. Sakhu Police said they were alerted at 5.45pm following a report that a Russian tourist had fallen into a drain in the Naithon Beach area. The response was led…
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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