Phuket News
-
Sponsored
The guide to affordable healthcare in Thailand
The Thaiger key takeaways Thailand’s healthcare system combines low-cost public services with world-class private hospitals. Private health insurance protects expats from major medical bills and meets visa requirements. Cigna offers expat-focused plans with direct billing, top hospital access, and 24/7...
-
Phuket’s veggie fest ends with sacred send-off to the gods
Phuket marked the final day of its annual vegetarian festival with a sacred Buddha procession through the city, drawing crowds despite rainy conditions. The final day of the Phuket Vegetarian Festival 2025 concluded with a sacred ceremony steeped in tradition, as worshippers gathered for the revered Iu Keng ritual, a spiritual procession believed to carry away misfortune and bestow blessings…
-
Patong scrambles for help after hillside collapse chaos
A landslide struck a hillside road in Patong following heavy rain, prompting officials to seek urgent help from provincial and national agencies. The incident occurred on the upper slope of 50 Pi Road, where heavy rain last week triggered a collapse of foundations and retaining walls. Concrete debris and soil fell onto the roadside below, forcing a temporary road closure.…
-
Burmese worker dies after fall from moving garbage truck in Kathu
A Myanmar worker died after falling from a moving garbage truck in Kathu district, Phuket, while transporting waste, prompting a police investigation into the fatal accident. The incident occurred around 2.20pm yesterday, October 28, near the Kathu Social Security Office on Phra Phuket Kaew Road. Police and emergency responders arrived to find a six-wheeled private garbage truck parked at the…
-
Holiday tragedy: Kiwi tourist found dead in Kata hotel
A New Zealand tourist was found dead in her hotel room near Kata Beach, prompting police to launch an investigation into the circumstances. Officers from Karon Police Station were called to the scene at around 2.45pm after hotel staff reported that a guest had been found unresponsive. Police Lieutenant Phirawat Yodtor said forensic investigators and a doctor were immediately dispatched.…
-
Phuket ramps up anti-drug drive with united front
Phuket is doubling down on its war against drugs, bringing together police, health officials and government leaders in a full-force push to wipe out narcotics. A high-level meeting held at Phuket Provincial Hall saw top provincial figures join forces under the government’s national Quick Big Win anti-drug policy, which demands urgent, integrated action to tackle drug issues within four months.…
-
Russian man warned after blocking public mooring in Phuket
A Russian man accused of taking over a public mooring in Phuket defended himself, saying his boat was too old to risk any damage if other vessels docked nearby. Last week, a local boat driver filed a complaint with the Facebook news page โหดจัง จังหวัดภูเก็ต, alleging that a foreign man, later identified as a Russian national, took over a public mooring…
-
Frenchman and Thai transwoman arrested in Phuket for selling crystal meth
Patong police arrested a Frenchman and a Thai transwoman at a hotel in Patong, Phuket, on Saturday, October 25, after discovering approximately 43 grammes of crystal meth in their possession. Officers from Patong Police Station conducted a raid on a hotel room on Sirirat Road, Patong subdistrict, Kathu district, Phuket. The suspects were identified as a 46 year old Frenchman…
-
Phuket’s old prison site set for 165.8 million baht park revamp by mid 2026
Construction work on the site of the former Phuket Provincial Prison in Phuket Town is on track for completion by June next year, confirmed Rewat Arfeerob, President of the Phuket Provincial Administrative Organisation (PPAO). Rewat explained that the site has been cleared and construction is progressing, with the project now halfway through. He expressed hopes for completion next year. Once…
-
Phuket raids target foreigners in illegal business crackdown
Phuket Immigration officers launched a coordinated crackdown on five businesses in Patong, targeting alleged illegal foreign operations as part of a nationwide campaign to tighten control over foreign nationals working or investing unlawfully in Thailand. The raids, carried out on Thursday, October 23, followed a directive from Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul, instructing officials to step up efforts to monitor foreign…
-
4 foreigners arrested in Phuket for operating restricted businesses
Phuket Immigration officers arrested four foreigners for illegally operating businesses in Patong, including a motorcycle rental shop, a travel agency, a barber shop, and restaurants. Immigration officials launched raids on five businesses along Phra Baramee Road and Rat-U-Thit 200 Pi Road in Patong sub-district, Kathu district, following complaints from residents. During the inspection, officers found an Israeli man, whose name…
-
Divers missing off Koh Racha found clinging to seaside rocks
Two tourists went missing during a dive near Koh Racha Noi and were rescued hours later after a coordinated search by Thai naval and rescue teams. The alarm was raised around 3pm yesterday, October 23, when staff at The Racha Hotel on nearby Koh Racha Yai reported that two tourists, a Thai national and a German, had failed to return…
-
Foreign man goes viral for swimming in floodwater on Bangla Road, Phuket
A foreign man went viral on Thai social media after a video showed him sitting on a rubber ring and enjoying the floodwater on Bangla Road in Phuket. A Thai man filmed the foreigner floating in the middle of the flooded road and shared the video on his Facebook account yesterday, October 23, with a caption reading, “#NewSwimmingPoolNearMe #Happiness #BanglaPatong.”…
-
Thai teen couple caught in motorbike romp near Phuket tourist site
A teenage couple caused public outrage after being filmed engaging in intimate behaviour on a parked motorbike along a popular tourist road in Phuket. The incident, which took place yesterday evening, October 22, quickly drew widespread criticism after a bystander recorded the duo engaging in what appeared to be an intimate moment on a parked motorcycle. The footage, later shared…
-
Phuket Vegetarian Festival vendors told to clean up and price up
Officials in Phuket inspected food vendors to ensure fair pricing and food safety during the Vegetarian Festival. The Phuket Provincial Commerce Office and local health officials have launched a series of inspections on vendors taking part in the annual festival, urging them to display clear prices and maintain proper hygiene standards. Officers visited stalls at Kathu Shrine on October 21,…
-
Patong Hill landslide shuts road as Phuket hit by flash floods
Phuket was battered by torrential rain yesterday, triggering flash floods, flight chaos and a landslide that has shut a major road for days. The island was lashed by uninterrupted downpours from the early hours of yesterday morning, October 22, causing widespread flooding across Cherng Talay, Kathu, and Mueang districts. The rain finally eased around 7am but not before wreaking havoc…
-
Kuwaiti man arrested in Phuket for crystal meth possession and overstay
Police arrested a Kuwaiti man for possession of crystal meth and overstaying his visa in Patong, Phuket, on Monday, October 20. Officers from Patong Police Station reported the arrest of the 36 year old Kuwaiti national, whose name has not been disclosed, via the Phuket Info Centre Facebook page yesterday, October 21. The arrest took place a day earlier at…
-
Poolside tragedy: Worker electrocuted at Phuket hotel
A construction worker was fatally electrocuted while using a jackhammer near a hotel pool in Karon, Phuket, prompting an ongoing police investigation. The 46 year old victim, identified as Kwanchai Phonsari from Udon Thani province, was working on concrete removal around the pool area when the fatal incident occurred at approximately 10.45am on Sunday, October 19. Witnesses told police they…
-
Foreign man caught on CCTV stealing liquor from Phuket restaurant
A CCTV camera captured a foreign man stealing a bottle of liquor from a restaurant in the Patong area of Phuket on Sunday, October 19. Footage of the theft was shared by the Phuket Times Facebook page today, October 21. In the video, the foreign suspect is seen wearing black shorts and a red shirt covered with a black jacket.…
-
Hackers hijack Phuket ride-hailing apps in taxi scam chaos
Phuket officials vowed to crack down after hackers scammed ride-hailing drivers by hijacking app accounts and demanding ransom for registration unlocks. Phuket Governor Saransak Srikruanetra has vowed a sweeping crackdown after dozens of ride-hailing drivers reported falling victim to a sophisticated hacking scam. The revelation came during a crisis meeting at Phuket Provincial Hall, where Governor Saransak and local MP…
-
Fire breaks out at Phuket condo site, no injuries reported
A fire broke out at a Phuket condo construction site at night, prompting a swift response from firefighters who contained the blaze before it spread. The fire erupted around 9.30pm on Sunday, October 19, at The Origin Kathu-Patong project on Phra Phuket Kaew Road, approximately 3 kilometres from the eastern base of Patong Hill. The building, currently unoccupied, is part…
-
Phuket’s 2.3 billion baht underpass shelved over flood, chaos fears
A major underpass project in Phuket has been scrapped after residents raised concerns about traffic disruption and flooding during construction. The Department of Highways has scrapped its 2.38-billion baht bidding process for the Heroines Monument underpass project in Thalang, following growing concerns about its impact on traffic and the potential for worsening flooding. The decision comes after strong local opposition,…
-
Foreign man criticised for dangerously filming video on Phuket road
Thai netizens questioned a foreign driver’s awareness of Thai traffic laws after a man was caught on a viral TikTok video performing push-ups in the middle of a Phuket road. The Thai TikToker shared the video on his account, @abudawut, yesterday, October 19, with a caption reading, “Everybody is crazy. A thousand strange things are possible in Phuket.” In the…
-
Foreign driver sparks outrage with dangerous speeding on Phuket road
A foreign man was caught on a viral video driving his luxury car dangerously on a crowded road in Phuket on Saturday, October 18. The video circulated on Thai social media yesterday, October 19, after a local motorist witnessed the incident and shared it with news agencies. The road in the video was reported to be located in the Patong…
-
Foreign man allegedly takes over public mooring and threatens boat drivers with knife
A local boat operator called on relevant government officials to take action against a foreign man who allegedly took control of a public mooring near Koh Hey in Phuket and threatened other boat drivers with a knife. The local boat operator, who claimed to be threatened by the foreign man, shared a video of the encounter with the Facebook news…
-
Phuket pushes for stricter cannabis rules to protect tourism image
Phuket’s authorities are advocating for more stringent cannabis regulations after a rise in incidents involving foreign tourists displaying erratic behaviour has negatively impacted the island’s tourism image. Sarayut Mallum, vice-president of the Phuket Tourism Association, highlighted that many instances of foreign visitors behaving unusually have been linked to excessive cannabis consumption. He noted, ‘Some tourists smoked multiple joints consecutively, resulting…
-
Water woes: Phuket MP calls for urgent fix as crisis worsens
Phuket MP Chalermpong Sangdee has called on the government to urgently tackle the island’s chronic water shortage, warning that the issue could spiral out of control during the upcoming High Season if action isn’t taken immediately. Speaking in Parliament, Chalermpong, who represents Phuket District 2, said water demand has surged due to a booming tourism industry and a population now…
-
Late-night blaze guts Phuket home in suspected power fault
A fire tore through a two-storey home in Kathu, Phuket, late on Thursday night, causing extensive damage but fortunately no injuries, as three residents managed to escape just in time. The blaze broke out around 11.45pm on Thursday, October 16, at a property in Soi 8, Anuphas Golf Ville, Kathu subdistrict. Police Lieutenant Colonel Natthaya Suphanphong from Kathu Police Station…
-
Pakistani man arrested at Bangkok airport for assaulting Phuket transwoman
Police today, October 17, arrested a Pakistani man at Suvarnabhumi International Airport for assaulting a Thai transwoman in Phuket and stealing 10,000 baht. The transgender victim, identified only as Barbie, took to social media to share photos of herself with bloodstains on her face and chest in a plea for information about the attacker. She initially identified the suspect as…
-
Brave parasailing assistant jumps into sea to save tourist off Phuket beach
A brave parasailing assistant made a split-second decision to drop into the sea off Phuket to save a tourist after a parasailing boat capsized near Kata Beach yesterday, October 16. A sudden storm hit Kata Beach in Phuket’s Karon district at around 3pm, overturning a parasailing boat. The tourist, along with the parasailing staff member controlling the parachute, was still…
-
Ex-con stabbed to death in early morning Phuket attack
A man with a history of criminal offences was fatally stabbed on a major road in Phuket, prompting a police investigation into the motive and possible suspects. Police have launched a full investigation into the fatal stabbing of a 33 year old man found injured on the side of Thepkrasattri Road in Thalang early this morning, October 16. The victim,…
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.
Don't forget to check out some other things to do in Thailand - get help starting a business or finding a job in Thailand, buy Thailand property, rent a yacht or book a medical procedure worldwide.