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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Swedish tourist beaten up by Patong tuk tuk driver and friends
PHUKET: A tuk tuk driver and four accomplices were arrested yesterday for ganging up on a Swedish tourist and beating him unconscious in Patong in the early hours of Monday morning. Police responding to reports of the beating found Frederik Gustav Wilhelm Erikson Holm, 32, lying unconscious at the end of Soi Bangla at 3.45am. He was sent to Bangkok…
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Phuket drug ring found weapons online
PHUKET: Four Thai men have been arrested after drug raids in Chalong uncovered crystal meth, guns, bullets and marijuana, police confirmed. At a press conference yesterday, Phuket Provincial Police Commander Teerapol Thipjaroen and staff announced that the arrests had been made by following online leads. “Mr Teerapong Rithirak, 23, was caught on June 23 in Chalong, while trying to sell…
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Phuket karaoke firebombed by angry customer
PHUKET: Police are hunting for a man who allegedly firebombed a Phuket Town karaoke bar yesterday after his phone was seized in lieu of payment for beer and a sing song. Suvann Chaichana, the owner of ‘Fancy Karaoke’ in Phuket Town, reported that her shop had been firebombed just before 2am, says Maj Somchai Nooboon of the Phuket City Police.…
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18 year old stabbed 18 times outside his house
PHUKET: The body of a teenager, who was stabbed 18 times in the latest incident of violent crime in Phuket, was found outside his house in Koh Kaew late last night. “We received reports from locals about a body found in Soi Han Farang at about 11:55pm,” confirmed Capt Udom Petcharat of the Phuket City Police. The victim was named…
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109-year-old grandma oldest person in Krabi
PHUKET: Plaipraya District Chief Paisarn Srithep visited the oldest living person in Krabi on June 21 and was delighted, and surprised, to find her in good health. Pliaw Petchpuang, 109, was born in 1907. “We were surprised to find that Ms Pliaw is in great health, able to walk unassisted, and indeed busy,” said Mr Paisarn. Ms Pliaw stays with…
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Domestic dispute ends in bloodbath, one stabbed to death
PHUKET: A 49-year-old Myanmar national was stabbed to death in Kathu last night, after a domestic dispute escalated into a bloodbath. Kathu Police received reports of the man’s shirtless body lying on Baan Na Koh Road near Loch Palm Golf Club. Officers arrived at the scene to find the body of the victim, named only as Mr Ta, on the…
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Newly-arrived tourists injured in Patong bus crash
PHUKET: Five tourists, including a five-year-old boy, were injured when a tourist bus flipped over in Patong this morning. The bus, which was carrying 14 Chinese, was heading toward the Patong Bay Hill Resort & Spa from Phuket International Airport. Patong Police received reports of this the latest tour bus crash at about 8:30am. The injured were taken to Patong…
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PLTO, taxi reps in stalemate over cutting fares
PHUKET: Following the latest public backlash against high taxi fares, officials from the Phuket Land Transport Office (PLTO) met with drivers’ representatives on Thursday to discuss a new minimum price for their services. The meeting ended with the taxi and tuk-tuk drivers turning down the PLTO’s suggestions. Public outrage erupted after Thai-speaking expat Jack Brown posted a video on Facebook…
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Fatal crash victim’s family demands B2.1mn in damages
PHUKET: The family of a German man killed in a Phuket road accident in December last year has demanded 1.3 million baht as compensation for his death and 800,000 baht for his partner’s injuries. The suspect, Jakarin Rodpradit, 26, has requested a month to assess the situation, after both sides met for negotiations at Phuket Provincial Court this afternoon. He…
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Super algae solution for bleached Phi Phi coral
KRABI: Super algae is to be deployed in the Phi Phi national marine park in a world-first attempt to revive bleached coral. Bleaching has affected about 80 per cent of the coral in Hat Noppharat Thara – Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park’s protected area, said the park’s chief Sarayuth Tanthien on June 23. Mr Sarayuth blamed rapid tourism growth…
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Six couples tie the knot in Baba Yaya wedding
PHUKET: Six couples tied the knot during a mass traditional ‘Baba Yaya’ wedding ceremony at Hongyok mansion in Phuket Town on June 19, including Vice Governor Kajornkiet Rakpanitmanee and his wife Pitima Rakpanitmanee, as well as two other Thai couples and three Chinese-Taipei couples. ‘Baba’ and ‘Yaya’ are ancient terms for male and female respectively, used for the descendants of…
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Road closures in Koh Kaew may last until October
PHUKET: Parts of Soi Koh Kaew 33, behind the Isuzu showroom off Thepkrasattri Road in Koh Kaew, are under construction, with crews warning that road closures may inconvenience local residents and workers, including the staff at the Phuket Gazette. Construction crews reportedly have an 8.4-million-baht budget to build a retaining wall along the side of the soi. Large backhoes and…
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Bypass construction gridlock to be solved
Engineers working at the Bangkoo underpass project said that the traffic gridlock at the bypass intersection with Thepkrasattri Road will be solved today. “The traffic was worse these past several days because we closed one of the lanes at the construction junction,” said Somkiet Yimpong, the Bangkoo project engineer from the Department of Highways. “The construction company originally asked for…
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Gas station boss shoots man in head for leaving water on
PHUKET: Police are hunting for a gas station manager who allegedly shot dead a Krabi volunteer police officer yesterday after an argument over who left on the water to an artificial waterfall. Lt Anuwat Raksakyot of the Ao Nang Police said he received a report yesterday morning that a man was shot at the gas station on Petch Kasem Road…
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Chinese bike rider killed in collision with Kamala wall
PHUKET: A Chinese motorcyclist was killed last night when he lost control of his bike on Kamala Hill and collided with the concrete wall of an abandoned house. His female pillion passenger suffered severe head injuries in the crash. The motorcycle was snapped in two by the force of the collision, which left a gaping hole in the side wall…
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Kiwi stabbed in back at Kata Beach
PHUKET: A Thai surf board renter is on the run after allegedly stabbing a New Zealander in the back with a knife yesterday evening. The incident occurred at Kata Beach. Police named the suspect as Kittichai Junkaew, 29, from the southern province of Nakhon Sri Thammarat. The police say the victim, Christopher Smith, 52, was taken to Vachira Phuket Hospital…
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Officials eye plans to zone migrant workers
PHUKET: Officials are mulling over regulations that would restrict migrant workers in the province to specific zones. Phuket Governor Chamroen Tipayapongtada on Friday announced that authorities are chalking out plans to manage unskilled migrant laborers ‘more effectively’. “Each local authority should designate specific areas for foreign workers to live in,” Governor Chamroen said. “Those areas should be separated from the…
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Phuket bodybuilders bring home medals from international competition
PHUKET: Phuket’s top female bodybuilder Wilaiporn Wannaklang arrived back home on Thursday, after spending over a month on the road, and in the air, flexing for judges in the US and winning a silver medal in an international bodybuilding contest Ms Wilaiporn was one of three Thais – two of them Phuket-based bodybuilders – who clinched international titles in the…
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Gov presents money to Phi Phi boat crash victim’s family
PHUKET: The Phuket governor yesterday met with the family of one of the deceased victims of a Phi Phi boat collision to present them with money on behalf of the boat insurance company. Two tourists were killed and about 20 injured when two speed boats loaded with tourists collided near Phi Phi on June 8 (story here). Governor Chamroen Tipayapongtada…
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Police hunt ‘farang’ donation box robber
PHUKET: Police are hunting for a ‘farang-looking’ man who stole 1,400 baht from a donation box outside a mosque in Kamala. The thief was captured on CCTV using tools to break into the metal and glass box attached to a wall at the Boot Ror mosque on Thursday night. Lt Sophon Borirak of the Kamala Police said the thief appears…
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Python greets Krabi highschooler in desk drawer
KRABI: A 17-year-old student received a nasty surprise when she opened her classroom desk to find a one meter-long snake on Monday. The incident went viral on social media, with netizens sharing a picture of the snake inside the student’s drawer. Many urged schools across the province to increase their security and questioned how such a large snake could have…
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Tourism Authority tries to boost female tourism
PHUKET: The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is launching a special campaign in August, to attract local and international female travellers to enjoy the kingdom’s many attractions, with a wide range of activities, special offers, discounts and privileges. “We’ve designated August 2016 as a ‘month for women travellers’, in honor of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit’s 84th birthday,” says TAT Governor…
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PTT launches campaign to encourage Thais to sort their trash
PHUKET: Gas stations in Phuket could soon be displaying colorful trash bins as part of a nationwide campaign by PTT to urge consumers to sort their waste and dispose of it in the appropriate bins. Dubbed ‘Yak Lak Yim’, the trash-sorting drive is aimed at improving better waste-disposal habits in exchange for funding to assist local communities. Sarun Rungkasiri, Chief…
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Environmentalists to build ‘love nest’ to breed rare birds
KRABI: The Wildlife Conservation Office plans to build a ‘house of love’ to breed rare birds that were recently discovered in Khaopra-Bangkham forest in Krabi. The birds, known as Gurney’s Pitta, had disappeared for many years prior to the most recent sighting of a female in April and another in May. “We have a male Gurney’s Pitta from the Klong…
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Water meter thefts on the rise
PHUKET: The Provincial Waterworks Authority (PWA) is warning islanders of a growing rash of thefts of water meters across the province. The thieves are most likely stealing the meters to sell them, or to exchange them with other meters and defraud the water authority, confirmed PWA Manager Pisak Chonlayut. “We’ve been receiving an increasing number of reports of meters disappearing…
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Palm nut producers feel squeeze, petition governor
KRABI: Palm nut producers in Krabi took a petition to the local Office of Commercial Affairs (OCA) on Wednesday, asking for government assistance in buoying the price of their product. OCA representative Barirak Chusit received requests from palm farmers, who took 10 trucks, carrying 500 tonnes of palm nuts, into the government-run Krabi Palm Oil Extraction facility. Palm farmers in…
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Country’s young swimming champs compete in Phuket meet
PHUKET: Young swimmers from across the country met to compete in a friendly inter-school contest at Thanyapura on June 11. The swim meet was the fourth session of the Thanyapura Open Swim League at the Olympic-sized swimming pool. Six teams of students aged 5-20 years old competed in various categories from St Gabriel’s College from Bangkok, the ISS Samui Sharks,…
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Rip current warning issued for Kata-Karon
PHUKET: Karon Municipality issued a rip current warning to all swimmers at Kata and Karon beaches yesterday. “Southwest winds are battering the island, causing strong waves, so we are warning beach-goers to be especially careful,” said Karon Mayor Thawee Thongcham. “We advise everyone to avoid swimming for their own safety. However, if anyone decides to enter the water, please follow…
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Phuket Gov joins Rawai Muslims for Iftar
PHUKET: Governor Chamroen Tipayapongtada, accompanied by other government officials visited a mosque in the Rawai village of Saiyuan on the evening of June 14. “We’re here to encourage and support local Muslims during Ramadan, the ninth month of the Islamic calendar, which commemorates the first revelation of the Koran to the Prophet Muhammad, according to Islamic belief,” said Gov Chamroen.…
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Ancient city find in Cambodia rewrites history
CAMBODIA: Multiple, previously undocumented medieval cities not far from the ancient temple city of Angkor Wat have been discovered, The Guardian reported on June 11. The report said that these groundbreaking discoveries may completely change key assumptions about Southeast Asia’s history. Australian archaeologist Dr Damian Evans reportedly used airborne laser scanning technology to reveal the cities, which he dated at…
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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