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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With World Kindness Day just two days away on November 13, it’s the perfect time to reflect on how empathy and care can make a real impact, not just in our relationships but in our health, too. This day is...
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“HKT love Dad’ cycling event this Sunday
PHUKET: Phuket International Airport has announced its upcoming ‘HKT love Dad’ cycling event to take place this Sunday. The event aims to honor and celebrate HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s 88th birthday as participants cycle a 29-kilometer loop from the airport’s X-terminal, past Thalang Technical College to Laem-Sai Pier and back. Additionally, there will be a release of 300,000 shrimp into…
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Ministry of Farang Affairs: Footloose driving skills
The Ministry of Farang Affairs is a one-stop shop where foreigners in Thailand can learn all they need to know about living here. No, we’re not talking about work permits, visas or taxes. We’re talking about day-to-day life in the Land of Endless Shocks and Riddles, of Blur, Befuddlement and the Bizarre. Stay tuned for weekly insights from Minister Stephff.…
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Police work to identify victim of single vehicle crash
PHUKET: Officials are looking to identify one of the two victims of a single vehicle crash in Chalong early this morning. Police believe that Chiang Rai native Surapong Sae-lee, 24, lost control of his pick-up truck at a curve near King Power Phuket, causing him to slam into a utility pole. The impact killed both Mr Surapong and his passenger,…
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Brit beaten by Patong tuk-tuk driver
PHUKET: Police have charged a Phuket tuk-tuk driver for savagely beating a British national over a discrepancy in the price of a ride in Patong on December 15. “William Joseph Kamarell, 22, explained that a tuk-tuk driver had picked him up at Soi Bangla in Patong and took him about five kilometers to where he was staying on Nanai Road,”…
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Governor tables new airport route to tackle traffic
PHUKET: Officials are looking to build an alternative north-south road, parallel to Thepkrasattri Road, so those headed to Phuket International Airport can bypass the frustrating traffic jams. “Because of the traffic congestion on the island, especially on Thepkrasattri Road, we need to focus on a plan to ensure that people can get to and from the airport in a reasonable…
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A Decade Ago: Renewed spark of hope
PHUKET: A decade ago on page one, the Phuket Gazette told the story of a renewed spark of hope that filled the souls of Sascha and Patchara Meissmer, as they re-launched the search for their young daughter, Solitaire, who went missing in the 2004 tsunami. “On December 26, I held onto Solitaire as tightly as I could, but the second…
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“Missing’ British backpacker gone diving on Phi Phi
PHUKET: Phi Phi Police located a British backpacker, who was reported missing by deeply-concerned family members after an unnerving ‘final’ phone call, as he was signing up for a scuba diving course on the tropical island at about 4pm yesterday. Jordan Lewis Jacobs, 21, has been on the road since September 2014, having postponed his return to the United Kingdom…
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Three killed in Krabi plantation dispute
KRABI: One police officer and two other people were killed when they attempted to evict a group of squatters from a heavily-disputed, 8,200-rai oil palm plantation in Krabi on Tuesday. The men were named as 45-year-old Payaprasit Suvannman of the Thungsong Police in Nakhorn Sri Thammarat; Veerasak Kuekaew, 50; and Preecha Kuedam, 44. A fourth man found at the scene,…
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PEA moves forward with underground cables for Patong
PHUKET: The project to bury the unsightly power cables stretching along Patong’s beachfront road is slated for June next year. The start date of the project was announced during the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between Patong Municipality and the Phuket Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA) yesterday. “The PEA chose to work with Patong Municipality because it is a primary…
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Asia News Network, Phuket Gazette win Google gold for tsunami publication
PHUKET: The Asia News Network / Phuket Gazette joint publication on the 10th anniversary of the Indian Ocean Tsunami won a gold medal at the 6th Digital Media Awards, presented in Hong Kong on November 18 by Google and the World Association of Newspapers and Publishers. The publication, entitled “Ocean’s Fury: Are We Ready?” was presented and submitted by The…
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Phuket complaint center rolls out mobile unit
PHUKET: In an effort to quickly resolve complaints made to the Damrongdhama Center (ombudsman’s office), the Phuket governor launched the ‘Rapid Damrongdhama Unit’ yesterday. Currently, complaints filed with the office are forwarded to relevant officials. It then takes anywhere from a few days to a few weeks for residents to see results. However, the new unit is designed to expedite…
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Superyacht Rendezvous drops anchor
PHUKET: It’s full steam ahead for the Asia Superyacht Rendezvous as an eclectic fleet of yachts line up to drop anchor in Kata Bay on December 16-18. This is Asia’s largest invitation only gathering of superyachts where the fun of luxury yacht ownership is celebrated. This year’s lineup consists of S/Y Lamima, a stunning 65-meter gaff rigged Indonesian Phinisi; S/Y…
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Deaths that sparked Phuket police station riot ruled accident
PHUKET: Police have ruled that two men killed in a police chase, the alleged catalyst for the Thalang Police Station riot in October, was an accident. Patomwat Panarak, 22, and Teerapong Srisamut, 17, were killed after fleeing a police check point on October 9. Officers crashed their car into the men’s motorbike in an attempt to stop and apprehend them…
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Hope for British backpacker missing on Phi Phi
PHUKET: The family of a British backpacker reported missing five days ago from Phi Phi Don remain worried about his safety and whereabouts following a brief Facebook message he sent during a social media campaign launched to find him. Jordan Lewis Jacobs, 21, has been on the road since September 2014, having postponed his return to the United Kingdom by…
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DSI hunt three suspects in B2.4bn land encroachment case
PHUKET: The Department of Special Investigation (DSI) is hunting down three men for their alleged involvement in land encroachment cases involving more than 2.4 billion baht of Sirinath National Park land. “We are searching for Ghao Naknam and Ti Nahnam, who illegally acquired a SorKor1 in Thalang for 2bn baht worth of national park land,” Lt Col Prawut Wongseenin, director…
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Phuket gang stabs man to death
PHUKET: Police are hunting for members of a gang who jumped two men, stabbing one to death, outside of the Suwan Phu-Pha Hotel in Kathu last night. “We have already arrested three of the gang members responsible for the attack. However, the alleged killer is reportedly on the run,” said Maj Chawalit Petchsripia of Thung Thong police station. According to…
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Cosmetic shop raid seizes 100,000 baht worth of unlabelled products
PHUKET: Officials from the Consumer Protection Police Division seized nearly 100,000 baht worth of unlabelled and mislabelled products during a raid on a cosmetic shop in Phuket yesterday. The investigation followed a tip-off from concerned consumers alleging that Tawatchai Wannoon, 30, was selling unlabelled products, such as cosmetics, soaps and teas at his shop,” explained Maj Payorm Pamoonketnil of the…
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Alleged ‘flying’ land document lands on Naka Noi Island
PHUKET: The Department of Special Investigations (DSI) yesterday investigated a complaint alleging that a ‘Flying’ SorKor 1 land document had managed to glide from Naka Yai Island to Naka Noi Island, just off Phuket’s east coast. Thai actor Puri Hiranpruk, whose family owns 60 rai of Naka Noi, along with a concession that secures the first 200 meters of a…
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Ironman announces 70.3 Phuket triathlon
PHUKET: Ironman announced today that Philippines-based Sunrise Events and Thailand-based SportMaster will team up to deliver Ironman 70.3 in Phuket on November 27, 2016. The Ironman 70.3 Thailand will offer a US$15,000 professional prize purse and 30 age-group qualifying slots for the 2017 Ironman 70.3 World Championship taking place in Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA. “This race is further evidence of the…
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Island’s “Bike for Dad’ a success
PHUKET: Phuket Governor Chamroen Tipayapongtada proudly led 5,635 participants during Phuket’s 29-kilometer ‘Bike For Dad’ event in honor of HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej on December 11. Cyclists started the circuit at Phuket Provincial Hall at about 3.30pm and rode the course through Phuket (story here), stopping by Chalong Temple to plant 88 Cassia trees in honor of HM The King’s…
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5-meter-long python found at Phuket resort
PHUKET: Rescue workers caught a 5-meter-long python at a Phuket resort yesterday. “It took five members of our team about an hour and a half to catch the 90-kilogram snake,” said Phuket Ruamjai Rescue Foundation Chief Saiyan Thamaphan. Hotel employees called on rescue workers to help, fearing that the enormous reptile might make its way into the the hotel building.…
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Meth-head breaks into Kazakhstani’s safe, steals millions in valuables
PHUKET: Police arrested a man who broke into a foreigner’s safe and stole more than 2mn baht’s worth of valuables, including US$12,000 cash and numerous pieces of jewellery, in Phuket on November 26. Maitree Suebviset, 22, was arrested on Thursday and confessed to stealing about 2.4mn baht invaluables and cash, as well as passports and credit cards, from the family…
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Body with land title found in pond
PHUKET: A Phuket man carrying a bag with a land title deed and personal items was found dead in a coastal pond on Koh Maphrao today. Chalermpon Cheuanaka, 56, lived with his wife on the edge of a mangrove forest on the small island just off of Phuket. “Inside his bag, we found shoes, a shirt, a helmet, a Chanote…
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Officials confirm raw, stinking wastewater in Samkong canal
PHUKET: Officials have confirmed that the foul-smelling water seen flowing into the Bang Yai Canal in Samkong on Friday, was in fact wastewater. Phuket City Deputy Mayor Thavorn Jirapattanasophon was alerted to the situation after a video posted by Facebook user Kanawut Boonsong, showing black water flowing into the canal, went viral. “I had already assigned the responsibility of examining…
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Grand opening of Phuket airport expansion slated for May
PHUKET: The highly-anticipated expansion of the Phuket International Airport will be celebrated with a grand opening in May, confirmed the airport director. “We are now 83.69 per cent done. There will be an additional 10 bays and four aerobridges,” explained Phuket International Airport Director Monrudee Gettuphan on Wednesday. A soft opening of the 5.7-billion-baht expansion will be held on Valentine’s…
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Thalang homeowner cries foul
PHUKET: Local ‘quacks’ have forced officials from the Damrongdhama Center (ombudsman’s office) to appease a disgruntled Thalang homeowner on Friday, after she filed a handful of complaints to local authorities that remained unanswered. In the complaint, Christy Kay Sweet, 50, claimed that several chickens and ducks have been wandering around her garden, waking her up during the early hours. “Ms…
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Immigration to tap into Interpol database to fight crime
PHUKET: Immigration police in Thailand are attempting to link their system with Interpol’s database of stolen and revoked passports as part of the crackdown on transnational criminals that saw a Russian wanted for human smuggling in his homeland arrested in Phuket (story here). “Interpol’s database contains about 47 million cancelled and stolen passports,” said Maj Gen Apichat Suriboonya, commander of…
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Interpol busts Russian in Phuket for human smuggling
PHUKET: A Russian wanted for human smuggling was arrested in Phuket on Friday at the request of Interpol. Wanted by Russian authorities, Alexander Bukharov, 42, was arrested in Rawai, while a second Russian fugitive, Roman Ledenev, 33, was scooped up by police on Phi Phi the same day. Mr Ledenev is wanted in Russia for drug smuggling. “Russia’s Interpol unit…
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Safer Roads Foundation to fund construction of new roundabout
PHUKET: The UK-based non-profit Safer Roads Foundation will fund the construction of a roundabout at the island’s deadly Narisorn-Surin intersection in a bid to reduce accidents. Phuket had 108 road deaths last year and is in Thailand’s top five provinces for road casualties over the past decade. The intersection near Phuket Provincial Hall in Muang district has claimed five lives…
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British national dies in Patong Hill crash
PHUKET: A British national died and another was injured after pick-up truck hit their motorbike on the notoriously dangerous Patong Hill this morning. According to rescuer workers at the scene, the motorbike carrying the two women exited a small soi onto the main road when the pick-up truck slammed into them. The two women were taken to Patong Hospital. One…
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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