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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Officers seize B2mn worth of pirated goods in Patong
PHUKET: Economic Crime Suppression Division Police (ECD) seized nearly 2 million baht worth of pirated goods during a raid in Patong yesterday. The raid followed Patong Police receiving a tip-off that a large number of fake name-brand products were being delivered to two shops at Patong’s One Tambon One Product shopping area for the start of the high season, confirmed…
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BISP swimmers rake in medals at SEA Age Championships
PHUKET: The final day of the Southeast Asian (SEA) Age Championships saw British International School Phuket (BISP) JSA Swim Academy swimmers Chantal Liew, Nicholle Toh and Wong Fu Kang add two additional gold medals and two silver medals to the team’s haul. Chantal Liew (Singapore) took the individual gold in the Girls 50m Back in a time of 30.69, with…
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Close clashes at the top of the classes on second day of Phuket King’s Cup Regatta
PHUKET: Following the King’s Cup Regatta’s beautiful sunshine and reliable winds on opening day, day two threw up a markedly different challenge demanding a very high work rate from sailors. The light wind did indeed betray yesterday’s fastest runners at times, adding its own twist to the neck-and-neck finishes that are unfolding across almost all of the classes. This has…
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Krabi officials suspect SOS from Spanish vessel hijacked in Somalia
PHUKET: Krabi officials are contacting international agencies about a Spanish fishing vessel last reported in Somali waters in November. The move followed last Saturday’s discovery by Phi Phi National Park officers of an SOS device believed to be from the ship. ‘Elai Alai 74537’ was written on the emergency position-indicating radio (EPIRB) device. “We checked with EPIRB device experts and…
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Six saved from sinking fishing boat off Phuket beach
PHUKET: Phuket Marine Police coordinated the rescue of six fishermen from a sinking boat after it was hit by a large rogue wave near Kata Beach yesterday. “We received a distress call and were able to rescue all crew – two Thais and four Myanmar nationals – from Na Pornprasit,” said Panya Chaichana, chief of the Phuket Marine Police. “It…
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Phuket signs MoU with Xiamen
PHUKET: Phuket officially signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with China’s southeast port city Xiamen last week, making the two tourism driven provinces ‘sister cities’. Phuket Governor Chamroen Tipayapongtada, along with Provincial officials, welcomed Hong Biling, deputy secretary of the Xiamen Communist Party, to the island on December 3. “It was a great pleasure to give Ms Hong a warm…
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Phuket prepares for inaugural Bike for Dad event
PHUKET: People throughout the nation will be marking the auspicious occasion of HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s 88th birthday with a mass cycling event entitled ‘Bike for Dad’ on Friday, December 11. The event is being held in accordance with HRH Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn’s wish to express his gratitude and loyalty to HM The King on this special occasion, said…
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No sign of Community Chanotes for impoverished Phuket villages
PHUKET: The Community Chanote plan that would guarantee 18 impoverished communities on Phuket the right to live where they have been squatting for generations has stalled out. “As of today, there is no further information about the plan,” said Vice Governor Prajiad Aksornthammakul. “Unfortunately, there is nothing we can do until we get word from Bangkok.” In 2013, then-Phuket Governor…
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Hundreds of rubber trees removed from Krabi wildlife sanctuary
KRABI: More than 40 forest rangers and wildlife sanctuary officials teamed up to cut down hundreds of illegally planted rubber trees at a wildlife sanctuary in Krabi on Saturday. Following Article 25 of the National Reserve Forest Act, officials removed about 400 rubber trees in the Khao Pra – Bang Kram Wildlife Sanctuary in Krabi’s Khlong Thom district. The trees,…
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Chalong bodhisattva image to be removed
PHUKET: A bodhisattva image will be removed from a small waterway in the hills of Chalong following an investigation by the Phuket Damrongdhama Center (ombudsman’s office). A Facebook user, named in Thai as ‘Sajadham Tang-sai-klang’, sent a complaint directly to Phuket Governor Chamroen Tipayapongtada stating that the image of Guan Yin was blocking a natural waterway. The Guan Yin, usually…
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Boat hijackers allegedly hired to “collect unpaid debt’
PHUKET: The leader of a group of armed men who hijacked a Thai fishing vessel south of Phuket told police that they were hired by the boat’s previous owner, who had yet to be paid in full for the vessel. Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency arrested Madyusup Jimaan, 60, and Ta-een Taokloy, 61, on board the Chok Boonmee 5 in Malaysian…
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Big prizes up for grabs at Phuket Red Cross Fair
PHUKET: The Phuket Annual Red Cross Fair will kick off on December 26 and run through January 5 at Saphan Hin, offering a multitude of attractive lucky draw prizes, including a Toyota Vios 1.5G. The popular 11-day fair features hundreds of stalls selling local delicacies, knickknacks, clothing and a huge variety of other items. Fairgoers can also enjoy performances by…
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Andaman Travel Trade event starts this week
PHUKET: The 7th biennial Andaman Travel Trade 2015 event will be welcoming public and private sector enterprises at Phuket Rajabhat University on December 10-11. Under the banner ‘Discover Andaman-Explore Happiness’, the trade show aims to put 226 overseas tour operators in touch with more than 100 local tourism related operators, such as hotels, tour companies and airlines from Phuket, Phang…
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Cherng Talay boss to retire from politics
PHUKET: The controversial, elected head of the Cherng Talay Tambon Administration Organization (OrBorTor) vowed to end his political career with the return of the beaches in his jurisdiction to their natural state. “My four year term as president ended last month. However, I have continued on under the orders of the National Council for Peace and Order. I am now…
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Road-raging minivan driver surrenders in Phuket [video]
PHUKET: The road-raging minivan driver caught on tape threatening a fellow motorist last week handed himself in to police on Thursday. What originally appeared on camera to be a long-knife, was in fact an iron bar, confessed 33-year-old Damrong Pramno (story here). “Mr Damrong was returning from Phang Nga after dropping passengers off when he was struggling to overtake a…
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Phuket honors HM The King
PHUKET: Phuket officials and residents took part in a merit-making ceremony with 88 monks on Thalang Road in honor of HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s 88th birthday yesterday. Phuket Governor Chamroen Tipayapongtada led the group in honoring his Majesty The King at 7:09am. “We all respect and honor HM The King. May the merit making today be part of a blessing…
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Phuket police smash drunk driving quotas
PHUKET: The crackdown on drunk driving on some of the most deadly roads in the world saw Phuket police arrest more than 200 people for driving under the influence (DUI) last month. Though individual police stations on the island were given specific DUI quotas, the goal for the entire province was to arrest at least 150 drivers (story here). “The…
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Phuket Governor calls for calm in wake of Islamic State memo leak
PHUKET: Additional security measures were put in at key locations on Phuket today, following the governor’s emergency meeting over a leaked memo stating that two Islamic State (IS) terrorists had been dispatched to Phuket. “There is absolutely no need to panic. Phuket is not anyone’s enemy,” said Phuket Governor Chamroen Tipayapongtada. “Nonetheless, we have increased security measures at beaches, crowded…
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Judge dismisses B10mn case against Cherng Talay boss
PHUKET: A Phuket judge yesterday dismissed the 10-million-baht dereliction of duty lawsuit filed against Ma-ann Samran, president of Cherng Talay Tambon Administration Organization (OrBorTor). “The case was dismissed due to lack of evidence. Additionally, Mr Ma-ann had followed all legal procedures during the eviction and demolition process,” Public Prosecutor Jessada Banditmongkolkul told the Phuket Gazette. The owners of two establishments,…
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Phuket Marine Chief promoted
PHUKET: Long-time supporter of the Phuket jet-ski industry, Phuket Marine Chief Phuripat Theerakulpisut was promoted to acting director of the Marine Office Region 5 on October 1. “I will continue to serve as the Phuket Marine chief,” Mr Phuripat confirmed to the Phuket Gazette yesterday. “As I am manning both positions, I now take care of six provinces: Phuket, Phang…
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Armed men hijack Thai fishing boat
PHUKET: Armed pirates hijacked a Thai-flagged fishing boat near Koh Lipe, south of Phuket, on Wednesday night. Six armed men allegedly boarded the boat, forced the captain of Chok Boonmee 5 to maroon his crew and then head toward Langkawi, Malaysia, explained a Royal Thai Navy report. Boat owner Falil Pongtae, 46, contacted authorities, who quickly rescued the crew from…
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A Decade Ago: Jet-ski woes
PHUKET: Without a doubt, the Phuket Gazette sounds like a broken record from time to time, as the publication continues to push important issues into the headlines. One such monotonous tune – also regularly played by ambassadors and honorary consuls – revolves around the seemingly invincible jet-ski business operators on the island. Almost inexplicably, they were the first allowed back…
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Ministry of Farang Affairs: Speaking fluent street Thai
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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Authorities aware of Islamic State terrorist arrivals in Phuket since October
PHUKET: Despite the recently leaked memo from Russia’s Federal Security Service (FSB) warning that Islamic State (IS) terrorists had been despatched to Phuket, Thai authorities had been aware of the situation since October, confirmed the Russian Federation Deputy Honorary Consul to Phuket. “Myself and some Thai officials were made aware of the situation in October,” Santi Udomkiratak, the Russian Federation…
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Officials prepare for Phuket International Anti-Corruption Day
PHUKET: Officials are preparing for a two-day Anti-Corruption campaign that will see public and private sectors come together to take a strong stance against corruption on the island. “In collaboration with the Ministry of Interior, we will be hosting the ‘Phuket International Anti-Corruption Day’ event on December 8 and 9,” said Phuket Vice Governor Kajornkiet Rakpanitmanee. The event will take…
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One more ‘last warning’ issued to Surin jet-skis
PHUKET: As part of a long series of ‘last-time’ threats, the Marine Office Region 5 acting chief vowed yesterday that if jet-skis are spotted at Surin Beach again, the operators will have their licences revoked. “I am aware that four jet-skis were spotted at Surin Beach Tuesday.* The operators are allowed to rent the jet-skis at Bang Tao Beach, but…
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Phuket celebrates HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s 88th birthday
PHUKET: Millions of people will hold up lit candles in unison on December 5 in honor of HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s 88th birthday. Regarded as the Father of the Nation, HM The King’s birthday is also celebrated as Father’s Day throughout the Kingdom. Phuket will hold a Father’s Day ceremony at Saphan Hin at 4:30pm, where the evening’s itinerary includes…
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Angry Phuket minivan driver pulls big knife in traffic [video]
PHUKET: A road-raging minivan driver was caught brandishing a long knife at the driver of a pickup truck on Thepkrasattri Road yesterday afternoon. The video clip shows the driver of the van waving what appears to be a machete or a small sword as he passes the truck in the left lane. “I saw the clip last night. We will…
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Seven Similan National Park employees dispute transfer
PHUKET: Seven senior park officers and employees were given urgent transfer notices on November 27, forcing them to depart the renowned Similan National Park just as high season kicked off, confirmed the park’s chief. “The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) issued a letter saying that the officers’ transfer was necessary to improve the effectiveness of the…
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Third category added to Phuket beach management system
PHUKET: Surin Beach was dubbed a ‘Beach of Honor’ by the Phuket vice governor earlier this week, making it the third category of beach in the island’s management system. Though the beach is unique for being the only one in this category so far, it will be managed in the exact same way as a virgin beach. Umbrellas, beach chairs…
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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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