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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Phuket police seize grenades, guns, and drugs in multiple raids
Phuket Provincial Police seized two fragmentation grenades, firearms, ammunition, and drugs in a series of raids carried out in Wichit, Chalong, and Phuket Town. The recent drug and gun busts were announced yesterday, with no exact dates of the arrests provided, The Phuket News reported. Five arrests were made during the raids, led by Phuket Provincial Police Commissioner Pol. Lt. Col.…
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Patong local election may impact Bangla Road nightlife
Patong Municipality has announced a local election set to take place on June 11, which will impact the popular nightlife district of Bangla Road and its surrounding areas. The election is being held to elect a new representative for Patong Municipality Constituency 3, covering the heart of the bustling tourism town. The need for a new representative arose following the…
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Australian TikTok star gives Patong fruit vendor 2,000 baht as reward for kindness (video)
An Australian TikTok star with 1.5 million followers gave a Patong fruit vendor 2,000 baht as a reward for his kindness and generosity. TikTok star Luke Erwin this week shared a brief video where he decided to test the generosity of a fruit vendor in Patong. In the video, Erwin approached the vendor, saying that he hadn’t had any food…
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Heartbreaking tragedy: 9 year old girl takes her own life in Phuket
A tragic incident occurred yesterday in Pa Khlok, Phuket, when a nine-year-old girl reportedly committed suicide by hanging after being denied permission to join her sister on a trip to a local waterfall. The child’s body was discovered at her family home by her grandfather. Upon finding the girl’s body hanging from a clothesline tied between a coconut tree and a…
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Shirtless Patong man scares people with machete
A shirtless Patong man scared locals and tourists by walking around and swaying a machete back and forth. Patong Police arrested the man yesterday morning near the Suwan Khiriwing Temple (Patong Temple). Officers found the shirtless man swaying the machete and wandering aimlessly in the area. Residents were scared since there is a large number of tourists in the area.…
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Phuket welcomes cruise liner from Malaysia with 2,000 tourists
Phuket welcomed the arrival of a cruise liner from Malaysia, carrying more than 2,000 tourists, as it docked at the pier in the Wichit sub-district of Phuket‘s main city district on Monday. The cruise liner, the Mein Schiff 5, is operated by TUI Cruises. The Chief of Phuket Marine Office, Natchapong Pranit, welcome the tourists who arrived on the cruise…
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Expat’s driveway cut off as Phuket street paving creates one metre drop
A long-term expat residing in Rawai, Phuket, is struggling to access his home after the local municipality’s paving project left his driveway with a vertical drop of nearly 1 metre. Australian-born British national, Brett Masters, has lived in the area for 18 years and in his current house for the past eight. Before the paving project began in late December, the…
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Phuket power outage announced for airport area on May 18
A power outage is set to affect homes and businesses south of Phuket International Airport on Thursday, as announced by the Thalang branch of the Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA Thalang). The power cut, scheduled from 9am to 4.30pm, is necessary to allow workers to safely conduct improvements to high-voltage cables in the area, as part of an apartment expansion project.…
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Body of missing Russian tourist found floating in Phuket sea
The body of the Russian tourist swept away by strong waves at Promthep Cape on Friday was found floating off the coast of Phuket, southern Thailand, yesterday afternoon. A fisherman spotted the body of a foreign man floating in the sea near Laem Saeng Nakhlay, about 200 metres from Phuket’s Kalim Beach, and informed the authorities at 12.50pm, reports DailyNews.…
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MFP wins all Phuket seats in General Election
In yesterday’s General Election, the Move Forward Party (MFP) claimed victory in all three constituencies in Phuket, according to unofficial results declared early today. In Constituency 1, which covers Phuket Town, Koh Kaew, and Ratsada, Somchart Techathavorncharoen from the MFP emerged as the unofficial winner. On the ballot, Somchart was assigned the number two and received 18,604 votes. He expressed…
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Phuket governor casts first vote in General Election
Phuket Governor Narong Woonciew kicked off the General Election process on the island by casting the first vote at the Phuket Auditorium in Phuket Town today. The Phuket Auditorium, located at the government administration centre on Tha Kraeng Road, is one of 22 polling stations established throughout the Talad Yai sub-district of Phuket Town. Candidates are vying for Constituency 1…
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Drunk driving incident kills Phuket motorbike rider
A drunk driving incident killed a Phuket motorbike rider this morning. A 48 year old Phuket passenger van driver has been charged with drink driving causing death following a collision with a motorbike in Samkong, resulting in the death of the 54 year old motorbike rider. The incident occurred at around 6am when the van, travelling at a high speed,…
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Transwoman physically assaulted by bar guards in Phuket
A Thai transwoman filed a complaint at Patong Police Station on Tuesday, May 9, after four to five security guards at a bar in the Patong neighbourhood of Phuket physically assaulted her and forcibly removed her from the venue without a reason. The 27 year old transwoman posted a video on her TikTok account, Prasita Punyang, three days ago of…
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First direct Tigerair flight from Taiwan makes its way to Phuket
The first direct flight by Taiwan‘s Tigerair made its way to Phuket yesterday. The flight arrived at Phuket International Airport, carrying 190 passengers. Airport officials and staff welcomed the passengers upon their arrival, The Phuket Express reported. Last month, it was reported that Tigerair, a subsidiary of China Airlines, will be the only airline currently servicing the Taipei – Phuket route…
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Phuket police chief inaugurates Punrak cafe at immigration office
National Police Chief Damrongsak Kittipraphat recently inaugurated the ‘Punrak Cafe’ at Phuket Immigration Office in Phuket Town, with immigration officers from across the island welcoming the country’s top police general. Several high-ranking officials arrived on the island for the event, including Immigration Bureau Deputy Commissioner Phanthana Nuchanart, Immigration Division 6 Commander Praphansak Prasarnsuk, Immigration Division 6 Deputy Commander Chalermchon Laemthong,…
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Kiwi tourist pleads guilty to ecstasy possession in Phuket, Thailand
A tourist from New Zealand pleaded guilty to drug possession at a court in Phuket, southern Thailand, on Monday. In September, police arrested 45 year old Ari Michael Salinger after finding two ecstasy tablets on his person. He was released on bail and his passport was confiscated while awaiting trial. On Monday, the court sentenced Salinger to a “small fine”…
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After heavy rain, 130 kilograms of fish found dead at Phuket lake
After heavy rainfall, around 130 kilogrammes of fish were found dead at Phuket‘s Nai Harn Lake in Rawai. Fisheries officials inspected the lake earlier this week after receiving reports of many fish found dead. Upon inspection, it was discovered that heavy rain had washed dirt and sediment into the lake, polluting the water and reducing the available oxygen, Phuket Fisheries…
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Cowardly thug charged for viciously beating girlfriend in Patong karaoke car park
A cowardly thug has been charged for a violent attack on his girlfriend at a karaoke car park in Patong in Phuket. The case came to light after the graphic CCTV footage of the beating went viral but has since been removed by the Patong Police due to the disturbing nature of the images. The individuals involved in the incident…
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Altercation between foreigner and Phuket cab driver makes waves
An altercation between a foreign motorbike rider and a Phuket cab driver is making waves. The popular Facebook page Phuket Times reported that the incident happened in front of a famous nightclub in Kamala. In a post early yesterday morning, the page wrote that the taxi driver, Adisak, had parked his car and was waiting for customers. A foreign motorbike…
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Nigerian drug dealer and romance scammer arrested in Phuket
A Nigerian man, previously arrested for drug-related offences and deported from Thailand, was arrested yesterday by officers from the Phuket Provincial Immigration Office and Chalong Police Station for his drug dealing and romance scam activities in Phuket. According to the police report, the 40 year old Nigerian, Harrison Shinonzo Onyema, was deported in 2018 for overstaying his visa and selling…
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Chumphon man shoots girlfriend and kills himself in Phuket
A 56 year old man from Chumphon shot his girlfriend, resulting in her injury, following their breakup in a house in Wichit on a recent night, before taking his own life with a gunshot to the head. The violence occurred at a home in Wichit, where local police were called to respond at around 10pm. Upon their arrival along with…
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Phuket court issues arrest warrant for suspect who stabbed grocer to death
The Phuket Provincial Court issued an arrest warrant for a suspect who allegedly stabbed a grocer to death in the main city district on Saturday. The incident is believed to have occurred following a dispute with a former customer. Phuket City Police Captain Wichit Nokkaew said that the Phuket Provincial Court issued an arrest warrant for 34 year old Tarapong…
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Phuket officials target motorbike rental shops to reduce road accidents
Phuket authorities have decided to implement inspections of motorbike rental shops in an effort to decrease the number of deaths and injuries from accidents on the popular island’s roads. The decision was announced at a special meeting, chaired by Phuket Vice Governor Anupap Rodkwan Yodrabam, which was organised to discuss and draft guidelines for controlling and organising motorcycle rentals in…
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New Phuket project sees 100 sterilised monkeys released into forest
Phuket wildlife officials sterilised around 100 monkeys and released them back to their natural habitat in the forest, to control the birth rate of monkeys and address problems that monkeys have caused locals and tourists. The monkey sterilisation project aims to reduce the number of monkeys in Phuket, as well as prevent the spread of diseases that can be transmitted…
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Russian tourist killed in motorbike crash in Phuket prompts wet road caution
Phuket rescue workers issued a warning to motorists to be cautious and reduce their speed on wet roads after a fatal motorbike accident in Kata involving a Russian man earlier today following sporadic rainfall on the island. The accident report, issued by the Ruamjai Kupai Foundation rescue service, was shared on Facebook at 3.30am. While the exact time and location…
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Englishman fights for his life after motorbike crash in Phuket, Thailand
A young Englishman is fighting for his life in the hospital after losing a significant amount of blood in a horror motorbike crash in Phuket, southern Thailand, on Monday, May 1. The tourist, 25 year old Liam Kilby from Liverpool, was on holiday in Phuket with friends when he crashed into a shopfront. After suffering blood loss and falling into…
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Power outages hit two areas of Phuket: PEA’s ongoing work on low-voltage system
The Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA) has announced temporary power outages today in two areas of Thalang District, Phuket, due to ongoing work on the low-voltage distribution system. The first area set to face power disruption is the road alongside Nai Yang Beach. Electricity supply will be cut off between the stretch from Patama Massage to Ratcheting Seafood Restaurant, starting from…
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Turtle nest discovered on Koh Phra Thong beach, Phang Nga
The Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) Region 6 office in Thailand has reported the discovery of a turtle nest on Koh Phra Thong island, located off the coast of Kuraburi District in Phang Nga province. Yesterday, a team of DMCR officials, along with a village chief assistant from Moo 3 Baan Koh Ra, inspected the turtle nest situated…
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Cannabis crooks caught on camera: Foreigners caught stealing from Phuket pharmacy
CCTV footage captured two foreigners stealing cannabis from a pharmacy in Phuket. Fortunately, a member of staff caught them red-handed on the job. The Facebook page, Phuket Info Center, posted two videos of the incident yesterday, May 4, with a caption that said… “Warning! Foreigners stole cannabis from a shop on Rat U Thit 200 Years Road in the Patong…
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Phuket motorbike tragedy claims life of young Polish woman
A motorbike tragedy in Phuket claimed the life of a young Polish woman yesterday, in Thailand’s latest road accident. The 33 year old rider was killed after she crashed her motorbike and slid under a trailer truck in the Chalong sub-district of Phuket’s main city district. Rescuers arrived at the scene on Chao Fa West Road, in front of a…
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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