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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A Decade Ago: Airport taxis at it again
PHUKET: As Phuket continues to stumble through the fog of beach rules following the National Council for Peace and Order’s cleanup last year, it is refreshing to look back on simpler times at Patong Beach. Just a decade ago, as the island geared up for its first high season after the tsunami, a total of 1,000 masseuses rolled out beach…
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Earthquake shakes Phuket
PHUKET: An earthquake measuring 6.2 in magnitude rattled the island just before midnight last night. The Thai Meteorological Department reported the quake as striking at 11:47pm with its epicenter about 427 kilometers southwest of Phuket, near the Nicobar Islands in India. The Regional Environmental Office has yet to receive any damage reports. — Chutharat Plerin
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Raids net six Phuket drug dealers
PHUKET: Police arrested six Phuket suspects this week for allegedly peddling drugs for a kingpin operating in a prison in Central Thailand. “In two days of raids, we were able to make all six arrests and seize a total of 246 grams of ya ice [crystal methamphetamine] and 114 ya ba [methamphetamine] pills. Additionally, we seized one firearm,” Lt Col…
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Weather hampers search efforts for missing Phuket fisherman
PHUKET: Heavy weather off Phuket today hampered search efforts for a crew member who went missing from a large fishing boat on Thursday. The Royal Thai Navy began their search Thursday evening, after they received a report that Suirya Buasri, 50, had gone missing from Nor Thappornnamchok about 15 nautical miles off Phuket. “We conducted searches by boat and helicopter…
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Phuket police catch fraudulent Facebook “catfish’
PHUKET: Police charged a woman with the Computer Crimes Act following her creation of a false Facebook account to defraud buyers. Piyanut Singkaluk, 23, confessed that she started collecting pictures of people from the internet in August in order to create a fake Facebook account, a practice that has widely become known as ‘catfishing’. Once the account was established, she…
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Aussies to be injected with Phuket virus
PHUKET: A Phuket strain of the influenza virus is being mixed into an Australian quadrivalent flu vaccine for 2016 following a record number of cases reported this year by the Australian Journal of Pharmacy (AJP). The Brisbane and Phuket strains of the virus contributed to the 25,000 spike in reported cases, explained Health Minister Sussan Ley. To combat the increase…
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Phuket police on prevention alert prior to Pai rape
PHUKET: Phuket police reassured the community that efforts to enforce closing times of nightlife venues here were already in full swing prior to the directive issued by the Royal Thai Police in the wake of a British woman being raped. Royal Thai Police ordered officers this week to renew efforts in ensuring that all entertainment venues are closed on time,…
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Debris to blame for underpass flooding
PHUKET: The Darasamuth underpass suffered its first serious flood last night, when the automatic pumping system failed to activate during a heavy downpour. The underpass, which officially opened just over six months ago (story here), became a lake after an accumulation of garbage blocked the automatic switch that turns on the pumps. “We have three water pumps that work using…
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Car crashes into Phuket International Airport, one injured
PHUKET: An out-of-control car crashed into the departure hall of Phuket International Airport yesterday evening. “Woranut Buted, 33, said she confused the brake and gas pedals, accidentally accelerating into the trolleys and breaking the glass wall near an airport security checkpoint,” said Maj Santi Prakobpran of the Tah Chat Chai Police. A nearby passenger, Chinese national Shuya Zhang, 24, received…
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Special Report: Controversial Dolphinarium puts on first Phuket shows
PHUKET: A number of local schools and orphanages were invited to join the soft opening of Phuket’s highly-contested dolphinarium on the weekend of October 31. Though the manager of the the Dolphins Bay Phuket facility declined to detail exactly how many invitations went out, the five dolphins, two seals and their trainers debuted to a packed 900-seat house. “We actually…
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Phuket mini-van crash kills one; Chinese tourist in coma
PHUKET: An out of control mini-van crashed head-on with a car in Phuket early this morning, killing one person, leaving a Chinese tourist in a coma and injuring five others. “Witnesses explained that the van was heading north on Thepkrasattri Road, near Soi Wat Phra Thong, when the driver lost control of the vehicle on the wet road, crossed the…
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Phuket speeders: 70% caught on camera fail to pay fine
PHUKET: Not a single Phuket driver of the 70 per cent who failed to pay their speeding tickets has had their licence revoked, confirmed Phuket Land Transport Office (PLTO) chief policy adviser Jaturong Kaewkasi. The news follows Phuket Provincial Police Commander Teeraphol Thipjaroen explaining that if a driver fails to pay the ticket the case is handed over to the…
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Underpass construction company faces multi-million baht fines
PHUKET: The construction company building the more than 800-million-baht Samkong underpass has until December 21 to finish the project before hefty fines are implemented, Bureau of Bridge Construction Director Narin Srisompun said yesterday. “Wiwat Construction Co Ltd is only 54 per cent finished with the project. At this rate, construction won’t finish until June. However, the contract – which has…
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Woman fakes robbery to pay back funeral debt
KRABI: A Krabi woman has been charged with filing a fake police report in order to pay off debt accrued by her father’s funeral. Amporn Patchimkleang, 47, told officers that she and her husband were at the Krabi district office to file paperwork. She claimed that while she was in the restroom, someone hit her over the head, bound her…
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A Decade Ago: Floating city dream sinks
PHUKET: Even now, ten years later, the images for the purposed ‘Ao Phuket’ look futuristic – more appropriate for Japan, Singapore or South Korea than our island in the Andaman. The plan was to build a mini-city on reclaimed land in the bay off Saphan Hin, complete with hotel, conference hall, international sporting facilities and… wait for it… a casino.…
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Gov threatens total beach ban if rules not followed
PHUKET: Though details of the Phuket beach rules remain up in the air, Phuket Governor Chamroen Tipayapongtada has vowed that if locals are caught trying to bend the rules once they are established, he will ban all beach vendors, chairs and umbrellas from the sands. “We understand that beach businesses make a lot of money, millions of baht in fact.…
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Decapitated dugong found on Koh Yao Yai
PHUKET: A dugong that washed up on Koh Yao Yai Beach Tuesday morning is believed to have been decapitated for its teeth, experts confirmed. “Dugong teeth are revered by some as good luck charms and are often used to make necklaces,” said Kongkiat Kittiwattanawong, head of the Phuket Marine Biological Center’s (PMBC’s) Endangered Species Unit. PMBC experts estimated that the…
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Six foreigners injured in high-speed Phuket taxi crash
PHUKET: Six foreigners were injured in a high-speed, three-car smash on Thepkrasattri Road yesterday afternoon. A taxi involved in the accident ran into one vehicle, which then crashed into a utility pole, before sailing across the median and colliding head-on into a taxi carrying a group of Indian tourists, explained Lt Suporn Muangkai of the Thalang Police. The tourists, Anui…
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Phuket Riot: Officers fear arrest retribution
PHUKET: Concerned about retribution, police have yet to arrest any of the suspects wanted for the Thalang Police Station riot, Phuket Provincial Police Commander Teeraphol Thipjaroen confirmed to the Phuket Gazette. “At this stage, we are in no rush to arrest the suspects,” Col Teeraphol said. “We need to think carefully about each arrest and the possible consequences. We do…
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Russian fugitive arrested for role in multi-million-baht ESP fraud case
PHUKET: Immigration scooped up a Russian fugitive in Phuket who was wanted by Interpol in a more than 62-million-baht clairvoyance fraud case. Eldar Gasanguseynov, 29, was charged in Russia for ‘extremely large-scale misappropriation by fraud committed by the [sic] organized criminal group’. Working within an organized criminal group, Mr Gasanguseynov allegedly misappropriated money from people wishing to obtain parapsychological and…
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Police stations given quotas for drunk driver arrests
PHUKET: Police officers were given the green light to pull over and arrest anyone suspected of drunk driving in Phuket, after it was revealed that they would now need to make more than 150 drunk driving arrests a month. The penalty for driving under the influence is up to two years in prison, a 10,000 baht fine or both, confirmed…
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Phuket gains 200 new police officers
PHUKET: A flock of new police officers has arrived on the island adding 200 more bodies to Phuket’s force. The new recruits, who recently graduated from the Provincial Police Training Center Region 8 in Surat Thani, were welcomed to the force on November 1, confirmed Phuket Provincial Police Deputy Commander Peerayuth Karajedee. “With more officers we will be able to…
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50 Phuket schools join ‘less class time’ program
PHUKET: A total of 50 Phuket schools have joined a new national program that allows their students to spend fewer hours in the classroom. The policy of ‘Moderate Class, More Knowledge’ gives students the opportunity to pursue other interests outside of the classroom in the afternoon. “All 49 primary schools in Phuket joined the program on Monday. However, only one…
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Mayor fears fishing net killed dolphin
PHUKET: Officials believe that a dolphin found dead near Koh Bon, just off Rawai Beach, was killed by a fishing net today. “From a quick inspection, I could see marks on its head and upper body that looked like they were made by a fishing net,” said Rawai Mayor Aroon Solos. The dolphin was taken to the Phuket Marine Biological…
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Officials hot to expedite Phuket light rail
PHUKET: Officials are rushing to get Phuket’s light rail project moving along the tracks, Sirigate Apirat, the project secretary for the Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning (OTPP), confirmed to the Phuket Gazette this morning. “It has already taken too long to get the plan together, so I’ve been ordered to finalize it by the end of this…
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Kata Group readies for King’s Cup
PHUKET: The Phuket King’s Cup Regatta is preparing to set sail again, swelling Phuket visitor numbers and making a contribution to Thailand’s overall tourism performance. Sponsored by Kata Group Resorts Thailand, the Phuket King’s Cup Regatta 2015 will be held at Kata Beach Resort and Spa from December 5 to December 12 and will host international racing classes with about…
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Phuket Rajabhat University student passes The Voice Thailand Battle Round
PHUKET: Phuket Rajabhat University student Smat Niema-ard is the only Phuket native to make it through last week’s Battle Round on The Voice Thailand. Since crooning his way through the blind auditions on October 11, 20-year-old Smat’s YouTube video of his performance garnered three million views, while his recent Battle Round video received one million views. “I’m very glad that…
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Governor clamps down on airport taxis
PHUKET: Phuket Governor Chamroen Tipayapongtada has ordered all relevant officials to keep a stricter eye on airport taxi services after a customer complaint went viral on Saturday. Montira Sakorn’s Facebook post alleged that the taxi she hired from the airport to Patong failed to bring her and her boyfriend to their destination. Instead, it left them waiting at the taxi…
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Meth smugglers caught at checkpoint
PHUKET: Three meth smugglers were arrested at the Tah Chat Chai checkpoint after police caught them with 900 grams of ya ice (crystal methamphetamine) yesterday morning. Police were searching vehicles with out-of-province licence plates when they stopped the black Honda driven by Chaipichit Kaewkan, 28. Though the initial search of the vehicle did not reveal any drugs, police were suspicious…
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Law catches up with alleged foreign skimmers in Phuket
PHUKET: Three alleged ATM skimmers were arrested in Chalong on Saturday night after police tracked them down using the GPS signal from a stolen iPad. Brazilians Lucidio Firmino Da Silva Junior, 24, and Juan Pablo Da Costa Varao, 21, along with 26-year-old French national Phellipe Andre Dias, were apprehended in their rental room in Chalong. The arrests followed Koh Tao…
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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