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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Video Report: Boat crews saved from sinking vessels
PHUKET: Crew members of the two boats which sank this morning off Koh Racha and Koh Hei (Coral Island) have been safely rescued by Marine Police. Meanwhile, search and rescue teams are still looking for the barge Sintu Phuket 1, which sank early yesterday morning, and its six crew members (story here). There were six people on the fishing trawler,…
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Tourists stranded as fierce storm rolls in
PHUKET: Hoteliers on Koh Phi Phi, Koh Racha Yai and other islands in the Phuket region have requested that the Navy and Marine Police assist in transporting tourists back to Phuket following a ban on any boats smaller than 24 meters going out to sea. The Phuket Marine Office’s ban on small boats comes as the Thai Meteorological Department issued…
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Three in Phuket arrested for involvement in UFUN pyramid scheme
PHUKET: Three suspects have been apprehended in Phuket for their alleged involvement in the international 10-billion-baht UFUN pyramid-scheme. Police first arrested Natthinont Puttathammarong, 42, yesterday afternoon at his car shop, NN Used Car, in front of the new bus terminal in Rassada. During the raid police seized a Mercedes-Benz E 250 8 and an Audi A7, together worth more than…
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Breaking News: One more boat sinks, one wrecked off Phuket
PHUKET: One boat sank and another was beached this morning off Phuket in the rough southwest monsoon seas, confirmed Phuket Marine Police Chief Panya Chaichana. “There were six people on the fishing trawler that sank at about 8:15am. There are 10 people on the other boat, which is currently wrecked on Koh Hei [Coral Island] and taking in water,” Mr…
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Search for missing crew to halt at dark, says Navy
PHUKET: The search for the six crew members of the 30-meter barge Sintu Phuket 1 will carry on until dark, with stormy conditions continuing over the seas where the boat was lost early this morning, about 25 kilometers south of Phuket (story here). “We suspect that the ship sank northeast of Koh Racha Yai, and have been focusing our search…
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Governor backs GrabTaxi push into Phuket
PHUKET: GrabTaxi is preparing to push into Phuket, following the attempt of similar service provider Uber, which has sliced off a piece of the island’s taxi-service market since it arrived here in November last year (story here). Unlike Uber, which was originally declared illegal by local government officers as they wrangled with exactly what the business model was (story here),…
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Two meth dealers busted in Phuket
PHUKET: Police arrested two dealers and seized more than 2 million baht in assets over the weekend. Police first apprehended 41-year-old Jaruek Sittisak, also known as ‘Bang Dam Koh Kaew’, in Soi Koh Kaew 24 on Friday in possession of 200 pills of ya bah (methamphetamine). “After we arrested him, we accompanied him to a shack where he kept his…
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Cash out Phuket: Kbank to close services for 48 hours
PHUKET: Kasikorn Bank (Kbank) has advised all bank customers on Phuket to plan ahead as it will be closing all banking services, including ATMs, for 48 hours next week. Customers will be unable to use Kbank services from 10pm on Friday, July 17 to 10pm on Sunday, July 19. “We are aware that this will affect a lot of our…
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Myanmar workers protest foreman assault
PHUKET: More than 100 Myanmar laborers from Care Con Co Ltd gathered to protest the assault of a coworker at the company’s construction site in Thalang on Saturday. Police spent 30 minutes talking to protesters before taking the suspect and victim to the police station for questioning. “Foreman Atipong Saenboon, 28, confessed to threatening Sai Min Lin, 22, with a…
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Phuket Governor pushes green plan on Koh Racha
PHUKET: Phuket officials moved to ensure the environmental sustainability and the growth of the tourism industry on Racha Island with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with local hotels and restaurants on Saturday. Governor Nisit Jansomwong signed the MoU on proper trash and wastewater disposal during his visit to the island, while also underscoring that all segments, including…
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Phuket native headed to Miss Universe Thailand 2015 final
PHUKET: Phuket native Chavika Watsang, 19, is asking island residents to vote for her as ‘Miss Popular 2015’ as she awaits the final round of the Miss Universe Thailand competition. Ms Chavika attended Plukpanya School before graduating and going to Srinagarindra the Princess Mother School in Phuket, her father, Chairat Watsang, told the Phuket Gazette today. “Now she is in…
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Alleged robbery victim found dead next day
PHUKET: The alleged victim of a robbery on Friday evening was found dead, hanging from the door to the rooftop terrace of her apartment building yesterday morning. Jantana Seangdee, 37, filed a report with Phuket City Police that two thieves robbed her of her brother’s 400,000 baht in cash after kicking her off her motorbike and stealing her bag (story…
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Small boats ordered to stay ashore, day trips cancelled
PHUKET: Day-trip tourists are to remain ashore today after Phuket officials ordered that all boats less than nine meters remain on the island until further notice. “The order became effective today. We’ll see what the weather does and make adjustments accordingly. I’m expecting to have to order boats smaller than 12 meters to keep ashore soon,” Phuket Marine Office Chief…
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Breaking News: Another two killed on Patong Hill
PHUKET: A cement truck descending the infamous Patong Hill killed two women on a motorbike before crashing into the guardrail. Police and rescue workers are at the scene, and have yet to release the names and ages of those killed in the accident. Just two days ago, a 26-year-old woman succumbed to injuries sustained after a six-wheeled truck struck her…
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Iranian tourist drowns at Patong Beach
PHUKET: An Iranian tourist drowned at Patong Beach Saturday night after getting dragged out to sea by a strong current. Hasan Fhakhr, 30, was pulled out of the water near the Patong Police box at about 6:30pm by lifeguards. They immediately administered cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) for about 15 minutes, until an ambulance arrived to transfer him to Patong Hospital. Mr…
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Spike in Phuket seafood prices blamed on monsoon weather
PHUKET: An island official is attributing local fishermen’s unwillingness to go offshore and a resulting spike in seafood prices to monsoon-season sea conditions, rather than a reaction to recent, strict regulation changes to combat Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing practices. “This is not purely a protest. I have spoken to a lot of fishermen, and they have told me…
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Two thieves dash off with 400,000 baht
PHUKET: Two daring thieves got away with more than 400,000 baht in cash after kicking over a woman’s motorbike and grabbing her bag yesterday evening. Lt Wechasak Chuladoong of the Phuket City Police rushed to the scene after police were alerted of the hit-and-run attack on Jantana Seangdee, 37*, along Pracha Uthit Road in Koh Kaew at about 8pm. “The…
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Patong Hill crash victim dies
PHUKET: One of the victims in an accident on Patong Hill yesterday has succumbed to her injuries, police confirmed to the Phuket Gazette this morning. Laksamiduean Sawadiraksa, 26, who was driving a motorbike in front of a six-wheeled truck when it lost control on the hill, sustained serious head injuries in the collision, and was pronounced dead after being rushed…
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Phuket Governor requests Navy, police protection for sea gypsies
PHUKET: Governor Nisit Jansomwong has requested that naval officers and Chalong Police carry out random checks at the Rawai sea gypsy village to boost security and ensure locals that they will be safe during ongoing land dispute cases. The security boost follows news reports from June 22 that 200 sea gypsies had begged Phuket authorities for protection after a group…
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Alleged IUU captured in Phuket fined B51k
PHUKET: A fine of 51,000 baht was levied against the alleged illegal, unreported, unregulated (IUU) vessels that successfully fled the New Zealand and Australian navies with its cargo of Atlantic toothfish before being seized in Phuket earlier this year (story here). “Last month, the Customs Department in Bangkok fined the captain and South Service Co Ltd, which managed the cargo,…
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Police arrest Phuket murder suspect, one still at large
PHUKET: Police have arrested one of two suspects for the murder of the SuperCheap Soi Paniang branch manager yesterday. Nattapon Nukoon, 26, was stabbed to death in front of his house in Soi Paniang 3 half past midnight yesterday, said Phuket City Police Superintendent Col Kraithong Chanthongbai. “There was a knife stuck inside his right ear with his right arm…
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Breaking News: Two seriously injured in Patong Hill crash
PHUKET: Two women on a motorbike have been rushed to Patong Hospital with serious injuries after a six-wheeled truck lost control on Patong Hill, rolled backward and crashed into them. Police and rescue workers rushed to the scene, at the bottom of the hill near Wat Suwan Khiriwong Temple, at about 12:30pm to find the two women on the ground…
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Phuket gets heavy rain, rough seas for weekend
PHUKET: The Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) Phuket office has warned of heavy rain and rough seas this weekend. “We received an official weather report from the Thai Meteorological Department [TMD] forecasting an increase in heavy rainfall,” said Santhawat Riwleung, chief of the DDPM Phuket office. “The report also said that there will be strong southwest monsoon conditions…
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Two Myanmar workers killed in truck crash
PHUKET: Two Myanmar construction workers were killed and seven others were seriously injured when the truck they were riding in crashed on Kamala Hill last night. The truck, which was carrying 40 workers from World Co Ltd, was travelling from Tri Trang Beach to a workers’ camp near the top of Kamala Hill at about 10:30pm when the driver lost…
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Video Report: Truck caught dumping near Nai Harn Beach
PHUKET: Island officials are looking for the owner of a truck who was caught dumping rubbish near Nai Harn Beach on June 6. The hunt began after PGTV sent a video clip to Rawai Mayor Aroon Solos that showed men in a pick-up truck unloading construction site refuse into what has quickly developed into an illegal dumping ground just 100…
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Governor launches search for fake officers in Phuket
PHUKET: Phuket Governor Nisit Jansomwong vowed yesterday to look into a complaint filed about alleged fraudsters entering homes under the guise of anti-human-trafficking officers. Amnuayporn Samneang, village headman of Srisoonthorn Moo 6, filed a formal complaint to Governor Nisit yesterday evening. “Mr Amnuayporn told us that two ‘anti-trafficking officers’ arrived at his home on June 29 and refused to present…
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Phuket police confirm tinted helmets illegal
PHUKET: Recent heated discussion on social media has prompted Phuket police to confirm that it is in fact illegal for motorists to wear helmets with tinted visors in Thailand. The news follows Maj Gen Apisit Muangkasem, national Traffic Police commander, recently speaking to many Thai media outlets about which types of helmets are prohibited. The commander’s statements sparked an argument…
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Olympians take “Road to Rio’ at Thanyapura
PHUKET: Twenty-five future Olympians began their ‘Road to Rio 2016’ at Thanyapura Phuket – the first Official Federation Internationale de Natation (FINA) Training Center in Southeast Asia. Thanyapura announced its official partnership with the aquatics international body FINA this week at a press conference attended by Tourism and Sports of Thailand Minister Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul and Phuket Governor Nisit Jansomwong. Thanyapura…
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Pirated goods vendors flee Kata-Karon shops
PHUKET: A number of shops managed to close before a police raid on pirated goods hit Kata and Karon yesterday. However, police were able to seize about 1,400 items and arrest one suspect. “We received a complaint that there were a lot of fake name-brand goods being sold in the area, so we decided to investigate,” Lt Col Pratheep Choosri…
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Ao Nang erects multi-million-baht fish statue
PHUKET: A 5-million-baht bronze sculpture of a sailfish was erected at Ao Nang Beach on June 29. “We have been planning to build a sculpture in Ao Nang for about a decade, but could never find the funds in our budget to do so,” Ao Nang Tambon Administration Organization (OrBorTor) President Pankum Kittithonkul told the Phuket Gazette. “We searched for…
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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