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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Men flee scene of power-pole crash
PHUKET: Police are searching for two men who fled the scene of an accident which downed a power pole on Srisoonthorn Road near the Heroines’ Monument yesterday. Witnesses of the accident notified Thalang Police at about 4pm. “At the scene, we found a seriously damaged station wagon flipped onto its side next to a collapsed power pole,” said Lt Suporn…
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Video Report: Distraught mum demands justice for dead daughter
PHUKET: The distraught mother of a 7-year-old girl who was killed after their pick-up truck crashed into a Phuket sinkhole continues to demand justice, as well as 10 million baht in compensation for the tragic accident last year. Nitikarn Rotrattanachai, who previously went by the name of Phakamon Duangchayatemcharat, arrived at the Thalang Police Station yesterday afternoon to follow up…
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Prison drug network cracked through Krabi, Trang busts
PHUKET: Krabi Police tapped in to a big-time prison drug network this week with the arrest of three major dealers in possession of 180,000 ya bah (methamphetamine) pills and more than 7 kilograms of ya ice (crystal methamphetamine), with a street value of about 40 million baht. The string of arrests began on July 17 when 39-year-old Chawalit Limpanit was…
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National park pot dealer busted with 2.5kg
PHUKET: A Khao Lak-Lamru National Park employee was snagged with more than two kilograms of marijuana during a sting operation on Monday. Kathachai Panboonthong, 36, confessed to police that he had been dealing drugs to international tourists and teens in the area for a ‘long time’, Takuapa District Chief Manit Pianthong explained. “When we searched his motorbike we found 2.5kg…
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Phuket beauty first runner-up in Miss Universe Thailand pageant
PHUKET: Phuket native Chavika ‘Yim’ Watsang, 19, became Miss Universe Thailand 2015’s first runner-up at the pageant held in Bangkok on Saturday. “I can’t describe my feelings in words, I never thought an average girl like myself would have many fans with the audience at Royal Paragon Hall calling out my name. It was the greatest moment in my life,”…
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Hard Rock Cafe singer found dead
PHUKET: A singer from Hard Rock Cafe in Patong was found dead, hanged by an electrical wire in his home, early this morning. “We found Niwatchai Srisang, 39, hanging by an electric wire from a bedroom window,” said Lt Charus Lempand of the Wichit Police. “There were no signs of a struggle on his body, only the mark on his…
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American fugitive arrested in Phuket
PHUKET: Local police arrested an American fugitive on Saturday who was wanted for an estimated US$2 million (about 68,995,000 baht) internet fraud case in New York. Theodore Andrew Werner, 48, was presented in a press conference led by Maj Gen Charn Wimolsri, deputy commissioner of the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB), in Bangkok yesterday. Mr Werner had allegedly been duping others…
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Russian tourists rescued after jet-ski incident
PHUKET: Two Russian tourists were safely rescued from an island off the coast of Karon Beach last night after their rented jet-ski died mid-ride and was pulled out to sea. “A rescue team was sent out after being notified by the jet-ski owner that two tourists had disappeared after an hour,” said Itthiporn Sangkaew, deputy mayor of Karon. “Rescuers took…
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Villagers waiting for compensation complain to governor
PHUKET: A group of villagers filed a complaint with the governor this morning over officials failing to compensate them after parts of their homes were destroyed during a Rassada Municipality drainage ditch construction project in 2013. The case has been in process for two years, culminating in a agreement on May 12 this year that Rassada Municipality would compensate the…
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Governor leads 500 bikers in “Bike for Mom’ practice ride
PHUKET: In anticipation of a nationwide Mother’s Day ‘Bike for Mom’ event on August 16, a practice ride was held in Phuket yesterday to determine what issues, if any, the bikers will face on the day. Phuket Governor Nisit Jansomwong led a brigade of 500 bikers through the 26-kilometer route, which starts at Phuket Provincial Hall, journey through Phuket Town…
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Phuket school robbed of B240k worth of electronics
PHUKET: Police are hunting for a criminal or criminals who swiped 240,000 baht worth of laptops* from Satree Phuket School’s science math center this weekend. “We received the report at 8:30am today when a school employee opened up the center after it was closed for the weekend,” Phuket City Police Deputy Superintendent Chao Phomna told the Phuket Gazette. In addition…
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Raceweek comes to an end
PHUKET: A pleasant eight knots welcomed sailors on the final day of the 2015 Cape Panwa Hotel Phuket Raceweek. PRO Simon James wasted no time in getting the fleet into sequence. Island courses for all: around the windward mark and back around Lone Island to the finish for all classes except IRC Racing I, who headed off on a longer…
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Officials fear marine life hit by wrecked cargo ship
PHUKET: Local officers have filed a preemptive notice to Chalong Police over the recovery of a wrecked 67.6 meter-long mulch-purpose cargo vessel in fear that a significant amount of damage has been done to the coral reefs along Koh Hei, also known as Coral Island. Sinaran Andaman wrecked into Koh Hei on July 8 in rough seas that sank two…
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Chasing down breeze on Day 2 of Phuket Raceweek
PHUKET: As the start boat for the 2015 Cape Panwa Hotel Phuket Raceweek left the anchorage yesterday morning there were a lot of anxious faces on board. After a tricky and tiring first day, where the Wind Gods delivered seven knots at best and for most of the day a little less, the forecasts for Day 2 were no better.…
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Volunteer lifeguard ranks swell by 60
PHUKET: 60 volunteer lifeguards completed their training this past week, adding to the ranks of Phuket’s lifeguards during the dangerous southwest monsoon season. “Most of the volunteers are hotel beach employees who would likely get a chance to rescue people from the sea. However, ordinary people have also volunteered,” Phuket Lifeguard Club President Prathaiyuth Chuayuan said yesterday. Mr Prathaiyuth explained…
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Crackdown on Phuket tour companies continues
PHUKET: Twelve tour companies with foreign shareholders suspected of using Thai nominees to maintain control over their businesses have been given five days to submit documents proving their legality. The Department of Special Investigations (DSI) mounted a raid on Thursday with Santi Pawai, director of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports (MOTS) Phuket office, and other relevant officials on 16…
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Verdict date set for PhuketWan in Computer Crimes Act case
PHUKET: Alan Morison and Chutima Sidasathian, of local news blog PhuketWan, will hear the verdict on September 1 for charges of criminal defamation and violations of the Computer Crimes Act following the conclusion of the trial yesterday. According to the court hearing, the charges stem from a report published on July 17, 2013, which contained excerpts from a Reuters special…
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Thalang officials hunt for human-trafficking victims
PHUKET: Phuket officials checked several Thalang construction sites yesterday for signs of illegal workers who could possibly be connected to human trafficking. “The Phuket human-trafficking prevention and suppression committee had a meeting last month to create a plan for cracking down on human trafficking,” said Kriangkrai Apabootsayapan, chief of the Phuket Provincial Labor Protection and Welfare Office. “We will be…
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Four Phuket taxi drivers arrested for gambling
PHUKET: Four Phuket taxi drivers were arrested for gambling in Patong yesterday. Patong Police jump started an anti-firearm and crime crackdown recently ordered by the Royal Thai Police Headquarters in Bangkok by inspecting three places where they had reason to believe crimes were being committed. “The time period for this campaign is July 15 through 19,” said Lt Col Sutthichai…
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A Decade Ago: New beach, new crisis
PHUKET: The real seller in the July 16-22 issue of the Phuket Gazette wasn’t the page-one story. It was Athiga Jundee’s ‘Inside Story’, which played off a t-shirt circulating through the shopping arcades of the island, and which reads: ‘Phuket – 2001: Bomb Alert; 2002: SARS; 2003: Bird Flu; 2004: Tsunami. What Next?’. Well, little did the t-shirt producers know…
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Phuket told to conserve power ahead of energy shortage
PHUKET: The Energy Ministry alerted all residents on Phuket to conserve power to prevent outages from July 21 to July 25, as a major gas field supply line in the Gulf of Thailand will be upgraded during this period. Director-General of the Energy Policy and Planning Office Chavalit Pichalai revealed that the country will be losing around 420 million standard…
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TCT dominates over Phuket Asian Cricket Team
PHUKET: The Outrigger T20 cricket league commenced on Sunday at the Alan Cooke Ground with the Thalang Cricket Team (TCT) having an easy win over the newly formed Phuket Asian Cricket Team (PACT). PACT won the toss and made the unusual decision to field first with their team only having seven players present. The new side, who is representing the…
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Proposed sweeping alcohol-sales ban worries Phuket officials
PHUKET: Island officials have expressed concern about an alcohol sales ban expected to take effect next week that will affect all businesses within a 300-meter radius of academic institutions. Despite their concerns, local authorities have noted that they will have to obey and enforce the new regulation, although some believe it will have a negative effect on businesses. “The draft…
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Cape Panwa Hotel Phuket Raceweek underway
PHUKET: The Race Management team had a busy few hours looking for wind on day one of the 2015 Cape Panwa Hotel Phuket Raceweek. Motoring around the southeast coast of Phuket, Simon James and his team had to postpone the start as they tracked down the breeze. Despite the storm clouds over the island’s south, the rains held off and…
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Man on the run after shooting father-in-law
PHUKET: Police are searching for a man who allegedly shot his father-in-law on Wednesday at about noon. Thanyawat Matchiwong, 28, is on the run after he allegedly shot and injured his father-in-law Juang Chuayboonchu, 77, at his home. “We had an argument on the phone about an hour beforehand. Thanyawat said he would kill my family and I, and then…
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Kbank services unavailable for 48 hours starting tomorrow
PHUKET: Kasikorn Bank (Kbank) is urging its customers to prepare for a 48-hour suspension of most of its services, which starts tomorrow night. The plan to pause banking services for 48 hours to improve the bank system was announced early last week (story here). “Kasikorn Bank branches will be open per usual on Friday, but we will temporarily close from…
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Phuket lifeguards build bluebottle warning signs after sightings
PHUKET: The Phuket Lifeguard Club (PLC) is in the process of creating signs to warn tourists about the dangers of bluebottle ‘jellyfish’, which have recently been found on several of the island’s west-coast beaches. Dozens of bluebottles, also known as Portuguese man o’ war, were found at Mai Khao, Nai Thon, Nai Harn and Patong Beach on Tuesday. Though rarely…
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Uprooted banyan tree damages school
PHUKET: Strong winds uprooted a banyan tree, causing it to fall on a wall of Plukpanya School early yesterday morning. No one was hurt in the incident. The banyan tree was quickly removed after Phuket City Mayor Somjai Suwansupana and municipality officials rushed to the school. “The was growing in Pavilions Phuket Hotel’s compound, which is next door to the…
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Alleged Aussie drug dealer netted in Patong
PHUKET: An Australian alleged drug dealer was arrested in Patong on Tuesday in possession of cocaine and marijuana. Named by police as Miki Michael Lee, 48, the Aussie was caught in a rented room on Soi Nanai with 1 gram of cocaine and 29.3g of marijuana. “Our undercover officers informed us that Mr Lee was selling cocaine and marijuana to…
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Muslims gear up for major festival
PHUKET: The sighting of the new moon will signal the end of the Ramadan fasting month and usher in Eid-al Fitr celebrations, as well as the start of Shawwal fasts.Eid-al Fitr is one of the most important days for practicing Muslims, as it marks the end of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan. “This year all mosques in Phuket, and…
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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