Phuket News
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Ferrari 488 Spider debuts in Phuket
PHUKET: The Ferrari 488 Spider officially made its debut in Phuket – its first appearance in Southeast Asia – following the premiere at the Frankfurt International Motor Show in September. The Ferrari 488 is the latest chapter in Maranello’s ongoing history of open-top V8 sports cars, a story that started with the targa-top version of the 308 GTB – the…
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Phuket drug dealer busted with more than B1mn of meth
PHUKET: Phuket Provincial Police arrested a drug dealer in possession of more than one million baht worth of ya ice (crystal methamphetamine) on Friday. Paitoon Asirametee, 26, was apprehended in front of a grocery store in Wichit after police received a tip-off that he had been selling drugs to teenagers in the Muang District. “Mr Paitoon was in possession of…
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Duty-free heist puts Phuket airport employee behind bars
PHUKET: A Phuket Air Catering employee confessed to stealing duty-free items while transporting food to a plane bound for Finland at Phuket International Airport yesterday afternoon. “Sitthichai Srirat, 28, stole a total of 18 duty-free items, including expensive watches, perfumes, a pen and a necklace,” explained Tah Chat Chai Police Superintendent Somchai Sanprasert. Cabin crew on Finnair AY038 Phuket to…
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Phuket burglar allegedly takes B20k cash
PHUKET: Police are searching for a burglar who allegedly broke into a house at the Keha public housing estate in Thalang Sunday afternoon. Kasem Pansri, 28, reported to police that he returned home from the Layan Market to discover that 20,000 baht in cash had been stolen from his bedroom. “There were clear signs of an intruder having rummaged through…
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Deaf man dies in alleged suicide
PHUKET: Police have yet to rule out foul play as they investigate the alleged suicide of a deaf man in Thalang yesterday morning. Officers received a report that Amnach Utsaha, 30, had supposedly shot himself in the head with a homemade gun while in bed with his wife Boonruay Aree, 44. “According to Ms Boonruay, Mr Amnach had been complaining…
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Triathlon champ’s return to form at Challenge Laguna Phuket
PHUKET: A field of over 600 individual pro and age group athletes representing 41 nationalities, crowded Laguna Phuket this weekend to participate in the 2015 Challenge Laguna Phuket triathlon. Switzerland’s Ruedi Wild successfully defended his 2014 Challenge Laguna Phuket title in 3:54:45 (swim 21:29, bike 2:12:17, run 1:18:21), breaking his own record of 4:02:43, despite being out of action for…
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Phuket locals protest US Amb’s lese majeste comments
PHUKET: About 100 Phuket locals gathered at Provincial Hall this morning to protest comments made by the recently appointed United States Ambassador to Thailand, Glyn Davies, about the increase in lese majeste sentences under the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO). “Ambassador Glyn Davies gave a public speech on Wednesday at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Thailand in Bangkok…
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Russian woman robbed near British International School
PHUKET: Police are hunting two suspects accused of robbing a Russian woman near British International School Phuket on Saturday morning. Olga Shnyreva, 35, was kicked off of her bicycle and robbed of 400 baht and an iPhone 6 by two men with tattooed faces, confirmed Lt Col Sanit Nukong of the Thalang Police. “A passerby saw Ms Shnyreva sitting by…
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Chinese diver dies at Similan National Park
PHUKET: A Chinese diver died yesterday during a dive trip with Similan Seven Sea Co Ltd at Koh Bon, Similan National Park. Zhang Lin, 23, was found floating unresponsive at a depth of about 11.9 meters by divers from another dive company. “Ms Zhang was found with her regulator no longer in her mouth by divers from Khao Lak Scuba…
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IKEA opens Asia’s first Pick-up & Order Point in Phuket
PHUKET: The first IKEA ‘Pick Up & Order Point’ in Asia was officially launched in Phuket yesterday, providing service to Thailand’s southern provinces. The newest addition to the Swedish retailer’s furniture and home furnishings business, located on the bypass road in the Biz Town estate, aims to cater to the island’s growing business, real estate and tourism sectors. “Phuket has…
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Mobile service providers working to implement 911
PHUKET: The recent adjustment to allow anyone in an emergency to dial the 911 hotline for help has yet to be implemented by all phone service providers in Phuket. Though the Office of the Prime Minister confirmed today that the number is available nationwide, 911 is in fact currently available only via AIS and TrueMove mobile services, as it has…
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Beach boss bans umbreallas at Surin
PHUKET: Disobedient vendors on Surin Beach have given the president of the Cherng Talay Administration Organization (OrBorTor) ‘no choice’ but to designate it as one of Phuket’s ‘virgin beaches’. Though a 10 per cent zone had already been marked, beach vendors renting out umbrellas and offering other services there failed to follow the beach management rules put in place by…
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Six-meter-long snake found under Phuket home
PHUKET: A monster python, six-meters long, was caught trying to beat the heat under a Samkong residence’s house this afternoon. “The snake was found in the cool dirt under the house,” Watchara Srikacha, a Kusoldharm rescue worker, told the Phuket Gazette. “We suspect that it was looking for a safe place to avoid the sun.” It took several rescue workers…
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Airport pier project sails forward with multi-million-baht design budget
PHUKET: A 25-million-baht budget was approved for the Phuket International Airport pier project, which will allow tourists to take a ferry down the west coast to Patong, confirmed officials yesterday. The budget for the ‘From The Boat to The Plane’ project, which was tabled in 2013 by Phuket Marine Office Chief Phuripat Theerakulpisut (story here), is set to cover the…
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Foreign sunbathers get boot from Phuket park
PHUKET: Phuket City Police forced three bikini-clad sunbathers soaking up the sun at Saphin Hin to re-dress themselves yesterday afternoon. “I am aware that officers took this action to ensure the safety of the women,” Capt Chatchai Choonoo of Phuket City Police told the Phuket Gazette. “We do not have officers set up at this park, or other similar parks,…
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Mandatory travel insurance tabled in Phuket
PHUKET: The Phuket Governor vowed to raise tourist travel insurance issues to those capable of making changes to national legislation following the honorary consul meeting yesterday (story here). “If a tourist is not covered by insurance in their home country, they are setting themselves up for a difficult situation if they get injured while on holiday here,” said Phuket Governor…
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Thailand adopts 911 as emergency number
PHUKET: Thailand has officially adopted 911 as its emergency hotline number, confirmed Phuket Governor Chamroen Tipayapongtada. The decision to implement the emergency number was due to tourists’ familiarity with the 911 hotline number already, prompting several other countries to implement its use as well. “The Cabinet approved the use of the number months ago,” said Governor Chamroen. “For some reason,…
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Essential Phuket honorary consul meetings resume
PHUKET: Nearly two years after the once regular governor-honorary consul meetings ceased, the important talks linking 16 national representatives and the provincial government resumed yesterday. At the meeting, Pornphan Sittichaivijit, the Royal Norwegian Honorary Consul, tabled nine different issues of concern: travelling insurance, beach management, illegal tour guides, quality tourists, Thai culture public relations, government and private sector cooperation, traffic,…
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Phuket safe, confirm police after US issues world-wide travel alert
PHUKET: Phuket Provincial Police confirmed that international-quality security was in place ahead of the United States Embassy in Bangkok sending a security message to US citizens yesterday. The US travel alert set to expire on February 26 stated: “The State Department alerts US citizens to possible risks of travel due to increased terrorist threats. Current information suggests that ISIL (aka…
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OrBorTor boss not worried by beach businesses’ 10mn-baht lawsuit
PHUKET: The controversial president of the Cherng Talay Tambon Administration Organization (OrBorTor) yesterday shrugged off a 10-million-baht lawsuit filed against him for alleged dereliction of duty. “The owners of two establishments, named Beach Bar and Paul Restaurant, located on Laypang Beach are claiming that I ruined their businesses,” OrBorTor President Ma-ann Samran told the Phuket Gazette. The two restaurants were…
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Police hunt Phuket purse snatcher
PHUKET: Police are hunting a snatch thief that made off with a woman’s purse near the Heroines’ Monument last night. Sukanya Koisinsok, 40, was on the way to a bus stop with her husband in preparation for a trip to Hat Yai. “As my husband slowed down our motorbike, a man in a white shirt rode by and grabbed my…
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A Decade Ago: Development zoning takes center stage
PHUKET: Though the page one story of the 2005 November 19-25 issue is without a doubt the sexiest story of the week, it is the editorial that strikes to the heart of an issue that remains unresolved even now, ten years later: land zoning. Just 15 years ago it was apparently easy enough for corrupt officials in the Land Office…
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Two-year-old drowns after wandering away from home
KRABI: A two-year-old boy drowned in Krabi on Monday after falling from his home in a mangrove forest. The body of Kritsada Kaykina was found under the roots of mangrove trees, about 500 meters away from the family’s home, in Baan Bangkhanoon fishing village, confirmed Anurak Parinyasathiragul, Krabi Marine Police chief. Officials believe that the boy wandered off after his…
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Two busted for smuggling 2.6kg of cocaine into Krabi
KRABI: Officers arrested two women on Sunday for their alleged role in smuggling more than 10 million baht worth of cocaine into the country via Krabi International Airport. Siriwan Yodtheerak, 32, arrived in Krabi on a flight from Manila on Saturday. However, she came to claim luggage on Sunday at about 7:30am, explained Vichak Apirugnunchai, director of Thailand Customs Department’s…
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Region 8 Police seize more than 100 guns in crackdown
PHUKET: Region 8 Police sized more than 100 firearms, including one weapon of war, in a week-long crackdown ahead of tomorrow’s Loy Krathong festivities (story here). “Region 8 Police and local officers in Surat Thani, Nakorn Sri Thammarat, Chumphon, Ranong, Krabi, Phang Nga and Phuket conducted massive raids to get guns and drugs off the streets this week,” said Chalermkiat…
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All invited to cleanup Nai Harn Beach today
PHUKET: Representatives of the Rawai and Nai Harn Business Community, along with staff and other members of the southern Phuket area, are invited to take part in the Nai Harn Beach cleanup from 3pm to 5pm today. Drinking water, bags and gloves will be provided, so participants just need to show up to the beach and be ready to clean,…
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Phuket divers lift 400kg of rubbish from Karon waters [video]
PHUKET: More than 400 kilograms of trash were swept out of a catchment area between Kata and Karon Bay by divers yesterday. The about 25 meter by seven meter patch of rubbish contained numerous plastic products, metal cans, organic material and even underwear and a plastic gun, explained a diver who had scouted out the area prior to the cleanup.…
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Jet-skis threaten Phuket tourism industry, says Ambassador
PHUKET: Jet-ski safety issues were again pushed to the front line during a meeting today, as they remain a serious concern on the island, explained the Netheralands’ ambassador to Thailand. “There are number of issues that are important to us, such as beach safety, beach management accommodations, competitive pricing for taxis and tuk-tuks, and jet-skis,” said Karel Hartogh, the Netherlands’…
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Phi Phi management plan tackles anchors on corals, feeding fish
PHUKET: The first step in saving the marine ecosystem within Phi Phi National Park is to put an end to boats dropping anchor on corals and tour operators allowing clients to feed fish (story here), an expert study announced last week. Damage done by the tourism industry was seen at 12 of the 14 marine areas within Hat Noppharat Thara…
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Phi Phi requests more patrol boats, buoys and staff
PHUKET: An expert adviser from Bangkok submitted a proposal for more boats, buoys and staff to man Phi Phi national park. The proposal was submitted to the Department of National Parks Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) this month. “The national park covers more than 200,000 rai. However, they only have four officers and two small boats, which is just unbelievable,”…
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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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