Phuket News
Phuket news, politics, business, tourism, and nightlife—stay updated with breaking stories, events, and expat updates from Thailand’s top island destination. Get the latest from The Thaiger, your trusted Phuket news source.
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AoT yet to set Phuket launch date for APPS
PHUKET: Airports of Thailand (AoT) has yet to confirm the exact Phuket launch date for the Advance Passenger Processing System (APPS), which will see all international passengers paying an additional 35 baht for background checks. “Initially, the APPS was expected to be launched in December. However, AoT was informed that airlines had already sold many tickets in advance for that…
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Search continues for missing Korean tourist
PHUKET: Rescue workers have resumed their search for a Korean tourist who went missing in the heavy surf off Kata Noi yesterday evening. “Seo Seungin, 45, was swimming in a red-flag area with his girlfriend when he went missing,” said Supachai Janphet, chief of Karon Municipality Tourist Rescue Center. “The area is watched by hotel lifeguards, but they didn’t see…
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Officers flag four suspicious Phuket companies
PHUKET: The Phuket Business Development Office (BDO) is investigating four companies for possibly using Thai nominees to maintain control over their businesses. “The names of the four companies, comprising three tour companies and one property company, have yet to be revealed, as the investigation is still underway and charges have not been filed yet,” confirmed Phuket BDO Chief Nimit Kangkajit.…
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What’s the short-term fix for Phuket public transport?
PHUKET: A number of projects have been put in motion to improve the public transport sector following the cleanup of the taxi mafia by the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) last year. There are many long-term projects that have been on the table for years, such as the light-rail system. However, there have also been several new initiatives,…
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HM the Queen’s birthday celebrations underway
PHUKET: Celebrations of the auspicious occasion of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit’s 83rd birthday, which is also National Mother’s Day, began early this morning. At 7:10am, Phuket Governor Nisit Jansomwong led the island’s top officials in offering alms to 84 monks at Sanam Chai (Chai Field) near Provincial Hall. Those attending the special occasion dressed in blue in honor of HM…
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Heavy rains increase damage to closed road
PHUKET: A road in Koh Kaew has been closed for safety reasons due to its poor quality of construction and the island’s recent heavy rains. Soi Koh Kaew 33, a main route from Thepkrasattri Road past the Phuket Gazette offices to the British International School, is now closed to all traffic after local officials deemed it too dangerous to use.…
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A Decade Ago: Angry taxi drivers and a “Poop-free Patong Bay’
PHUKET: Phuket Governor Nisit Jansomwong is making great efforts – with what appears to be the buds of success – to make metered taxis a pillar of public transport on the island. However, a decade ago, then-Governor Udomsak Uswarangkura was hearing a different tune as his metered-taxi push left his car stuck in a sea of furious airport ‘limousine’ drivers.…
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Another heavy weather warning issued for Phuket
PHUKET: The Office of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) has issued a new flash flood, landslide and heavy weather warning for an additional four days, DDPM Phuket Office Chief Santhawat Riwleung confirmed to the Phuket Gazette today. “We are anticipating heavy rains, which could lead to further flash floods and landslides from today to August 14,” Mr Santhawat said. “Please…
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Virgin Australia’s withdrawal won’t hurt Phuket
PHUKET: Phuket tourism and arrival numbers will not be affected by Virgin Australia cancelling flights to Phuket and Bali from Adelaide, Melbourne and Perth, Director of Phuket International Airport Monrudee Gettuphan confirmed today. Virgin Australia will replace services with its budget offshoot Tigerair in a bid to stem bleeding from its international operations, where losses widened to AUS$69 million for…
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TAT pushes Phuket greens for “green season’
PHUKET: The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is doing its best to get domestic tourists and expats living in Thailand onto Phuket’s greens during the region’s ‘green season’ with the Phuket Golf Festival. From now until the end of September, the TAT is backing a special promotional price for six golf courses in Phuket, as well as special flight rates…
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Gibbon touts re-discovered on Phi Phi
PHUKET: Dressed up gibbons were spotted being touted day and night on Phi Phi island last weekend. However, police and national park officers insisted to the Phuket Gazette that they were unaware that the practice of charging tourists to take pictures with the protected species was continuing in the small party town of Ton Sai. The situation was brought to…
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BISP Cruzeiro Football Academy spend summer in Brazil
PHUKET: This summer, eight boys from the BISP Cruzeiro Football Academy, based at British International School Phuket (BISP), trained at the home of Brazilian champions Cruzeiro EC to learn about the facilities, watch training sessions and meet the players. Cruzeiro International Development Coordinator Adriano Queiroz explained that the Phuket-based student-athletes were invited to spend a month in Brazil where they…
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Post Office continues to deliver illegal drugs to Phuket
PHUKET: Illegal drugs are continuing to be delivered by the Thai Postal Service, despite concern being raised nationally early last month, said the Thalang District Chief last week. The confirmation came on Saturday morning as officers arrested Siriphop Jaitrong, 35, as he was picking up 5.4 kilograms of kratom leaves from the Pa Khlok Post Office. Thalang District Chief Veera…
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Gunman shoots one at crowded Chinese ceremony in Phuket
PHUKET: Police are hunting a gunman who shot a man during a crowded ceremony in front of the Guan Yu shrine in Chalong last night. Rescue workers and police arrived at the scene to find Teearapon Ponsamak, 24, crying in pain from a gunshot wound to his abdomen. “Mr Teearapon’s friends told us that he was at the shrine celebrating…
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New push to turn Phuket into medical tourism hub
PHUKET: Phuket Governor Nisit Jansomwong is ready to help local hospitals make a push into the medical tourism industry as millions of baht flow in for eye-care centers. “More than 30 million baht has been approved for eye-care centers at public hospitals, specifically Vachira Phuket Hospital and Patong Hospital,” Governor Nisit said in an exclusive interview with the Phuket Gazette…
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Many areas suffer severe flooding
PHUKET: Local officials and Thalang District Chief Veera Kerdsirimongkol took their boats out to check on about 50 households in Baan Nai Yang yesterday after they were inundated with about a meter of water. The Phuket Provincial Electricity Authority [PEA] shut down power to the affected area to prevent accidents, confirmed Narong Petcharat, a Sakoo Administration Organization (OrBorTor) council member.…
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Phuket officials issue landslide, flash flood warning
PHUKET: The Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) Phuket office has issued an official landslide and flash flood warning for several areas on Phuket following days of heavy rain. The alert was issued for parts of Kamala, Cherng Talay and Thepkrasattri. “Earlier this week, we asked every local government office to be aware of the weather conditions that could lead to…
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Special Report: ‘Pink Panther’ passes
PHUKET: Legendary champion of Phuket people and the highest elected official on the island Paiboon Upatising lost his battle against colon cancer on August 2 at the age of 58, with his wife and eldest son by his side. The former Phuket senator, suspended President of the Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (PPAO) and charter President of the Rotary Club of…
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Phuket Governor announces beach chair judgment day
PHUKET: The island’s beach chair dilemmas will see one final meeting before the controversial subject is laid to rest, Phuket Governor Nisit Jansomwong told the Phuket Gazette in an exclusive interview yesterday. “Prince of Songkhla University (PSU) Phuket campus will present their results to me on August 20,” Governor Nisit said. “We will consider the information they bring to the…
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Two-day Phuket demolition comes to end
PHUKET: Two days of demolishing illegal buildings on Phuket’s west coast came to an end yesterday with local officials vowed to return and remove any other illegal structures found. “The owners of two venues, including Octopus restaurant, were fully aware of the orders to vacate the premises and tear down the structures,” said Thalang District Chief Veera Kerdsirimongkol, who led…
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Severe flooding at Samkong intersection
PHUKET: Flash floods at the Samkong intersection created long tailbacks as the weather warning issued by the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) remained in effect this morning (story here). “To deal with the flood at the junction we added one more water pump to the construction site, in addition to the two that are already there,” Samak Luedwonghad,…
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Phuket’s small boat warning remains in effect
PHUKET: The warning issued by the Phuket Marine Office for all boats less than 10-meters long to stay ashore remains in effect today. “However, it is fine for smaller boats to access nearby islands, such as Coral Island, Koh Lon or islands in Phang Nga Bay,” said Natchapong Pradit of the Phuket Marine Office. The letter issued by the Department…
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Phuket tourist saves turtle from fishing net
PHUKET: A tourist saved the life of a sea turtle on Lay Pang Beach by alerting lifeguards after finding it entangled in a discarded fishing net on Tuesday morning. “We helped to cut the turtle free after the tourist told us about it,” Aknek Santrawa, a lifeguard of Angsana Laguna Phuket, told the Phuket Gazette. The approximately one-year-old turtle had…
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Food still on table as armed drug dealer gives police the slip
PHUKET: Police are hunting an armed drug dealer who managed to flee his home before officers arrived last night to seize a cache of drugs worth more than 5 million baht and a number of firearms. “When we arrived at the suspect’s home at Si Suchat Grand View 5 in Rassada, the air conditioner was still on and there was…
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School laptop thief arrested at worker camp
PHUKET: Police arrested a Myanmar national on Tuesday for allegedly swiping laptops costing an estimated 240,000 baht from Satree Phuket School’s science and math center last month (story here). “We were able to arrest the suspect, known only as Mr Lek, at about 2pm in a worker camp. At his place were seven of the 10 stolen laptops and the…
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Facebook post helps identify drowned woman
PHUKET: Facebook users were able to identify the woman who plunged to her death off Rawai Pier yesterday, after pictures of her body were posted on the social media platform. Witnesses saw Sriwann Sarapoo, 49, walk down the pier in the heavy rain at about 8:30am. “We were told that she walked to the end of the pier, where the…
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Phuket DDPM warns of heavy rains, flash floods and landslides
PHUKET: The Office of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) has issued a five day weather warning for Phuket starting today. “As there will be heavy rains, as well as the possibility of flash floods and landslides, for the next five days, everyone needs to be very careful,” said Santhawat Riwleung, chief of the DDPM Phuket Office. “I have already forwarded…
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A Decade Ago: Tsunami warning issued in Phuket
PHUKET: More than seven months after the devastation of the tsunami tore apart communities along the Andaman coast and swept away entire villages in Indonesia, Thailand’s National Disaster Warning Center (NDWC) issued a tsunami warning. An earthquake measuring 7.3 on the Richter scale had struck the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, only 664 kilometers from Phuket, but no tsunami rose from…
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Unique Four Regions Fair’ to start on Mother’s Day
PHUKET: A special ‘Unique Four Regions Fair’ will take place on Mother’s Day, HM Queen Sirikit’s birthday, on August 12 and continue through August 16 at Sanam Chai Park in Phuket Town. Organized by the Royal Thai Navy’s Phuket-based Third Area Internal Security Operations Command [ISOC] and sponsored by the provincial police and municipality, this nationwide event is the fourth…
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Swedish tourist falls from Phuket hotel
PHUKET: A Swedish tourist and a Thai woman took a tumble from the balcony of their room at the Phuket Paradise Hotel in Patong early this morning. “When we arrived at the scene, Dahlin Erik Conny, 33, was unconscious and Numpueng Kumpuong, 26, was crying out in pain on the ground,” said Lt Col Jessada Saengsuree of the Patong Police.…
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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