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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Phuket FC whale on Dolphins
PHUKET: Phuket FC’s 2-0 victory over the Pattaya Dolphins at Surakul Stadium in Phuket Town last Saturday elevated the home side move from 10th to sixth place on the Yamaha League One table. Phuket FC striker Andre Louis Rodrigues Lopez of Brazil opened the scoring in the 59th minute, with fellow forward Berlin Nlome Ndebi sealing the match with a…
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Australian arrested for Phuket plantation scam
PHUKET: An Australian man and his alleged Thai accomplice have been arrested in Khon Kaen for allegedly swindling money out of many foreigners in Phuket. Shaun Michael Albert Maher, 41, and Rossarin Phowichai, 25, were arrested in Khon Kaen province on Tuesday. The arrests are related to complaints filed in Phuket province by many foreigners, who say the two suspects…
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Police recover body of Israeli girl, ferry fire victim Shani,12
PHUKET: The Krabi Marine Police have confirmed that they have recovered the body of Israeli girl, Sani Manil, 12. Shani was the sole victim in the fire that gutted and sank the Ao Nang Princess 5 ferry while en route from Krabi to Phuket on Wednesday (click here). Rescue workers recovered the girl’s remains from the sunken wreck at about…
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Israeli girl missing after tour boat catches fire and sinks near Krabi
FILE PHOTO: Identical vessel to the one that caught and sank yesterday A 12 year old Israeli girl remains missing from a tourist boat incident, whilst travelling to Phuket from Krabi. The boat caught fire and eventually sank yesterday afternoon (Monday) around 3.30pm. About 100 other foreign tourists were safely rescued. The ferry belongs to Ao Nang Travel Tour Company. The boat, named Ao Nang…
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Tourists rescued from blazing Phuket ferry
PHUKET: More than 80 passengers, including tourists, and five crew were safely evacuated from a ferry that caught fire while en route from Krabi to Phuket this afternoon. Maj Anurak Parinyasathiragul of the Krabi Marine Police confirmed that he received a report that the Ao Nang Princess 5 was in distress at 4pm. Staff at Ao Nang Travel and Tour…
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Customers flee as fire guts Phuket SuperCheap
PHUKET: Staff and customers fled for their lives early this morning as flames engulfed a SuperCheap mini-mart store in front of the Phuket Villa 5 housing estate on Chao Fa West Road. “One of the staffers said that there were about 10 customers in the shop when they noticed flames coming from a fridge,” said Lt Col Peerapan Meemak of…
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Umbrellas, sun loungers seized in Phuket beach raids
PHUKET: More than 100 pieces of beach furniture were seized in northern Phuket today, following complaints of beach encroachment being filed to the Thalang District Office. “This morning about 30 officers from the Thalang District Office and Cherng Talay Administration Organization (OrBorTor) took part in the raid on Lay Pang Beach and Surin Beach,” Thalang District Office Chief Administrative Officer…
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Phuket taxi drivers fight bus terminal eviction
PHUKET: A sortie of about 30 taxi drivers arrived at Provincial Hall today to plea for intervention into an eviction order forcing them to cease operations at Phuket’s main bus terminal in Rassada. The drivers, led by Yod Sae-Lee, carried banners saying: “We formed a legal taxi co-operative more than 10 years ago. We are forced to leave by Rassada…
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Phuket underpass late to grand opening
PHUKET: Despite the Darasamut Underpass being treated to a grand opening ceremony yesterday (story here), the island’s first underpass did not open to traffic until this afternoon. “We expected to open the underpass after the ceremony yesterday, but we had to fix the electric lane markers,” Samak Luedwonghad, director of the Phuket Highways Office, confirmed to the Phuket Gazette today.…
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Efforts continue to re-float beached Phuket yacht
PHUKET: The salvage team attempting to re-float the yacht still stranded on the sand at Kata Beach will make another attempt today, nearly a week after the boat was beached by a passing storm. The Inisfail of the Isles of Scilly was beached on Wednesday after the boat drifted on her anchor. Attempts by the two Australian men on board…
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Alleged Phuket baby rapist, killer surrenders to police
PHUKET: A male nanny wanted for the alleged rape and killing of a 1-year-old boy in Phuket Town surrendered to police last night. However, the 38-year-old man has denied the allegations. Police launched a manhunt for Somsak Yakob after he called the child’s mother to tell her that her son had fallen to his death. He left the baby’s battered…
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Malaysian arrested for hacked credit cards in Phuket
PHUKET: Tourist Police arrested a Malaysian man at Phuket International Airport this weekend for having hacked credit cards in his possession. Mohd Jaris Tan Bin Abdullah, 50, was arrested shortly after landing on board AirAsia flight FD3017 at 5:05pm, said Phuket Tourist Police Chief Urumporn Koondejsumrit. The arrest followed a tip-off by Kasikornbank (Kbank). “When he arrived, we searched him…
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Phuket manhunt launched for alleged rapist, baby killer
PHUKET: Police are hunting a male nanny who allegedly raped and killed a 1-year-old boy in Phuket Town on April 3. The 38-year-old man, Somsak Yakob, called the child’s mother on Friday night to tell her that the baby had fallen to his death. Mr Somsak met the baby’s mother, named by police only as ‘Mon’, that night at the…
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Former Miss Universe fights Phuket gibbon touts
PHUKET: Former Miss Universe Natalie Glebova visited Phuket today to raise public awareness about gibbons being illegally owned and used as props for photo opportunities. “As a celebrity, I can use my voice and my platform to spread awareness to other people, and say, ‘Hey, when you see gibbons, don’t take a picture with them’,” Ms Glebova said. The Russian-Canadian…
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#SaveVasilisa campaign launched for comatose 3-year-old girl
PHUKET: An online campaign is gaining momentum to raise funds for a 3-year-old Russian girl who lies comatose in hospital after falling unnoticed into a swimming pool at a Phuket resort. Vasilisa Sagunova arrived in Phuket with her parents on March 27. That same day she fell into a pool at the resort where they were staying, reports the Save…
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Phuket’s first underpass officially open to traffic
PHUKET: The island’s first underpass, dubbed ‘Darasamuth Underpass’, officially opens to traffic today, after two years in the making. The grand opening event has drawn high-ranking officials, both local and national, to the site of the 600-million-baht underpass. In attendance were both Minister of Transport Air Chief Marshal Prajin Juntong and Minister of Finance Sommai Pasri, as well as Phuket…
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Phuket Oilfield Classic golf tourney returns for charity
PHUKET: The 7th annual Arnco Phuket Oilfield Classic golf tournament will return on April 9-12, with players lining up to tee off at the Red Mountain and Loch Palm golf courses over two days. The competition will begin with the traditional Texas Scramble at Red Mountain on April 10 with an 18-hole shotgun start at 12:30pm. The next day, players…
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Phuket thieves arrested on Koh Samui
PHUKET: Two men wanted for robbery in Phuket and believed to be holding fake Turkish passports were arrested in Koh Samui yesterday. Murad Mohammad Yahya, 37, and Wesam Kamal Murad, 27, are accused of stealing a Rolex watch, cash and other valuables worth more than one million baht, as well as illegally entering Thailand and presenting fake identification. Both men…
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Bangkok-Phuket bus flips in Krabi, 20 injured
PHUKET: A bus travelling from Bangkok to Phuket overturned in Krabi early this morning, leaving at least one woman seriously injured. Officers arrived at the scene of the crash, in the Khao To area in Krabi’s northernmost district Plai Praya, at about 6:30am. “The driver had fled the scene,” said Capt Prasert Jamsai of Plai Phraya Police. “The bus belongs…
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Phuket FC take on Pattaya in Surakul showdown
PHUKET FC will be looking for all three points from their match against the Pattaya Dolphins at Surakul Stadium tomorrow in the hopes of delivering a double blow to their Yamaha League One rivals. Both teams are tied with seven points on the league table, and only goal difference separating the two sides. Pattaya is currently on top in seventh…
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Phuket dealer busted with meth valued at B7mn
PHUKET: Police arrested a 26-year-old drug dealer found in possession of ya ba (methamphetamine) pills with a street value of more than 4 million baht yesterday. Wuttichai Boonnga, 26, was arrested at the Tah Chat Chai checkpoint at about 4am as he attempted to leave Phuket. “Mr Wuttichai’s car was stopped and searched by officers. Inside, police found 10 ya…
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Motorbike selfie raises fears over Phuket driver safety
PHUKET: Fears of distracted Phuket drivers were heightened following a woman on a motorbike who was spotted taking a selfie as she was driving. “I saw a girl take a selfie on my way to Paklok the other day – this is incredibly dangerous,” Phuket Governor Nisit Jamsomwong told a meeting of about 100 officers who were preparing for the…
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Phuket yachties help re-float Aussie’s beached boat
PHUKET: Local yachties rendering assistance to a 50-foot ketch stranded on Kata Beach hope to have the classic timber yacht afloat tonight. Two Australians were on board the boat, the Inisfail of the Isles of Scilly, when it was beached by a passing storm on Wednesday. They had recently arrived in Phuket from near Ranong when they were caught out…
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Phuket Poll: Keeping lifeguards on the beaches
PHUKET: As regular as the return of the deadly rainy-season surf that will soon lurk off Phuket’s west coast, the island is again facing the reality of not having any lifeguards on the beaches to save and protect swimmers – tourists and residents alike – from drowning. The lifeguards packed up their life-saving equipment and walked off Phuket’s beaches at…
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Phuket police warn of arrests for breaking Songkran no alcohol, safety rules
PHUKET: Police have warned that drunk revellers and people caught drinking alcohol in water-play zones across Phuket during the Thai New Year Songkran holidays next week will be removed from the zones and may face charges. Phuket Provinical Police Deputy Commander Teeraphol Thipjaroen yesterday pledged that all officers will strictly enforce a zero-tolerance of any people breaking the alcohol ban…
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Phuket pilots blitz on fishing-boat slaves, trafficking
PHUKET: Department of Fisheries Inspector-General Khemchat Jewprasart arrived in Phuket yesterday to launch a 10-day blitz on inspecting fishing boats in order to crack down on human-trafficking in the area. Phuket, Chumphon, Ranong and Songkhla were the first four provinces in the country to pilot the crackdown, Mr Khemchat explained. “A temporary center has been opened at the main fishing…
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Phuket honors HRH Princess Sirindhorn’s 60th birthday
PHUKET: Leading dignitaries on the island held a special ceremony this morning to honor and celebrate the 60th birthday of HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn today. Phuket Governor Nisit Jansomwong, his wife Nutsaree, and a host of other public officials led the offering of alms to 60 monks as part of a blessing ceremony at the central stage area at…
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Phuket Police laugh off B875mn CCTV prank
PHUKET: Phuket Police have confirmed that the rumored installation of 6,000 CCTV cameras on the island in order to catch high-speed motorists is a prank. The message shared yesterday on various social media sites stated that each camera would cost about US$4,500 (about 146,000 baht apiece) and would have the capability to turn 360 degrees and capture high-resolution images. Phuket…
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Fists fly over Russian birds on Phuket beach
PHUKET: An out-of-work lifeguard faces a 4,000-baht fine and up to three years in prison for an attack on two Russian women tourists on Karon Beach on Monday. Jaruay Wongkleang, 31, surrendered himself at Karon Police Station on Tuesday night after Marina Panko and Iana Savchenko, both 24, filed a report of the assault in broad daylight on Monday. “One…
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Phuket’s short-time prisoners to walk first in mass pardon
PHUKET: Convicts serving only short sentences at Phuket Prison have been given priority in being granted freedom in a mass pardon to be honored tomorrow. Prison Director Pichit Wanajit has applied to the Phuket Provincial Court for release warrants for 233 prisoners, including 25 women. The prisoners are to be released in accordance with a royal pardon issued by HM…
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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