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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Sponsored 5 hidden healthcare costs in Thailand and how to avoid them
Thailand's healthcare system is affordable and supported by the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) scheme, offering essential services to most citizens. However, hidden healthcare costs can surprise patients and lead to unexpected expenses. These include specialist fees, insurance gaps, emergency services,...
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Housewife wins new car in Phuket Red Cross Fair lucky draw
PHUKET: Chalong housewife Sompit Khaopong claimed a brand-new Toyota Altis 1.6, valued at more than 800,000 baht, as the grand prize in the annual Phuket Red Cross Fair lucky draw. Governor Nisit Jansomwong and his wife Mrs Nutsaree, who is the president of the Phuket Red Cross, presented the car to Mrs Sompit at the Phuket Red Cross head office…
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Yokohama FC arrives ahead of Phuket friendlies
PHUKET: About 50 players and support staff from the Japanese football club Yokohama FC arrived in Phuket this morning, ahead of their two friendly matches against Phuket FC at Surakul Stadium on January 22 and 25. The squad will be here until January 26. They will train at the Republic Phuket football field at Chaofa Thani housing estate on Chao…
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Phuket Aussies unite to provide mobility scooter for disabled Bangla vendor
PHUKET: A group of Australians in Patong will hold a fund-raising event at the Kangaroo Bar on Soi Bangla Friday night in order to provide a mobility scooter for long-term street merchant Wilaiwan “Wan” Damnui. “Wan works in Patong, around the Bangla Road area, selling various wares. She’s been here as long as I can remember, which is more than…
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Phuket’s Munchy Machine almost totalled in hit-and-run [video]
PHUKET: The Munchy Machine, part of Phuket’s Tuk-Tuk Diner fleet (story here), was almost totalled in a hit-and-run accident near the TX Soccer Stadium in Samkong at about 4am yesterday. “We arrived at the scene and spoke to eye-witnesses, but nobody was able to describe the vehicle that slammed into the tuk-tuk before careening off into the support pole of…
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Bryde’s whale spotted north of Phuket
PHUKET: The sighting of a Bryde’s whale by tourists in the Surin Islands National Park off the coast of Phang Nga, north of Phuket, has raised hopes that the marine environment off the Andaman coast is improving. The whale was spotted swimming alongside a boat operated by Kuraburi-based Sabina Tours. “The tourists, who came from Phuket and Phang Nga to…
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Thai Pencak Silat fighters bring home gold
PHUKET: The 16th Pencak Silat World Championships ended yesterday with Thai fighters walking away with four gold, one silver and six bronze medals. “So many people attended the closing ceremony to cheer on Thailand. There were lots of students and teenagers from Phuket and other provinces – the 4,000-seat stadium was packed,” said Chayanee Saiyasuk, presenter and representative of the…
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Sunloungers allowed during Patong Beach trial period
PHUKET: Though there will be no sunloungers available for rent in the special vendor zones on Patong Beach, beachgoers are allowed to bring their own, Patong Mayor Chalermluck Kebsup confirmed to the Phuket Gazette today. “Tourists are welcome to bring their own umbrellas, beach mats or sunloungers,” Ms Chalermluck said. “Or they can rent beach mats or umbrellas from vendors…
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Gov vows to make Phuket world-class yacht, cruise ship hub of SE Asia
PHUKET: Governor Nisit Jansomwong has vowed to make Phuket a world-class hub for yachts and cruise boats in Southeast Asia by putting his weight behind a multi-million-baht harbor expansion project at the island’s Deep Sea Port. The governor’s resolve follows a meeting on Tuesday headed by Minister of Transport Air Chief Marshall Prajin Janthong, who announced plans to make Phuket…
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Dtac brings 4G to Phuket
PHUKET: Total Access Communication Public Company Limited, commonly known as dtac, on Thursday announced the roll out of 4G services in Phuket. Phuket is the first southern province to receive 4G service, after dtac launched in Bangkok. “In 2014, internet usage in Phuket [grew] by 150% compared to the previous year. The top five favorite applications used in the area…
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Wanted Aussie Bandido Brett Pechey not on Phuket police watchlist
PHUKET: Local law enforcement chiefs today confirmed that wanted Australian biker Brett “Kaos” Pechey, who is currently living in exile, is not a wanted man in Phuket – but they are keeping a lookout for him. Mr Pechey is the former president of a Bandido chapter in Brisbane and wanted on extortion and riot charges in Queensland. He was featured…
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Phuket’s Grumpy Old Men to remember expat Little John
PHUKET: The island’s Grumpy Old Men Society (GOMS) will hold a memorial service in Rawai tomorrow in honor of a special request by Phuket expat John Devenport, who died last year (story here). The event at Gig’s Jam Club will start at about 8pm, with the Thai band Cold Chilli playing into the night. “John passed away in England and…
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NFL Conference Championships: Final four
PHUKET: There were some great games, along with a few surprises and questionable calls, in last weekend’s ‘divisional playoff’ round in the National Football League (NFL). When it was all over, the results only reinforced what most seasoned observers already knew: having an ‘elite’ quarterback is a key to playoff success. NFC CHAMPIONSHIP GAME Green Bay Packers vs Seattle Seahawks…
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Phuket sailors ready for ACYC yacht race teaser this weekend (video)
PHUKET: The Ao Chalong Yacht Club (ACYC) will hold the first of three family fun day races on Sunday with a race around Koh Lone, off the east coast of Phuket. “All are welcome to join the ACYC Sunday sailing races. Breakfast is available at the club from 8am. Anybody wishing to sail but does not have a boat is…
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Phuket robbers rip ATM from wall
PHUKET: Police are searching for at least two suspects who ripped a Siam Commercial Bank ATM off a pharmacy wall at Baan Manik, in Thalang, before dawn this morning. However, the suspects fled without stealing any of the cash inside, as police believe they are startled by a passer-by who spotted the thieves attempting to cut open the ATM with…
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Euro PGA player Shiv rates Laguna Phuket’s new course “exceptional’
PHUKET: European Tour and Asian Tour player Shiv Kapur last Sunday rated the re-designed course at Laguna Phuket Golf Club as “an exceptional golf course” that maintained traditions of the game. “You walk off with a smile on your face,” he said at the inaugural tournament held to officially open the course. Kapur began the 76-player Scramble tourney with an…
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Bread crumbs no problem for coral reef, says Phuket official
PHUKET: Despite specialists’ worries, the director of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports (MOTS) Phuket office explained that feeding fish bread in small quantities is no cause for concern. “Officers from the Phuket Marine Biological Center [PMBC] say that feeding fish will change their natural habits. However, based on my experience, I do not think that it is wrong to…
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Czech busker on Bangla reunited with his family
PHUKET: The Czech father who was busking on Soi Bangla for money while his 6-year-old daughter lay in hospital after being hit by a car has been reunited with his family. Phuket Tourist Police officers visited Lucas Matena and his family at Bangkok Hospital Phuket on Tuesday, where Mr Matena’s daughter Rebeka was recovering from a broken jaw. The officers…
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Sausage delivery truck rams logging trailer in high-speed crash
PHUKET: A delivery truck rear-ended a 10-wheeled trailer hauling felled rubber trees at high speed on Thepkrasattri Road yesterday, resulting in massive traffic tailbacks on one of the island’s busiest highways. Police and Kusoldharm Foundation rescue workers were called to the scene, in the southbound lane, at about 6:30am. The truck driver, 25-year-old Pongsak Inthong, admitted to having been speeding…
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Yosemite climbers reach top of El Capitan in historic ascent
PHUKET: Two climbers completed a historic 19-day ascent to the summit of Yosemite National Park’s El Capitan in California on Wednesday after scaling the rock formation’s 3,000-foot (900-metre) sheer granite face without climbing tools, representatives said. Tommy Caldwell, 36, and Kevin Jorgeson, 30, made it to the top of El Capitan at 3:30 p.m. (2330 GMT), spokeswoman Jess Clayton of…
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Grenade lighter sparks bomb scare at Phuket health center
PHUKET: A cigarette lighter shaped like a grenade sent patients and medical staff scurrying for cover at a local health center in Phuket today. Phuket City Police Deputy Superintendent Chao Phomna called in the bomb squad at about 12:40pm after a patient reported seeing a grenade by the front door of the center, named as the Songserm Sukhapharp Hospital. “We…
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Police nail two drug dealers in Rassada
PHUKET: A team of Phuket City Police officers arrested two major drug dealers yesterday in possession of nearly 75 grams of ya ice (crystal methamphetamine) and more than 200 ya bah (methamphetamine) pills. Phuket City Police Deputy Superintendent Santi Chai-niramai and an anti-narcotics team, acting under nationwide orders from the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) and the Royal…
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Police silent on fatal Phuket tour bus crash probe
PHUKET: Police have closed the books on a fatal crash in Kamala that left nine Russian tourists injured after their tour bus collided with a Ford Fiesta (story here). The 37-year-old driver of the car, Tantima Thaworn, later succumbed to her injuries (story here). “The case was closed shortly after the death of Ms Tantima,” said Lt Col Nanon Pitakkultorn…
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Phuket’s top police get shake-up: eight transferred
PHUKET: A sweeping transfer of eight of the island’s 10 police superintendents comes with short notice as the Phuket high season charges into 2015. Public Affairs Division of the Royal Thai Police announced the orders this morning, though the transferees were officially confirmed by Region 8 Police Commissioner Decha Budnampeth on January 9. “I am surprised that so many of…
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Teen shooters arrested in Phuket
PHUKET: The drive-by shooting that left a 19-year-old dead on the streets of Phuket Town on December 29 was a mistaken hit, the shooters have confessed to police. Police arrested two teens, given the pseudonyms “Joey”, 15, and “James”, 16, in a house near Kathu Temple yesterday for the shooting death of Chalong Netphetdang, 19, originally named by police as…
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Water tanker crushes pick-up truck in Kamala villa estate
PHUKET: A water tanker rolled backwards down a hill and crushed a pick-up truck outside a residence at Jomchang Villa in Kamala yesterday afternoon, only moments after the pick-up driver got out of her vehicle. Kamala Police officers called to the scene were told by witnesses that the pick-up driver, who declined to be named, had escaped almost certain death…
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Russian hitchhikers spared dangerous nighttime jungle trek
PHUKET: Two Russian women were spared the ordeal of becoming lost in the Phang Nga jungle after a police officer realized that they were heading for potential trouble last night. Named by police only as Ms Susan, 21, and Ms Vilka, 23, the women were spotted heading into the jungle at Khao Nang Hong, a 400-meter-high mountain eco-tourist site. The…
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Molly’s fatal road in Phuket fixed
PHUKET: Officials have fixed the rural road that claimed the life of 7-year-old Molly Anne Bailey after the truck she was travelling in plunged into a massive sinkhole. The sinkhole did not have any lights or obvious signs warning drivers of the hole. There was only a dark green plastic net with a sign that read “Road Cut Off”. The…
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Video Report: World Pencak Silat Championship biggest – ever, say officials
PHUKET: At the the opening ceremony on Saturday, officials marked the 16th World Pencak Silat Championship 2015 as the largest such event for the Indonesian martial art. “Under the campaign ‘Uniting Silat, Uniting the People’, we hope to raise the world’s awareness of this sport. We hope that all pencak silat member countries will be united and grow strong,” said…
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Siblings drown off Krabi on Children’s Day
PHUKET: A pair of siblings drowned after they were swept out to sea off Nopparat Thara Beach in Krabi on Children’s Day. Vimvipa Keawyai, 14, and her 12-year-old brother, Vongvut, were swimming with friends in the Son Canal, about 20 meters from their parents, when the accident occurred. “My wife and I stayed on the beach while the children went…
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Phuket cyclist arrested for robbing store with lighter gun
PHUKET: Police tracked down and arrested a known cyclist early this morning after he robbed his local Family Mart convenience store with a lighter gun to buy some beer a few hours earlier. Key to finding the suspect, Narin Gamegaeman, 26, was that he made his getaway on his bicycle, said Maj Col Thitirat Arsakij of the Thung Thong Police.…
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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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