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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Old Town Festival returns to the heart of Phuket
PHUKET: The 16th annual Phuket Old Town Festival begins today and will continue through Saturday to celebrate Phuket’s unique culture and traditions. The festival will get underway from 4pm, on four roads in the heart of Phuket Town: Thalang Road, Soi Rommanee, Krabi Road and Phang Nga Road. “This is the 16th year we have held the festival. We always…
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Phuket prepares to stave off drought
PHUKET: The Phuket governor yesterday ordered the island’s leading water authority to prepare for drought, despite the agency’s assurances that local water reserves would be plentiful until the annual rains return in May. “This dry season, we must manage our water resources so that any restriction in supply affects as few people as possible,” Governor Nisit Jansomwong told a meeting…
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Irish teen pleads for justice over alleged Phuket corruption, death threats, kidnapping
PHUKET: A video posted on the Facebook page “Justice for Jessie” has gone viral as 15-year-old Irish girl Jessie Vard pleads for justice for her family, who have allegedly suffered from years of police corruption, death threats, property fraud and kidnapping. Jessie posted the video denouncing the Thai police and justice system ahead of her 61-year-old father, Colin Vard, appearing…
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Funeral services for Phuket expat, developer Stephen Paine announced
PHUKET: Viewing and prayers for well-known property developer and long-time Phuket resident Stephen Paine will begin tomorrow at Wat Thep Vanaram in Baan Manik, Thalang. Mr Paine passed away at his villa in Phuket on Saturday (story here). Services will be held daily from 6:30pm to 7:30pm, and will conclude on Friday. Final funeral rites and the cremation will be…
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Jomhod wins MMA debut at Full Metal Dojo 4 (video)
PHUKET: Muaythai legend Jomhod Kiatadisak won his first foray into mixed martial arts (MMA) by defeating Cambodian Vorn “Kun Khmer” Viva at the Full Metal Dojo 4 fight event in Bangkok on Saturday. Jomhod, a former Lumpinee and Rajadamnern muaythai champion who now trains at Tiger Muay Thai in Phuket, defeated Vorn by unanimous decision after three rounds. The fight…
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Body of newborn found in Phuket Town trash
PHUKET: Police are searching for the mother of a newborn boy found dead in a trash bin on Phun Pol Road in Phuket Town last night. “The body was wrapped in towels and placed inside a woman’s handbag in a trash bin near the headquarters of the Kusoldharm Foundation,” said Lt Jariyawat Taencheun of the Phuket City Police. “He was…
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Phi Phi boat owner charged for “aquarium in the wild’
PHUKET: An “aquarium in the wild” boat owner was fined 10,000 baht for improper use of his boat after a Facebook post criticized the operation of breaking the law. The large fish hold of Lok Tai Taley (World Under the Water) had been converted to allow fish to swim freely into it and guests to walk among them, Maj Anurak…
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Brit found dead after night of drinking
PHUKET: The body of a 32-year-old British national was found floating off Coral Island today. The man, whose name is being withheld until next of kin are notified, was last seen drinking at the bar at Coral Island Resort last night. “The tourist checked into the resort on Saturday and was staying alone. He was last seen drinking heavily at…
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Motorcyclist dies in collision on “shortcut’ to Phuket Airport
PHUKET: A woman remains in hospital after a fatal car accident left one motorbike rider dead on the road running parallel to the runway at Phuket International Airport yesterday afternoon. Officers were called to the scene at 5:15pm, confirmed Lt Col Sarit Butnongsang of the Tah Chat Chai Police. “We arrived at the scene to find a Honda Wave motorcycle…
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Man, 64, arrested for slaying fighting cock thief
PHUKET: A 64-year-old man has been charged for killing a fighting cock thief in the hills north of Patong before dawn this morning. Jarus Rattanarat, 64, from Nakhon Sri Thammarat, called the Patong Police at about 1:20am to report the killing himself. “He waited for us to arrive at the scene, at Soi Phra Baramee 7, and told us that…
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Phuket airport taxi flips, Chinese tourist family escape serious injury
PHUKET: A family of three Chinese tourists, including a 5-year-old boy, escaped serious injury on Saturday when the taxi they were in flipped and hit a power pole on Thepkrasattri Road while they were heading to Phuket International Airport. Officers from the Thalang Police were called to the scene of the crash, near Muang Thalang School, at about 11am. The…
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Phuket beach ban rules in handouts, on signs within weeks
PHUKET: In a move to inform Phuket tourists of the latest beach bans and what rules are in force on the sands, Phuket Governor Nisit Jansomwong has ordered that leaflets be handed out at the beaches in four languages. Artwork for the leaflets in English, Thai, Chinese and Russian have been issued to all local administrations, Governor Nisit told the…
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No ban on chartered flights, confirms AoT Phuket official
PHUKET: Phuket International Airport has no plans to ban chartered flights, despite a Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) directive ordering the airport to give priority to commercial passenger flights, an AoT Phuket official confirmed today. “Chartered flights have not been banned from landing at Phuket Airport. However, we must follow the DCA’s directive, which states that commercial passenger airlines with…
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Police move to stem sky lanterns, fireworks at Patong Beach
PHUKET: Police have ramped up their campaign against fireworks and khom loi, the traditional “floating sky lanterns” used in celebrations throughout Thailand, in an effort to stop them being launched on Patong Beach. The campaign began in earnest on Thursday night, when officers arrested vendor Chaichana Khuepkrathok, 38, at his house in Patong for selling floating lanterns on public land…
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Phuket Chinese New Year tour bus slams into motorcyclists, houses
PHUKET: A bus hired by a tour company to take Chinese tourists on a four-day excursion from Krabi to Phuket slammed into two motorcyclists last night, before careening into five shophouses. One of the motorbike riders remains in hospital with head injuries. The 13 Chinese tourists on the bus were unscathed, receiving only minor cuts and bruises. “We received a…
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Chinese New Year pushes Phuket occupancy to 99%
PHUKET: Chinese New Year festivities saw occupancy at registered Phuket hotels hit 99%, despite a projected overall year-on-year decrease in occupancy in the first quarter, said Krisada Tansakul, vice president of Phuket Tourist Association (PTA). In anticipation of a slight downturn in traditional Western markets, many hotels on the island set aside rooms at prices designed to target the Chinese…
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VIDEO REPORT: Muaythai champ heads to Bangkok for MMA showdown
FORMER Lumpinee and Rajadamnern muaythai champion Jomhod Kiatadisak will make his transition to pro MMA complete today, when he takes on top Cambodian fighter Vorn Viva at Full Metal Dojo 4 in Bangkok. Keeping the fight even, Vorn Viva will also be competing in his first MMA fight, to be held at Live House, located near Bangkok’s famed Chatuchak Market.…
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Packaged snacks approved as Phuket beach eats
PHUKET: Packaged snacks have, for the moment, been given an official stamp of approval for consumption on the beach, while Phuket’s local administrative bodies determine what other types of food they might permit us to eat. The clarification comes in the wake of Governor Nisit Jansomwong on Tuesday announcing that smoking and eating would be banned from Phuket’s beaches as…
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Police nail Phuket drug dealer with weapons of war (video)
PHUKET: The arrest of a petty drug user on Wednesday led to police busting a major drug dealer who was found in possession of an M16 assault rifle yesterday. Surasak Rabeabdee, 32, was arrested in a raid on a house in Kuku, north of Phuket Town, Phuket Provincial Police Deputy Commander Peerayuth Karajedee said today. “In the house, officers found…
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Police shoot out drug dealer’s tyres in high-speed chase
PHUKET: Phuket police involved in a high-speed car chase with a drug dealer on Tuesday were forced to shoot out the front tyres of the suspect’s vehicle to stop her escape. Roh Kaewdam, 49, fled the scene of a drug bust near Gems Gallery on the bypass road and headed north toward Bang Ku intersection in a pick-up truck with…
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Breaking News: No tsunami warning after Phang Nga earthquake
PHUKET: No tsunami warning was issued following an earthquake off Koh Yai Yai, east of Phuket, this afternoon. The earthquake, which registered 4.0 on the Richter magnitude scale, was centered in Koh Yao district, at about a depth of two kilometers, explained Santhawat Riwleung, chief of the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) Phuket office. “Many people in Phuket…
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Video Report: Governor disbands Muslim protesters threatening Phuket resort
PHUKET: Governor Nisit Jansomwong was forced to disband a mob of more than 100 Muslims protesters who were threatening to blockade the Phuket Panwa Beachfront Resort today. The angry members of the Baan Ao Makham community, in Wichit, were demanding an explanation from the owner of the resort, who they said was behind a complaint filed about the level of…
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Phuket Police balk at linking French expat hatchet attack to deadly Russian kidnapping
PHUKET: Police have yet to investigate whether or not a brutal hatchet attack on a French expat this month could have been connected to a Russian kidnapping case in Phuket last year. Frenchman Eric Seigneurin, manager of Blue Garden Resort and Spa in Cherng Talay, was attacked with a hatchet outside his home in the area on February 8 (story…
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Wanted Bandido Pechey spotted in Phuket, surrenders in Australia
PHUKET: Wanted Australian biker Brett “Kaos” Pechey, recently pictured at an MMA training camp in Phuket, was taken into custody on landing at Brisbane Airport last Wednesday. Last month, Phuket’s leading law-enforcement authorities told the Phuket Gazette that Mr Pechey was not on their watchlist. Phuket Provincial Police Deputy Commander Peerayuth Karajedee, Phuket Immigration Superintendent Sunchai Chokkajaykij and Phuket Tourist…
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Phuket FC win season opener in Trat
PHUKET: Phuket FC opened their 2015 campaign in the Yahama League 1 with a win over Trat FC last weekend: the “Ronins” defeated the “White Elephants” 0-1. Wasan Samansin, sporting jersey number 11, scored the only goal of the match, beating the Trat goalkeeper in the 18th minute. Trat FC replied well, and in the 58th minute Salahudin Arware came…
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Legendary Chinese National Acrobatic Troupe to launch Phuket Chinese New Year celebrations
PHUKET: More than 50 performers from the legendary Chinese National Acrobatic Troupe, hailed as being among the best acrobats in the world, will be the highlight of celebrations for the Chinese New Year in Phuket tonight. The festivities in Phuket Town will be held at Sanam Chai, opposite Phuket Provincial Hall, where the troupe will take to the stage at…
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Phuket beaches return to TripAdvisor ‘Best in Asia’ rankings
PHUKET: Nai Harn Beach and Kata Beach, both on Phuket’s southwest coast, have ranked in TripAdvisor’s top 10 list for Asia, with two beaches in Krabi also making the grade. Nai Harn beach ranked third (click here), while Kata beach returned to the rankings, coming in at number eight. Railey Beach and Phra Nang Beach, in both Krabi, ranked seventh…
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No Beach Butts: Phuket bans smoking, eating on sands
PHUKET: Smoking and eating are now banned on Phuket beaches following a press conference today to clarify the new “no beach chair” rule (story here). Governor Nisit Jansomwong called the conference following tourists’ protests of police officers asking them to remove their beach chairs from the sands (story here). “Despite smoking and eating being banned, people will still be able…
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French tourists survive Phuket airport van crash
PHUKET: Three French tourists escaped serious injury when the passenger van they were in blew out a front tyre and tumbled onto the median guard rail en route to Phuket International Airport this afternoon. Yassin Bouhou, 31, suffered a broken left leg and compatriot Franky Legueulle, 33, broke his left arm in the accident, confirmed Lt Col Watcharin Jirattikarnwiwat of…
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Locals file complaint against construction of LPG gas station
PHUKET: Chalong Mayor Samran Jindaphol led a group of 20 local residents to Phuket Provincial Hall yesterday to formally request that Governor Nisit Jansomwong halt the construction of a new LPG gas station. Construction started on the station, on Chao Fa East Road south of Soi Ta-iad, but was soon put on hold after residents filed a complaint with the…
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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