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 yachts wrap up race series with plain sailing
PHUKET: After the stormy conditions last Saturday, sunny skies and mild conditions greeted the competitors on the Sunday for the Ao Chalong Yacht Club’s (ACYC) Race Series 2 final race day. The final placings came down to who was the most consistent and which boats turned up regularly – persistence and commitment count, helped along for the first time this…
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Phuket’s new vice governors to arrive on Monday
PHUKET: Two senior officials will arrive in Phuket on Monday to start their new roles as vice governors, providing Phuket Governor Nisit Jansomwong with his full complement of three deputies. According to the official order published by the Ministry of Interior, Phuket’s new vice governors are Suthee Thongyam and Pranrob Singhasanee. Mr Suthee was promoted from his post as Provincial…
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Phuket truck driver charged over fatal motorbike collision
PHUKET: A helmet-less Phuket motorbike passenger was killed in an accident on Thepkrasattri Road this morning. Lt Col Sanit Nukong of the Thalang Police was called to the scene, in a northbound lane near the Baan Muang Mai u-turn, at about 10am. In the middle of the road, he found Wirat Sironghoi, 45, gripped with grief, leaning over the body…
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Key Phuket vice governor ordered to post near Bangkok
PHUKET: Phuket Vice Governor Chamroen Tipayapongtada, 52, today confirmed that he has been ordered to take the post of vice governor in Nakhon Pathom province, on the outskirts of Bangkok, effective December 1. “I have no regret leaving Phuket. I did all my best during my time here,” Vice Governor Chamroen told the Phuket Gazette today. “I will miss Phuket.…
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Gone in 60 seconds: Prolific Phuket motorbike thieves busted
PHUKET: It took a gang of motorbike thieves operating in Phuket less than one minute to make off with a single bike, a process which the criminals admitted to repeating hundreds of times. The revelation comes as police netted four members of a group operating on the island that has managed to ride off with more than 200 motorbikes over…
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Illegal croc north of Phuket lands owner in hot water
PHUKET: An elephant camp owner will be charged only for the illegal ownership of a crocodile after confessing to police that he had also recently possessed a gibbon that died a few months ago. A complaint was filed to a variety of departments about the Khao Lak Elephant Camp, based north of Phuket, which tourists claimed tortured a gibbon and…
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Fears surge over Phuket sea gypsy child prostitution
PHUKET: After being contacted by the Phuket Gazette today, local officials and community leaders are taking action over fears that children and teens at the sea gypsy village in Rawai are entering a downward spiral of drugs and prostitution, with girls as young as 10 reportedly offering sexual services to adults. Rawai sea gypsy community leader Ngeem Damrongkaset, 69, told…
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Scores arrested in Beach Games crime crackdown
PHUKET: An island-wide crime sweep during the Asian Beach Games resulted in more than 150 arrests and turned up scores of weapons, illegal drugs and counterfeit items, Phuket’s top cop revealed yesterday. “We must maintain Phuket’s good image and uphold the policies of the Royal Thai Police. It is our job to keep everyone safe and to prevent crime,” Phuket…
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Phuket beach vendors fear police investigation
PHUKET: More than 100 out-of-work beach vendors gathered at Phuket Provincial Hall yesterday to file a complaint with the governor regarding a land encroachment investigation by the Karon Police. The vendors presented the letter to Governor Nisit Jansomwong – along with a letter from the Ministry of Interior, dated January 3, 2005, that gave permission for people to operate businesses…
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Video Report: Laguna Phuket Triathlon marks historic victory
PHUKET: Italians Massimo Cigana and Alberto Casadei made history together at the Laguna Phuket Triathlon (LPT) yesterday as they crossed the finish line as one and became LPT’s first dual champions in the annual event’s 21-year history. Cigana, who won in 2008, 2010 and 2011, also became the triathlon’s first four-time champion, and once again carved his name into the…
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Coral poachers pounce on Phi Phi, south of Phuket
PHUKET: Residents and tourists must immediately report any signs of coral poaching to officials, Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) Region 5 Chief Tanet Munnoy told the Phuket Gazette on Saturday. “Quick action is necessary to clamp down on corals being stolen from marine national parks, because the criminals behind the work move rapidly,” Mr Tanet said. “They have…
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Illegal beach vendors not operating on Phuket, says official
PHUKET: Vendors have not resumed operations on public-beach land confirmed the president of the Cherng Talay Tambon Administration Organization (OrBorTor) to the Phuket Gazette today. A national news story yesterday reported that a group of defiant beach vendors, including restaurant operators and masseuses, had returned to the sands of Cherng Talay to re-start their businesses for the yearly influx of…
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Deep South Army officer found dead in Phuket pond
PHUKET: Police will conduct an autopsy on the body of a Deep South Army officer whose remains were found in a Phuket pond yesterday. Police and Kusoldharm Foundation rescue workers were called to the scene, behind Rock Garden Village in Rassada, at about 3:45pm, where the body of Sgt Jassada Suton, 31, was found. Sgt Jassada was stationed with the…
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Thailand crowned Asian Beach Games champions
PHUKET: Thailand closed the final day of the 4th Asian Beach Games in Phuket yesterday with two more gold medals in the beach sepak takraw to be crowned official Games champions for the second time with a haul of 56 gold, 37 silver and 33 bronze medals. Defending champions China placed second overall, with 16 gold, 11 silver and 21…
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One injured in boat engine explosion north of Phuket
PHUKET: Navy officers conducted a helicopter rescue mission north of Phuket after a man was injured in an engine room explosion early this morning aboard a boat transporting olive oil to Myanmar. Royal Thai Navy Region 3 rescue teams were dispatched by helicopter and speedboat, with a Vachira Hospital medical team in tow, after they received the report of the…
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Tourism industry leaders demand jet-ski cowboys be reined in
PHUKET: The lack of progress in reining in jet-ski operations on Phuket was one of many key topics at the American Chamber of Commerce (AMCHAM) forum yesterday, which focused on the future of Phuket’s marine tourism industry (story here). “We now have another governor to speak to, and, unfortunately, the first subject is going to be jet-skis,” Phuket Honorary Consul…
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South African family searches for missing son last seen in Phuket
PHUKET: The family of a South African man who went missing after arriving in Phuket in June is asking for any information about his whereabouts or safety. Ezra Jansen, 31, last contacted his mother on June 11, the day after he arrived in Phuket. “I tried to call him on his phone on June 11, but I could not get…
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Beach-umbrella ban remains, confirms Phuket Governor
PHUKET: Governor Nisit Jansomwong has confirmed that umbrellas are not allowed on Phuket’s beaches until further notice. “If people keep bringing their own umbrellas to the beach, it will only cause confusion and endless misunderstandings,” he told the Phuket Gazette yesterday. “Until an official announcement is made, bringing umbrellas to the beach is not permitted. This is what we must…
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NFL Week 12 underway as Raiders record first win
PHUKET: Beleaguered Thailand-based fans of the Oakland Raiders finally had a reason to cheer on Friday morning local time, when their team chalked up its first win of the season, 24-20, against AFC East division rivals the Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday Night Football (TNF). Even though playing in the friendly confines of Oakland Alameda County Coliseum, the 0-9 Raiders…
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Phuket officials consider postponing Christmas Day tsunami drill
PHUKET: Officials are considering postponing the Christmas Day tsunami drill in Phuket after receiving complaints from tsunami victims preparing for the 10th anniversary of the tragedy (story here). “Several foreigners filed complaints directly to me saying that they don’t want to witness the full-scale tsunami drill so close to the 10th anniversary day,” Governor Nisit Jansomwong told Phuket Gazette today.…
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British woman reunited with birth mother decades later in Phuket
PHUKET: A British national, born to an Aussie mining-site manager and a Thai woman in 1960 and then given up for adoption six months later, was reunited with her birth mother in Phuket after 54 years apart. Kimberley Ferreira, 54, was able to hold her 79-year-old mother, Yoklern Jankaew, in her arms for the first time yesterday due to the…
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Norwegian Dokset, on trial for Phuket murder, faces verdict in January
PHUKET: Stein Harvard Dokset, a retired car dealer from Norway and long-term Phuket expat on trial for the murder of his ex-girlfriend Rungnapa Suktong, will have his verdict handed down after the New Year. The news came today after Mr Dokset testified in court. “Mr Dokset today gave his own testimony as a defense witness,” said the public prosecutor involved…
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Central Group opens its first learning center in Phuket
PHUKET: Central Group, in collaboration with the Ministry of Education, opened Phuket’s first learning center last week at Baan Sapam Mongkol Wittaya School. Built and equipped with 3 million baht in funding donated by the Central Group, the new Chirativat Community Learning Center is part of the mall developer’s nationwide plan to build such centers in all 77 of Thailand’s…
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Video Report: Muay Thai starts swinging for the Olympics
PHUKET: The head of the two leading sports associations representing the Thai national martial art Muay Thai submitted a formal request on Tuesday for the sport to be included in the next edition of the Asian Games, to be held in Indonesia in 2018. The ultimate goal is to see the sport included in the Olympics, explained Dr Sakchye Tapsuwan,…
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No change in Rohingya policy as new top Navy brass takes charge in Phuket
PHUKET: Though their has been a change of top brass at the Royal Thai Navy’s Third Area Command, based in Phuket, the official policy for managing the overwhelming flow of refugees and illegals escaping violence in their home countries remains unchanged. The recently transferred Vice Admiral Sayan Prasongsamrej, now Commander of the Royal Thai Navy’s Third Area Command, told the…
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Asian Beach Games: China makes its move
PHUKET: Thailand were given a scare yesterday when their grip on the Asian Beach Games crown was loosened by a strong surge from reigning champions China, who scooped nine golds to leapfrog into second. At press time, the hosts lead the medal charge with 34 gold, 25 silver and 28 bronze medals, with China on 14 golds. Thai athletes enjoyed…
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Welding sparks blamed for Phuket quarry facility fire
PHUKET: Sparks from a welder fixing a roof are believed to have set a quarry building on fire in Baan Yamu, on Phuket’s east coast, late last night. Two teams of firefighters arrived at the quarry at about 11:20pm. They brought the blaze under control within about 30 minutes. “One of our staff was welding on the roof,” said 49-year-old…
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Two men injured after losing control of truck on notorious Phuket curve
PHUKET: Two men in a pick-up truck sustained minor head injuries after the driver lost control on a wet Phuket highway and slammed into a local shop on the side of the road. The driver, 62-year-old Somsak Jamjan, and his co-worker in the passenger seat, who police have yet to publicly identify, were travelling southbound on Thepkrasattri Road when Mr…
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AMCHAM forum to tackle Phuket’s critical marine tourism issues
PHUKET Registration is building for the American Chamber of Commerce (AMCHAM) in Thailand’s special forum focusing on the future of Phuket’s marine tourism industry, to be held tomorrow evening (click here). “Many people have expressed great interest in the joining the forum and we’re looking forward to a large turnout from people who have concerns to be addressed and ideas…
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Two men nabbed in Phuket for posing as monks, begging for “alms’
PHUKET: Patong Police arrested two men yesterday for posing as monks after their odd behavior aroused suspicion and gave the charlatans away. Manit Keawsen, 33, and Sod Nhamjaidee, 49, both from Suphan Buri, were arrested in front of a 7-Eleven store on Sainamyen Road, while they were begging for “alms” from passersby. “I saw them just before noon while I…
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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