Phuket News
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Officials ramp up search for missing American diver
PHUKET: Officials ramped up their search yesterday for an American diver who went missing from a Similans-bound liveaboard on April 11. Joshua Michael Devine, 36, a civilian IT operative working at a United States military base in Kuwait, was on the CRP Transport diving trip with his Thai wife, Thadsana, and 22 other divers (story here). The Phuket Marine Police…
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Phuket bomb fears disarmed by wet clothes
PHUKET: Fears that an abandoned bag might contain a bomb sent an Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) unit and Wichit Police racing to Sriphuwanart Public Park on Pattana Thongthin Road in Wichit on Tuesday evening. “Wichit Police informed us that they had received a call from locals who had seen a bag that looked like a bomb, so we immediately went…
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Japanese tourist drowns on Krabi snorkelling tour
PHUKET: A tourist who owns a cosmetic company in her native Japan drowned while snorkelling at Koh Gai, off the Krabi coast, yesterday. “Akemi Kato, 52, was pulled from the water at about noon,” said Capt Prapan Nhuchaikaew of the Krabi City Police. “Ms Kato was one of 10 tourists on a speedboat tour run by Ao Nang Orchid Co…
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Drunk drivers targeted as Phuket police relax enforcement on Songkran bans
PHUKET: Police in Phuket targeted drunk drivers, arresting hundreds of people driving under the influence yesterday, while relaxing their efforts to enforce other banned Songkran activities, the Phuket Gazette was told today. Prior to yesterday’s celebrations, a nationwide ban that Phuket police said that they would be strictly enforcing was put on sexy outfits, sexy dancing and rolling water-fight trucks.…
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No deaths on day five of Phuket’s Seven Days of Danger
PHUKET: The island escaped another day in the Seven Days of Danger road-safety campaign without a single death yesterday. By the end of day five, at midnight last night, 49 people had been injured in a total of 48 road accidents, according to the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Phuket office (DDPM-Phuket), which collates all road accident statistics in…
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Three killed in Krabi palm plantation stabbing
PHUKET: Krabi police are hunting two men wanted for the stabbing murders of three men in a palm plantation in Nuea Khlong early this morning. “We were notified of the attack just after midnight,” said Nuea Khlong Police Superintendent Taksin Phochakorn. “Four men found at the scene had serious stab wounds – three died en route to hospital.” Police are…
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Phuket search continues for missing American diver
PHUKET: The Phuket Marine Police are continuing their search today for an American scuba diver who went missing from a Similans-bound liveaboard early Saturday morning. Joshua Michael Devine, 36, a civilian IT operative working at a United States military base in Kuwait, was on the CRP Transport diving trip with his Thai wife and 22 other divers. “We arrived in…
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Changing winds: Minister puts weight behind changes to boost marine tourism
PHUKET: A special task force has been formed to come up with viable suggestions for changes to visas and yacht-charter regulations to help boost marine tourism in Phuket, with a working deadline for rolling out the changes by 2016. “The task force comprises officials from relevant government agencies, including the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Tourism and Sports and…
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Zero road deaths as Phuket enters day five of ‘Seven Days of Danger’
PHUKET: The island has made it more than halfway through the nationwide ‘Seven Days of Danger’ road-safety campaign for Songkran without a single death. By the end of day four, at midnight last night, there were 34 people injured in a total of 33 road accidents, according to the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Phuket office (DDPM-Phuket), which collates…
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Phuket bus terminal eviction order for taxis put on ice
PHUKET: An eviction order to move taxi drivers from Phuket’s main bus terminal in Rassada has been put on ice until after the Songkran holiday, a vice governor has confirmed to the Phuket Gazette. The news follows a meeting chaired by Vice Governor Somkiet Sangkaosutthriak on April 8 in response to a request lodged by 30 taxi drivers for intervention…
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Comment: Gazette Forum back on line after major revamp
PHUKET: Critics, complainers, doomsayers, drifters, fraudsters, panhandlers, trolls and all the other intellects lurking among the cognoscenti of Phuket, can get back to their keyboards. The island’s largest online forums are back up and running after a major revamps. The Phuket Forum was taken off line earlier this month as record traffic, mostly from the local marine department, cops and…
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Fishing boat explosion leaves seven crew seriously injured
PHUKET: Seven Myanmar fishermen were seriously injured after a battery allegedly exploded, sparking a fire inside their fishing boat off the coast of Phang Nga early this morning. One of the Myanmar nationals, whose name was withheld by hospital staff, is in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at Vachira Phuket Hospital after he sustained severe burns to his entire body,…
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Krabi officials launch tourist boat-safety inspections following deadly ferry fire
PHUKET: Krabi officials are launching a series boat-safety inspections, starting today, to ensure that all tourist boats are safe for use during the long Songkran holiday. “The checks will run until Wednesday. Uniformed officers will be stationed at popular tourism spots to inspect the boats and help tourists,” said Maj Anurak Parinyasathiragul of the Krabi Marine Police. “We will have…
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F1: Tilke, tyres, temperatures and tricks
PHUKET: Well, my Melbourne forecast was spot on, and my Sepang forecast was not. Ferrari, which I thought would have problems staying ahead of Williams, stayed ahead of the field. That raises a few questions. Has Ferrari sufficiently improved to take Mercedes to the checkered flag in Abu Dhabi? If it does, I intend to be there. However, I am…
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Phuket Police boost security following Koh Samui bombing
PHUKET: A Phuket top cop has confirmed that he will boost security measures on the island following a car bomb exploding on the resort island of Koh Samui last night. “In short, we will strengthen our security measures and keep a closer eye on tourist locations, as well as areas where the public generally gathers,” Phuket Provincial Police Deputy Commander…
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Video Report: Goldie, Eka take stage tonight for Music is My Life at Xana
PHUKET: World renowned, British DJ Goldie is joining forces with Number One Hit Canadian soul artist Eka for the charity jam ‘Music is My Life’ at Xana Beach Club on tonight, starting at 9pm and running late. The show is a tribute to passionate underground Phuket DJ Josh Ezelle, who died in a motorbike crash last year on his way…
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Phuket Immigration, other government offices to close for Songkran
PHUKET: The Phuket Immigration Office, as well as other government offices on the island, will be closed starting tomorrow in celebration of the Songkran holiday. Doors will re-open on April 16, confirmed Phuket Immigration Chief Sunchai Chokkajaykij. “Our office and the Patong Immigration Office will both be closed for five days, starting tomorrow,” he told the Phuket Gazette today. “Any…
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Survivors of Phuket ferry inferno start flying home
PHUKET: Ten of the tourists who survived the lethal ferry blaze that killed 12-year-old Israeli girl Shani Manil on Wednesday (story here) have flown home, police confirmed. “The 10 people who flew out of Phuket yesterday said that they needed to get back home,” said Phuket Provincial Police Deputy Commander Samarn Chainarong. “We have their statements already, so there was…
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Triathlon Superkidz take charge in Phuket
PHUKET: More than 180 kids took part in the Thanyapura Superkidz Triathlon 2015 event on April 4. The event pulled young athletes from around the world – Sweden, New Zealand, Netherland, American, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Bangkok, Australia, UK, Germany – as many of them prepare for the International Junior Challenge slated for later this year. The triathlon was broken…
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Phuket Bike Week riders mount up for charity (video)
PHUKET: Riders joining the Phuket Bike Week 2015 festivities, which get underway at Loma Park in Patong today have their hearts and their helmets set on doing more than just showing off the best motorbikes in the region. Among the activities this year is a mass release of sea animals at the Royal Thai Navy base at Cape Panwa to…
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British, Australian expats arrested for ATM card fraud
PHUKET: An Australian and a British expat have been arrested for using data from skimmed ATM cards to withdraw cash in Phuket. British national Jamie Steven McKee, 31, and Australian Darrin John Williams, 48, were arrested near Karon Circle on Wednesday night after police received a tip-off. “Our officers identified the men from the description given, and approached them at…
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Shotgun, drugs seized in pre-Songkran raids
PHUKET: Patong Police arrested seven suspects in possession of an illegal weapon and drugs yesterday as part of a series of raids to be carried out through the Songkran holiday. Police first arrested Songchai Warisayakorn, 37, at his rental room in Patong, after being tipped off by nearby locals. “We found a Remington shotgun and a 9mm Glock pistol, as…
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Thalang stumps ICC in cricket face-off
PHUKET: The Thalang Cricket Team defeated Island Cricket Club in baking 35บC conditions at the Alan Cooke Ground in Thalang last weekend. Thalang entered the match without their captain Bill Stahmer and key run scorer Justin Thomatos, while the ICC were without medium pace bowler Pir Sami. TCT’s stand-in captain Andrew McMillan won the toss and chose to field first.…
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Hungarian dope smuggler arrested in Phuket
PHUKET: Hungarian national Kocsis Szabolcs Laszlo, 41, was presented to the press in Bangkok by Immigration Bureau commissioner Sakda Chuenpakdee yesterday after his arrest in Phuket on March 15. Mr Laszlo was wanted for allegedly smuggling 35 kilograms of marijuana from the Netherlands to Hungary on seven occasions, Lt Gen Sakda explained. The Immigration Commissioner said that police had arrested…
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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…
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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