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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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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Budget approved for billion-baht prison in Phuket
PHUKET: A 1.1-billion baht budget was approved to build the island’s new prison, Phuket Governor Maitri Inthusut revealed today in an exclusive interview with the Phuket Gazette. “The budget has already been approved by the National Council for Peace and Order [NCPO] and transferred to the Department of Corrections. We will go ahead with the project as soon as possible,”…
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Soccer Schools Tournament to kick off at Thanyapura
PHUKET: Phuket Soccer Schools (PSS) is bringing the National Youth Tournament back to the island, with over 320 players competing in four age divisions. This year’s tournament, to be held on September 27 and 28 at Thanyapura, will see clubs flying in from various parts of Thailand, including Bangkok, Pattaya and Koh Samui, as well as local Phuket teams. To…
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PACC delays charges over alleged dive extortion – again
PHUKET: The conclusion of an investigation of three Chalong Police officers for their alleged abuse of power has been set back again, confirmed the Public-sector Anti Corruption Commission (PACC). “We still need more time to finish compiling our case,” said Lt Col Wannop Somjintanakul, the PACC officer leading the investigation. He declined to provide a specific date. Col Wannop told…
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Two die, two injured, travelling four-up on Phuket motorbike
PHUKET: Two ethnic Mon men died and another two were seriously injured in Phuket after the motorcycle they were riding slammed into a tree last night. “According to witnesses the four men, all riding on the same motorbike, were travelling at high speed when they hit a tree on Thepkrasattri Road near Baan Tah Reua Shrine at about 11:40pm,” explained…
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Death threats, powerful people force Phuket national park chief to resign
PHUKET: Death threats and influential people unhappy with the reclaiming of public land have forced Sirinat National Park Chief Kitiphat Tharapiban to step down after only three months. “There are many reasons that I have to resign. We had many conflicts with powerful people, even though I was doing the right thing,” Mr Kitiphat said. In August, military bodyguards were…
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Three men ambush British motorist in northern Phuket
PHUKET: Three men ambushed a British national and his wife as they slowed their motorbike at a speed bump in northern Phuket last night. “My wife and I were attacked and knocked off our motorcycle at 9:00… on the road that connects Sri Soonthorn Road with the Alan Cook Cricket Ground,” Iain Richardson told the Phuket Gazette. “Three teenagers were…
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Smoke on the water: Boat operators warned of Phuket haze
PHUKET: Boat operators have been warned of limited visibility at sea as hazy skies shroud Phuket following heavy rains and subsequent warm weather. “The haze is a result of recent heavy rainfall combined with high levels of humidity in the atmosphere,” said San Jantharawong, chief of the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) Phuket office. “In this situation, visibility…
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Phuket and Penang become twin cities
PHUKET: Phuket Town and George Town in Penang, Malaysia, became official twin cities after signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at Phuket City Hall today. Inspired by the two cities’ long-established historical relationship, the decision was seen as an important move in facilitating the exchange of expertise in areas of tourism, business and cultural heritage (story here). “Both cities have…
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Man, believed drunk, falls off motorcycle, drowns in ditch
PHUKET: A man drowned last night after falling off his motorcycle into a roadside ditch flooded by recent monsoon rains. Police were called to the scene – opposite a Muslim cemetery in Sakoo, south of Phuket International Airport – where they found the body of Supap Petcharat, 58, lying in the 70-centimeter-deep ditch. His motorcycle was lying on its side…
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Phuket OG269 disaster ushers in B34mn lottery windfall for airport staff
PHUKET: Four people – all staffers working at Phuket International Airport – won government lottery prizes yesterday totaling more than 34 million baht. One of the prize winners, Saowaluck Katekaew, won 4mn baht after choosing the lucky number 269 in memory of the One-Two-Go Flight OG269 disaster that killed 89 people seven years ago to the day on Tuesday. Miss…
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Phuket health officials challenge Chang over Vegetarian Festival ‘beer flags’
PHUKET: The Phuket Provincial Health Office (PPHO) has filed a complaint against those responsible for emblazoning flags heralding the upcoming Vegetarian Festival with Chang Beer logos. Krit Sakulpat, deputy chief of the PPHO, led a delegation to Phuket City Police Station yesterday to lodge a formal complaint against ThaiBev, the company that produces Chang Beer, and Jui Tui Shrine for…
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K-1 World Max Final is coming to Thailand
PHUKET: The world-renowned Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) tournament – K-1 World Max Final – is coming to Thailand on October 11. During the event, which will be held at the Indoor Athletics Stadium in Pattaya, Thailand’s martial arts fans will witness Buakaw Banchamekgoing battle it out with Enriko Kehl. The event will be telecast live worldwide. Should Buakaw be able…
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ICC claim a fortunate place in the T20 final
PHUKET: The semi final playoff between ICC and Thalang was shortened due to a lengthy rain delay and ended with calculators out on the ground and ICC being awarded entry into the Outrigger Twenty20 cup final. After the morning’s friendly match was shortened with waves of bad weather blowing across the Island, Thalang’s captain won the toss and elected to…
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Phuket Town water shut off for pump station repairs
PHUKET: Taps throughout Phuket Town ran dry at 9am today as Phuket City Municipality shut off the water supply to some areas so that workers could repair power cables for one of the main water pumping stations serving the town. The water supply is scheduled to return at 4pm. For more information, call the Phuket City Municipality Water Supply Office…
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Electric shock puts Phuket TOT worker in hospital
PHUKET: A Phuket TOT worker was rushed to hospital after suffering an electric shock while installing cables near the Baan Kamala Intersection yesterday afternoon. Kamala rescue workers arrived at the scene at about 2pm, where they found two men attempting to remove 19-year-old Boonlong Taweepa from a hodge-podge of wires, Lt Solae Damad of the Kamala Police told the Phuket…
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Rubble on Surin Beach not part of clean-up plan, says Mayor
PHUKET: The shocking piles of rubble on Surin Beach are not part of an initiative to clean up the beach area, confirms Cherng Talay Mayor Ma-ann Samran. Following the demolition order for illegal buildings on the beach, workers have started using the rubble to create a makeshift seawall. “The dumping of rubble along the beach to stop erosion is not…
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Phuket preps for 2014 Vegetarian Festivals – both of them
PHUKET: Yellow and red flags are popping up around the island ahead of the world-renowned Phuket Vegetarian Festival, which will kick off on September 24 at shrines across the island. The much anticipated annual festival, which will run until October 2, will begin with a ceremonial raising of go teng poles to allow the Jade Emperor and the Nine Emperor…
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Phuket Governor nominated for Interior Ministry promotion, successor revealed
PHUKET: Maitri Inthusut has been nominated for promotion from his current position as Governor of Phuket to Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Interior, effective October 1. Governor Maitri was among more than 30 high-ranking officials nominated by the Ministry of Interior for promotion or transfer in a list to be presented to the Cabinet today, reported The Nation. Any…
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Brigade of Krabi officials tear down more than 100 illegal structures
PHUKET: An 800-strongbrigade of Krabi officials removed 80 squatters from an old palm oil plantation and demolished more than 100 illegal structures today. “We told the people that they had to leave the area before noon,” said Bunnsueb Samakrad, director of the Forest Resource Management. “This land belongs to the Royal Forest Department. After the palm oil company’s licence for…
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Sixteen corrupt officials to be charged for B100bn national park land scandal
PHUKET: Sixteen officials will face negligence charges for their alleged involvement in causing more than 100 billion baht of damage by illegally issuing land documents in Phuket, the Royal Forestry Department revealed in Bangkok yesterday. The accused officials had been involved in issuance of illegitimate land deeds and documents since 1987, department head Theerapat Prayurasiddhi said. Eight of the officials…
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Phuket fisherman drowns after returning to port for safety
PHUKET: A fisherman who returned to port due to rough seas collapsed and fell into the water at the fishing port area in Rassada, on the east side of Phuket Town, yesterday, and was found dead two hours later. Witnesses told police that Songyot Choophol, 39, fell from the fishing boat Sor Narongrit 1 while he was casting out mooring…
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Phuket local finds cobra curled up in bathroom sink
PHUKET: A Phuket villager was shocked to find a cobra curled up in his bathroom sink when he went to hang up his underwear to dry last night. The startled man called Ruamjai Rescue Foundation workers to the scene to have the reptile removed. “The home owner said that he had gone into the bathroom to hang up his clothes…
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Aussie yachties dodge 10,000 baht fine east of Phuket
PHUKET: A 10,000 baht fine lodged against an Australian-owned yacht was dropped after officials confirmed that the vessel was registered with the Phuket Marine Office. Over the weekend, four Australian yachties claimed that a group of six uniformed Thai marine officers had shown up on a dinghy and had attempted to extort money from them while at sea in Phang…
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Naked man found murdered, washed up on Phuket beach
PHUKET: The naked body of a man with his feet and hands bound was found washed up on a Phuket beach on Saturday morning. “We received a call at about 8am from a local villager, saying that the body of a man had been washed up on Tah Nun Beach, about half a kilometer from the Sarasin Bridge,” Capt Terdsak…
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Forensic police to probe fire at B20mn Phuket mansion
PHUKET: Phuket Forensic Police have been called in to investigate a fire that broke out yesterday afternoon at a home costing 20 million baht under construction in Cherng Talay. The house, named Baan Palita, is about 90 per cent complete, said Lt Thanapop Rattanaburi of the Cherng Talay Police. “Damage caused by the fire is estimated at about 1 million…
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Phuket yachts brave 25-knot gusts for weekend regatta
PHUKET: A brave few challenged the windy and wet conditions on Chalong Bay yesterday for Race 4 of the Ao Chalong Yacht Club (ACYC) Series 2 2014 weekend regatta. Catamarans Galeforce and Shiraz accompanied by monohull Sansiri started the course with a downwind run. Even though Kirril Stashevskiy’s Galeforce crossed the start line some 10 minutes after “Capt Ron” Ellis’s…
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Drug dealer pulls gun on Phuket police
PHUKET: A drug dealer pulled a gun on a group of Phuket police officers as they moved in to make an arrest at a Srisoonthorn community housing project today. “When officers presented themselves to 28-year-old Kriengkrai Chookeaw, he attempted to fight back and pulled out a gun,” said Lt Col Jarun Bangprasert of the Phuket Provincial Police. After a short…
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Phuket “ya ice butcher’ facing murder charges for meat-cleaver attack
PHUKET: A Phuket man, who in a drug-crazed fit killed his friend, injured his girlfriend and tried to commit suicide, is facing serious charges for the horrific August 14 attack. Niwat Sampoosri, 25, who later tested positive for ya ice (crystal methamphetamine), is facing charges for murder, assault with a deadly weapon and use of an illegal drug, confirmed Capt…
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Maimed sea turtle found tangled in net on Phuket beach
PHUKET: A maimed sea turtle tangled in a fishing net washed up on Phuket’s popular Kamala Beach yesterday afternoon. Kusoldharm Foundation rescue workers were called to the scene by locals, and brought the badly injured Olive Ridley sea turtle to the Phuket Marine Biological Center (PMBC) at Cape Panwa. “The turtle had grown tired from dealing with the big waves…
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Motorbike crashes into group of Chinese tourists in Phuket
PHUKET: A motorbike driver plowed into a group of five Chinese tourist standing at the Thalang-Bandon intersection in Phuket last night. Two tourists, Xuxlao Qlano, 32, and Xiaomei Kang, 29, both received minor injuries after the motorbike struck them – three of their companions managed to avoid being hit. “The 21-year-old driver, Peerapong Soisai, told us that it was very…
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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