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 floods strike, sink Patong Police Station again
PHUKET: The Patong Police Station flooded for the third time in two weeks as another heavy rainstorm pummeled Phuket earlier this afternoon. “The water is up to our hips at the station,” said Lt Col Suttichai Tianpho of the Patong Police. “The computers and case files have remained on the second floor since the last flood. Now we are moving…
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Full Metal Dojo brings MMA to Patong once more
PHUKET: “Full Metal Dojo 2: Protect Your Neck” saw fighters from around the globe (including Thailand, Sweden, France, Canada, Philippines, Cambodia, Afghanistan, Japan and more) enter the cage. History was also made as a professional Thai-against-Thai women’s MMA bout took place inside the kingdom for the first time. FMD veteran Michael Dubois took care of business in under 30 seconds,…
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HRH Princess Srirasmi lands in Phuket to open ‘Family Love Center’
PHUKET: HRH Princess Srirasmi, the Royal Consort of HRH Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn, today graced the opening ceremony of the “Family Love Center” in Phuket. The center is aimed at encouraging better family ties between generations: children, parents and grandparents. Princess Srirasmi landed on the island at about 11am and was welcomed by Phuket Governor Maitri Inthusut and high-ranking officers.…
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Homeless Brit found sleeping rough in Phuket
PHUKET: A homeless British man and his Thai girlfriend were picked up by police early this morning after they were discovered sleeping rough in Phuket. Alarmed villagers called police after the couple were discovered huddled together in front of a Cherng Talay house, Sub Lt Jira Cherdchay of the Cherng Talay Police explained. “At the house when we arrived, we…
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Phuket splashes out on education, health in B1.4bn budget
PHUKET: The Phuket Provincial Administrative Organization (PPAO) has named health and education as its top priorities in its budget request for fiscal year 2015. The PPAO Council voted to splash out on the two critical areas on Friday, when PPAO President Paiboon Upatising revealed the draft budget of 1.445 billion baht. The PPAO is aiming to spend 407.6 million baht…
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British children, abducted by Thai mother, reunited with father in Pattaya
PHUKET: British school children Annie and Aleena Day, abducted by their Thai mother in June while on holiday in Thailand, have been reunited with their father in Pattaya. “I’ve got them. They’re with me now,” a tearful Robert Day told Pattaya radio station Fabulous 103FM late Friday night (click here). Onwarat Gamlem, the 36-year-old non-custodial mother of the children, was…
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Sluggish United held by Sunderland, Spurs thrash QPR
PHUKET: Manchester United laboured to a ponderous 1-1 draw away at Sunderland on Sunday that delivered a first Premier League point of the season but laid bare their dire need for reinforcements. After Tottenham Hotspur had made it six points from two games with players condemned as expensive mistakes last season starring in a 4-0 victory over Queens Park Rangers,…
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Broad-daylight burglars make off with jewellery, cash from Phuket home
PHUKET: Burglars bashed in the front door of a Phuket home and made off with about 150,000 baht of loot yesterday. “Three people live in the house in Thalang: me, my son and my wife. Nobody was home when the thieves broke in. We had all left the house in the morning and didn’t return until about 6pm that evening,”…
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British expat one of four in Phuket on Ebola watchlist
PHUKET: A British expat is one of four people still being monitored by the Phuket Provincial Health Office (PPHO) for possible signs of Ebola. Health officials at Phuket International Airport this month added Ebola to their watchlist as a precaution against the deadly virus being carried to the island by visitors (story here). “We are monitoring all tourists arriving from…
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Phuket Marine Police tackle drug-fuelled violence in fishing industry
PHUKET: Four men tested positive for methamphetamine yesterday when Phuket Marine Police conducted a spot check of fishermen in an attempt to stomp out drug-fuelled violence on fishing boats. “We did the drug tests to prevent drug-related violent clashess,” Col Chatchai Sakdee of the Phuket Marine Police told the Phuket Gazette. The positive test results from four of the 169…
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Over easy: Russian flips BMW in Phuket
PHUKET: A 24-year-old Russian national suffered only minor injuries after flipping the BMW she was driving on Thepkrasattri Road. “Irina Mishina told us that she was heading toward Phuket Town when one of her back tires blew out. She then lost control of the car, and swerved into the median,” Lt Col Sanit Nookong of the Thalang Police said. The…
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Phuket Police adopt rapid-response policy for missing children
PHUKET: Anxious parents of missing children no longer have to wait 24 hours before police can take action to find them, under a new policy revealed by Phuket City Police Superintendent Sermpan Sirikong last week. “Now, when someone in your family goes missing, you can inform police immediately,” said Col Sermpan. The new policy came into sharp focus this week…
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Officials probe baby elephant chained in Phuket parking lot
PHUKET: A woman elephant trader will present herself to the Livestock Office tomorrow to prove she has legally acquired a baby elephant that is being kept on a small chain in the parking lot of a Phuket market. Officers from the Phuket Livestock Office this week moved quickly to investigate a tip-off that the baby elephant was bound on a…
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Pedophile rapes 14-year-old with wife’s help north of Phuket
PHUKET: A pedophile has confessed to raping a 14-year-old undocumented Myanmar migrant worker with the help of his wife in Khao Lak, north of Phuket, confirmed the Khuk Khak Police yesterday. Police declined to name the man, who was the girl’s employer, until charges are pressed. According to the girl’s statement, the man, “Mr A”, and his wife offered to…
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Would-be looter bungles Phuket ATM raid
PHUKET: A would-be looter, or looters, left empty-handed after a failed attempt to break into an ATM machine and steal its cash contents early this morning. Police received a call at around 6am informing them that the Siam Commercial Bank (SCB) ATM in front of the mega SuperCheap complex on Thepkrasattri Road had been damaged in an attempted robbery. “There…
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From disqualification to contention for Tringale
PHUKET: A week after disqualifying himself for a scoring decision at the PGA Championship, Cameron Tringale turned the page and fired an opening 66 on Thursday to put himself near the top of the leader board at The Barclays. Tringale said he felt a sense of relief in putting the incident behind him – at a cost of $53,000 (1.69…
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Djokovic, Federer favoured for grand slam sequel
PHUKET: Top seed Novak Djokovic and number two Roger Federer are favoured to wage another title showdown in the last grand slam of 2014, although some emerging young guns have other ideas for the U.S. Open starting on Monday. Djokovic and Federer’s path to a championship clash could be less troubled than usual with the absence of last year’s winner…
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Phelps impresses in first international comeback race
PHUKET: Michael Phelps made an ominous return to international competition on Friday, qualifying for the final of the 100 metres freestyle at the Pan Pacific championships at Australia’s Gold Coast. Taking on the world’s best sprinters in an event he rarely competed in even at his peak, Phelps won his heat and touched the wall in 48.45 seconds. His time…
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Navy leads raid on Koh Raet residents
PHUKET: Officials yesterday warned residents on Koh Raet, off the east coast of Phuket, that their buildings will be torn down in 30 days if documentation authorizing construction cannot be produced. The alleged land owner, Pithirat Phitipak, told Commander Pornprom Sakultem of the Royal Thai Navy Third Area Command and other officials that she bought the seven-rai site in 2008.…
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Police hunt teenagers behind Phuket knife attack
PHUKET: Police are searching for a gang of Phuket teenagers who reportedly attacked a security guard at Villa Market in Cherng Talay last night, leaving the guard with a four-inch gash in his head. The security guard, Methee Yaemmen, 26, told police that he had no idea who the suspects were or why they would attack him. “I went to…
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Phuket Airport’s 5.7 billion expansion to be delayed until mid-2016
PHUKET: Completion of Phuket International Airport’s 5.7-billion-baht expansion has been set back a year, the airport’s Director Prathuang Sornkham revealed today. “Originally, completion of the project was scheduled for mid-2015, but a number of difficulties faced by contractors – including heavy monsoon rains – has caused the project to be pushed back to the middle of 2016,” said Mr Prathuang.…
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Sustainable marine tourism tops Phuket forum for island leaders
PHUKET: Leading figures from a host of international tourism destinations dotted around the world placed sustainable marine tourism at the top of the agenda for the 18th Inter-Island Tourism Policy Forum (ITOP) at the Laguna Phuket resort complex today. Present at the meeting were representative members from Phuket, Hainan, Jeju, Okinawa, Bali, Cebu, Penang and Sri Lanka. “The topic of…
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Phuket Town pub owner arrested for B500mn ‘foreign-inheritance’ scam
PHUKET: An owner of the well-known H2O Pub and Restaurant in Phuket Town has been arrested for fraud in Phang Nga after cheating nearly 300 people from across Central Thailand out of more than 500 million baht. Phang Nga City Police arrested Wilawan Na Takuathung, 39, on Tuesday, said Phang Nga City Police Commander Chalit Kaewyarat. “Mrs Wilawan is no…
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Scott returns to make amends at Australian Open
PHUKET: Adam Scott has confirmed he will return to Sydney for the Australian Open in November with the intent of making amends for his final-hole disappointment last year. Scott’s return is a major coup for organizers after world number one Rory McIlroy committed to returning to defend his title at The Australian Golf Club from November 27-30. McIlroy snatched the…
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Homeless man found dead in Phuket Town market
PHUKET: A homeless man from Nakhon Sri Thammarat was found dead early this morning lying on top of an empty market stall in Phuket Town. Police and Kusoldharm Foundation rescue workers were notified at 7:15am about the body located at the Norrahuch intersection market near the Phuket Provincial Administration Organization Hospital. “We found the body of Tienchai Kornsut, 42, lying…
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Phuket, Penang set date for becoming sister cities
PHUKET: George Town in Penang, Malaysia, and Phuket Town are set to become sister cities on September 18, as was confirmed at a meeting at Phuket Provincial Hall this week. The Royal Thai Consul-General to Penang, Srirat Vathesatogkit, met with Phuket Governor Maitri Inthusut on Tuesday to discuss the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to formalize the relationship…
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Phelps confident of getting back to his best
PHUKET: Michael Phelps’ comeback to competitive swimming has been anything but smooth sailing. A series of rare defeats have illuminated the enormous challenge he faces getting back to the top. For a man who re-wrote the Olympic record books, those losses could have been enough to persuade him to pack up his goggles and quit for good, but if anything,…
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B32mn set aside for Phase 3 of Phuket Town’s cable clean-up
PHUKET: A budget of 32 million baht has been set aside for Phase 3 of the project to hide unsightly cables underground in picturesque Old Phuket Town. This stage of the project is expected to focus on Yaowarat, Rassada, Phang Nga, and Montri roads. “Right now we are moving into the third phase. Phuket City Municipality will work closely with…
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NACC launches new anti-corruption campaign in Phuket schools
PHUKET: Officials launched a new anti-corruption campaign on Monday aimed at raising awareness among Phuket students about the negative effects of corruption. The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) Phuket office signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with 15 well-known schools in Phuket, including Phuket Wittayalai, Satree Phuket and Phuket Technical College. “We are sending [NACC] representatives to the schools twice a…
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Kidnapper on the run arrested in Phuket
PHUKET: Patong Police on Monday arrested a man wanted for a kidnapping in 2008 and his role in a murder in 2006. Somkiet Rawungwong, 27, was taken into custody by officers while he was standing next to the Patong beachfront road near the Absolute Sea Pearl Resort & Spa. “Both crimes took place in Nakhon Sri Thammarat. The girl he…
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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