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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Men charged for B12mn land grab near Phuket’s Freedom Beach
PHUKET: A Phuket man was slapped with a second land encroachment charge yesterday for the same multi-million baht plot of land in a protected forest near Freedom Beach. Parin Ruangrattanawanit, who owns “about three rai” of the land along the border of Patong and Karon, explained to Royal Forest Department (RFD), Navy and local officials that he was in the…
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Lucky escape as foreigner dives out of path Phuket tour bus
PHUKET: A foreigner escaped being run over by a Phuket tour bus loaded with Chinese tourists in Rawai this afternoon as he dumped his motorbike and dived to safety. The foreigner, who asked not to be named, was waiting to turn right at the intersection in front of the Rawai Municipality offices. “The tour bus crossed the center of the…
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![Phuket dolphin park link to Taiji massacre confirmed: Sea Shepherd [video] | Thaiger](https://thethaiger.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/1_2014912135414332_UNsjdpwDFxWwybXjEsOPfhqVowqbiqCwHkVtkqfi_jpeg.jpeg)
Phuket dolphin park link to Taiji massacre confirmed: Sea Shepherd [video]
PHUKET: A direct connection between five wild caught dolphins bound for Phuket’s dolphinarium and the annual slaughter of thousands of dolphins at the Taiji cove in Japan has been confirmed, the Asia Director of the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society told the Phuket Gazette by email today. Initial reports said that a total of six dolphins would be transported to Phuket…
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Phuket workers save Polish man from hanging
PHUKET: Two workers wiring up an internet connection inside a house in Chalong yesterday came outside to find a foreigner, who lived in the house they were working in, hanging from a tree in the front yard. “We saw him walking around the yard when we went in to the house,” said one of the 3BB Internet workers, who asked…
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Five Phuket names to be sent to Bangkok today for NRC selection
PHUKET: The Phuket Election Commission (PEC) yesterday released the names of candidates vying for a chance to represent the island on the yet-to-be created National Reform Council (NRC). “A special provincial committee will submit the names of five final candidates from the list to the Election Commission [EC] in Bangkok,” PEC Director Kitipong Thiengkunakrit told the Phuket Gazette. The five…
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Phuket dive tour boat ablaze, sinks in Chalong Bay
PHUKET: Phuket boat Chok Somboon 15, of local dive tour company Andaman Ocean Safari, caught fire and sank in Chalong Bay before dawn this morning. Marine Police were notified of the fire at about 2am, and responded by dispatching a boat and eight officers to douse the blaze. “While trying to put the fire out, we dragged it away from…
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Army palms off reports of Phuket massage parlor crackdown
PHUKET: The island’s leading Army officer today debunked reports that soldiers in Phuket were raiding massage parlors in Patong. “We have no intention of cracking down on massage parlors or any other service businesses at the moment,” assured Col Somchai Ponatong of the 41st Military Circle. “Officers from the Revenue Department were carrying out inspections to ensure that massage parlors…
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Bondi Bar Bashers put paid to Laguna’s playoff hopes
PHUKET: Confirming their domination of the Outrigger T20 cricket league, The Bondi Bar Bashers (Tri Bs) claimed a seventh victory in eight games with a win against Laguna on Sunday at the ACG. Tri Bs must now wait for the result between Thalang and ICC from which their opponents for September 22 will be decided. Seemant Raju (21) and Mike…
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Myanmar national mysteriously drowns during Phuket fishing trip
PHUKET: A Myanmar national mysteriously drowned in Phuket while on a fishing expedition with his friends yesterday. Mew Ow, 25, was last seen fishing at a large pond located near Yokkekeng Shrine in Rassada with four friends, before he suddenly disappeared. His friends, also Myanmar nationals, called the Kulsoldharm Foundation for assistance. “The Kulsoldharm Foundation diving team took only about…
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Phuket Marine chief ramps up AIS tracking order for foreign-registered yachts
PHUKET: Owners of foreign-registered yachts in Thai waters will face six months jail time if they fail to fit their boats with AIS (Automatic Identification System) transceivers by October 1, Phuripat Theerakulpisut, chief of the Phuket Marine Office, said yesterday. Instead of small yachts needing to carry only AIS receivers, as Mr Phuripat told the Phuket Gazette last week (story…
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Judgement day for Oscar Pistorius
PHUKET: After 41 days of tears, anguish and at times gruesome testimony in the Pretoria High Court, Oscar Pistorius, the double amputee who became one of the biggest names in athletics, will learn this week whether he will spend the next 25 years behind bars. In a fitting reminder of how South Africa has changed in the 20 years since…
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Helmet-less motorbike rider in head-on collision dies instantly
PHUKET: A woman was killed in Phuket early this morning after the motorbike she was riding hit a pick-up truck head-on. “We were called to the scene on Patak Road in Kata in front of a Siam Commercial Bank at about 3:30am,” confirmed Lt Channarong Prakongkeua of the Karon Police. “There we found the body of Kodchaporn Kongruang, 32, from…
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Property owners charged for Phi Phi beach encroachment
PHUKET: Two property owners have been charged with encroaching on national park land on the popular party island of Phi Phi following a mass inspection of beach properties there last week. On September 3, 60 national park officers took to Phi Phi beaches to talk with seaside vendors and inspect buildings suspected of encroaching on national park land (story here).…
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Phuket Police arrest “spat on, shot back’ suspect
PHUKET: The man wanted for shooting dead his “friend” in a drunken spat early yesterday morning has been arrested. Acting on a tip-off, a team of Thalang Police officers led by Lt Col Pisit Chunpet raided a house in Nabon, Wichit, at 7:30 last night. At the scene, officers arrested Ong-art Meepap, a 37-year-old cement truck driver from Sakon Nakhon.…
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Belinda Granger to complete her dozen at 21st Laguna Phuket Triathlon
PHUKET: She’s the darling of global triathlon who has charmed her many fans with a string of gutsy achievements during a 20-year career that has earned her over 15 Iron-distance Championship titles. But despite these legendary triumphs on triathlon courses worldwide, Australian Belinda Granger rates Laguna Phuket Triathlon (LPT) – the “Race of Legends” – as her all-time favorite. And…
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Phuket under flash-flood and heavy rains alert
PHUKET: People living in low-lying areas of Phuket should prepare for potential flash-floods due to heavy monsoon rains, the local Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) office has warned. “We are on alert for potential emergencies over the next 24 hours. Any serious flooding should be reported to us immediately so that we can provide immediate assistance,” said DDPM-Phuket…
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Phuket Governor inks B500mn contract to build new Provincial Hall
PHUKET: Phuket Governor Maitri Inthusut today signed a 449.9-million-baht contract to begin construction of the new Phuket Provincial Hall. Governor Maitri inked the contract at 2pm, signifying that Chun Eiw Team Ruamka Ltd Partnership may commence construction at the 50-rai site on Phang Muang Sai Kor in Wichit. The construction firm has 995 days to complete the project. The original…
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Phuket Russian woman fights death-penalty drug charge in Vietnam
PHUKET: Friends and family of Phuket expat Maria Dapirka are fighting to prevent a possible death penalty for the Russian after she was arrested in Vietnam for attempting to smuggle in nearly 3 kilograms of cocaine in her carry-on luggage. Ms Dapirka, 28, who had been living in Rawai, at the southern end of Phuket, was detained in Ho Chi…
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Man kills friend after drunken spat
PHUKET: A man shot dead his friend this morning in a fit of rage following a drunken argument that turned deadly. The victim, 38-year-old Smingdam Phollawong, a rubber plantation worker from Mukdahan, was found lying dead in front of the suspect’s house, with a fatal gunshot wound to his left shoulder, Thalang Police Superintendent Sirisak Wasasiri told the Phuket Gazette.…
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Phuket firefighters “sink’ fire-ravaged fishing boat
PHUKET: Firefighters breached the hull and partially sank a Taiwanese fishing boat off Phuket’s Saphan Pla Pier in Rassada late last night to stop flames from spreading to other vessels. The fire teams arrived after midnight to find smoke billowing from the boat, which was moored close to the pier. “We believe the fire broke out in the engine room,”…
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Police, Navy get tough on illegal Phuket taxi drivers
PHUKET: The Royal Thai Navy and Patong Police have teamed up to take down any illegal taxi drivers found operating in Phuket’s premier party town. “We have arrested 13 illegal taxi and tuk-tuk drivers so far. There will be more to come,” Patong Police Traffic Inspector Ekkarat Plaiduang told the Phuket Gazette this morning. “We made the first five arrests…
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Phuket officials to face charges for Freedom Beach land titles
PHUKET: The Royal Forestry Department (RFD) will press charges against at least seven officials for illegally issuing land titles for plots at Phuket’s Freedom Beach. “Seven officers were involved in issuing land titles for plots within the protected forest at Freedom Beach,” said Cheewapap Cheewatham, the former Sirinath National Park chief who now serves as director of the RFD’s Forest…
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Cilic crushes Nishikori to claim US Open title
PHUKET: Croatia’s Marin Cilic swept past Japan’s Kei Nishikori 6-3 6-3 6-3 to win the US Open on Monday and reach the pinnacle of the sport one year after a doping ban kept him out of the year’s final grand slam. The big-serving Croatian overwhelmed a weary Nishikori in one hour, 54 minutes to clinch a ruthless victory and deny…
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Teen lucky to be alive after premature birth, says Phuket doctor
PHUKET: A teenager was rushed from a Phuket worker’s camp to hospital this morning with serious blood loss after giving premature birth to a baby girl, who was found dead at the scene. Myanmar national Zar Ni The, the 19-year-old wife of one of the migrant worker, went into labor prematurely at a Phanason Parkville estate worker’s camp on Sri…
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Moshe David gets life for Phuket murder of Hungarian businessman
PHUKET: Hungarian-Israeli dual national Moshe David was today sentenced to life in prison for the gruesome murder of Peter Reisz in Phuket in 2012. The life jail term was handed down by the Phuket Provincial Court early this afternoon. Mr David earlier confessed that he killed Mr Reisz in a fit of rage after Mr Reisz had allegedly swindled him…
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Phuket yachts ordered out of Ao Yon Bay
PHUKET: The Phuket Marine Office has ordered all yacht owners with vessels moored in Ao Yon Bay to move them to other anchorages in Phuket or face six months in jail. Local Marine Office Chief Phuripat Theerakulpisut admitted to the Phuket Gazette this morning that he had signed the order a full three weeks ago, on August 18, and gave…
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Thai Navy deploys warship to rescue Phuket fishermen
PHUKET: The Royal Thai Navy base in Phuket deployed the HTMS Chonburi to rescue six fishermen after their longtail boat engine stalled and their anchor rope broke in strong waves off Koh Mai Thon yesterday. Lt Cdr Natthanai Lekjaikla, captain of the HTMS Chonburi, explained that the Navy was notified of the men’s predicament at about midday. “We kept in…
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Unidentified body found in Phuket Town canal
PHUKET: Police are working to identify a dead body found floating in a canal near the Waste Incineration Power Plant and Landfill at Saphan Hin, on the outskirts of Phuket Town yesterday morning. Local villagers alerted the police of the discovery at about 7:30am. “We believe the man had gone fishing and fell into the water without anyone noticing. It…
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Police take down armed teens for Phuket Town street shootings
PHUKET: Police have arrested two teenagers, and expect to soon take into custody a third suspect, for shooting into a shop and then a family home in Phuket Town late Tuesday night. Butrprom Choopeng, 18, was arrested yesterday at a house in Bangthong village in Kathu. He was found in possession of a homemade .22-caliber handgun with one round of…
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Phuket airport taxi driver charged with reckless driving
PHUKET: A taxi driver based at Phuket International Airport has been charged with reckless driving causing injury after slamming into a motorcycle with a sidecar late last night. The accident occurred on Thepkrasattri Road, about 800 meters north of the Keha housing estate in Thalang, just after midnight. Taxi driver Jeerasak Kakate, 46, said he could not avoid hitting 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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