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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McIlroy wins Bridgestone to claim world number one ranking
PHUKET: Rory McIlroy continued his dominating form when he won the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational by two strokes on Sunday and regained the world number one ranking, replacing Australia’s Adam Scott. McIlroy made a sizzling start to the final round with three consecutive birdies to quickly erase a three-stroke deficit and surge past Sergio Garcia at Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio.…
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Police rule out arson in deadly Phuket Town fire
PHUKET: Officers investigating the cause of the deadly Phuket Town fire that killed a family of three and one woman early Saturday morning have ruled out the possibility of arson. Flames engulfed the Chokchai Furniture shop in Phuket Town at about 2am on Saturday (story here). The shopowner, Janhorm Jakkaew, was the only one of five people in the building…
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Practice safe parasailing, says DDPM Phuket chief
PHUKET: A parasailing safety warning was issued over the weekend by the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) Phuket. The announcement follows the news of a Patong Beach parasailing operator plummeting from the sky after he lost his grip on the parachute ropes (story here). “All the equipment should be checked before taking off, including the harness and safety…
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Navy steps in as hitman death threats issued to Phuket park chief
PHUKET: Navy security personnel have been assigned to protect Sirinath National Park Chief Kitiphat Taraphiban after his office was warned that professional hitmen have been hired to kill him. The 24-hour military bodyguards were called in after Mr Kitiphat’s assistant was told over the phone that “five M16s are ready to get him [Mr Kitiphat] over beach restaurants”. “The caller…
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Government responsible for Phuket beach vendor compensation, says poll
PHUKET: More than 90% of locals believe that the government is responsible for helping those adversely affected by the island’s beach reboot, according to results released by the Phuket Provincial Statistics Office on Friday. The results are based on a questionnaire cataloging 480 locals’ opinions about the National Council for Peace and Order’s (NCPO) move to return Phuket’s beaches back…
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Surin Beach business clubbing unnerves Phuket investors
PHUKET: Investors are re-thinking opportunities in Phuket as local government officers push to have legally established and modified multi-million-baht venues turned to rubble along Phuket’s Surin Beach. “One-and-a-half years ago I invested 1mn euros in the beach club; I believe that I did everything correctly,” an investor, who asked to remain anonymous, told the Phuket Gazette. “I talked to local…
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NCPO calls on unemployed Phuket beach vendors to voice concerns
PHUKET: As structures built on the sands of Phuket’s beaches continue to be pulled down and more people are put out of work, the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) has called on displaced vendors to put into words the troubles they face as a result of the mass cleanup. The comments – and suggestions for solutions – will…
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Phuket Poll: How much is a fair fare?
PHUKET: The Phuket Land Transport Office (PLTO) is pushing for a new fleet of standard metered taxis to serve tourists and residents on the island. The PLTO has asked the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) to approve the move, which also includes increased fares for metered taxis (story here). In addressing the issue, PLTO Chief Terayout Prasertphol has…
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Water rescue course to promote Phuket beach safety
PHUKET: The Phuket Lifeguard Club will hold its fourth annual five-day surf lifesaving training course this month. “The surf lifesaving course will be held from August 25 to 29 at Bang Tao Beach. Accommodation and meals will be provided for the entirety of the course, which is sponsored by the Phuket Provincial Administration Organization [PPAO],” Phuket Lifeguard Club President Prathaiyut…
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Officials ponder safety solutions for deadly, iconic Phuket cape
PHUKET: Rawai Mayor Aroon Solos is looking at what safety measures can be taken to prevent accidents at Phuket’s iconic Promthep Cape after a second man was thought to have slipped from the rocks and disappeared into the sea this week. Though 25-year-old Teerawat Prasomsub was found safe Thursday night after he was reported missing from the view point (story…
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Breaking News: Four dead in Phuket Town fire
PHUKET: Four people died in a furniture shop blaze in Phuket Town early this morning. One of the five people trapped by the flames managed to leap from the second storey of the building to safety. It took about three hours for firefighters to contain the fire. — Saran Mitrarat
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Any Phuket police failure to protect legal taxis will have consequences, says military
PHUKET: The military issued a threat today to any Phuket police officers who fail to protect people wanting to become legal metered taxi drivers. “The military will ensure that police look after the safety of customers and their drivers. If officers are found doing otherwise, they will face firm action,” said Capt Petcharat Teanjun of the Third Naval Area Command…
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Exposed Phuket electrical wires shock three construction workers, one still unconscious
PHUKET: Three Myanmar nationals working on a construction site in central Phuket suffered an intense electric shock while on the job this afternoon; one is still unconscious. “After questioning co-workers, we learned that the men were sitting on metal scaffolding waiting for buckets of cement to be lifted up to them by crane,” said Witchit Police Capt Prawat Tantibussapun, who…
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Patong beach vendors plagued by sharks – Phuket loan sharks
PHUKET: More than 90 per cent of Patong Beach vendors are in loan sharks’ books revealed Phuket police after busting a gang of four yesterday. “We received a tip-off from an out-of-work, debt-ridden beach vendor about four men in Patong who were charging 20 per cent interest on loans and harassing customers who weren’t able to make their daily payments,”…
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Army protection from mafia gives Phuket airport bus owner confidence to drive to Karon
PHUKET: The Phuket Airport Express Bus is prepared to push through Patong as its owner looks to roll out a new final stop in Karon by mid-August. Airport Express Bus owner Prakob Panyawai is working out the final details of the new route, which will terminate at Karon Municipality. The airport bus was initially planned to run to Kata-Karon, but…
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Breaking News: Phuket parasailor falls from Patong sky
PHUKET: A crowd is growing on Patong Beach after a Phuket parasailing operator lost his grip on the parachute ropes and tumbled from the sky. “The man landed on the sand and broke his arm, but at this point that is all I know,” DDPM-Patong officer Sampawat Wannasangkam told the Phuket Gazette as he rushed to the scene. — Saran…
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Full Metal Dojo returns with second MMA show in Patong
PHUKET: It was on June 7 at Patong’s Seduction Nightclub that MMA entered Phuket for the first time (story here). The Full Metal Dojo MMA event featured a litany of warriors from around the globe. The event saw fighters from Thailand, Cambodia, Finland, the United States, France, and other countries enter the caged-dojo for the first time in Phuket. And…
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Man feared drowned near iconic Phuket cape, found safe, drunk
PHUKET: Fears that a second man within a week had slipped to his death from the rocks at Phuket’s iconic Promthep Cape were dispelled late last night after the man was found alive – and drunk – nearly three hours later. Teerawat Prasomsub, 25, was reported missing by his family, visiting Phuket from Ranong. “The family said that they went…
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Today marks Thai Women’s Day
PHUKET: Various public and private sectors and women’s groups are joining hands with the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security in organizing a celebration on Thai Women’s Day today in honor of Her Majesty Queen Sirikit. Each year August 1 marks the Thai Women’s Day in honor of Her Majesty the Queen, who is recognized as Mother of the…
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Well bore rig takes a tumble on Patak Road
PHUKET: Police have played down a “minor” accident that left a rig for boring wells strewn across Patak Road near Chalong Circle yesterday morning. “No people will be charged,” said a Karon Traffic Policeman, who asked not to be named. “No people were injured and no property other than the vehicle involved was damaged, so we will not be investigating…
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Mountain bikers eye US$1mn in ‘toughest race on earth’
PHUKET: Mountain bikers tempted by the US$1 million (about 3.2mn baht) in prize money up for grabs in a new South African endurance race are given a warning before they sign up: “This could change your life, or end it”. Teams of two will have to come up with a US$10,000 entrance fee to race on December 3 in The…
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The Cove to screen in Phuket
PHUKET: The award-winning documentary The Cove will be screened twice at Central Festival Phuket next week to raise awareness of how dolphins are caught at the Taiji Cove in Japan and sold for use in dolphinaria around the world. Central to the documentary, however, is how many of the dolphins are butchered and the meat sold to supermarkets. Confirmation of…
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Foreign burglar caught on CCTV robbing Phuket homes
PHUKET: Police are hoping to identify a foreign man who was caught on CCTV robbing a home in Bang Jo, in Phuket’s west coast area of Cherng Talay, last Thursday. The area has been targeted by burglars for years, said Jo D’Hondt, a business partner of the high-end Diamond Condominium project (story here) in Bang Tao. “My house has been…
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Body of musician, swept from Phuket rocks, found washed ashore
PHUKET: The body of Somchai Yungtala, 30, who was swept from the rocks near Phuket’s Promthep Cape on Tuesday afternoon, was found washed ashore this morning. Relatives assisting rescue workers in the search for Mr Somchai found his body at Ya Nui Beach at about 5am. Mr Somchai was visiting Phuket from Koh Yao Yai with his girlfriend when he…
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Malaysian Formula E race postponed at PM’s request
THE MALAYSIAN round of the new electric Formula E series has been postponed because the country’s Prime Minister is unable to attend on the date originally scheduled, organizers said. The race in Putrajaya was due to be held on October 18 as the second round of the championship but will now take place on November 22. “The decision, which has…
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Video Report: Evaluating the profits and costs of Thailand’s rampant seahorse trade
SPECIAL REPORT Though not usually a fish specifically targeted by the fishing industry, an estimated 5.8 million seahorses are exported each year from Thailand, playing a large role in making the country the world leader in seahorse exports. With seahorse catch numbers dwindling and the charismatic creatures being added to CITES, the eyes of the world turn to Thailand. The…
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Phuket pushes for new taxis, new fares, amid new harsh penalties
PHUKET: The Phuket Land Transport Office (PLTO) has proposed a slew of changes to create a new fleet of “standard metered taxis” to serve tourists and residents throughout Phuket. The proposed changes were handed to Col Somchai Ponatong of the Royal Thai Army’s 41st Military Circle, who will pass on the request to the PLTO headquarters and the National Council…
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Military moves to “iron fist, velvet glove’ for clearing Phuket beaches
PHUKET: Officials bolstered by military support have softened their approach in clearing all businesses from Phuket’s beaches, but remain firm that all offending structures will be torn down. The message was made clear yesterday by Phuket Vice Governor Chamroen Tipayapongtada, who led officials and military personnel to inspect several venues whose operators were ordered to vacate public beach land. First…
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Police struggle to contain street attacks by Phuket teenagers
PHUKET: Police have ramped up street patrols and checkpoints, but say there is little more they can do to combat a spate of knifepoint robberies in Rawai within the past month. “They are targeting Thais and foreigners – anybody they think looks weak and would be an easy target,” said Chalong Police Superintendent Krittapas Dazintharasorn. In the most recent robbery,…
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British siblings come face-to-face with Phuket tsunami savior
PHUKET: A Phuket reunion nearly 10 years in the making came to fruition last night as Ben and Emily Willgrass surprised their tsunami savior Yupin Sengmuang on the doorstep of her Tri Trang shop. The British siblings put out a call via Facebook for help in finding Ms Yupin, as the two were planning to come to the Phuket on…
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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