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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Krabi nursery school invaded by mysterious, smelly, burning bugs
PHUKET: An attack of mysterious bugs at a Krabi nursery school has frightened teachers and students and may cause the students to be moved out. The black bugs, about one centimeter long, have a putrid smell and cause a burning sensation when touched, Piyawan Chamnongrak, a teacher at the school, told the Phuket Gazette. “They appeared yesterday afternoon, from where…
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Neymar inspires Brazil, Dutch storm on at World Cup
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Neymar inspires Brazil, Dutch storm on at World Cup Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Brazil’s poster-boy striker Neymar fulfilled a nation’s expectations to score twice in a 4-1 destruction of Cameroon on Monday while the Netherlands again showed their potential to win the World Cup with…
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Phuket police slap seahorse, illegal coral vendor with conservation lesson
PHUKET: A vendor selling several pieces of illegal black coral jewellery in a Sea Gypsy village in Phuket was given a stern warning and a lesson on conservation Saturday afternoon. “We got a tip-off about the vendor near Rawai Pier, and asked Chalong Police officers to check it out,” Tanet Munnoy, chief of the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources…
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Police beat war drum as arrest warrants issued for ‘untouchables’
PHUKET: Officers are ready to go to war when serving the arrest warrants issued for the “untouchables” of Patong, Deputy Commander of Regional Police Paween Pongsirin told the Phuket Gazette today. “We have enough information to arrest some ‘big people’, including politicians,” Maj Gen Paween said. “At this stage, I cannot reveal how many officers will participate or when we…
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Aussie surf safety expert to teach how to survive Phuket’s deadly rip currents
International specialist on rip currents and beach safety Associate Professor Robert Brander will stage a dramatic visual demonstration of the power of rip currents at Phuket’s deadliest stretch of sand, Karon Beach, this Thursday. Dr Brander is a coastal geomorphologist and senior lecturer at the School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences at the University of New South Wales in…
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Slip on Phuket rocks costs fisherman his life
PHUKET: A man fishing on rocks at Laem Sing promontory, on Phuket’s west coast, slipped and fell to his death yesterday afternoon. Sakorn Lamnaonan, 35, had taken a neighbor’s 10-year-old son to fish with him at about noon, Lt Prasert Thongprom of Kamala Police told the Phuket Gazette. “It was very windy and big waves were washing over the rocks,…
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Phuket Airport Bus plan to use van drivers reveals the road ahead
PHUKET: The chief official in charge of drafting key policy changes affecting Phuket’s public transport has revealed that he will present a request for an airport bus operator to hire van drivers to deliver tourists from Phuket International Airport directly to the taxi-mafia hotbed of Kata-Karon. Jaturong Kaewkasi, the chief policy adviser at the Phuket Land Transport Office, confirmed to…
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Phuket hotel worker dies after being stabbed in head in gang attack
PHUKET: A staffer at a hotel in Karon has died from his injuries after being stabbed in the head during a gang attack north of Phuket Town on Saturday night. Surasri Jupmatta, 19, from Prachuap Khiri Khan, and a male friend were pushing their motorbike along Thepkrasattri Road looking for petrol when they were set upon by a gang on…
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Last-gasp equalizer keeps Portugal World Cup hopes alive
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Last-gasp equalizer keeps Portugal World Cup hopes alive Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Portuguese substitute Silvestre Varela grabbed a dramatic stoppage-time equalizer to secure a 2-2 draw with the United States in World Cup Group G on Sunday. Just as it looked as though the Americans…
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Police nab 22 young racers on motorbikes
PHUKET: A late-night teenage motorcycle race was nipped in the bud last night after local residents tipped off Phuket City Police after reading about the event in a Facebook post. “Local residents called yesterday afternoon and told officers about a race that was planned – as advertised on Facebook – for 10pm last night,” said Maj Rattaket Munmuang of the…
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Krabi tourist dies after sunbathing on beach
PHUKET: A tourist was pronounced dead on arrival at Krabi Hospital yesterday after other tourists found her unconscious on Ao Nang Beach with waves washing over her body. Thidarat Roh, 37, from Yasothon province in Northeastern Thailand, was sunbathing by herself when the tide came in and washed over her, witnesses told Lt Pithak Wongdet of Krabi City Police. “Beachgoers…
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Costa Rica stun Italy, France crush Switzerland
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Costa Rica stun Italy, France crush Switzerland Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Another European heavyweight fell to Latin American opposition on Friday as Costa Rica shocked Italy 1-0, putting the four-times champions’ qualification in peril, but France thumped Switzerland 5-2 in an imperious World Cup display.…
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Korean woman jumps bail in B10mn Phuket fraud case, swept up 3 years later
PHUKET: A Korean woman who was wanted for jumping bail in a 10-million-baht fraud case three years ago was swept up today in a National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) campaign to rid Phuket of crime. Lee Mikyong, 48, was arrested at a Korean restaurant on Chao Fa West Road in Wichit at about 11am, Phuket Immigration Inspector Tianchai…
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British embassy rolls out passport extensions
PHUKET: The British Embassy in Bangkok has announced that it will begin conducting appointments on Monday so that British nationals in need of an extension to their current passport can be issued them. Her Majesty’s Passport Office (HMPO) in London is dealing with the highest demand for passports in 12 years and has issued more than three million passports so…
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Mother wanted for abducting own British-Thai children believed to be in Phuket
PHUKET: The mother wanted for abducting her two British-Thai daughters from their natural father in Pattaya is believed to be heading to Phuket. On Tuesday, Pattaya Police were issued an arrest warrant for 36-year-old Onwarat Gamlem, who is the non-custodial mother of the children. The warrant orders police officers around the country to arrest Ms Onwarat on charges of child…
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Phuket Poll: Beach land for Phuket’s beach clubs?
PHUKET: A bold campaign spearheaded by Phuket Vice Governor Chamroen Tipayapongtada and backed by the Army has led to the recent deconstruction of some parts of Phuket’s most popular west coast beach clubs, such as Catch Beach Club (story here). Though beach clubs aren’t the only targets in the bid to return Phuket’s public beach land to the people, they…
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Spoonful of MSG still stirs up fear in Phuket
Special Report Entire websites are devoted to warnings about monosodium glutamate (MSG). Its detractors claim that it causes cancer, headaches, palpitations, excessive neurological excitement, hair loss and more.Is it really not good for us? What are the facts? The Phuket Gazette‘s Leslie Porterfield reports. PHUKET: MSG was first produced in 1908 by Japanese chemist Kikunae Ikeda, who wanted to identify…
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Armed Navy personnel lead 200-strong Phuket land raid
PHUKET: More than 200 officers under armed escort by Royal Thai Navy personnel arrested five suspects for violent intimidation of villagers in Phuket’s Soi Palai area early this morning. The three-hour raid, which began before dawn, targeted a gang of about 20 men who attacked 14 local villagers’ homes yesterday and destroyed property in broad daylight. Police and Navy officers…
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Phuket one-stop yacht shop set to open, for real, July 1
PHUKET: Phuket’s long-awaited 70-million-baht one-stop yacht shop, dubbed the Phuket Yacht Control Center (PYCC), is set to officially open on July 1 after two years of delays. Phuket Governor Maitri Inthusut confirmed the opening date yesterday. “PYCC will be Phuket’s official check-in point for incoming and outgoing foreign yachts. Additionally, it will ensure effective vessel-traffic management and monitoring; prevent smuggling…
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Lethal Suarez gives Uruguay 2-1 win over England
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Lethal Suarez gives Uruguay 2-1 win over England Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Luis Suarez struck twice including a dramatic late winner to earn Uruguay a 2-1 victory over England in a pulsating World Cup Group D match on Thursday. Restored to the lineup after injury,…
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Police ramp up Phuket taxi mafia money laundering probe, identify targets in Patong
PHUKET: Officers from the Anti-Money Laundering Office (AMLO) will join the police investigation into taxi drivers who are possibly laundering money, as the Phuket taxi mafia crackdown continues with officers focusing their efforts on Patong. “We recently contacted AMLO and confirmed that a team from their office will come to Phuket this month to assist in our investigation,” Maj Gen…
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Phuket residents rail against Kata beachfront land stake
PHUKET: More than 100 Phuket residents gathered for three hours yesterday to halt the construction of a fence along Kata Beach, on land adjacent to Club Med Phuket, arguing that it was encroaching on public land. “We don’t understand how someone can build on this land; it is along the beachfront,” said Karon resident Wichit Yaowarot. “We want officials to…
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Police say leads exhausted in death of 7-year-old Nong Dear
PHUKET: The investigation into the death of a seven-year-old girl whose body was found dismembered in a Chalong forest late last year has reached a standstill. Nong Dear disappeared on her way home from a relative’s house on December 6 (story here) and her remains were found in a nearby wood on December 19 (story here). “This is a very…
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After recent damage, Krabi seeks ways to protect ancient fossils
PHUKET: Recent storm damage to fossil formations in Krabi’s famous Shell Cemetery has prompted local officials to declare the area off-limits and to request a budget to build a seawall at the site. “The fossils are 75 million years old,” said Pinij Engchuan, chief of Hat Noppharat Thara National Park. “They have been slowly cracking since the tsunami in 2004…
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Champions Spain crash out of World Cup
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Champions Spain crash out of World Cup, Dutch march on Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Holders Spain crashed out of the World Cup on Wednesday with barely a fight after their second shock defeat while 2010 runners-up the Netherlands continued their perfect start with another high-scoring…
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Mayor denounces reports that legal Phuket beach club structures face demolition
PHUKET: In an exclusive interview with the Phuket Gazette, Cherng Talay Mayor Ma-ann Samran this afternoon denied English-language reports in Phuket that buildings on the east side of the beachfront path at Surin Beach would be demolished. The news comes amid a flurry of reports about the demolition of beach club structures encroaching on the sand at the beach as…
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Power-mongering turns ugly as rift divides Phuket taxi drivers
PHUKET: Amid news of taxi ranks being torn down at Phuket west-coast beaches over the past week, the taxi co-operative at Central Festival Phuket shopping mall has split into opposing factions and its president has appealed for help to close the rift. The co-operative was to serve as a model for taxi management in Phuket and was part of a…
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Brazil delivering great quotes to go with great goals
PHUKET: A World Cup that has delivered fantastic goals in the first round of group games has also produced gems away from the pitch with players and coaches coming up with memorable quotes. Croatia coach Niko Kovac got the tournament off to a fiery start by blasting the Japanese referee after their defeat by Brazil in the opening match. After…
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Police join forces to hunt B1mn holdup robbers
PHUKET: Phuket Provincial Police are now involved in the hunt for two men on a motorbike who robbed gas station staffers at gunpoint and made off with nearly 1 million baht on June 11. The person riding pillion on the motorbike pulled out a gun and demanded money from the staffers transporting it from the Shell gas station on Phra…
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Sunken pillar at Chalong Marina poses threat to boats
PHUKET: Officials have posted a line of small red and white flags to mark a large metal pillar that lies submerged near Chalong Pier and is a possible danger to passing boats. The pillar, called a stanchion, had been attached to a pontoon and was part of the Chalong Marina still under construction. “The pillar broke during last weekend’s storm,”…
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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