Phuket News
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Phuket National Reform Council candidates kept secret
PHUKET: The names of all candidates who have registered to represent Phuket as the sole “provincially selected” nominee to serve on the National Reform Council (NRC) will be kept secret until five finalists are chosen. “About 20” people have entered the race to be Phuket’s NRC member, Phuket Election Commission (PEC) Director Kitipong Thiengkunakrit told the Phuket Gazette this morning.…
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Sleepy Chinese tourist lands motorbike in Phuket roadside ditch
PHUKET: A Chinese tourist was badly injured after he dozed off and drove his motorbike into a roadside ditch in central Phuket early this morning. Rescue workers and officers from the Thalang Police were called to the scene in Pa Khlok at about 1:10am, where they found a helmet-less Zhong Li Fong, 38, lying in a one-meter-deep ditch. Mr Zhong’s…
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Marines spearhead Phi Phi Island beach cleanup campaign
PHUKET: About 60 officers took to the beaches of the popular party island Phi Phi, east of Phuket, today to talk with seaside vendors and inspect buildings suspected of encroaching on national park land. “We only inspected the buildings. Tomorrow, we will file a complaint against any buildings we believe to be encroaching on park land,” Capt Prinyatham Poonpitagtham of…
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Bread truck kills man crossing Phuket road
PHUKET: A man was killed today in Phuket after being hit by a speeding Farmhouse delivery truck while he was trying to cross the road. The van, belonging to President Bakery Public Co Ltd, was delivering the well-known Farmhouse brand of bread when it struck the man on Thepkrasattri Road. “The victim, an unidentified male, is thought to be in…
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Phuket police taser, fire rubber bullets on hysterical hatchet-wielding man
PHUKET: Police tasered and fired rubber bullets on a hysterical Phuket man who was threatening to attack his family and neighbors with a hatchet this morning. “Police officers on patrol on motorbikes were the first to the scene, in Soi Hutchananiwet [in Rassada], near the Phuket Provincial Administrative Organization [PPAO] Hospital,” Phuket City Police Superintendent Sermphan Sirikong told the Phuket…
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BISP students to train like the tennis champs
PHUKET: Even if you’ve never held a tennis racket and you don’t follow tennis news, you probably know the name of Rafael Nadal. Ranked number one by ATP, Olympic Gold medalist in Beijing, eight-time winner of the French Open, two-time Wimbledon Champion, two-time US Open Champion… the list goes on. But Nadal isn’t the only Spaniard to conquer the world…
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New Muay Thai stadium to open in Phuket
PHUKET: A new Muay Thai boxing stadium named Taied Stadium will open in Chalong on September 18.The stadium is located at the heart of the island’s Muay Thai training scene on Soi Taied in Chalong, on the same site as a temporary stadium that hosted several fights earlier this year in order to gauge spectators’ interest. The stadium’s owner, Tawatchai…
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Phuket’s White Prison status untainted by porn cache
PHUKET: The overcrowded Phuket Provincial Prison maintained it’s unblemished White Prison status despite dirty magazines, as well as other contraband, being turned up in a pre-dawn raid this morning. “We searched all possible places that inmates could be hiding contraband and found three adult-content magazines, two pairs of box cutters and a leather belt,” said Phuket Prison Chief Rapin Nichanon.…
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Phuket’s Keesin family ‘betrayed’ by police in mafia case
PHUKET: Former Patong Mayor Pian Keesin today said that the police had betrayed him in an attempt to discredit his political career and his years of service to Patong. “I accept that the police are just doing their job, but I have no idea what the mafia charges are about. All those years I was a leader in Patong, I…
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Phuket police officers accused of extortion to be formally charged in two weeks
PHUKET: An official from the Public-sector Anti Corruption Commission (PACC) has announced that his officers need two more weeks to complete an investigation into three Chalong Police officers for their alleged abuse of power. “We are nearly ready to press formal charges and hand the case to the public prosecutor, but we need about two more weeks to finish our…
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Police raid offices of Phuket Pisona Group kingpins
PHUKET: Police this morning swooped in on the offices of the Pisona Group on Phra Baramee Road in Patong, home of the central holding company belonging to former Patong Mayor Pian Keesin and his son Prab. Officers led by Maj Gen Paween Pongsirin, the Region 8 Police deputy commander who has spearheaded the purge of Phuket’s taxi mafia, seized one…
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Federer goes for another win under the lights
PHUKET: Roger Federer will get to break out his trademark all-black outfit again on Arthur Ashe Stadium Court at the U.S. Open on Tuesday. The 32-year-old Swiss, five times the champion in New York, takes on Spain’s 17th seed Roberto Bautista Agut for a place in the quarter-finals, having won 24 of his 25 matches under the lights at Flushing…
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Manchester United confirm Falcao loan deal
PHUKET: Manchester United confirmed they had signed Colombian striker Radamel Falcao on a one-year loan deal from Monaco after the transfer window closed on Monday. “#mufc is delighted to announce Radamel Falcao has joined on a 1-year loan from Monaco with an option to buy,” the Premier League team said on its Twitter feed. Falcao was in Manchester for a…
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Phuket taxi mafia suspects Pisona Group’s Pian Keesin and the “Pisona Seven’ out on bail
PHUKET: Former Patong Mayor Pian Keesin, his sons “Prab” and Pattawee, and five other members of the Keesin-owned Pisona Group have been released on bail. Wanted on charges of extortion and criminal activities carried out by a criminal association (story here), Mr Pian and five other suspects from Pisona Group surrendered to officers at the Royal Thai Navy base at…
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Keesin family trio denied bail over Phuket mafia charges
PHUKET: Former Patong mayor Pian Keesin, two of his sons and five others wanted for their alleged role in taxi mafia activity on the island were denied bail by police today. Patong kingpin Preechawut “Prab” Keesin announced on his Facebook account on Thursday that he would turn himself over to the authorities on Monday [today], but did so at the…
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No hotline for Phuket’s roaming metered taxis – yet
PHUKET: Though roaming metered taxis officially hit the streets of Phuket today, there is no metered-taxi hotline or call service available, confirmed Phuket Land Transport Office chief Terayout Prasertpol to the Phuket Gazette. “We are already planning a hotline, as well as a call service at the airport, but at the moment the number of taxis is just too small…
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Casillas wants improvement from ‘horrible’ Real Madrid
PHUKET: Real Madrid captain and goalkeeper Iker Casillas has called for a big improvement after the European champions suffered a surprise early-season setback at Real Sociedad in La Liga on Sunday. Real were missing injured top scorer Cristiano Ronaldo for their second La Liga outing of the campaign but quickly went 2-0 ahead at the Anoeta in San Sebastian before…
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Former Patong mayor surrenders to Navy for Phuket taxi mafia charges
PHUKET: Former Patong Mayor Pian Keesin surrendered to officers at the Royal Thai Navy base at Phuket’s Cape Panwa this morning. Mr Pian, and six other members of his operating company Pisona Group, including his son Pattawee Keesin, presented themselves at the base and were taken into custody. Under military escort, all seven suspects were handed over to Phuket City…
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Metered taxi prices jump as roving service starts in Phuket
PHUKET: A hike in metered taxi fares comes as roving metered taxis officially begin foraging Phuket for passengers, after the grand opening of the new island-wide service this morning. “We will now see more metered taxis driving throughout the island. There will eventually be about 1,400 metered taxis on Phuket,” said Phuket International Airport Director Prathuang Sornkham. “These metered taxi…
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Phuket taxi mafia fugitive Prab Keesin surrenders in Bangkok
PHUKET: Preechavude “Prab” Keesin, son of former Patong Mayor Pian Keesin, surrendered to police in Bangkok this morning. Mr Prab and his father are both facing charges for their alleged involvement in Phuket’s taxi mafia, and were the main targets in a high-profile raid last week (story here). Specifically, they are facing charges of extortion and criminal activities carried out…
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Phuket soap shop fire causes B600k in damages
PHUKET: A fire erupted this morning in a Phuket soap and spa goods shop, causing about 600,000* baht in damages. Two firetrucks from Patong Municipality were called to the scene behind Jungceylon shopping center on Phang-Mueang Sai Kor Road at about 7:10am. “It took firefighters about 30 minutes to control the flames. No one was injured in the blaze,” Lt…
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Asia Games, then the World Cup, says Thailand’s national football coach in Phuket
PHUKET: The head coach of Thailand’s national football team hasn’t taken World Cup aspirations off the table, but right now, it’s time to focus on the Asian Games, he told the Phuket Gazette yesterday. “Everybody in Thailand wants to see a Thai team in the World Cup. We are committed to making this happen, but in order to do so,…
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Police suspect suicide in death of Welsh backpacker on Phi Phi
PHUKET: A Welshman who was found dead on August 24 in his Phi Phi hotel room is thought to have committed suicide, Krabi City Police revealed to the Phuket Gazette today. Jack Davies, 21, from Llanelli, Wales, was found hanging from an electrical chord in his hotel bathroom, police said. “After investigating the scene, it appeared that he had used…
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Bag-snatching Phuket teens arrested for robbing tourists
PHUKET: Two Phuket teenagers were arrested yesterday for snatching a bag from two Chinese tourists. Natthapong “Mad” Intan ,19, and his 17-year-old accomplice were both arrested at their rented accommodation in Rassada. “A complaint was lodged at Thalang Police Station on Thursday morning by Chinese nationals 27-year-old Li Xue Juan, and 30-year-old Sun Ce,” said Maj Kittiphum Tinthalang of the…
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Nearly 17,000 migrant workers registered in Phuket, deadline pushed back
PHUKET: With nearly 17,000 migrant laborers already added to the system since late July, the deadline for registration has been pushed back from August 21 to October 31, a Phuket Provincial Employment Office (PPEO) officer told the Phuket Gazette yesterday. There are an estimated 15,000 more workers to be registered at the one-stop center in the Phuket Provincial Community Hall,…
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Party on, Phuket! No change in booze promotion enforcement, says health office
PHUKET: The Phuket Provincial Health Office (PPHO) has no plans to ramp up enforcement of existing laws regulating the promotion of alcohol, despite reports stating otherwise, the Phuket Gazette was told today. “The law stands as it is,” said PPHO Non-communicable Diseases division Director Prapa Nakara, who directly heads the enforcement of alcohol-related regulations on the island. “I have no…
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Overworked Ronaldo claims he is close to best
PHUKET: Cristiano Ronaldo admits that he suffered for pushing himself too much at the end of last season but is now close to his best as Real Madrid prepare to face Real Sociedad this weekend. The Portuguese forward, who was named UEFA’s Best Player in Europe on Thursday, suffered knee problems at the end of the last campaign and was…
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Bayern reach agreement with Madrid over Alonso move
PHUKET: European champions Real Madrid have reached an agreement with Bayern Munich over the transfer of former World Cup winner Xabi Alonso, the La Liga giants announced on Friday. “Real Madrid CF and Bayern Munich have reached an agreement for the transfer of Xabi Alonso,” the club said on its website. “The player will speak to the media today (Friday)…
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Phuket Poll: Should we allow a dolphin park in Phuket?
PHUKET: Pressure is building for authorities in Bangkok to make an ethical choice on whether or not Phuket should have a dolphinarium as a tourist attraction. The issue splashed across headlines around the region after global conservation society Sea Shepherd alleged that at least one of the dolphins acquired for the nearly complete Nemo dophinarium in Chalong was sourced from…
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Livestock officials implore Phuket police to investigate baby elephant owner
PHUKET: Officers from the Phuket Livestock Office have implored police to investigate the case of a baby elephant who is being kept on a short chain in the parking lot outside a house on Chao Fa West Road. The call follows an investigation on August 24 into the legality of a 2-year-old elephant, Tiptawee (story here). Pichitra Tanode, who is…
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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