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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Sponsored Infinito helps hotels in Thailand with revenue management
Maximising revenue and profit–isn’t that the ultimate goal for every business in the hospitality industry? If you run a hotel, you might have heard that revenue management is an effective way to boost your top-line revenue. It involves using data...
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Soderlund to appeal conviction for Phuket murder
PHUKET: Tommy Soderlund, convicted of the 2011 stabbing murder of fellow Swede Maxim Schantz and sentenced to life in prison, will appeal the decision, his lawyer confirmed today. The life sentence was handed down this morning. On January 24, Johan Sebastian Ljung was also sentenced to life in prison for the murder of Mr Schantz (story here). He is also…
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Phuket Police arrest man with counterfeit US$10,000 “Nan Francisco’ bank notes
PHUKET: Phuket Tourist Police last night arrested a man who tried to exchange counterfeit US$10,000 bank notes that read “Nan Francisco” and totaled more than 157 million baht. Wachirawich Janjaroenchaisin, 40, was arrested during a sting operation after police received a tip-off that someone was trying to exchange US$10,000 bank notes on the island. “Officers pretended to be exchange brokers…
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Two Phuket tourist vans collide, injuring six
PHUKET: Two tourist vans collided last night near the main Tesco Lotus in Samkong, injuring six. One tourist and both drivers remain in the hospital today. A Maikhao Sakoo Co Ltd van driven by Sulaiman Udom had picked up tourists at the airport and was headed west on Phra Phuket Kaew Road to Patong when a Tez Tour Thailand van…
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Breaking News: Swede gets life for stabbing murder
PHUKET: Swedish national Tommy Soderlund was today sentenced to life imprisonment for the stabbing murder of Maxim Schantz in Phuket two years ago.He was also ordered to pay compensation to the victim’s family. However, the court has yet to verify the amount.Tommy Viktor Soderlund, 28, stood accused of the murder along with Johan Sebastian Ljung, also 28. Mr Ljung recieved…
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Heroines’ Memorial Festival kicks off in Phuket today
PHUKET: The annual Heroines’ Memorial Fair kicked off today in Thalang, and will be running strong with historical and cultural activities to honor Thao Thepkrasattriand Thao Srisoonthorn for the next two weeks. “The Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (PPAO), Phuket Culture Office and other local organizations are once again putting on the fair to honor the heroism of Lady Thepkrasattri and…
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6-year-old, aunt killed in Phuket motorbike crash
PHUKET: A 6-year-old girl and her 17-year-old aunt died in a motorbike accident after a pickup truck allegedly cut across multiple lanes of traffic in Pa Khlok yesterday. Rescue workers and Thalang Police rushed to the scene of the crash on Pa Khlok-Muangmai Road near Baan Bangla Mosque at about 3:45pm. “We found Rachada Pongpongsuwan, 17. Sunisa Nontri, her niece,…
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Phuket Vice Governor orders stop to Big Buddha construction
PHUKET: Construction on Phuket’s Big Buddha was halted yesterday after villagers filed a complaint alleging that it had caused landslides last year, and could potential do so again when the rainy season returns. Vice Governor Somkiet Sangkaosuttirak led 20 officers in an inspection of the construction site yesterday morning. He was joined by Suporn Vanitchakul, President of Phraphuttha Mingmongkol Sattha…
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Phuket Sports: We Freedive Suunto series begins
PHUKET: The We Freedive Suunto Series saw contestants holding their breath last Sunday at Phuket Country Home in Chalong as they faced off to gain international points and improve their ranking for the Association Internationale pour le Developement de l’Apnee (AIDA). Five competitors participated in the static apnea, one of the eight AIDA freediving disciplines. In static apnea, “the freediver…
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Phuket woman found dead in room did not have TB, says Health Office
PHUKET: The woman found dead in her Patong room on Monday did not have tuberculosis (TB), said officials at the Phuket Provincial Health Office (PPHO) this week, despite news reports alleging otherwise. The discovery of Thitirat Pholai’s body smeared with blood started rumors that the 33-year-old woman had suffered from TB. However, the PPHO has no record of her name.…
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Smoke clears from Myanmar’s first dive boat sinking
Special Report After being questioned for four days in Myanmar, the trip leader for MV Blue Star which went up in flames on February 9 about 100 nautical miles from civilization returned to Phuket to set the record straight. The Gazette‘s Isaac Stone Simonelli reports. PHUKET: The Finnish-owned liveaboard Blue Star departed Thap Lamu Pier on February 6 with 33…
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Last witnesses for prosecution in Dokset murder trial take the stand
PHUKET: The prosecutor in the Stein Harvard Dokset case concluded his arguments on Wednesday after asking the confessed killer’s girlfriend and the case investigator to take the stand. The long-term Norwegian expat is accused of murdering his ex-girlfriend Rungnapa Suktong, concealing the evidence of the crime and illegal possession of a firearm. Though Mr Dokset, now 51 years old, has…
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“Milkman’ armed robber hunted by Phuket Police
PHUKET: Police believe that two convenience stores held up at gunpoint within an hour of each other early yesterday morning were robbed by the same suspect. Patong Police were notified of the first robbery at about 4:40am. “The man came in to buy a bottle of milk. While he was waiting to pay, he pulled out a gun and told…
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Phuket anti-government protest leaders deny obstruction charges
PHUKET: Five Phuket anti-government protest leaders responded to a police summons yesterday morning and denied charges of obstructing the national election earlier this month and obstructing law enforcement officers. Suratin Lian-udom, Thepkrasattri Administration Organization (OrBorTor) President Sompop Konkeaw, former Rassada Municipality council member Chartchai Chuachit, Saman Krohlek, and Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (OrBorJor) council member Sanya Srimuang presented themselves at…
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Phuket Airport Express Bus still in the red
PHUKET: The Airport Express Bus lost 800,000 baht in its first seven months of service due to taxi drivers poaching customers and lack of support from the Airports of Thailand (AoT), the owner of the transport business told the Phuket Gazette yesterday. The much-heralded inaugural run of the service, which offers rides between the airport and Patong for 120 baht,…
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Phuket vehicle rental operators warned of passport scam
PHUKET: Patong Police warned vehicle operators in Phuket to carefully scrutinize renters’ passports following a report from Samui that a rented bike had been stolen. Krabi restaurant owner Jurgen Weber reported that two foreigners used a third party’s passport to rent a motorbike from his sister-in-law’s shop in Samui. And they never returned it. “I always tell rental operators that…
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Gardening for layabouts
PHUKET: I’m sure you have heard the expression, beloved by florists the world over, “Say it with flowers”. Here’s an interesting slant on the expression. An elderly couple employed a “nice” German prisoner of war to tend their garden during the Second World War. I remember the practice – my English parents did likewise. But this POW was different. When…
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Creeping Phuket python shows up for breakfast
PHUKET: A Phuket restaurant owner heard a two-meter python noisily working its way over the roof of his establishment as he was preparing to open yesterday morning. “The owner explained that he was cleaning when he heard a strange noise coming from the roof. When he took a peek to find the source of the noise he spotted a big…
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Phuket governor says Karon Beach water safe, clean
PHUKET: Governor Maitri Inthusut washed his hands on Tuesday in Karon Beach canal water, which had run black and rancid on Monday. “The water itself is clear,” Governor Maitri said. “The black color is just sediment that had gotten stirred up. I want everyone to know that the water is clean and won’t harm you.” Just a day earlier, locals,…
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Cycling: the spice of life
PHUKET: WITH surprising speed given the temperature, the amorphous speck approaching in the distance gradually revealed itself to be a group of 14 cyclists. Maybe it was the promise of a cold beer and big plate of food at Bill Bentley’s Pub and Restaurant in Mai Khao that provided the final surge of energy, or maybe they were downright tough…
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Aussie helps disabled Phuket cigarette vendor get a leg to stand on
PHUKET: A Phuket cigarette vendor who was born with a deformed leg and no hands is on her way to getting a new prosthetic limb, thanks to an Australian visitor and an aluminum recycling project. Wilaiwan “Wan” Damnui, 33, has been selling cigarettes and chewing gum on Bangla Road for 17 years. In 1999, she received a plaster leg, but…
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Police charge Phuket driver for death of Finnish national
PHUKET: Kamala Police are withholding the name of the driver charged for hitting and killing a Finnish national on Saturday. Robin Straka, 25, was rushed to Patong Hospital after the accident with severe head injuries and was later transferred to Vachira Phuket Hospital (story here). However, doctors were unable to save him. “Mr Straka had crossed the Kalim-Kamala Road to…
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Phuket police chase down snatch-theft duo
PHUKET: Phuket police quickly scooped up a pair of bag-snatch operators working in Patong late last night.“We received a report at about 11:40pm from a witness saying that a female foreigner had her bag stolen in front of Patong Hospital while she was walking with a friend,” Sutthichai Thianpho of the Patong Police told the Phuket Gazette this morning.From the…
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Phuket Cricket: Laguna make it five in a row
PHUKET: In match 11 of the Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL) cricket league, on Sunday, February 23 at the Alan Cooke Ground (ACG), Laguna were matched up against the Island Cricket Club (ICC). In their last encounter, Laguna snatched victory by just one run, and coming off the back of a humiliating defeat in their last outing versus Thalang, ICC were…
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Tourists shocked as Phuket beach water turns rancid again in Karon, this time black
PHUKET: Locals, tourists and officials were shocked yesterday as water at one of Phuket’s most famous beaches turned rancid and black. The stinking water flowed from Nong Han Canal across Karon Beach and into the ocean at a rate that transformed the color of the sea, Village Chief Winai Chidchiew told the Phuket Gazette. “I went to see it myself…
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Phuket student wins national spelling competition
PHUKET: Darasamuth Phuket School student AJ Grosvenor won first place at the national spelling competition in Bangkok on February 19. The 10-year-old Por 4 student studies under Andy Dawson in the English Program at the school in Phuket Town.Grosvenor won first place in the Phuket round, then first place again in the southern provinces round and completed his hat trick…
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Fire erupts on Toh Sae Hill, destroys two rai of Phuket jungle
PHUKET: Flames engulfed the dense jungle on Toh Sae Hill on Friday night after a dry tree caught on fire, most likely from a discarded cigarette, said a Phuket firefighter.Phuket City Municipality Firefighter Chief Pairat Sulin was notified of the fire by residents and led his brigade to the scene near the Khao Toh Sae Viewpoint at about 11pm.“When we…
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Phuket maid pulled from bus to Bangkok with over B100,000 in stolen loot
PHUKET: A maid who had been working for two months at the home of a Phuket official made off with more than 100,000 baht in cash and valuables on Saturday, but was quickly apprehended.When Boonum Earjittrakul, a Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (OrBorJor) council member, discovered that a gold bracelet valued at 104,250 baht and 10,000 baht in cash were missing…
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DMCR chief calls on Phuket residents, tourists to protect marine sanctuaries
PHUKET: An illegal fishing net found in a popular dive spot last week prompted officials to call on Phuket residents and tourists to help preserve ocean conservation areas by keeping an eye out for illegal fishing activities. “Last week a group of divers saved a lot of reef fish trapped in an enormous fishing net at Shark Point and provided…
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Police solicit help to catch ATM-scammer gangs operating on Phuket
PHUKET: Phuket Police asked for help on Friday to bring scam artists to justice, noting that there are at least three gangs on the island targeting ATM customers. The conference followed the arrest of two French nationals for attempting to bribe police officers after being caught in an alleged ATM scam (story here). “People should be aware of possible scams…
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Phuket pounce on Pattaya
PHUKET: Yesterday was the first fixture of the Yamaha League One season and fans saw a spirited bout between Phuket FC and Pattaya United FC, who were relegated from the Thai Premier League this year, resulting in a 1-0 final score that secured victory for the Ronins. As the sun went to sleep, the crowd woke up, with about 4,000…
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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