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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Expat Frenchman arrested for ATM fraud, marijuana
PHUKET: Acting on a tip from a bank, police yesterday arrested an expat Frenchman with counterfeit ATM cards and a stash of marijuana. Jawad Naci, 32, was caught after Siam Commercial Bank in Bangkok called Phuket police to say a counterfeit electronic card had been used at an ATM in Srisoonthorn, in central Phuket. Police went to the ATM in…
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Governor asks coup leaders for flexibility in Phuket curfew
PHUKET: Governor Maitri Inthusut requested that Phuket be given a flexible curfew as it is a tourist destination, he told a meeting of more than 100 high-ranking government officers today. He made the request at yesterday’s briefing of governors and police chiefs at the Royal Thai Army Fourth Area Command in Nakhon Sri Thammarat (story here). While he did not…
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Patong facing ruin if curfew continues, says entertainment boss
PHUKET: Patong, known throughout the world for its throbbing nightlife, now faces its second night under the military curfew imposed by coup leader Army Chief Prayuth Chan-ocha. The curfew bans all unsanctioned travel on the streets from 10pm to 5am (story here). Phuket Provincial Police Commander Ong-art Phiewruangnont at 5pm today confirmed that the curfew will remain in effect throughout…
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Hospital presents B100k compensation for childbirth deaths
PHUKET: The man who lost his wife and son to complications of childbirth has received 100,000 baht in compensation from Vachira Phuket Hospital. Hospital Director Jessada Chungpaibulpatana expressed sorrow on behalf of the hospital, and presented the check to grieving father Numporn Intawong. “We would like to express our deepest condolences for this tragic loss of lives. We hope that…
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Phuket medical waste threatens bacterial fallout
SPECIAL REPORT With Phuket’s primary incinerator out of action while awaiting repairs, an environmental expert is concerned about the facility’s capacity to burn medical waste properly. Chief among the concerns is avoiding the potential bacterial cloud from inundating the surrounding community at Saphan Hin. The Gazette’s Saran Mitrarat reports. PHUKET: The new 960-million-baht incinerator that fired up at Saphan Hin…
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Canadian chosen as Aussie honorary consul “designate’
PHUKET: Canadian national Michelle Hawryluk, a partner in the Phuket-based law firm Haris & Hawryluk, has been chosen by the Australian Embassy as the designate candidate for the post of Australian Honorary Consul for Phuket. Mrs Hawryluk attended Bond University in Australia. She is a member of the American Bar Association, New York State Bar Association, New York County Lawyers…
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Patong tunnel plans eyed for potential traffic jam woes
PHUKET: Officials in charge of the Patong tunnel project are reviewing strategies they can use to avoid creating bottleneck traffic jams at the Thung Thong Intersection in Kathu. The tunnel project, budgeted to cost 9.57 billion baht – 6.80bn for materials, 2.56bn for land expropriation and 200mn baht for salaries – aims to provide a safe alternative to the notoriously…
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Navy deploys security personnel to patrol Phuket
PHUKET: Navy security personnel have been ordered to accompany police patrols in Phuket to ensure peace is maintained. “You may see officers at some locations, for example, at the airport,” Capt Petcharat Teanjan, Deputy Director of the Civil Affairs Division at the Third Naval Area Command, told the Phuket Gazette this morning. “There’s no reason to be concerned,” Capt Petcharat…
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Phuket government offices open as usual despite coup
PHUKET: All government offices in Phuket are open as usual today, despite the coup initiated by Army chief Prayuth Chan-ocha yesterday (story here). “All government offices remain open as usual. Only schools are closed,” Phuket Vice Governor Sommai Prijasilpa confirmed to the Phuket Gazette this morning. Gen Prayuth ordered yesterday that all schools be closed until Monday (story here). “At…
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Phuket schools closed due to coup
PHUKET: All schools, public and private, in Phuket and nationwide are closed starting tomorrow, Army chief Prayuth Chan-ocha announced tonight. The schools are set to re-open on May 26. Gen Prayuth also announced four groups of people who are exempt from the curfew, which prohibits people from being outside their residence or hotel between 10pm and 5am (story here). The…
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Phuket leaders not available for comments on coup
PHUKET: The Commander of the Royal Thai Navy’s Third Area Command based in Phuket, Vice Admiral Taratorn Kajitsuwan, this afternoon was not available for comment on Thailand being placed under a coup by Army chief Prayuth Chan-ocha earlier today. Gen Prayuth, along with the national police chief and the heads of other national armed forces, publicly declared a coup over…
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Army announces Phuket curfew
PHUKET: Army chief Prayuth Chan-ocha today announced a nationwide curfew that will come into effect at 10pm tonight. The curfew, from 10pm to 5am, will affect Phuket and all other tourist destinations in Thailand. No people, including tourists, are allowed to leave their residence or hotel unless given specific permission by government officers. This order will remain in place until…
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Foul weather hampers search for body off Koh Kai Nai
PHUKET: Stormy conditions over the Andaman Sea today hampered search efforts to locate a body spotted floating off Koh Kai Nai, an island off the east coast of Phuket. “We received a call from a villager on Koh Kai Nai at about 12:30pm saying that he saw a body floating in the sea between Koh Yao Yai and Koh Kai…
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Asia’s best skippers to compete at this year’s Samui Regatta
PHUKET: The Samui Regatta, which gets underway this weekend, heralds a big gun showdown between Foxy Lady VI and Red Kite II for the right to be crowned champions in the Asia Yachting Grand Prix (AYGP) 2014. Foxy Lady is unbeaten this year and hot on a six-regatta streak after winning the IRC2 class at Top of the Gulf earlier…
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Illegal wedding photographers snapped up in Phuket Town
PHUKET: Two wedding photographers were caught working without work permits yesterday after police were tipped off by a pair of Thai wedding photographers. Chinese photographers Bolin Zhu and Jing Wang, both 27, were taking pre-wedding photographs of a couple on Soi Romanee in Phuket Town when police arrived at the scene. “We asked them to show us their work permits,…
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Firefighters prevent inferno at workers’ camp
PHUKET: Quick action by Kathu firefighters prevented an inferno from engulfing a workers’ camp near the Loch Palm Golf Course yesterday morning. Three fire trucks were called to the packed camp of about 130 abodes at about 10am. “Firefighters took about an hour to put out the fire,” Yongyoth Cheswichean of the Kathu Municipality told the Phuket Gazette. Eight homes…
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Video Report: Phuket drug dealer caught with AK-47
PHUKET: Police arrested a confessed drug dealer in possession of an AK-47 assault rifle and a homemade handgun at his hut near the mangroves of Pa Klok yesterday. “We received a tip-off that an armed drug dealer was operating out of the hut, so we staked it out,” said Phuket Provincial Police Deputy Commander Arayapan Pukbuakhao. “We saw two men,…
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Phuket officers continue to wage war against animal touts
PHUKET: Three animal touts were arrested yesterday, as Phuket police continue to crackdown on anyone offering tourists photo opportunities with animals, endangered or not, on Soi Bangla. Lt Col Sutthichai Thianpho of the Patong Police, nabbed two animal touts on Sunday while out cycling when he was off-duty (story here). This led to the arrest yesterday of three men who…
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Tourist killed in motorbike accident on Big Buddha Hill
PHUKET: A holidaymaker died after careening off the road leading to Big Buddha Hill yesterday afternoon. He had gone to the iconic Phuket destination to make merit with his girlfriend. Chaiya Teetuan, 37, died at the scene of the accident, at the curve near At Hill Adventure Tour Elephant Camp Phuket*, at about 4:30pm. He was wearing a helmet at…
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Phuket anti-government protesters break camp in face of martial law
PHUKET: The long-standing anti-government protest in Phuket led by the People’s Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) broke down its stage last night out of respect for martial law which was decreed early yesterday. The PDRC protesters dominated Phuket Provincial Hall, forcing it to close for about four and half months before allowing it to re-open on April 8 (story here). Even…
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Phuket lifeguards to be back on duty by next Tuesday
PHUKET: Phuket lifeguards say they expect to sign their new contract and be back at work by next Tuesday at the latest and possibly as early as this Saturday. A dispute over the terms of the contract led lifeguards to walk off the beaches on April 27, when their last contract concluded (story here). One drowning death, that of 26-year-old…
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Phuket police arrest man for rape of woman, her 14-year-old niece
PHUKET: Police arrested a Phuket resident today for the rape of a 24-year-old Myanmar national and her 14-year-old niece in the forest along Ao Yon – Khao Khad Road on May 8. The man, who turned himself in, was charged with rape, rape of a person under the age of 15, and theft. The 44-year-old suspect has denied all charges.…
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Chief departs Phuket with park encroachment raids
PHUKET: As his last major act as chief of Sirinath National Park, Cheewapap Cheewatham this morning led 50 officers on raids of businesses deemed to be illegally built on national park land near Nai Thon Beach. “Seven new shops – six on the beach, one on the beachfront road – have been built without permission from Sirinath National Park and…
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Phuket Governor off island to report to army base
PHUKET: Bangkok’s appointed leader to the island, Phuket Governor Maitri Insthusut, departed this morning to report to the Royal Thai Army base in Nakhon Sri Thammarat. Governor Maitri’s trip comes in the wake of Army Commander-in-Chief Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha’s declaration of martial law, which took affect at 3am today (story here). Governor Maitri is expected to arrive at the base…
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Sun still shining in Phuket, despite martial law order
PHUKET: The declaration of nationwide martial law as of 3am today has left Phuket officials unperturbed. “Officials are just working as usual,” Phuket Vice Governor Sommai Prijasilpa told the Phuket Gazette this morning. The martial law order, essentially giving the army control of the country, was issued by Army Commander-in-Chief Gen Prayuth Chan-ocha (story here). After more than six months…
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Krabi squatters protest police force after man is shot
PHUKET: About 100 people rallied outside Krabi City Hall yesterday to condemn the police and related officials for using excessive force to disperse their rally on Sunday. The group also called for Krabi Governor Prasit Osathanont to launch an investigation and mete out punishment to those behind the incident on the Southern Sea Board Road, in which a protester reportedly…
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Cop denies pulling trigger in Phuket drive-by shooting
PHUKET: A police officer who left the Saraphan Pleng Pub in Chalong shortly before a fatal shooting early Friday morning appeared at the Chalong Police Station Saturday to declare his innocence. The Phuket Provincial Police officer, who police have declined to name, fell under suspicion after officers questioned staff at the pub about the murder of Nuchsika Klasuek, 35, who…
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Exercising off-duty cop nabs two animal touts in Phuket
PHUKET: An off-duty police officer leaped from his bicycle and arrested two out of six men on Soi Bangla who were offering tourists photo opportunities with animals yesterday. Lt Col Sutthichai Thianpho swooped in to make the arrest of the six men after seeing them touting four iguanas and two slow lorises. He quickly arrested Suchai Jaroenpu, 32, from Phang…
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Chalong top cop back at work in home station
PHUKET: Chalong Police Superintendent Krittapas Dazintharasorn, who was transferred to the Thalang Police Station in early April when he and his officers came under fire for alleged extortion, returned to take up the reins in Chalong on May 1. The charges against the Chalong police were filed in the wake of 20 dive instructors being rounded up by Chalong cops…
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Mathayom 6 graduates killed in Phuket hit-and-run
PHUKET: Police are hunting for the driver who killed two teenagers in a hit-and-run crime in Phuket last night. Piyabut Thongngarm, 18, died at the scene, while Jenista Purisawane, 18, died en route to hospital, Capt Thada Sodarak of the Chalong Police said. “It was raining when we arrived at the scene, near the Rawai shell museum. It was clear…
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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