Phuket News
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Grid-lock and loaded: Phuket officials vow fix for ‘Kaew’ chaos
Phuket officials have finally drawn up a game plan to tackle the chronic congestion plaguing the Koh Kaew Intersection, a notorious choke point that’s long tested the patience of school-run parents and frazzled commuters. The bold new measures were hammered out at a meeting yesterday, July 14 at Phuket City Police Station, chaired by Police Colonel Chatree Chueakaew, chief of…
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Jilted ex drives to Phuket with pistol to settle grudge with wife
A jilted ex with a grudge and a gun was busted trying to drive into Phuket, allegedly on a mission to confront his ex-wife over a bitter money dispute. Checkpoint police got more than they bargained for on July 13 when they stopped a vehicle at the Tha Chatchai road entry and discovered a loaded 9mm pistol along with 35…
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CCTV captures foreign men taking Thai man’s cat in Phuket
A Thai man urged two foreign men to return his pet cat after they were caught on CCTV taking the animal from outside his restaurant in Phuket. The cat’s owner, Win Mungkon, took to social media yesterday, July 13, to search for his missing pet, whose name was not revealed. He asked Newshawk Phuket to help publicise the incident in…
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Baht’s life: Monsoon gloom rains on Phuket’s holiday parade
Phuket raked in nearly 3 billion baht during the four-day religious holiday but tourist numbers have taken a worrying dip, with Chinese arrivals more than halved and Middle Eastern travellers staying away. The Khao Phansa Buddhist holiday on July 10–11 gave locals a golden excuse for a long weekend, sending thousands of Thai tourists flocking to the island. Foreigners, meanwhile,…
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Pier pressure: Man found hanged in Phuket mangroves
A man has been found dead, hanging from a tree in dense mangroves near Bang Duk Pier in Mai Khao, Phuket, sparking a police probe into whether the tragedy was suicide or something more sinister. The grim discovery was made around 10am on Saturday, July 13, by a shocked passerby, who spotted something dangling in the trees while walking near…
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Phuket up! Aussie teen’s Thai trip nearly ends in coke bust horror
An Aussie teen has sounded the alarm to fellow young travellers after a boozy night out in Phuket nearly ended in disaster when a couple allegedly tried to lure her and a friend into taking drugs, in a country where that could mean the death penalty. Mia Pacor, now 18, recalled the terrifying brush with trouble in a TikTok video,…
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Thai monk denies affair with foreign man’s wife in Phuket
A Thai monk in the southern province of Nakhon Si Thammarat denied having an affair with a foreign man’s wife in Phuket, following an accusation made by the woman’s neighbour. A Thai man living in Phuket, Satsawat, accused his neighbour of allegedly engaging in an affair with a monk identified as Apichart Damjam, from Cha-uat district in Nakhon Si Thammarat.…
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Wave off! Phuket lifeguards issue warning after Kata beach drama
Phuket lifeguards at Kata Beach are once again pleading with holidaymakers to respect safety flags after a dramatic rescue involving two French children caught in a vicious rip current, while their parents were sunbathing. The terrifying moment on Friday, July 11, was caught on camera and shared by Facebook user Kon La Fan, I’m poor. So I have to fight.…
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Guard nabbed with meth stash on duty in Wichit, Phuket
Wichit Police have arrested a 28 year old security guard after discovering methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia stashed inside his workplace. The suspect, identified only as Nattawat, also known by the nickname “Big”, was detained on Thursday, July 10 at a guard post within a luxury condominium construction site off Mueang Naka Road in Village 4, Wichit. Officers reported finding 17…
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Drug-fuelled horror: Man slashes own throat in Phuket meltdown
A Phuket man is fighting for his life after he slit his own throat in a terrifying episode believed to be triggered by a drug-induced hallucination—leaving his family too traumatised to visit him in hospital. Thalang Police confirmed that emergency services rushed to a shed near Wat Manik, in Village 7, Srisoonthorn, at about 1.30pm on Thursday, July 10, following…
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Booze ban barney: Phuket police defend dry crackdown on tipples
Phuket police have come under fire after swooping to shut down bars and restaurants mid-trade, claiming only venues with special service licences can sell alcohol during this week’s Buddhist holiday. The controversial clampdown came during Asarnha Bucha Day yesterday, July 10, and continues through tonight, July 11, for Khao Pansa, also known as Buddhist Lent. Officers in Rawai, Karon, and…
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Condo drug party ends in arrests for 2 Thais and Russian in Phuket
Police arrested two Thai men and one Russian national for holding a drug party at a condominium in Phuket. Officers from Wichit Police Station raided a condominium near a popular shopping mall in the Wichit sub-district of Phuket on Wednesday, July 9, apprehending the three suspects. They were identified as 23 year old Thai man Sirawit, 23 year old Thai…
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Sunk costs: Phuket tourists rescued as dive trip springs a leak
Five foreign tourists had to be dramatically rescued off the Phuket coast after their dive boat sprang a leak and started taking on water mid-voyage. A dive trip turned into a soggy nightmare on Wednesday afternoon when a tour boat carrying five foreign holidaymakers began leaking on the way back from the idyllic islands of southern Thailand. The drama unfolded…
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Phuket to host Kebaya Festival celebrating Peranakan heritage in 2025
Phuket will take centre stage in the global cultural arena with the upcoming Kebaya Festival, which is a celebration of Peranakan heritage as part of the Phuket Creative City Festival 2025. Scheduled for August 9 to August 10, the event will be held in Phuket Old Town and Suan Luang (King’s Park), featuring a comprehensive programme of cultural exhibitions, performances,…
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Phuket tourism boom: 223 billion baht from Russian, Chinese visitors
Phuket has emerged as a popular destination for Russian, Chinese, and Indian tourists in the first five months of this year, contributing approximately 223 billion baht in revenue, according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT). Kamolphan Chalermsakulrat, deputy director of TAT Phuket, reported yesterday, July 9, that the island province received 5.85 million visitors between January and May, reflecting…
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Meth-fuelled mayhem: Thai cops nab drugged driver on Patong Hill
Patong police swooped late last night to arrest a Thai man who was not only high behind the wheel but also carrying methamphetamine on Phuket’s notorious Patong Hill. The dramatic arrest unfolded at around 1.30am today, July 9, at the Patong Hill intersection on Phra Metta Road, a busy route popular with late-night revellers. Under orders from Police Colonel Chalermchai…
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Close shave: Phuket cops rescue woman after scarf snags (video)
A routine patrol turned into a dramatic roadside rescue in Phuket after a woman narrowly escaped serious injury when her scarf tangled in her motorcycle wheel. Today, July 9, at 8.30am Police Senior Sergeant Major Thanakrit Kodi and Police Senior Sergeant Major Nattawich Kaewprom, squad leaders from the Riot Control Unit, Crime Suppression Division Region 8, were carrying out their…
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Rainy horror: Phuket-bound tour bus topples in ‘killer curve’ crash
A late-night bus journey turned into a terrifying ordeal after a Phuket-bound tour bus flipped over on a notorious bend, injuring 11 people and stranding dozens more in the pouring rain. At 8.30pm yesterday, July 8, Police Lieutenant Sunantha Rotphet of Phetchaburi City Police Station received reports of the accident on the southbound stretch of Phetkasem Road at kilometre 151…
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Drug suspects in Phuket: 1 pill, 1 gun, 1 boat shop of trouble
It was an early wake-up call with handcuffs for three drug suspects in Phuket after a series of dawn raids uncovered meth pills, crystal ice, and a stash of illegal firearms, including a boat mechanic armed to the teeth. The dramatic swoops kicked off at 3am yesterday, July 8, in Srisoonthorn and Koh Kaew, led by narcotics chief Chaiporn Yangchin…
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Disaster at sea: RTN drills for shipwreck chaos off Phuket
Phuket is gearing up to tackle maritime catastrophes head-on, staging an elaborate simulation of a passenger ship disaster that could save lives when real tragedy strikes. The Thai Maritime Enforcement Command Centre Region 3 (Thai-MECC 3), based at the Royal Thai Navy (RTN)’s Third Naval Area Command at Cape Panwa, spearheaded the operation yesterday, July 8, in Phuket Town as…
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Phuket woman escapes car crash at roadside stall with minor injury
A Thai woman narrowly escaped serious injury after a car crashed into her roadside beverage stall in Phuket on Sunday, July 6. The driver later accepted full responsibility for the incident. The vendor, Naruemon Thorthip, shared CCTV footage of the crash on Facebook the same day. According to the timestamp in the video, the incident occurred at around 2pm near…
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Thai Vietjet launches cheap Mumbai-Phuket flights
Holidaymakers dreaming of sun-soaked Phuket get ready to pack your bags – budget airline Thai VietJet Air is turning up the heat on the India-Thailand travel scene with a brand new direct flight from Mumbai to the island paradise. The low-cost carrier, part of the larger VietJet Aviation Group, is set to launch the highly anticipated route in August, giving…
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Burmese family in Phuket apologises after viral motorcycle photo
A Burmese family in Phuket issued a public apology after a photo of all seven members travelling on a single motorcycle went viral and sparked controversy on Thai social media. The image, showing a family of seven riding a motorcycle through the Sam Kong Tunnel in Phuket, was widely circulated on social media yesterday, July 7. In the photo, the…
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Tsunami fears rattle Phuket as officials urge calm
Thailand urged the public to “stay aware, not scared” after a spate of offshore earthquakes sent social media into meltdown and raised awkward questions about tsunami preparedness in Phuket and along Thailand’s Andaman coast. The call for calm came during a high-level emergency briefing chaired by Deputy Interior Minister Thirat Rattanawanich yesterday, Monday, July 7, as Phuket officials joined a…
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Family of 7 on motorcycle sparks safety outrage in Phuket
A couple in Phuket sparked online criticism after a photo showing them dangerously transporting five children on a motorcycle circulated on Thai social media. Phuket Hotnews, and Newshawk Phuket, shared images of the family of seven riding on a single motorcycle yesterday, July 6, accompanied by a caption reading, “How many people can you count?” According to the pages, the…
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Phuket’s got night fever as new market hits the spot
Phuket Town has a new reason to stay up late, a sprawling night market has officially opened near Surin Circle, giving a boost to small businesses and offering a fresh hotspot for locals and tourists alike. The Plern Pao Night Market was launched with a flourish on Saturday, July 5, with Phuket MP Thitikan Thitiphrutikul presiding over the opening ceremony.…
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Kuwait too late: Pensioner dies in Phuket beach tragedy
A 74 year old Kuwaiti man who ignored warnings not to swim in rough seas drowned at a Phuket beach, the latest in a string of tourist deaths in treacherous Thai waters. A holidaying Kuwaiti pensioner died after being pulled unconscious from the sea at Bang Tao Beach in Phuket early on Saturday morning, July 5. Police arrived at the…
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Naked Russian plunges from Phuket flat in midnight meltdown
A naked Russian man is fighting for his life after a bizarre late-night plunge from a third-floor dormitory in Phuket Town. Maksim was found unconscious and stark naked outside the company dorm on Luang Pho Road after jumping from a balcony in a wild, unexplained episode that left witnesses stunned. Emergency crews from the Kusoldharm Foundation and an ambulance team…
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2 Iranian men arrested for stealing trainers from Phuket shoe shop
Police on Friday arrested two Iranian men for stealing a pair of trainers in the Patong neighbourhood of Phuket. Officers from Patong Police Station reviewed CCTV footage from a second-hand shoe shop on Phang Mueang Sai Kor Road, in the Patong sub-district of Kathu District, Phuket, after being alerted to the theft on Thursday, July 3. Two foreign men were…
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Spare us change! Thai minister begs tourists not to feed beggars
Instead of tackling Thailand’s growing homelessness crisis head-on, a top Thai minister has urged the public to stop giving handouts to beggars, especially in tourist hotspots like Phuket, Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Chon Buri. Varawut Silpa-archa, the Minister of Social Development and Human Security, claimed well-meaning generosity was actually making the problem worse. “Begging has existed for years but it’s…
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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