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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Phuket officials combat Karon wastewater, put heat on hotels
PHUKET: Phuket officials yesterday suggested threatening hotels in Karon with having their licenses revoked if they failed to adequately treat wastewater before releasing it. The meeting between officers of the Karon Municipality and Regional Environmental Office 15 follows reports last month of rank black water pouring out of Nong Harn Canal into the ocean at Karon (story here). “Karon Municipality…
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Phuket Sports: The BMW Golf Cup International teed off today
PHUKET: Today marks the beginning of the BMW Golf Cup International at the Blue Canyon Country Club in Thalang. Amateur golf finalists from 50 countries will battle for international glory at the five-day tournament, which plays out from March 10 to 15. The contest is the culmination of about 100,000 players having teed off at 800 tournaments throughout 50 different…
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Eight candidates enter race for Phuket senator, one rejected
PHUKET: Eight candidates have registered to contest Phuket’s sole seat in the Senate in the national election for the upper house to be held on March 30. However, one application to enter the senatorial race was rejected by the Phuket Election Commission (PEC). “The application filed by Siripong Luangchawee was rejected because he resigned as a member of the Pheu…
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Phuket Police arrest drug mule with crystal meth, dealer escapes
PHUKET: Phuket Police on Friday arrested a drug courier with 950 grams of ya ice (crystal methamphetamine) and began a search for a drug dealer who fled from officers, leaving behind one kilogram of ya ice and a motorbike near Srisoonthorn Temple. A Nakhon Sri Thammarat inmate, Kee Honzaitong, tipped police off about members of a drug network transporting ya…
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Phuket stolen passports may unravel missing Malaysian flight mystery
PHUKET: Police are investigating how two passports reported stolen in Phuket were used by persons unknown to board Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, which disappeared over the South China Sea on Saturday (story here). The probe was announced yesterday after two tourists who visited Phuket on holiday were found alive and well after being listed among the 239 passengers on board…
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Phuket expat volunteers back on beat after misunderstanding, says Patong’s new top cop
PHUKET: Striking Region 8 International Volunteers are back to work after negotiations with police, announced Acting Patong Police Superintendent Sakchai Limcharoen. Col Sakchai told the Phuket Gazette this afternoon that the entire issue had stemmed from a misunderstanding. “They are all back on the force. Patong Police and the expat volunteers were patrolling together last night,” Col Sakchaisaid. “Even the…
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Video Report: Uninsured Phuket ship sunk by fire, owners estimate 5mn in losses
PHUKET: The wooden cargo ship that caught fire yesterday off Phuket’s east coast in Phang Nga Bay was not insured and represents a 5-million-baht loss, its owners said. One of the owners, Sompong Maikhaew, and three other men were on the ship when it caught fire, but jumped overboard and were safely rescued by a passing speedboat. “We left Koh…
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Murder investigation launched after discovery of body in Phuket drainpipe
PHUKET: Police launched a murder investigation after the decomposed body of a woman was found yesterday by a medical worker who stopped by the side of the road to urinate. Police believe the body is that of Kanya Yoongnoo, 47, who was reported missing in Cherng Talay in January, but are waiting for DNA test results. Two Paklok Emergency Medical…
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Patong Mayor Pian guilty of vote fraud, but will run for re-election
PHUKET: Deposed Patong Mayor Pian Keesin yesterday was found guilty of electoral fraud in the September 2012 council election, but is free to run for re-election to head Phuket’s key resort town. Also found guilty for their roles in importing voters specifically to cast votes in the election were Jaroern Khwanyeun, Prasarn Noochet, Prasit Phatkor, Mana Phanchalad and Narong Cheuayuan.…
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Dry Phuket conditions cause another blaze to errupt
PHUKET: A fire broke out in a dry field along Thepkrassatri Road yesterday that required firefighters from three stations two hours to put out. The fire, which started at 12:45pm, affected about five rai of land but did not cause any damage to property or to people in the area, said a Thepkrasattri Municipality Emergency Medical Service worker. Ten firemen…
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Log caused Phuket speedboat accident
PHUKET: A log punched a hole in the hull of a speedboat that was rescued yesterday afternoon (story here), said the managing director of Andavaree, the company that owns the boat. “I was notified by our captain that the 47-foot boat, powered by three engines, struck a log near Koh Gai as it was taking 52 people to Phi Phi…
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Krabi villagers build bamboo barriers to protect the coast
PHUKET: After enduring huge waves and strong winds for several years, residents of a seaside village in the province of Krabi have adapted to the effects of climate change by using bamboo to build temporary barriers to prevent coastal erosion. The barriers were built along a 500-meter stretch of coastal area in the fishing community in Klong Prasong, Muang district,…
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Concerns grow over Krabi’s proposed coal projects
PHUKET: Fossilized shells at a beach dating back 75 million years and over 10,000 rai of the country’s second-largest seagrass area in Krabi would be destroyed if the coal seaport and coal-fired power-plant project go ahead, an environmental watch agency warned on March 6. Adding to the concerns over the project, the local tourism association in Koh Lanta is worried…
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Region’s top cop praises understaffed Chalong Police
PHUKET: Despite a report that the Chalong Police force is understaffed, the region’s top cop praised officers there for their work. “Since I became Region 8 Commander in October last year, I have had no concerns about Chalong. The officers here have done a good job of maintaining the safety of both locals and tourists in the area,” said Region…
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Breaking News: Ship bursts into flames off Phuket
PHUKET: A ship carrying cargo was engulfed by flames near Koh Naka, off Phuket’s east coast this afternoon. Phuket Marine Police were notified of the incident at about 4pm by a speedboat captain. First reports are that all on board the ship were safely rescued by the passing speedboat. — Chutharat Plerin
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Phuket Gazette International Sports: Birmingham City FC boss busted for money laundering
PHUKET: Birmingham City Football Club boss Carson Yeung was sentenced to six years in jail on Friday for laundering $93 million following a high-profile trial that cast a spotlight on how the barber-turned-businessman made his fortune. Yeung, 54, was found guilty by a Hong Kong court on Monday of five counts of money-laundering. He had denied the charges. The businessman…
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Special Report: Trafficking abuse of Myanmar Rohingya spreads to Malaysia
SPECIAL REPORT PHUKET: Human traffickers have kept hundreds of Rohingya Muslims captive in houses in northern Malaysia, beating them, depriving them of food, and demanding a ransom from their families, according to detailed accounts by the victims. The accounts given to Reuters suggest that trafficking gangs are shifting their operations into Malaysia as Thai authorities crack down on jungle camps…
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Sweden to Phuket: Epic cycling journey for island orphanage
PHUKET: A man is standing out in the cold in the snowy town of Karlskoga, his fellow citizens walk briskly past, unaware that within about a month the man will be departing their homeland on an epic cycling journey across half of the world to the shores of paradise – Phuket. Unlike many such great undertakings, which have been motivated…
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Phuket Sports: Reaching the ultimate goal [Video]
PHUKET: The ancient martial art of Muay Thai is alive and strong, especially in Phuket, where fighters from around the world make their way to train with some of the best. The Phuket Gazette and PGTV were able to get the scoop on what’s new in the island’s fighting scene during a recent visit to Tiger Muay Thai gym. Located…
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Phuket Sports: Train like a pro, win like a pro
PHUKET: Roughly 135 is the number of triathlons completed by Jaray Jearanai, Phuket’s homegrown triathlete. “I’ve been running for nine years and each year I run more than 15 triathlons,” he says. But as much as he likes it, it’s not all just for fun. “I want to be the best Thai triathlete. Right now, there are no Thais going…
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Phuket motorcycle taxi driver nabbed for swiping wallet
PHUKET: Police arrested a Phuket man early yesterday morning for swiping a wallet from a tour guide counter in Patong. Patong Police received a complaint from 47-year-old tour agent Urailuck Chaiphan that her wallet had been stolen from the M.E.G. tour counter. “We investigated CCTV footage and saw that the suspect had a tattoo on his arm and was wearing…
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Protests hold up Phuket sea gypsy DNA results
PHUKET: DNA tests that could prove the residency of sea gypsies in Rawai and help them counter land claims of private investors seeking to evict them have been delayed due to the Bangkok Shutdown. The tests are being done on bones found last year buried in the dirt floor of a sea gypsy home. If there is a match between…
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Governor Maitri Inthusut honors Phuket Gazette’s 20th anniversary
PHUKET: Managers and staff members past and present were joined by more than 500 business leaders, readers, writers and friends of the island’s main newspaper to celebrate the 20th anniversary milestone of the Phuket Gazette at a party hosted by founder and publisher John Magee and wife Janpen Arno in Cherng Talay. Phuket Governor Maitri Inthusut, a regular columnist for…
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Patong police delay action on tourist extortion claims
PHUKET: Patong Police Acting Superintendent Sakchai Limcharoen confirmed today that no immediate action will be taken over claims that officers under his new command stand accused of extorting money from tourists. The news follows Phuket expats who assist the Patong Police as Region 8 International Volunteers revealing in a public statement yesterday that several of them had resigned over an…
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Breaking News: Phuket tourists rescued from sinking boat off Phi Phi
PHUKET: All 47 European and Asian tourists and five crewmen have been safely rescued from a Phuket tour boat that started taking on water in Phang Nga Bay earlier today. Capt Wichai Chairap, 40, called for help after the tour boat Andavaree 919 started to struggle amid strong waves near Koh Gai off the coast of Krabi at 11:30am. The…
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Phuket Airport taxis face undercover sting operation
PHUKET: In an effort to compel airport metered taxi drivers to turn on their meters, Vice Governor Chamroen Tipayapongtada will send policemen to pose as tourists in a sting operation. “If the undercover officers find a taxi driver who refuses to turn on his meter, we will arrest him immediately,” Vice Governor Chamroen said. The move follows a complaint the…
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Drug dealer turns in Phuket suppliers
PHUKET: Police seized more than 3.7 million baht of property after a Phuket drug dealer gave up his suppliers Tuesday night. “We first arrested Kiatipoom ‘Tak’ Rangubwong, 34, in possession of 338 ya bah (methamphetamine) pills,1.8 grams of ya ice (crystalmethamphetamine) and drug paraphernalia at his house on Thung Thong Road at about 11pm,” said Col Jaroon Bangprasert of the…
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Breaking News: Phuket expat volunteers quit over police corruption allegations
PHUKET: At least five long-term Phuket expats who have spent years assisting police as volunteers in Patong have resigned over allegations that police officers have extorted money from tourists. The Region 8 International Volunteers who work out of Kathu Police Station – the formal name for the police station in Patong – met today to discuss their concerns about working…
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Phuket Marine Police help thirsty sea gypsies
PHUKET: Koh Sireh sea gypsies received 6,000 liters of water yesterday after they told Phuket Marine Police they had a water shortage. “It is not our job to do this, but we have a good relationship with the Koh Sireh sea gypsies,” said Marine Police Inspector Chatchai Sakdee. “And if we can do something to help people, we will.” “When…
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Phuket Marine Police conduct boat safety raids
PHUKET: The Phuket Marine Office conducted safety inspections of speedboats, dive boats and other vessels geared toward tourism at Chalong Pier yesterday. “It is our responsibility to continually check on the boats and strictly enforce regulations to ensure the safety of passengers,” Chatchai Sakdee of the Phuket Marine Police said. Police confirmed that the boats were not carrying more than…
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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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