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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It’s wine o’clock! Whether you’re all about fruity reds, sweet whites, or funky naturals, Bangkok has many great spots to sip your favourite varieties. But with an array of options to choose from, and the constant rise and fall of...
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Safer Phuket launches marine safety petition
PHUKET: The Safer Phuket campaign (story here), designed to significantly improve marine safety on and around the island, launched a petition last week to build mass commitment to change, campaign leader Duncan Stewart told the Phuket Gazette today. “The campaign needs three ‘Ms’: message, momentum and mass – we’re at stage three now,” Mr Stewart said. “We need demonstrable mass…
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Government floats idea of MP registration in Phuket at military bases, police stations
PHUKET: The government has suggested registering election candidates for constituencies in Phuket and elsewhere in the South at local military bases or police stations if the process continues to be disrupted by anti-government protesters (story here) – but such a move would require the approval of the Election Commission (EC), Deputy Prime Minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul said yesterday. Mr Surapong was…
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Phuket MP candidate turned back by protesters
PHUKET: Two police complaints were filed yesterday after protesters once again blocked access to the Phuket Community Center, preventing a candidate from enrolling for the February 2 national elections. Pheu Thai candidate Visit Jaiart was prevented from entering the building to submit his candidacy. “I arrived to register at 8:30am, but protesters were blocking the doors and had taped flags…
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Phuket Pheu Thai candidate braves protest to enroll
PHUKET: One lone candidate yesterday braved the hundreds-strong protest in front of the Community Hall in Phuket Town to register in the February 2 national election. Jirayus Songyos registered as a Pheu Thai candidate for Voting District 2, which encompasses Phuket Town and the south of the island (click here). “So far, he is the only candidate registered to contest…
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![Runaway Phuket tour bus leaves two dead, 26 injured [Video] | Thaiger](https://thethaiger.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/phuketnews_2013123094755851_trhsjtfDhomexMZsmjrmMjVoMCCTUpNXpZHEmQbB_jpeg.jpg)
Runaway Phuket tour bus leaves two dead, 26 injured [Video]
PHUKET: Seven people remain in hospital after a runaway Phuket tour bus slammed into five vehicles, including one motorcycle, killing two people and leaving 26 others injured late yesterday afternoon. The bus came to a stop after ramming a concrete barrier at the bottom of Patong Hill near Wat Suwankiriwong (map here), explained Patong Police Superintendent Chiraphat Pochanaphan. “The driver…
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Protesters force temporary closure of Phuket MP registration
PHUKET: Island protesters on the path to political war, armed with only a mourning gift and whistles, forced the Phuket Election Commission (PEC) to close MP registration ahead of schedule, leaving zero candidates put forward to represent the province. “We don’t want to have an election on February 2,” said former Rassada Mayor Suratin Liangudom, who led the protest this…
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iBless to put on Phuket charity concert for typhoon victims
PHUKET: Local Filipino community project iBless Philippines is putting on a charity concert tomorrow to help those still suffering from the devastation of Super Typhoon Haiyan. The show, ‘Music for a Cause’, will showcase six local Filipino bands at Molly Malones Irish Pub in Patong. The event starts at 7pm with the MMR Band; FF Kei Vox; Uturn (The Rock…
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Bird strike forces AirAsia flight back to Phuket
PHUKET: AirAsia flight FD3167 from Phuket to Chiang Mai was forced to turn around 32 minutes after departing from Phuket International Airport, after a bird strike. “We believe several birds were sucked into the engine of the plane… After that, the captain decided to turn the plane back and land in Phuket to have the engine checked,” Arun Lilapantisitti of…
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Phuket bus drivers caught under the influence
PHUKET: Law enforcement officials are randomly testing bus drivers for drugs and alcohol during the 10 Days of Danger, and in two days have found three drivers working under the influence. Within Phuket, Thung Thong Police and Phuket Land Transport Office (PLTO) staff are stopping buses at the Thung Thong checkpoint on Phra Barami Road (map here) before they head…
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Druggy Grinch confesses to Phuket holiday robbery, Russian assault
PHUKET: A 42-year-old drug addict confessed to attacking a Russian woman and multiple accounts of robbery after he was arrested by Karon Police on Boxing Day. Boonrit Saeteaw was nabbed after having stolen several items on Christmas Day, including a mobile phone. His failure to turn off the phone’s GPS system, allowed police to track him down, Lt Col Teeradej…
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Speed cameras operational, but speed limit signs continue non-existent
PHUKET: Motorists speeding in Phuket now face a fine of 500 baht if they are caught by one of four speed cameras that became operational on Christmas Day. The cameras are in undisclosed locations: one within Phuket City limits; one on the bypass road; one on Thepkrasattri Road in Thalang; and one in the Tah Chat Chai area (story here).…
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Phuket high school student stabbed outside school gates
PHUKET: A senior high school student is in hospital after being stabbed yesterday afternoon as he left school in Thalang, in central Phuket. Kusoldharm Foundation rescue workers were called to the Muang Thalang School (map here) at 2:30pm and found the youth with a chest wound. “He had been stabbed once in the chest with a long, thin, sharp object…
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Phuket Vice Governor calls for police protection of election candidates
PHUKET: Phuket Vice Governor Somkiet Sangkaosuttirak has called on the police and the Royal Thai Navy to protect candidates enrolling in the national Member of Parliament (MP) election scheduled for February 2. “We have to accept that the current situation [in Bangkok] is not stable, and we need to be prepared,” Vice Governor Somkiet said, referring to the violence yesterday…
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![French family lost in Phuket forest found safe [Video] | Thaiger](https://thethaiger.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/phuketnews_20131227145559640_syEkNxVHzrXYJNNAobhBXRMaMcOwVWMfUGExeFdo_jpeg.jpg)
French family lost in Phuket forest found safe [Video]
PHUKET: A French family who went walking in search of a new resort to stay in south of Nai Yang Beach have been found safe and sound after losing themselves in a tropical forest last night. Officers from the Phuket Tourist Police received a call for help from father-of-three Frenchman Bill Letshon, 56, at about 6:30pm. Ten officers from the…
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Phuket Police probe Bangla bar worker shot dead by off-duty cop
PHUKET: A Patong Police sergeant has been suspended pending an investigation into the shooting death of a 27-year-old bar worker from Soi Bangla early yesterday morning. Officers arrived at the Fong Beer Pub on Phang Muang Sai Kor Road (map here) at 6am to find the body of Sawitree Kaewnin, from Phattalung, slumped over a table in front of the…
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Phuket honors victims on ninth anniversary of the tsunami
PHUKET: The Phuket community yesterday morning honored those who died in the devastating tsunami that struck the island in 2004 with a ceremony at the Tsunami Memorial Wall in Mai Khao followed by the traditional “Light Up Phuket” candle-lighting ceremony on Patong Beach last night. About 50 people turned out at the Tsunami Memorial Wall in Mai Khao, including a…
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Phuket Gazette World News: Egypt arrests dozens under new anti-terrorist law; Plane crash in Siberia; American al Qaeda captive in plea to Obama
Egypt arrests dozens under anti-terror law, one killed in Cairo Reuters / Phuket GazettePHUKET: Egypt stepped up pressure on the Muslim Brotherhood a day after declaring it a terrorist group, using the new classification to detain dozens of its supporters on Thursday, while one person died in street clashes ignited by political tension.A bomb blast in a Cairo suburb wounded…
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Phuket Marine Office launches New Year boat safety drive
PHUKET: Officers from the local Marine Office led by Phuket Governor Maitri Inthusut today conducted safety inspections of ferries and other tourist boats operating out of Rassada Pier as part of a safety drive for the new year. Rassada Pier, located on the east side of Phuket Town (map here), is a major jump-off point for tourists boarding ferries and…
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Phuket Red Cross Fair 2013 kicks off with B1.5mn golden touch
PHUKET: The Phuket Annual Red Cross fair kicks off at Saphan Hin tonight and runs until January 5, offering over 1.5 million baht in gold lucky draw prizes and 14 motorcycles for anyone who buys a ticket to support the Red Cross. The popular 11-day fair features hundreds of stalls selling local delicacies, knickknacks, clothing and a huge variety of…
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Phuket Police chief calls to play down bomb scare
PHUKET: The commander of the Phuket Provincial Police has called for the media to not “help suspects” by publishing news of the car bomb found in Phuket Town last weekend. Maj Gen Ong-art Phiewruangnont’s call for media silence follows police confirmation that a pickup truck rigged as a bomb discovered in Phuket Town last Saturday was stolen from a man…
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Phuket captain, meth user sunk
PHUKET: Two men who had just returned tourists by speedboat to the pier at Phuket Boat Lagoon were arrested yesterday afternoon for using ya ice (crystal methamphetamine); one was also charged for possession of over eight grams of the drug.The men were apprehended as part of a holiday drug-sweep in the area, Marine Police Inspector Chatchai Sakdee told the Phuket…
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Ukrainian motorcyclist first death in Phuket safety campaign
PHUKET: Phuket skated by the first day of the Ten Days of Danger campaign with zero deaths, but a big bike accident that killed a Ukrainian* early this morning puts the goal of zero road deaths out of reach. The traditional Seven Days of Danger campaign was bumped to ten days in hopes of saving more lives during the extended…
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Phuket Blood Bank’s vaults low on Rh- blood ahead of New Year demand
PHUKET: As Phuket enters the 10 Days of Danger (story here), the Phuket Regional Blood Center (PRBC) scrambles to boost low stocks of Rhesus-negative blood, calling on blood donors to come forward and save lives this holiday season. “We have no AB- blood in stock at all,” PRBC Chief Pornthip Rattajak told the Phuket Gazette today. “We have a lot…
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A New Year gift from Phuket Police
PHUKET: Patong Police are looking forward to giving the people of Phuket a gift for the New Year – public parking spaces along the Patong beach road that are free of taxi and tuk-tuk thugs. Lt Col Akanit Danpitaksat, Deputy Superintendent of the Patong Police, said his team was ready to enforce the new regulation to reduce the number of…
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Phuket’s Nai Harn Bay gets artificial coral reef
PHUKET: Villagers and marine officers joined together yesterday to drop concrete frames into the sea at Nai Harn Bay as substructures for artificial coral reefs.“There were over 50 people there to help drop 200 concrete frame-cubes,” said Tanet Munnoy, chief of the Phuket Office of the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR).“Coral reefs are important resources for marine animals.…
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Beautiful Christmas weather, but stay safe in the water, says lifeguard
PHUKET: On another stunning sunny day in Phuket, the head lifeguard at the island’s deadliest beach wishes all a happy holiday and a very safe New Year.“It is a beautiful day in Kata, Karon and across the island, and it will remain beautiful for the holiday season. There are no rip currents to worry about right now,” Kata-Karon head lifeguard…
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Phuket taxi drivers join forces for good, not evil
PHUKET: Phuket Governor Maitri Inthusut yesterday officiated the launch of a new consortium of taxi and tuk-tuk drivers at Kata Noi that may herald a new era for taxi services on the island. The Kata Noi Community Taxi Service was formed by the 63 drivers who serve four taxi and tuk-tuk ranks stationed along the length of Kata Noi Beach…
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Phuket cows freed to honor HM The King’s birthday
PHUKET: Phuket Governor Maitri Inthusut led a ceremony at Saphan Hin on Sunday to free 22 cows and over a million marine animals in honor of HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s 86th birthday on December 5th. “Making merit by releasing life is a wonderful activity, as it feels so good to give something so special,” Gov Maitri said. “It makes you…
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Ghost riding Russian injured in Phuket motorbike crash
PHUKET: A ghost-riding Russian was injured in a crash just after midnight yesterday on Thepkasattri Road.Eyewitnesses told police that the man was driving as if he was drunk. He allegedly took a spill near the Thai Watsadu megastore, then got back on his bike and drove toward the Heroine’s Monument, where he continued heading south toward Phuket Town, but in…
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Chinese tourists rescued from sinking speedboat in Phuket’s Chalong Bay
PHUKET: A speed boat carrying Chinese tourists from Koh Lone to Chalong Pier took on water yesterday morning and sank about 500 meters from Chalong Pier.A passing longtail boat safely transferred the 16 passengers and three boat crew members from the speedboat to the pier.The speed boat Alisa 2 was nearing Chalong at about 8am when the boat crew noticed…
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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