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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Merry Christmas Phuket! Governor to announce bypass road speed limit
PHUKET: Phuket Governor Maitri Inthusut on December 25 will announce the speed limit for motorists travelling along the bypass road, officially called Chalermprakiat Ror IX Road and unofficially one of Phuket’s deadliest motorways. The move will be the first of many measures taken in the hope of achieving zero fatalities over the new year holidays. “The usual ‘Seven Days of…
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Bad egg arrested at Phuket Prison
PHUKET: A woman delivering an omelet to an inmate at Phuket Prison was arrested yesterday when guards discovered that the food concealed anti-anxiety pills.When Thitiporn Janerop, 20, was in the prison visiting room, officers conducted a routine search of the food that she had brought. Inside the omelet they found 40 pills of Alprazolam – popularly known as Xanax –…
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Colorful New Year coming to Phuket
PHUKET: “Colorful Countdown Phuket 2014” is set to usher in the new year with light shows and live concerts at Sanam Chai Park (map here) from December 29 to 31. This year’s theme for the Phuket Provincial Administrative Organization (PPAO) event is “The Charm Wonderland of Light”, explained PPAO President Paiboon Upatising, also known as “the pink panther” for his…
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More human remains found believed to be those of missing Phuket 7-year-old
PHUKET: More human remains were found today in the pine woods where family members of missing 7-year-old Nong Dear and villagers yesterday discovered fragments of a human skull, along with shorts and a pair of slippers that matched those the girl was wearing at the time of her disappearance. It was a spirit medium who led the family to the…
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Skull fragment found in Phuket believed to be of missing 7-year-old
PHUKET: Fragments of a human skull have been found in Chalong along with clothing and slippers that match those of missing 7-year-old Natthapa “Nong Dear” Papkaew (story here). The relatives of the missing girl uncovered fragments of bone while searching the forested area near Palai Beach yesterday. Chalong Police were notified of the discovery at about 3pm. “While our forensic…
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Four injured in Phuket Graceland Resort & Spa fire
PHUKET: Three staffers and a carpenter were injured in a fire that broke out yesterday afternoon in the laundry facilities at the Phuket Graceland Resort & Spa in Patong. “When I realized there was a fire, I order hotel staffers to notify guests to evacuate the hotel. We were at about 70 to 80 per cent occupancy, but got all…
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Firefighters battle blaze at Phuket Graceland Resort and Spa
PHUKET: Hotel staff have evacuated the Phuket Graceland Resort and Spa in Patong as firefighters battle the blaze that started at the hotel’s laundry facilities.The standalone building, part of one of Patong’s best-known resorts, caught fire at about 1:30pm, Patong Police Superintendent Chiraphat Pochanaphan told the Phuket Gazette.Firefighters have now contained the fire, which continues to burn.On site are five…
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Moonlighting Phuket electrician falls asleep at wheel, kills motorbike driver
PHUKET: A moonlighting electrician fell asleep at the wheel on his way home from work early this morning, striking and dragging a motorbike taxi driver to his death on Thepkrasattri – Nai Yang Road. Police called to the scene at 6:30am found a pickup truck with a badly damaged hood in a ditch alongside the road. The taxi driver vest…
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Phuket FC gets new blood for new year
PHUKET: Following a month-long break, Phuket FC last week assembled its new-look squad for pre-season training in preparation for the coming Yamaha League One (YL1) season, which is set to commence in February, 2014. Meanwhile, the club’s chairman and president announced a projected season budget of between 45 to 55 million baht – about the same as the 2013 season,…
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Danish tourist mugged for kiteboard on Phuket beach
PHUKET: Police are searching for three foreign men who allegedly threatened a Danish tourist in to handing over his entire kiteboard kit at a Phuket beach. Bjarke Carlsen, 25, reported to police that the incident occurred yesterday at Friendship Beach (map here). “Mr Carlsen said he was robbed on the beach at about 10am, when three men wearing ski masks…
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Phuket teen killed by water truck in front of unopened Makro Rawai
PHUKET: A 15-year-old girl was killed by a water truck at the yet-to-be-opened Makro store in Rawai last night. The 48-year-old driver, Utai Suwannachoti, fled the scene, but surrendered to police this morning. “When we arrived at the scene, we found a water truck stopped in the middle of the road with a lot of onlookers surrounding it,” Capt Wuttiwat…
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Phuket to honor tsunami victims
PHUKET: The Phuket community will honor those who died in the devastating tsunami that struck the island nine years ago with a ceremony at the Tsunami Memorial Wall in Mai Khao followed by the traditional “Light Up Phuket” candle-lighting ceremony on Patong Beach. Thai official figures state that the tsunami killed 5,398 people and that more than 3,700 disappeared in…
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Drowning of Phuket boy, 9, spurs lifeguard warning
PHUKET: The drowning of a 9-year-old boy at Karon Beach over the weekend has sparked a warning from Phuket lifeguards for parents to never leave children unwatched at the beach. “Children should never be left unattended near the surf, even if no red flags have been posted to mark it as a dangerous area to swim,” Kata-Karon chief lifeguard Uten…
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Phuket Police to target foreigners at night
PHUKET: Foreigners passing through checkpoints at night will be stopped and searched as part of a new effort to ensure the safety of people and property on Phuket, police announced today. The police initiative is motivated by two recent ATM robberies perpetrated by foreigners and the fact that the number of foreign suspects in criminal cases sharply increased this year,…
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Phuket land grab suspect arrested
PHUKET: Police charged a man with encroaching on a protected Phuket forest yesterday after he was found building two houses amid mangroves in Wichit. The arrest came during a raid led by Phuket Vice Governor Somkiet Sangkhaosutthirak at a site near Klong Mudong (map here). The raid was inspired by a complaint filed by local villagers, Vice Governor Somkiet told…
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Chef murdered in Phuket likely bag-snatch victim
PHUKET: Police suspect that the chef who was fatally stabbed early yesterday morning while on his way to work was the victim of a bag-snatch. Eyewitnesses told police that Dithchart Insom was riding north on the Kathu-Naka road (map here) when two men on a motorbike rode alongside him and ordered him to stop. “When Mr Dithchart stopped, the men…
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Former Phuket police volunteer denied bail
PHUKET: Long-time expat and well-known Tourist Police Volunteer Garry Halpin has been denied bail by police, the Phuket Gazette was told today. Mr Halpin was arrested on Saturday night in a police sting operation during which he was found in possession of more than 18 grams of ya ice (crystal methamphetamine). Mr Halpin was placed under arrest after he bought…
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Phuket Provincial Hall officially re-opens today
PHUKET: Phuket Provincial Hall, closed at the request of anti-government protesters last month, officially re-opened today. On November 27, thousands of protesters massed at the hall, presented Phuket Governor Maitri Inthusut with a bouquet of flowers, and asked him to shutter the building. He obliged, but carried on working at various locations outside the hall (story here). The main government…
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Phuket murder trial of Swedes enters closing stages
PHUKET: Tommy Viktor Soderlund, one of two Swedish nationals charged for the stabbing murder of Maksim Schantz two years ago, reiterated his plea of not guilty at Phuket Provincial Court today. Mr Soderlund, in court to testify, repeated his plea of not guilty and gave his version of events that led to the killing of Russian-born Swedish national Mr Schantz…
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Jetstar begins direct Phuket-Melbourne flights
PHUKET: Jetstar Airways has launched its non-stop service between Phuket and Melbourne, connecting Phuket to one of its most important source markets just in time for the tourism high season to kick off. “The first flight of the service directly to Phuket left the ground on December 14, making it the first direct low-cost carrier service for travellers between the…
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Be forewarned about 4G in Phuket
PHUKET: Lest you think it’s 3G déjà vu all over again, the current state of 4G in Phuket has a few interesting new wrinkles. In many ways, the impending 4G roll out – which is already under way, at least in theory – isn’t nearly as confusing as the 3G roll out two years ago. Thank heavens! Let’s start with…
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Queens of the beach compete
PHUKET: With the success of the PTT School Tournament, held in conjunction with the recent 2013 FIVB Beach Volleyball Phuket Open, organizer Bob Selznick wanted to give students another chance to develop their skills on the sand by hosting a new tournament. “I promised the girls that I would teach them, and hold a two-person per side beach volleyball tournament…
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Patong Carnival Fun Fest underway
PHUKET: Thousands of tourists and Phuket residents lined the streets of Patong yesterday evening to usher in the annual Patong Carnival, held each year to unofficially mark the beginning of the tourism high season. This year, branded the “Patong Fun Fest”, the carnival got underway with the traditional parade, snaking its way from Phang Muang Sai Kor Road, Prachanukhro Road…
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Karon named deadliest Phuket beach
PHUKET: Karon Beach was marked as the deadliest beach in Phuket after eight people drowned between October 2012 and September 2013, said Karon Police Superintendent Weerawat Jantarawichit on Friday. “We have put up signs in many languages warning people about the dangers, but they have not been successful – this is very concerning,” Phuket Governor Maitri Inthusut said in a…
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Aggressive British beggar beaten on Bangla
PHUKET: A British beggar who was verbally abusing tourists who weren’t giving him money was attacked on Phuket’s main party street, Soi Bangla, last night. Patong Police and Kusoldharm rescue workers arrived at the scene to find Aziz Javid, 29, sprawled out on the road with a crowd of onlookers standing around him. “He was suffering from a minor head…
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Stunning Airshow set for Phuket’s Patong Beach tomorrow afternoon
PHUKET: The Phuket Gazette has just been advised of an Airshow over Patong Beach tomorrow (Sunday, December 15) at 4pm. Organized by Patong Municipality to celebrate the opening of Phuket’s high season for tourism, the show will be repeated, also at 4pm, on Monday and Tuesday as well. The show stars world-renowned stunt pilot Les Vorosmarthy who flew into Phuket…
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Phuket resort looks to bring to heel Kata Noi taxi rank
PHUKET: Reform for the 60-vehicle taxi rank operating at the Katathani Phuket Beach Resort is on the horizon, said Katathani President and CEO Sombut Atiset yesterday. The hotel is working together with the Karon Municipality and Karon Police to establish a balance where everyone can “live together”, explained Mr Sombut. “We are working with the Kata Noi Taxi Service, and…
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Phuket Governor pushes ‘Visiting 3K Police Stations’ project
PHUKET: Phuket Governor Maitri Inthusut inspected Karon Police Station yesterday as part of his “Visiting 3K Police Stations” campaign to promote Phuket as a safe holiday destination. The governor is using the project to keep a close eye on police stations at three key tourism beach areas – Kathu (Patong), Kamala and Karon. In October Governor Maitri was given a…
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Missing Chinese tourist suffering from Alzheimers found in Phuket Town
PHUKET: A 59-year-old Chinese tourist who was reported missing two days ago and suffers from Alzhiemer’s disease was found last night. The last sighting of Deshen Zhaun, before he was found, was at at 3pm when he entered Madam Massage in the Phuket Merlin Hotel in Phuket Town, said the man’s son-in-law, Wichit Sae-Ju. “When I returned to pick him…
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Desperate Phuket mother turns to spirit medium to find missing daughter
PHUKET: The mother of missing 7-year-old Nong Dear has resorted to consulting a spirit medium after police efforts have failed to yield any results in the week the girl has been missing (story here). “It’s been a week now; I know police are working hard, but they are still unable to find my daughter,” Jaroon Papkaew said. “I didn’t know…
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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