Phuket News
Phuket news, politics, business, tourism, and nightlife—stay updated with breaking stories, events, and expat updates from Thailand’s top island destination. Get the latest from The Thaiger, your trusted Phuket news source.
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Chalong Police called to answer diver extortion allegations
PHUKET: The Chalong Police have been ordered to explain in writing to Phuket Governor Maitri Inthusut what transpired on March 10, when more than 20 foreign dive instructors were taken into custody at Chalong Pier. The foreigners were transported to Chalong Police Station in a police pick-up truck – and allegedly threatened with legal action if they did not pay…
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Mum’s nightmare a prelude to daughter’s disappearance becoming murder investigation
PHUKET: More than three months after 7-year-old Natthapa “Nong Dear” Papkaew disappeared, her mother had a nightmare that her beloved daughter had been raped by a tall man with a knife. Jaroon Papkaew, Nong Dear’s mother, woke from the horrific vision only to discover a graver nightmare: DNA tests confirming that the human remains found in a Chalong pine field…
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Officials inspect overflowing Phuket landfill, prepare for possible fires
PHUKET: Island officials yesterday visited Phuket’s overloaded waste management facility and took steps to ensure that any fire there could be quickly contained. The inspection followed the news of a blaze that erupted in a garbage disposal site in Samut Prakan province on March 16 (story here) and adversely affected many locals in the area. “I have asked Prachum Suriya,…
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Thalang triumph over ICC at ACG
PHUKET: In Sunday’s JLL league match, the Thalang cricket team chased down 143 runs in 22.4 overs at the Alan Cooke Ground (ACG) to defeat the Island Cricket Club (ICC). In their first encounter of the season on February 9th. ICC set the record for the lowest team total on the ACG of just 37 runs. Winning the toss this…
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Phuket kidnapping suspect wanted by Russian Police
PHUKET: Police heading the investigation into the alleged kidnapping of Iana Strizheus and Alexey Slabinskiy have confirmed that one of the two main suspects is a Russian fugitive. “We are aware that Ukrainian Oleksandr Boychuk, 44, is wanted by the Russian Police,” Phuket Provincial Police Deputy Commander Arun Kaewvatee told the Phuket Gazette. “We know only that he was wanted…
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French resort manager, Ukrainian tour guide nabbed in work permit raids
PHUKET: Phuket Immigration last night arrested the manager of The Blue Garden Resort & Spa in Cherng Talay, where Russian woman Iana Strizheus was found bruised and battered after her alleged kidnapping ordeal (story here). Officers moved in and arrested French national Eric Raymond Seigneurin, 55, at about 9pm after plainclothes police posing as tourists observed him serving tourists at…
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Chalong Police chief denies Phuket dive industry shakedowns
PHUKET: Chalong Police Superintendent Krittapas Dazintharasorn has publicly denied that any of his officers are – or have been – involved in arresting and extorting money from foreign dive instructors in Phuket. Col Krittapas’ denial of corruption among his officers follows more than 20 dive instructors being rounded up at Chalong Pier (map here) and taken to Chalong Police Station…
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Phuket Gov warns against showing ‘too much’ skin during Songkran
PHUKET: Phuket Governor Maitri Inthusut issued a warning yesterday about showing too much skin during the Thai New Year Songkran Festival next month. “Tourists need to be aware of how they dress and of their surroundings when participating in the Songkran Festival. Please do not just wear a bikini, as it might make you a target for sexual harassment,” said…
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Phuket FC versus Sriracha City FC tomorrow night
PHUKET: Come out to support your local Yamaha League One 11th place Phuket FC Ronins as they take to the pitch against 17th place Sriracha City FC. The game starts at 6:30pm tomorrow night, March 26, at Surakul Stadium in Phuket Town – get there early to get a good seat!
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A moving meditation
PHUKET: Making a guest appearance at the Aikido of Phuket dojo across from Bangkok Hospital, Aikido Grand Master Nobuo Maekawa exceeded my per-conceived expectations of the quintessential Japanese martial artist. Small in stature but huge in confidence, aging but incredibly able and agile, lighthearted yet deeply philosophical and reflective. “It is a moving meditation. Blend, like cafe au lait. If…
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Phuket black water problem to be taken on by Bangkok officials
PHUKET: In an effort to combat the black water debacle in Karon, officials signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to temporarily relinquish control of wastewater management in the area to the Wastewater Management Authority of Thailand (WMA). “Municipality officers signed the MoU on March 13. It allows the WMA to take charge,” Director of Regional Environmental Office 15 Pornsri Suthanaruk…
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Three Phuket candidates registered to battle it out for Patong mayor
PHUKET: Three candidates have registered to fight for the position of mayor in Phuket’s premier resort town of Patong in the upcoming April 26 election. “Kittisan Kuru of the Patong Gao Na (Patong Progress) Party and former town council member was the last candidate to register today at 8:30am,” Patong Municipality Chief Administrative Officer (Palad) Poonsak Naksena told the Phuket…
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England cricket captain Broad fined for outburst
PHUKET: England captain Stuart Broad has been fined 15 percent of his match fee for criticizing the officials after his side’s rain-affected World Twenty20 defeat to New Zealand, the International Cricket Council (ICC) said on Sunday. Broad, who admitted a Level 1 charge of publicly criticizing the match officials, said following Saturday’s nine-run defeat that the decision to keep the…
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Northern Phuket at full flush as water supply restored
PHUKET: Water supply throughout huge residential areas of northern Phuket returned today after waterworks crews completed repairs to a main that burst in Baan Bang Jo, Cherng Talay, on Saturday (story here). “The burst main left residents in Cherng Talay, Koh Keaw, Rassada, Koh Sireh, Srisoonthorn and Baan Porn, Srisuchart and the Rock Garden housing development without mains supply over…
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Phuket officers investigate fire in driverless car
PHUKET: A car erupted in flames outside an abandoned Phuket house early yesterday morning with its owner nowhere in sight. Nutchanat Thongpan, a neighbor living near the abandoned house, notified police of the blaze at about 1:30am in Neramit Village 3 in Baan Lipon, Capt Narong Muangdoung of the Thalang Police told the Phuket Gazette. “I returned from work that…
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Phuket Police warn of slick roads after new graduate dies in motorcycle accident
PHUKET: Police issued a warning about driving on rain-slicked roads after a new graduate of Phuket Rajabhat University was killed in an accident on Saturday night. “People need to drive very carefully when it rains, because the roads are slippery. Motorcyclists must wear a helmet. If you’re involved in an accident, it could save your life,” said Capt Narong Muangdoung…
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Phuket Governor calls for better voter turnout after dismal advance polling
PHUKET: The dismal turnout at the Phuket polls yesterday for the advance voting in the national Senate election prompted the Phuket Governor to call on the public to turn out in force at the main polls next weekend. Although about 90 per cent of voters registered in Phuket who said they would advance vote did so, only about 2.19 per…
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Busted pipe leaves Phuket areas dry
PHUKET: Water supply has been interrupted in parts of Phuket today after a pipe transferring water from Baan Bang Jo exploded. The areas affected are Cherng Talay, Koh Keaw, Rassada, Koh Sireh, Srisoonthorn and Baan Porn, manager of the Phuket Water Authority (PWA) Pisak Chonlayut told the Phuket Gazette today. “High-water pressure caused the issue at about midnight. We are…
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Phone of Russian missing in Phuket used days after girlfriend found
PHUKET: The telephone of missing Russian Alexey Slabinskiy was used on Thursday, four days after his girlfriend was found injured in a Phuket hotel room. Police were able to trace Mr Slabinskiy’s telephone to Chalong, and raced to find him, but came up empty-handed, said Region 8 Police Deputy Commander Wissanu Muangpraesri,. Gen Wissanu was in Phuket yesterday to follow…
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Karon voted 18th best beach in Asia, despite wastewater problems
PHUKET: Despite all the recent reports of waste water, including human waste, flowing across it, Karon Beach was recently named as one of the 25 best beaches in Asia by TripAdvisor. Three other Phuket beaches were among the top 25 in the 2014 TripAdvisor Travellers’ Choice Awards: Nai Harn, Kata Noi and Freedom. Nai Harn was in fifth place, Kata…
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No tsunami alert issued in Phuket after 6.5 magnitude earthquake off Nicobar Islands
PHUKET: Phuket Officials have confirmed that the 6.5 magnitude earthquake north of Aceh, Sumatra will not result in a tsunami or effect Thailand. Safety concerns were raised earlier today on the popular Facebook page Phuket New Era Expats after Reuters reported the US Geological Survey data of the initial quake, which was at a depth of about 10 kilometers about…
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Migrant laborer dies after tumble from Phuket pick-up truck
PHUKET: A Myanmar national fell off the back of a pick-up truck and died on the road in Mai Khao in front of his wife and son yesterday afternoon. Saw Aung, 42, and four other Myanmar nationals, including his wife and son, were being taken to Takua Pa, Phang Nga to buy supplies when a tyre burst at the front…
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Phuket student slays ex-girlfriend’s new love in knife attack
PHUKET: Police are on the lookout for a 22-year-old Phuket student wanted for the fatal stabbing of his ex-girlfriend’s new partner in a frenzied knife attack in Rassada early Thursday morning. Officers were called to an apartment block in Soi Yongkeng Muna-Utit, off Thepkrasattri Road, near Phuket Rajabhat University, at 6:30am. “There was a trail of blood leading from the…
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Phuket man attacked after alleged rape of 14-year-old stepdaughter
PHUKET: A woman attacked her husband with a knife on Thursday after being told that he had repeatedly raped her daughter, who was his stepdaughter. The mother heard that her 14-year-old daughter was raped after the girl became pregnant and sought advice from relatives, said Maj KitthiphumThinthalang of the Thalang Police. “The mother slashed his head outside of a 7-Eleven…
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Phuket mangrove squatters make plea for water, electricity
PHUKET: About 200 villagers who live in homes illegally established in a mangrove forest yesterday asked the Chalong mayor to supply them with electricity and water. “We have been living there since 1992,” said Somporn Nookhong, the head of the Klong Mudong Community. We started with 10 families and now there are over 200.” “Most of us earn very little…
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DSI and FDA officers seize B10mn of illegal drugs with fake FDA labels
PHUKET: Illegal hormone drugs worth about 10 million baht targeted at the Chinese tourist market were seized by Department of Special Investigation (DSI) and Food and Drug Administration (FDA) officers yesterday. DSI officers declined to give details of the alleged effects of the traditional Chinese medicines, stating only that they were for “improved sexual performance”. However, at least one drug,…
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Ousted Pian back in the Phuket race for Patong mayor
PHUKET: Former Patong Mayor Pian Keesin, recently found guilty of vote fraud, is back on the battlefield for the chance to reclaim his position as leader of Phuket’s premier party town. Registration opened yesterday for Patong Mayor potentials and municipality council members amid a crowd of supporters. So far, Mr Pian has only one opponent, former Phuket MP Chalermluck Kebsab.…
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Wastewater the source of rancid water on Phuket beach
PHUKET: The stinky, black water that blighted Karon Beach last month is the product of a faulty wastewater treatment system, Karon Village Chief (Kamnan) Winai Chidchiew revealed yesterday. Canals blocked by huge berms of soil and broken water pumps are the chief culprits, as they prevent water from being pumped from canals to treatment plants and cause more wastewater than…
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Phuket Cycling: The power of Yao Yai island
PHUKET: New Age guru Eckhart Tolle sold millions of copies of his book The Power of Now which expounded the blindingly obvious premise that we would all be much happier if we lived our lives in the here and now. Tolle tells us over 256 repetitive pages, that rather than worrying about what might happen tomorrow, or regretting our misdeeds…
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Protected Phuket hillside slashed and burned
PHUKET: Four rai of forest on a hillside in Kamala was obliterated on Tuesday night to make room for a rubber plantation. “The area has been ruined – all the trees were cut down and burned,” said Phuket Natural Resources and Environment Office Chief Kasem Sukwaree this morning. “Terracing had already been put up in preparation for establishing a rubber…
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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