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.
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5 hidden healthcare costs in Thailand and how to avoid them
Thailand's healthcare system is affordable and supported by the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) scheme, offering essential services to most citizens. However, hidden healthcare costs can surprise patients and lead to unexpected expenses. These include specialist fees, insurance gaps, emergency services,...
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Smoke clears from Myanmar’s first dive boat sinking
Special Report After being questioned for four days in Myanmar, the trip leader for MV Blue Star which went up in flames on February 9 about 100 nautical miles from civilization returned to Phuket to set the record straight. The Gazette‘s Isaac Stone Simonelli reports. PHUKET: The Finnish-owned liveaboard Blue Star departed Thap Lamu Pier on February 6 with 33…
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Last witnesses for prosecution in Dokset murder trial take the stand
PHUKET: The prosecutor in the Stein Harvard Dokset case concluded his arguments on Wednesday after asking the confessed killer’s girlfriend and the case investigator to take the stand. The long-term Norwegian expat is accused of murdering his ex-girlfriend Rungnapa Suktong, concealing the evidence of the crime and illegal possession of a firearm. Though Mr Dokset, now 51 years old, has…
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“Milkman’ armed robber hunted by Phuket Police
PHUKET: Police believe that two convenience stores held up at gunpoint within an hour of each other early yesterday morning were robbed by the same suspect. Patong Police were notified of the first robbery at about 4:40am. “The man came in to buy a bottle of milk. While he was waiting to pay, he pulled out a gun and told…
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Safer Phuket initiative saves a life at Nai Harn Beach
PHUKET: Large swells and changing seas at Nai Harn Beach have led to a recent spate of rescues, said Prathaiyut Chuayuan of the Phuket Lifeguards. “The swell is big and people need to be aware,” Mr Chuayuan said. One of the recent victims of the rough seas at the popular Phuket beach occurred at the same time the marine safety…
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Phuket Airport Express Bus still in the red
PHUKET: The Airport Express Bus lost 800,000 baht in its first seven months of service due to taxi drivers poaching customers and lack of support from the Airports of Thailand (AoT), the owner of the transport business told the Phuket Gazette yesterday. The much-heralded inaugural run of the service, which offers rides between the airport and Patong for 120 baht,…
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Phuket vehicle rental operators warned of passport scam
PHUKET: Patong Police warned vehicle operators in Phuket to carefully scrutinize renters’ passports following a report from Samui that a rented bike had been stolen. Krabi restaurant owner Jurgen Weber reported that two foreigners used a third party’s passport to rent a motorbike from his sister-in-law’s shop in Samui. And they never returned it. “I always tell rental operators that…
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Gardening for layabouts
PHUKET: I’m sure you have heard the expression, beloved by florists the world over, “Say it with flowers”. Here’s an interesting slant on the expression. An elderly couple employed a “nice” German prisoner of war to tend their garden during the Second World War. I remember the practice – my English parents did likewise. But this POW was different. When…
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Russian tourists unharmed in 10mn baht resort fire east of Phuket
PHUKET: Flames engulfed a resort in Krabi Tuesday night, dislodging 60 Russian tourists as it burned 35 bamboo bungalows to the ground. Damages were estimated at 10 million baht. Koh Sriboya villagers informed Subdistrict Chief (Kamnan) Samran Raden of the fire at about 8pm. He rushed to the scene, where he found villagers and resort staff collecting sea water to…
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Phuket governor says Karon Beach water safe, clean
PHUKET: Governor Maitri Inthusut washed his hands on Tuesday in Karon Beach canal water, which had run black and rancid on Monday. “The water itself is clear,” Governor Maitri said. “The black color is just sediment that had gotten stirred up. I want everyone to know that the water is clean and won’t harm you.” Just a day earlier, locals,…
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Cycling: the spice of life
PHUKET: WITH surprising speed given the temperature, the amorphous speck approaching in the distance gradually revealed itself to be a group of 14 cyclists. Maybe it was the promise of a cold beer and big plate of food at Bill Bentley’s Pub and Restaurant in Mai Khao that provided the final surge of energy, or maybe they were downright tough…
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Aussie helps disabled Phuket cigarette vendor get a leg to stand on
PHUKET: A Phuket cigarette vendor who was born with a deformed leg and no hands is on her way to getting a new prosthetic limb, thanks to an Australian visitor and an aluminum recycling project. Wilaiwan “Wan” Damnui, 33, has been selling cigarettes and chewing gum on Bangla Road for 17 years. In 1999, she received a plaster leg, but…
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Phuket’s X-Terminal officially opened
PHUKET: Phuket International Airport’s X-Terminal was officially opened yesterday, after a successful trial period serving Chinese and Russian charter flights. “From now on, all international charter flights will check in at X-Terminal,” said Makin Petplai, president of Airports of Thailand (AoT). “The check-in system works well. Passengers check in at the X-Terminal, then take the shuttle to the main terminal…
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Phuket police chase down snatch-theft duo
PHUKET: Phuket police quickly scooped up a pair of bag-snatch operators working in Patong late last night.“We received a report at about 11:40pm from a witness saying that a female foreigner had her bag stolen in front of Patong Hospital while she was walking with a friend,” Sutthichai Thianpho of the Patong Police told the Phuket Gazette this morning.From the…
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Phuket Cricket: Laguna make it five in a row
PHUKET: In match 11 of the Jones Lang LaSalle (JLL) cricket league, on Sunday, February 23 at the Alan Cooke Ground (ACG), Laguna were matched up against the Island Cricket Club (ICC). In their last encounter, Laguna snatched victory by just one run, and coming off the back of a humiliating defeat in their last outing versus Thalang, ICC were…
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Tourists shocked as Phuket beach water turns rancid again in Karon, this time black
PHUKET: Locals, tourists and officials were shocked yesterday as water at one of Phuket’s most famous beaches turned rancid and black. The stinking water flowed from Nong Han Canal across Karon Beach and into the ocean at a rate that transformed the color of the sea, Village Chief Winai Chidchiew told the Phuket Gazette. “I went to see it myself…
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No money lost in latest Phuket ATM break-in
PHUKET: Phuket’s Siam Commercial Bank (SCB) fell victim to an attempted ATM robbery last Sunday. Police were informed at about 11am, after an employee went to service the machine located on Sakdidet Road in front of a 7-Eleven, Somkid Onchun of the Wichit Police told the Phuket Gazette. “The thief managed to pry off the cover of the cash dispersal…
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Fire erupts on Toh Sae Hill, destroys two rai of Phuket jungle
PHUKET: Flames engulfed the dense jungle on Toh Sae Hill on Friday night after a dry tree caught on fire, most likely from a discarded cigarette, said a Phuket firefighter.Phuket City Municipality Firefighter Chief Pairat Sulin was notified of the fire by residents and led his brigade to the scene near the Khao Toh Sae Viewpoint at about 11pm.“When we…
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Phuket maid pulled from bus to Bangkok with over B100,000 in stolen loot
PHUKET: A maid who had been working for two months at the home of a Phuket official made off with more than 100,000 baht in cash and valuables on Saturday, but was quickly apprehended.When Boonum Earjittrakul, a Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (OrBorJor) council member, discovered that a gold bracelet valued at 104,250 baht and 10,000 baht in cash were missing…
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DMCR chief calls on Phuket residents, tourists to protect marine sanctuaries
PHUKET: An illegal fishing net found in a popular dive spot last week prompted officials to call on Phuket residents and tourists to help preserve ocean conservation areas by keeping an eye out for illegal fishing activities. “Last week a group of divers saved a lot of reef fish trapped in an enormous fishing net at Shark Point and provided…
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Speedboat sinks in high-speed collision across the bay from Phuket
PHUKET: All 37 tourists made it to shore yesterday after two speedboats collided at sea about 1km from Krabi.Krabi City Police were informed of the incident at 3:30pm and immediately contacted the Krabi Marine Office to scramble a rescue team.Six were injured when the Chainartnumchork 8, owned by Barracudas Tour, and the The Pimmasa 5, owned by Centara Grand Beach…
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Phuket pounce on Pattaya
PHUKET: Yesterday was the first fixture of the Yamaha League One season and fans saw a spirited bout between Phuket FC and Pattaya United FC, who were relegated from the Thai Premier League this year, resulting in a 1-0 final score that secured victory for the Ronins. As the sun went to sleep, the crowd woke up, with about 4,000…
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Ukrainian expat falls to death from Phuket condo balcony
PHUKET: A 27-year-old Ukrainian man died early yesterday morning after attempting to climb from a fifth-floor balcony of a Phuket Town condo to his home on the fourth floor.Phuket City Police were notified of the incident by the building’s security guard at 1:10am and rushed to the scene with Kusoldharm Rescue workers. “We found the body of Oler Volkov on…
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Hazardous Phuket moorings removed from Chalong Bay
PHUKET: Eight unmarked concrete moorings near the Chalong Pier fairway that are believed to have sunk two boats within the last year were removed last Friday. “I think it is best to have the blocks near the fairway removed to prevent further accidents,” said Phuket Marine Office Chief Phuripat Theerakulpisut, maintaining that no blocks exist within the approach channel itself.…
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German woman takes fatal fall down stairs in Phuket
PHUKET: A 72-year-old German woman died yesterday after falling down a flight of steep stairs at a rented house near Nai Thon Beach. Tah Chat Chai Police were notified of the incident at 7:30pm and rushed to the scene with rescue workers. At the house on Sakoo-Nai Thon Road, police found the body of Margret Hiller lying at the bottom…
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Phuket drug crackdown apprehends 62
PHUKET: Phuket police officers apprehended 62 people on drug charges yesterday as part of an anti-drug sweep in Phuket Town and Rassada ordered by Phuket Governor Maitri Inthusut. In total,180 officers took part in the late afternoon maneuver, which involved searching two houses and administering urine tests at four checkpoints. Five teenagers – two girls and three boys – aged…
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Phuket cops’ early morning raid nets 11 thieves, drug users
PHUKET: Police netted nearly a dozen snatch-theft and drug suspects during an early morning raid in Phuket Town yesterday. CCTV images of suspects stealing bags from two foreigners on Thalang Road in Phuket Town on Tuesday allowed officers to identify the suspects’ den on Srisena Road. The police raid on the house led to five teenagers being charged for ‘theft…
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Illegal wedding photographers busted in Phuket
PHUKET: Two photographers, a makeup artist and an owner of a Phuket photography studio were caught working without work permits yesterday after their rude behavior was flagged by local residents. Phuket Old Town residents filed a complaint to police against Love Island Wedding Studio Co Ltd, which had been using their homes as backdrops for pre-wedding photos without asking permission.…
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Patong Tunnel compensation for evicted Phuket villagers jumps to B2.56bn
PHUKET: The funds for compensating Phuket landowners who would be displaced by the construction of the Patong Tunnel have more than doubled, jumping from 1 billion baht to 2.56bn baht. The Chief Inspector-General of the Ministry of Transport, Somchai Chanrod, made the announcement in Phuket earlier this week. It was not clarified whether the government had expanded the number of…
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Frenchwoman in fatal crash identified as Phuket yacht staff trainer
PHUKET: The foreigner killed in a car accident on Thepkrasattri Road before dawn yesterday has been identified as French national Julie Humbert, 31. Her identity was confirmed by an employee of Thalang Hospital, where her body was taken after the crash (story here). “A co-worker contacted the hospital this morning after she heard the story. She identified Ms Humbert’s body…
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Local Phuket fishing competition out to catch it all
PHUKET: The annual “Yamu Night Fishing Game” kicks off tomorrow morning.The annual competition, aimed at promoting local fishing traditions in the area, is put on by Paklok Subdistrict Municipality (OrBorTor).“Only those fishing from longtail boats with local fishing equipment are allowed to participate. However, both Thais and foreigners are welcome to get involved,” said Paklok Public Relation staffer Samart Sensai.“If…
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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