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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UK backs cross-cultural negotiation education for Phuket government officials
PHUKET: High-ranking local government officers in Phuket will start an English language and cross-cultural negotiation course this month as part of the ongoing cooperation between the United Kingdom and Thailand, said British Ambassador to Thailand Mark Kent. The announcement of the course came after a closed-door meeting between Amb Kent and Phuket Governor Maitri Inthusut yesterday afternoon. “The UK embassy…
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Letters from Abu Dhabi: It’s the F1 pits and a flying circus
Abu Dhabi: The motorway to the Yas Marina Circuit hops from Abu Dhabi onto Sadiyaat Island, en-route they are building a Guggenheim Museum, a Louvre, and lots of expensive housing. Right now Sadiyaat Island it is a flat naked barren sun-blasted atoll interspersed with cranes, but when Abu Dhabi has a will, there is a way. Then we crossed onto…
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New gun, security guard laws aim to improve tourist safety
PHUKET: Gun owners with permission to carry their weapons in public may no longer do so in tourist areas, it was announced on Tuesday. The order issued by the Royal Thai Police applies nationwide and is part of an ongoing effort to improve tourist safety. Carrying guns in tourist areas or in areas where crowds gather is no longer allowed,…
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Phuket taxi driver’s feud leads to fatal stabbing
PHUKET: A Karon taxi driver was stabbed to death early this morning by a neighbor he was feuding with. Police were called to the Samkong Shrine area at about 3:30am. When they arrived, they found Teeranan Phongkrathin, 29, lying in the road with a knife protruding from his chest. Friends who witnessed the stabbing told police that Mr Teeranan had…
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Jet-ski operators sorted out ahead of Phuket’s high season
PHUKET: Governor Maitri Inthusut stepped out onto the sand yesterday to inspect Patong Beach jet-ski operators. As the island gears up for an increased number of tourists during the high season, the governor made it clear that jet-ski safety was of utmost importance. “Jet-skiing is a popular activity for tourists in Phuket, and it can also be dangerous,” Gov Maitri…
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Phuket airport taxi collides with tipsy motorbiker
PHUKET: An airport taxi driver rushing to pick up a tourist at the airport collided with an inebriated motorbike driver in Thalang yesterday.The man on the motorbike suffered minor injuries.The taxi driver, Wattana Patan, 36, told police that he was en route to the airport and saw the motorbike riding in the left lane on the Cherng Thalay-Baan Don Road,…
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Royal Thai Navy keep eye on young seawolves – Phuket Youth Sailing
PHUKET: Organized by Phuket Youth Sailing Club (PYSC), 28 sailors from Phuket and Sattahip between the ages of 6 and 18 years took part in the inaugural Phuket Youth Week Training Camp & Regatta 2013. The two-day regatta sponsored by The Sponsorship Experts – PP(SEA)CL and Topper Sail Phuket produced some exciting and close racing across the four divisions. Eighteen…
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Speed cameras coming to Phuket roads
PHUKET: Four speed cameras are being set up on Phuket roads in an effort to reduce road traffic accidents and increase awareness of speed limits, police told the Phuket Gazette on Monday. The cameras may also help police solve crimes, as they may capture images of suspects fleeing crime scenes, said Phuket Provincial Police Deputy Commander Saneh Yawila. The total…
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More historical heroes coming to Phuket
PHUKET: Nine important figures in Phuket’s history will be honored with statues in Thalang by the beginning of next year.The goal of the 26-million-baht project is to remind Phuketians of their brave ancestors who defended Phuket from Burmese invaders, said Phuket Vice Governor Sommai Prijasilpa.“We chose nine figures to honor HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej because he is the ninth king…
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Letters from Abu Dhabi: Chapter One: Circuses – F1
Abu Dhabi: There are three kinds of sports; men against distance, men against men, and man-and-machine against man-and machine. Athletics is the first type, rugby and boxing are of the second. Motor Sports and horse racing are of the third. So which does history say is the most popular? Greece, Rome and Byzantium had all these sporting types. In Rome…
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Central Festival Phuket installs life-saving automatic external defibrillators
PHUKET: Central Festival Phuket has became the first Central shopping mall in Thailand to have Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) for use in the treatment of heart attack victims. Motivated by the death of a patron about four months ago, Central Festival made the AEDs available in conjunction with a new medical bay operated by Phuket International Hospital which opened in…
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Phuket officers push LINE for drug crime clues
PHUKET: A popular social networking application that was recently used to locate a missing man with Alzheimer’s disease (story here) will be used to help police crack down on drugs in Phuket. The use of LINE by police was announced yesterday at Phuket Provincial Hall by Phuket Vice Governor Chamroen Tipayapongtada. The provincial government has established a group on LINE…
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Phuket airport tackles Chinese tourists’ immigration queue congestion
PHUKET: Officials attempted to tackle the issue of immigration congestion at Phuket International Airport caused by the island’s largest inbound tourist market, the Chinese.Chinese tourists who arrive on charter flights are often not given the TM6 arrival and departure card required by immigration. As a result, they are forced to queue up for the card in the immigration arrival hall,…
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“Brother Pom’ says he’s clear of extortion charges; DSI disagrees
PHUKET: Pom Sukkasem, the leader of the Central Festival taxi group arrested in September on extortion charges, has announced that the charges have been dropped. However, the Department of Special Investigations (DSI) begs to differ. “I reported to the Criminal Court in Bangkok on Monday as required, and I was told that the prosecutor decided not to pursue my case,”…
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Phuket airport aims to bring swift justice to shoplifters
PHUKET: Phuket International Airport has established a new policy for dealing with airport shoplifters.Passengers suspected of shoplifting in the airport who attempt to escape prosecution by boarding their flights will now be asked to deplane to be arrested. However, the arrest and the retrieval of the passenger’s luggage must all be completed within an hour.The announcement, made on October 29,…
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Phuket woman transfers over 2 million baht to alleged Facebook scammer
PHUKET: A woman believed by police to be entangled in an intricate Facebook scam transferred 2 million baht into a Thanachart Bank account and 48,000 baht into a Bangkok Bank account based in Phuket. The 53-year-old woman, named only as “Ms A” by police, filed a complaint to Wichit Police yesterday after being asked to transfer an additional 2.3 million…
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Social network app helps finds missing Alzheimer’s patient
PHUKET: A man with Alzheimer’s disease who went missing last Saturday was located on Sunday, within hours of police posting a notice on a popular social network site. Benjawan Moonket reported her 60-year-old father, Muang Moonket, missing to Thalang Police at about 5pm on Sunday (story here). Officers shared the information via Line, a social networking application, and about three…
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USA’s Kessy joins up with Sweat to top Pool G at Phuket Open
PHUKET: USA’s Jennifer Kessy and Brooke Sweat top Pool G after securing two wins on the first day of pool play at the 2013 FIVB Beach Volleyball Phuket Open yesterday. The penultimate Open of the year is back in Thailand for its eighth consecutive year, taking place from October 28 to November 3. Kessy/Sweat were first on court at 9:00…
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Baburina/Mulenko dig deep to knock out top seeded qualifiers at Phuket Open
PHUKET: Svitlana Baburina and Diana Mulenko from Ukraine knocked out top seeded qualifiers Sweden’s Nina Grawender and Karin Lundqvist at the 2013 FIVB Beach Volleyball Phuket Open yesterday. The penultimate Open of the year is back in Thailand for its eighth consecutive year, taking place from October 28 to November 3. Baburina/Mulenko had the longest time on court in the…
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It’s raining snakes in Phuket Town
PHUKET: Recent heavy rainfall has led to a jump in large snakes being nabbed in Phuket, with four rounded up in Phuket Town in the last 24 hours.One of the four giant snakes, a three-meter python, made a dramatic entry into a Phuket Town bedroom by tumbling through a vent.“I heard noise that sounded like something had fallen off my…
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Traffic resumes after 10-wheeler flips on Patong Hill
PHUKET: Both lanes of traffic resumed up Patong hill (map here) shortly after a flipped 10-wheeler was hauled away. The driver of the truck lost control at about 11:30am on the notorious section of road in Phuket. The truck flipped and crashed into a sedan, Lt Jaruwat Tiamnaka told the Phuket Gazette. “Fortunately nobody was injured,” Lt Jaruwat said. —…
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Enough power to keep Phuket aglow this high season
PHUKET: Phuket will have plenty of electricity supply for residents and tourists during the coming high season, Natthaporn Kochsiripong, an officer at the Phuket Provincial Electricity Authority (PPEA) ensured the Phuket Gazette yesterday.“We have a capacity of 580 Megavolt Ampere (MVA) to support Phuket residents,” Mr Natthaporn said.“Demand has never exceeded 420 MVA, and this high season we expect a…
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New Region 8 Police Commander demands crime-free beaches
PHUKET: The new Police Region 8 Commander on Sunday demanded that officers in Karon and Patong include beaches in their patrol zones. “In order for tourists to truly relax and have a good time, they must feel safe, even on the beach,” said Police Region 8 Commander Panya Mamen on his first official visit to Phuket. In Karon, Lt Gen…
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Phuket’s Thanyapura extends its challenge
PHUKET: The island’s active and healthy lifestyle destination, Thanyapura Sports and Leisure Center, is extending its commitments to developing sporting excellence in athletes and enthusiasts of all abilities and ages by hosting the Thanyapura Junior Challenge Triathlon, part of the Challenge Laguna Phuket Tri-Fest 2013, on Saturday, November 30. With participants divided into Junior (6-8 years), Intermediate (9-12) and Senior…
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Phuket police grab privates in theft case
PHUKET: Three privates in the Army were arrested yesterday on charges stemming from the theft of a handgun and other property from the home of a policeman.The theft that tipped police off to the military men’s activities occurred early on the morning of October 12 at the home of Patong police officer Sgt Rongrot Pecharat.“Sgt Rongrot reported that a .38…
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Former Central Festival Phuket security guard robs shops of ex-employer
PHUKET: Police arrested a former Central Festival mall security guard yesterday for stealing over two dozen phones from the mall.Kitti Pueanrak, 23, went to the mall to watch an evening movie on October 21, said Wichit Police Deputy Superintendent Jakkrawath Boontaweekulsawas.When the movie ended, Mr Kitti went down the escalator and slipped into the mobile phone section one floor below.…
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Daughter pleas for help in finding missing father
PHUKET: A distressed woman made a public plea for help in the search for her father, who is suffering from Alzheimer’s Disease and wandered away from home on Saturday afternoon.Benjawan Moonket, 29, filed a missing person report with the Thalang Police at about 5:30pm yesterday.“The missing person is Muang Moonket, 60. He was last seen at about 1pm on Saturday,…
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Mizsy Phuket brings ray of sunshine in dour affair
PHUKET: Most of the nearly 1,800 fans who attended Phuket FC’s final home match of the season had little to cheer about after their side was downed 1-0 by last-placed Rayong United in a disappointing match on Saturday night in Phuket Town. Indeed, the halftime presentation of “Mizsy Phuket” finalists proved to be the evening’s highlight for the home fans,…
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100 SuperCheap workers unaccounted for at Employment Office
PHUKET: None of the 100 Burmese staff who reportedly resigned from SuperCheap after the fire at the megashop have reported their resignations to the Phuket Provincial Employment Office (PPEO).The workers are required by law to report their resignation by November 1, Yaowapa Pibulpol, chief of the PPEO, told the Phuket Gazette.“I have no idea why none of them have shown…
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South Africa considers consulate in Phuket
PHUKET: South African Ambassador Ruby Marks met with Phuket Governor Maitri Inthusut on Friday to discuss the possibility of opening a consulate on the island.“South Africa has a consulate in Chiang Mai, and now they are considering adding one in Southern Thailand,” Gov Maitri said.“Phuket is a logical choice because we have so many South African visitors – 77,915 last…
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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