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.
-
Sponsored
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,...
-
Phuket Police vow to protect voters, despite manpower shortage
PHUKET: Despite a shortage of officers, the Phuket Provincial Police have vowed to protect voters from any violence on election day with a special task force. The group of 41 officers will be made up of five fast-response inspectors, 18 undercover officers and 18 officers on standby. “Officers manning the polling stations have been instructed not to interfere with peaceful…
-
Mission to replace detached tsunami warning buoy departs from Phuket
PHUKET: A 10-day mission departed from Phuket late yesterday to replace a tsunami warning buoy in the Indian Ocean. The original buoy was severed from its anchorage months ago (story here). National Disaster Warning Center (NDWC) Chief Somsak Khaosuwan chaired the mission launch, which is to be carried out by experts on board the Southeast Asian Fisheries Development Center research…
-
B12mn canal extension project to begin in March
PHUKET: A 12-million-baht project to dredge the Koh Kaew Canal and deepen the existing approach channel from Phang Nga Bay will begin in March.The six-month project was approved at a public hearing led by Governor Maitri Inthusut at the Royal Phuket Marina last Thursday.“Our officers found that the canal is not deep enough for big boats or yachts and could…
-
US embassy consular outreach clinic in Phuket
PHUKET: The Consular Section of the American Embassy in Bangkok will hold an Outreach Visit at Le Meridien Hotel in Karon on January 29. Consular staff will be available from 8am to midday to provide the following services: • Passport renewal applications (US$110 or 3,410 baht for adult passports, US$105 or 3,255 baht for a minor’s passport). • Notarial Services…
-
Phuket lucky license plate auction pulls up short of the mark
PHUKET: The Phuket Lucky License Plate Auction fell short of a 30-million-baht goal this year (story here) with bidders handing over just 23mn baht for road-safety campaigns and traffic-victim rehabilitation programs. The two-day auction organized by the Phuket Land Transport Office (PLTO) was held at the Phuket Merlin Hotel (map here) on Saturday and Sunday. More than 300 license plates…
-
Phuket Town to enjoy Chinese acrobats, but no fireworks for Year of the Horse
PHUKET: A troupe of 50 acrobats from China will headline the entertainment in Phuket Town to usher in Chinese New Year this Friday. The Henan Acrobatic Troupe will perform nine chapters of their “Chinese fairy tale” repertoire, explained Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (PPAO) President Paiboon Upatising. “They will also perform other splendid shows, but there will not be a fireworks…
-
Lone voter casts ballot in Phuket poll shutdown
PHUKET: Phuket protesters arriving late to shut down the polling station in Thalang yesterday resulted in one lone voter casting a ballot in the advance voting for the February 2 national election. “We cannot reveal who that person was, but he arrived and voted before the protesters turned up at about 9:30am,” said polling station chief Chaiya Khamsaad. Once the…
-
Phuket FC down Brunei DPMM for pre-season hat-trick
PHUKET: The new-look Phuket FC “Ronins” continued their perfect pre-season form, downing Malay and Singapore League contenders Brunei DPMM FC 2-0 in a friendly match last night at Surakul Stadium. The friendly match is part of a three-team “Saksee Cup” which will conclude this afternoon with a match between Phuket FC and Thai Division Two contenders, Nakhon Si Heritage from…
-
Phuket polls not worth violence, says election chief
PHUKET: Kittipong Thiengkunakrit, Director of the Phuket Election Commission (PEC), has vowed to close advance voting polling booths in Phuket tomorrow if protesters arrive in numbers to rally against the February 2 national election. “We will avoid any possibility of a fight. We do not want to have any problems at the polls,” he told the Phuket Gazette today. “It’s…
-
Phuket election alcohol ban starts tonight
PHUKET: Phuket will face an alcohol ban starting at 6pm tonight ahead of the advance voting tomorrow for the February 2 national election.“According to the Election Act, all alcohol sales in Phuket are banned from 6pm tonight through to midnight tomorrow because of the advance voting for the MP elections,” Phuket Election Commission (PEC) Director Kittipong Thiengkunakrit confirmed to the…
-
Phuket Local Food Festival serves up a treat
PHUKET: The sixth annual Phuket Local Food Festival started at Saphan Hin last night, with Phuket Governor Maitri Inthusut serving up healthy portions of local delicacies. “This is a great fair that all tourists should know about because it shows how beautifully unique Phuket is,” Governor Maitri said. “In addition to our beautiful beaches, we have a special culture and…
-
Phuket traffic chief sets sights on B30mn record licence plate auction
PHUKET: The Phuket Land Transport Office (PLTO) is hoping to raise a record 30 million baht from the annual Lucky Licence Plate Auction being held in Phuket Town this weekend. The two-day event at the Phuket Merlin Hotel (map here) began today at 9:30am, with 301 licence plates to go to the highest bidders. All licence plates to be auctioned…
-
Thailand third worst in the world for road deaths; Phuket killing someone every three days
PHUKET: Over 300 people from throughout Southern Thailand yesterday concluded a two-day seminar geared to develop methods to reduce road-traffic deaths. Thailand currently ranks third in the world in annual road-death rates, with 38 fatalities per 100,000 people. Only Niue (a Polynesian island whose name translates to “Behold the Coconut”) and the the Dominican Republic have higher rates, said Thanapong…
-
Special Report: Donation denial leaves blood in short supply
Special Report Pim Hoogeveen, a 61-year-old Dutchman, offered his blood to save a life. He responded to an urgent call for A-negative blood donations. His donation was refused. The Phuket Gazette’s Shela Riva investigates the process behind donating blood on the island – the restrictions and the rewards. PHUKET: The recent call by the Phuket Regional Blood Center (PRBC) for…
-
BREAKING NEWS: Swede gets life in prison
PHUKET: Swedish national Johan Sebastian Ljung was today sentenced to life imprisonment for the stabbing murder of Maxim Schantz in Phuket two years ago. He was also ordered to pay 12.5 million baht in compensation to the victim’s family. Mr Ljung, 28, and Tommy Viktor Soderlund, also 28, were arrested by police in a hotel room at Surin Beach, on…
-
Phuket protesters will not shut down emergency services, leader vows
PHUKET: Emergency services throughout Phuket will remain untouched by protesters, the key protest leader on the island vowed yesterday. “We aim to shut down every government building to encourage officials to support us instead of working for Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and the corrupt government,” protest co-ordinator Suratin Lian-udom told the Phuket Gazette. “But we will not touch any emergency…
-
Phuket shivers: lowest temperatures in five years
PHUKET: Yesterday was the coldest day Phuket has seen in five years, the Southern Meteorological Center confirmed. “The minimum temperature in Phuket was 19 degrees Celsius. Our normal lows at this time of the year are 21 to 24 degrees,” said Metta Armeen, the director of weather surveillance at the center. A high pressure system from China has pushed cold…
-
Phuket Airport staff brings woman home, is found dead in bed
PHUKET: A young airport employee was found dead in his room yesterday afternoon, the possible victim of a heart attack.Pongsakorn Janthorn, 21, who worked at Phuket International Airport as a wheelchair attendant, had not been alone the night before he died.“On Tuesday night he came home late, around midnight,” said his roommate, Peerapol Pajjamoon. “He had a woman with him,…
-
Phuket mission to replace tsunami warning buoy
PHUKET: A six-day expedition to replace a tsunami warning buoy that has been displaced from its anchorage in the Indian Ocean will depart Phuket on Monday.“The buoy has been severed [from its base unit] for months,” said Surachai Srisarakham, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology (ICT), in a statement issued yesterday.“It took time to obtain the…
-
Phuket Poll: Patong is island’s trump
PHUKET: The famed nightlife of Patong draws more tourists to Phuket than any other single attraction, according to the results of the Phuket Gazette‘s latest online poll. With the passing of yet another record-breaking year that saw millions of travellers arriving on our shores, the Gazette asked readers, “What single feature draws the most tourists from around the world to…
-
Phuket FC get paired with Pattaya United in 2014 season opener
PHUKET: The island’s pro football (soccer) team, Phuket FC has been paired with Pattaya United in the first match of the Yamaha League One (YL1) 2014 season, which will kick off on February 22 and 23.It has not yet been confirmed whether Phuket’s home match with Pattaya will be on Saturday or Sunday. Pattaya United, were the only squad to…
-
Phuket drug busts net two suspects, one armed
PHUKET: Police yesterday arrested a man at a Phuket Town hotel found in possession of drugs with a street value of more than 200,000 baht. Acting on a tip-off, officers raided a room at the Sunanta mansion on Sakdidet Road (map here). “We were informed by undercover police that this man was selling drugs to teenagers in the area,” said…
-
Thailand Futsal: Jackson re-signs with Phuket; season opener postponed
PHUKET: Due to the ongoing social-political unrest in the Kingdom’s capital, the Futsal Thailand Premier League (FTPL) 2014 season’s planned January 25 kickoff has been postponed.It is now hoped that the season-opener will commence in February, an administrator of the island’s pro five-a-side footy club Phuket United said.“The [season] start was postponed due to the political [unrest]. The season should…
-
Phuket Marine chief blames captains for ramming hidden mooring blocks
PHUKET: Phuket Marine Office Chief Phuripat Theerakulpisut has blamed boat captains for ramming hidden concrete mooring blocks in Chalong Bay, saying local skippers should know where the unmarked moorings lie on the seafloor. His comments follow the sinking of the 10-million-baht luxury cruise boat Lady Andaman, which struck an unmarked sunken mooring block while approaching Chalong Pier on Monday (story…
-
Justice slow to arrive in Phuket child rape cases
PHUKET: Not one of the four men charged with child rape in Phuket over the past 16 months has been acquitted or found guilty of the heinous crime. One suspect, a Laotian accused of repeatedly raping his handicapped stepdaughter, fled the country and has not been captured. Of the three men arrested, two are still waiting for their trials to…
-
Officials admit bus ban on Patong Hill not best solution
PHUKET: Officials will go ahead with a trial one-month ban on all buses and trucks travelling over the hills from Thung Thong into Patong starting next month, despite consensus among all major stakeholders that the ban is likely to result in more accidents on the west coast roads (story here). “Stopping them from using the hill road to enter Patong…
-
Vandals attack campaign posters for Phuket’s sole election candidate
PHUKET: Seven promotional posters in Koh Kaew and Sapam supporting Jirayus Songyos, the Phuket Pheu Thai candidate for Voting District 2, were found damaged by suspected vandals yesterday morning. “We cannot confirm who damaged the signs,” Mr Jirayus’ secretary, Vithiwat Kulsiriitthikorn, told the Phuket Gazette. “The signs we put up in front of Wat Sapam temple and the entrance of…
-
Emotions run high at Phuket protest hero’s funeral
PHUKET: Hundreds of people turned out today to join the Choochan family in mourning the death of Phuket taxi driver Prakong Choochan. Mr Prakong,46, died on Saturday from injuries sustained when an explosive device was thrown at protesters during a street march in Bangkok on Friday (story here). His body was escorted home from Bangkok last night, and arrived in…
-
Phuket park chief still sour over missing morning glory
PHUKET: Officers vowed to continue their investigation into a luxury resort that allegedly cleared swaths of sea morning glory from the beach as part of a beautification project, although the hotel has already replaced the plants. “We will not withdraw the complaint against the Anantara Phuket Layan Resort & Spa, as doing so would signify that we are ignoring our…
-
Southern stars to headline Phuket’s Wat Chalong Fair
PHUKET: Famed Southern Thai singers and artists including top-billing performer Bow Wee will headline at the annual Wat Chalong Fair, which starts on January 30.Other stars performing at the seven-day event include Thai country music (luk-thung) singers Det Issara, Luang Kai, Tai Orathai and Ekachai Sriwichai.“Everyone is welcome to join the fun. There will be a lot of food, entertainment,…
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.
Don't forget to check out some other things to do in Thailand - get help starting a business or finding a job in Thailand, buy Thailand property, rent a yacht or book a medical procedure worldwide.