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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Patong’s flood problem largely solved by 2014, Phuket Governor says
PHUKET: Patong’s flood problems will be 85 to 90 per cent solved by the middle of next year, Phuket Governor Maitri Inthusut predicted this week. In addition to the 19 million baht gate that will be added to the canal at the south end of Patong, (story here), 9.7 million baht in funds have been requested to dredge the Pak…
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Phuket SuperCheap Inferno: Search for victims delayed as fire continues [VIDEO]
PHUKET: Flames continued to ravage Phuket’s renowned SuperCheap megastore this morning, stifling any efforts to search for victims caught in the inferno that broke out at the huge shopping facility last night. Fresh reinforcements of firefighters arrived early today to relieve those who battled the flames throughout the night. Plumes of smoke continued to rise into the morning sky. Inferno…
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BREAKING NEWS: Main SuperCheap in Phuket Town demolished in blaze
PHUKET: The main SuperCheap shopping warehouse in Phuket burst into flames tonight, turning into an unstoppable inferno and sending a cloud of black smoke over a kilometer into the air. Every fire truck in Phuket was called to the scene, as well as trucks from nearby provinces. Fire fighters have yet to get the blaze under control and are now…
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Phuket beach encroachment: Keesin family will play by rules
PHUKET: Leading Patong figure Preechavude ‘Prab’ Keesin responded yesterday to the inspection that singled out his family’s resort by expressing his willingness to take down any structures found to be encroaching on the beach. Mr Prab, whose father is Patong Mayor Pian Keesin, told the press fears of erosion had led to sea walls being built on the beach in…
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Phuket corruption scandal taken to PM Yingluck
PHUKET: Patong business owners – tired of inaction by Phuket authorities in tackling corrupt officials collecting an estimated 50 million baht a month – have filed a complaint directly with Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra. “I handed the complaint personally to Suranand Vejjajiva, the Secretary General to the Prime Minister of Thailand Yingluck Shinawatra,” Phuket businessman and adviser to the Thailand…
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Phuket meth mule nabbed at island bridge
PHUKET: Police last night arrested a drug runner at the Tah Chat Chai Checkpoint who confessed to smuggling drugs from Surat Thani and selling them in Phuket Town.Acting on a tip-off, police stopped and searched a Honda Jazz being driven by Sitthichai Chusang, 39, at about 8:30pm while he was trying to leave the island.Officers found only 300mg of ya…
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Patong mayor’s resort targeted for land encroachment
PHUKET: The government’s self-branded “anti-mafia” campaign continued yesterday as Tourism and Sports Minister Somsak Pureesrisak led local officers to inspect the Patong Bay Garden Resort on Patong Beach for suspected encroachment onto public land. The resort, owned by Patong Mayor Pian Keesin and his son Prab, was the only resort along Patong Beach that was inspected yesterday. However, the raid…
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Dozens charged over illegal fireworks at Phuket Vegetarian Festival
PHUKET: Phuket City Police arrested 21 people for setting off dangerous fireworks during the Phuket Vegetarian Festival, which drew to a close at midnight on Sunday. A further seven people were arrested for selling firecrackers without a permit. Phuket City Police chief Sermpan Sirikong said celebrants were warned before the annual festival that police would be taking a dim view…
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Phang Nga officer charged with trafficking kicked off force, awaits trial
PHUKET: The first police officer in Thailand to be charged with human trafficking has been discharged from the Royal Thai Police force. Weerayuth Feuangfu, formerly a sergeant major with the Phang Nga police, is free on bail as he awaits his trial in early November on charges of human trafficking, helping a refugee leave a shelter and abusing his position…
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Five in hospital in Phuket Vegetarian Festival Shrine food scare
PHUKET: Five people, including a 14-year-old girl, were rushed to hospital after eating a curry dished out to over 100 participants at a Phuket Vegetarian Festival Shrine yesterday.The five affected are believed to have suffered extreme reactions to alocasia included in a curry served at the Tah Reua Shrine in Thalang, doctors told the Phuket Gazette.Alocasia is in the Araceae…
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Construction worker drowns on northern Phuket Beach
PHUKET: Phuket’s surf claimed another life over the weekend when a construction worker from Sisaket province drowned at Nai Yang Beach.Pech Pengjam, 40, had been relaxing on the beach and drinking with friends when he decided to take a swim, his friends told police yesterday.“He went into the water still wearing his jeans, then disappeared from sight,” said Lt Thanom…
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Phuket Sports: BISP and Cruzeiro unite
PHUKET: British International School Phuket (BISP) will be announcing the launch of its new football academy at the forthcoming international seven-a-side football tournament (November 8-9, 2013), which is held annually on the school campus. The aim is to develop a center of footballing excellence in Asia under the coaching auspices of the premier Brazilian football club, Cruzeiro EC. An essential…
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Phuket officials arrest bar owner behind Rihanna fiasco
PHUKET: Local Phuket officials on Saturday night arrested the Patong bar owner who staged the lewd show at the epicenter of comments posted online by global celebrity Rihanna. The international pop star stirred an online furore last month after she posted photos on Instagram of slow loris touts on Bangla, and posted a Twitter message about a “shocking” adult show…
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Russian tourist found dead in Phuket hotel room
PHUKET: Police are investigating the cause of death of a Russian tourist whose body was discovered in his Karon hotel room on Saturday.The tourist, Yury Kiryukhin, 36, was to check out on Saturday and fly home.Staff at the Baan Karonburi Resort discovered Mr Kiryukhin’s body on the bed in his room at 8:30am, said Karon Police case investigator Capt Channarong…
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Man slain in Phuket kindergarten shooting
PHUKET: A business partner at a popular local kindergarten in central Phuket was shot dead this morning after an argument escalated over noise and dust caused by an electric sander drifting into a neighbor’s house. Pairote Sompet, 48, who lives in a house next to the school, presented himself to police before officers had the chance to arrest him for…
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Phuket Town restaurants grilled over grease traps
PHUKET: Heavy pollution in the waterways throughout Phuket Town has prompted officials to lay down the law against all restaurants that do not install grease traps. Any restaurants that do not have grease traps installed will not have their permits to operate renewed, Phuket City Deputy Mayor Dr Kosol Tang-Uthai warned yesterday. “Part of the flooding problem in Phuket Town…
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Phuket aircon technician survives three-storey fall
PHUKET: A man luckily survived a fall from a multi-storey bookstore in the heart of Phuket Town yesterday evening, after landing on the company pickup truck he drove to the store. Lt Phoom Semmaworanon of the Phuket City Police arrived at the scene, a shop called The Book Shop on Yaowarat Road, with Kusoldharm Foundation rescue workers at 6:20pm. “Mr…
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Phuket Airport taxis face overhaul, upgrade
PHUKET: An open meeting at the Airports of Thailand (AoT) Phuket office yesterday morning has resulted in a slew of new measures to be introduced to improve the quality of service of taxis serving Phuket International Airport. The news follows weeks of controversy over current arrangements. “What has been agreed on is that each taxi operating to and from the…
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Phuket Sports: Talking tennis with a pro
PHUKET: Darran Ferre was recently appointed as a tennis pro by the Regent Phuket Cape Panwa where he will be launching an academy aimed at coaching young players to a high level. We spoke to Darren about his passion for tennis and his new role at the Regent.Who is your favourite player and why?Darran Ferre: Players inspire me for different…
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Phuket to sport armed patrol cars for night duty
PHUKET: Provincial Police are currently refitting and upgrading three patrol cars to police known crime hotspots in Phuket in order to enhance tourists’ safety at night during the high season. “Following the appointment of the new Phuket Provincial Commander, Maj Gen Ong-art Phiwruangnont [story here], we have been instructed to redouble our efforts to improve safety for tourists,” Phuket Provincial…
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DOG DAYS: Phuket murder fugitive ‘Mick the Pom’ living openly in sunny Philippines
PHUKET: British murder fugitive Michael John Taylor, better known in Phuket as “Mick The Pom”, has been found alive and well in the Philippines, and now uses the online monikers “Mick Doggard”, or just “Mickdog” for short. Taylor, who celebrated his 50th birthday on September 20 this year, remains wanted for the murder of his girlfriend Jantra Weangta, 27, who…
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Phuket project launched to tackle Thailand’s missing shark mystery
PHUKET: One of the largest projects ever designed to document the worrisome trend of declining shark sightings in Thailand was announced today in Phuket. In the wake of professional diver testimonials showing a 95 per cent decrease in shark sightings at Thailand’s renowned dive destination the Similans, the founders UK NGO Shark Guardian have moved forward with the Thailand E-Shark…
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Patong pharmacy raid targets cough syrup sales to teens
PHUKET: Public health officials are investigating a Patong pharmacy suspected of selling cough syrup to Phuket teenagers for the purpose of making the illegal 4×100 narcotic cocktail. Cough syrup is a key ingredient of the cocktail, which includes kratom leaves. “After receiving worrying reports concerning the Chanulak Pharmacy, I contacted the Phuket Public Health Office [PPHO] to inspect the outlet,”…
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Phuket Vegetarian Festival sends hotel occupancy soaring
PHUKET: Occupancy at beach and Phuket Town hotels during the Vegetarian Festival is at 85 per cent or higher, said Governor Maitri Inthusut. As he took part in festivities at the Tha Rua shrine yesterday, the governor noted that hotels along parade routes in Phuket Town were fully booked. Even hotels not on the parade routes – those at island…
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Phuket teens arrested for dangerous use of firecrackers
PHUKET: Phuket City Police say they have arrested at least 13 teenagers for endangering people by throwing firecrackers into the dense crowds lining the streets for the Vegetarian Festival, now in the sixth day of this annual nine-day event. “I assigned three undercover police teams to patrol Phuket Town, focusing specifically on where we had received complaints about teens using…
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Tourist Police officer stripped of badge over double-homicide shooting
PHUKET: A Phuket Tourist Police officer has been kicked off the force as the prosecutor moves forward in charging him over a double-homicide in a drug-den shootout in March. Pinchai Piyadilok, 34 at the time of the shooting, lost a leg as a result of wounds sustained in the gun battle that left Saran Chaithum, 26, and Chalermpol Tripuk, 26,…
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Thalang traffic police to crack down on convenience store parking violators
PHUKET: Traffic police in Thalang today confirmed that they will crack down on motorists congesting the roadways around 7-Elevens and other small convenience stores in the Phuket district within the coming weeks. “In the next two weeks, my team and I will talk to branch managers at 7-Elevens and other small convenience stores, and ask them to announce to their…
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Officials set sights on Patong water gate
PHUKET: The Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (PPAO) will spend over 19 million baht on a water gate to help alleviate flooding in Patong.The news came at a meeting on Tuesday between PPAO President Paiboon Upatising and Phuket Governor Maitri Inthusut to discuss strategies to prevent flooding in Phuket.The areas of top concern discussed in the meeting were Patong, Sri Soonthorn…
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Construction worker shocked by high-voltage line
PHUKET: A Myanmar national welding on top of the police box at the Kalim junction in Patong at about 6pm yesterday was shocked by a jolt from a high-voltage line, but not fatally injured.When the back of Aung Naing’s welding rod touched a tree that was in contact with the high voltage line, he received an electric shock that sent…
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Phuket prepares for Eid al-Adha celebration
PHUKET: Preparations are underway for one and all to join the “Festival of the Sacrifice” activities to be held at the Muslim Wittaya Phuket School in Koh Kaew on October 15. The auspicious date of October 15 has been designated as the Islamic celebration of Eid al-Adha, according to esteemed elders, Islamic scholars and astrologers of the Central Islamic Council…
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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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