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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Mortician joins the dead over business conflict, say Krabi police
PHUKET: Police suspect that the motive for the shooting murder of a mortician in Krabi, across Phang Nga Bay from Phuket, was a business conflict.Ajin Chormai, 55, found the body of her husband Niyom Chormai, 60, in a palm oil plantation on Sunday morning. He had eight gunshot wounds to his chest.Mr Niyom left the house at 8:30am to round…
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Judge sets sentence date for American Marine-killer in Phuket
PHUKET: A judge today set the sentencing date of Lee Aldhouse for the murder of American Marine Dashawn Longfellow (story here). “The judge set the sentencing date for November 28,” Phuket Provincial Prosecutor Tawan Suknirundorn told the Phuket Gazette. At the hearing today, Aldhouse signed a copy of Mr Longfellow’s passport, writing that he, Lee Aldhouse, had stabbed “this man”.…
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118mn baht mega-transportation study underway
PHUKET: A feasibility study costing 118 million baht is underway for an ambitious transportation project to link Phuket with neighboring provinces. The project aims to connect the island to the national north-south rail line and provide public transport between Phuket International Airport and Chalong Circle. Though the current study was expected to start by the end of 2012, the contract…
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Balloon vendor dead on arrival at Phuket bus terminal
PHUKET: A festival balloon vendor was found dead on arrival at Phuket Bus Terminal 2 in the early morning hours today.Prasan Piyawong, 66, was discovered dead on the top deck of a tour bus by a friend who was travelling with him.Police and rescue works sped to the scene after being notified of the incident at about 4:30am today.“Mr Prasan’s…
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Rayong all but secure promotion at Phuket’s expense
PHUKET: Despite drawing first blood in a difficult away fixture on Saturday evening, Phuket FC went on to lose 3-2 to Thailand’s Yamaha League One (YL1) powerhouse, PTT Rayong. The match, both side’s 32nd of 34 scheduled fixtures in the YL1 2013 season, was played in front of 3,669 spectators at PTT Stadium on the lower part of Thailand’s Eastern…
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UK embassy shakeup to free Phuket consul for frontline work
PHUKET: Sweeping changes in how standard documents are issued at the British Embassy in Bangkok will free Phuket Honorary Consul Martin Carpenter to focus on providing assistance to British tourists and expats in need. The changes are part of a reform in procedures at British embassies around the world, explained an embassy statement issued to the Phuket Gazette. Consequently, from…
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Krabi carp monster set to break world record
PHUKET: A British angler on holiday in Thailand is set to break a world record after landing a 60.9kg (134.4lb) Siamese carp in Krabi, across Phang Nga Bay from Phuket, earlier this month.Keith Williams, of Carshalton in Surrey, England, landed the monster carp on October 10 while on holiday with friends at the Gillhams Fishing Resort to celebrate his 56th…
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Fire engulfs shop units at Karon Plaza
PHUKET: Police are investigating the cause of a fire on the Karon beach road that engulfed seven shop units at the Karon Plaza shopping bazaar early on Saturday.Three firetrucks from Karon Municipality were called in just before 6am to contain the blaze, which took 30 minutes to extinguish.“The plaza sells fashion items, such as clothes and shoes, and many other…
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18-year-old Phuket cashier still missing after SuperCheap inferno
PHUKET: An 18-year-old Phuket cashier and one other woman are still missing after the SuperCheap megastore burned to the ground on Wednesday night (story here). Eleven formal missing person complaints have been filed since the blaze. “So far, 10 of the ‘missing people’ have been found. The only person who remains on our list is Thanaporn Sammanit, 46. The complaint…
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Phuket Police believe shooting linked to teasing
PHUKET: Police are searching for the gang responsible for a drive-by shooting that left a man in Rassada injured last night.Anupol Noochua, 31, was shot in the leg in front of his house at about 10pm. Mr Anupol told police that at about 7pm last night, while he was sitting outside drinking with friends, a young woman rode by on…
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Air pollution top environmental concern post SuperCheap blaze
PHUKET: Possible air and water pollution from the inferno that devastated the main SuperCheap in Phuket on Wednesday are now the top concern of the Regional Environmental Office 15.“The microscopic particles in smoke can get into your eyes and respiratory system, where they can cause health problems such as burning eyes, runny nose and illnesses such as bronchitis,” Khanchit Soontrakorn,…
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Police probe Phuket fisherman’s death
PHUKET: Police are investigating the cause of death of a Myanmar national whose body was found floating in the water off Rassada yesterday afternoon.Bystanders told police that the man, who police did not name, had been drinking on a boat with friends on Thursday night when he walked to the back to relieve himself, said Somchai Nhuboon of Phuket City…
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Special Report: The search for closure: Family makes heartfelt plea for finding lost crew of MV Hope
Special Report PHUKET: The family of Captain Rajib Chandra Karmaker, master of the Bangladeshi cargo ship MV Hope, has launched a public appeal for any information that may lead to the recovery of the missing captain’s body and those of his lost shipmates. The Hope, laden with ball clay, was struck broadside by large waves and listed heavily in stormy…
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Special Report: Permission to function in Phuket
Special Report PHUKET: The separate arrests of a German man and a Swiss man at their homes in Chalong late last month (story here) by Immigration officials sent a chill through the law-abiding expat community in Phuket. The two men were arrested despite their protests that they were each building their own boat for their own private use. The Phuket…
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SuperCheap Phuket rises from the ashes
PHUKET: At 5am today, SuperCheap re-opened on a lot nearby the burned ruble of its main building and began selling fresh fruit, vegetables, meat and seafood. The re-opening comes just 32 hours after the devastating fire engulfed the complex Wednesday night (story here). Tents and tarps are now set up to create a temporary marketplace in a field next to…
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Top Phuket official issued urgent order to relinquish post
PHUKET: Kathu District Chief Veera Kerdsirimongkol has been ordered out of Phuket, effective October 28. Mr Veera told the Phuket Gazette that he received the “urgent order” to leave the province within 10 days at 3pm today. “I actually heard the news last night, but the official order came this afternoon,” he said. “I have not been given a precise…
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Investigators find no bodies in charred ruins of SuperCheap, yet
PHUKET: Investigators searching the scorched remains of SuperCheap discovered no bodies yesterday but called for boots and rakes as they recommenced their search this morning.“I have already requested the equipment from the Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (OrBorJor),” Phuket Governor Maitri Inthusut told the press today.Amid concerns that the debris and smoke may pose an environmental hazard, officials from the Natural…
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Phuket SuperCheap blaze damage estimated at B500mn
PHUKET: After 18 years in Phuket, the main SuperCheap store and warehouse were gutted on Wednesday in the island’s largest-ever fire.Located on a 30-rai (4.8-hectare) plot once occupied by a factory, the main SuperCheap store – a legacy of the Anantajaroonwong family – had grown from being a rickety warehouse supported by wooden pillars and a corrugated-iron roof into a…
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Search begins for victims of Phuket SuperCheap inferno
PHUKET: Officers from Region 8 Police Forensics arrived at the aftermath of the Phuket SuperCheap inferno just before 4pm today. Within minutes, the team of investigators began their search for victims near the main entrance at the front of the store, and looked for possible causes of the fire. SuperCheap management and the police have yet to issue any public…
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Phuket backhoe driver killed in bedrock collapse
PHUKET: A backhoe driver working at a quarry in Kathu died today when a large chunk of bedrock fell onto the cab of his digger, crushing him and the cab.Officers have yet to determine why the huge slab of granite collapsed onto the backhoe operated by Sudrak Nawakoaksorn, 31, from Nakhon Sri Thammarat.Mr Sudrak turned up for work at the…
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One dead, one injured as Phuket locals head home from work
PHUKET: A 26-year-old man died early yesterday morning while he was heading home from work in Phuket Town after his motorcycle rammed into the back of an 18-wheel truck travelling slowly in the left lane. Truck driver Wichet Boonsong, 43, from Phattalung, was delivering a load of sheet metal from Songkhla when he heard something crash into the back of…
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Video Report: Phuket Police wait for Region 8 to begin search for bodies
PHUKET: Phuket police are waiting for Region 8 Forensic officers to arrive before starting to sift through the demolished SuperCheap structure for signs of those who may have died in the enormous blaze that started last night and continued well into today.“When the team arrives, officials can start their investigation and the search for bodies,” Phuket Provincial Police Commander Ong-art…
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Man borrows girlfriend’s motorbike for Phuket purse-snatching
PHUKET: A man borrowed his girlfriend’s motorbike on Tuesday, snatched two purses and rode home, only to be arrested a few hours later. Watchara Sornsud, 25, first grabbed the bag of Russian tourist Anastasia Zabello as she was walking in Soi Bang Yai behind Big C on Tuesday morning, said Wichit Police Superintendent Chaowalit Petchsripia. Ms Zabello noted that he…
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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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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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Action to be taken on coral, wastewater at Racha Island
PHUKET: A framework to deal with longstanding problems at Racha Yai Island, particularly coral damage and wastewater, was drafted at a meeting at Phuket Provincial Hall yesterday morning. To prevent boat operators from damaging corals by dropping anchor on them, 20 more moorings will be added, though their locations have yet to be determined, said Tanet Munnoy, director of the…
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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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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…
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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