Phuket News
Phuket news, politics, business, tourism, and nightlife—stay updated with breaking stories, events, and expat updates from Thailand’s top island destination. Get the latest from The Thaiger, your trusted Phuket news source.
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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…
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Phuket’s DJ Doris to be honored with Celebration of Life, special radio show
PHUKET: Paul Norris, the renowned ‘DJ Doris’ from Phuket Island Radio 91.5FM, will be honored in Phuket with a “Celebration of Paul’s Life” memorial on February 5. The event will be held at the Irish Times pub at Jungceylon in Patong (map here), starting at 7:30pm. Mr Norris died in an early-morning motorcycle accident on January 12, a tragedy which…
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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…
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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,…
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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…
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Cambodian man found dead in a Phuket fruit orchard
PHUKET: A Cambodian man who was found hanging by the neck in a fruit garden on Tuesday night may have killed himself to escape pain, a co-worker said.Diam Korn, 19, had complained of serious stomach pain for about a week, said Jan Gree.“We bought medicine for him and advised him to go to the doctor, but he wouldn’t go. He…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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Swedish tourist dies in Phuket motorbike crash
PHUKET: A Swedish man on his way to the beach yesterday morning was killed when his motorbike went off the road in Thalang.A friend who was following on another bike told police that the pair were headed to Nai Yang Beach.“He overtook my motorbike on the curve and lost control,” the friend said. “The bike fell over and he bounced…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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Legal Central Festival Phuket taxi co-op looks to boost service quality
PHUKET: The taxi co-operative serving Central Festival Phuket announced its legality today and is looking to roll out several projects to boost its service quality. Last year, Central Festival Phuket wrangled the right to manage the group once it was legally formed. However, Central Festival Phuket Operations Division Manager Preecha Ritthiratree handed the responsibility back to Taxi Andaman Phuket Limited…
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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…
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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,…
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Phuket Court denies bail for Garry Halpin, former Tourist Police Volunteer
PHUKET: The Phuket Provincial Court denied bail for long-term expat and former Tourist Police Volunteer Garry Halpin, who is being held at Phuket Provincial Prison. “Mr Halpin was denied bail by the court and had also been denied bail by the Chalong Police on December 16,” said Chalong Police Deputy Superintendent Jumroon Plaidoung. Police are waiting for drug test results…
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Phuket’s “invisible moorings’ sink B10mn luxury cruiser
PHUKET: The luxury charter cruise boat Lady Andaman sank after striking a concrete mooring in the approach channel to Chalong Pier late yesterday afternoon.The mooring punched a hole in the hull of the Phuket motor yacht as it was returning from Coral Island with 32 tourists on board, explained Australian boat owner “Sando”, who declined to be named in full.“It…
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Phuket police chase ends in fiery crash, suspects flee without handgun
PHUKET: A police chase ended in flames yesterday after two men blew through a Phuket City Police checkpoint.Officers pursued the suspects’ silver Honda Civic until the driver took a sharp turn into Soi Nimit 1 in Phuket Town and crashed into the side of a house. The men managed to escape the vehicle after an engine fire erupted, explained Lt…
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Protesters target offices in “Phuket Shutdown’
PHUKET: Phuket anti-government protesters are on the move to close every government office in the province today.“We will spend the whole day closing every government office by covering their sign with a black cotton sheet,” Phuket protest co-ordinator Amnuay Kumban said.The Phuket Gazette has learned that in addition to Phuket Provincial Hall, the Phuket Employment Office, which issues work permits…
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Flames engulf Phuket housing complex near Kajonkietsuksa School
PHUKET: A fire erupted in a Phuket housing complex off Chao Fa West Road this morning about 500 meters from Kajonkietsuksa School in Wichit (map here). The Phuket City Fire Department was notified of the blaze at about 10am. “The Wichit Fire Department called us, and we rushed to the scene,” explained one firefighter. The fire swept through the building,…
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Winner of Phuket Red Cross top prize steps forward at last
PHUKET: The top prize winner of the Phuket Red Cross lucky draw didn’t know for several days that he had won because he didn’t check his tickets. “I never expected to win,” said Jittipong Sungthong, 34, a science and technology teacher at Phuket Rajabhat University. “I buy these tickets every year to show my support for the Red Cross. This…
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All quiet on Russian front: Phuket FC prevail in Vladivostok friendly
PHUKET: Maintaining fantastic pre-season form, Phuket FC dominated their all-Russian opponents, FC Forward Vladivostok, winning with a final score of 4-0 in a friendly match on Saturday night at Surakul Stadium. The result came to the dismay of the hundreds of Russian spectators who’d turned out in patriotic fashion – many waving red, white and blue flags, some even wearing…
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Phuket garbage truck downs streetlight near airport
PHUKET: The driver of a garbage truck lost control of his vehicle on the main route to the airport yesterday afternoon, knocking over a light pole on his way to landing the truck in a ditch, injuring himself and his helper. Theerawut Nasalhae, the 19-year-old driver of the Sakoo Tambon Administration Organization (OrBorTor) garbage truck, was returning from a run…
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Phuket protesters mourn death of Prakong, blame government
PHUKET: Protesters will gather tonight at Phuket Provincial Hall (map here) to mourn the death of Prakong Choochan, who died from injuries sustained in an attack on anti-government demonstrators in Bangkok yesterday. “We are devastated by what happened. He was fighting for our country,” said Phuket protest co-ordinator Amnuay Kumban. The 46-year-old taxi driver was one of 36 people injured…
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Second unidentified body recovered in Phuket in two days
PHUKET: A second unidentified body was found floating in the sea off Rassada this week. Unlike in the first case being investigated by police (story here), there were no signs of violence on the body recovered at Por Pichainawa fishing pier yesterday afternoon. “It looked like the man, who was probably 30-35 years old and 170cm tall, died about 24…
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Phuket Poll: How to stop Patong Hill carnage?
PHUKET: Two people crushed to death by a runaway bus in December is only the most recent disaster on the notorious Patong Hill road (story here). In response, Phuket officials are scrambling to find solutions to stop the carnage (story here). To this, the Phuket Gazette asks our readers in our latest online poll: “What is the best way to…
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Phuket’s 250-million-baht provincial mosque to be built in forest reserve
PHUKET: Land within a forest reserve was approved this week for the construction of the 250-million-baht Phuket provincial mosque complex in Thalang. On January 15, Phuket Governor Maitri Inthusut signed off on the use of over nine rai of the Pa Bang Khanun Forest Reserve near the Thalang Technical College. “Our budget was approved by Cabinet last year, and we…
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Governor paves way for congestion free Phuket
PHUKET: Phuket Governor Maitri Inthusut led a survey yesterday of two road projects that should ease traffic congestion on the island. “With more than 50,000 vehicles travelling between Chalong Circle and Bang Khu Intersection in Kho Kaew daily, it is important to provide alternative routes and improve traffic flow,” Governor Maitri said. One of the projects examined was a two-lane…
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Police pounce on pot peddler in Phuket
PHUKET: Police arrested a Myanmar national yesterday morning for selling marijuana at the Phuket Fishing Port in Koh Sirey. Min Min, 38, was caught with 295 grams of marijuana, drug paraphernalia and 980 baht in cash by officers from the Region 8 Police Crime Suppression Division.“Undercover officers tipped us off, so we staked out the port,” Maj Roongsak Maichandee said.“We…
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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