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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Phuket FC president’s birthday wish granted with win over Nakhon Pathom
PHUKET: The Islanders last night won their first match in the last 50 days – and first at home for 112 days – beating Yamaha League One (YL1) rivals, Nakhon Pathom United 2-0 on a waterlogged pitch at Surakul Stadium in Phuket Town.Marking the occasion, Phuket FC President Pamuke Achiriyachai at half time was presented flowers, a birthday cake and…
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Phuket top officials make merit in honor of HM Queen Sirikit’s 81st birthday
PHUKET: Phuket Governor Maitri Inthusut led top Phuket officials in a celebration of HM Queen Sirikit’s 81st birthday early this morning by donating alms to monks.The Governor, all three vice governors and Phuket Provincial Police Commander Choti Chavalviwat, along with 500 officers and local residents, made the dry food offering in front of Queen Sirikit Park.The government officers were all…
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Concern piqued by fetus hammerhead sharks on display at Phuket restaurant
PHUKET: Local concern peaked in Phuket after photos began to circulate of two baby scalloped hammerhead sharks on display in front of a restaurant in Kata last week.“The ones [scalloped hammerhead sharks] at that restaurant clearly show to everybody that they are fetuses – they are not fully grown sharks, so obviously fishermen caught a female shark somewhere, chopped her…
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Phuket teen fatally stabbed during gold snatch
PHUKET: A 17-year-old woman was fatally stabbed as she fought off a man trying to steal her necklace in the early hours of yesterday morning in Rassada. The woman, Wassana Lerdsongkram, had gone to a Lotus Express with her 2-year-old nephew after midnight yesterday morning. Witnesses told police that a man followed her into the store, where his image was…
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Bar girl delivered B100k to Swedish murder suspects, Phuket Court told
PHUKET: As the murder trial of Tommy Soderlund continued yesterday, a police officer told the court that Mr Soderlund was arrested in the hotel room of a Pattaya bar girl who had delivered 100,000 baht to him and his alleged accomplice Johan Ljung. Mr Soderlund and Mr Ljung are charged with murdering Russian-born Swedish national Maksim Schantz in Phuket on…
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Phuket’s elite captains mark 24 years of dodging rocks
PHUKET: A gathering of Phuket’s elite captains and core sailors of the local yachting community last night marked 24 years of dodging rocks with the launch of the fourth edition of the essential cruising guide, Southeast Asia Pilot, that made it possible. The latest edition covers the area from the Andaman Islands in Indian territorial waters to Darwin, Australia. In…
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Trio of top cops gather to promote Phuket safety, again
PHUKET: The two highest-ranking police officers in Thailand joined Phuket’s top cop in Patong yesterday evening in the latest campaign to safeguard tourism revenue by convincing tourists that Phuket is a safe place to vacation. Over 400 police officers gleaned from every station in Phuket gathered in formation at one end of Soi Bangla to be reviewed by the Royal…
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Showdown for Queen’s Cup
PHUKET: This Sunday Phuket will host a major Muay Thai tournament in Patong, in honor of HM Queen Sikirit’s 81st birthday. The tournament was announced by the President of the Amateur Muay Thai Association of Thailand (AMTAT) former Thai Army chief Gen Chetta Thanajaro last Saturday during a press conference at the Tiger Hotel in Patong. The competition on Sunday…
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Chinese woman, 22, found dead in Phuket resort swimming pool
PHUKET: A 22-year-old Chinese tourist was found dead yesterday morning floating in a resort swimming pool on Koh Lone, a small island about three kilometers east of Rawai.Peng Yu was staying at the Cruiser Island Resort with a Chinese tour group.“A hotel staffer found her floating face down in the swimming pool,” Thada Sodarak of the Chalong Police said.Ms Peng…
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Human trafficker shot, captured in Surat
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH– Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Thailand arrests suspected leader of human trafficking gang Reuters / Phuket GazettePHUKET: Thai authorities have captured the suspected leader of a human trafficking gang, who confessed to selling Burmese migrants into slavery on Thai fishing boats and possibly murdering as many as seven, a Thai official said…
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Patong Mayor Pian Keesin targetted in DSI’s investigations list
PHUKET: Long-serving Mayor of Patong Pian Keesin, as well as ten other people and suspect locations, has been named on a Department of Special Investigations (DSI) blacklist regarding illegal taxis. The blacklist was presented yesterday as Tourism and Sports Minister Somsak Pureesrisak and DSI Director-general Tarit Pengdith arrived on the island to open the ‘Phuket Organized Crime Center’ (story here).…
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Logos Hope announces special events for Phuket
PHUKET: MV Logos Hope, carrying the world’s largest floating library, arrives in Phuket on Wednesday and has already announced two special events to be put on by some of its 460 volunteers. The first of the two events will be the ‘Cultural Cafe’, which showcases a variety of cultures, music and dances from around the globe. The event, during which…
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Rohingya riot north of Phuket pre-planned escape attempt, says Immigration
PHUKET: The Rohingya refugees’ rebellion against their captivity during the Muslim holy day Eid-al Fitr yesterday was a pre-planned attempt to escape the facilities and leave Thailand, Phang Nga Immigration Police told the Phuket Gazette today. “The refugees were convinced by visitors to protest and attempt to escape to another country,” Phang Nga Immigration Inspector Neti Khanboon said. Lt Col…
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Phuket drug users scramble free of police net – two women arrested
PHUKET: A police drug bust yesterday netted only two female meth dealers after several teenagers using drugs at a bungalow in Phuket managed to scramble to freedom.One of the two woman arrested, Supattra Kanam, 24, spotted the police arriving at the bungalow, about half a kilometer from the Heroines’ Monument. She was able to run into the house and warn…
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Guided-missile destroyer USS Higgins arrives in Phuket
PHUKET: The guided-missile destroyer USS Higgins arrived in Phuket yesterday, anchoring at the Deep Sea Port at Cape Panwa.The Higgins, the US Navy’s 26th Arleigh Burke class destroyer, carries a crew of 276 sailors and a formidable armament of standard and vertical-launch missiles, long-range Tomahawk missiles, two triple-tube torpedo mounts and deck guns.“The crew were welcomed to Phuket with a…
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Phuket warned human-trafficking record may result in European ban on seafood
PHUKET: Any deterioration in Thailand’s human-trafficking record may lead to a European ban on importing seafood from the Kingdom, Phuket Marine Police were warned yesterday.The message was delivered at a seminar intended to remind local Marine Police and those involved in Phuket’s fishing industry of the legal obligations to be upheld regarding human trafficking.The seminar, headed by visiting senior prosecutor…
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Krabi murder defendants claim US Embassy translator unfair
PHUKET: The three Thai musicians charged with the murder of American tourist Bobby Ray Carter Jr in Krabi on July 31 (story here) have refused to have the translator provided by the US Embassy in Bangkok involved in the trial. The lawyer representing the three defendants explained the complaint to the judge at Krabi Provincial Court on Tuesday, when defendants…
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Body of executed pregnant woman found in Khao Sok National Park, north of Phuket
PHUKET: An unidentified pregnant woman was executed by gun and her body left in Khao Sok National Park, Phang Nga police said today.The body of the woman, believed to have been in her late 20s, was found by villagers in Phang Nga’s Kapong District yesterday.“She was wearing an orange-red maternity dress, and appeared to be pregnant,” Prajak Rodkantuk of the…
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FIVB beach volleyball world tour’s return to Phuket has interest spiking
PHUKET: The return of the FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour to Karon beach Phuket has created plenty of interest among both players and fans. With the tournament still just under three months away, over 40 teams from 19 countries have already entered the US$75,000 Phuket Thailand Open powered by PTT, which will be held from October 29 to November 3.…
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Citizen rescue to bolster safety at Phuket beaches
PHUKET: Scores of everyday people are voluntarily undergoing lifeguard training in order to help Phuket’s strained contingent of lifeguards cope with the growing number of tourists, expats and local residents who need to be saved from dangerous surf.There are currently 38 beach guard stations at 13 beaches in Phuket, staffed by a total of 108 lifeguards, explained Phuket Lifeguard Club…
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Oil spill damage not as great as feared, say Phuket Marine Biologists
PHUKET: The environmental damage to Koh Samet is not as great as initially feared, according to five Phuket-based marine biologists who have just returned from a fact-finding mission to the oil-spill stricken island (story here). The Phuket group’s findings were similar to those reported by the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources. “We did not find any remains or evidence…
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Phuket Pitak Siam protesters to head home, for now
PHUKET: The Phuket contingent of Pitak Siam supporters who joined the anti-government rally in Bangkok will head back home today. The thousands-strong peaceful protest – intended to “only escort” former Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and former Prime Minister and Democrat chief adviser Chuan Leekpai to Parliament House – was headed off by “riot” police at Ratchawithi Intersection yesterday. The protest…
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Only one Krabi musician faces the music for American’s murder
PHUKET: Only one of the three musicians charged with killing American tourist Bobby Ray Carter Jr in Krabi last week appeared in court for arraignment on Monday. The other two postponed their trial date. All three men, charged with the July 31 murder of 51-year-old Bobby Carter Jr and the assault of his son Adam, 27, outside the Little Longhorn…
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“No worries’ over Aussie police workshop on transnational crime in Phuket
PHUKET: The Australian Federal Police (AFP) are in Phuket to hold a joint workshop with Phuket authorities on tackling the issue of transnational crime on the island.“Phuket is one of the most famous tourist destinations in the world. Every day, large numbers of tourists from all over the globe come to visit us,” Phuket Provincial Police Deputy Commander Peerayuth Karajedee…
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Phuket joins Bangkok ranks at amnesty bill protest
PHUKET: Members of the Phuket Pitak Siam group and their anti-government cohorts in Bangkok will join Democrat supporters and People’s Army protesters to rally against the amnesty bill in front of Parliament House tomorrow. An estimated 70,000 people are expected to join the street protest, Pitak Siam Phuket coordinator Apharat Chartchutikumjorn told the Phuket Gazette this morning. “The Democrat Party…
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Phuket weather delays salvage of sunken cargo vessel
PHUKET: Efforts to salvage the cargo ship Unity, which sunk in high seas on its way to Phi Phi Island last week (story here), have been postponed until tomorrow due to the current spate of bad weather. “We will begin the recovery of the ship tomorrow, as today we have been preparing the machinery and the equipment needed to recover…
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Heavy rain brings minor floods across Phuket, huge tailbacks
PHUKET: Heavy rain in Phuket this morning caused minor flooding across the island, including in Patong on the west coast, in Chalong in the south and in Srisoonthorn in Thalang.Roads cut off by flash-flood runoff forced traffic to a standstill as small vehicles could not get through.Traffic was backed up in front of the TOT office on Chao Fa West…
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No infrastructure damage to Krabi International Airport, despite ramp road subsiding
PHUKET: Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) officers confirmed that there was no structural damage to the domestic terminal at Krabi International Airport after heavy rains caused the ramp road of the terminal to subside (story here). The DCA has already approved a budget to make repairs to the airport, which recently underwent a 743-million-baht upgrade. The budget is set to…
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Thief ransacks Chinese tour guide’s Phuket home, steals 100,000 baht cash, Rolex
PHUKET: A Chinese tour guide withdrew 80,000 baht from her bank account yesterday and by this morning it had been stolen from her house, along with her boyfriend’s Rolex watch valued at 300,000 and 20,000 baht she already had stashed in the house. When police responded to the 9:30am call at Phuket Villa Daorung, they found a ransacked living room…
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Dutchman’s girlfriend dies mysteriously in Phuket
PHUKET: The 39-year-old Thai partner of a Dutchman was found dead yesterday morning with no specific cause of death confirmed. At just after 10am, Hans Lehner, 68, called the Patong police to inform them that his girlfriend, Pranee Srijaem, had died in her sleep. “I took the call. His girlfriend apparently died in bed while sleeping,” Patapee Srichai of the…
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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