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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Sponsored Infinito helps hotels in Thailand with revenue management
Maximising revenue and profit–isn’t that the ultimate goal for every business in the hospitality industry? If you run a hotel, you might have heard that revenue management is an effective way to boost your top-line revenue. It involves using data...
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Phuket office identifies 82 “foreign-owned’ businesses suspected of using Thai nominees
PHUKET: The Phuket Business Development Office (BDO) has identified 82 businesses suspected of breaching the Foreign Business Act (FBA) by using Thais as nominees so that foreigners can hold majority control. The businesses were identified ahead of raids by the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) set for this week, targeting illegal foreign businesses in Phuket (story here). “After checking our…
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Phuket boat captain charged for reckless driving resulting in death
PHUKET: A boat captain was charged with reckless driving resulting in death after the pickup he was driving on Chao Fa East road Saturday night struck a man on a motorbike, killing him.A-thit Hannongbua, 35, was travelling toward Phuket Town on Chao Fa East Road when 55-year-old Kittichai Prapanan pulled out from Soi Thanuthep on his motorbike, a witness told…
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Headstrong Phuket buffalo causes three accidents
PHUKET: A pregnant buffalo that wandered onto the bypass road late Saturday night withstood the blows of three cars before dying in the median strip.Kusoldharm rescue workers were called to the bypass road in front of Porntip Sea Store at 1am yesterday to aid the injured motorists.The first vehicle to strike the buffalo was a taxi carrying passengers from the…
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Aussie Oi! breezes in to Phuket Raceweek win
PHUKET: Winds gusting to 20 knots made for a perfect end to what has turned into one of the best Cape Panwa Hotel Phuket Raceweek regattas yet. The weather conditions delivered fast and exciting racing throughout, leaving the sailors of more than 15 nationalities tired but happy. Two races for all except the Classic class made for a hectic schedule…
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Phuket alcohol ban for Buddhist holiday, Gazette office closed
PHUKET: The Phuket Gazette would like to inform our readers and advertisers that our office in Koh Kaew is closed today in observance of Asarnha Bucha Day (story here). Asarnha Bucha Day, the full-moon day of the eighth lunar month, commemorates the Lord Buddha’s first sermon to his first five disciples after attaining Enlightenment more than 2,500 years ago. Evening…
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Close racing, clean sheets on Day Three of Phuket Raceweek
PHUKET: Lightairs beckoned on Day Three of Cape Panwa Hotel Phuket Raceweek, but by starttime a solid 10 knots was blowing and Principle Race Officer (PRO) Simon Jamesgot the fleet underway on time yesterday. A single race was in order for IRCCruising and the Classic classes, while the rest enjoyed the solid breeze tocomplete two races. The wind held throughout…
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Kathu Culture Street Festival kicks off tomorrow
PHUKET: The Kathu Culture Street Festival, showcasing the blended cultural heritage of the area, starts tomorrow with a parade beginning at 4:00pm at the Kathu market followed by an opening ceremony at 7pm at the main stage at the Kathu Public Health Center.“The goal of the festival is to preserve Kathu’s cultures and traditions, as well as to encourage locals…
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Phuket Gazette Queer News: Northern women rub it for lucky numbers
PHUKET: A tree that bears a remarkable resemblance to a man’s nether regions is setting pulses racing in a village in the province of Kamphaeng Phet. The mango tree, which was found on land belonging to 50-year-old Mrs Lot Panthap, appears to have two legs, an arse, and a dork (or ‘penis’) hanging in the balance. Local villagers have been…
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Child rapist confesses to raping stepdaughter repeatedly for years
PHUKET: Police arrested a child rapist yesterday after the man’s wife came home early from work and discovered that he had been raping her daughter repeatedly over an eight year period. The girl’s mother, Ms Kai (all family members were given aliases to protect the identity of the victim), reported her discovery first to her village headman, who then took…
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Phuket cops bust ya bah dealers
PHUKET: Phuket police busted two ya bah (methamphetamine) dealers at a police checkpoint on Chao Fa East Road last night.The two men, Apichart Karaket, 26, and Surasak Tunyaudon, 22, confessed to police that they were paid between 3,000 and 4,000 baht to transfer the drugs from a dealer’s house in Thalang to another dealer’s house, Wichit Police Superintendent Chawalit Phetsipear…
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Brainstorming Phuket’s future – indoor soccer stadiums make the list
PHUKET: Participants from almost every segment of Phuket society gathered on July 17 to tell local government leaders what improvements they want to see on the island in the next two years. The ideas ranged from indoor football stadiums in every tambon to solving the island’s traffic problems.Phuket government representatives along with members of state enterprises, private businesses and ordinary…
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Phuket witnesses for Swede murder trial fail to show
PHUKET: The trial of Swede Tommy Soderlund, charged along with fellow countryman Johan Ljung for a murder in Phuket in 2011, did not progress yesterday, as witnesses failed to appear in court. Mr Soderlund and Mr Ljung are accused of stabbing to death Maksim Schantz and then stealing a motorbike in order to escape the scene. Mr Soderlund admits to…
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Winds keep Phuket Raceweek fast and furious for Day Two
PHUKET: Winds ranging from eight to fifteen knots gave all boats some long-course racing off Phuket’s southern coast for Day Two of the 10th Anniversary Cape Panwa Hotel Phuket Raceweek. Despite breakages and damage to six boats on the first day of the event, all were fixed and back in action yesterday with a full 37-strong fleet out racing on-the-water.The…
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Phuket supercars dodge second DSI bullet
PHUKET: A second round of the Department of Special Investigation’s (DSI) probe into supercar owners suspected of tax evasion did not turn up any cars registered in Phuket. The second batch of cars under investigation was composed of only about 60 vehicles. However, only 548 (less than 10%) of the 5,834 registered luxury cars suspected of having been issued papers…
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Winds, thrills pick up on Cape Panwa Phuket Raceweek 2013 day 2
PHUKET: The 37-strong fleet at the 10th Anniversary Cape Panwa Hotel Phuket Raceweek enjoyed some fast and furious racing yesterday off Phuket’s southeast coast. Winds exceeding 15 knots, combined with 2-3 meter swells, made for perfect Phuket sailing conditions on Day One of the award-winning regatta. Classic and IRC Cruising classes raced a single, long ’round-the-islands’ course, enjoying the strong…
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Phuket Islanders look to charge the Bangkok Bulls
PHUKET: Yamaha League One’s fifth placed team, Phuket FC got a boost of confidence on Wednesday, downing bay-neighbors from the second division, Phang Nga FC 3-1 in a friendly match at Thanyapura. Opening the scoring for the Southern friendly was the Islander’s Georgian striker, Giorgi who net the ball on 12 minutes. This was followed by a goal from Thai…
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Officials bow out of Phuket Airport Express bus launch
PHUKET: The long-awaited Phuket airport-to-beach bus hit the road at 9:30am today with little fanfare. Passengers on the inaugural ride from Phuket International Airport to Patong included media, tourists and relatives of bus operator Prakob Panyawai. No Phuket officials were along for the ride. Married couple Ben and Kim, first-time visitors from England, had just arrived from Kuala Lumpur and…
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Construction starts for Region 8 Police headquarters in Phuket
PHUKET: A ground breaking ceremony was held today to mark the construction of the new Region 8 Police headquarters, as plans go forward to move the office from Surat Thani to opposite the Tah Chat Chai checkpoint in Phuket. The construction for the new building, expected to cost about 84 million baht, started on June 3 and is slated to…
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Phuket restaurant built illegally on beach, public land to face charges
PHUKET: Phuket officials were ordered to take action today against a restaurant found to be illegally built and encroaching on the beach south of Patong.“We ordered every relevant government organization to take action against the restaurant’s owner after we established that the restaurant was built on public property,” Chief of the Damrongtham Center Prapan Kanprasang told the Phuket Gazette.Acting on…
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Oi! and Katsu sail ahead early in Phuket Raceweek 2013
PHUKET: Peter Ahern’s TP52 Oi! out of Langkawi drew first blood in IRC Racing I class today in the opening race of the Phuket Raceweek 2013 regatta, this year celebrating its 10th anniversary. With Scott Bailey and Fergus Wilmer on board, Oi! finished the regatta opener on corrected time two minutes ahead of Ben Copley’s Katsu. Roles reversed in the…
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Overcrowding blamed for Rohingya immigration escape
PHUKET: Detention cells strained beyond capacity with Rohingya refugees at Phang Nga Immigration have been blamed for the escape of 11 Rohingya men early yesterday morning. More than 300 Rohingya men are being detained in large caged rooms at the center, originally built to accommodate 250 inmates, Immigration Police Lt Col Neti Khanboon explained. “At about 3am, the men broke…
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Thai badminton players hungry for gold in North America
PHUKET: In last week’s 2013 US Open Badminton Championships contested in Los Angeles, California, Thai badminton player Sapsiri “Popo” Taerattanachai beat Japanese Yuka Kasunose for the event’s women’s singles title. It was the first time Popo, ranked 15th in the world, met the Japanese player ranked at 173rd. Popo’s victory in two sets secured a prize of US$9,000 USD (about…
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Russian arrested in Phuket for illegally hawking spa products
PHUKET: A 22-year-old Russian man was arrested by Immigration Police in Patong last night after he was caught attempting to sell spa products to a plainclothes officer.Immigration officers arrested Russian national Alexander Pushkarer at a shop on the Patong beach road at about 7pm.“We were informed by one of our officers that a foreigner was working illegally at a shop,”…
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Phuket father files assault charges against son’s teachers
PHUKET: A Phuket father has filed an assault complaint with police against two teachers at his 9-year-old son’s school. The father told Wichit Police on Tuesday afternoon that teachers at Wichitsongkram School had struck his son several times over the last month. “Mr Pichit told us that on June 14, that one teacher hit his son’s hand and made it…
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Russians targeted in Phuket illegal company crackdown
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – Thailand news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community 56 Phuket firms targeted for using Thai nominees The Nation / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: The Commerce Ministry is targeting 56 companies in Phuket suspected of breaching the Foreign Business Act (FBA) by having Thais acting as nominees so that foreigners can hold majority control. The ministry…
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DSI called in to tackle taxis and raid foreign businesses
PHUKET: A Department of Special Investigation (DSI) task force will arrive in Phuket next week to carry out raids and arrest illegal taxi drivers and foreign business operators found breaking the law. The officers, expected to arrive on Thursday for a two-day campaign, will target taxi drivers at Phuket International Airport and businesses suspected of using Thai nominees. The news…
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Sumatra quake gives Phuket ‘a little shake’, nothing to fear
PHUKET: The earthquake off the northern tip of Sumatra this morning was felt in Phuket, but was no cause for alarm, the head of the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation, Phuket office (DDPM-Phuket), San Janthawong, told the Phuket Gazette this morning. No tsunami alert has been issued for Phuket or any other province along the Andaman Coast. “The earthquake…
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Phuket Gazette World Sports: England maybe next for self-employed builder as cricketing world buzzes
English club player hits 311 runs in 40 overs Phuket Gazette / Reuters PHUKET: A self-employed builder from Cornwall in south-west England hit 311 runs from 40 overs to help his club to a regional record scoreline yesterday, at a strike rate of 130. The BBC reported that Andrew Brenton lashed 53 boundaries, with 11 sixes, after coming in at…
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Phuket beach rescue saves Japanese surfer from strong surf
PHUKET: A Japanese surfer rescued this afternoon from the strong surf at Kata Noi Beach, on Phuket’s west coast, is conscious and recovering, the Phuket Gazette was told.Lifeguards saw the man, believed to be in his early 50s, out surfing the large waves at the popular tourist beach.“We are are not sure what happened, but the next time the lifeguards…
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Phuket sea turtle on the hook – saved
PHUKET: The Phuket office of the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) rescued an Olive Ridley sea turtle with a large fishing hook penetrating one of its flippers yesterday.“A fisherman near Lone Island notified us that there was an injured sea turtle that needed our help, as it had been pierced by a fishhook,” Phuket DMCR chief Thanate Mannoi…
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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