Phuket News
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Girl in critical condition pulled from bottom of sea at Phuket beach
PHUKET: Doctor’s are scrambling to save the life of a girl who was pulled unconscious from the sea floor at Nai Harn Beach today. “She arrived at about 3pm in critical condition,” Vachira Phuket Emergency Medical Service nurse Ladda Thongtan told the Phuket Gazette. The girl was one of four children pulled from the water during the rescue. Eyewitnesses to…
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Bang Tao Canal ills on course to be solved by 2015
PHUKET: A multitude of infrastructure projects designed to stifle the stench and improve the quality of water being released from the Bang Tao Canal into the ocean are about 30 to 40 per cent complete, Cherng Talay Administrative Organization officer (palad) Krichanut Suphantakit has confirmed. The projects include two wastewater treatment plants: one in Bang Tao and one in Surin,…
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Officer accused of trafficking Rohingya to be investigated by PACC
PHUKET: The Public-sector Anti Corruption Commission (PACC) Region 8 is awaiting final approval from Bangkok to start an investigation into a Phang Nga police officer accused of trafficking Rohingya women over eight months ago. The charges against the officer, Sen Sgt Maj Weerayuth Feuangfu, stem from the case of a Rohingya woman who reported that she was repeatedly raped after…
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Russian tourists spring a leak, saved by Phuket fishing boat
PHUKET: Two Russian tourists foundering in Phang Nga Bay after their kayak sprung a leak were rescued by a passing Phuket fishing boat yesterday afternoon.Maxim Abaturov, 37, and Valerii Grakhouskii, 38, were three kilometers from Phuket when a seal in the front of their two-man vessel began to let in water.Although the kayak remained afloat, it could not support the…
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No salvage for sunken Similan dive boat
PHUKET: Liveaboard dive boat MV The Flying Carpet will remain on the sea floor, 75 meters below the Andaman Sea surface, after sinking yesterday between Koh Bon and Koh Tachai, north of Phuket. “There will be no salvage possibility,” said the manager of Aladdin Dive Safari, the company that owned the boat. When asked about insurance, the manager, who asked…
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Phuket’s “Nine Heroes’ land at Victory Field
PHUKET: The long-awaited nine bronze statues of important figures in Phuket’s history arrived on the island yesterday and were officially installed at Thalang Victory Memorial Field this morning. Phuket Governor Maitri Inthusut led a blessing ceremony at Saphan Hin yesterday evening to welcome the Nine Heroes. “These historical figures will serve to remind all Phuket people of their brave ancestors…
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Phuket’s one-stop yacht center to open next week
PHUKET: Phuket’s one-stop center for arriving yachts is scheduled to open next week. The opening of the facility, on Chalong Pier [map here], was initially set for 2012, then delayed until 2015 before being moved forward to February 7. “We are opening now for financial reasons,” Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (PPAO) President Paiboon Upatising said. “We signed a three-year contract…
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Video Report: German couple lost in Phuket jungle, found safe
PHUKET: A German couple lost in a huge protected forest in central Phuket last night was returned to safety early this morning.Jurgen Strempel, 51, and his wife Ludecke, 49, called the Tourist Police hotline 1155 at about 8pm, said Lt Adul Boonrat of the Thalang Police.“They said they were on top of a hill between Ton Sai Waterfall and Bang…
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Phuket taxi driver returns more than 3,000 euros to Frenchman
PHUKET: A Phuket taxi driver yesterday returned a bag containing nearly 150,000 baht’s worth of euros and other valuables to a Frenchman who left it in his taxi. The 57-year-old tourist, Andre Cellier, arrived on January 22 and took a taxi to Patong. When he discovered he had forgotten his bag – which contained his passport and a mobile phone,…
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Phuket Hero: Two years at the top
PHUKET: A team of young dancers from the Ban Bangneaw Municipal School in Phuket Town won the national finals of the “To Be Number One” Teen Dancersize Competition held in the events arena at The Mall Bangkapi in Bangkok on January 26 and 27. Competing in the Junior Division for students aged 6 to 9, the HERO team wowed the…
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Phuket Old Town Festival to begin next week
PHUKET: The annual three-day Phuket Old Town Festival will kick off on February 7 with a parade to celebrate the unique culture of Phuket’s residents. Events will be held along Thalang Road, Soi Rommanee and Krabi Road – the heart of the Phuket Old Town area, explained Phuket City Mayor Somjai Suwansupana. “The main purpose of this festival is to…
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Phuket Police vow to protect voters, despite manpower shortage
PHUKET: Despite a shortage of officers, the Phuket Provincial Police have vowed to protect voters from any violence on election day with a special task force. The group of 41 officers will be made up of five fast-response inspectors, 18 undercover officers and 18 officers on standby. “Officers manning the polling stations have been instructed not to interfere with peaceful…
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B12mn canal extension project to begin in March
PHUKET: A 12-million-baht project to dredge the Koh Kaew Canal and deepen the existing approach channel from Phang Nga Bay will begin in March.The six-month project was approved at a public hearing led by Governor Maitri Inthusut at the Royal Phuket Marina last Thursday.“Our officers found that the canal is not deep enough for big boats or yachts and could…
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US embassy consular outreach clinic in Phuket
PHUKET: The Consular Section of the American Embassy in Bangkok will hold an Outreach Visit at Le Meridien Hotel in Karon on January 29. Consular staff will be available from 8am to midday to provide the following services: • Passport renewal applications (US$110 or 3,410 baht for adult passports, US$105 or 3,255 baht for a minor’s passport). • Notarial Services…
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Three arrested for role in fatal Phuket bag-snatch, one still at large
PHUKET: Phuket Police have arrested three of the four suspects involved in the fatal stabbing of bag-snatch victim Dithchart Insom, who was killed on December 16 (story here). One suspect is still at large. Police were put on the killers’ trail after interrogating one of their friends who witnessed the killing, named by officers only as “Jib”. On January 22,…
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Phuket lucky license plate auction pulls up short of the mark
PHUKET: The Phuket Lucky License Plate Auction fell short of a 30-million-baht goal this year (story here) with bidders handing over just 23mn baht for road-safety campaigns and traffic-victim rehabilitation programs. The two-day auction organized by the Phuket Land Transport Office (PLTO) was held at the Phuket Merlin Hotel (map here) on Saturday and Sunday. More than 300 license plates…
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Lone voter casts ballot in Phuket poll shutdown
PHUKET: Phuket protesters arriving late to shut down the polling station in Thalang yesterday resulted in one lone voter casting a ballot in the advance voting for the February 2 national election. “We cannot reveal who that person was, but he arrived and voted before the protesters turned up at about 9:30am,” said polling station chief Chaiya Khamsaad. Once the…
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Phuket FC down Brunei DPMM for pre-season hat-trick
PHUKET: The new-look Phuket FC “Ronins” continued their perfect pre-season form, downing Malay and Singapore League contenders Brunei DPMM FC 2-0 in a friendly match last night at Surakul Stadium. The friendly match is part of a three-team “Saksee Cup” which will conclude this afternoon with a match between Phuket FC and Thai Division Two contenders, Nakhon Si Heritage from…
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Phuket landlord, son, slain in lease dispute
PHUKET: A Phuket landlord and her son were gunned down in front of their family home in Thung Thong yesterday afternoon amid a heated a dispute over continuing a lease for a local curry shop that sold sugarcane juice. Police arrived at the scene (map here) at about 4:30pm to find Boonlet Thanom-anantakun, 42, standing next to the house with…
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Phuket polls not worth violence, says election chief
PHUKET: Kittipong Thiengkunakrit, Director of the Phuket Election Commission (PEC), has vowed to close advance voting polling booths in Phuket tomorrow if protesters arrive in numbers to rally against the February 2 national election. “We will avoid any possibility of a fight. We do not want to have any problems at the polls,” he told the Phuket Gazette today. “It’s…
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Phuket Local Food Festival serves up a treat
PHUKET: The sixth annual Phuket Local Food Festival started at Saphan Hin last night, with Phuket Governor Maitri Inthusut serving up healthy portions of local delicacies. “This is a great fair that all tourists should know about because it shows how beautifully unique Phuket is,” Governor Maitri said. “In addition to our beautiful beaches, we have a special culture and…
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Phuket traffic chief sets sights on B30mn record licence plate auction
PHUKET: The Phuket Land Transport Office (PLTO) is hoping to raise a record 30 million baht from the annual Lucky Licence Plate Auction being held in Phuket Town this weekend. The two-day event at the Phuket Merlin Hotel (map here) began today at 9:30am, with 301 licence plates to go to the highest bidders. All licence plates to be auctioned…
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Mum mourns murdered son at Phuket sentencing
PHUKET: The mother of Maxim Schantz, who was murdered in Phuket two years ago, arrived today at Phuket Provincial Court for the sentencing of one of her son’s murderers, Johan Sebastian Ljung. “Maxim was a very good son. He was beautiful. He had his father’s eyes,” Yvonne Schantz, 55, told the Phuket Gazette. “I had two children: Maxim and his…
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Thailand third worst in the world for road deaths; Phuket killing someone every three days
PHUKET: Over 300 people from throughout Southern Thailand yesterday concluded a two-day seminar geared to develop methods to reduce road-traffic deaths. Thailand currently ranks third in the world in annual road-death rates, with 38 fatalities per 100,000 people. Only Niue (a Polynesian island whose name translates to “Behold the Coconut”) and the the Dominican Republic have higher rates, said Thanapong…
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BREAKING NEWS: Swede gets life in prison
PHUKET: Swedish national Johan Sebastian Ljung was today sentenced to life imprisonment for the stabbing murder of Maxim Schantz in Phuket two years ago. He was also ordered to pay 12.5 million baht in compensation to the victim’s family. Mr Ljung, 28, and Tommy Viktor Soderlund, also 28, were arrested by police in a hotel room at Surin Beach, on…
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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 mission to replace tsunami warning buoy
PHUKET: A six-day expedition to replace a tsunami warning buoy that has been displaced from its anchorage in the Indian Ocean will depart Phuket on Monday.“The buoy has been severed [from its base unit] for months,” said Surachai Srisarakham, Permanent Secretary at the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology (ICT), in a statement issued yesterday.“It took time to obtain the…
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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…
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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