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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Two Phuket cop-kickers caught
PHUKET: Police have arrested two of the four suspects they believe are responsible for assaulting police officers trying to make an arrest of a suspect wanted for attempted murder and other charges (story here). “I was trying to arrest Wirat ‘Kam’ Prabpet, 36, wanted for attempted murder, possession of illegal firearms and mugging,” said Cherng Talay Deputy Superintendent Sommai On-khum,…
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Phuket Magic Eyes relaunch sets sights on ‘Clean Up the World’
PHUKET: A series of cleanup events are to sweep the island this September as Phuket gears up to celebrate “Clean Up the World” as part of the relaunch of the Phuket Magic Eyes Organization. The Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (PPAO) is joining hands with the Phuket Magic Eyes Organization and the Society Environmental Economy Knowledge (SEEK) group to take part…
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Greek claims Thai girlfriend swindled him out of Phuket property, two million baht
PHUKET: A distraught Greek was found lying in the middle of the road in front of a property that he claimed his girlfriend had cheated him out of, along with about two million baht. When Konstantinos Vardas’s mid-road protest caused a traffic jam in the vicinity of Tha Reua Temple, Thalang Police and Kusoldham rescue workers were called to the…
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Thief snatches 5,000 baht from 7-Eleven cash till
PHUKET: Police are searching for a snatch thief who stole 5,000 baht from a cash till at a 7-Eleven in Wichit late last night. “The store’s staffers looked very frightened when we arrived, ” said Wichit Police Superintendent Chaowalit Petchsripia. “The thief was a dark-skinned man who looked about 20-to-30 years old. He was between 1.60 and 1.65 meters tall,…
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Phuket trial over fatal Tiger Disco fire postponed
PHUKET: The trial of the operators of the Tiger Disco nightclub for the deaths of four people, including two tourists, in the blaze last year in Patong has been postponed until the end of November. Tiger Group CEO Piya Isaramalai and management representatives of Sara Entertainment Co Ltd were scheduled to appear in court on September 2 to face charges…
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Phuket tourism court on hold
PHUKET: The opening of a new tourist court in Phuket has been delayed while a sortie of judges, Tourist Police and officers from the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) complete a 14-million-baht, two-week fact-finding trip to France. The fact-finding tour, which started September 7 and is scheduled to end September 19, is aimed at giving the experts a first-hand view…
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Single lingering regret for Phuket’s top cop as he prepares to retire
PHUKET: Phuket Provincial Police Commander Choti Chavalviwat is troubled by only a single lingering issue of unfinished business as he prepares for retirement at the end of this month – the much-needed high-resolution CCTVs he sought to bring to the island. Speaking to the Phuket Gazette, Maj Gen Choti lamented being unable to see the cameras fitted across the island.…
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Phuket Prison marks 113th anniversary with deity statue
PHUKET: A modest ceremony took place at Phuket Provincial Prison today to honor the installation of the Hindu God Chitragupta, who is deemed special by the Department of Corrections in Thailand. “Chitragupta is the Hindu god tasked with keeping fastidious records of all the actions of every human being. This is why he is held in high esteem by the…
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Baby buffalo saved from watery death
PHUKET: Quick action by a local Thalang villager prevented a baby buffalo from drowning in an abandoned well today. Khamsue Chanpet, 37, called Kusoldharm Rescue workers to the well behind Wat Baan Don in Thalang, after witnessing the grazing buffalo fall into the well. “I saw the buffalo walking and eating grass with the other buffaloes, and then he fell.…
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Thief says he needed money for sick son
PHUKET: A man caught stealing an air-conditioning compressor from a bus in Phuket Town yesterday morning told police that he needed money to pay for medical treatment for his son.Chaiwut Kongkhaoriab, 28, was caught in the act by mechanics at the garage where the bus was parked.Pramoun Jitpakdee, one of the mechanics, said he was fixing the bus when he…
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9 million baht Chalong Circle study underway
PHUKET: A 9-million baht pre-construction study on how to ease traffic congestion at Chalong Circle is underway, with companies considering seven options including several flyovers in addition to underpasses. The yearlong study will analyze traffic flow around Chalong Circle and potential effects of an underpass or flyover on the surrounding environment, said Director of the Phuket Highways Office Samak Luedwonghad.…
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Alleged extortionist re-elected to run Phuket taxi group
PHUKET: “Brother Pom” was re-elected to head the Central Festival Phuket taxi group yesterday, despite facing charges of extortion and using violence to force member-drivers to make payments. The election was part of a move to restructure the taxi rank at Central Festival, the latest step in a campaign to eradicate taxi mafia from Phuket which has the full support…
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Thailand Tourist Police Road Show to roll into Phuket
PHUKET: A caravan of four mobile homes and a trailer full of facilities free for tourists to use will be set up from 7:30pm to 9:00pm in Phuket this Saturday as part of a promotional campaign to make tourists feel safe about travelling in Thailand.The caravan, called the “Thailand Tourist Police Roadshow 2013”, was launched in Bangkok on Tuesday under…
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Phuket flower-seller caught in drain
PHUKET: Heavy rains caused another accident yesterday when a Phuket flower vendor slipped on wet pavement and got his foot stuck in a drain.Unable to dislodge himself, Preecha Petpradab, 36, relied on rescue workers to free him.Mr Preecha was organizing the flowers in front of his shop on Pattana Thongtin Road in Wichit when he tumbled into the drain.Kusoldharm Rescue…
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Central Festival Phuket takes over taxi management
PHUKET: The campaign to eradicate taxi mafias from Phuket took another step yesterday as Central Festival Management agreed to take over the management of taxis at the shopping center. “We want Central Festival to be a model of taxi management for Phuket,” said Maj Natapol Ditsayatham, the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) Chief Investigator for Phuket. “We want every driver…
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Elephants rescue tourists stranded in Phang Nga jungle
PHUKET: A rescue party of four elephants was dispatched to safely recover 16 tourists stranded in the jungle north of Phuket yesterday after a landslide brought on by torrential rains cut off their return path and the elephants they were riding balked at taking another route.The tourists were on an elephant trek in the hills behind Baan Thung Kamin in…
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Swiss man despondent over health problems attempts suicide
PHUKET: A Swiss man despondent over several chronic health problems, including diabetes and asthma, cut his throat last night, but was saved by his wife.It was his second suicide attempt.Patong Police received a call at 10pm from a woman who reported that her 58-year-old Swiss husband had used a kitchen knife to slit his own throat.“He did it in the…
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Phuket Police officer beaten in mass brawl as suspect resists arrest
PHUKET: Police in Cherng Talay are on the lookout for an unknown number of suspects after a senior officer was badly beaten and a squad of at least five other policemen suffered minor injuries while attempting to serve an arrest warrant on Monday. Cherng Talay Deputy Superintendent Sommai On-khum regained consciousness at Vachira Phuket Hospital in Phuket Town on Monday…
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Phuket taxi cartel head arrested, denies extortion charges
PHUKET: The head of the group of taxis operating out of Central Festival Phuket and his brother have denied using physical violence to extort money from fellow taxi drivers operating at the renowned shopping mall. Pom Sukkasam, 42, and his brother Sern Sukkasam, 52, were arrested by Crime Suppression Division (CSD) officers on Sunday and taken to Bangkok, where they…
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Corpse with distinctive tattoo washes up twice
PHUKET: The body of a man first spotted floating in the sea near Koh Taphao Yai on Sunday was recovered yesterday when it reappeared 25km away off Koh Racha Yai.Residents on Koh Taphao Island notified authorities when they saw the body, but after Marine Police arrived, they were unable to locate it. The body was seen again yesterday off the…
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Phuket beach blitz nets illegal jet-skis, drug user at Patong
PHUKET: Police apprehended one jet-ski rental operator for testing positive for drugs at Patong Beach yesterday afternoon.Officers from the Phuket Marine Police also seized two jet-skis being rented out to tourists with expired registrations.The officers arrived unannounced at the popular beach to “pee-test” 15 jet-ski rental operators and speedboat staff operating at the beach.“One of the 15 men, Wutthipong Thepwongsa,…
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Si Racha’s Blue Marlins take a big bite out of Phuket FC
PHUKET: Every season since getting promoted to the Yamaha League One (YL1), Phuket FC has had a devastating off-day; in the 2011 season, it was their 7-0 away-loss to Buriram; last year, it happened twice on the road – in their 6-0 loss to PTT Rayong and 5-1 loss to Saraburi. Last Saturday the Islanders experienced another such day –…
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Phuket lifeguards ordered to pull down ‘unsightly’ beach station
PHUKET: Karon Municipality has decided to remove the Phuket lifeguard stand on Karon Beach on the grounds that it is unsightly and not fit for use.“Karon municipality officers led by Karon Deputy Mayor Ittiporn Singkaew have inspected the lifeguard station. It does not look nice and it is not well organized,” Karon Municipality Chief Administrative Officer (Palad) Weerasak Anekwongsawat explained.“We…
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Phuket murder trial: Girlfriend recounts night Aldhouse stabbed US Marine Dashawn Longfellow
PHUKET: A witness in the Lee Aldhouse murder trial provided shocking testimony on Friday afternoon. Following the arrival in court, 10 minutes late, of a grim-faced Aldhouse, a female Thai witness explained that she was the girlfriend of the victim, US Marine Dashawn Longfellow, at the time of his death. She then gave her account of how a seemingly ordinary…
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Phuket Governor leads sendoff for pilgrims performing Hajj
PHUKET: Phuket Governor Maitri Inthusut led an ensemble of local government officers on Saturday to wish Muslims from across Southern Thailand a safe journey as they boarded the first flight from Phuket to Saudi Arabia dedicated to pilgrims performing the Hajj. The 301 Muslims gathered at Phuket International Airport had arrived from Songkhla, Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat provinces in Thailand’s…
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Phuket town hit by flash flood after three-hour downpour
PHUKET: Many parts of Phuket Town were briefly underwater yesterday in the wake of a ferocious three-hour morning rainstorm.A number of roads were flooded and the Bang Yai Canal threatened to burst its banks.Phuket Governor Maitri Inthusut and Phuket City Mayor Somjai Suwansupana led officials to inspect Bang Yai Canal’s alarming water levels near the Standard Chartered Intersection in the…
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Phuket beach safety hits tide of resistance
PHUKET: A move by the Phuket Marine Office to enforce a 5-knot speed limit for all boats in Phuket is meeting strong resistance from parasail operators at Patong Beach. Enforcement of the boat speed limit is aimed at boosting water safety in the wake of a Chinese honeymooner being rendered comatose in a collision between a parasail boat and the…
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Patong Beach water quality tests to take another two weeks
PHUKET: The results of water quality tests conducted on samples collected from Patong Bay amid an “algae bloom” on August 23 will not be available for at least another two weeks, the Phuket Gazette has been told. The news flies in the face of comments made by Phuket’s leading environment officer, Dr Pornsri Suthanaruk, director of the Phuket-based Regional Environmental…
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Phuket Police arrest shooter of Russian tourist
PHUKET: Police have arrested the man who injured a Russian tourist by opening fire on a car in a fit of road rage in Rawai last month. Officers took Narongsak Saelim, 21, into custody yesterday, the same day Phuket Provincial Court issued a warrant for his arrest (story here). He is charged with attempted murder and possession of an illegal…
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Phuket officials, business figures unite to fight graft
PHUKET: A network of six influential private and government bodies this morning announced its intention to fight corruption throughout Phuket, amid concern over alarming levels of graft across the island.The network includes members of the Phuket Chamber of Commerce, Phuket Office of the National Anti-Corruption Commission, Federation of Thai Industries Phuket Chapter, Phuket Tourist Association, Thai Hotels Association (Southern Chapter)…
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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