Phuket News
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Letters from Abu Dhabi: Chapter One: Circuses – F1
Abu Dhabi: There are three kinds of sports; men against distance, men against men, and man-and-machine against man-and machine. Athletics is the first type, rugby and boxing are of the second. Motor Sports and horse racing are of the third. So which does history say is the most popular? Greece, Rome and Byzantium had all these sporting types. In Rome…
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Central Festival Phuket installs life-saving automatic external defibrillators
PHUKET: Central Festival Phuket has became the first Central shopping mall in Thailand to have Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) for use in the treatment of heart attack victims. Motivated by the death of a patron about four months ago, Central Festival made the AEDs available in conjunction with a new medical bay operated by Phuket International Hospital which opened in…
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Phuket officers push LINE for drug crime clues
PHUKET: A popular social networking application that was recently used to locate a missing man with Alzheimer’s disease (story here) will be used to help police crack down on drugs in Phuket. The use of LINE by police was announced yesterday at Phuket Provincial Hall by Phuket Vice Governor Chamroen Tipayapongtada. The provincial government has established a group on LINE…
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Phuket – BISP – Cruzeiro football academy announced
PHUKET: British International School Phuket (BISP) have officially announced plans to launch an unprecedented football academy in collaboration with Phuket FC and top-tier Brazilian football club, Cruizeiro EC. The plans (story here) were formally presented to local media at a press conference held this afternoon at the expansive BISP campus in Koh Kaeo, just north of Phuket Town. Presiding over…
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“Brother Pom’ says he’s clear of extortion charges; DSI disagrees
PHUKET: Pom Sukkasem, the leader of the Central Festival taxi group arrested in September on extortion charges, has announced that the charges have been dropped. However, the Department of Special Investigations (DSI) begs to differ. “I reported to the Criminal Court in Bangkok on Monday as required, and I was told that the prosecutor decided not to pursue my case,”…
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Phuket airport aims to bring swift justice to shoplifters
PHUKET: Phuket International Airport has established a new policy for dealing with airport shoplifters.Passengers suspected of shoplifting in the airport who attempt to escape prosecution by boarding their flights will now be asked to deplane to be arrested. However, the arrest and the retrieval of the passenger’s luggage must all be completed within an hour.The announcement, made on October 29,…
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Phuket woman transfers over 2 million baht to alleged Facebook scammer
PHUKET: A woman believed by police to be entangled in an intricate Facebook scam transferred 2 million baht into a Thanachart Bank account and 48,000 baht into a Bangkok Bank account based in Phuket. The 53-year-old woman, named only as “Ms A” by police, filed a complaint to Wichit Police yesterday after being asked to transfer an additional 2.3 million…
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![King cobra joins guest in hotel room, gets evicted [video report] | Thaiger](https://thethaiger.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/phuketnews_20131031111225312_oTOneUHrMOjuZprhIvvVKuZbpoCegCKtlujfwOzD_jpeg.jpg)
King cobra joins guest in hotel room, gets evicted [video report]
PHUKET: A foreign tourist staying at at hotel in Bang Tao on Tuesday night had an uninvited visitor enter his room: a two-meter long king cobra.Thanakorn Puyati, 29, a security guard at Bangtao Beach Gardens, was called to the scene, and quickly summoned Kusoldharm rescue workers. “We rushed to the hotel and found a frightened foreigner and his Thai girlfriend…
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USA’s Kessy joins up with Sweat to top Pool G at Phuket Open
PHUKET: USA’s Jennifer Kessy and Brooke Sweat top Pool G after securing two wins on the first day of pool play at the 2013 FIVB Beach Volleyball Phuket Open yesterday. The penultimate Open of the year is back in Thailand for its eighth consecutive year, taking place from October 28 to November 3. Kessy/Sweat were first on court at 9:00…
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Baburina/Mulenko dig deep to knock out top seeded qualifiers at Phuket Open
PHUKET: Svitlana Baburina and Diana Mulenko from Ukraine knocked out top seeded qualifiers Sweden’s Nina Grawender and Karin Lundqvist at the 2013 FIVB Beach Volleyball Phuket Open yesterday. The penultimate Open of the year is back in Thailand for its eighth consecutive year, taking place from October 28 to November 3. Baburina/Mulenko had the longest time on court in the…
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It’s raining snakes in Phuket Town
PHUKET: Recent heavy rainfall has led to a jump in large snakes being nabbed in Phuket, with four rounded up in Phuket Town in the last 24 hours.One of the four giant snakes, a three-meter python, made a dramatic entry into a Phuket Town bedroom by tumbling through a vent.“I heard noise that sounded like something had fallen off my…
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In memory of “Mrs Palmer of the Phuket Hash House Harriers’
Well-known local healer and Phuket triathlete Richard Patrick Cracknell, 66, passed away in Hawaii in the care of his son Jesse on October 24. He succumbed to complications arising from an idiopathic degenerative motor neuron disease (MND).PHUKET: This singular American athlete and healer, known by the Phuket Hash House Harriers (Phuket HHH) as Mrs Palmer, arrived in Phuket in the…
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Enough power to keep Phuket aglow this high season
PHUKET: Phuket will have plenty of electricity supply for residents and tourists during the coming high season, Natthaporn Kochsiripong, an officer at the Phuket Provincial Electricity Authority (PPEA) ensured the Phuket Gazette yesterday.“We have a capacity of 580 Megavolt Ampere (MVA) to support Phuket residents,” Mr Natthaporn said.“Demand has never exceeded 420 MVA, and this high season we expect a…
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New Region 8 Police Commander demands crime-free beaches
PHUKET: The new Police Region 8 Commander on Sunday demanded that officers in Karon and Patong include beaches in their patrol zones. “In order for tourists to truly relax and have a good time, they must feel safe, even on the beach,” said Police Region 8 Commander Panya Mamen on his first official visit to Phuket. In Karon, Lt Gen…
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Phuket’s Thanyapura extends its challenge
PHUKET: The island’s active and healthy lifestyle destination, Thanyapura Sports and Leisure Center, is extending its commitments to developing sporting excellence in athletes and enthusiasts of all abilities and ages by hosting the Thanyapura Junior Challenge Triathlon, part of the Challenge Laguna Phuket Tri-Fest 2013, on Saturday, November 30. With participants divided into Junior (6-8 years), Intermediate (9-12) and Senior…
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FIVB Phuket Open starts today – Beach Volleyball
PHUKET: World No 1 Taiana Lima and Talita Da Rocha Antunes of Brazil head the seedings of the Phuket Thailand Open, powered by PTT, which starts at Karon Beach today. Seeded second in the six-day competition are compatriots Maria Clara Salgado Rufino and Carolina Solberg Salgado, ranked No 3 in the world. Other seeds include the German pair of Laura…
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Former Central Festival Phuket security guard robs shops of ex-employer
PHUKET: Police arrested a former Central Festival mall security guard yesterday for stealing over two dozen phones from the mall.Kitti Pueanrak, 23, went to the mall to watch an evening movie on October 21, said Wichit Police Deputy Superintendent Jakkrawath Boontaweekulsawas.When the movie ended, Mr Kitti went down the escalator and slipped into the mobile phone section one floor below.…
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Daughter pleas for help in finding missing father
PHUKET: A distressed woman made a public plea for help in the search for her father, who is suffering from Alzheimer’s Disease and wandered away from home on Saturday afternoon.Benjawan Moonket, 29, filed a missing person report with the Thalang Police at about 5:30pm yesterday.“The missing person is Muang Moonket, 60. He was last seen at about 1pm on Saturday,…
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Mizsy Phuket brings ray of sunshine in dour affair
PHUKET: Most of the nearly 1,800 fans who attended Phuket FC’s final home match of the season had little to cheer about after their side was downed 1-0 by last-placed Rayong United in a disappointing match on Saturday night in Phuket Town. Indeed, the halftime presentation of “Mizsy Phuket” finalists proved to be the evening’s highlight for the home fans,…
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Ships, planes north of Phuket warned of possible Indian rocket fallout
PHUKET: Ships and planes were warned yesterday to stay away from the Phang Nga coast, north of Phuket, on November 5 as India will launch a rocket that might jettison a fuel tank into the area.“India’s space center told us that the launch would possibly be on November 5, because the weather on that day is expected to be suitable…
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South Africa considers consulate in Phuket
PHUKET: South African Ambassador Ruby Marks met with Phuket Governor Maitri Inthusut on Friday to discuss the possibility of opening a consulate on the island.“South Africa has a consulate in Chiang Mai, and now they are considering adding one in Southern Thailand,” Gov Maitri said.“Phuket is a logical choice because we have so many South African visitors – 77,915 last…
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Heavy drinking Phuket chef, 44, found dead from heart failure
PHUKET: A 44-year-old chef was found dead from heart failure in his room on Friday, just a week after starting a new job. The body of Chalong Tiwiyang was found on the floor of his staff bedroom at Phuket Graceland Resort and Spa at about 6pm on Friday evening. Police estimate Mr Chalong had been dead for about 10 hours.…
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Heavy rains to continue in Phuket until tomorrow afternoon
PHUKET: Heavy rains are expected in all regions along the Andaman coast until tomorrow afternoon, an officer at the Thai Meteorological Department told the Phuket Gazette this morning.Phuket, Phang Nga, Krabi, Trang and Satun will all be affected. Tourists should avoid swimming in the sea for the next two days, as the surf is likely to be particularly dangerous, the…
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FIVB beach volleyball is looking good
PHUKET: The venue at Karon beach which is hosting the US$146,400 Phuket Thailand Open powered by PTT beach volleyball tournament, the penultimate stop on the 2013 FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour is ready for start of play tomorrow. The courts have been laid down and the center court grandstand is in place, along with the temporary offices for the various…
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Phuket Police searching for karaoke assault gang
PHUKET: Police are on the lookout for a gang of youths wanted for a vicious attack on two men outside a karaoke bar in Thalang early yesterday morning. Officers were called to the scene, an unnamed karaoke bar in Soi Ta Mhen, Muang Mai, at 3am. “When we arrived we found Wicharn Mueanprasart, 34, with a knife wound to his…
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Baby elephant seized at Phuket trekking camp
PHUKET: Local wildlife conservation officials yesterday seized an 18-month-old elephant at a camp in Phuket after the infant pachyderm was smuggled onto the island. Acting on a tip-off, officers led by Kathu District Chief Veera Kerdsirimongkol raided the camp, located in the Bang Thong in Kathu (map here), at 3pm. Joining the raid were officers from the Phuket Provincial Livestock…
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Phuket devout demand apology from drunken Russian
PHUKET: About 200 Phuket residents yesterday demanded an apology from the Russian tourist who damaged a statue of revered historical abbot Luang Por Kongdet during a drunken spree late Tuesday night. If the tourist, Oleg Fomenko, 31, or the Russian honorary consul for Phuket do not apologize within seven days, there will be protests, the residents warned. Mr Fomenko was…
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Phuket’s illegal tour van drivers granted temporary amnesty
PHUKET: The Phuket Land Transportation Office (PLTO) will issue documents to certify illegal tour van drivers who have applied to become legal so they may continue working until their applications are processed. The news follows a group of illegal van drivers appealing to Phuket Governor Maitri Inthusut yesterday for the right to keep working until their applications to become legal…
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French, Polish among injured in Phuket visa run crash
PHUKET: A French woman and a Polish man have been identified as the two foreigners injured in the visa run van accident in Trang province on Monday (story here). “Caterina Murcia, 30, from France, was treated for a broken arm,” a nurse at the Surgery Unit of Trang Hospital told the Phuket Gazette yesterday. “She was discharged from the hospital…
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Phuket police officer on drugs arrested for extorting Frenchman at gunpoint
PHUKET: A Phuket police officer and two accomplices have been arrested for extorting money from a Frenchman at gunpoint while the men were taking drugs together. Police are continuing their search for three additional suspects. Henry Richer, 54, told police that on October 14 he joined Picharn Kaewkongtham and five other men in taking ya ice (crystal methamphetamine) at 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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