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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Pitak Siam leader abruptly ends anti-govt rally
PHUKET: General Boonlert Kaewprasit, the leader of the Pitak Siam anti-government protest in Bangkok, admitted to his “loss to evil” after calling off the rally yesterday evening.Retired General Boonlert Kaewprasit said he called off the protest because the number of participants was smaller than expected. He blamed this on efforts by authorities and police to prevent many prospective protesters from…
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Phuket underpass roadwork sparks fears over ambulance access to hospitals
PHUKET: Staff at Phuket International Hospital and officers from the Phuket City Police Traffic Division are working together to come up with viable routes for ambulances to make sure they can get patients to the facility in an emergency during rush hour. The news follows project contractor Italian-Thai Development Co’s placement on Friday night of concrete blocks on the inside…
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Pressure builds on organizer over Paris Hilton New Year beach party
PHUKET: Pressure is building on event organizer Sydictive Element to win over local authorities in order to gain approval for the three-day New Year Phuket beach party announced by Paris Hilton in Bangkok last month. Speaking with the Phuket Gazette on Thursday, Governor Maitri said he had reservations about the depth of the effort and resources being committed to make…
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Phuket Police not “preventing’ protesters from joining Bangkok rally
PHUKET: Police at the Tah Chat Chai checkpoint, the only road linking Phuket with the mainland, have confirmed they are not stopping or discouraging any people from Phuket from joining the Pitak Siam mass protest in Bangkok. The news follows Phang Nga Governor Thamrong Charoenkul saying yesterday that he had received an order from the government to keep an eye…
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Bangkok Police fire tear gas to disperse Pitak Siam rally
PHUKET: The Royal Thai Police have fired tear gas into the crowds of Pitak Siam protesters gathering in Bangkok in an attempt to stop the mass anti-government rally today. Apharat Chartchutikumjorn, the Pitak Siam coordinator for Phuket, told the Phuket Gazette by phone this morning that police action started last night, steering groups of protesters away from the main stage…
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Phuket United ready for home-debut tonight against Bangkok Futsal Club
PHUKET: The island’s pro futsal team, Phuket United are set to play their inaugural home match in the GMM Sport Thailand Futsal Premier League (TFPL), tonight against Bangkok Futsal Club. The match will be played at Phuket Town’s brand new, 4,000-seat Indoor Sports Complex in Saphan Hin with a 7pm kickoff. It will be the third fixture of the TFPL…
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Vicious Gang Attack: Krabi teens yet to stand trial
PHUKET: The two youngsters charged with the vicious attack on a British couple on holiday in Krabi last month have yet to stand trial, the Phuket Gazette learned yesterday. Lt Col Niwat Pimket of the Ao Nang Police, who is the leading investigator into the attack on British tourists Jack Cole and April Clifton, yesterday told the Gazette that both…
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Phuket Governor reveals his “Seven Wonders’
PHUKET: Phuket Governor Maitri Inthusut in an exclusive interview with the Phuket Gazette this week revealed his personal philosophy in handling the high-level decisions and complicated issues that facing the resort province .“This is my seventh week as the Governor of Phuket and the Phuket Gazette is the first English-language publication I have had a chance to talk to exclusively.Friendly,…
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Phuket Sports: F1 – Interruptions and Interlagos
PHUKET: Austin was a great race for McLaren. Lewis Hamilton, on the dirty side, lost ground on the first corner, but after four laps passed Mark Webber. Then he hunted down Sebastian Vettel and when Narain Karthikeyan momentarily slowed Vettel, swooped into the lead on lap 42. Jenson Button started on the dirty side, dropped to 15th and fought back…
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Laguna Phuket Triathlon attracts world-class field
PHUKET: The 19th Laguna Phuket Triathlon (LPT) takes place this Sunday at 6:30am. The event has attracted a world class international field to Asia’s premier destination triathlon. The LPT consists of a 1.8 kilometer swim, 55km bike ride and 12km run through the tropical scenery of Laguna. Australian Chris “Macca” McCormack, the two-time Ironman World Champion and one of the…
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Phuket heartbreak blamed for Burmese worker suicide
PHUKET: Police believe a Burmese teenager took his own life early this morning after his girlfriend left him for another man.Named only as “Mr Tum”, the 19-year-old was found dead with a nylon rope wrapped around his neck hanging from a ceiling hook in his bedroom at about 4:45am, Patong Police Capt Jakkrapong Luang-aon told the Phuket Gazette.Mr Tum was…
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Hard Rock Cafe Phuket gives thanks to first responders
PHUKET: Hard Rock Cafe Phuket celebrated ‘Thanksgiving’ on Thursday by inviting 20 firemen for a Thanksgiving lunch at Hard Rock Cafe. These were the first responders from Patong Municipality Fire Department who assisted with the Hard Rock Cafe patio fire that took place on October 18 causing superficial damage but no injuries. The firefighting team, led by Visit Mathasoontornpoj, general…
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Phuket teaching assistant suspended over “child hitting’ allegation
PHUKET: A female teaching assistant at Koh Kaew Child Development Center has been suspended pending an investigation over a mother’s claim that the assistant slapped her 4-year-old son in the face.Ratkaphat Tonnum, the 41-year-old mother of the student at the center of the incident, told the Phuket Gazette yesterday that she had originally filed a complaint with the Koh Kaew…
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PM Yingluck addresses nation ahead of fears of violence at Bangkok protest
PHUKET: Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra this evening addressed the nation in a televised broadcast to explain the Thai Government’s reasons for invoking the Internal Security Act ahead of this weekend’s mass anti-government rally in Bangkok. To see the address, complete with English subtitles, click here. Chief among the Prime Minister’s concerns were: “Public gatherings and protests, especially those arising from…
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Phuket officials target beach management issues
PHUKET: Phuket Vice Governor Chamroen Tipayapongtada has ordered every municipality and local administrative organization on the island to report all of their beach related issues to him by next week. The move is an attempt to redress a slew of problems ranging from floating lanterns affecting air traffic at Phuket Airport to illegal beach vendors counter-suing officials as a “stall…
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International Cricket: Clarke blasts a double; Proteas lose pace
PHUKET: Michael Clarke blasted his second double-century in consecutive innings to drive Australia to a mammoth first-day total of 482-5 in the second test today as South Africa’s pace attack was brought to its knees by injury.Captain Clarke blasted 39 fours and a six in a sparkling unbeaten 224 in bright sunshine at Adelaide Oval to demoralise the Proteas after…
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Live Wire: Getting wired into Phuket
PHUKET: High season is approaching. Every year about this time I start getting inquiries about connecting to the Internet in Phuket. As people flock to Phuket for vacations and new jobs, many decide to stay for a week or a month or a decade, and one of the very first questions they have is how in the world to get…
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Phuket protesters to bolster ranks of anti-government rally in Bangkok
PHUKET: A group of Phuket anti-government protesters called the “Phuket Mass Power Group” will join the Pitak Siam anti-government rally at the Royal Plaza in Bangkok on Saturday. “We are not happy with the government’s work,” Apharat Chartchutikumjorn, Pitak Siam coordinator for Phuket, told the Phuket Gazette. “Pitak Siam leader Gen Boonlert Kaewprasit will lead thousands of us in a…
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Police identify Russian tourist killed in Phuket car crash
PHUKET: Police have identified the foreign man who died in a high-speed car crash early Saturday morning on a Phuket west-coast road as Andrei Pavlov, a 31-year-old Russian national. (Click here to see Phuket Breaking News report.) Patong Police inspector Pratuang Polmana confirmed to the Phuket Gazette that Mr Pavlov was a tourist living in rented accommodation in Kamala. “He…
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Phuket Sports: Bowling for a good cause
PHUKET: The Phuket Cricket Group (PCG) hosted the Chris Hart Memorial T20 fund match on November 18 at the Alan Cooke Ground (ACG) last Sunday. The event was a huge success and the PCG would like to thank everyone that played, as well as all the supporters who turned out to pay their respects to Chris. In addition to giving…
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Thailand Futsal League – Phuket United down Samut Prakarn on the road
PHUKET: The island’s pro futsal team, Phuket United, were victorious in their second match of the Thailand Futsal Premier League 2012-2013 season, winning 3-0 on the road last night against Samut Prakarn United. Goals were scored by both of the club’s foreign players – Brazilian duo, Rogerio Moreira and Jackson Santos – as well as Thai player, Nattaphong Buachary. After…
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Krabi Police clamp down on noisy motorbikes
PHUKET: Krabi Police destroyed more than 600 illegal motorbike exhaust pipes seized during police checks across the bay from Phuket in September. At a ceremony on Tuesday to mark the culmination of a campaign entitled “Youths join together: ride motorbikes without modified exhaust pipes”, Krabi Governor Prasit Osathanon and Krabi Police Commander Nantadech Yoinuan witnessed the crushing of the impounded…
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Phuket councillor road death prompts by-election
PHUKET: The death of incumbent councillor Samart Piman in a Phuket road accident in September led to San Changlek being elected councillor to Rawai Municipality after a close by-election on Sunday. According to the preliminary vote count, Mr San received 895 votes, just 32 votes more than those cast for Sommai Yukunakorn, his only rival for the Ward 1 seat…
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Champions League football: English riches not enough on European stage
PHUKET: Real Madrid and AC Milan led a procession of six teams into the Champions League last 16 last night while big-spending Manchester City failed again on the European stage to further dent English soccer’s standing. Milan qualified with a 3-1 win at Anderlecht, their goals including a spectacular overhead kick by Philippe Mexes which was a near carbon copy…
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Phuket Sports: IronTwins talk about competing
PHUKET: The Phuket Gazette continues its build up to this year’s Thanyapura Sports and Leisure Club IronKids on December 1. This week, Dutch twins Chloe and Maxime Schrijnemaekers, 10, are the featured IronKids.Chloe’s views on IronKidsPhuket Gazette: Why do you compete in IronKids?I really like the sport and love doing three sports combined into one event. Also, it gives me…
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One Phuket swimmer drowns, one sent to hospital
PHUKET: Two swimming* incidents on Koh Racha, about 25 kilometers south of Phuket, have left a Chinese woman dead and an Indian woman in hospital. (Click here to see Phuket Breaking News report.) Yuan Dingrong, 56, who was spending a week in Patong with nine of her family members, drowned after getting into difficulties while swimming* off Ao La (La…
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Phuket mass fish deaths put flood-prevention project on hold
PHUKET: Dredging of a popular fishing pond in Suan Luang (Rama IX Park)* in Phuket Town is on hold after hundreds of fish were found dead along the banks of the pond this morning. Local residents believe the fish died from oxygen depletion in the water brought on by dredging. The dredging is part of a 25-million-baht flood-prevention project. Residents…
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Tourists rushed to Phuket after ‘near drowning’ during snorkelling day trip
PHUKET BREAKING NEWS: A 50-year-old Chinese tourist has been rushed to Phuket International Hospital after being pulled from the water feared drowned while snorkelling off Racha Yai Island at about midday today.Meanwhile, about the same time also off Racha Yai Island, an Indian woman, about 40 years old, was pulled from the water after also choking on water difficulties while…
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Brit Aldhouse to be extradited to Phuket
PHUKET: British national Lee Aldhouse, wanted on murder charges in Phuket, has lost his High Court appeal and will be extradited to Phuket. The news of the UK High Court dismissing Mr Aldhouse’s appeal follows High Court judges agreeing to postpone the extradition hearing so that Mr Aldhouse’s lawyers would have more time to prepare their case. Mr Aldhouse successfully…
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Phuket Police suspect ‘pre-existing condition’ caused Russian tourist drowning
PHUKET: Phuket Police suspect that an underlying medical condition led to the drowning of a 69-year-old Russian tourist off Patong Beach yesterday morning.Patong Police Capt Teerasak Boonsaeng was informed at 10:30am that a body had been recovered by a jet-ski rider from the water off just north of Loma Park.Police Superintendant Chiraphat Pochanaphan along with Kusoldtham Rescue Foundation workers attended…
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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