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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Work on Phuket underpass deferred to Friday
PHUKET: The lane closures to make way for the construction of Phuket’s first underpass in front of the Phuket Central Festival shopping mall has been postponed for two days. Originally planned to commence on Wednesday (tomorrow), Italian-Thai Development project managers confirmed to the Phuket Gazette today that the start had been delayed intentionally to prevent mid-week traffic congestion. “The lane…
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PAD rallies in Phuket to “reclaim Thai petrol’
PHUKET: Key leaders of the People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) staged a rally in Phuket Town yesterday to inspire support for their “reclaim PTT” campaign.The campaign opposes the privatization of the Petroleum Authority of Thailand (PTT) Public Company Limited, which currently operates as a state enterprise listed on the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET).The leaders of the PAD, better known…
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Phuket police nab bag snatchers in Patong
PHUKET: Police quickly arrested three young men today, all of whom have reportedly confessed to no fewer than eight bag-snatches in Phuket’s premier tourism town of Patong.The arrests followed a bag snatching on the Patong beach road, at 12:36am.Quick police action saw officers move in and arrest the three suspects – Sarayuth “Ice” Aisuwan, Bunharn “Diao” Banpeung and one man…
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World Sports: Manchester City top EPL; European football review
PHUKET: Manchester City topped the Premier League for the first time this season after thrashing Aston Villa while Barcelona stayed three points clear in La Liga as Lionel Messi scored twice in a win over Real Zaragoza.Bayern Munich extended their Bundesliga lead to eight points with a 1-1 draw at Nuremberg while leaders Juventus stayed four clear of Inter Milan…
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Chaianan wins re-election as Kathu Mayor in Phuket polls
PHUKET: Chaianan Sutthikul was re-elected to his second consecutive term as Kathu Mayor in the Kathu mayoral election and Kathu Municipal council election held in central Phuket yesterday.In the preliminary vote count, Mr Chaianan scored 5,437 votes to defeat his only rival for the Kathu top seat: two-time former Kathu Mayor Prasert Khaokijpaisarn. Mr Prasert was elected to his first…
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Police seek arrest warrant for Phuket “hit-and-run’ bus driver
PHUKET: Police have now requested that the Phuket Provincial Court issue an arrest warrant for the bus driver who fled the scene on Thepkrasattri Road in Thalang last Wednesday after the tour bus he was driving struck a motorbike and killed two women. Thalang Police Sub Lt Chatree Chuwichian, the investigating officer in the case, confirmed to the Phuket Gazette…
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FIFA Futsal World Cup: Epic Brazil vs Spain final tonight
PHUKET: The stage is set for another epic FIFA Futsal World Cup final between the world’s top two national teams – Spain and Brazil – with the seventh edition of the prestigious tournament to conclude tonight in Bangkok. Meanwhile, the first match of this evening’s Europe vs South America double-header will see Futsal World Cup newcomers Colombia challenge Italy for…
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World Sports: United and Chelsea slip up as City hit five
PHUKET: Manchester United were humbled 1-0 by Norwich City and Chelsea upset at West Bromwich Albion on Saturday as Premier League champions Manchester City took advantage of their rivals’ mistakes with a 5-0 demolition of Aston Villa.United, who suffered their third league defeat of the season in the late kickoff at Carrow Road, succumbed to a 60th-minute header from their…
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Local Kathu elections halt alcohol sales
PHUKET: Alcohol sales will be banned within the Kathu municipal area starting at 6pm today until midnight tomorrow due to local elections. The affected area includes: from Wat Samkong temple on the bypass road just north of Tesco Lotus, to the Phuket Mining Museum behind Loch Palm Golf Club, to just before the Patong City sign on Patong Hill and…
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‘Hit-and-run’ driver still at large
PHUKET: Phuket police have identified, but not caught, the bus driver who fled the scene after his bus struck a motorbike on Thepkrasattri Road and killed two women on Wednesday. “We contacted the driver’s employer, allowing us to identify the suspect,” Thalang Police Sub Lt Chatree Chuwichian told the Phuket Gazette this morning. “We are waiting for them to contact…
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Police still on hunt for members of Burmese gang
PHUKET: Phuket police are still hunting for those involved in a Burmese gang fight that broke out at a worker’s camp in the early hours of yesterday morning, leaving one dead and one seriously injured. Thalang Police arrived at the Burmese workers’ camp behind Thalang National Museum on Pa Khlok Road to find almost a hundred Burmese workers at the…
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Unidentified foreign male dies in “high-speed’ Phuket car crash
PHUKET: An unidentified foreign male died in a “high-speed” single-car crash early this morning on Kalim-Kamala Road, north of Phuket’s well-known Patong Beach.Patong Police received the report of the incident at about 5:45am, said Lt Col Pratuang Polmana.“At the scene we found the man dead in a black Toyota Vios registered in Udon Thani Province,” Lt Col Pratuang told the…
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Phuket pier under investigation
PHUKET: Phuket Vice Governor Somkiet Sangkaosuttirak yesterday gave an official task force 15 days to determine whether or not a pier, being built at the Baan Kor En village in Thalang, is legal. V/Gov Somkiet and Prapan Kanprasang, head of the Phuket Damrongtham Center (Provincial Ombudsman’s Office), joined officials from the Phuket Marine Office and the Natural Resources and Environment…
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Phuket Sports: No pipe dream for IronKid
PHUKET: This week’s featured IronKid is 10-year-old Australian Ben McMillan. Ben entered his first triathlon when he was six years old and he is so passionate about the event that he asked for a running coach for his 10th birthday.Phuket Gazette: Why do you compete in IronKids?Ben McMillan: I really love the sport and I like nothing better than to…
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Phuket Sports: F1 – Strategies, stars and stripes
PHUKET: The USA GP has been run sporadically since the “American Grand Prize” of 1908. Since then, 41 GPs have been held at nine locations – most recently at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway from 2000-2007. The USA is an important market for F1 and for team sponsors, so a USA GP is highly desirable. But American fans historically have been…
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Australian fall survivor recovering in Phuket ICU
PHUKET BREAKING NEWS: The Australian man from Sydney who fell from an 18th storey Phuket hotel balcony earlier this week was still receiving treatment in the Intensive Care Unit of Vachira Phuket Hospital this afternoon. John Hurley, 39, plunged from the hotel balcony of his room at the Royal Paradise Hotel in Patong on Tuesday. Mr Hurley underwent surgery at…
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British Embassy calls for life-saving action on Thai roads
PHUKET: The British Embassy in Bangkok has issued a plea for all travellers in Thailand to observe road safety traffic regulations in a bid to eliminate the deaths and casualties in Phuket and the rest of Thailand. The news comes ahead of the “World Day of Remembrance for Road Traffic Victims” on Sunday. “To mark the World Day of Remembrance…
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Phuket Sports: SCC lose despite Beer flowing at the crease
PHUKET: The Singapore Cricket Club (SCC) contested two days of fun-filled cricketing action last weekend. Two games were played at the Alan Cooke Ground (ACG) between a Phuket Cricket Group (PCG) select side and the team from Singapore. Saturday’s game, though deemed as a friendly warm-up game, was a close match with the local boys scoring the winning runs with…
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Phuket sea gypsies win reprieve from developer action
PHUKET: A protest by about 200 residents from the sea gypsy community at Baan Laem Tukkae on Koh Sireh yesterday won a temporary reprieve against a developer taking over 11 rai at the small beachfront village on the east side of Phuket Town.Nikom Ukhati, a surveyor from the Phuket Land Office, explained that he and a team of officers arrived…
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Futsal World Cup: All European and South American semifinals tonight
PHUKET: Both semifinals of the FIFA Futsal World Cup will be played this evening at the Indoor Stadium Huamark, Bangkok, with the stage set for an epic Europe – South America final. The first semifinal is an all European affair between Spain and Italy. Spain started the competition as one of the favorites and they finished joint top of Group…
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Krabi Police raid illegal gun factory
PHUKET: Krabi Police are on the lookout for a gunsmith who is now on the run after officers raided his illegal firearms workshop at a mangosteen processing plant in Nuea Klong District, across the bay from Phuket, yesterday.Provincial Police Commander Nunthadej Yoinual led a team of more than 10 police officers to raid a bungalow at the plant at midday.During…
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Phuket national park land probes will go on, says park chief
PHUKET: The investigation into every plot of privately owned land along the border of Phuket’s Sirinath Marine National Park will go ahead, the chief of Sirinath National Park has confirmed. “We are still continuing with the land investigation. We are following the order of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation [DNP]. The only thing that can stop…
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Matthieu Ricard, “happiest person in the world’, to speak in Phuket today
PHUKET: World-renowned Buddhist monk Matthieu Ricard will explore the complex topic of altruism and its role in the modern world in a special free-admission talk at the Thanyapura Mind Center in Thalang, Phuket, this afternoon. As a postgraduate student in science at the renowned Institut Pasteur in the 1960s, the young Mr Ricard embarked on a spiritual journey that saw…
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Phuket Police yet to handover confessed rapist case
PHUKET: The case of Peerayut Moottamara, the 29-year-old who confessed to raping an 18-year-old woman in Chalong on October 11 has not yet been handed over to the Phuket public prosecutor. Capt Chienchai Duangsuwan of Chalong Police Station, told the Gazette Wednesday, that they were still waiting for medical results from Vachira Phuket Hospital in order to conclude the investigation…
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Taxi operators launch drive to boost fleet at Phuket Airport
PHUKET: Three main taxi operators in Phuket have appealed to the provincial transportation committee to allow more vehicles to serve Phuket International Airport. The news came at a meeting at the airport administrative office on Tuesday called by Phuket Airport Director Prathuang Sornkham. Representing Airports of Thailand PLC (AOT), which operates Phuket’s key tourism portal, Director Prathuang joined Phuket Vice…
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Phuket’s TSLC signs 2mn baht deal with China’s elite Liaoning Swimming Club
PHUKET: Thanyapura Sports and Leisure Club (TSLC) has signed a 2 million baht deal with China’s elite Liaoning Swimming Club, which means Olympians will train at Phuket’s TSLC’s Olympic-standard aquatic facilities for the first time under one of the world’s best coaches. The deal sees the talented squad head to Thanyapura on January 27, 2013 for a six-week training stint…
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Love lost Russian drinks himself to death in Phuket seaside guesthouse
PHUKET: A broken-hearted Russian man who drank himself to death was found in his rented accommodation in Patong yesterday. Patong Police inspector Maj Patapee Srichai was informed of the incident shortly after 2pm by Areeya Koksadon, 40, the manager of the Amara Guesthouse. At the scene police found the body of Petr Zavyalov, a 27-year-old Russian national, lying on the…
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Aunt, niece die in Phuket tour bus “hit-and-run’
PHUKET: A tour bus driver fled the scene after the bus he was driving struck two women riding a motorbike in the northbound lane of Thepkrasattri Road yesterday afternoon. The two women who died in the accident were identified by Thalang Police as Jaroonrat Waree, 35, and Nadlada Waree, 17. “The motorbike rider and passenger were dragged by the bus…
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Aussie balcony plunge survivor on the road to recovery
PHUKET: The Australian man who fell 18 floors from a Patong hotel balcony on Tuesday is recovering from an operation to repair a ruptured spleen and to start correcting his shattered right leg, which was nearly torn off in the impact. Staff at Vachira Phuket Hospital in Phuket Town reported that John Hurley, 39, underwent the surgery yesterday afternoon. “He…
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More Bangla raids to come, vows Chairat
PHUKET: Complaints from tourists have prompted Patong Municipality to launch a campaign to rid Soi Bangla of touts who charge tourists for having their photos taken with slow lorises, a protected species. Patong Deputy Mayor Chairat Sukban explained to the Phuket Gazette that the campaign uses the coordinated efforts of the Phuket Environmental Conservation Unit of the Department of National…
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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