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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How to reduce out-of-pocket medical expenses in Thailand?
Managing medical expenses in Thailand is important as healthcare costs continue to rise. The country’s healthcare system includes both public and private options, but even with the Universal Coverage Scheme (UCS) for citizens, many still face high out-of-pocket medical expenses....
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Drug dealer attempts to kill Phuket City Police Deputy Superintendent
PHUKET: Two Phuket Police officers were injured during a sting operation of two Cherng Talay drug dealers after one of the dealers took an officer’s gun and attempted to shoot Phuket City Police Deputy Superintendent Parinya Tanthasuwan. “During the arrest, Witoon ‘Bang Ann’ Piwluang took the gun from one of my men,” said Lt Col Parinya, the case investigator “He…
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Myanmar Navy makes history
PHUKET: The Royal Thai Navy gave a warm welcome two Myanmar Navy ships yesterday morning as they made their country’s first diplomatic visit to a foreign country.Captain Aung Zaw Hlang brought the two coastal patrol ships UMS 561 and UMS 562 to the Phuket Deep Sea Port early this morning. Waiting for him was Royal Thai Navy Third Area Command…
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Dutch ambassador guides reform
PHUKET: Speaking at the Phuket Gazette offices recently, Ambassador Boer explained about his efforts to galvanize the international diplomatic community to jointly deliberate with authorities in Bangkok to bring an end to the various scams that have done so much damage to the tourism industry in Phuket and other destinations in Thailand. Amb Boer, now in the second year of…
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“White Police’ to change Thai police culture
PHUKET: Members of the Office of Inspector General (OIG) arrived on Phuket as part of the launch of a nationwide program designed to oust crooked police officers and slowly change police culture in Thailand. Each of the 1,460 police stations across Thailand will have 10 of its officers selected this year to help gather information about the behavior of police…
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Phuket Gazette Sports: Arsenal outgunned by devastating Bayern
Classy Bayern in command after 3-1 victory at Arsenal Reuters / Phuket GazettePHUKET: Bayern Munich seized control of their Champions League last 16 tie against Arsenal as goals from Toni Kroos, Thomas Mueller and Mario Mandzukic earned the German giants an emphatic 3-1 first leg win at the Emirates last night.A clinical early strike from Kroos opened the scoring and…
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DBD investigates Thai firms suspected of helping foreigners set up companies illegally
PHUKET: A special investigation by the Department of Business Development (DBD) into foreign-owned businesses in Phuket has revealed links to Thai legal and accounting firms on the island that may be helping companies set themselves up illegally in Thailand. “We suspect that these firms may be allowing foreigners wanting to open a business to use their company address to represent…
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National defense volunteer nabbed with marijuana at Phuket checkpoint
PHUKET: Thalang Police arrested a national defense volunteer with two bags of marijuana at a checkpoint in Thalang on Saturday. When police saw a white Toyota Vios attempting to avoid the checkpoint at Baan Yamu at 8:30pm, they stopped the car, driven by Supakij Benjamas, 29, and searched it. “We found two bags of marijuana and tobacco in a peanut…
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Police nail multi-million-baht real estate scam artists in Phuket
PHUKET: Patong Police yesterday arrested two con artists who allegedly made more than 16 million baht by posing as real estate agents and luring potential clients into fixed gambling matches of fantan. Acting on reports from two men who said they had been scammed out of 200,000 and 900,000 baht, police arrested Wasan Choothong, 29, and Tiwalai Ruprasut,58, at the…
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Phuket Live Wire: Landing that special connection
PHUKET: In the past five editions of Live Wire, I’ve been talking about the things you need to consider if you want to get a good internet connection in Phuket. Believe me, it ain’t easy. I’m moving to Kathu shortly, and the kinds of problems I’m having are no doubt indicative of the kinds you’ll have, the next time you…
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Phuket Milestone: ‘A History of Phuket’ to launch March 8
PHUKET: Although the Thai resort island of Phuket has become a world-renowned tourist destination and is now home to many thousands of expatriates, limited attention, particularly in the English language, has ever been given to the rich history and cultural storylines that have accompanied its phenomenal growth. That has now changed. The Phuket Chapter of the American Chamber of Commerce…
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Confessed killer Aldhouse, a fighter afraid to fight
PHUKET: British national Lee Aldhouse admitted in court today that he was afraid to fight the premeditated murder charges he faces for the slaying of former US Marine Dashawn Longfellow in 2010. Nonetheless, the confessed killer entered a plea of “not guilty” in front of a judge at the Phuket Provincial Court. “I am afraid to fight the case. I…
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Paul Wilson set to guide Laguna Phuket Golf Club
PHUKET: A new management team has taken the helm at Laguna Phuket Golf Club following the departure of former Director of Golf, Tim Haddon, who now heads up the recently-opened Laguna Lang Co Golf Club in central Vietnam. Paul Wilson has been appointed assistant director of golf at Laguna Phuket to guide the club through its planned course renovations during…
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Phuket’s top cop pushes for Valentine’s Day violence investigation
PHUKET: Phuket’s top cop took the reigns in a Valentine’s Day violence case after an allegedly attacked teen couple expressed their concern that the perpetrators would be protected from the law by their father, a Thalang police officer. Police Commander Choti Chavalviwat summoned Thalang Police Acting Superintendent Sirisak Wasairi to report to him immediately about the case, which revolves around…
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German in stable condition after three-storey fall
PHUKET: The German tourist who fell from the balcony of his third-floor hotel room early Saturday morning was moved from the Vachira Phuket Hospital ICU to a different ward, but is still on life support. Police rushed to the Kalim Resort at 2:45am on Saturday morning to find German national Alexander Sven Zott, 35, unconscious on the pavement after the…
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Phuket Gazette Sports: EPL and FA Cup review; Lady driver takes Daytona pole; Tennis: Serena beaten; Nadal Wins
Five-goal Liverpool crush below-strength Swansea Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Brazilian playmaker Philippe Coutinho scored on his first start for Liverpool who leapfrogged Swansea City into seventh place in the Premier League by crushing the below-strength Welsh side 5-0 at Anfield yesterday. Swansea manager Michael Laudrup rested a host of regular starters with next weekend’s Capital One (League) Cup final…
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VIDEO: This Week Today from the Phuket Gazette
PHUKET: This Week Today from the Phuket Gazette features top news, sports and events from around the Pearl of the Andaman. Anchorman Isaac Stone Simonelli, the Gazette‘s managing news editor, introduces the top stories from the island, brought to you by PGTV. In this week’s round-up: – DSI investigates foreign businesses in Cherng Talay – PMBC introduces jellyfish warning signs…
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Swiss man dies allegedly avoiding police checkpoint
PHUKET: A Swiss visitor allegedly trying to avoid a police checkpoint in Chalong died early this morning after his car hit a shelter in Rawai, on Phuket’s south coast, flipped and landed in the sea below.The 46-year-old was driving with a female companion when he hit the shelter at the sea gypsy village in Rawai.“We got the report at about…
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Toilets run dry in Rassada despite well endowed reservoirs
PHUKET: Despite the assurance that water supplies were going to keep taps in Phuket wet (see here), the Phuket Gazette received a report on February 14 that a resident of Baan Rockgarden 5 in Rassada had been without water for three days. The Gazette relayed the information to Mr Pisak and learned that a water pipe had broken, preventing water…
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No shortage of water in Phuket this dry season, officials say
PHUKET: Phuket has enough water on hand to supply the whole province this dry season, said Pisak Chonlayut, Manager of the Phuket Provincial Waterworks Authority on February 13. At a meeting to discuss Phuket water supplies chaired by Phuket Governor Maitri Inthusut, Mr Pisak said that 48.5 millions cubic meters of water are currently in reservoirs in Phuket province, with…
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Phuket Police officer’s sons accused of Valentine’s Day attack
PHUKET: A teenager alleged that the sons of a policeman attacked her and her boyfriend with a metal rod and a knife on Valentine’s Day, then threatened her boyfriend with a gun while the policeman restrained him.The 17-year-old teenager, given the pseudonym “Koy” because of her age, said that she and her boyfriend Benz Densiri, 18, were leaving the garage…
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Phuket: Drug store to the world
PHUKET: The recent fining of a pharmacy owner in Chalong Police District (story here) for the illegal sale of prescription drugs is just the tip of an iceberg that needs to be urgently addressed by the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH) and law enforcement agencies in Phuket. The year 2012 was the first ever that death by overdose of prescription…
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Phuket Gazette Sports: FA Cup
United to make changes for Reading FA Cup clash Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: Manchester United will ring the changes for their FA Cup fifth-round clash with Reading on Monday (Tuesday morning Phuket time), but manager Alex Ferguson still expects his new-look side to get through against the Premier League strugglers. United came through their midweek Champions League last-16 1-1…
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Image of Chinese Goddess of Mercy moved for Old Town Phuket Festival
PHUKET: An image of the revered Chinese Goddess of Mercy, Guan Yin, and a jade stamp from China made their annual journey from Pud Jor Shrine to Queen Sirikit Park today as the Old Town Festival commences (see story). The white jade stamp is a replica of a 1,000-year-old stamp in a shrine in Suining, China, and was presented to…
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Teachers, students plant rare species of palm in Phuket National Park
PHUKET: Phuket teachers and students helped plant 100 of the rare White Back Palm trees near Ton Sai Waterfall yesterday in honor of HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn. Phuket Governor Maitri Inthusut led the tree planting ceremony, which included officers from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment. Teachers and students from Muang Thalang School and Weerasatree Anusorn School joined…
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Six busted with 1.5 million in drugs in Phang Nga, north of Phuket
PHUKET: Police busted a drug ring yesterday, netting drugs with a street value of about 1.5 million baht when they arrested six drug dealers with ya bah (methamphetamine), ya ice (crystal methamphetamine) and cough syrup in Phang Nga, north of Phuket. Acting on a tip-off, police went to the home of Chaiyuth Prasanphan, 35, and his brother Somchai Prasanphan, 40,…
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Motorbike with sidecar backslides down hill and flips, killing one
PHUKET: A motorbike with a sidecar carrying six Burmese workers slid down a hill and flipped over in the Blue Canyon Country Club in northern Phuket yesterday, killing one and seriously injuring two. Police received the report of the accident at 6:50 pm and rushed to the scene with Kusoldharm foundation rescue workers. “One of the passengers, Mr Muang, told…
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Myanmar Navy coming to Phuket in historic diplomatic visit
PHUKET: Two warships from the Myanmar Navy are due to arrive in Phuket on February 20 in the navy’s historic first-diplomatic visit to a foreign country. The Myanmar Navy, which currently operates more than 122 vessels, will arrive in Phuket to mark 65 years of diplomatic relations with Thailand, and offers the chance for joint military discussions, Lieutenant Commander Chaloemsak…
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Phuket-Ranong visa-run van flips three times in Phang Nga
PHUKET: A visa-run van returning to Phuket from Ranong with 10 Russian passengers flipped three times as it took a sharp turn at “high-speed” on the wet roads of Phang Nga yesterday. None of the passengers were seriously injured. “On the way to Ranong the driver was going very, very fast. We understood that he was a professional driver, but…
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Government stages lottery draw in Phuket to fight rumors of rigging
PHUKET: To dispel rumors of the national lottery being rigged, the Government Lottery Office (GLO) will be staging one of its lucky draw mobile events in Phuket at the Metropole Hotel in Phuket Town (map here) on March 1. “The rumor was started by a scam letter which guaranteed that the numbers people chose would be drawn, for a fee,”…
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DSI Chief launches investigation into Russian-owned businesses in Phuket
PHUKET: Officers from the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) launched their own inquiry yesterday into Cherng Talay locals’ complaints that foreigners were stealing their jobs. The visit comes in the immediate wake of the Phuket Employment Office’s crackdown on illegal foreign businesses currently underway (story here). Lt Col Somboon Sarasit, head of the DSI’s Bureau of Special Crime Unit 3,…
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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