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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Phuket Reminder: Gazette office closed Wednesday
PHUKET: The Phuket Gazette would like to inform our readers and advertisers that our office in Koh Kaew will be closed on Wednesday due to a scheduled, all-day blackout in the area to upgrade power lines. The blackout will affect Soi Harn Farang and Soi Koh Kaew 33, and may affect adjoining areas that are supplied electricity from power cables…
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Phuket Police impostor arrested, says he stole B1.5mn in “donations’
PHUKET: Police on Monday arrested a man for impersonating a police officer after he was caught in a sting operation soliciting 8,500 baht from a “victim” who was asked to pay for a dinner hosted by Phuket police chief Choti Chavaviwat.Chaowaroj Jangjob, 44, was arrested near Phun Phol Plaza in Phuket Town after police received a report from a person,…
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World Sports: Green Moon gives great feeling
PHUKET: Green Moon thundered down the straight to win the A$6.2 million (192 million baht) Melbourne Cup today, upsetting a host of highly-fancied foreign entrants to bring Australia’s most coveted racing prize back into local hands. The Robert Hickmott-trained stallion charged to the front with 300 meters to the line and held off fast-finishing runner-up Fiorente to win the two-mile…
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KBank issues ATM advisory to customers
PHUKET: Following the arrest of two Bulgarian men for “skimming” customer card details from a Kasikornbank (KBank) ATM in Karon, KBank has issued a statement to the Phuket Gazette calling for all its customers who suspect that their card details have been hacked to contact the bank immediately. The bank has the authority to temporarily stop the ATM and freeze…
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Phuket Yellow Shirts protest “Red Shirt Village’ project
PHUKET: A small group of protesters turned out at Queen Sirikit Park in Phuket Town yesterday to burn images of key local red-shirt leaders in protest of an anticipated official opening of a Red Shirt Village in Phuket. “Our protest was organized after we heard the news that the red shirts planned to announce the ‘opening’ of a Red Shirt…
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One Burmese dead, four seriously poisoned by “generator fumes’
PHUKET: One Burmese laborer is dead and four others are still in hospital after they spent the night guarding a construction site property, including a running generator in a closed room, police say.“Burmese told us that the five workers were ordered to stay in the office to look after equipment because items were being stolen,” said Lt Col Yongyuth Krongmalai…
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World Sports: Champions League preview
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World sporting news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Barca, United, Porto, Malaga are almost there Reuters PHUKET: Barcelona, Manchester United, Porto and unlikely contenders Malaga can book their tickets to the Champions League knockout stages by winning in midweek. The quartet have all won the opening three group games and if they win…
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Bulgarian ATM hackers arrested in Phuket
PHUKET: Phuket Police last night arrested two Bulgarian men who were caught removing a “skimming device” from an ATM in Karon, on Phuket’s west coast.Tourist Police moved in and arrested Tervel Kaloyanov Dimitrov, 31, and Ancho Stankov, 33, at about 8pm while they were removing the panel from a Kasikornbank (KBank) ATM machine on Patak Road.The men used a “skimmer”…
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Lucky escape for mother, baby as Phuket hillside resort wall collapses
PHUKET: A mother and her 3-month-old baby boy made a lucky escape as a wall from a Phuket hillside resort came crashing down on their home in Patong on Saturday morning. Responding to a call at 9:45am, Patong Police officers led by Lt Col Pratuang Polmana and rescue workers from the Kusoldharm Foundation rushed to the scene, below The Senses…
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Futsal World Cup: Thailand falls to Ukraine
BANGKOK: Reinforced by a loud and synergetic home crowd, the ‘War Elephants’ climbed back from a five goal deficit, only to fall 3-5 to Ukraine in the two sides’ second group-stage match of the 2012 FIFA Futsal World Cup. Played last night at a full-capacity Huamark Indoor Stadium in East Bangkok, the match’s first half was dominated by the world’s…
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FIFA Futsal World Cup: Day 3 roundup
EXCLUSIVE REPORT BY STEVEN LAYNEBANGKOK: The Futsal World Cup 2012 concluded the first of three rounds in the group stage, with the final eight teams in groups E and F playing their opening matches last night in Bangkok.It was the first night since the tournament kicked off on Thursday that there were no shared points – only winners and losers.Guatemala,…
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Phuket land raids spread, two resorts seized in Krabi land probe
PHUKET: Two beachfront resorts on Koh Si Boya, an island just offshore from Krabi Town and across the bay from Phuket, were raided and seized for allegedly encroaching on a protected forest area. The Krabi raids come after 366 officials were named to carry out a huge investigation into every plot of privately owned land along the border of Phuket’s…
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Phuket “Minute Man’ bank robber re-enacts heist, gives advice to banks
PHUKET: The Phuket “Minute Man” re-enacted both of his armed bank robberies, which he has confessed to, in front of police this morning after they tracked him down and arrested him late yesterday. A reported 2.7 million baht was stolen in Anusit Kaewmookda’s latest Kasikorn Bank branch heist, and about 650,000 was stolen in the January 29 robbery at a…
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A Muslim voice lost in translation
SPECIAL REPORT PHUKET: Seven banners have appeared in Rawai in front of Muslim shops, houses and even a mosque. The English words dominating the banners are jarring to many. However, the Thai translation and the meaning behind the signs tells a very different story. The Phuket Gazette‘s Chaiyot Yongcharoenchai reports. The signs appeared overnight in a Rawai Muslim community with…
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International Sport: FIFA Futsal World Cup gains momentum on day two
BANGKOK: A total of 31 goals were scored in four high-intensity, memorable matches taking place on day 2 of the FIFA Futsal World Cup Thailand.In the first match, played yesterday evening at Bangkok’s Nimibutr Stadium, world number 3 Italy opened its Group D campaign in fine form, making easy work of Australia, ranked 30th, with a final score of 9-1.The…
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Phuket B2.7mn KBank robber arrested, confesses
PHUKET: Police late this afternoon arrested Anusit Kaewmookda, the man wanted for the armed robbery of a Kasikornbank (KBank) branch north of Phuket Town on Wednesday. A reported 2.7 million baht was stolen in the heist. Police moved in and made the arrest soon after 5pm at an apartment behind Surakul Stadium where Mr Anusit was in hiding with one…
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Phuket Sports: Premier League round up and look ahead
PHUKET: Top flight referee Mark Clattenburg, has been accused by Chelsea of using “inappropriate language”, including alleged racist comments to John Obi Mikel and Juan Mata during last weekend’s loss to Manchester United. The official caused controversy during the game before these allegations came to light by sending off Branislav Ivanovic and Fernando Torres in Chelsea’s 3-2 defeat. To compound…
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Phuket Sports: Red Bull’s Indian take-away keeps them ahead
PHUKET: The 2012 season was McLaren’s to lose, and they lost it. In a smoggy and boring Indian GP, Red Bull reaffirmed its control. As in Korea, Sebastian Vettel dominated for the second successive year. Mark Webber had a KERS problem, so Fernando Alonso managed second place for Ferrari. McLaren chose the wrong tyre strategy and underperformed until they switched…
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Destitute British man in death plunge
PHUKET: A financially destitute 64-year-old British national took a plunge from a radio mast at the Phuket Tourist Police Station in Phuket Town this morning.Tourist Police Sgt Maj Phayong Tipsombat, who was on duty at the station, told the Phuket Gazette that about 7:15am he heard shouting from the back of the police station and went to investigate. On discovering…
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Islanders appeal to Phuket Governor over “Rape of Racha’ inaction
PHUKET: The head of a group of residents on Racha Yai Island, located about 25 kilometers south of Phuket, filed a complaint on Tuesday over alleged inaction by government officials in following up on publicly announced promises to take necessary steps in preserving the island’s natural environment. The complaint, addressed to Phuket Governor Maitri Inthusut, was filed by Racha Yai…
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Show some respect – Wenger
PHUKET: Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger has called on fans to “show respect” to Manchester United’s Robin Van Persie when he faces his old club for the first time tomorrow. The Dutch striker spent eight years with the Gunners before shifting to Manchester United in the close season for a reported 24 million pound transfer fee. Arsenal travel north to Old…
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Market vendors protest relocation from new Phuket hospital site
PHUKET: About 50 market vendors gathered at the Phuket Provincial Office yesterday afternoon to protest being relocated to a new market site near Phuket Country Home in Chalong. The vendors are facing eviction from their current site of 10-rai where the Chalong Clinic (also called the “Chalong Health Promoting Station”) now stands, but is hoped to soon become home to…
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Thailand Sports: 21 goals scored on day 1 of Futsal World Cup, Thailand tops group A
BANGKOK: The 2012 FIFA Futsal World Cup kicked off in extraordinary fashion last night with four sensational matches in Bangkok and Nakhon Ratchasimaj, highlighted by a total of 21 goals scored. Hosts Thailand lived up to the Asian futsal world’s expectations in their Group A opener with CONCACAF champions Costa Rica, in which the War Elephants prevailed by a score…
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Toddler, grandfather drown at Phuket beach
PHUKET: A 2-and-a-half-year-old boy and his grandfather drowned at Mai Khao Beach in Thalang, in the north of Phuket, this morning during a walk along the beach. Sem Meesak, 57, dropped his wife off at work at a nearby resort at about 9am, then took his grandson, Anachin Meesak, to Pru Jeh San Lake for a walk, Tah Chat Chai…
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“… most successful doping program that sport has ever seen.”
A USADA report that included testimonies from several former team mates against Lance Armstrong and themselves, called it the “most sophisticated, professionalized and successful doping program that sport has ever seen”. PHUKET: The International Olympic Committee will launch an investigation into Lance Armstrong‘s 2000 Olympics bronze medal after the American was stripped of his seven Tour de France titles in…
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Honors even between Bangkok and Phuket
PHUKET: The Phuket Cricket Group (PCG) hosted the touring British Club Bangkok (BCB) cricket team last weekend at the Alan Cooke Ground (ACG). Two games were played with the PCG team winning the 30-over game on Saturday, whilst the BCB team won the T20 match on Sunday. A unique match format was invented for the 30- over game played on…
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World Sports: Halloween nightmare for the “Red Devils”
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World sporting news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Reuters / Gazette EditorsPHUKET: Chelsea came from behind three times to overhaul Manchester United 5-4 after extra time and book a spot in the League Cup quarter-finals last night, earning sweet revenge for Sunday’s controversial 3-2 league defeat. Holders Liverpool, fielding a weakened side for…
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Chinese tourist dies in Phuket after speedboat accident
PHUKET: A 24-year-old Chinese woman died in Phuket International Hospital this morning after being involved in a heavy collision between two speedboats off Koh Khai island in Phang Nga Bay yesterday.Chinese tourist Kang Xiao Xue was rushed to Phuket along with “many others” who sustained injuries in the collision, the Phuket Gazette was told.She was one of three tourists who…
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Phuket Halloween kratom party a bust
PHUKET: Police arrested a Phuket hotel staff member with five kilograms of kratom leaves, allegedly being prepared for a “kratom party” on the island. On the eve of Halloween, Thanit Praditnipol, 21, was picked up by a sortie of officers led by Muang Chief Administrative Officer Thammarong Chuayaksorn as Mr Thanit stepped off a bus arriving from Trang province at…
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B100k reward offered for Phuket bank robber
PHUKET: Police are offering a 100,000-baht reward for any information that leads to the arrest of the man who robbed a Kasikornbank (KBank) branch on the north side of Phuket Town yesterday. The robber escaped with an estimated 2.7 million baht. Police believe the man received “inside assistance” in carrying out the robbery and are now questioning six suspects for…
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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