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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Kenyan Sammy Ridrond wins Phuket Marathon
PHUKET: Kenyan runner Sammy Ridrond won the open division of The Phuket Health International Marathon in a time of just over 2 hours, 35 minutes this morning. The 42-kilometer event, which got underway at 4am at the Mai Khao Tambon Administration Organization offices, finished at Phuket Provincial Hall in Phuket Town. Two other events, a 13-kilometer mini-marathon and a 4.5-kilometer…
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Phuket’s Big Buddha project cleared of wrongdoing
PHUKET: An internal inquiry by the Royal Forestry Department’s Community Forestry Management Bureau has found no wrong doing by any parties involved in the Phuket Big Buddha project. The inquiry was launched after a flood of complaints, led Phuket Vice Governor Somkiet Sangkaosutthirak, demanding a completion date from the project’s managers, the Mingmongkol Faith 45 Foundation. The complaints have now…
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Wildlife activist supports Forestry, National Parks merger
PHUKET: A well-known wildlife activist has told the Phuket Gazette that he supports the planned merger of the Royal Forest Department and the Department of National Parks (DNP), Wildlife and Plant Conservation. The merger was announced on July 11 by Preecha Rengsomboonsuk, who heads the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry that controls both departments. Once the merger gets the green…
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Krabi drug rehab student drowned in escape, says friend
PHUKET: Eyewitness reports are now indicating that the student who died after escaping a youth drug rehab facility in Krabi last week was not beaten to death by teaching assistants, as initially reported, but rather drowned during his escape. Allegations that student Maha Manitaya was beaten to death by the teaching assistants at Por Noh Klong Gom School prompted more…
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Phuket Life Music Festival to honor “The Stars’
PHUKET: Phuket-born Jaruwat “Dome” Cheawaram, better known as “Dome The Star” after winning the popular television singing contest, will headline the Phuket Life Music Festival 2012, to be held in Phuket Town on August 14. The concert will be held at Anuphas Field, near the Phuket bus terminal on Phang Nga Road, from 7pm to 10:30pm. Other live acts to…
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Drug rehab youths escape facility after friend beaten to death
PHUKET: More than 200 youths escaped from the drug rehabilitation center at Por Noh Klong Gom School and sought the protection of a local mosque in Krabi on Thursday after one of their classmates was allegedly beaten to death by teaching assistants. The school, although in Krabi, serves as a drug rehabilitation center for about 800 troubled youths from throughout…
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Queen’s Cup Hua Hin International Triathlon 2012 starts August 19
PHUKET: Following the successful Columbia Trail Masters 2012, sponsored by the Phuket Gazette at Thanyapura earlier this year, the idyllic fishing village of Kao Tao, 10 kilometers south of Hua Hin, will host the 4th edition of the Queen’s Cup Hua Hin International Triathlon 2012 on August 19. The event will honor Her Majesty the Queen’s 80th birthday. The event…
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Phuket T20 Cricket gets under way
PHUKET: The T20 cricket league kicked off last weekend with Neill Culpan scoring 57 not out, helping current champions Laguna defeat last season’s runners-up Patong in the first game. Patong won the toss and chose to bat first. They didn’t start well, losing opener Richie Desmond for five with only 12 runs on the board. Manesh Sadarangani scored 32 not…
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Poll: Is Phuket’s property market over-developed?
PHUKET: Tanan Tanpaiboon, former head of the Phuket Real Estate Association, recently warned that over-development in the Phuket real estate sector risks creating a “bubble” that could burst, sending real estate prices tumbling due to oversupply. What do you think will be the overall trend in real estate prices on Phuket over the next five years? To have your say…
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Phuket FC set for home battle with PTT Rayong
PHUKET: Soccer fans who missed out on seeing Phuket FC’s new line-up which was successful against Songkhla on Wednesday will have their next chance tomorrow evening when the Islanders are set to host PTT Rayong FC. Kick off for the league match, to be played at Surakul Stadium, will be at 6:30pm. Aside from seeing some of Phuket’s new signings…
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Phuket gold shop damaged in youth street brawl
PHUKET: A group of eight students attacked two others in front of a gold shop in the heart of Phuket Town yesterday morning. The attack, at about 10:15am, was launched in front of a hardware and electronics store on Ong Sim Pai Road in front of Kaset Market. The two students who were set upon ran to the Sri Thong…
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Phuket Sports: Olympics kick off
PHUKET: The first day of competitive sport at the London Olympics was overshadowed by a diplomatic faux pas. WOMEN’S FOOTBALL: The North Korea women’s football team walked off the pitch as the flag of South Korea was displayed before their game against Colombia. The match at Hampden Park was delayed for almost an hour before the North Korea team returned…
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Fire rips through car parts warehouse in Patong
PHUKET: A fire believed to have been started by an electrical fault destroyed a car parts warehouse in Patong this afternoon.No one was reported injured in the blaze, but the damage caused has been estimated at around 100,000 baht.Responding to a call at about 12:30pm, 23 firefighters with six fire trucks and an ambulance rushed to the scene on 50…
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British Ambassador calls for “safety first’ when travelling
PHUKET: British Ambassador to Thailand Asif Ahamd has repeated his call for UK nationals to exercise caution when travelling to Thailand and to make sure they have adequate insurance coverage when they do visit. “I have seen the sadness and anguish of victims and relatives after incidents which, if thought through, are entirely avoidable. Like the majority of visitors and…
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Phuket Architect & Engineering Exhibition 2012 underway
PHUKET: Good news for the island’s builders, designers and property owners: the Architect & Engineering Exhibition 2012 is now underway on the second floor of the Royal Phuket City Hotel. The event runs daily from 11am to 8pm through Sunday, featuring a number of exhibitions and booths showcasing products from more than 100 manufactures and importers. As tourist numbers wane…
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Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease under control in Phuket
PHUKET: Following the outbreak of Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease (HFMD) in Thailand which caused the death of a 2-year-old toddler in Bangkok last week, the situation in Phuket is largely under control, health officials say. Phuket Public Health Office (PPHO) Chief Dr Sak Tanchaikul told the Phuket Gazette that more than 10,000 cases of the viral disease have been…
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Road warriors: Phuket FC down Songkhla, 1-0
PHUKET: A second-half goal by midfielder Marcio Santos was all Phuket FC needed to snatch three points on the road at Songkhla FC, in a match played in front of a small crowd of fans at Jiranakorn Stadium in Haad Yai. It was just the second road win of the year for the Islanders. The goal came when the Brazilian…
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Phuket AMCHAM puts “Best Green Tourism Practices’ on the agenda
PHUKET: The American Chamber of Commerce (AMCHAM) Greater Phuket Chapter is co-ordinating with local environmental welfare group SEEK to hold a seminar focusing on Best Green Tourism Practices in Phuket. The seminar, to be held at the Holiday Inn Patong on August 24, will highlight how sustainable green programs, ranging from recycling, energy and water savings and more, can help…
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British tourist, 47, drowns at Patong Beach
PHUKET: An English tourist who ignored warnings not to swim in dangerous surf at Patong Beach yesterday became the latest monsoon-season drowning victim in Phuket. Patong Police received a report of the incident at 8:15am. Among the officers who rushed to the scene were Patong Police Superintendent Jirapat Phochanaphan and his deputy Kittipong Klaikaew. Pol Sub Lt Thawatchai Srimai told…
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Project to reverse Patong traffic flow hits a speed bump
PHUKET: A long-awaited plan to reverse the direction of one-way traffic flow in Patong was expected to take effect in June, but has been delayed as work to complete a new roundabout at the north end of the beach road has fallen behind schedule. The 4.2-million-baht Laem Petch Circle project was delayed due to the need to remove utility poles…
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Aussie tourist who cried ‘rape’ in Phuket deported today
PHUKET: Stevie Rochelle Bamford, the 21-year-old woman convicted of falsely reporting that she was raped in Patong, was deported to her native Australia today. Patong Police escorted Ms Bamford to Phuket Immigration Headquarters at midday in preparation for her return flight. The officer escorting her said Ms Bamford was scheduled to board a flight home with her boyfriend this afternoon.…
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Outrigger to buy Phuket’s Laguna Beach Resort
PHUKET: Outrigger Hotels and Resorts announced today in a press release that it has entered into an agreement to acquire the 254-room Laguna Beach Resort, located on Bang Tao Bay on the northwest coast of Phuket. The transaction is scheduled to close in the first quarter of 2013. The press release did not stipulate how much the resort was being…
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Phuket Live Wire: Faster and closer, but not for us
PHUKET: Investors are lined up, and ground is about to be broken on the Asia Pacific Gateway, the fastest, slickest submarine data cable ever constructed. And it’s coming to Thailand. While most underwater data cables in the Pacific end up in the US, this one’s different. It starts in Malaysia, travels 10,400 kilometers (more than 6,000 miles) to Japan, and…
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Phang Nga man crushed in Phuket crane accident
PHUKET: The operator of a pile-driving crane was crushed to death when the machine fell off its trailer in Phuket this morning. Thalang Police were notified of the accident in front of the Thalang National Museum in Srisoonthorn at 9:25am today. Kusoldharm Foundation rescue workers raced to the scene to find a man’s body pinned under the retractable boom of…
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Phuket Hospital cuts red tape for free treatment of officials
PHUKET: Local government officers can now receive medical treatment at the Phuket Provincial Hospital in Phuket Town without going through the “pay first, be reimbursed later” process. The deal was inked by Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (OrBorJor) President Paiboon Upatising yesterday, when he signed an agreement to provide a medical care advance credit arrangement at the hospital for public-sector workers.…
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Thailand Open commences August 9
PHUKET: The Thailand Open commences August 9-12 at Suwan Golf & Country Club. Players from Europe and Asia will be competing for US$1 million in prize money at the OneAsia event. Veteran golfer, Prayad Marksaeng, hopes to put behind him the disappointment of coming a close second last year to Australia’s Andre Stolz. The Australian beat Prayad scoring 22-under compared…
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Aussie expat found hanged in Phuket
PHUKET: An Australian expat took his life by hanging in a luxury home under construction in Phuket, it was discovered this morning. Thalang Police were notified of the apparent suicide at 10:30am by the wife of the victim, 38-year-old Australian Daniel Cruwys. When police and Kusoldharm Foundation workers arrived at the scene, an upscale home in Pa Khlok, they found…
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Patong residents voice support for “Special Admin Zone’
PHUKET: The push to designate Phuket’s top tourism town of Patong as a “Special Administrative Zone” received much positive support at a public meeting on Friday. The meeting, held to gather feedback from local residents, was headed by Pridi Chotechuang, Deputy Secretary General of the Political Development Council and fellow PDC member Jinda Boonjun. The PDC is an independent “think…
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Ukraine dance troupe wows Phuket
PHUKET: Fans of traditional eastern European dance will have a chance to catch the world-renowned Vohon Ukrainian Dance Ensemble at the Simon Star Cabaret in Phuket this afternoon. The 50-strong troupe is on the island courtesy of the Tourism Authority of Thailand, who helped organize the event in order to raise funds for the Thai Red Cross Society, Phuket Chapter.…
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Exciting sailing caps finale to Phuket Raceweek
PHUKET: The best was saved for last as the final day of the 2012 Cape Panwa Hotel Phuket Raceweek saw 10-12 knots of breeze gusting to 15, and some spectacular competition around the southern islands of Phuket, which brought to an end an exciting and successful week. Two races – a windward/leeward and an islands course – for all except…
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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