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.
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AOT freezes boost in taxis at Phuket Airport until June
PHUKET: The requests by two taxi operating companies to boost the number of vehicles operating at Phuket International Airport have been declined until at least June, while plans for the allocation of business and services under the 5.7-billion-baht expansion project at the key tourism portal are finalized. The news was announced by Wing Commander Pratheep Wichittho, Deputy Director of Airports…
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Cruise liner rallies against paying Phuket port extra fees
PHUKET: The representative of a major cruise line operator that brings thousands of tourists to Phuket each week has lobbied Provincial Hall to stop the company from having to pay “extra fees” levied every time the Phuket Deep Sea Port is double-booked. At a meeting headed by Phuket Vice Governor Somkiet Sungkaosuthirak on Wednesday, Thanin Thumsuwan of Thoresen Shipping and…
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Phuket Vegetarian Festival “ma song’ unruffled by media coverage
PHUKET: Phuket native Peerapong Buapetch, 27, spends the majority of his year as a handyman for a local hotel. However, once a year he is called on to take part in one of the most important cultural events in Phuket – the Vegetarian Festival, which this year draws to a close on Tuesday. Chosen by the Chinese god Guan Yu…
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World Sports: Pietersen to come back with a bang: Flintoff
PHUKET: Kevin Pietersen is likely to come out with all guns blazing when he returns to the England squad for next month’s test series in India, former team mate Andrew Flintoff said yesterday.The South African-born batsman was recalled by England this week after being dropped following a controversial text-message row.“When Kevin’s got a point to prove he usually proves it…
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Nong Som killer forensic test results “imminent’: Police
PHUKET: Phuket Police expect in the coming days to receive the results of forensic tests that will clear the way for bringing to trial the confessed killer of 17-year-old Sunisa “Nong Som” Saiyoy. Nong Som’s parents returned from their fruit stall in Phuket Town on the night of July 10 to find their daughter dead in her bedroom at the…
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Plans unveiled for new, B450mn Phuket Provincial Hall
PHUKET: Plans to spend 450 million baht on a new Phuket Provincial Hall took a leap forward this week with the announcement of official approval to clear the 14-rai site on the corner opposite the current building (click here for map). Construction of the new center of administration for the island is hoped to begin next year. Years in coming,…
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Phuket orphanage gets bikes from Quest
PHUKET: Singaporean-based bankers recently brought joy to youngsters from a Phuket orphanage, in a unique training program devised and staged by Laguna Resorts & Hotels’ corporate team building organization, Quest. Over 210 senior management and staff of the Singapore-based Swiss bank took time out from their recent conference in Phuket, to spend a morning at Baan Sosa Orphanage in the…
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Phuket Sports: Alonso threatens to appeal to FIFA; Phuket FC relegation looms
PHUKET: Former Phuket FC keeper Alonso Goleiro has threatened to appeal his recent dismissal from the club to the football’s highest international governing body, FIFA, on the grounds of unfair treatment. Alonso, a Brazilian national who is registered in the Thai Premier League under the surname of Carvalho, told the Phuket Gazette that he had initially signed a two-year contract…
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Phuket Sports: King’s Cup Regatta tacks windsurfing onto schedule
PHUKET: THE Phuket King’s Cup Regatta plans to reintroduce windsurfing as one of its competitive classes this year. The newly announced Windsurfing Class is held in cooperation with the Windsurfing Association of Thailand (WATH), with races taking place over four days from December 2 to 5. About 14 sailors from the Thai national team will join the windsurfing competition, including…
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Kathu Mayor contenders face off for Phuket election
PHUKET: Hundreds of people turned out at the Kathu Municipality offices yesterday in support of their preferred candidates for the upcoming election for Kathu Mayor and the Kathu Municipal Council to be held on November 18. Running for re-election is Chaianan Sutthikul and his *Rak Kathu (“Kathu protectors”) party. Leading the charge against Mr Chaianan is two-time former Kathu Mayor…
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Couple killed in hit-and-run, 4-month-old son survives
PHUKET: Both parents of a 4-month-old boy died last night after a hit-and-run driver struck their motorbike in Chalong. The baby boy, who was also on the motorbike, suffered no serious injuries. Lt Col Boonlert Onklang of the Chalong Police rushed to the scene with officers from the Phuket Provincial Administrative Organization tourist rescue center and Phuket Ruamjai Foundation rescue…
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Phuket Hard Rock punts to reopen tonight
PHUKET: Following the breaking news of a fire at the Hard Rock Cafe in Patong this morning, the Phuket Gazette has learned that the operators of the global brand-name venue are hoping to reopen tonight. The fire was contained to the large neon sign attached to the front of the building. The iconic electric guitar sign and the stage area,…
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Phuket Vegetarian Festival street processions in full swing
PHUKET: Sapam Shrine held their street procession today with some 2,000 spectators lining the route to watch ma song (spirit mediums) and to pay their respects to highly revered Chinese gods. The street procession departed Sapam Shrine at 7am and marched through Phuket Town, ending up at Saphan Hin. Before the procession got underway, Phuket City Municipality had issued a…
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Phuket wildlife officers warn of Bangla slow loris raids to come
PHUKET: The Environmental Conservation Unit of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) Phuket office will conduct more slow loris raids on Soi Bangla in Patong following the discovery of tourist touts still operating on the popular nightlife strip. The raids to come follow a similar nighttime raid on October 4 that netted five touts who were…
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Gambling “spectators’ to appeal to Phuket governor for clemency
PHUKET: A gambling raid on a residential home about 200 meters from Baan Kathu School yesterday netted 21 arrests, but most of the people taken into custody will appeal to the governor to have the charges dropped on the basis that they were “only watching”. Lt Col Serm Kwannimit of the Thung Thong Police told the Gazette that police raided…
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Phuket marine agency checks dead whale shark samples for heavy metal contamination
PHUKET: Staff from the Phuket Marine Biological Center (PMBC) were deployed to Koh Lanta Yai on Sunday after receiving a report from the Royal Thai Navy Maritime Security Center that an eight-ton whale shark had washed ashore at Klong Nin Beach. From his office at the PMBC, Dr Kongkiat Kittiwattanawong, who heads the Endangered Species Unit (ESU), told the Phuket…
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Hungry Ghost compete with Phuket Vegetarian Festival
PHUKET: As thousands of celebrants and devotees take part in the many Phuket Vegetarian Festival activities currently underway across the island, hundreds of people turned out yesterday to make merit for their ancestors for the Southern Thai festival Sart Duen Sib. The center of celebrations for the Sart Duen Sib was at the Wat Kajonrangsan temple, also known as Wat…
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Phuket national park investigators to stage “land probe lottery’
PHUKET: The 366 officials named to carry out the huge investigation into every plot of privately owned land along the border of Phuket’s Sirinath Marine National Park will draw lots to determine who will investigate which plots. “The officers have been divided into 36 teams, with each team comprising six officers,” Sirinath Park Chief Cheewapap Cheewatham explained to the Phuket…
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Phuket Police rebuke rape inaction claim
PHUKET: The Phuket police officer accused of inaction in the investigation of the alleged rape of a 9-year-old girl has rebuked the claim, saying that the mother of the child knew that the suspect had been charged and subsequently released on court bail. The mother even saw him personally last Friday before filing her complaint at the Damrongtham Center (Provincial…
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Rescued dolphin doesn’t make it
PHUKET: The young dolphin thought to be on the path to recovery early last week, after being rescued from Mai Khao Beach, died on Saturday. The one-year-old female Spinner dolphin was taken to the Phuket Marine Biological Center (PMBC) Endangered Species Unit (ESU) on September 27. She received care 24 hours a day by PMBC staff, said Dr Patcharaporn Gaewmong,…
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Ironkids set for December 1
PHUKET: The third Thanyapura Sports & Leisure Club (TSLC) IronKids Race will take place on December 1. Last year’s event was a great success with over 220 participants ranging from 6 to 15-years-old competing in age-appropriate distances to become Ironkids. The December 2012 event expects to see the number of participants grow to 300 children, with the age range extended…
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Mother alleges daughter, 9, raped by a village shop owner
PHUKET: A single mother lodged a complaint with the Phuket Damrongtham Center (Provincial Ombudsman’s Office) this morning, citing Tah Chat Chai Police inaction over the alleged rape of her 9-year-old daughter by a neighbor.The Damrongtham Center received the complaint against Lt Col Rassada Kluengwong of Tah Chat Chai Police Station, claiming dereliction of duty in the investigation of the alleged…
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Phuket Sports: Bangkok Angels do not give Islanders salvation; relegation looms
PHUKET: Thai Yamaha Division 1 survival is still within reach ahead of Phuket FC’s final two matches of the season, despite a 2-1 away-loss on Saturday night to promotion contenders Bangkok United. Held at Bangkok’s Thai-Japanese Stadium in the heart of the capital, the 32nd match of the 34-fixture season was both side’s third match inside of a week. The…
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Phuket Vegetarian Festival 2012 underway
PHUKET: The Phuket Vegetarian Festival 2012 began officially at midnight last night as lanterns were hung at the participating Chinese shrines on the island, marking that the Jade Emperor and nine Emperor Gods had descended from the heavens. Thousands of devotees and spectators gathered at shrines across the island yesterday at sunset for the raising of the huge go teng…
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African woman caught with 6kg of meth at Phuket Airport
PHUKET: Customs officials at Phuket International Airport arrested a Mozambique woman attempting to smuggle six kilograms of crystal methamphetamine (ya ice) into the country on Saturday night.Officials estimate the drugs had an estimated street value 21 million baht.Airport Customs Director Montira Cherchoo said that Mrs Hortencia Ferreira Novela, 37, was arrested after Customs officials found the drugs hidden in her…
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Phuket beach turf war heats up as officials look to remove restaurants
PHUKET: With Maitree Intusut landing on the island on Monday as the newly appointed Phuket Governor, officials in Cherng Talay are wasting no time in their attempt to make a fresh start in clearing encroaching restaurants from the sands of Surin Beach. While Governor Maitree and his wife, Mrs Palinee, were wading through throngs of well wishers welcoming the couple…
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Hunt continues for missing Phuket gold thief
PHUKET: Police are continuing their search for the remaining thief who robbed a Phuket gold shop on September 17, making off with millions of baht of gold jewelry. One of the two thieves, a Burmese national named by police only as “Mr Koson”, surrendered to police after seeing his wife arrested on national television. However, Phuket police are still searching…
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Phuket Hospital fends off expat injury claims of “botched surgeries’
PHUKET: Refuting allegations of any medical misconduct concerning the treatment of Liberty Jefferson, following a serious motorbike accident in March, Vachira Phuket Hospital on Friday issued a statement to explain where their responsibility for her care started and ended. Reported by KVAL news in Ms Jefferson’s home state of Oregon, USA, “Miss Jefferson says she sat in a hospital room…
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Man robs Phuket 7-Eleven with scythe
PHUKET: Phuket Police are searching for a man who, armed with a full-length scythe, robbed a 7-Eleven in Thalang last night.The 19-year-old cashier on duty at the time of the robbery told police that a man wearing a balaclava entered the store, located near the Phanason Village residential estate on Thepkasattri Road, at about 10:45pm.“Although she could not see his…
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Arson not suspected in Patong lifeguard tower fire
PHUKET: Police do not suspect arson caused a fire on Patong Beach last night that destroyed about 13,000 baht of sun loungers and beach umbrellas.Patong Police Duty Officer Pratueng Polmana told the Phuket Gazette that he received a report of a lifeguard tower on Patong beach being ablaze at about 12:05am.Patong Municipality firefighters rushed to the scene and extinguished the…
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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