Phuket News
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Public sector Anti-Corruption Commission packs in Phuket land title investigations
PHUKET: The investigation by the Public sector Anti-Corruption Commission (PACC) into allegedly illegally issued land titles covering more than 500 rai of land in Phuket has silently been dropped.The PACC, set up specifically to fight corruption among government officials, quietly dropped the probe into hundreds of Phuket land titles just days after Col Dusadee Arayawuth, who had initiated the investigation,…
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Rawai Municipality takes charge of one of many environmental issues plaguing Racha
PHUKET: The Rawai municipality was assigned to take charge of the mounting trash-disposal issues on Koh Racha Yai despite progressive local government talks yesterday with hotel and resort representatives about a conglomerate of environmental issues facing the once pristine island. “Though hotel and resort representatives agreed to take care of the trash-disposal problem themselves, I have assigned the Rawai Municipality…
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Phuket cement truck flips on late-night trip down Patong Hill
PHUKET: An out of control cement truck flipped at the bottom of Patong Hill last night, skidding on its side into a motorbike and two houses before coming to a halt about 50 meters away from Wat Suawan Kiriwong Patong on Phra Baramee Road (map here). No one was seriously injured. “It was about 1am last night, and I was…
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Phuket Old Town festival to showcase Chinese heritage
PHUKET: The annual Phuket Old Town Festival will begin on February 15, ushering in the three-day celebration of the town’s historical origins and unique ethnic mix of cultures. To announce this year’s festival, leading Phuket dignitaries gathered at Queen Sirikit Park on Thursday night. Joining Phuket City Mayor Somjai Suwansupana in announcing the event were representatives from Phuket City Municipality,…
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Police snap up “kratom’ grower in northern Phuket
PHUKET: Police in the northern Phuket area of Thalang yesterday raided and shut down a tropical fruit orchard that was also being used as a kratom-growing operation. The orchard owner, named by police as Nathee Tianthong,50, had five kratom trees growing on his property – in his house police found 400 grams of harvested leaves. All five trees were cut…
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Phuket City police bag druggy by using GPS tracker from stolen iPhone
PHUKET: Police quickly nabbed a Phuket druggy by using the GPS tracking feature of the iPhone he had stolen from a German tourist yesterday. The German tourist, David Trebs, was standing in front of the 99 Oldtown Boutique Guesthouse in Phuket Town at about 2am yesterday when a man on a motorbike drove by and snatched his iPhone, explained Lt…
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Phuket Soccer Schools and Thanyapura set for international tourney
PHUKET: The Phuket Soccer Schools (PSS) is hosting a 40-team international tournament this weekend at Thanyapura Sports and Leisure Club (TSLC). Teams will compete in U8, U10, U12 and U14 age groups. The tournament has attracted teams from Hong Kong, Singapore, Koh Samui and Phuket. The opening ceremony starts at 8:30am on Saturday with the closing ceremony taking place on…
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Thailand Futsal League: Andaman Pearl bagged by CAT
PHUKET: The island’s pro futsal team, Phuket United, suffered their fifth straight loss on Wednesday night, losing at home 1-2 to the state-owned telecom corporation flagship team, CAT FC. Played in front of about 500 fans at the Saphan Hin Indoor Sports Complex, the match was both sides’ 19th of 30 fixtures in the Thailand Futsal Premier League (TFPL) 2012-2013…
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Thai Army helicopter makes safe emergency landing in Phuket
PHUKET: A rapid loss in oil pressure forced the pilots of a Royal Thai Army helicopter to make an emergency landing in a field in central Phuket yesterday.No injuries were reported in the incident.Thalang Police were alerted to the emergency landing by villagers in Baan Pru Champa.“The helicopter belongs to the 2nd Air Mobile Company in Nakhon Sri Thammarat. There…
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Rogue wheel in Phuket leaves Russian in ICU
PHUKET: A Russian biker remains unconscious in Bangkok Hospital Phuket’s Intensive Care Unit (ICU) after being knocked from his motorbike by a rogue wheel that flew off a 10-wheeled truck on Thepakasatrri Road yesterday. The Russian, named by police as Alexey Balabko, 26, was a riding a “big bike” when he was struck by one of two wheels that came…
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Phuket jet-ski operator nabbed, denies anchor attack
PHUKET: Police have apprehended the Phuket jet-ski operator who reportedly swung an anchor angrily at the head of a German tourist at Kata Beach on Monday (story here). Named only as “Mr Buntoon”, age 33, the operator was brought in for questioning by Karon Police yesterday. “He confessed that he run over the German man’s belongings with the jet-ski trailer…
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One dead, one injured in Phuket construction landslide
PHUKET: One man is dead and another injured after a landslide buried them while they were building a retaining wall high in the hills of Patong late yesterday afternoon.The two men were working in a trench about two meters deep when the land beside them gave way, burying them alive, explained Lt Thawatchai Srimai of the Patong Police.Rescue workers called…
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Party monk defrocked over drugs, sex romp in Phuket
PHUKET: A monk and two female friends having a sex party in a Patong hotel room were busted by police for drug use yesterday, and the monk was subsequently defrocked. After receiving a tip from local residents, police raided a hotel room at the southern end of Patong Beach. “We went to the location provided and found a monk and…
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Phuket parents join “fight club’
PHUKET: Two parents tired of having their boy picked on by a gang of students at school took matters into their own hands today by turning up at the school and “slapping” the five bullies. They have since been charged with assault. Sgt Paritat Duangkamol of the Thalang Police was called to Muang Thalang School at 8:10am. Outside the principal’s…
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Phuket Police search for jet-ski operator after anchor attack on German tourist
PHUKET: Karon Police are looking for a jet-ski rental operator at Kata Beach who yesterday allegedly swung an anchor at the head of a German tourist.When contacted by the Phuket Gazette, Col Werawat Juntharavijit*, Acting Superintendent of the Karon Police, today said he had yet to be informed of the incident.“I have not received a report about this. I will…
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Racha residents call for Phuket officials to fulfill old promises
PHUKET: The ongoing struggle to protect the beauty and environmental health of the tourist-popular Racha Yai Island, about 25 kilometers south of Phuket, continued yesterday in a meeting with Vice Governor Sommai Prijasilpa. Santi Chandi, representative of Racha Yai residents, asked the vice governor to solve the problems she had promised to solve at a meeting in May 2012. At…
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Phuket to crack down on businesses using nominee shareholders
PHUKET: An inspection team from Bangkok will be arriving in Phuket to help local officers investigate businesses with foreign owners that are suspected of using nominee shareholders, Phuket Governor Maitri Inthusut announced at a meeting this afternoon. About 3,700 “foreign-owned” business are registered in Phuket, explained Department of Business Development Phuket Office chief Nimit Kangkajit at the meeting. “Of course…
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Spiraling Phuket prices blamed on B300 min wage
PHUKET: A market vendor at the busy Kaset Market in Phuket Town yesterday told the Phuket Governor the 300-baht-a-day minimum wage was forcing vendors to pass on price hikes of fresh produce to consumers. Governor Maitri Inthusut yesterday morning led officers to inspect food prices at Kaset fresh market, located behind the Robinson department store in Phuket Town (map here).…
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Breaking News: Phuket fugitive Dane “Denny’ Knudsen arrested
PHUKET: Patong Police Superintendent Chiraphat Pochanaphan has confirmed to the Phuket Gazette that wanted Danish national Dennis Mark Knudsen, 24, has been arrested by Phuket Police. Mr Knudsen was wanted for breaking bail conditions after he failed to appear at Phuket Provincial Court on January 22 to resolve a dispute with Australians John Cohen and Adam Shea about a “big…
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Thailand Futsal: Phuket United sunk by Navy
PHUKET: A second-half hat trick from Phuket United’s leading scorer, Jackson Santos, was not enough for his side to beat the Royal Navy FC, who walked away 5-3 winners in a futsal league match on Saturday evening in Bangkok. The match, played at Bangkok’s Fashion Island futsal arena, was both side’s 18th of 30 league matches in the Thailand Futsal…
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Russian tourist found dead at Phuket resort, cause unclear
PHUKET: Police are hoping that assistance from forensics investigators will help unravel the cause of death of a Russian tourist whose body was found in his Phuket resort villa yesterday. Chalong Police Deputy Superintendent Jumroon Plaiduang was called to a resort in Soi Na Tai in the southern Phuket beach area of Rawai (map here), at about 1:30pm. “We found…
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Teaching Russian-language skills the key to resolving Phuket discord
PHUKET: A solution to the anti-Russian sentiment spreading rapidly in Phuket is Russian-language classes, the Russian Federation’s Deputy Honorary Consul in Phuket, Santi Udomkiratak, has told the Phuket Gazette.“Lack of Russian-language skills is a big part of the Russian issue here, and it’s been a problem for a very long time,” Mr Santi said.“There are very few Thai people who…
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Lucky police traffic stop nets wanted felon, drugs and guns
PHUKET: A random stop of two men at a checkpoint in Phuket Town on Thursday night netted Phuket Police drugs, guns and a man wanted on an attempted murder charge. Police stopped Narongsak Dang-ngam, 36, and Nikom Srisoi, 45, at 11:30pm at Soi Surin 3 in Phuket Town (map here). “Mr Narongsak was driving a pick up truck and Mr…
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Phuket Red Cross calls for A, B, Rh- blood donations
PHUKET: The Phuket Red Cross is calling for people across the island to join its Valentine’s Day blood drive to help replenish dwindling stocks at the blood bank in Phuket Town. The Phuket Regional Blood Center (PRBC), often called upon to save the lives of Thais and foreigners in urgent need of medical help, is low on stocks of blood…
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Phuket Buddha image moved, not lost
PHUKET: A German-speaking resident of Phuket raised an alarm earlier this week when he noticed that a Buddha image had disappeared from the pavilion at Kata Viewpoint (view here). However, Rawai Municipality Chief Administrative Officer Rachen Phuntarakit confirmed to the Gazette that there was no need for concern, as the image had only been moved from the scenic view to…
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Phuket Police Deputy Commander: Gun Control Still Within our Grasp
PHUKET: Phuket Provincial Police Deputy Commander Arun Kaewvatee, 52, is originally from Ron Phibun District in Nakhon Sri Thammarat, a province well known throughout Thailand for gun use. Col Arun has been Deputy Commander of Phuket Provincial Police for a year. Here, he talks about illegal guns and gun ownership in Phuket. I do not consider illegal guns to be…
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Phuket Sports: New Laguna triathlon
PHUKET: Challenge Family recently announced a partnership with Asia’s longest running triathlon, Laguna Phuket Triathlon (LPT), and in so doing, revealed its commitment to developing a series of half and full distance events throughout the region. LPT has been attracting the sport’s legends to the stunning tropical island for two decades. In 2013 it will celebrate its 20th anniversary with…
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Phuket van driver rewarded for returning tourist’s lost B124k
PHUKET: A Phuket tour driver has received high praise from the governor for returning 124,000 baht and US$433* that an Indonesian tourist left behind in his tour van.Sarawut Sompan, 24, works for the Sai Lom Club van team in Chalong. On Thursday night, he picked up two tourists, Indonesian and Thai, at the Phuket Merlin Hotel in Phuket Town and…
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National corruption probe into police housing arrives in Phuket
PHUKET: Royal Thai Police Department of Special Investigation (DSI) Director-General Tharit Pengdit arrived in Phuket yesterday as part of his investigation into the stalled construction of 163 police housing apartment blocks across the country.With him was Government Spokesman Prompong Nopparit, who is also vice president of a parliamentary anti-corruption committee set up by Pheu Thai.“We will be looking at the…
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Phuket Sports: Taekwondo tourney proves a knockout
PHUKET: The inaugural Phuket International Choi Yong Seok Taekwondo Championship was held at the Saphan Indoor Sports Complex last weekend, starting with the mandatory Gangnam Style dance. The event attracted more than 1,500 competitors from Thailand, Korea, Russia, Kuwait and Australia, among others. Traditionally held in Bangkok, the organizer, and Thailand’s national taekwondo coach, Choi Yong Seok, says he wanted…
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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