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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Sponsored Infinito helps hotels in Thailand with revenue management
Maximising revenue and profit–isn’t that the ultimate goal for every business in the hospitality industry? If you run a hotel, you might have heard that revenue management is an effective way to boost your top-line revenue. It involves using data...
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Phuket Sports: Mydeen knocks first ACG ton
PHUKET: Recovered from their recent defeat at the hands of the Laguna CC, the Village showed no mercy to Phuket’s youth development cricket team in dishing out a 235 run demolition of the Leopards. This season’s 15th match of the Island Furniture League became batting practice for several of the Village players while the Leopards were hoping to gain valuable…
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Phuket Sports: She’s “Dear’ to the heart of Indigo Pearl
PHUKET: Tennis played well at any level is an enviable pursuit. Those with the physical skill and coordination required to spot a ball traveling in excess of 100 miles per hour, then choose a shot before returning the two and a half inch diameter projectile over a three foot obstacle and land it accurately within a 27ft by 39ft area,…
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Phuket Gazette ‘Green Report’: Regional mangrove restoration project receives green light
PHUKET: Efforts to restore the lost mangrove forests of Thailand and other parts of Asia will receive a boost this week when international partners gather in Krabi province, across Phang Nga Bay from Phuket, to discuss the use of project funding received via Germany’s Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ).The meeting, which is being coordinated by the Trang-based Southeast…
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Phuket Sports: Plans for Rassada futsal pitch benched
PHUKET: Rassada residents scored a goal by benching the plans for Rassada futsal field in Phuket’s Kanjanapisek Park until a public hearing can be scheduled. A letter of complaint was filed by local residents against the development of the Rassada futsal field to Rassada Municipality Administrative Office (OrBorTor) Chief Dechakanee Leelanont. “We will have less area for exercising because the…
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Phuket elections: Phudit wins Rassada; Samran retains Chalong seat
PHUKET: Preliminary results of two local elections in Phuket yesterday indicate that Phudit “Ko Noi” Raksarat will take over administration of Rassada Municipality, while Somran Jindapol has been elected Mayor of Chalong Municipality. Before yesterday’s election, Mr Somran was incumbent president of the Chalong Tambon Administration Organization (OrBorTor), which was upgraded to municipal status on October 1 last year. In…
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Phuket Gazette Special Report: Thai military unveils plan to stop Rohingya landings
PHUKET: Region 4 of the Internal Security Operations Command (ISOC) has formulated a “Protecting the Andaman” strategy to prevent Rohingya boat people from illegally entering Thailand in Ranong, Phuket and other Andaman Coastal provinces. Maj Gen Manas Khongpanin, director of the ISOC region, revealed that the security plan is to stop the Rohingya from entering Thailand, especially along the coastline…
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Poll: Which Cabinet-approved project will most help Phuket?
PHUKET: At this week’s highly-publicized ‘mobile Cabinet’ meeting in Phuket, a number of projects were approved for Phuket and other provinces in the Andaman economic development cluster. In the latest on-line Readers’ Poll, the Gazette asks which of six projects approved for Phuket will do the most to help the resort province? The candidates are: – ‘Monkey cheek’ Reservoirs to…
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Germany’s Pfizenmaier ousts Noppowan in Phuket ITF final
PHUKET: Dinah Pfizenmaier has won the opening Phuket Chang ITF Women’s Pro Circuit event, defeating Noppowan Lertcheewakarn 6-2, 6-4 in the final at Thanyapura Sports and Leisure Club this afternoon.With local support weighing on the side of her opponent and number six seed from Thailand, the 20-year-old German showed early signs of nerves, losing the first game through four unforced…
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Phuket elections: no alcohol sales in Chalong, Rassada
PHUKET: Alcohol sales will be banned in Chalong and Rassada from 6pm today till midnight on tomorrow due to local elections to be held tomorrow in those Phuket subdistricts. Phuket Election Commission Director Kittipong Thiengkunakrit told the Phuket Gazette that Chalong has two voting districts with 7,135 and 7,497 eligible voters, respectively. The mayoral candidates are Thanapong Koudom and Somran…
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Phuket Gazette: Extra, Extra – Read all about it!
PHUKET: In this week’s Phuket Gazette, now on newsstands everywhere across the island, and tucked into the Nation newspaper for national distribution, we probe hard into the ongoing land investigations. We’ve also budgeted space for a financial breakdown of what recent Cabinet meetings have bestowed upon Phuket and the other important Andaman provinces. As always, we received our monthly letter…
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Phuket ‘Mobile Cabinet’ budget breakdown, by province
PHUKET: Cabinet approved a total of 628 million baht for 23 provincial projects in the five Andaman Coast provinces during the mobile cabinet meeting held in Phuket earlier this week. In addition to the regional and Phuket-based projects already reported, the breakdown for funding for four other Andaman Coast provinces was announced as follows: Ranong1. Sustainable water management project: 42.26…
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Phuket Sports: F1; Premiership football; Rugby and international sports news
Button dominates F1 openerPHUKET: Jenson Button of McLaren reveled in his “dream start” at e opening race of the 2012 Formula 1 season at the Albert Park Lake street circuit in Melbourne.Sebastian Vettel of Red Bull managed to gain second by making good use of the safety car on lap 37 to pit, and emerged ahead of Lewis Hamilton, who…
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FC Phuket fired up for first home game
PHUKET: Final preparations for FC Phuket’s first home game in their Thai Yamaha League Division One campaign are underway at Surakul Stadium. Kick off is scheduled for 4pm on Saturday against Rajpracha FC from Nakhon Pathom province, who finished one place ahead of Phuket in eighth spot at the end of last season. Controversy surrounded their first meeting in February…
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Phuket limo driver found dead in rented room
PHUKET: An airport taxi driver and former volunteer member of the Phuket Kusoldharm Foundation was found dead in his rented room in Srisoonthorn subdistrict early yesterday evening. Thalang Police Duty Officer Somkhit Khaosang was notified of the death by neighbors at 7:20pm. At the scene, a rented room in Srisoonthorn Village 5, police found the body of 51-year-old Uthai Chuti-anan…
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Phuket landlord takes life by hanging
PHUKET: A wealthy Phuket landlord took his life by hanging yesterday while his two sons were asleep upstairs, according to a local news report. Thalang Police duty office Somkhit Khaosang was notified of the death by a neighbor in a row of townhouses near the Heroines’ Monument at about 4pm, according to Siangtai Daily. When officers, led by Thalang Police…
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Donald goes old school in PGA
PHUKET: The PGA tour this week hit the Innisbrook Resort in Florida. Rory McIlroy isn’t playing for the next few weeks meaning golf’s world number one spot was up for grabs. That brings us to former number one Luke Donald, whose golf swing now looks as if it’s in slow motion and he has clearly worked out it’s not all…
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Eerie silence cloaks the Phuket death of a Swedish tourist
PHUKET: The death of a 35-year-old Swedish tourist, whose body was discovered in his hotel room at Kata Beach, has quietly surfaced on Phuket. The resort involved, the Swedish embassy in Bangkok and police have all confirmed that James Karlsson was found dead in his room at the Serene Resort last Wednesday. However, they have all declined to offer any…
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Fishermen found dead in Phuket estuary
PHUKET: The body of a fisherman was found dead along the banks of a mangrove estuary on the west coast of Phuket yesterday. Cherng Talay Police were notified of the death by residents of Baan Layan at about 10am yesterday. At the scene, a muddy riverbank near the north end of Layan Beach, they found the body of 52-year-old Praphat…
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Motorbike taxi driver dies in Phuket u-turn collision
PHUKET: A Phuket motorcycle taxi driver was killed instantly last night when he was hit full force by an oncoming car while trying to make a u-turn on Thepkrasattri Road. Thalang Police were notified of the accident at 9:20pm. Arriving at the scene, on Thepkrasattri Road southbound in front of the electricity substation in Ban Lipon, they found the body…
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Phuket Sports: ITF Phuket reaches finals stages
PHUKET: Thailand’s Noppawan Lertcheewagarn exacted vengeance on Aiko Nakamura of Japan yesterday at the Chang ITF Pro Women’s circuit event being held at Thanyapura Sports and Leisure Club on Phuket.Noppowan lost to Nakamura in their first and only meeting five years ago in the Pattaya Open.Both are two-handed players and Noppawan was concerned going into the match that this aspect…
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Phuket Drama: Yingluck monitor lizard fiasco averted
PHUKET: The bloated carcass of a monitor lizard was hastily retrieved from a swamp at Klong Koh Pee in Phuket on Monday, just moments before the arrival of Thai premier Yingluck Shinawatra, it can now be revealed. Prime Minister Yingluck and her entourage were scheduled to arrive at the Saphan Hin side of the proposed Klong Koh Pee elevated road…
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Special Report: Will more power solve Patong’s woes?
PHUKET: Mayor Pian Keesin has publicly declared his stand on the need for Patong to become a Special Administrative Zone (click here). His call for the administrative change received a great deal of support at a public meeting held recently to present and explain the concept to local residents and business people. The meeting was coordinated through Patong Municipality and…
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Cabinet closes with Southern protest
PHUKET: The mobile Cabinet meeting headed by Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra drew to a close yesterday to the sound of another protest. Under the banner of the “Southern Network”, the protesters gathered outside the meeting venue at the Prince of Songkla University (PSU) Phuket Campus in Kathu. The group had traveled from Satun, Songkhla and Chumphon provinces to call for…
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Cabinet approves Bt200mn for Phuket mangrove flyover
PHUKET: Cabinet today approved 200 million baht to build an elevated road over a mangrove forest on the outskirts of Phuket Town. The project, best known as the Klong Koh Pee project, has been on hold for 15 years. The announcement, made by Deputy Government Spokesman Anusorn Iamsa-ard at about midday, followed a morning session of meetings at the Prince…
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“Naughty’ clouded leopard caught, set free north of Phuket
PHUKET: A clouded leopard was captured over the weekend after a dip into the poultry-house on Thanyamundra’s organic farm in Phang Nga, which produces much of the chemical-free produce served in Phuket.Security guard Surasit Wangphakam was responsible for the capture. Hearing chickens “clucking loudly” inside the poultry-house, he looked inside to discover a female cloud leopard “playing” with the chickens.Fifteen…
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PM Yingluck hounded into Southern healthcare issues
PHUKET: Joining the long list of groups petitioning Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra for special attention during her first official visit to Phuket for today’s Cabinet meeting was a delegation of doctors, nurses and medical students from Songklanagarind Hospital in Haad Yai. PM Yingluck arrived at the Prince of Songkla University (PSU) Phuket Campus at 8:30am to attend the Cabinet meeting…
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Chalerm in Phuket: Police to focus on drugs, not closing times
PHUKET: Deputy Prime Minister Chalerm Yoobamrung told top regional police officers yesterday that strict enforcement of closing times at bar and pubs was not the top priority in tourist destinations such as Phuket because visitors come here to enjoy the natural scenery, not the nightlife. Deputy PM Chalerm, himself a police captain, delivered his mandate to an assembly of top-ranking…
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PM Yingluck in Phuket: Senators pitch ‘special economic zone’ plan
PHUKET: On the first day of the mobile Cabinet meeting yesterday, Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra held closed door talks with local tourism industry leaders who urged her to establish Phuket as a special economic zone. The unscheduled talks, which were off-limits to reporters, saw PM Yingluck meet with Phuket Senator Thanyarat “Ghee” Achariyachai, who chairs the Senate Standing Committee…
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Man slashes own throat over broken heart
PHUKET: Relatives of a suspected broken-hearted man heard screaming from the fourth floor of a commercial shophouse where he lived and ran up to investigate. The man, whose name the Phuket Gazette is withholding, attempted to commit suicide in the shophouse off Montri Road by slashing his own throat, according to the local Thai-language newspaper Siangtai Daily. Police were immediately…
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Phuket Sports: Steady start for FC Phuket in season opener
PHUKET: Reinforced by an energetic contingent of loyal fan support, FC Phuket opened their 2012 Thai Yamaha 1 League (TPL Division 1) season on Saturday evening against JW Rangsit FC with a scoreless draw.The evenly matched contest was played at Rangsit’s temporary ground, Chulachomklao Royal Military Academy Stadium in Nakhon Nayok province, 70 kilometers northeast of Rangsit.Rangsit’s planned home pitch…
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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