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 A healthy tomorrow starts today: Celebrate the great American Smokeout day
The Great American Smokeout, held this year on November 17, is a nationwide event that encourages smokers to take their first steps towards a smoke-free life. If you’re an expat in Thailand, this day could be a timely reminder to...
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Phuket stages earthquake drill to calm fears
PHUKET: Emergency personnel from across Phuket joined local officials in Thalang District yesterday to conduct an earthquake rescue exercise. The drill was based on possible damages from a hypothetical 5.0 magnitude earthquake centered in the area of Srisoonthorn subdistrict, which sustained the greatest damage on April 16, when a 4.3 Richter quake shook Phuket. “Thalang is in an earthquake-risk zone,…
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Phuket gets a new “Yellow Bus’
PHUKET: A new luxury bus service to Hua Hin, called the “Yellow Bus”, has been launched, departing Phuket daily at 7am.The Roong Reuang Coach (Mukdahan) Company, also known as the “Yellow Bus”, has been in operation since 2005 and has maintained four routes stretching the length and breadth of Thailand.“We launched the first bus on the Phuket to Hua Hin…
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PHUKET AMCHAM seminar ‘Identifying and Marketing Brand Phuket – Sports Tourism’ today
PHUKET: The Phuket PR Network and the Phuket Chapter of the American Chamber of Commerce (AMCHAM) will hold a collaborative event as part of a series exploring Brand Phuket today at the Thanyapura Sports and Leisure Club’s (TSLC) “The View”. Guest speakers include Debbie Dionysius, Assistant Vice President of Destination Marketing at Laguna Phuket, who will discuss how the success…
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Home invasion: Phuket florist stabbed, robbed
PHUKET: A local flower shop owner early yesterday morning survived a brutal home invasion by three men who left him wounded after stealing his safe containing all his valuables. The victim, Sommart Chokekuea, reported the incident to police after receiving medical treatment at Mission Hospital in Rassada. A police check of the victim’s two-storey home in Chalong showed evidence that…
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Phuket Live Wire: How to handle the next disaster
PHUKET: The “tsunami” scare has come and gone, and I’m still livid. Many news organizations spread enormous layers of misinformation and scared the living daylights out of people worldwide, without the slightest regard for the facts. All they cared about was selling more newspapers or gathering more clicks. At 5:23pm on April 11 – an hour before the “tsunami” was…
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Drinking water system heads to northern Phuket
PHUKET: The Phuket Waterworks Authority has revealed a plan to provide public water fountains throughout Mai Khao as a pilot project in rolling out potable water supply to the northern parts of the island. Pichai Wetchrungsri, Deputy Director of the Phuket Waterworks Authority, announced the news earlier this month at a meeting at Provincial Hall, where he explained that the…
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Phuket’s “rescued dolphin’ dead
PHUKET: The striped dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba) rescued off Phuket’s Kata Beach on Sunday has died. Patcharaporn Kaewmong, a veterinarian at the Phuket Marine Biological Center’s Marine Endangered Species Unit, said the dolphin died at 6am yesterday. “We will conduct a post-mortem examination to determine the cause of death,” she said. Fears for the young female dolphin surfaced yesterday when it…
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Phuket strike action sees 400 workers laid off
PHUKET: More than 400 employees of the formerly named Evason Phuket & Bon Island resort today staged a protest in front of the hotel in Rawai after learning that they had all been sacked – with immediate effect.Warin Sungkong, who presented himself as vice president of the Phuket Island Union, told the Gazette that the employees first noticed that the…
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Somjai opens canvassing for Phuket City Mayor election
PHUKET: Somjai Suwansupana yesterday was the first to register her candidacy in the upcoming Phuket City Municipal election on June 16, marking her attempt for re-election to her third consecutive term as Phuket City Mayor.Given the favorable voting ballot number 1, Ms Somjai led her Khon Noom “Young Turks” party in registering their candidacies for the 24 council seats up…
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Phuket rescue team calls for donations to save slashed dog
PHUKET: A team of Phuket emergency response officers are calling for donations to help a stray dog that has been inflicted with an eight-inch wound to its stomach. Officers at the Patong Municipality Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) first noticed the dog, now named “Nin”, meaning black, when he wandered into the area near their offices last Thursday.…
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Phuket rescue services to hold earthquake drill
PHUKET: Emergency rescue personnel from across Phuket will join local officials in Thalang district to conduct an earthquake rescue drill tomorrow, starting at 2pm.The drill will be based on damages from a hypothetical 5.0 magnitude earthquake centered in the area of Srisoonthorn subdistrict, which sustained the greatest damage on April 16, when a 4.3 Richter quake shook Phuket.“Thalang is in…
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Sea Gypsy Cultural Center to open in Phuket this year
PHUKET: The long-anticipated Sea Gypsy Cultural Center, or Urak Lawoi Culture Center, is now scheduled to open toward the end of this year.The inauguration of the facility is expected to happen about six months after it is officially transferred from the Phuket Office of Public Works to Rassada Municipality at the end of this month.At a cost of 5.4 million…
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French tourist drowns off Freedom Beach, Phuket
PHUKET: The body of Stephane Dacosta, a 33-year-old French national, thought to have drowned yesterday, was recovered from the waters off Freedom Beach this morning.Mr Dacosta was reported missing at about 5pm yesterday by friends who had attempted, with the help of local fishermen, to save him after noticing the French man struggling to swim in the current.“We checked the…
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Dolphin blood-test results reveal serious infection
PHUKET: Blood tests have revealed that the stranded striped dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba) rescued in Phuket waters Sunday morning has a serious infection and only a 10 to 30 per cent chance of survival. The young female dolphin was recovered from the sea after being sighted by staff from Karon Beach Resort, and was transferred to Phuket Marine Biological Center (PMBC),…
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Phuket’s second drug rehabilitation camp planned for next month
PHUKET: Following the successful drug rehabilitation camp in Koh Kaew at the beginning of this month, organizers are now planning a second one in Wichit for June. “The Koh Kaew drug rehabilitation camp was a success with 67 of a total of 80 subjects participating,” Phuket’s Muang District Chief, Supachai Pochanukul, told the Phuket Gazette on Friday. “The 13 who…
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Archeological site near Phuket used as eco-tourism collateral
PHUKET: Local Krabi villagers, across the bay from Phuket, have ravaged an archaeological site in a mangrove forest in hopes of making it an eco-tourism attraction.A variety of colorful beads were uncovered by local fishermen in Tambol Klong Thom Thai in Krabi about a month ago, said Teerapong Sithisak a 43-year-old resident of the area.After hearing the fishermen’s stories about…
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Phuket live wire: Yet more scams – be careful out there!
PHUKET: Last February I wrote about a reader who placed an ad in the Gazette, and was strung along by a scammer. The scammer had a long, contrived story that ended with a demand that the person who placed the ad actually send money to the scammer, with threats from PayPal, Western Union and the FBI. About a month ago,…
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Launch of new Phuket incinerator misfires
PHUKET: The long-awaited second incinerator at the Phuket City Municipality facility in Saphan Hin failed to fire correctly during a trial burn this month, dousing the surrounding neighborhood in a foul stench.The disconcerting odor sparked a stream of complaints from local residents and from families visiting the popular recreational park nearby.“We had to move to solve the problem immediately,” said…
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Stranded dolphin saved in Phuket
PHUKET: A stranded striped dolphin (Stenella coeruleoalba) was rescued from Kata Beach yesterday morning and is being closely monitored by the Phuket Marine Biological Center (PMBC).The young, weak dolphin was spotted by Kata Beach Resort workers at about 9am.The PMBC was notified and a team went to sea in order to check on the female dolphin’s condition.“A tentative checkup revealed…
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FC Phuket sustain first half dogfight with Airforce, new president appointment official
PHUKET: FC Phuket came from behind in a closely contested match on Saturday night to draw with Airforce United 3-3 at Surakul Stadium in Phuket Town. All six goals of the season’s 10th fixture were scored in the first 31 minutes of play, with both sides failing to break the deadlock throughout the rest of the match. Opening the score…
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Phuket Police call in Interpol over gem heist suspects
PHUKET: Police have sent a missive to Interpol to confirm whether or not three foreigners arrested for the theft of 30 million baht in gems and jewelry on Monday are wanted international felons. The move to check with the international law coordination agency follows police seizing as evidence a notebook containing a handwritten list of dates, events and venues of…
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American fugitive in Phuket faces deportation to US
PHUKET: An American man arrested in Phuket on Friday faces deportation to the United States, where he is wanted by the California Supreme Court on drugs charges and involvement in lewd shows. Phuket Immigration Police moved in and arrested 46-year-old Michael Anthony Matos at 6pm at an address on Nanai Road in Patong, renowned worldwide as Phuket’s party town for…
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Man stabs boy, 7, in head with screwdriver on Phuket Town street
PHUKET: Police this afternoon arrested a man after he randomly stabbed a 7-year-old boy in the head with a screwdriver while the child was playing with friends in Phuket Town Still in tears and shocked by the attack, the boy’s mother, Chareerat Naksri, told the Phuket Gazette that the stab wound narrowly missed the right ear of her son, Krittamet…
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Monk defrocked after alleged drunk, drugged altercation at funeral
PHUKET: A monk has been defrocked in Phuket and is being held by police after a violent and possibly drug-induced incident at a cremation ceremony this morning.At about 10am Anusit Kulphonmuang, 52, from Udon Thani, reportedly leapt from a wall at Wat Saensuk temple in Phuket Town and seized a 12-year-old girl by her neck.Mr Anusit was reportedly seen drunk…
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FC Phuket host Airforce United tonight at Surakul Stadium, new president to be announced
PHUKET: FC PHUKET are looking to get their first home win of the season this evening against Airforce United FC. Kickoff is set for 6:30pm. Going into the 10th weekend of league play, Phuket are now in 17th place of the 18-team Thai Yamaha 1 league with one win, five draws and three losses. Their opponents, the Airforce United “Blue…
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French tourist drowns as Phuket surf danger season begins
PHUKET: One tourist has drowned and a Thai woman narrowly escaped a similar tragedy after being caught in strong surf on Phuket’s west coast this afternoon. Uten Singsom, head of the Phuket Lifeguard Club team at Kata-Karon, told the Phuket Gazette that a lifeguard pulled a Thai woman, aged about 30, from the surf in front of Karon Circle at…
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Phuket’s Bangla street touts warned: “Hands off tourists’
PHUKET: Patong Police have warned touts plying Phuket’s renowned Soi Bangla that they are not to touch tourists whilst soliciting. “And they are not to drink alcohol while they are working,” said Patong Police Deputy Superintendent Akanit Danpitaksat. Lt Col Akanit explained to the Phuket Gazette that the new rules for working the streets of Patong are the orders of…
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Thailand’s national ID database crash attributed to “server problem’
PHUKET: The system crash of Thailand’s Department of Provincial Administration central database in Bangkok, affecting Phuket and the rest of the country yesterday and this morning, has been attributed to a “server problem”. Phuket City Municipality was informed yesterday by the Region 8 Bureau of Registration Administration in Surat Thani of the problem, saying that some of the database system’s…
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Phuket takes drug war to the coffee shop
PHUKET: In a marked departure from the usual line in tackling drugs on the island, Phuket Vice Governor Chamroen Tipayapongtada yesterday took time out to sit down with local village leaders and discuss the drug problem over a cup of coffee. Joined by Col Jirasak Siemsak of Cherng Talay Police Station and Cherng Talay Tambon Administration Organization (OrBorTor) Vice President…
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Hanging on jugs at Krabi Rock and Fire Climbing Comp 2012
PHUKET: The karst topography and stunning beach-side limestone edifices of Krabi once again played host to the Krabi Rock and Fire International Contest on April 28 and 29. The 2012 event, organized by the Krabi Rock Climbing Club and the Tourism Authority of Thailand, is designed to highlight Railey and Ton Sai as world-class rock climbing destinations. The contest was…
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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