Phuket News
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Foreign woman caught offering illegal travel packages in Phuket
A Member of Parliament (MP) for Phuket province criticised a foreign woman allegedly offering travel packages illegally to tourists on a beach. Chalermpong Saengdee, an MP from the People’s Party, shared a video of the woman on his Facebook page on Friday, November 7. The nationality of the foreign suspect has not yet been identified. In the footage, the woman…
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Phuket police urged to act after Polish man’s repeated stabbing threats at hotels
A Polish man in Phuket made headlines once again on November 9, just days after he threatened to stab and kill a Thai hotel staff member last week. A Thai woman shared footage of the foreign man’s behaviour with the Phuket Times Facebook page yesterday, November 9. She claimed the man was a 41 year old Polish national, the same…
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Phuket airport expansion delay threatens tourism growth
Phuket’s tourism sector is facing concerns as Thaneth Tantipiriyakij, President of the Phuket Tourist Association, criticises the delay in the Phuket International Airport Phase 2 expansion. He warned that waiting nearly another decade could leave the island struggling to meet increasing passenger demands. During a meeting at Splash Beach Resort in Mai Khao on Thursday, November 6, Thaneth highlighted the…
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Phuket boat taxi trial hits delay but promises smoother trips
Phuket’s boat taxi project, aimed at easing traffic for tourists and locals, has been delayed, pushing back the start of its much-anticipated trial run. The pilot run of Phuket’s boat taxi service, a project touted as a game-changer for the island’s notorious traffic problems, has been pushed back to mid-December. The trial, originally scheduled to launch earlier, will now take…
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Foreign tourist arrested with loaded ammo at Phuket airport
An Israeli tourist was arrested at a Phuket airport when police discovered a loaded ammunition magazine in his checked luggage during a routine scan. The arrest took place at around 4.30pm yesterday, November 6, after security staff at the airport’s domestic terminal flagged a suspicious item during a routine baggage scan. The 26 year old traveller, who had flown in…
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Repeat wildlife snapper caught again at Karon night market
A woman was arrested at a Phuket night market after being caught offering a protected slow loris to tourists for paid photos, despite past offences. The woman, who has now been arrested three times for similar offences, was detained at Karon Night Market yesterday, November 6, during a joint operation led by Karon Deputy Mayor Trin Thipmongkol. The raid included…
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4 foreign tourists rescued after speedboat stranded off Phuket
Four foreign tourists were safely rescued after their speedboat became stranded on rocks near Maiton Island in Phuket yesterday. Vice Admiral Weerudom Muangjeen, Commander of the Third Naval Area Command, ordered officers from the Third Naval Area Command and the Maritime Enforcement Coordination Centre Region 3 to rescue the four tourists after receiving a report that their speedboat was hit…
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Phuket braces for floods as storm lashes Andaman coast
Phuket officials have warned residents to prepare for flash floods, heavy rain, and strong winds as a powerful monsoon system moves across the island. Phuket Governor Saransak Srikruanetra has issued an urgent public warning as intensified southwesterly monsoon winds fuel extreme weather across the Andaman coast. The Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) forecasts continuous rainfall from November 5 to 10, with…
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Foreign man threatens Phuket hotel staff after being denied entry with cat
A foreign man allegedly threatened to stab and shoot a hotel employee in Phuket yesterday, November 6, after being refused permission to bring a cat into the accommodation. The victim shared details of the violent behaviour with the Phuket Times Facebook page, which also released CCTV footage capturing part of the incident. In the video, the foreign man, dressed in…
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Phuket bosses demand action on Kathu-Patong tunnel plan
Business leaders in Phuket are urging the government to move forward with a vital tunnel project, warning that proposed changes could cause costly delays. At a recent press conference, 24 private-sector organisations joined forces to urge the Transport Ministry to move forward without further alterations or delays. The 3.98-kilometre tunnel, approved by the Cabinet on August 26, comes with a…
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Drug duo arrested in Phuket police raid on Cherng Talay home
Police in Cherng Talay arrested a Nigerian man and a Thai woman after raiding a home where multiple types of illegal drugs were discovered during a crackdown. Cherng Talay Police arrested 37 year old Nigerian national Kenneth Sibowo Nat and 32 year old Thai woman Nitida Karaket during a targeted raid on a house in Soi Cherng Talay 14 on…
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Brazen Russian gang plasters Phuket with drug-selling QR codes
Chalermpong Saengdee, a Member of Parliament (MP) for Phuket (Zone 2) from the People’s Party, has warned of a new form of drug trafficking spreading across the island via a post on his personal Facebook page. Chalermpong revealed that foreigners are placing QR code stickers in tourist attractions and public areas throughout the province. These stickers link to online drug…
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Patong man found dead with lawnmower in suspected accident
A man was found dead beside a shed in Patong with injuries to his neck and face while holding a lawnmower, prompting a police investigation into the cause. Officers were alerted at 8.50pm yesterday, November 3, to a possible fatality on Soi Som Kwai Yai. When they arrived at the scene, accompanied by Kusoldharm Phuket Foundation rescue volunteers, they found…
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Tuk tuk driver killed in Patong knife fight over passengers
A late-night fight between two tuk tuk drivers outside a busy Patong shopping mall ended with one man dead and another injured, police have confirmed. The violent altercation unfolded in front of the Jungceylon shopping mall on Rat-U-Thit 200 Pi Road at around 11.10pm on Sunday, November 2, where witnesses say a long-standing rivalry between two drivers spiralled out of…
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Search continues for missing Russian tourist swept away at Phuket beach
Rescue teams are continuing the search for a Russian man who went missing after swimming with friends in the sea off Nai Thon Beach in Phuket yesterday. Officers from Sakhu Police Station were alerted to the incident shortly before noon and rushed to the scene near the Andaman White Beach Resort in Thalang district, accompanied by volunteer divers from the…
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Phuket governor hails success of U-turn safety project
Phuket Governor Saransak Srikruanetra says no serious accidents have occurred at locations where the new U-turn barriers were installed, marking a significant improvement on what was previously one of the island’s most dangerous road sections. Speaking during the October provincial committee meeting at Phuket Provincial Hall, Governor Saransak said the U-turns had significantly reduced traffic accidents and fatalities. The meeting…
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Australian man caught stealing phone and football jerseys from Phuket mall
Police arrested an Australian man for allegedly stealing football jerseys and a mobile phone at a shopping mall in Phuket yesterday, November 2. Officers from the Special Service Division responded to an immediate theft case while on patrol at the Central Phuket shopping mall. The owner of a mobile phone shop in the mall discovered a missing product and reviewed…
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Phuket transforms into open-air gallery for art biennale
Phuket is finalising preparations to host Thailand’s largest international art festival, which will feature global artists and run for several months. Officials confirmed that the Thailand Biennale Phuket 2025 is now over 90% ready, with the grand opening set for November 29 at Saphan Hin Park. The announcement came following a high-level planning meeting held at Phuket Provincial Hall on…
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Phuket masseuses push for fair rules amid beach crackdown
Phuket officials met to discuss beach vendor rules after over 100 masseuses petitioned to keep working on public beaches amid a local crackdown. The row erupted after local officials began enforcing a crackdown on massage beds, tents, and umbrellas set up by vendors on Kata and Karon beaches, citing violations of public land laws. At a meeting held at the…
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Phuket gambling kingpin arrested in 60 million baht cybercrime raid
Police in Phuket arrested three suspects during a raid on a luxury home linked to an illegal online gambling site with over 60 million baht in transactions. Region 8 Police, led by senior commanders, swooped on a two-storey property on Chao Fa East Road in Wichit yesterday, October 30, uncovering a major cybercrime operation with cash flows topping 60 million…
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Phuket city faces water cut tomorrow, November 1 for pipe repairs
Water supply in parts of Phuket will be temporarily shut off as city officials carry out essential pipe works to improve infrastructure and service reliability. Phuket City Municipality has announced that water supply will be suspended tomorrow, November 1, from 10am to 3pm, while engineers carry out essential pipe connection works at the Khao Rang Intersection. The shutdown is expected…
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American tourist found dead at Phuket Muay Thai camp
An overweight American tourist was found dead in his Phuket hotel room after travelling to join a Muay Thai fitness camp aimed at improving his health. The 33 year old Lithuanian-born American tourist, who reportedly weighed nearly 200 kilogrammes, had checked into the hotel on Soi Ta-iad in Chalong about a week earlier to begin boxing and fitness training aimed…
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Thai minister scraps Patong tunnel plan in shock U-turn
Thailand’s transport ministry has overhauled a long-delayed tunnel project in Phuket, slashing its size, scrapping tolls, and shifting control. Thailand’s Deputy Prime Minister and Transport Minister, Phipat Ratchakitprakarn, revealed a dramatic overhaul of the long-awaited project, cutting the tunnel’s width from 17 metres to just 10 and removing the Expressway Authority of Thailand (EXAT) from the equation altogether. The Department…
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Patong villa thief caught after CCTV exposes cash heist
A Vietnamese man has been arrested in connection with a brazen cash theft from a private pool villa in Patong, after police traced him through CCTV footage and a distinctive motorbike. Patong Police, led by Police Colonel Chalermchai Hirasawat and his investigation team, swooped in on a hotel on Phra Metta Road at around 4pm yesterday, October 29, where the…
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Phuket man caught trying to rip wires from abandoned building
A man was caught attempting to steal electrical wires from an abandoned building in Phuket, prompting police to arrest him at the scene during the act. Officers from Wichit Police Station arrested a 39 year old man, identified only as Chindanai, after he was found dismantling electrical fittings and attempting to remove wires from a derelict structure on Chao Fa…
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Phuket’s veggie fest ends with sacred send-off to the gods
Phuket marked the final day of its annual vegetarian festival with a sacred Buddha procession through the city, drawing crowds despite rainy conditions. The final day of the Phuket Vegetarian Festival 2025 concluded with a sacred ceremony steeped in tradition, as worshippers gathered for the revered Iu Keng ritual, a spiritual procession believed to carry away misfortune and bestow blessings…
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Patong scrambles for help after hillside collapse chaos
A landslide struck a hillside road in Patong following heavy rain, prompting officials to seek urgent help from provincial and national agencies. The incident occurred on the upper slope of 50 Pi Road, where heavy rain last week triggered a collapse of foundations and retaining walls. Concrete debris and soil fell onto the roadside below, forcing a temporary road closure.…
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Burmese worker dies after fall from moving garbage truck in Kathu
A Myanmar worker died after falling from a moving garbage truck in Kathu district, Phuket, while transporting waste, prompting a police investigation into the fatal accident. The incident occurred around 2.20pm yesterday, October 28, near the Kathu Social Security Office on Phra Phuket Kaew Road. Police and emergency responders arrived to find a six-wheeled private garbage truck parked at the…
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Phuket mourns Queen Mother with island-wide tributes
Phuket fell into quiet mourning as locals and tourists joined together to honour Her Majesty Queen Sirikit, the Queen Mother, with solemn tributes and ceremonial blessings across the island. The public is invited to take part in water blessing ceremonies and sign official books of condolences in memory of Her Majesty, whose lifelong devotion to the Thai people is being…
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Phuket ramps up anti-drug drive with united front
Phuket is doubling down on its war against drugs, bringing together police, health officials and government leaders in a full-force push to wipe out narcotics. A high-level meeting held at Phuket Provincial Hall saw top provincial figures join forces under the government’s national Quick Big Win anti-drug policy, which demands urgent, integrated action to tackle drug issues within four months.…
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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