Phuket News
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Gun stunt in forest exposes Phuket drug kingpin
A Burmese drug dealer has been arrested in Phuket after a video of him firing a gun in a mangrove forest went viral, leading police straight to his stash of meth, cash and weapons. The suspect, identified as 34 year old Nge Htwe Don, known by the alias Mr Screw, was caught after posting a video of himself practising with…
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Aussie found dead on Phuket hotel bed with weed and Viagra
A 36 year old Australian man has been found dead in his hotel room in Phuket, with police investigating whether a suspected drug overdose was the cause. Chalong Police were called to the scene at a hotel on Soi Ta-iad at around 2.30pm on Wednesday, August 27, after staff reported discovering the man lying motionless on his bed. Police Lieutenant…
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Caught out: Suspected Phuket cat burglar faces fresh charges
A suspected cat burglar already behind bars in Phang Nga is now staring down more charges in Phuket, after police linked him to a string of break-ins in Wichit and Chalong. Wichit Police Chief, Colonel Somsak Thongkliang, confirmed yesterday, August 28, that investigators are pushing the Phuket Provincial Court to issue an arrest warrant for the suspect, identified only as…
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Outta control: Runaway truck ploughs into Patong ditch
A Bangkok-registered six-wheeled truck caused a stir in Patong yesterday after careering off Phra Barami Road and crashing into a roadside ditch, just metres away from a local temple. The dramatic accident occurred around 11.10am yesterday, August 28, when the driver reportedly suffered brake failure while descending the notoriously steep Patong Hill. The truck lost control at the dangerous Pla…
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Financial stress linked to body found hanging at Phuket shrine
Worshippers arriving at Phuket’s famous Jui Tui Shrine this morning were confronted with a grim discovery: a man had died by hanging before dawn. Phuket City Police reported that they were alerted at 7.55am today, August 28, to the death of 56 year old Montree Jongthirawong. Rescue workers and forensic doctors were dispatched to the shrine, located in Phuket Town,…
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Police hunt violent youth gang for shooting teen on Phuket road
A quiet Phuket road turned into a shooting scene when a teenager was gunned down by a gang member riding past on a motorbike. The incident occurred on the evening of August 24 along Muang Thong-Khao Khad Road near Muang Thong Market in Wichit subdistrict, Mueang district. The victim, identified as 18 year old Thanwa, was shot in the back while…
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Phuket man busted with meth after riding into police checkpoint
A 26 year old man from Surat Thani was arrested in Phuket early yesterday after riding his motorbike into an active police checkpoint. Officers stopped him for acting suspiciously and found meth pills in his possession. A drug test came back positive. Police in Phuket arrested the man yesterday, August 27, after he drove suspiciously into an active checkpoint set…
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‘Pearl of Phuket’: Thai-Cambodian beauty dazzles in pageant
The “Pearl of Phuket” stole the show on Saturday night, dazzling the crowd and clinching a top-three finish at Miss Universe Thailand 2025. The glamorous Miss Universe Thailand 2025 pageant lit up Bangkok on Saturday, August 23, with 23 year old Naruemol “Adele” Phimphakdee stealing the spotlight as she secured a coveted place in the top three. Representing Phuket, the Thai-Cambodian…
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Phuket locals demand action after foreigners drift pickup outside convenience store
Locals called for legal action against two foreigners after a pickup truck was filmed drifting in the car park of a convenience store in the Bang Thao neighbourhood of Phuket. The video, which circulated widely on Thai social media yesterday, August 26, showed a white pickup drifting in front of a 7-Eleven in Bang Tao. The driver was reported to…
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AI takeover: Phuket trains officials for smart city revolution
Phuket has kicked off a new chapter in its smart city push with a training programme designed to help government officials understand and apply artificial intelligence (AI) in day-to-day administration. The initiative, titled Enhancing Knowledge on the Use of Artificial Intelligence in Government Administration, was held at Phuket Vocational College yesterday, August 26, with Governor Sophon Suwannarat presiding over the…
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Kuwaiti tourists pay 200,000 baht after attacking Phuket lifeguards
Kuwaiti tourists apologised and paid 200,000 baht in compensation to Thai lifeguards after a physical assault over a safety warning at Nai Han Beach on Monday, August 25. A group of foreigners was caught on video attacking two Thai lifeguards at Nai Han Beach in the Rawai sub-district. The confrontation began after one of the lifeguards warned a tourist not…
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Caught on camera: Patong burglar snared with 300k baht loot
Patong Police have arrested a 28 year old man from Phuket after linking him to a series of burglaries worth 300,000 baht. The suspect, Kittipong Boonchuay, was caught yesterday, August 26, at a rented house in Patong after CCTV evidence allegedly tied him to late-night thefts, where police say he used a motorbike to make quick getaways. Police estimate the…
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Zimbabwean romance scammer escapes arrest from Phuket to Bangkok
Police arrested a Zimbabwean man at an apartment in Bangkok on Thursday, August 21, for operating a romance scam in Phuket and overstaying his visa. Multiple Thai women filed complaints against a Zimbabwean teacher, later identified as 37 year old Valentive Tandier, at Katu Police Station, saying they had been scammed out of valuables while in a relationship with the…
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Indian cooks busted for illegal work on Phuket luxury boat
A Phuket luxury boat outing turned sour when police swooped on Chalong Pier and arrested three Indian nationals caught illegally working as cooks on board. The Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) confirmed that officers from the Marine Police Division carried out the sting as part of a crackdown on illegal employment around the pier. The suspects, identified by police only as…
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Filipino crewman found hanged on gas tanker off Phuket
Police in Phuket are investigating the death of a Filipino crewman who was found hanged aboard a Singapore-flagged gas tanker anchored off Ao Makham. The body of 28 year old John Bernice Tio Brioso was discovered at around 5pm yesterday, August 25, aboard the Hoegh Gandria, which was moored off Wichit. The vessel’s captain, Nikolic Drasco, immediately alerted Thai police.…
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Unlicensed tourists hit with fines in Phuket road blitz
Phuket’s tourist roads are under the spotlight after police revealed more than 17,000 foreigners have already been fined this year for driving without a licence. Phuket Provincial Police Commander Major General Sinlert Sukhum confirmed the staggering figure at a provincial meeting yesterday, August 25, chaired by Governor Sophon Suwannarat at Phuket Provincial Hall. Between August 1 and 22 alone, police…
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Dutch tourists attacked by foreigners outside Phuket hotel
Police in Phuket are investigating after two Dutch tourists were assaulted by two unidentified foreign men outside a hotel in Karon early on the morning of August 23. The incident took place around 12.15am on Kata Road, according to the Karon Police. The victims, identified as Maximilian and Michelle, reported to the police that they were approached by two male…
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Phuket taxi driver arrested over alleged rape of foreign teacher
Police today, August 25, arrested an app-based taxi driver in Phuket for allegedly raping a foreign teacher in a roadside forest, although the suspect denied the accusation. The 28 year old victim, reportedly an African national, filed a complaint with Thalang Police Station on Saturday, August 23, accusing the taxi driver of sexual assault. According to the victim, she and…
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Brazilian tourist detained after rooftop incident in Patong
In the early hours of August 23, police and rescue personnel in Patong responded to an incident involving a Brazilian tourist on the roof of a massage parlour on Thaweewong Road. The sight of the tourist caused safety concerns and alarmed residents. The Patong Police received the report at approximately 2.45am. Led by Lieutenant Colonel Chittawan Pengkaew, officers, along with…
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Foreign teacher files rape complaint against Phuket app-based taxi driver
Police are searching for an app-based taxi driver after a foreign teacher filed a rape complaint at Thalang Police Station in Phuket on Saturday, August 23. The 28 year old foreign victim lodged the complaint after being rescued by residents in the area. The Phuket Info Centre Facebook page reported that the victim is an African teacher, although officials have…
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Beach alert: Deadly blue dragons invade Phuket shore
Beachgoers in Phuket are being warned to steer clear of venomous blue dragons after the toxic sea slugs washed up on Karon Beach. Local officials sounded the alarm after several sightings of blue dragon sea slugs (Glaucilla sp) were reported following recent rainfall. The creatures, though small and visually striking with their electric-blue appearance, pose a serious health risk to swimmers.…
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Late-night blaze: Inferno torches bikes in Phuket shop fire
Fire ripped through a Phuket motorbike shop in the dead of night, torching more than 10 motorcycles in a dramatic blaze. Kathu Police are investigating the cause of a fire that broke out in the early hours yesterday, August 22, gutting parts of a motorcycle repair shop and destroying multiple vehicles. The alarm was raised at approximately 2am when officers…
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Prison shock: Myanmar woman hangs herself in Phuket cell
A Burmese woman detained for deportation was found dead in a Phuket immigration cell after hanging herself with her trousers. A 29 year old Myanmar woman took her own life while being held in an immigration detention room at the Phuket Immigration Office early yesterday morning, August 22. The woman, identified as Htike Darlee, was found dead at around 5.03am…
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Tourist tragedy: Young American washes up on Phuket beach
Police are probing the death of a 28 year old American tourist whose body was found washed ashore on Patong Beach in Phuket yesterday afternoon. The grim discovery was made near the Coral Beach Bridge at the southern end of the popular tourist hotspot at around 1.30pm yesterday, August 22. Patong Police Chief Police Colonel Chalermchai Hirasawat arrived at the…
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Phuket on flood alert as Bang Yai Canal water levels surge
Officials in Phuket have issued a flood warning as continuous heavy rain and high tide threaten to overwhelm the Bang Yai Canal. Today, Friday, August 22, water levels surged in several areas, prompting Phuket City Mayor Suphachok Laongphet to inspect the Bang Yai Canal. He instructed officials to closely monitor the situation at key pumping stations and respond rapidly to…
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China eyes Phuket as Thailand’s next film hotspot
Phuket may soon be the next big-screen sensation as top Chinese film officials tour the island to explore its potential as an international filming destination. A senior delegation from China’s Hainan Province, led by Chen Jiyang, Deputy Minister of Public Relations and Secretary-General of the Hainan International Film Festival Organising Committee, visited Phuket on Wednesday, August 20. Their mission was…
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Russian man sacrifices life to save girlfriend in Phuket waters
A Russian man drowned after saving his girlfriend’s life during a late-night swim between Banana and Nai Thon beaches in Phuket yesterday, August 21. The Russian woman, 24 year old Kamila Sharipova, sought help at about 12.30am after her boyfriend, 35 year old Denis Nonenkov, disappeared into the dark waters at a Phuket beach. The incident occurred outside the Andaman…
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Phuket holiday turns tragic as Russian vanishes at sea
A late-night beach swim turned into a nightmare for a Russian couple in Phuket, after a powerful wave dragged the man into the sea, sparking a desperate search effort. The incident occurred shortly after midnight today, August 21, near a secluded stretch of coastline between Banana Beach and Nai Thon Beach in northern Phuket. Sakhu Police identified the missing man…
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1 foreigner dead, another critical after drowning tragedy at Phuket’s Kata Beach
A foreigner drowned in the sea off Kata Beach in Phuket yesterday, August 21, while another foreigner survived but was left in a critical condition. Phuket Times Facebook page reported the incident in the evening, although it reportedly occurred earlier in the afternoon. Witnesses said locals managed to pull both foreigners from the water, but one had already died. The…
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Bitten by bravery: Cobra strikes back in Phuket
A Thai security guard in Phuket ended up needing hospital treatment after being bitten by a highly venomous king cobra moments after capturing it with his bare hands. The shocking encounter unfolded in Kamala yesterday afternoon, August 20, when the guard bravely bagged the enormous reptile. But his moment of triumph quickly turned sour when the cobra lashed out and…
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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