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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TAT welcomes inaugural Chinese flight, with tour groups headed to Phuket and Phang Nga
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) welcomed an inaugural flight from Guiyang to Phuket on Tuesday, on the Chinese airline 9 Air. The flight was almost full with 172 people, a good sign for TAT’s goal of drawing five million Chinese tourists to Thailand this year. The airline is carrying tour groups headed to Phuket and Phang Nga. The airline is…
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Phuket hit with petty crime after money boxes stolen
Petty crime has hit Phuket as police charge a couple for stealing a tip box from a Karon resort. According to a report by the Phuket Info Centre, the tip box was stolen from the Kata Tranquil Villa Hotel reception desk on Soi Patak 12, Karon, at around 11pm last Friday. The Phuket News reported that Karon police checked CCTV…
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In Phang Nga, 165 baby sea turtles hatch and venture into the sea
In a heartwarming event, 165 baby hawksbill sea turtles hatched and ventured into the sea in Phang Nga on Tuesday. The Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) reported that a mother hawksbill sea turtle had laid a total of 190 eggs on January 15 this year. The successful hatching of the baby turtles took place at Chong Khao Kad…
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Patong bar raided for child prostitution, 6 teenagers rescued
The special operation unit from the Department of Provincial Administration (DOPA) conducted an undercover raid on Velvet bar on Bangla Walking Street in the Patong neighbourhood of Phuket yesterday after being notified of child prostitution involving teenagers under 18 years old. The international anti-trafficking organisation, Operation Underground Railroad, complained to the DOPA that Velvet bar on Bangla Walking Street lured…
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Car crashes into Phuket power pole, two children and an adult injured
A car crashed into a power pole in Phuket on Monday night, injuring two children and an adult. The sedan crashed into a power pole on Chao Fah – Suan Lueang Road in the Wichit sub-district of the main city district. Rescuers arrived on the scene to find the sedan damaged in the middle of the road. The power pole on…
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Phuket taxi driver praised after returning Louis Vuitton bag to tourist
A Phuket taxi driver is being praised after returning a 150,000 baht Louis Vuitton purse to a Chinese tourist. The Phuket Info Centre, operated by the Phuket office of the Ministry of Interior, posted about the incident. According to Phuket News, the post was titled, “Good deeds must be admired.” The Centre said the bag was returned to the tourist…
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Phuket gets green light for Songkran water splashing
Phuket has been given the green light for water splashing festivities during the upcoming Thai New Year of Songkran. The president of the Phuket Provincial Administration Organisation, Rewat Areerob, confirmed the good news after a three-year break of no water splashing. The official celebrations will be held in Phuket Town on Dibuk Road, in front of the Limelight Avenue shopping…
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Patong Police bust 7 for allegedly illegally processing cannabis buds
There’s been another bust in Patong over nightlife and substances. Patong Police on Monday night busted seven people for allegedly illegally processing cannabis buds. Police apprehended the seven individuals on Bangla Road, and Soi Sane Sabai. This was after the police, along with staffers from the Department of Traditional Thai medicine, inspected cannabis shops on the roads. The seven people…
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Tigerair Taiwan to launch only direct Taiwan – Phuket route
Budget airline Tigerair is launching direct flights between Taiwan and Phuket, southern Thailand, in May. Tigerair, a subsidiary of China Airlines, will be the only airline currently servicing the Taipei – Phuket route directly, twice per week. Phuket will become the airline’s second destination in Thailand. Tigerair currently serves direct flights between Taoyuan and Don Mueang Airport (DMX) in Bangkok.…
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Vocational education to aid Phuket labour shortage
Phuket tourism completed a full turnaround from the Covid-19 pandemic days of no customers to so many customers that there aren’t enough workers to take care of them. Now, an agreement has been signed between the Office of Vocational Education Commission (OVEC) and representatives of the business sector in Phuket to address the labour shortage in the province’s tourism and service…
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New Executive Assistant Manager appointed at Four Points by Sheraton Phuket Patong Beach Resort
Press Release Four Points by Sheraton Phuket Patong Beach Resort has announced the appointment of Benoit Mouclier as Executive Assistant Manager. Prior to this appointment, Mr. Benoit was the Director of Sales & Marketing of the resort. A highly skilled hospitality professional with previous work experience in China and Hong Kong, Mr. Benoit has worked at a variety of Marriott…
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Two foreign kayakers rescued from Phuket sea
The search for two missing foreign tourists who disappeared after renting kayaks from a hotel on Coconut Island in Phuket, southern Thailand, on Friday has been called off. It turns out they were rescued by the captain of a yacht later that day. At 6pm yesterday, officers at Mueang Phuket Police Station, Tourist Police, Phuket Marine Police, and Koh Kaeo…
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78 baby sea turtles hatch, 96 more eggs laid in Phang Nga
It’s been a good week for sea turtles in Thailand, particularly in the southern province of Phang Nga. Not only did 78 baby leatherback sea turtles successfully hatch, but a green sea turtle laid 96 eggs this week. In a positive sign for conservation efforts in Thailand, dozens of baby sea turtles have hatched and made their way to the…
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Officials bust Patong hookah venue over violations
Officials busted a Patong hookah venue on Friday night following complaints. The raid at Crystal Club on Bangla Road was ordered by Phuket Governor Narong, along with other officials. During the raid at around 11.30pm, officials seized a total of 52 hookah sets along with shisha and other equipment, and handed it to police, The Phuket News reported. The officials…
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Coral Rehabilitation for Divers Volunteers protects reefs
A new Coral Rehabilitation for a Divers Volunteers training program in Phuket has attracted several foreign divers interested in the restoration project. The course aims to provide participants with knowledge of how to operate procedures in coral rehabilitation following academic principles. The program, created by the Royal Thai Navy (RTN) and the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) has…
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2 Phuket restaurants busted with protected marine life
In Phuket, two floating restaurants have been busted possessing protected marine life in violation of environmental laws. The Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) inspected floating restaurants in Phuket on Friday to check whether they had protected marine life and found a stash. Social media posts shared the findings online. The DMCR inspection found that both restaurants had ornamental…
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Do your part: sign up as a Phuket Tourist Police volunteer
For all the armchair activists and online commenters saying the police should take more action, now is your chance to help. The Phuket Tourist Police are looking for a few good men and women. They have announced that they are seeking foreign volunteers to assist with law enforcement on the island. But don’t delay – the last day to submit…
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Body spotted off Phuket believed to be missing Romanian diver
Nearly two months after the search for the Romanian diver who went missing at sea off Phuket ended, officials believe that his body has been found. A body was spotted floating off Phuket’s Koh Kaew island yesterday, The Phuket News reported. At 12.30pm, an unnamed boat captain told Chalong Police that he found a legless body in the water some…
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Another meeting with French consul on French motorbikers in Phuket
There’s been yet another meeting with the French Consul in Phuket addressing the issue of dangerous motorbike driving by French nationals on the island. This is after the former French Consul in Phuket met with Patong Police over the issue just last month. The Honorary Consul of France in Phuket, Alain Faudot, along with the Consul at the French Embassy…
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Patong Police still probing the cause of Belgian man’s death
UPDATE Patong Police are still probing the cause of the death of a Belgian man reported on Wednesday. The Phuket Express reported yesterday that Patong Police are reviewing the incident to determine if the man did indeed slip and fall, as was reported earlier, or if his death was caused by a physical confrontation. The victim’s friend said they got in…
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Police say no action to take on German man’s traffic fine drama in Phuket
After a German man claimed that he had to pay a traffic fine of 2,000 baht in Phuket last month, Chalong Police say there is no action to take over the accusation, since there is no record of the fine. Reports said that on February 20, the man had been riding a motorbike through the Chalong underpass. The man said…
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Belgian man tragically dies after trying to defuse argument in Patong
A Belgian man tragically died after he reportedly tried to defuse an argument in Patong. The man’s friend told Patong Police that he had been in a heated argument with a Thai man at an apartment in Soi Nanai. The victim had been trying to stop the heated exchange, and for unknown reasons, he reportedly ran and slipped, hitting his…
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Phuket man fires gun in hospital car park in spat over parking space
Yet another parking spat in Thailand has resulted in a gun being drawn. A Phuket man yesterday fired a gun at another man’s car in a hospital parking lot in a spat over parking space. The incident happened on the fifth floor of Vachira Phuket Hospital’s car park building at 9.30am. The man, 31 year old Thanakorn Thongek, had reportedly…
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Thai navy busts Phuket umbrella operator for beach encroachment
The Royal Thai Navy busted a Phuket umbrella operator for encroaching on a beach yesterday. The incident happened on Koh Racha Yai, an island off southern Phuket. The navy inspected the island yesterday and found the operator on Ao Pratok Beach. Twenty sets of umbrellas were seized, and the operator was arrested and brought to Chalong Police Station for further…
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Phuket farang offers 4,000 baht reward for missing duck
A beloved pet duck has gone missing in Phuket, southern Thailand, and its farang owner is offering a 4,000 baht reward for the person who finds and returns it. A poster reveals that the duck is female and went missing on Friday, March 3, from behind Wat Khanaen Temple near Thalang Dog Hotel. CH3‘s Facebook page Nai Krasae (“In the…
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Tragic road death in Phuket after young man hits reduce speed sign
A tragic road death occurred in Phuket after a young man hit a reduced-speed sign with his motorbike on Sunday. The incident happened on Thepkrasattri Road southbound in Tambon Thepkassattri at 7.40am, The Phuket News reported. Rescuers arrived on the scene to find the victim, 24 year old Thanongsak Raiyai, lying dead near his motorbike. Thanongsak’s neck was broken, and…
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Shortcut road between Kathu and Thalang in the works
Phuket authorities are planning to construct a shortcut road between Kathu and Sri Soonthorn in Thalang. The road is being built in hopes of easing traffic congestion in Koh Kaew. The move was announced by Phuket Provincial Administration Organisation (PPAO) President, Rewat Areerob, who revealed that three prominent families in the region have donated land for public use to enable…
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Officials raid counterfeit brand name shirt factory in Phuket
Officials raided a counterfeit brand name shirt factory in Phuket‘s Kathu district yesterday. The team of officials from the Intellectual Property Department said they found machines and equipment used for shirt production at a house in a housing district near Kathu Waterfall. The officials also raided two nearby houses where they found thousands of counterfeit brand name shirts, The Phuket…
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Aussie man apprehended in Phuket after taking erratic joy ride in stolen car
Thai police apprehended an Aussie man after he was found to have stolen a car at the Phuket International Airport and proceeded to take an erratic joy ride. The man reportedly stole the car at the airport’s car park, hit a parked vehicle and fled the scene. He then ran through two police checkpoints before he was apprehended. According to…
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Cops charge Canadian who claimed he was mugged in Patong
UPDATE Cops have charged the Canadian tourist who last month claimed he was violently mugged in Patong. Patong Police say the tourist, 28 year old William Lamarche-Saint-Louis, was not robbed as he said he was, and he started the fight. Police said that after a full investigation, it was found that the incident began when Saint-Louis sat on a beach…
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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