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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The Racha steps up campaign to keep Koh Racha green
PHUKET: Management at The Racha resort on Koh Racha Yai, a popular day-trip island about 25 nautical miles south of Phuket, has stepped up its campaign in environmental care on the island. The news follows environmentalists’ accusations against greedy developers, tour operators and resort owners for blatantly exploiting Koh Racha‘s pristine natural beauty to make a profit, with little or…
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Phuket Crime: Mutilated body found on Nai Yang Beach
PHUKET: Police in Phuket are trying to identify a mutilated body that washed ashore at Nai Yang Beach yesterday morning as the first step in a murder investigation. Tah Chat Chai police were notified of the discovery in Sakoo Village 1 at about 11am. Arriving at the scene with Phuket Kusoldharm Foundation workers, Lt Col Prakob Boonkwan and fellow officers…
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Phuket Democrats rally against reconciliation bills
PHUKET: Democrat Party members staged a protest in Phuket on Friday to denounce the reconciliation bills set to be discussed in Parliament. The gathering made Phuket the first province to rally against the bill, said Democrat MP Sathit Wongnongtoey.Over 2,000 joined the rally at Queen Sirikit Park in Phuket Town, led by veteran MP Anchalee Vanich Thepabutr and MP Raywat…
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Phuket banks another gold in the games
PHUKET: Despite being one of the smallest provinces in Thailand, Phuket continues to make big waves at the 28th National Youth Games (Phuket Games 2012) now underway on the island. The island’s gold medal tally now stands at 13, following Somkiat Kraisrisombat’s win of the gold yesterday in the Boys’ Singles event at CS Bowl, Big C Supercenter.Steady-handed Somkiat won…
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Phuket move up to 8th in Youth Games
PHUKET: Phuket now sits in 8th place in the standings of the 28th National Youth Games (Phuket Games 2012), after picking up a number of gold medals in recent days. Phuket has already grabbed medals in many events, including karate, taekwondo, bowling, and wushu. And today many more medals are to be contested. For those seeking to cheer on the…
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Burmese pedestrian killed in Phuket hit-and-run
PHUKET: A Burmese man was killed instantly when he was run over by a speeding pickup truck in a hit-and-run accident in Phuket’s Koh Kaew subdistrict last night. Phuket City Police were informed of the accident at 10:30pm. Arriving at the scene, the median strip in front of the Supercheap mini-mart on Thepkrasattri Road in Bang Khu, they found the…
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Phuket kitesurfer not stung, didn’t drown, say lifeguards
PHUKET: Phuket lifeguards have dismissed the assertion that the American kitesurfer who died shortly after being pulled from the sea at Nai Harn Beach yesterday drowned or was stung by a jellyfish. Nai Harn lifeguard Charintorn Naripen told the Phuket Gazette, “Four of us tried for 20 minutes to revive the casualty before the ambulance arrived. We don’t believe he…
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Yacht club merger marks end of Phuket sailing era
PHUKET: After more than two decades as Phuket’s original yacht club, the Phuket Yacht Club today announced that it will be merging with the Ao Chalong Yacht Club (ACYC). “After careful consideration we, the Phuket Yacht Club committee, have unanimously decided that it is in the best interests of the members to join forces with the Ao Chalong Yacht Club.…
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Democrat’s Suthep joins rally in Phuket
PHUKET: Former Deputy Prime Minister Suthep Thaugsuban has arrived for a rally in the heart of Phuket Town to protest the reconciliation and amnesty bills that the yellow-shirt People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) are have been protesting against in Bangkok this week. Also on the island to join the rally tonight is Sathit Wongnongtoey, current Democrat MP for Trang province…
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UK inquest rules Phuket tourist electrocution as “accidental death’
PHUKET: A coroner’s inquest conducted in the UK into the death of 21-year-old British tourist Charles Thomas in Phuket has ruled that his electrocution during heavy rain was an “accidental death”. Mr Thomas was electrocuted in Patong in August last year after placing his hand on the cover of an outdoor power socket fitted into the forecourt paving stones in…
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Phuket Governor issues surf warning after Games athlete rescued
PHUKET: Phuket Governor Tri Augkaradacha has issued a formal warning to all head coaches of teams competing in the Phuket Youth Games to not let their athletes swim in the dangerous surf.“The warning was issued to the head of each team to make sure their athletes do not go into the water during the current treacherous windy conditions or swim…
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Phuket sports: F1 – 6 races, 6 winners
PHUKET: Jackie Stewart famously said, “…qualify on pole and make no mistakes, and Monaco is not a difficult race to win”. Mark Webber qualified on pole, thanks to Michael Schumacher’s five place demotion; he made no mistakes, and he won. This is Webber’s strength – he is infuriatingly calm and does not make mistakes. He got a clean launch while…
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Phuket Games motorbike crash survivor “will play sports again’
PHUKET: Atthapong Noikhamsin, the 13-year-old boy who survived the motorbike accident in Rawai this morning that killed his Phuket Games teammate, 18-year-old Sutthipong Laphutama, has not suffered serious injury and is being kept in hospital under observation. “We x-rayed Atthapong’s brain, as well as his neck. They are normal. We operated at 2pm to reset his collar bone, which was…
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Phuket baby elephant DNA test results to be announced
PHUKET: The long-awaited DNA test results of three baby elephants seized from elephant camps in Phuket will be revealed next week, the Phuket Gazette was told today. The three elephants were seized in February from the ATV @ Hill Adventure Tour camp on the road to the Big Buddha image in Chalong; the Elephant Camp at the Laguna complex in…
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Chinese punt for Phuket consulate as tourist arrivals skyrocket
PHUKET: The dramatic increase in the number of Chinese tourists visiting Phuket in recent years is causing problems and has prompted Chinese officials to look into establishing a consulate on the island.Xu Mingliang, the People’s Republic of China Consul-General in Songkhla, Southern Thailand, was in Phuket yesterday to hear tour operators’ concerns firsthand and to discuss the issues with Phuket…
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Phuket beach toll rises as kitesurfing American dies
PHUKET: An American kitesurfer died en route to hospital after being pulled from the surf at Phuket’s Nai Harn Beach around noon today.The man, whose name has not been released to the press, had been kitesurfing earlier that morning. He was seen by beach vendors struggling in shallow water after heading back to shore.“We saw him floating in the shallow…
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Arson not suspected in Phuket Sports Association VP house fire
PHUKET: Police believe an electrical short circuit started a fire at the house of Sompong Muthitakul, vice president of the Sports Association of Thailand office in Phuket, on Tuesday night.Regardless, officers have not ruled out the possibility of arson and are continuing their investigation to confirm precisely what caused the fire, Phuket City Police Deputy Superintendent Jamroon Plaiduang told the…
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Two injured in Phuket pickup crash
PHUKET: Two men out enjoying Phuket nightlife were injured, one seriously, when their pickup slammed into a power pole before dawn today. Thalang Police at 1:55am were notified of an accident on Thepkrasattri Road inbound near the Karn Keha Public Housing Estate U-turn in Srisoonthorn subdistrict, Thalang. Arriving at the scene with Kusoldharm Foundation rescue workers, police found the extended…
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Tragedy strikes Phuket Games as athlete dies in motorbike accident
PHUKET: A young athlete from Bangkok, scheduled to return home after competing in the Phuket Games rowing competition, died in a tragic motorbike accident in Rawai this morning. Chalong Police confirmed the identity of the victim as Sutthipong Laphutama, aged 18. The driver of the motorbike, 13-year-old Atthapong Noikhamsin, was rushed to hospital for treatment of serious injuries. The driver…
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Russian drowns in notorious Phuket rip
PHUKET: A Russian man who ignored red warning flags at Karon Beach is Phuket’s latest drowning victim. Uten Singsom, head lifeguard at Kata-Karon, told the Phuket Gazette that the 33-year-old entered the surf near the Thavorn Palm Beach Resort at about 1pm yesterday. The deceased was later identified as Denis Korobogatov. “He and his two Russian friends came from Patong.…
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Phuket live wire: Thailand’s 3G woes
PHUKET: UGH! What a mess. If you’ve been following along over the years, you know that the history of 3G wireless internet access in Thailand has been fraught with competing organizations, lawsuits, government changes, allegations of corruption, political infighting, and a whole lot of money floating around. To understand the quandary we’re in right now, you need to know the…
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Go Team: Phuket swipes second gold in “Go’
PHUKET: Phuket girls Bussarin Raktaengam, Worakluck Kritsachaikan, Sudaphat Khongkaew and Pichakon Kankanok yesterday defeated their Nakhon Ratchasima opponents to win gold in the soft tennis event at the 28th Thailand National Youth Games being held in Phuket.The foursome join the boy’s doubles team of Krit Jamkhajonkiet and Panode Kingtkaew as so far the only Phuket competitors to win gold at…
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One sting reported from flood of ‘bluebottles’ at Phuket beaches
PHUKET: Phuket lifeguards at Kata and Karon beaches so far have reported only one person being stung by the bluebottle jellyfish that washed ashore in droves yesterday.More than 100 of the “stingers” washed ashore at Kata and Karon beaches, confirmed Uten Singsom, head lifeguard at Kata-Karon patrol unit on Phuket’s southwest coast.He also received reports that some were found on…
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Evason Phuket opens books to prove “no capacity to pay’
PHUKET: At a closed meeting today, representatives from the Evason Phuket & Bon Island resort revealed financial statements to prove that the resort company does not have the capacity to pay for demands made by workers summarily dismissed last Tuesday. “The Human Resource Manager and the Accounting Manager from the resort are here today to present financial statements from their…
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FC Phuket lose 3-0 at Ratchaburi, botched ref’s call under review
PHUKET: Fans of FC Phuket, outraged over a red card given to keeper Alonso Jose Carvalho Da Silva in Sunday’s 3-0 loss on the road at Ratchaburi, got a small measure of vindication yesterday when the Thai Premier League (TPL) review board agreed that the Brazilian’s diving kick save wasn’t intended to harm the attacking player and that remedial action…
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Phuket tourism takes a hit over “Trashing Racha’
PHUKET: The Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) has been forced to start taking steps to redress the growing concerns voiced in Phuket about the environmental destruction of Koh Racha Yai by negligent tour operators and tourism business owners.The news comes after a leading figure in local environmental conservation blasted greedy tourism operators and the lax enforcement of environmental…
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Help sought for morbidly obese woman in Krabi
PHUKET: The elderly mother of a morbidly obese woman in Krabi province is seeking assistance to get her daughter the medical help and living assistance they need to survive. Wanphen Pimsri, 32, started having serious medical problems as a teen. At age 18, she underwent brain surgery for a hormonal imbalance at Songklanagarind Hospital in Haad Yai, the top government…
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Man killed by 6-wheeled truck in Phuket rush hour
PHUKET: A man believed to have been drunk was struck dead by a six-wheeled truck on Phuket’s busy Thepkrasattri Road at about 6pm today.Witnesses told the Phuket Gazette that the man was first seen slowing drivers down on the northbound lanes near the u-turn about 50 meters south of the Tah Reua Chinese Shrine.The man motioned drivers to stop then…
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Somjai uncontested in run for Phuket City Mayor re-election
PHUKET: Somjai Suwansupana will run for re-election as Phuket City Mayor uncontested following the closure of candidacy registrations on Friday. Former Mayor Somjai will lead her Khon Noom (Young Turks) party to the polls 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. Although running…
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Phuket lifeguards return to beaches
PHUKET: Fully equipped lifeguards are now back on duty at Phuket beaches, ready to rescue swimmers who get into difficulty during the currently treacherous weather. Uten Singsom, head of the Phuket Lifeguard Club unit at Kata-Karon, told the Gazette, “This year we are going to have a new uniform and new flags. Both will be ready next week. Last year…
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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