Phuket News
Phuket news, politics, business, tourism, and nightlife—stay updated with breaking stories, events, and expat updates from Thailand’s top island destination. Get the latest from The Thaiger, your trusted Phuket news source.
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Nearly blind prisoner escapes hospital after surgery
PHUKET: Escaped prisoner Nantachai Boomrak, 23, having absconded from Vachira Phuket Hospital on August 4, found himself back behind bars the next day. Mr Nantachai was originally placed in the hospital by Provincial Prison Chief Rapin Nichanon, who said doctors had informed him that Mr Nantachai would go blind if he did not receive immediate treatment for cataracts.“The Phuket Prison…
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Phuket Live Wire: Don’t get mugged by your mates
PHUKET: I have been holding off writing about more email scams, waiting so I can write about nailing somebody and getting them thrown in jail. So far, no luck. But in the past week I’ve received two messages from people I know, here in Phuket, who have had their email accounts hijacked. That’s quite a coincidence – if it is…
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Phuket FC sink Navy, 1-0
PHUKET: A beautiful second half goal by defender Nontaphan “Berm” Jiensathawong was enough to secure Phuket FC a 1-0 win over higher-ranked Navy in a match at Surakul Stadium in Phuket Town last night. Just over 2,000 fans turned up for the match, which was played in perfect conditions and heavy security, including a detachment of uniformed Navy servicemen. Navy…
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Prosecutor calls for new evidence in off-duty police shooting
PHUKET: The off-duty police officer alleged to have shot and killed a man in Phuket Town on May 5 has been placed on inactive duty pending a review of new evidence by the Provincial Prosecutor’s Office. The officer, Cpl Rachaporn Semaksorn, was assigned to the Patong Police at the time of the incident, during which it is alleged he shot…
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BREAKING NEWS: Michelle Smith killers get life in prison
PHUKET: The two men charged with killing 60-year-old Australian tourist Michelle Smith in a bungled bag snatch in Phuket on June 20 have been sentenced to life in prison. The sentences were handed down at Phuket Provincial Court this afternoon. The judge presiding over the three-day trial commuted death sentences to lifetime imprisonment after both men pleaded guilty. Surasak Suwannachote…
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18-wheeler wipes out pickup truck, noodle stand: 1 dead, 6 injured
PHUKET: Thalang Police are searching for the driver of an 18-wheel truck and trailer that slammed into a pickup, plowing the vehicle into a roadside noodle stand in Phuket last night. The driver of the rig fled the scene, where one person was killed and six more injured. Thalang Police were notified of the accident, on Thepkrasattri Road northbound near…
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Surin dared killer into bag snatching, court told
PHUKET: The man who wielded the blade in the bungled bag snatch in which Australian tourist Michelle Smith was killed on June 20 was teased into it by his accomplice, the Phuket Provincial Court heard today. In presenting police evidence in the charges against the accused, Surasak Suwannachote and Surin Tadthong, Lt Col Boonlert Onklang of Chalong Police today read…
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57 candidates to contest Phuket OrBorJor election
PHUKET: The registration period for the upcoming Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (OrBorJor) council election, to be held on August 26, closed on Saturday with 57 candidates registering to contest the 24 council seats available.OrBorJor Chief Administrative Officer (Palad) Manop Leelasuthanon said the registration period, which opened on July 31, “received a great deal of attention from a great many people”.In…
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Patong political hopefuls flock to register candidacies
PHUKET: It was a busy morning at the Patong Municipality Offices yesterday, when two rival teams of Phuket politicians registered their candidacies for the upcoming municipal election scheduled for September 2. Incumbent Mayor Pian Keesin led his blue-shirted Rak Patong (“Love Patong”) team to the office, while rival mayoral candidate Kittisan Kuru led his yellow-shirted Patong Gao Na (Patong Progress)…
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Online poll highlights fears of Phuket property “bubble’
PHUKET: A majority of Phuket Gazette online readers feel that real estate prices in Phuket will fall over the next five years due to oversupply, according to the most recent online poll. A total of 1,868 readers who took part in the 12-day poll were asked: Tanan Tanpaiboon, former head of the Phuket Real Estate Association, recently warned that over-development…
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Phuket Police investigate apparent stabbing suicide by Swiss expat
PHUKET: Police in Phuket are investigating the apparent suicide of a Swiss expatriate found with a fatal knife wound to the chest in his rented home in Rawai yesterday. Chalong Police at 11:30am were notified that a male Caucasian had taken his life by a stabbing at a home on Soi Naya. Arriving at the scene with Phuket Ruamjai Kupai…
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Accomplice to Michelle Smith’s killer changes plea, admits guilt
PHUKET: The man who drove the motorbike, used in the attack that led to the death Australian tourist Michelle Smith on June 20, changed his plea today after initially denying all charges against him. At the beginning of today’s court proceedings, Surasak Suwannachote admitted to his part in the crime and pleaded guilty to the charge of “gang robbery causing…
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Phuket cop arrested, linked to meth trade
PHUKET: Phuket Police arrested a fellow policeman on Saturday just hours after he was named by another drug suspect for involvement in the sale and distribution of ya ice (crystal methamphetamine). Phuket City Police Deputy Superintendent Jamroon Plaiduang told the Phuket Gazette this morning that officers arrested Sen Sgt Maj Kumthorn La-orsuwan, 40, after drug suspect Mana “Tham” Jindamanee, 37,…
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Michelle Smith attacker pleads guilty to ‘gang robbery causing death’
PHUKET: Surasak Suwannachote, the man on trial for stabbing Australian tourist Michelle Smith in a bungled bag snatch on June 20, appeared at Phuket Provincial Court this morning and confessed to gang robbery resulting in death. Surin Tadthong, the driver of the motorbike in the attack, denied all charges against him. Surin’s denial came despite an earlier confession, which he…
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Phuket Customs seize B8mn of smuggled fuel in Krabi
PHUKET: Phuket Customs officials this morning announced the seizure of what they claim is 8 million baht of smuggled fuel. Customs and navy officers seized the “black oil” as it was being pumped from a wooden ship converted into a fuel tanker to a fuel transport truck waiting on shore late on Friday night in Krabi. Two crew members of…
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Krabi – Phuket match marred by hooliganism
PHUKET: Some 400 Phuket FC fans, players and staff were held hostage for nearly three hours inside Krabi Provincial Stadium last night following a heated derby match that ended in a goalless draw. Traveling to Krabi by bus, members of Phuket’s three main fan clubs – the Hard Core, Hulk and Mask – were united into one energized cheering force…
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Korat Boy, 14, dies after crashing into parked truck in Phuket
PHUKET: A 14-year-old boy from Nakhon Ratchasima died after crashing his motorbike into a large truck parked by the side of the road in Phuket yesterday afternoon. Chalong Police at 2:15pm received a report of a crash near the Land & Houses residential estate on Chao Fa West Road in Chalong. Arriving at the scene with Phuket Ruamjai Rescue Foundation…
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‘Stars’ to shine in Phuket Life Music Festival tonight
PHUKET: Jaruwat “Dome” Cheawaram, better known as “Dome The Star”, will headline at the Phuket Life Music Festival 2012 in Phuket Town tonight. The concert will be held at Anuphas Field on Phang Nga Road, site of the old Phuket Weekend Market, from 7 to 10:30pm. Other live acts to appear on the night include “Hun and Can”, two contestants…
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Phuket Sports: Patong captain gets a duck as rest of team flies
PHUKET: The second week of Phuket’s Outrigger T20 League saw Patong CC take on ICC at the Alan Cooke Ground (ACG) last Sunday. ICC won the toss and decided to send Patong into bat in a move that seemed to be working early on, as ICC dismissed opener Richard (Foldsy) Folds for a duck. Richard Desmond (27) and Rishi Sadarangani…
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Phuket Violence: Another tourist severely beaten by taxi drivers
PHUKET: An Australian tourist filed a police complaint yesterday alleging that he was severely beaten after confronting a taxi driver about a sexual comment made to his girlfriend. Accompanied by the girl and an Australian consul, Peter Hulands filed the complaint with Patong Police shortly being released from hospital. He suffered a broken nose and a shattered eye socket in…
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Phuket Prison gates swing open for mothers’ hugs
PHUKET: The gates of Phuket Provincial Prison will be open on August 15 and 16 to enable mothers to hug their children inside the facility in honor of HM Queen Sirikit’s 80th birthday on August 12. During those two days, mothers will be allowed to visit their inmate children, and inmates’ children will be allowed to visit their convicted mothers,…
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Phuket mum not saddened by son’s Olympic exit
PHUKET: The mother of Phuket badminton star Maneepong Jongjit had words of encouragement for her son after his quarterfinal-round exit from the Men’s Doubles competition at the London Olympics 2012 yesterday. Pranee Jongjit was among more than 1,000 people who gathered at a hall in Saphan Hin at 3pm yesterday to watch Maneepong and his partner Bodin Isara of Bangkok…
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Phuket pessimistic about ‘Safety Zone’ plan: poll
PHUKET: Pessimism reigns over a plan by the Royal Thai Police to set up a “Safety Zone” in Patong, with more than four-fifths of people taking part in a recent Phuket Gazette online poll thinking the initiative would have “little or no effect”. A total of 1,640 people took part in the two-week poll, which was launched on July 13.…
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Justice Minister eyes new billion-baht Phuket Prison
PHUKET: Justice Minister Pracha Promnok today reviewed plans to close the 115-year-old and heavily overcrowded Phuket Provincial Prison in Phuket Town and establish a 3,000-person capacity prison in Thalang. Pol Gen Pracha announced details of the new prison, which is set to be established on 108 rai of government land near the Bang Jo detention center in Srisoonthorn, Thalang. However,…
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Man found dead in tin mine lagoon
PHUKET: Police are attempting to identify the body of a man found floating in an old tin mine lagoon in Chalong yesterday afternoon. Phuket Ruamjai Foundation rescue workers and Lt Col Boonlert Onklang arrived along with officers from the Chalong Police to find a large crowd of people gathered at the scene on Luang Por Chuang Road. The man was…
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Flood of candidates register for OrBorJor election
PHUKET: Scores of people arrived at Phuket Community Hall on Tuesday as candidate registration for the August 26 Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (OrBorJor) council election opened. A total of 24 council seats are up for grabs, with 15 for Muang district, six for Thalang district and three for Kathu. OrBorJor Chief Administrative Officer Manop Leelasuthanon told the Phuket Gazette that…
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Foreigners urged to give blood at Phuket Immigration
PHUKET: The Phuket Regional Blood Center (PRBC) will host a special blood donation drive at Phuket Immigration Headquarters on August 9 to honor the 80th birthday of HM The Queen three days later. PRBC Director Pornthip Rattajak told the Gazette her agency hopes the drive will help the center stock up its supply of rare Rhesus negative (Rh-) blood types…
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Phuket Sports: Badminton scandal rocks London Olympics
PHUKET: The badminton scandal that has rocked the London Olympics not only reflects badly on the players involved, but also on the sport as a whole. Speaking to iSportconnect, before the eight players were disqualified from the women’s doubles, President of the Badminton World Federation (BWF) Dr Kang Young-Joong was confident the sport would be successful at the Olympics, and…
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Phuket’s first “Safety Zone’ set up in Patong
PHUKET: In the wake of several high-profile violent crimes that have rocked Phuket over the past few months, Phuket Police are moving ahead with their plan to set up “safety zones” in key tourist areas, starting with Patong. Phuket Provincial Police Commander Chonasit Wattanavrangkul delivered the news to more than 800 people from different walks of life in Patong, all…
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TAT Phuket Director steps up to Bangkok
PHUKET: Bangonrat Shinaprayoon, Director of the Phuket office of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), bade her final farewell to Governor Tri Augkaradacha at Phuket Provincial Hall this morning before her move to Bangkok.Ms Bangonrat leaves the island on August 1 to take up her new position in Bangkok as Director of Attractions Promotion Division.“My new department is responsible for…
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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