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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Phuket Police chief orders more night patrols
PHUKET: Phuket Provincial Police Commander Chonasit Wattanavrangkul has ordered all police stations across Phuket to take part in the formation of a “Special Operations Unit” in order to boost patrols in key tourist areas from 9pm to 4am. Maj Gen Chonasit announced the news on Thursday at a meeting of the Regional Peace Keeping Council, Phuket Office, headed by Phuket…
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Drug suspect caught in Phuket after year on the run
PHUKET: A man wanted in connection with a police bust involving 9,600 ya bah (methamphetamine) pills last year was arrested last night while walking along Wiset Road in Rawai. The warrant for the man, Kriangkrai “Fad” Mahasod, 24, was issued by the Phuket Provincial Court on September 19 last year. The court issued the warrant pending charges being brought against…
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Phuket Gazette: Sport briefs
PHUKET: England named the same side that defeated the West Indies 2-0 for their upcoming one-day series against Australia.The first game of the five-match series is at Lords this Friday and England will need to maintain their current run of good form to stand any chance against the world’s top-ranked one-day international team. England’s 14 man squad: A Cook (capt),…
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Two dead in Phuket as motorbike swerves to avoid fallen power pole
PHUKET: Two men died and one was seriously injured in Phuket this morning in a single-vehicle motorbike crash after the driver swerved to avoid a utility pole blocking the road in Mai Khao. Tah Chat Chai Police received the report at about 5am and arrived at the scene, about 100 meters from the Holiday Inn hotel, along with Kusoldharm rescue…
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Phuket FC draw Bulls, ready for derby match
PHUKET: Phuket FC held their own on Tuesday night against Thai Premiere League side Wuachon (Fighting Bulls) United, holding the Songkhla-based side to a 3-3 draw at Surakul Stadium in Phuket Town. Though only a friendly match, the Islanders came out gunning. They built up a 3-0 lead before the visitors from Songkhla realized that Phuket was not to be…
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Experts call for Phuket ‘Special Admin Zone’
PHUKET: Experts speaking at a public forum held in Phuket Town last week have voiced their strong support for Phuket to be designated a “Special Administrative Zone”, saying the move would pave the way to resolving many of Phuket’s long-standing problems. Dr Chantinee Boonchai, assistant to the president for Organization and Collaboration Development at the Prince of Songkla University (Phuket…
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Phuket Sports: F1 – A triumph of errors
PHUKET: The Valencia GP since its birth has been F1’s answer to Valium. Suddenly it has hosted one of the greatest races any of us has seen. There were pre-race fans opting for the two-snooze strategy. Hah! “And gentlemen in England now-a-bed shall think themselves accurs’d they were not here.” No-one has been able overtake in Valencia. But this year…
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James Lakin, founding member of Rawai Supports’ Club, passes away
PHUKET: James Lakin , long-term Phuket resident and one of the founding members of the Rawai Supporters’ Club, has died at the age of 38.Mr Lakin, nicknamed “Shaggy” by his friends, died on the evening of June 23, having suffered from a heart condition.His funeral will be held at Wat Sawang Arom in Rawai today and the wake will be…
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Warrant issued for alleged shooter of Phuket Prison guard
PHUKET: Phuket Provincial Court has issued an arrest warrant for the prime suspect in the shooting and wounding of Phuket Prison guard Danunun Teepapan on Wednesday night in Chalong. Chalong Police Deputy Superintendent Narong Laksanawimon told the media that all of the evidence collected at the scene, as well as the information provided by the victim, indicated the assailant to…
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Wreckage found on glacier is missing plane from 1952
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Wreckage found on an Alaskan glacier is missing plane from 1952 Phuket Gazette / News Wires PHUKET: The aircraft wreckage which was found on a glacier near Anchorage earlier this month is believed to be a plane which went missing in the 1950s with more than…
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Phuket Police crack motorbike theft gang in Kamala
PHUKET: Phuket Police have arrested a member of a motorbike theft ring in Kamala, seizing 15 stolen bikes and other evidence valued at 900,000 baht. Local residents who have had motorbikes stolen in recent months are encouraged to visit Kamala Police Station to see if theirs is among those recovered. Provincial Police Commander Chonasit Wattanavrangkul presented the suspect, 19-year-old Athiwat…
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Waterspout rips through five houses in Krabi
PHUKET: Five families are seeking refuge at a local public health clinic after a water spout demolished their homes in Krabi on Wednesday. The water spout struck the small waterfront community of Khlong Kanan in Nua Khlong District, which comprises about 100 stilted homes raised about 15 to 20 meters above the water. Jira Butraha, 30, said her seven-year-old daughter…
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“Cool-off’ leads monks to blows
PHUKET: Two monks in the Northern province of Kamphaeng Phet were defrocked last month after getting drunk and beating each other black and blue.lao khao (rice wine) was lying nearby. Officers separated the two holy men and took them to be defrocked at Wat Bo Sam Saen in Nongpaling Subdistrict. Both were very drunk and had swollen faces from the…
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Phi Phi Poisonings: Autopsy results on Canadian sisters “inconclusive’
PHUKET: Krabi Police today announced that the autopsies conducted by Thai authorities on the bodies of Canadian sisters Audrey and Noemi Belanger failed to find any traces of drugs. The lack of discovery as to what caused the women’s deaths now forces police to follow other leads in their investigation, Krabi Provincial Police Deputy Commander Boontawee Toraksa said today. Audrey,…
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Phuket officials blasted for inaction over mafia
PHUKET: Phuket Tourist Association Vice President Sarayuth Mallam yesterday lashed out at local government heads for failing to see the importance of solving tourism issues and succumbing to the pressures of “foreign mafia”. “Department heads are not placing the proper importance on solving these problems. Even at this meeting, for example, many heads of the relevant organizations are not here,…
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Singapore buyer shells out B1.4bn in Evason Phuket buyout
PHUKET: A subsidiary of Singapore firm LC Development has acquired the former Evason Phuket and Bon Island Resort for a total consideration of 1.4 billion baht, reports Phuket Gazette Property columnist Bill Barnett. The deal was struck on April 21, with Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels acting as broker to the transaction, Mr Barnett said on his Property Insider website. The…
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Indonesians nabbed with B2mn stolen from Phuket policeman
PHUKET: Four Indonesian men were arrested in Haad Yai, southern Thailand, yesterday while heading for the Malaysian border after stealing 2 million baht from a Phuket policeman. Tedi Usman Bin Husin, 43; Yusuf Anwar, 30; Aldi Pratama, 27; and Muhammad Amid, 34, were presented a few hours later at a press conference presided over by Phuket Provincial Police Commander Chonasit…
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Phuket MP petitions PM Yingluck, Chalerm for more police
PHUKET: One of Phuket’s two Members of Parliament is appealing for the Government to take immediate steps to shore up the island’s image following a highly-damning report by a Singapore-based website that brands Phuket: “The Crime Capital of Asia”. The report which includes images sourced from the Phuket Gazette, without permission, describes Phuket as: “one of the worlds [sic] most…
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Phuket Aussie stab suspects denied bail, behind bars
PHUKET: The two men arrested for the fatal stabbing of Australian tourist Michelle Smith were denied police bail yesterday and are now being held at the Phuket Provincial Court holding cells awaiting the formal pressing of charges. Chalong Police officers presented suspects Surasak Suwannachote and Surin Tadthong to Phuket Provincial Court at 11:30 am yesterday. Surasak has confessed to stabbing…
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Poll: Boosting tourist safety in Phuket
PHUKET: The recent confession by two Thai migrant workers in Phuket arrested for the fatal stabbing of Australian travel agent Michelle Smith has once again raised the issue of tourist safety on the island to a national level. The latest Phuket Gazette online poll asks readers which of six measures would best improve tourist safety on the island: Increased CCTV…
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Phuket Sports: FIVB Grand Prix update
PHUKET: Thai ladies continue to live up to their reputation as some of the world’s best ball control artists, with the final round of the Féderation Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB) 2012 Grand Prix, providing the latest stage for them to demonstrate their considerable skills. Considered the women’s equivalent of the FIVB World League of mens volleyball, the annual tournament is…
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Phuket locals outraged by stab attack re-enactment
PHUKET: Police staved off scenes of chaos this morning as local residents shouted out insults at the two suspects who were required by police to carry out a public re-enactment of the botched bag-snatch that led to the fatal stabbing of Australian tourist Michelle Smith. Police intervened and kept the angry crowd members at bay. Surasak Suwannachote, who confessed to…
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Aussie murder fallout: CCTV saturation sought for Phuket
PHUKET: A top-level meeting at Phuket Provincial Hall yesterday heard that the island needs 10,000 CCTV cameras and more police officers to keep tourists and locals safe from criminals. Speaking to the media after the meeting, Phuket Provincial Administrative Organization (OrBorJor) President Paiboon Upatising said, “We want the government to provide a budget of about 2 billion baht to install…
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Phuket killer: “I just wanted the money’
PHUKET: Surasak Suwannachote, the man who earlier today confessed to stabbing Australian travel agent Michelle Smith, told a press conference after the re-enactment of the crime that he had no idea what he was going to spend the money on. “I just wanted to steal the money. I had no idea what I was going to do with it,” Surasak…
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Phuket man critically injured in head-on motorbike smash
PHUKET: A Thalang man is in critical condition at Vachira Phuket Hospital after suffering head injuries sustained in a head-on collision between two motorbikes last night. Thalang Police were notified of the accident at the Baan Lipon u-turn on Thepkrasattri Road at 9:15pm. Rushing to the scene with Kusoldharm Foundation workers, they found 40-year-old Chamni Ninyang lying unconscious on the…
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Phuket villagers plead for new road
PHUKET: Tired of plowing through the mud every time it rains in order to reach their homes, residents at Baan Nai Thon on Phuket’s west coast today filed a complaint at Phuket Provincial Hall to finally get the ball rolling on a road project that has stalled.About 20 villagers arrived at the Damrongtham Center (provincial Ombudsman’s Office) at about 10am…
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Phuket Police reveal identities of the Michelle Smith stab murder suspects
PHUKET: Phuket Provincial Police have announced the identities of the two men arrested today for the stabbing murder of Australian travel agent Michelle Smith which took place near Kata Beach last Wednesday night. Officers at Phuket Provincial Police headquarters in Phuket Town named Surasak Suwannachote, 26, originally from Nakhon Sri Thammarat, as the man who allegedly stabbed Mrs Smith, puncturing…
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Rabbit stew: Phuket FC thrash hapless Hares
PHUKET: Four goals each side of half-time saw a rampaging Phuket FC rout the hapless Chanthaburi FC “Hares” 8-1 last night. There was some concern that Phuket FC might be overconfident going into the match. The Islanders were coming off a big win against Bangkok FC, their first home win of the season, and taking on last place Chanthaburi, winless…
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Phuket Live Wire: Get legal, get locked down
PHUKET: Last week I talked about the likely increase in the amount of spam being generated by botnets running on PCs here in Phuket. I don’t have any numbers – nobody does – but Thailand’s Internet Service Providers are getting blocked left and right by spam filters, all over the world. The reason is simple. An enormous number of people…
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Phuket Police release sketch of Michelle Smith murder suspect
PHUKET: As the manhunt continues in Phuket for the killers of Australian tourist Michelle Smith, police have released a composite sketch of the prime suspect in the hope that some member of the public can identify him. Phuket Provincial Police Commander Maj Gen Chonasit Wattanavrangkul said that both men involved in the attack were probably in their late 20s 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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