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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Russian man run over by Phuket parasailing boat
PHUKET: A 51-year-old Russian man on holiday in Phuket was rushed to hospital today after suffering severe injuries when he was run over by a parasailing speedboat at Kata Beach. The man, Nikolai Nefedov, suffered a broken left leg and cuts on the back of both thighs. Some of the cuts were were down to his bones, said Chaiwat Sittidet,…
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FC Phuket ready to pluck Chanthaburi “Hares’ on Sunday
PHUKET: FC Phuket Head Coach Sompong Wattana has resumed his duty as “chief of the tribe” – just in time for the Southern Sea Kirin’s long-awaited home match against Cash Today Chanthaburi FC, nicknamed “The Hares”, on Sunday. The coach, who goes by the nickname “Rock Rhino”, rejoined the team on Wednesday following a leave of absence he took last…
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Phuket’s Ironman 70.3 brings in the champs
PHUKET: Current Ironman 70.3 World Champion Melissa Rollison will participate in the Ironman 70.3 Asia-Pacific Championship at Laguna Phuket on Sunday – in addition to a stellar line-up of elite professional triathletes heading to the island. Rollison, of Australia, completed her first Ironman 70.3-distance race in September 2010, and in just 12 months has gone on to claim three 70.3…
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Strong winds leave Phuket King’s Cup triple-champ beached
PHUKET: Strong onshore winds last night left a three-time class champion in the Phuket King’s Cup Regatta stranded on the sand at Kata Beach. Matt Allen’s 44-foot Ichi Ban, on which he won the IRC 1 class at the Phuket King’s Cup last year, was left standing vertically in the sand after the tide ran out this morning. “It looks…
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Officials confirm safety plan for Phuket “death bend’
PHUKET: Phuket Vice Governor Somkiet Sangkaosutthirak today confirmed the slew of safety features to be rolled out at the notorious “100 bodies curve” at Kho En in Thalang, in hopes of reducing the number of fatal accidents at the deadly bend. The move comes after a four-year-old boy and his aunt were killed when a pickup slid out of control…
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Phuket marks World AIDS Day
PHUKET: Phuket has the highest incidence of HIV/AIDS in Southern Thailand and the third-highest per-capita rate of infection in the country, Phuket Public Health Office Chief Sak Tanchaikul announced today. Dr Sak delivered the news at a press conference to mark today, December 1, as World AIDS Day. “This year the slogan is ‘Getting to Zero’,” said Dr Sak. He…
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Phuket “floating corpse’ to be buried if unclaimed
PHUKET: The body of the foreign man found floating in the sea south of Phuket last month will be buried at the Mai Khao Cemetery if it remains unidentified, the Phuket Gazette has been told. The corpse is currently being held at Vachira Phuket Hospital in Phuket Town. “The hospital has already contacted me and said that if no relatives…
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No appeal in Fanelli case: Phuket prosecutor
PHUKET: The Phuket Public Prosecutor’s Office will not file an appeal over sentencing in the case of convicted murderer Ronald Fanelli, the Phuket Gazette has learned. Fanelli, a former US Navy officer, was on November 1 convicted of the June 2010 stabbing murder of Wanphen Pienjai, a hostess at the Sweethearts Bar in Kata. Fanelli was sentenced to 20 years’…
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Music idol Todd Tongdee wants to see ‘magic mix’ of Thais and foreigners at Phuket World Musiq Fest
PHUKET: One of the lead organizers of the World Musiq Fest to be launched tomorrow evening at Saphin Hin in Phuket Town says he wants to see the concert audiences reflecting the name and character of the festival itself. “It’s that magic mix of Thais and foreigners enjoying things together that generates the atmosphere and buzz to create a truly…
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Phuket’s well water drillers threaten blockade
PHUKET: Local groundwater well-drilling operators have threatened to blockade the Phuket office of the Department of Natural Resources and Environment (NRE) if the office’s chief, Chaipadung Promsawadi, doesn’t start recognizing power of attorneys as an acceptable form of representation. Before approving permits for new wells to be dug, Mr Chaipadung wants to meet the owners of the companies that have…
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Phuket Reminder: US Embassy consular outreach today
PHUKET: The American Citizen Services section of the United States Embassy in Bangkok is at the Hilton Arcadia Phuket Resort and Spa in Karon this morning. Consular staff will be available to provide following services until noon: • Passport renewal applications • Notarial services • Embassy registration and/or address change for on-line information• Absentee ballot application and voting abroad information…
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Phuket officials aim to lift landslide ‘disaster warning’
PHUKET: In a sign that the worst of the 2011 monsoon season may be behind us, Phuket authorities are preparing paperwork to revoke a landslide disaster warning for a section of the bypass road in Rassada. The warning was put in place for a section of the bypass road northbound following torrential rains in early October that caused a landslip.…
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Phuket police warn junk shops over stolen water meters
PHUKET: Police in Phuket’s northern district of Thalang have warned owners of junk shops they will be charged with receiving stolen property if they are found in possession of any stolen water meters. The warning comes after police have arrested people in connection with six separate thefts of steel items in the past month, says Lt Col Weerayut Sittirattanakul. “We…
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IronKids want Thai kids for Phuket race this weekend
PHUKET: Triathlon events on Phuket are growing substantially every year both in numbers and in global reputation. The sport also has a positive impact on the lifestyle of those children and adults who become involved with this athletic pursuit. This year saw the very first IronKids junior triathlon event which was held at Thanyapura Sports and Leisure Club (TSLC) with…
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Phuket Live Wire – You’ve got scam mail
PHUKET: Have you ever received a message like the following and wondered who sent it to you? I have a group of 24 people who will be traveling in your vicinity in December and we would like to book reservations at your establishment. We will pay for services, including tax and tips, in advance. Please advise what you have available…
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Villagers wallop hairy Lizards in Phuket’s cricket league
PHUKET: The third match of Phuket’s Island Furniture League 2011-2012 season saw The Village take on the Liquid Lounge Lizards (LLL) at the Alan Cooke Ground (ACG). Both team squads included several new players which have bolstered their sides for this season. LLL, which mainly comprises British International School (BIS) teachers, included a number of players sporting large mustaches in…
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Phuket police launch manhunt, announce B50,000 reward for knife thief
PHUKET: Phuket police today announced a 50,000-baht reward for information that leads to the arrest of the man who robbed a Siam Commercial Bank money exchange booth near Karon Circle on Saturday night. Chalong Police Superintendent Krittapad Dej-intorrasorn today also released a composite sketch of the wanted man, drawn from descriptions by witnesses, in hopes that it will assist in…
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Pheu Thai Spokesman vows to take Phuket encroachment issue to Yingluck
PHUKET: In Phuket to hear complaints about corrupt government officials here was Pheu Thai Party spokesman and party list MP Prompong Nopparit who on Saturday vowed to raise specific instances of alleged land encroachment with Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra. Mr Prompong is currently vice president of the parliamentary anti-corruption committee, which includes Phuket Democrat MP Raywat Areerob. At a public…
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Phuket ‘brand’ up for discussion at Wednesday’s AMCHAM meet
PHUKET: The Greater Phuket chapter of the American Chamber of Commerce (AMCHAM) will be holding its next meeting at the Anantara Resort in Mai Khao on Wednesday (November 30). “This meeting is a ‘must attend’ for those working in the hospitality, travel, property and hotel sectors,” says real estate guru Bill Barnett. “At a time when Phuket is making a…
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Phuket Dinghy Series booms sailing success
PHUKET: Following on from two previous Phuket Dinghy Series race events, twenty-six Optimists and five Lasers competed in the series decider held on November 19 and 20. Overall positions in the event were all to sail for, given that plenty of points were available from the six races that were scheduled over the two days. Phuket Dinghy Series Event Manager…
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Three Phuket athletes bring home gold
PHUKET: Three athletes from Phuket earned gold medals at the 26th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in Indonesia. Nitchaon Jindapol earned a gold medal with the Thailand women’s badminton team, who made hosts Indonesia settle for silver in the final bout. Maneepong Jongjitt also gave Phuket badminton a name, earning a bronze medal with Thailand’s mens’ team. Maneepong, with doubles partner…
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Living With The Tiger: film fights HIV stigma
PHUKET: Attitudes are changing as Phuket gets screenings of an acclaimed documentary about the children of Baan Gerda, an orphanage for HIV-infected kids cast out by their communities and families. What do you do when stuck alone in a small boat with a big, hungry tiger? In the novel The Life of Pi, the protagonist, Pi, comes to form a…
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FC Phuket draw with Saraburi in league restart
PHUKET: After a month-long league lay-off FC Phuket drew with Saraburi FC Warlords in a heated match on Saturday evening with a final score of 2-2 in their Division One encounter. The match was played in front of a crowd of 2,500 at the Saraburi Provincial Administration Organization M150 Stadium. Phuket went ahead in the 16th minute from a strike…
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Phuket “death bend’ gets ‘band aid’ safety, for now
PHUKET: The Phuket Highways Office has closed one southbound lane at the Kor En ‘death bend’ as a temporary measure to stop more accidents at the notorious black spot in Thalang. Also installed as temporary measures are signs warning motorists to slow down and small concrete blocks separating the vehicles exiting Baan Kor En from the traffic speeding past heading…
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AMCHAM meeting to focus on “Phuket’ brand
PHUKET: The American Chamber of Commerce (AMCHAM) Greater Phuket chapter will be holding its next meeting at the luxury Anantara Resort in Mai Khao on Wednesday. “This meeting is a ‘must attend’ for those working in the hospitality, travel, property and hotel sectors,” said Real estate guru Bill Barnett. “At a time when Phuket makes a transition into a mass…
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Italian Cigana bags third Laguna Phuket Triathlon
PHUKET: Massimo Cigana from Italy successfully defended his Laguna Phuket Triathlon (LPT) title today and celebrates an unprecedented third victory in the competition.The “Race of Legends” truly has a new legend in its record books after Cigana from Venice sauntered across the finish line in a time of 02:32:51 and adding the 2011 title to his 2010 and 2007 wins.Speaking…
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Russian tourist dies after Phuket beach rescue effort
PHUKET: A 57-year-old Russian tourist has died after being pulled from the water at Phuket’s Kata Beach this morning. Lt Tianchai Duangsuwan of Chalong Police named the victim as Uriu Varnakov. “He was on holiday in Phuket with his girlfriend and his girlfriend’s parents,” he said. Uten Singsom, head of the Phuket Lifeguard Club stationed at Kata Beach, told the…
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One dead, one injured in Phuket high-speed crash
PHUKET: One man died and another was seriously injured in a high-speed accident in the north of Phuket early this morning.Lt Kraisorn Misang of Thalang Police told the Phuket Gazette that at about 4am he received a report that a car had hit a power pole in front of the Caltex Gas Station near Wat Srisoonthorn on Thepkrasattri Road, north…
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Knife-wielding robber makes off with B2mn from Phuket currency exchange
PHUKET: Two staffers at a currency exchange kiosk in the popular Phuket tourist area of Karon Beach were bound and gagged and robbed at knife point of mixed currencies with a total value of about 2 million baht last night. Amnard Ponpramun, 27, told the Phuket Gazette that he and his colleague Wilaiwan Khao-ong, 22, were closing up the Siam…
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Laguna triathletes inspire Phuket swim safety program
PHUKET: Organizers of the 18th Laguna Phuket Triathlon (LPT) officially opened proceedings and also launched Laguna’s Swim Survival Program (LSSP) at a press conference this afternoon.Guest speakers at the event held at the Dusit Thani Laguna Resort were led by Paiboon Upatising President of the Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (OrBorJor).Paiboon expressed his delight with the success of this year’s event…
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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