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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5 hidden healthcare costs in Thailand and how to avoid them
Thailand's healthcare system is affordable and supported by the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) scheme, offering essential services to most citizens. However, hidden healthcare costs can surprise patients and lead to unexpected expenses. These include specialist fees, insurance gaps, emergency services,...
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Phuket Sports: Diving on a single breath
PHUKET: Freediving. It’s different than scuba diving. There is a quietness underwater. Not a silence, but a quietness. There is the sound of shifting sand and parrot fish chewing on coral. These are the sounds of life that don’t exist for scuba divers bubbling away on their regulators. It is one of the beauties of diving on a single breath.Freediving…
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Phuket Sports: Cream of Thai cricket
PHUKET: In celebration of the ACG opening, a Cricket Authority of Thailand (CAT) Select XI took on a mixed selection organized by the Asian Cricket Council (ACC) in a 40 over exhibition match. Having won the toss, CAT decided to bat and sent in local boys Martin Foster of the Village CC and Val Guiraud of Laguna CC to open…
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QSI Phuket welcomes grrrrrrreat new Tiger Turf
PHUKET: Team Tigers of Quality Schools International (QSI) Phuket are getting ready to unveil their new and improved sports den. The US$120,000 (just over 3.7 million baht) new facilities include a multi-purpose basketball court, a football field enveloped by a 100-meter running track and a new garden and waterfall. In a fitting tribute to the home side, their new football…
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Russian tourists stranded including 340 in Phuket
PHUKET: The bankruptcy of one of the largest tour operators in Russia has left thousands of Russian tourists stranded around the globe, including 340 in Phuket. Soopakij Chearavanont, Russian Honorary Consul for Greater Phuket, said the sudden bankruptcy of Lanta Tour Voyage has cost Phuket resorts from tens to hundreds of thousands of baht. Most of the Russians stranded bought…
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Phuket fire guts Kathu home, eight flats
PHUKET: A large fired completely destroyed a home and a row of rental flats in Phuket last night. Thung Thong Police were notified of a blaze on Soi Bangthong, about 50 meters from the Family Mart convenience store on Phra Barami Road on the Kathu side of Patong Hill, at about 8pm. Arriving at the scene, duty officer Capt Sakchai…
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More Phuket school kids caught with meth, krathom
PHUKET: Schoolkids in Phuket are taking pharmaceutical drugs after ya ice (crystal methamphetamine) smoking sessions in an attempt to turn up negative in urine tests for the drug, local officials have revealed Muang District Chief Supachai Pochanakul described the trend of growing drug abuse by schoolchildren in Muang District as “very worrying”. The statement follows a recent round-up of 19…
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Phuket regatta heads home for the awards
PHUKET: Day Four of The Bay Regatta saw sailors greeted with sunny skies and good wind as they left their anchorage off the Sheraton Krabi Beach Resort and headed back to Ao Chalong for the regatta’s final party and awards ceremony at the Ao Chalong Yacht Club (ACYC). The colourful spinnakers stood out proud as the fleet made the crossing…
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Phuket’s War on Drugs: Why has Bebe gone?
PHUKET: It is sad that Phuket’s two specially-trained drug dogs have been suspended from “active duty” for lack of dedicated handlers, especially given the time invested in their training and the phenomenal results displayed by the beagle Bebe during her first day on the job last July. [See page 6, this week’s issue of the Phuket Gazette. Digital subscribers click…
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Phuket update: Swede horror smash driver surrenders
PHUKET: The reckless truck driver who killed four Swedish holidaymakers in Phuket as well as their Thai driver on Wednesday morning surrendered to police in Phang Nga yesterday. The driver, 27-year-old Muhummadyukee Jehyusoh, was held in a cell at Phang Nga Provincial Court yesterday. He has since been transferred to Phang Nga Provincial Prison. Media access to the Narathiwat native…
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Phuket update: US lifts terror alert
PHUKET: Good news for the Phuket tourism industry has come with the US warning of a possible terrorist threat in Bangkok having been removed from its website, where it had been on the main page. The warning was replaced with a more general alert for East Asia. The new warning does not name any specific countries or places, but 14…
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Phuket Sports: Epic final in Aussie Open
PHUKET: World number one Novak Djokovic retained the Australian Open title in an exhilarating victory over second seed Rafael Nadal. Not only was the encounter the longest-ever Grand Slam final to date, at five hours and 53 minutes, it also gave tennis archivists numerous other records to rewrite. Nadal is the first man to lose three consecutive Grand Slam finals…
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Phuket Sports: Liverpool double down
PHUKET: Liverpool FC progressed to the last sixteen of the FA Cup thanks to a late winner from Dirk Kuyt. In four days the Reds sent both Manchester outfits out of English domestic cup competitions. Kuyt, left unattended by an absent and constantly jeered Patrice Evra, drove home from inside the United box after Andy Caroll flicked on Pepe Reina’s…
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What’s the difference between Terry and Suarez?
PHUKET: “Terry will not captain the England team until the allegations against him are resolved.” Chelsea central defender, John Terry, has lost the England captain’s armband yet again – this time over racial abuse accusations involving Anton Ferdinand of Queen’s Park Rangers. The trial will take place on July 9, 2012 – after the Euopean Championship tournament. Terry lost the…
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Phuket Sports Bag: This week in Sports
PHUKET: Grab your balls, bats and rackets for another nosedive into this week’s world of local and international sports events with the Phuket Gazette. In tennis, read about the final to end all finals that pushed Rafael Nadal and Novak Djokovic to their break points at the Australian Open. Maria Sharapova may need another relaxing visit to Phuket after her…
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Royalists protest Nitirat group in Phuket
PHUKET: A small group of Phuket royalists gathered at Phuket Provincial Hall to show their opposition to efforts by the Nitirat group of scholars in Bangkok to amend Chapter 2 of the Constitution and article 112 of the Criminal Code, which deal with lese majeste. The group of about 20 protesters arrived at 10am with a letter of protest, which…
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Phuket Sports: Laguna bailed out by untimely dismissals
PHUKET: The Alan Cooke Ground (ACG) officially came into being last weekend with a two day event opened by Phuket’s youth development rugby and cricket teams. A fine display of strength and skills was exhibited by the Lomas (rugby) and Leopards (cricket) for spectators in their finery, who had gathered as part of a grand ceremony that announced the ACG’s…
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Phuket Bay Regatta 2012 gets a bit of everything for day one of racing
PHUKET: The 15th Bay Regatta got underway yesterday with crews’ patience and skills tested by a mixed bag of conditions on the first day of racing. GoYachting’s Richard Valentine remarked on the unusual weather.”The regatta gave us a little bit of everything,” he said. “Some sunshine with blue skies and wind early on, then the wind died and we were…
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Phuket to launch anti-AIDS campaign on Valentine’s Day
PHUKET: Public health officials will launch a “Getting to Zero AIDS” campaign on Valentine’s Day to combat HIV/AIDS in Phuket, which has the highest incidence of HIV infection in Thailand, according to government statistics. The campaign will kick-off with a festival on February 14 at Phuket Rajabhat University, said Phuket Public Health Office (PPHO) chief Sak Tanchaikul. There will be…
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Phuket medical tourism threatened by taxi thuggery
PHUKET: One of Phuket’s leading hospitals has complained that ‘taxi mafia’ are preventing its drivers from picking up patients staying at certain resort hotels. The complaint was one of many aired at a meeting at Phuket Provincial Hall on the topic of tourists being cheated in Phuket. The meeting was chaired by new Phuket Vice Governor Sommai Prijasilpa. Pareeya Jullaphong,…
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Phuket weather radar out of service
PHUKET: The weather radar at Phuket Airport has been out of service for almost a week, but a technician at Phuket Airport says it should be operational again in a few days. According to the Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) website, the Phuket weather radar has been out of operation since midday last Friday. Narongsak Gumroob, a radar technician at the…
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4 Swedes, 1 Thai dead in horror smash near Phuket
PHUKET: Two young Swedish couples and their Thai driver were killed instantly yesterday morning when their rented car was hit head-on by a six-wheel refrigerator truck in Takua Thung District, Phang Nga. The dead were identified by their ID cards as: Elin Marita Hedbris, 21Frida Madeleine Falk, 22Anders Tobias Larsson, 22Johan Olof Nikolas Svensson, 22Wichit Phromluang, 26, from Udon Thani…
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Phuket Live Wire: Protect yourself from ATM skimming
PHUKET: Recently the Gazette ran a story about ATM skimming, describing how two long-term Phuket residents lost hundreds of thousands of baht at the hands of clever thieves. The banks involved came up with good advice: use ATMs either inside or at the front of bank branches; use ATMs from major banks as they have better anti-tamper systems and beware…
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Phuket Sports: PYSC get the cream of Cats
PHUKET: Young sailors from the Phuket Youth Sailing Club (PYSC) were recently afforded the chance to experience the thrill of being aboard a new 32-foot Marstrom Cat (M-32) on the waters of Phuket. The M-32 is a vessel built purely for speed with the same state-of-the-art technology as used in the aircraft industry and Formula 1 car racing. Owner of…
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World number four pair set to give back to Phuket schools
PHUKET: Schools beach volleyball received a top endorsement recently with the world’s number four pairing of Jennifer Kessy and April Ross from the USA offering to help promote the sport on Phuket. Bob Selznick continues to do sterling work for youth volleyball on the island and his friendship with the 2011 FIVB Phuket Beach Volleyball finalists [Kessy and Ross] has…
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Phuket Sports: Krabi down the Lomas
PHUKET: KrabiI RFC recently hosted the Phuket Lomas in Ao Luk for their first U17 fifteen-a-side game of 2012. These games act as a warm up to the National Youth Games which will be held in Phuket in May and June. As usual the Lomas were playing above their weight with most of the team aged 14 and 15 years.…
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Phuket and Andaman hotel occupancy at 66.5% in 2011: THA
PHUKET: Hotels in Phuket and other Andaman coast provinces enjoyed the highest occupancy rates in Thailand in 2011, the Thai Hotels Association has announced. Speaking at a forum organized by the Federation of Thai Tourism Associations on Monday, Thai Hotels Association (THA) President Prakit Chinamourphong said there was a chance that Thai hotels could raise room rates by 5-8 per…
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Phuket’s AFL strikes nine
PHUKET: With FC Phuket having recently ended their tumultuous season, the popular Adult Futsal League (AFL) presented by Thanachart Bank has picked up the baton to continue into season nine of the island’s football interests. Played at Thanyapura Sports and Leisure Club (TSLC) in Thalang, organizers this season have moved the competition from the smaller, dedicated futsal pitch to the…
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Bangkok squad to tackle illegal taxis
PHUKET: A team of Ministry of Interior (MoI) officials from Bangkok will arrive in Phuket in the coming weeks to tackle the island’s long-standing problems with “black plate” taxis and their drivers, Phuket Governor Tri Augkaradacha has announced. The move follows a number of serious complaints received by the ministry regarding “black plate” taxis, the local name for regular vehicles…
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Phuket school kids busted on meth
PHUKET: Six students in their first year of secondary school have been caught skipping school to get high on ya bah (methamphetamine) in an abandoned disco in the heart of Phuket Town. First year secondary school students (Matthayom 1) are typically 13 years old. The six students, all enrolled at an unspecified school under the administration of Phuket City Municipality,…
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Phuket expat reunited with “best friend’ Micky
PHUKET: Long-term Phuket expat Frank Lamine has been reunited with his lost dog “Micky”, but his fears of dog-nappers operating at Nai Harn Beach remain. Mr Lamine lost Mickey on January 22. After checking with police, he learned that Rawai Municipality has CCTV cameras posted at the beach. “The CCTV footage recorded Micky at the beach at 4:30pm. Then at…
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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