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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“Troubled’ lovers plunge from Phuket bridge, whereabouts unknown
PHUKET: A search has been launched for a pair of troubled lovers who were last seen on Thepkrasattri Bridge and are now missing, believed to have leaped into the fast-flowing waters heading out to the Andaman Sea. Tah Chat Chai Police Duty Officer Watcharin Jiratikarnwiwat received a report just after midnight last night that a man and a woman had…
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Floods force south-bound trains out of Bangkok
PHUKET: Floods in Bangkok have forced trains bound for Surat Thani, a popular jump-off point for tourists heading to Phuket, to start from the Nakhon Pathom railway station, on the west of the Thai capital. An operator at the State Railway of Thailand’s call center today told the Phuket Gazette that the move to shut down Southern Line services at…
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Japanese refugee in Phuket pot bust
PHUKET: A Japanese man fleeing the flood waters in Bangkok was caught with about 24 grams of marijuana this morning as he entered Phuket by car. Police stopped a white Honda Jazz at about 9:30am at Tah Chat Chai checkpoint for a routine inspection. In the car were three Japanese men, including Haruyuki Masuoka, 27. Police found four plastic bags…
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Phuket tourist mum dies, son seriously injured in motorbike accident
PHUKET: A German tourist was killed and her son seriously injured in a motorbike accident on Wednesday about 100 meters ahead of her husband and the boy’s twin brother, who were on another motorbike.Nicole Wittig, 47, was driving the motorbike at about 11pm on a road near the Laguna resort complex with her 17-year-old son, Mark, riding pillion when she…
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Thanyapura serves up ITF tennis for Phuket on Saturday
PHUKET: Following their success at the recent Thanyapura Tennis Challenge, Tachakorn Tonnon and Pavaporn Limsakul are now preparing for another opportunity to showcase their talents at the Chang International Tennis Federation (ITF) Thailand Pro Circuit 2011 tournament.Enthusiasts of the sport in Phuket are also anticipating an exciting exhibition of tennis from a number of the finest players in the region,…
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Phuket Governor goes shopping for flood price hikes
PHUKET: Governor Tri Augkaradacha today inspected Phuket’s three largest grocery retailers after receiving complaints of price rises on some products following the floods in Bangkok.Joining Governor Tri were Prajiad Aksornthammakul of the Phuket Provincial Office, Phuket Internal Trade Office Director Supatcha Boonpalit, and Phuket MP Raewat Areerob.At each store, Gov Tri and his entourage were welcomed by the store manager…
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Phuket rises to send more flood-relief
PHUKET: On behalf of the Rotary Club of Patong Bach (RCPB) the Phuket Gazette office in Koh Kaew is serving as a drop-off point for flood-relief donations. The reception desk is accepting cash as well as bottled water, clothing (particularly warm items), blankets, baby products, canned or dried food, life vests, flashlights, small boats, and anything else that donors feel…
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Phuket tourists finger American snatch thief
PHUKET: An American man was arrested last night after allegedly committing a string of snatch thefts in popular tourist beach areas on Phuket’s west coast. Jake Bordes, 27, was stopped by police and charged with robbery after two tourists reported being robbed in separate incidents while walking in Karon. A Chalong Police report states that “Ritua Walli” was robbed at…
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Phuket tourism on high ground
PHUKET: Tourism in Phuket will not be negatively affected by flooding in other parts of Thailand – in fact, the industry is doing better than last year, according to Phuket Tourist Association (PTA) Vice President for Marketing Bhuritt Maswongsa. “The flood disaster is not affecting Phuket tourism because most of Phuket’s tourists come from abroad – there are more than…
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Second event completed in Phuket Dinghy Racing Series
PHUKET: The second edition of the Phuket Dinghy Series took place off Nai Yang Beach on October 15 and 16 with 33 sailors in contention for honors. Organizers selected Nai Yang for this edition as part of three different racing areas, with the intention of allowing sailors to experience a range of conditions and test their seamanship throughout the three…
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Phuet Youth Sailing Club’s sailors selected for Youth Games
PHUKET: Six Phuket Youth Sailing Club (PYSC) members have been selected to represent Phuket at the National Sports Festival in Khon Kaen during November 2011 and the National Youth Games to be held in Phuket during March 2012. The six sailors are, Mak Sarawat (Laser Standard Class), Akapoj Kankaew and Sukanya Saiman (Super Mod Class), Teerapong Tohkratoak, Tanaporn Budgrim and…
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Phuket’s schools ready for PTT Cup
PHUKET: The PTT sponsored Schools Volleyball Cup will again take place on Karon Beach as a forerunner to the main PTT Swatch FIVB Phuket competition. Four schools will participate, including Rachaprachanukroh School, British International School, Headstart, and SOS Children’s Village. The event will be run over two days, starting on November 5, after the FIVB semi finals, and will finish…
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Phuket Irish Times race 5
PHUKET: What initially looked like a small crowd turned into a fleet of seven for the Irish Times Series race five off Ao Chalong Yacht Club. Participating in the Racing Class were Linda, Dreamtime and Remington, while in the Multihull Class were Nina, Moto Inzi, Miss Saigon and Sidewinder. A sunny day greeted the crews with a good breeze beginning…
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Running tips by Jurgen Zack for Phuket’s triathlon
PHUKET: I started as a distance runner at the age of 14. I always had the desire to be independent. Running meant freedom for me and I could choose to run on my own anytime and anywhere in the world. Running is a sight seeing tour and I enjoy the stress relieving effect it has on my body. Running, for…
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F1 Grand prix in Jersey
PHUKET: “They compare it to Spa in Belgium, but it will have the feel of Monaco.” West New York attorney Joe DeMarco recently made a comparison between the New Jersey, 3.2-mile street circuit that will host the Grand Prix of America in 2013 – and the famous Monaco circuit. Firstly, I wonder who “they” are? And secondly, comparing New Jersey…
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Nok Air to resume Bangkok-Phuket flights
PHUKET: Nok Air will resume flights between flood-struck Bangkok and Phuket tomorrow by temporarily moving their operations to Suvarnabhumi Airport. Nok Air ground attendant Nonglak Sangcharoen, based at Phuket International Airport, today confirmed to the Phuket Gazette that, “Due to the floods, all Nok Air flights from Phuket to Bangkok from tomorrow, October 27, through to November 10 will land…
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Phuket bus crash driver blames brake failure
PHUKET: The driver of the Phuket tour bus full of Russian tourists that ran off the road on a steep curve heading into Patong this afternoon told police that brake failure caused the accident. “The brakes failed. That’s what caused the crash,” said Nakrob Tiewtrakul, 42, from Ratchaburi, who suffered a deep cut on his forehead when the bus plowed…
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Cyclists make the Big Push for Phuket
PHUKET: TEN riders representing the Royal British Legion and the Thai War Veterans Organization are set to cross Phuket’s Thepkrasattri Bridge tomorrow, completing a 855-kilometer bike ride from Bangkok in a bid to raise 500,000 baht for charity. Completing the ride, called the “Spice Roads Royal British Legion Big Push”, are British ex-service folk, the oldest of whom is Tony…
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BREAKING NEWS: Bangkok on full alert for inundation tonight
PHUKET: Bangkok governor Sukhumbhand Paribatra warned the capital’s city dwellers in all 50 districts to brace for flooding as a significant portion of the backed-up floodwater from the North will hit across the city tonight.The governor made the announcement as he inspected the water level in the Chao Phraya River, which he said is likely to be at 2.40 metres…
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Phuket Breaking News: Bus crash on Patong Hill; many injured
PHUKET: A bus carrying 37 Russian tourists from Phuket International Airport has crashed on Patong Hill, injuring many passengers in the second such incident in four days in Phuket. A Russian passenger told the Phuket Gazette that the bus – emblazoned with the company name “J-Siam Holiday Phuket Co” – was carrying 37 Russians, and four Thais: two tour guides,…
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Phuket Town thieves stealing water meters – again
PHUKET: Officers at Phuket City Municipality are urging residents to beware water meter thieves running amok in the town. They are also calling for all scrap metal merchants to be on the lookout for any scrap being sold that suspiciously looks like the ramps used to allow vehicles to ascend curbs and be parked in inner-city garages. The warnings come…
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Phuket prisoners selected for ‘reintegration training’
PHUKET: More than 200 inmates at Phuket Prison today began their first day of rehabilitation training to prepare them for release into society. The two-week course, launched to honor HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej’s 84th birthday on December 5, aims to help the inmates become “good, moral people” and productive members of society, said Phuket Prison chief Rapin Nichanon at the…
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Ex-cop caught smuggling 4.5kg of marijuana into Phuket
PHUKET: Police at Tah Chat Chai checkpoint – the northern tip of the island – yesterday arrested a retired policeman trying to smuggle 4.5 kilograms of marijuana into Phuket.Also arrested was a man who says he was just getting a ride from Ranong to Phuket with the former officer.Police stopped Natthawut Nuengklang, 61, at 2pm to conduct a standard inspection…
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Thai property: Food for thought for Phuket expats
Phuket NEWS Hound – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket readers PHUKET: An item on the BBC website last week caught the attention of Phuket News Hound. Grand in its simplicity and purpose, and unassailable as a means to improve a troubled nation’s economy, a proposal by two United States senators to woo foreign property buyers – yes,…
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Korean tourist in Phuket ICU after tour van slams into tree
PHUKET: One Korean tourist remains in intensive care and another in general recovery in hospital after the tour van they were traveling in left the road and slammed into a tree in northern Phuket on Saturday. The tourists were returning to Phuket after a day trip to Phang Nga. Lt Col Prakob Boonkwan of the Tah Chat Chai Police reported…
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Phuket set to benefit from national boom in cable and satellite TV
PHUKET: Improved technology and higher quality shows could mean a wider variety of content and lower subscription prices for Phuket’s television viewers. Nationally, cable and satellite television appears to be on a roll, with market penetration expected to reach 80% of the households in the Kingdom this year, up from an earlier projection of 50%. Industry leaders define the market…
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Phuket residents reclaim robbers’ loot
PHUKET: Residents in Phuket’s Thung Thong subdistrict have been trickling into the local police station over the past few days in the hope of reclaiming household goods stolen from their home. Officers at Thung Thong police on Thursday revealed more than 30 items seized as evidence in the arrests of three men charged with conducting a recent spate of break-ins…
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Patong residents win with landslide victory
PHUKET: Residents living in the Kok Makham community in Patong, on Phuket’s west coast, were blessed when the developer of a nearby construction project on Wednesday agreed to pay for damages to their homes and to clean up their streets. Chaianan Ananthanawat, 62, registered with Patong Municipality as the “project owner” of the site, also vowed to have retaining walls…
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Phuket election canvasser dies in high-speed collision
PHUKET: A man helping to post campaign posters for the upcoming local election in Mai Khao died in a high-speed motorcycle accident yesterday afternoon.Tah Chat Chai Police Lt Col Prakob Boonkwan received a report at 2pm saying that a motorcycle had slammed into a 10-wheeled truck on the road that runs alongside the runway at Phuket International Airport.“Witnesses reported the…
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Joker in the pack for French rugby
PHUKET: “They have their reasons for being confident. Now maybe it is our turn to play our cards.”Vincent Clerc, France’s rugby winger implies that his team can upset host nation New Zealand in today’s Rugby World Cup (RWC) final to be played at 3pm Phuket time.True, France in the past have thrown a spanner in the works, notably in 1999…
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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