Phuket News
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Phuket Sports: Wimbledon update
PHUKET: Andy Murray defeated David Ferrer in a thrilling four-set match to progress to his fourth straight Wimbledon semi-final. Murray survived an early scare losing the first set to fight back 6-7(5) 7-6(6) 6-4 7-6(4). The Scot returned back to action on the center court after his fourth round victory on number one court. The home crowd were trying their…
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PADI divers prepare for Phuket’s biggest coral reef cleanup
PHUKET: Nine dive boats and almost 20 PADI dive shops with the guidance of PADI Project AWARE have put aside their differences and on Tuesday, at the group’s third meeting, announced the date for what they hope will be the largest coral reef cleanup in Phuket. The project, part of the group’s start-up “Go Eco Phuket“, aims to set “cleanup…
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Stevie Bamford begins 15-day sentence for Phuket false rape claim
PHUKET: Stevie Rochelle Bamford, the 21-year-old Australian tourist who confessed to falsely reporting she was raped by Patong tuk-tuk drivers, began her 15-day sentence at Phuket’s Baan Bang Jo correctional facility yesterday. Phuket Prison chief Rapin Nichanon today confirmed to the Phuket Gazette, “She has been detained at the Bang Jo facility since yesterday evening, where she will remain for…
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Japanese tourist foils abduction attempt amid Phuket Police “media blackout’
PHUKET: The Royal Thai Police have ordered a “media blackout” for Phuket, with only the local police superintendent authorized to release information to the media, the Phuket Gazette has learned. News of the blackout follows yet another disturbing report involving a tourist and a local, although this one has a happy ending – thanks to a brave Japanese tourist. According…
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Heavy rain warning for Phuket, Andaman
PHUKET: A strengthening of monsoonal conditions over the Andaman Sea has prompted the Thai Meteorological Department to issue a weather warning for all six Andaman coast provinces: Ranong, Phang Nga, Phuket, Krabi, Trang and Satun. The warning, issued at 6am today, reads: “A rather strong southwest monsoon prevails over the Southern Thailand west coast and the Andaman Sea. Abundant rain,…
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Firemen scramble as Thai warship catches fire
PHUKET: Firefighters this morning scrambled to contain a fire that broke out on the retired warship RTMS Lanta, now a museum and tourist attraction in the heart Krabi Town. Fortunately, no people were injured in the blaze. Lt Col Thongchai Sengrod of the Krabi Town Police said that he received a report at 11am that smoke was billowing out of…
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Young couple caught in Phuket meth bust
PHUKET: Phuket Police last night arrested a man and a woman in their 20s in possession of category one drugs at their home in Thalang. The couple are suspected of selling drugs to teenagers in the area. Lt Col Prasan Towon, at about 11:20 pm last night, led a team of Thalang Police to raid an address in a housing…
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Oil slick endangers Krabi mangroves, clean-up ordered
PHUKET: Krabi authorities have launched a massive cleanup operation after a boat struck rocks and spilled a large volume of oil into the sea, resulting in extensive damage to protected mangrove forests in Neua Khlong District, about 130 kilometers east of Phuket across Phang Nga Bay. The spill was first reported at 9am Saturday morning. How much oil was spilled…
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Phuket Town “Blue Flag Fair’ to start Thursday
PHUKET: The Department of Internal Trade (DIT) office in Phuket Town will hold a “Blue Flag Fair” with cheap food and consumer goods at Saphan Hin on July 5-7. The event, to be held at the Central Staging Area at Saphan Hin Public Park, follows the success of the Blue Flag fair held at Sanamchai field, in the government office…
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Phuket Police chief calls for integrated, island-wide CCTV
PHUKET: Phuket Provincial Police Commander Chonasit Wattanavrangkul this morning revealed plans to ask the central government to fund a project that will see all CCTV cameras across Phuket feed live footage into a single server. Speaking at the monthly ‘Governor Meets the Press’ meeting at Provincial Hall, Maj Gen Chonasit said that CCTV footage had provided essential information in solving…
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Phuket tuk-tuk driver gets suspended sentence for attack on tourist
PHUKET: A Phuket tuk-tuk driver who confessed to assaulting an Egyptian tourist in Patong last week has been sentenced to a three-month suspended prison term and fined 3,000 baht. Patong Police Deputy Superintendent Kittipong Klaikaew identified the driver as 40-year-old Sirapob Ngamriab. Patong Police were notified of an assault on a tourist in front of the Jungceylon shopping complex on…
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Phuket police arrest Cherng Talay burglar
PHUKET: A member of a gang of burglars who target high-end homes of foreigners living in the Cherng Talay area was arrested over the weekend and presented to the Phuket press today. The suspect, 27-year-old Wittawat Maneesri, was presented to the press by Col Jirasak Siamsak along with over one million baht’s worth of stolen electronics and other valuable seized…
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Seven injured as fishing boat explodes
PHUKET: Seven people were rushed to hospital after an explosion erupted on board a Phuket fishing boat queued up to take on ice at Por Pichai Company wharf, in Rassada, yesterday.Phuket City Police were notified of the explosion at 8:10am and rushed to the scene along with Kusoldharm Foundation rescue workers.At the scene, rescue workers found the Sathaporn 7 half…
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Phuket Gazette: Leap second added to compensate for Earth’s rotation
PHUKET MEDIA WATCH – World news selected by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community Horologists add leap second to compensate for Earth’s rotation time Phuket Gazette / News Wires PHUKET: Horologists added a so-called leap second on late Saturday night, compensating for the Earth’s rotation which is gradually slowing down. It was the 25th leap second to be added but…
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Chinese tourist drowns at Patong Beach
PHUKET: A 19-year-old Chinese tourist drowned last night at Patong Beach, on Phuket’s west coast, after going for a night swim with a female friend.Sakhon Chaithong, chief lifeguard at Patong Beach, told the Phuket Gazette that two Chinese tourists were pulled from the surf near Laem Petch, at the north end of Patong, at about 7:30pm.Foreign tourists spotted the two…
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Phuket Airport director hails anti-cheat measures a success
PHUKET: Security measures taken at Phuket International Airport to prevent airport service staff, such as illegal taxi drivers, from taking advantage of tourists were declared successful yesterday by Airport Director Prathuang Sornkham. The announcement follows Police joining forces to launch a campaign in March to put a stop to illegal taxi drivers overcharging people, and to stop tour guides and…
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Swedish Road Deaths: Crash driver sentencing deferred – again
PHUKET: The handing down of the court sentence to the driver of a refrigerator truck that killed four Swedish tourists and their Thai driver in Phang Nga early in February, has been deferred for the second time, the Phuket Gazette has learned. The driver, 27-year-old Muhummadyukee Jehyusoh, turned himself in to Khok Kloy Police on February 3, two days after…
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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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Phuket Sports: Golf round-up and tips
PHUKET: After the excitement of the US Open, the PGA tour moved on to the TPC River Highlands golf course at Cromwell, Connecticut for the Travelers Championship. Newly crowned US open champion Webb Simpson and Masters Champion Bubba Watson started the first two rounds with Keegan Bradley. Going into the last round, Brian Davis was in second place on 10…
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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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Australian Ambassador calls for Phuket weapons ban
PHUKET: Australian Ambassador to Thailand James Wise today called for police to launch an island-wide crackdown on weapons, including those carried by tuk-tuk drivers. Speaking after a high-level meeting at Phuket Provincial Hall, Amb Wise said the recent fatal stabbing of Australian tourist Michelle Smith had put a spotlight on public safety in Phuket. “There has been massive media coverage…
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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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Tailbacks expected at Tesco Lotus Phuket intersection
PHUKET: Expect longer-than-usual tailbacks around the Tesco Lotus intersection starting tomorrow, when the Phuket Highway Office will break ground on a drainage improvement project to address chronic flooding that occurs in the area.The construction at one of Phuket’s busiest intersections will force the closure of some lanes between June 30 and July 4.“The Phuket Highway Office decided to temporarily solve…
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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…
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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