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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Sponsored 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’s Flynn second on Asia Pro surf tour
PHUKET: Thirteen-year-old surfing star Annissa Flynn from Phuket closes her 2011 surfing season with top-ranking success. Phuket’s own super surfer has returned home after three weeks on the road to finish up the 2011 surfing season on a high. Having posted three wins and a second place at competitions held in Hong Kong and Malaysia, Annissa has finished second overall…
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Phuket’s ‘labor shortage’ more imagined than real
PHUKET: Government assistance to help solve the chronic “labor shortage” in the island’s tourism industry is unlikely to have much impact this high season, given Phuket’s reputation as an expensive place to live. (See page 11, current issue of the Phuket Gazette. Digital subscribers click here to download the full issue.) A scan of the comments in popular online forums…
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FC Phuket draw, Krabi clinches Div 1 berth
PHUKET: Krabi FC will join FC Phuket in Thai Premier League Division 1 next season thanks to a last-minute goal in a do-or-die match against promotion contenders Rayong FC last night. In front of a standing-room-only crowd at Krabi Provincial Stadium last night, the Andaman Eagle’s equalizer came only moments after Rayong FC scored the game’s first goal – at…
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Facebook ‘predator’ arrested as Phuket mum pleas for help
PHUKET: Eleven days after her disappearance from a Phuket Town internet cafe, 12-year-old Phuket schoolgirl Samudchaya “Nong Pin” Yanpunya remains missing. Nong Pin’s mother Samruay Saenthaweesuk told the Phuket Gazette this morning she has yet to receive any leads regarding her daughter’s whereabouts and continues to fear she might have been abducted by someone she met online while using the…
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Peacock delivers “pheasant surprise’ in Krabi
PHUKET: A rubber tapper in Krabi, Phuket’s sister province across Phang Nga Bay, got an unexpected surprise this week when he discovered a live peacock of a species thought to be extinct in the region. Jamrad Kuannakorn and his wife arrived at a rubber plantation in Khao Kram sub-district before dawn on Tuesday, starting work as usual, when they heard…
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Driver charged over death of pregnant Phuket resort worker
PHUKET: The driver of the six-wheeled truck that struck and killed 27-year-old resort worker Arayada Budsayakul on the Patong beach road last month has been charged with reckless driving causing death. Ms Arayada was four months pregnant when she died in the accident on November 8. Lt Pathapee Srichai of Patong Police yesterday told the Phuket Gazette that the driver,…
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Phuket Update: Krabi massacre mastermind caught in Phang Nga
PHUKET: Police in Phang Nga have arrested the mastermind behind the triple-homicide that took place outside a Krabi mosque on Sunday night. The suspect confessed to organizing the massacre. He said the attack was revenge for “insults” the targets had made about his brother after defeating him in a local election. Region 8 Police in Surat Thani identified the suspect…
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Phuket TB outbreak prompts call for “better migrant worker tracking’
PHUKET: An outbreak of tuberculosis in Phuket that has hospitalized nearly 60 Burmese workers has prompted the Phuket Immigration chief to call for a more integrated approach to tracking their growing numbers on the island. Phuket Immigration Superintendent Panuwat Ruamrak called for more comprehensive tracking of migrant workers during a fact-finding visit to Phuket by the House Committee on Labor…
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Superyachts arrive for Phuket Rendezvous
PHUKET: Superyacht spotters in Phuket are in for treat this weekend as some of the finest luxury yachts in Asia ply Phuket’s west coast as part of the annual Asia Superyacht Rendezvous. The Rendezvous, now in its 11th year, is the longest-running superyacht event in Asia and boasts the largest gathering of superyachts in the region, explained Nina Larsson, Public…
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Tesco launches ‘green bag’ project in Phuket
PHUKET: Leading retail chain Tesco Lotus launched a pilot project at its new Thalang branch in Phuket yesterday with the aim of reducing plastic bag use nationwide. The project is intended to encourage customers at all its stores in Phuket to use fewer plastic bags in order to help preserve the island’s natural beauty for future generations. The project is…
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FC Phuket scramble to score funding
PHUKET: The Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (OrBorJor) will cease its financial support of the island’s professional football club, FC Phuket, starting next season, one of the club’s managers confirmed today.Narubas “Ko Lek” Aryupong told the Phuket Gazette that the team is now seeking new sponsorship channels to pay for players’ salaries and training allowances.He confirmed that Thailand’s Auditor-General’s Office had…
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World Vision rolls out anti-polio campaign in Phuket
PHUKET: The Phuket office of the World Vision Foundation in Thailand, operating under the Supanimit Foundation, yesterday stepped up its anti-polio campaign, in line with the World Health Organization (WHO) push to eradicate the disease.Supanimit Foundation workers, joined by Phuket Provincial Public Health Office officials, targeted Burmese communities in and around Phuket Town and elsewhere around Phuket.The anti-polio task force…
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Phuket police defuse hostage situation
PHUKET: After a 30-minute standoff, Phuket Police on Tuesday rescued a woman held hostage by a knife-wielding glue addict at a local gas station. Chalong Police were notified of the attack at 11am. Arriving at the scene, the PTT service station on Chao Fa West Road in Chalong, they found a Phuket man holding a knife to the throat of…
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Tsunami blamed for Phuket beach encroachment confusion
PHUKET: A Phuket hotel representative yesterday claimed that the 2004 tsunami washed away property boundary markers between his resort and public beach land, thus causing confusion over alleged beach encroachment. The Surin Phuket, formerly known as The Chedi, situated on Pansea Beach on Phuket’s northwest coast, is in the final stages of renovation in preparation of reopening under the new…
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Phuket tourists warned of drink-spiking thieves
PHUKET: Tourists visiting nightspots in Phuket should not leave their drinks unattended as there have been incidents of people having their drinks “spiked” with potent sedatives in recent weeks, Tourist Police volunteers have warned. Frank Tomensen, Group Leader of the Phuket Tourist Police Foreign Volunteers in Patong, has instructed his patrol units to be on the lookout for victims who…
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Phuket Sport – tour survival for Tabuena and Thanyakon at Thailand Golf Championship
Filipino teenager Miguel Tabuena and Thailand’s Thanyakon Khrongpha have prepared for the biggest test in their young golfing careers as the duo seek to earn full Asian Tour cards at the season-ending Thailand Golf Championship starting today. The 17-year-old Tabuena, the youngest member on the Asian Tour this year, is currently three spots outside the top-61 of the Order of…
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Thailand golf championship – a symbol of strength for Asian tour
This week’s inaugural US$1 million Thailand Golf Championship reflects the growing strength of the game in Asia, say the world stars who have gathered for the Asian Tour’s season finale which starts on Thursday. A starry line-up has gathered at the magnificent Amata Spring Country Club on the outskirts of Bangkok and will feature this year’s Major champions Darren Clarke…
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Phuket Island Charity Golf Tournament a huge success
PHUKET: Thailand is Southeast Asia’s premiere destination for its irresistible combination of breathtaking natural beauty, inspiring temples, outstanding hospitality and superb cuisine. Thailand is often called the “land of smiles”, and rightly so because you will see more smiling people here than anywhere else in the world. What it is not commonly mentioned is also that Thai people are also…
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Phuket Carnival reaches zero hour
PHUKET: The countdown to Phuket’s annual Patong Carnival is over. The six-day event began at 9am today with ceremonial offering of food to monks at Loma Park on the Patong beachfront. After the alms-giving ceremony, at 10:15am the sea of vendors at the park opened their stalls to sell food and drinks. The Phuket Flying Club will join the opening…
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Phuket Sports – Village lead the league, Tigers flatter to deceive
PHUKET: A second win for the Village in the Phuket Island Furniture League ensured a leap frog into first place after a demolition of league newcomers, Thanyapura Tigers at the Alan Cooke Ground (ACG) on Sunday. Compared with previous seasons when the Village were more a social side, this season their squad shows a good balance of experienced batsmen and…
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Blaze destroys Phuket fishermen’s homes
PHUKET: A fire believed to have started from an explosion quickly engulfed several fishermen’s huts in Baan Bang Tao, Cherng Talay, on Phuket’s west coast, yesterday afternoon. No injuries were reported. Officials at Cherng Talay Tambon Administration Organization (OrBorTor) rushed two fire trucks to the scene on Soi Bang Tao 12, near the southern end of Phuket’s popular Bang Tao…
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Finnish tourist death in Phuket possibly a suicide
PHUKET: Police do not suspect foul play in the death of a Finnish tourist Veijo Armas Vallius, found dead in his Phuket hotel room last week. The body of 52-year-old Mr Vallius was discovered in a hotel room in Kamala on December 8. Somnerk Damkeaw of the Kamala Police told the Gazette today that the body of Mr Vallius remains…
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Phuket’s Happy Air relaunches services
PHUKET: Boutique carrier Happy Air will resume services today with flights from Bangkok to Ranong, but the airline still has not set a date to resume its Phuket – Haad Yai service. Speaking from the company’s office at Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok, Happy Air sales and marketing representative Onkanya Chaisit said thrice-weekly (Friday, Sunday, Wednesday) flights between the capital to…
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Manhunt launched for Phuket MMA brawler
PHUKET: American Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighter Junie Browning is the subject of an island-wide manhunt following two brawls in Phuket on Sunday and his subsequent escape from Patong Hospital. The manhunt was launched following local media reports that an unnamed American man had been involved in a brawl at a bar in Karon. The man then continued fighting with…
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Phuket property squabble sours Thai-Russian relations
PHUKET: A meeting at Thung Thong Police Station today exposed a rift between partners in a Phuket property company targeting the lucrative Russian market. Outraged by being allegedly cheated by a Russian national, Boonprasert Udommangkorn, owner of ThaiRus Development Co in Phuket’s Kathu District, filed a complaint against former partner Nikita Derkarch. The two met at Thung Thong Police Station…
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Tourist’s keen eye saves green sea turtle
PHUKET: An observant tourist yesterday spotted a young green sea turtle floating in the water off the Yacht Haven Marina in Mai Khao, in the north of Phuket, and by doing so may have saved its life.The Phuket Marine Biological Center (PMBC) was immediately contacted, who in turn asked the Phuket Kusoldharm Rescue Foundation for assistance in recovering the turtle.With…
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Phuket speedboats to pay for upkeep of Racha pier
PHUKET: Speedboats on day trips from Phuket that dock at the floating pier on Racha Yai Island will be charged a mooring fee from January 1 to help fund the cost of repairs to the facility. “The Racha Hotel provides the pontoon and allows everyone to use it, but they never ask for money to maintain it,” committee president Sarit…
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Phuket police arrest one in Burmese dope bust
PHUKET: Phuket police arrested a man for selling drugs in Rawai on Saturday, seizing his stash of marijuana and multiple bundles of kratom leaves in the process. Acting on a tip-off, Lt Col Charan Bangprasert of the Chalong Police dispatched a team to a construction site in Rawai, where the suspect was reportedly supplying drugs to Burmese workers. The suspect,…
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Phuket ‘Colorful Countdown’ to ring in 2012
PHUKET: Phuket will spend 10 million baht on festivities to ring in the new year with the “Colorful Phuket Countdown 2012”. The countdown event at Chai Field, opposite Provincial Hall in Phuket Town, will be put on by Tourism Authority of Thailand and Best Four media, among other sponsors. “We set up a budget of 10 million baht for the…
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Wilkinson drops out
PHUKET: “To say I have played through four World Cups, two Lions tours, 91 international games and a ridiculous number of injuries and other setbacks gives me an incredibly special feeling of fulfillment.”Jonny Wilkinson, England’s enigmatic out-half has announced his retirement from test rugby.His international record includes six tries, 162 conversions, 239 penalties and a record of 36 drop-goals. His…
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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