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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Investigation launched into Phuket police brutality
PHUKET: Police have launched an investigation into their own after a young man yesterday alleged several officers repeatedly beat him and produced false evidence after his arrest. Chalermporn Keawmanee, 20, appeared at the Damrongtham Center [Ombudsman’s Office] yesterday alongside his father, Kaset Keawmanee – owner of NS Cable TV in Surat Thani – to request an investigation into events that…
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Phuket seafood prices to fluctuate regardless of wage increase
PHUKET: Minimum wage rises may not have a major impact on the wholesale price of seafood, which will continue to fluctuate due to a number of economic and seasonal factors, Phuket fishery industry representatives have said. Wiroj Wasinwasukul, the manager of the Por Pichai Fishing Port in Rassada, was insistent that wholesale seafood prices will not rise specifically because of…
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Phuket teacher crisis appeal sparks flood of applicants
PHUKET: The Director of the Phuket Primary Educational Office has called for all people wanting to apply for positions as English teachers at government schools in Phuket Town to contact the schools directly. Dr Jian Thongnoon announced the news in the wake of the Phuket Gazette posting online its story about the shortage of English teachers at Phuket schools reaching…
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Johnson quits England rugby post
PHUKET: Rugby fans in Phuket have been informed that Martin Johnson has thrown in the towel as England manager after three-and-a-half years leading the country’s international rugby union side. Several off-field controversies and a wretched performance at the recent World cup in New Zealand, where his charges lost to France in the quarter-final, combined to force Johnson to stand down.…
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Official offers homemade fix for Phuket’s water sources
PHUKET: As Phuket enters its tourism high season, the annual period when local water sources are depleted at great rates to cope with the huge influx of people onto the island, one local official has spoken out on Phuket’s water issues and the critical factors in resolving them. Nanyaroon Yadee, 50, of the Pa Khlok Tambon Administration Organization (OrBorTor) Public…
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Phuket student killed, classmate injured in truck crash
PHUKET: A 16-year-old Phuket student is dead and her classmate is in hospital after a six-wheeled truck collided with the motorcycle they were riding in Phuket Town today.Capt Thada Sodarak of Phuket City Police said officers received a report of the accident at 12:30pm.The accident happened at the junction from Phuket Road to Saphan Hin, near the Phuket Immigration Office,…
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Rebranded Strategic Airlines continues Phuket flights
PHUKET: Australian Low Cost Carrier (LCC) Strategic Airlines today launched its rebranding as Air Australia, offering special rates to Phuket from AUS$329. The reinvented LCC revealed the news earlier this month, showing off its new-look livery and flight attendant uniforms while emphasizing a commitment to bring Australia a fresh approach to affordable air travel. Strategic Airlines, founded in 2009, has…
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Phuket CCTV: take two
PHUKET: The Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (OrBorJor) is about to install 189 CCTV cameras throughout Koh Kaew and Rassada at a cost of 29 million baht. The roll-out is phase two of the OrBorJor‘s “citizen safety” campaign, which will coordinate with police in providing CCTV footage of traffic accidents and other incidents, explained OrBorJor President Paiboon Upatising. The cameras, some…
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First blood goes to Laguna in league opener
PHUKET: The highly anticipated Island Furniture Cricket League’s maiden match at the new Alan Cooke Ground (ACG) did not fail to disappoint on Sunday with a great exhibition of fielding and batting provided by both Laguna CC and Patong CC.However it was a more consistent performance by Laguna that eventually decided the victory.Laguna were put into bat on a damp…
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John Terry wants to come out
PHUKET: “Being captain is about coming out and facing up to it.” England and Chelsea captain John Terry is keen to open up and take it like a man regarding claims he abused Queens Park Ranger player Anton Ferdinand with racist remarks. The query here must be why, after Terry’s last controversy of allegedly having an affair with an England…
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Phuket Red Cross calls for blood donations to help Bangkok flood victims
PHUKET: The Phuket Regional Blood Center (PRBC) is asking for increased donations for November as parts of Thailand experience the worst flooding in half a century. “Due to the floods in Bangkok, the National Blood Center had a shortage of blood at the beginning of the month. The center normally receives about 1,500 units of blood daily from donors, but…
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Bangkok floods boost Phuket short-term rentals
PHUKET: The hospitality and real estate sectors in Phuket are currently benefiting from one of Thailand’s worst floods in a century. A report released by professional services real estate firm Jones Lang LaSalle stated that Bangkok’s housing market has been hit particularly hard by flooding with many major housing areas across the capital are now under water. This has resulted…
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Phuket schools relax rules for hiring English teachers
PHUKET: The Phuket Primary Education Area Office has relaxed the requirements for foreigners to be hired as English-language teachers at government schools in Phuket. The move is aimed at combating a critical staff shortage, explained Office Director Jian Thongnoon. “We need about 100 English teachers, but right now we have only about 50 teachers and some of these are not…
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Phuket’s surfing star on the crest of a wave
PHUKET: Local surfing starlet Annissa Tita Flynn is ready to take on the best of Asia in coming weeks as she heads off to Hong Kong and Malaysia for the Reef Cup and the final event of the new Asian Surfing Professional tour at Kuala Terengganu. The Asian tour has been formed not only to promote surfing but also to…
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Phuket’s All Stars bowled over at ACG opener
PHUKET: The eagerly anticipated opening of the Alan Cooke Ground (ACG) was launched in thrilling style recently when the Phuket Cricket Group (PCG) “All Stars” took on the oldest cricket club in Asia, Singapore CC, at Thailand’s newest cricket facility. Heavy downpours the night before meant the new synthetic surface was still damp, making batting a treacherous task. Singapore won…
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Phuket Public Transport: The decision to have public buses is ours
PHUKET: The Phuket Provincial Land Transportation Office has responded admirably to criticism that it has obviously failed over the past 20 years to develop public bus transportation in this province. (See front page, current issue of the Phuket Gazette. Digital subscribers click here to download the full newspaper.) Office Chief Terayout Prasertphol says he has applied to his superiors in…
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French victory in Phuket ITF mens singles tennis final
PHUKET: A second set tie-break was required to determine the Chang ITF Thailand Pro Circuit Tour mens singles tennis champion and it was Laurent Rochette of France who held his nerve to clinch the title.Rochette looked in control throughout the match, pulling out big serves when needed, and took the first set comfortably with a 6-4 score, having had a…
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Phuket expat, wife arrested for M16 assault rifle in car
PHUKET: Phuket police early this morning arrested a long-term expat and his wife after finding what they identified as an M16 automatic assault rifle with a loaded clip in the back of their car.Thung Thong Police Duty Officer Lt Col Chana Suttimard told the Phuket Gazette, “At 4am today, police arrested Ivan Vaclavik, 43, from Slovakia, and 32-year-old Phuket-native Suppasa…
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Phuket Prosecutor may appeal Fanelli sentence
PHUKET: The Phuket Attorney General’s Office is considering filing an appeal over the sentence of 10 years and three months imprisonment handed down to former US Marine Ronald Fanelli for the stabbing murder of bar hostess Wanphen Pienjai last year. Fanelli was formally handed down a sentence of 20 years imprisonment for murder and another six months in jail for…
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Phuket officials push for buses from airport to main beaches
PHUKET: Phuket Provincial Land Transportation Office (PLTO) Chief Terayout Prasertphol has announced that his office will apply for Phuket to have two new bus routes operating from the airport: one to Rawai and another running through Patong to Kata-Karon. He expects bus services along the new routes to be in operation by February. “The next step is to apply to…
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Bangkok Flood “phishing’ scam sinks hooks into Phuket
PHUKET: A scam email appealing for users’ bank details under the guise of helping to make a flood relief donation of one million dollars for flood victims in Bangkok is finding its way into the in-boxes of many residents in Phuket and probably around the world.“Every disaster brings scammers, and the flooding in Thailand is no exception. We’ve seen several…
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Phuket Poll: How alcohol dependent is Phuket?
PHUKET: The floods in Bangkok and Central Thailand continue to wreak havoc with domestic production of beer and its distribution to Phuket. The disruptions have caused serious shortages, much to the bane of hoteliers, restaurateurs and bar owners across the island. The Phuket Gazette has received many reports of severely inflated prices, up to nearly double for one brand of…
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Phuket’s Patong to transform feces into fertilizer
PHUKET: Patong Municipality will apply for a 65-million-baht loan to build a treatment plant that will convert thousands of tonnes of Phuket’s fecal matter into fertilizer. The Patong Council yesterday carried the motion in favor of building the fertilizer factory, with a plan to profit from the horrendous waste. Residents and tourists in the resort town generate up to 10…
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Bangkok floods prompt PM Yingluck to call for cheap THAI flights to Phuket
PHUKET: Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra today called on Thai Airways International to reduce airfares for flights to Phuket and other destinations in Southern Thailand. Prime Minister Yingluck’s call comes in response to the likely flooding of Rama II Road in Bangkok, the main artery connecting Bangkok with the South. “Thai Airways International will offer airfare discounts in response to PM…
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Flood price rises no match for Phuket flower power on Loy Krathong
PHUKET: Floods in Bangkok and Central Thailand forcing the prices of some flowers to double in Phuket have not stopped people from splashing out for the Loy Krathong festival tonight. The krathong, lotus-shaped floats traditionally made of banana leaves, with a small offering of food, flowers, joss sticks and/or candles, are usually adorned with lotus and orchids. Prices of both…
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Phuket models call for votes in Thai Supermodel contest
PHUKET: Two young Phuket models are seeking votes in the Photogenic Model competition, part of the Thai Supermodel Contest 2011. Uraisri “Yim” Watrsang, 16, and Vanessa “Van” Herrmann, 20, have both made it to the final round of the contest to be broadcast on Channel 7. Miss Watrsang attended Phuket’s Plookpanya School before moving on to Srinagarindra, where she is…
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Phuket probe reveals 1,400 meth pills in man’s underpants
PHUKET: The arrests of two low-level Phuket drug users have led to the bust of their suspected methamphetamine dealer, who was allegedly caught with 1,400 ya bah (methamphetamine) stashed in his underwear. Narongrit Metula, Bualin Panachai and Seksan Sritham were presented at a press conference at Chalong Police Station yesterday. Tipped off by an undercover agent, a team of police…
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Pullman Phuket Arcadia Nai Thon nears opening
PHUKET: Construction of the five star Pullman Phuket Arcadia began in October 2010 on Nai Thon’s headland and with the project completion target date of August 2012 approaching, marketing and recruitment proposals are scheduled for the end of this year. Mr Maitree Narukapichai, the project owner’s representative and managing director of Villa Zolitude Resort and Spa in Chalong, detailed the…
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Phuket officials ordered to crack down on flood price gouging
PHUKET: Phuket Vice Governor Somkiat Sangkaosuttirak today ordered Phuket Provincial Commercial Affairs acting chief Jarus Phetpakdee to conduct price checks on consumer goods in Phuket and to crack down on any irregularities. At a meeting of top officials convened at Provincial Hall this morning expressly to tackle the issue, V/Gov Somkiat said, “We have received many complaints about the rising…
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Phuket food to be nominated for UNESCO gastronomical prize
PHUKET: Efforts are underway to collate recipes and historical information of local Baba (“Straits Chinese”) cuisine in order to have Phuket Town recognized by UNESCO as a City of Gastronomy. Dr Kosol Tang-Uthai, president of the Thai Peranakan Association, said that 65 local Baba chefs were involved in the process. “Phuket Baba food combines recipes from Royal Thai Cuisine, common…
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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