Phuket News
Phuket news, politics, business, tourism, and nightlife—stay updated with breaking stories, events, and expat updates from Thailand’s top island destination. Get the latest from The Thaiger, your trusted Phuket news source.
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Sponsored FBS celebrates 16 years with an adventurous Birthday Quest
Leading global broker FBS is marking its 16th anniversary with a special campaign — FBS Birthday Quest. Over the past 16 years, FBS has been on an incredible journey alongside its clients. Now, as a way to give back, the...
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Phuket flood aid bound for Bangkok
PHUKET: Phuket’s first main shipment of flood relief supplies left the island this afternoon, bound for Bangkok, where warnings of imminent flood disaster dominate the news tonight. Phuket Governor Tri Augkaradacha at the Phuket Red Cross center waved forward 16 trucks bound for the flood-relief disaster response headquarters set up at Don Mueang Airport. Each truck, made available by local…
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Phuket resort wins one, loses one
PHUKET: A 98-room resort in Phuket will face legal action for building an access road over a small waterway – even though the resort had written permission from the Patong Mayor. Yet the same Phuket resort has been given a reprieve for operating without a hotel license. The news came during an inspection visit to the APK Resort & Spa…
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Ãngel at Amari
PHUKET: One of Spain’s greatest sports heroes, Ángel Nieto, was in Phuket recently enjoying a break and a good meal at La Gritta at the Amari Coral Beach in Patong before traveling to commentate for Spanish TV on the Sepang Moto GP in Kuala Lumpur. Ángel is one of the most successful motorcycle racers of all time, with 13 Grand…
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Champagne Run with ACYC
PHUKET: The Royal Langkawai International Regatta will be held from January 9 to 14, 2012 and as a lead into the event the Ao Chalong Yacht Club (ACYC) is inviting an expression of interest for the all new “Champagne Run”. The ACYC in conjunction with the Royal Langkawai Yacht Club are organizing an overnight sailing race leaving Chalong Bay on…
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Call for Phuket beauties to join AirAsia pageant
PHUKET: AirAsia is calling for all Phuket maidens to join its “Miss Noppamas” traditional Thai beauty pageant as part of the International Horticultural Exposition Ratchaphruek 2011 that starts in Chiang Mai next month. The Miss AirAsia Noppamas International Beauty Competition 2011 will be held in conjunction with the annual flower show, also called the Royal Flora Ratchaphruek. Prospective contestants will…
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Phuket Poll: Are our roads killing us?
PHUKET: The highways and byways of Phuket have been much in the news recently. It seems that as soon as authorities plan and build new roads, existing ones deteriorate. In the latest Phuket Gazette online poll, we ask our readers to what extent does the state of the roads in Phuket contribute to the number of accidents in the province.…
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Jurgen Zack gives training tips for the Phuket Triathlon
PHUKET: Coming to Phuket for the first time as an athlete 14 years ago had me quite excited. I did not have to worry about cold weather. I could leave my shoe covers and my arm and leg warmers at home. I could work on my physical fitness and my tan. Having been here for awhile, I now recognize the…
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Round-up of Phuket sporting action
PHUKET: The cricket season in Phuket got underway with a friendly between last year’s Island Furniture league champions, Patong CC, and new boys the Thanyapura Tigers (TT) at Cherng Talay. It was a baptism of fire for TT with Patong batting first and posting a score of 214 for 4 after 20 overs. In reply, TT scored 39 runs in…
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On your bike from Phuket to Koh Yao Noi for the kid’s community center
PHUKET: Amazing Bike Tours is organizing a charity bike ride on Koh Yao Noi (Small Long Island) on October 30 to raise money for the Koh Yao Children’s Community Center. The Center is instrumental in teaching the island’s youth about the importance of protecting the environment and preserving the history, culture and traditions of life on Yao Noi. The Center…
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Phuket gets its hooks, lines and sinkers at the ready
PHUKET: Phuket’s seventh International Sport Fishing Tournament has event organizers gearing up for another big catch of participants from around the world. The event takes place from November 23-26. The island’s premier fishing competition has already reeled in 80 fishing enthusiasts who comprise 20 teams, with entries still being accepted via the tournament’s website. The tournament practices “catch and release”…
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French rugby hits puberty
PHUKET: “Yesterday we had the same players out there as in Wellington against Tonga, except that they grew a big pair of balls.” Marc Lievremont, coach of the French national rugby team remarks on their performance after defeating England at the quarter final stage of this year’s Rugby World Cup in New Zealand. A fortuitous France side will play home…
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Phuket Landslide Update: Patong Hill slides continue
PHUKET: Efforts by Phuket authorities to shore up Patong Hill road took a turn for the worse today, when the dirt foundation under a recently “repaired” section of road slid away, taking the breakdown lane with it. The latest slide, from beneath a section that had been covered with blacktop just days before, exposed more soil and increased the chances…
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Phuket road works causing commuter woes
PHUKET: Phuket motorists heading northbound on Thepkrasattri Road in Koh Kaew are advised to plan for delays or use shortcuts, as resurfacing work continues along the busy stretch of road. During yesterday’s evening rush hour the work caused a tailback several kilometers long on Thepkrasattri Road, extending all the way south into Sapam near Sapam Shrine. The work also affected…
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Paris beckons Beckham
PHUKET: “I like Leonardo a lot, he is a great manager. I’m honored to know that he wants me to join PSG. It’s exciting, great things are happening in France. Leonardo has arrived, there’s a lot of money.”36-year-old David Beckham is being courted by French Ligue 1 side, Paris Saint Germain (PSG), as his contract with LA Galaxy will finish…
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Phuket tourism riding high despite Thai floods
PHUKET: While many broad areas across Thailand are suffering from serious flooding, tourists are still heading to Phuket in droves, with the island registering 8.2 million* passengers passing through Phuket International Airport since the beginning of the year. In announcing the news today, Phuket Governor Tri Augkaradacha said, “Many places in the country are suffering from serious flooding, but Phuket…
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Phuket’s new-look Sarasin Bridge already needs a clean-up
PHUKET: The popularity of the new-look Sarasin Bridge as a tourist attraction is forcing local authorities to address the growing number of mobile vendors who have set up operations at both ends of the span, in Phuket and Phang Nga. Officials are also planning to replace light bulbs at the site damaged by the recent storms. Conversion of the bridge…
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Super Cooper
PHUKET: “Everyone was trying to get at me personally, but I definitely think I’m going to be better off for it. I got used to it and I think I drew a lot of confidence out of it. It was just about getting on and doing the best I could for my team. I feel I did that.” Australia’s out…
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Jet-ski operators, beach vendors to protect Phuket tourists
PHUKET: Patong Police plan to recruit beachfront workers as their eyes and ears in protecting Phuket tourists this high season, in addition to installing more closed-circuit televisions (CCTV) cameras. “Usually, there are a lot of robberies during the high season. We don’t really have enough officers to take care of all the tourists during peak season,” explained Patong Police Superintendent…
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Phuket protest wins residents landslide probe
PHUKET: A protest staged by about 100 residents on Friday has resulted in the Phuket Provincial Office spearheading an investigation into construction on a steep hill in Patong. The protest, held opposite the entrance to Phra Baramee Road Soi 4, came after the third mudslide hit the Kok Makham community since construction began at the site. “Three times mud, sand…
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Phuket students to learn water survival skills
PHUKET: In a bid to save Phuket children from drowning, a new project by the Phuket Lifeguard Club, Laguna Phuket and Cherng Talay Municipality aims to teach students in Phuket’s Thalang District how to identify dangerous swimming conditions. The students will even learn how to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR). Held over two school semesters, the project will be open to…
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Phuket cop cleared in South African “cash for freedom’ claim
PHUKET: A Phuket policeman has been cleared of allegations made by a South African man that he had to “buy his freedom” following his arrest for passing counterfeit US dollars. It took Chalong Police duty officer Boonlert Onklang almost a month to prove his innocence after South African tourist Gabriel Sequeira was quoted by the South African media saying he…
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Thailand to lead “education export’ market?
PHUKET: Thailand aims to position itself as a hub for international education and take full advantage of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) set to take effect in 2015, the state-run National News Bureau of Thailand reported on its website last week. Such a bold declaration, echoing similar grand policy initiatives under the government of former premier Thaksin Shinawatra, has triggered…
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Italian Thai boxer tourist gets Phuket smack-down
PHUKET: An Italian student of muay Thai learned the hard way last night that it’s unwise to mix beer and martial arts, ending up with 15 stitches to the eyebrow and a blow to his pride. According to a report in Siangtai Daily this morning, a group of three “bald and heavily tattooed Italians” were drinking in a bar on…
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Phuket may get a trade office
PHUKET: Department of Foreign Trade (DFT) officials have proposed building an office in Phuket as part of a government strategy to improve services for businesses ahead of the 2015 ASEAN Economic Community (AEC). The officials were in Phuket recently to discuss the issue with Phuket Governor Tri Augkaradacha, who expressed interest in the proposal. Phuket is one of seven provinces…
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FC Phuket 1 – 0 Samutprakan Customs
PHUKET: A first-half goal by Sarach Yooyen was all it took for FC Phuket to secure all three points in a lackluster 1-0 home win against Samutprakan Customs United this evening. The goal by the returning national player came from a deflection of a free kick taken from just outside the top of the penalty area at about 15 minutes…
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Phuket may benefit from regional drive to target European tourists
PHUKET: The Andaman provinces announced last week a plan to launch a joint marketing campaign aimed at luring more Europeans – especially Scandinavians – and persuading them to stay longer. The Andaman Explorer campaign is the brainchild of the tourism associations in the five provinces along the coast of the Andaman Sea: Phuket, Krabi, Phang Nga, Trang and Ranong. Ittirit…
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Design re-thinks needed for Phuket and Bangkok Hotels
PHUKET: A hotel design consultant currently working on the interior design for the Regent Phuket, which opens here early next year, says that many hotels, particularly in Phuket and Bangkok, need to rethink their aesthetics in order to remain competitive. Competition is now fierce as many thousands of new rooms are coming on the market, not only in Phuket and…
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Caution urged along Phuket airport road
PHUKET: The Highways Department office in Phuket is asking motorists to slow down and exercise caution when passing work on the airport road expansion project in Thalang. Aroon Saneh, head of the regional Highways Department that covers Phuket and parts of Phang Nga, said work on the 120-million-baht project to widen a 4.6-kilometer stretch of the road from two lanes…
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Burmese crew’s mutiny-murder run ends in Phuket
PHUKET: A mutinous Burmese fishing crewman has confessed to Phuket Police that he hacked to death the ship’s “cruel” Thai captain before attacking the vessel’s technician, who jumped overboard and is presumed dead.The crew of seven Burmese were found yesterday aboard the fishing vessel Wor Suphaporn, stranded off Mai Thon island.“Nud”, 25, confessed to Phuket Police that on October 12…
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FC Phuket take on Customs United tomorrow
PHUKET: Following a two-week break from league play, FC Phuket will host Samut Prakan Customs United (SCU) tomorrow (Sunday) at Surakul Stadium in Phuket Town. Kickoff is scheduled for 6pm. The last time these two teams met was in May, when they played to a 2-2 draw in Samut Prakan. Based on season stats, the odds look to favor Phuket.…
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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