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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Phuket Airport taxi worker killed in motorbike crash
PHUKET: An employee of the Phuket Airport taxi cooperative was killed instantly yesterday when her motorcycle was hit head-on by a pickup truck cutting across traffic at a U-turn on Thepkrasattri Road in Thalang. Thalang Police were notified of the accident at 3:30pm. At the scene, the turn-off to Baan Pa Krong Cheep off Thepkrasattri Rd southbound in Thepkrasattri subdistrict,…
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Phuket Yachting: Krabi Marina to open in November
PHUKET: The development firm behind Phuket’s Boat Lagoon will open their second marina across the bay in neighboring Krabi province in November. Approved by Thailand’s Board of Investment (BoI), the Krabi Boat Lagoon project occupies 110 rai in Taling Chan. The first phase, covering 42 rai, will include 90 berths, 70 hardstands, workshops and commercial facilities and undercover quays for…
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HRH Princess Chulabhorn to visit Phuket
PHUKET: HRH Princess Chulabhorn Valayalaksana will visit Phuket on Tuesday in support of the volunteers who provide free healthcare under the The Princess Mother’s Medical Volunteer Foundation. The foundation is renowned for providing free general healthcare and critically needed medical services to people who otherwise could not afford it. Princess Chulabhorn will arrive at Baan Sapam Mongkol Wittaya School by…
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Phuket mass Thai massage sets unofficial record
PHUKET: Hundreds of Phuket massage therapists lined Kata Beach this morning ready to play their part in a mass Thai massage session that unofficially broke the standing world record. A total of 584 pairs of hands worked in unison to rub and relax, surpassing the current official record of 232 pairs of hands set by “Tourism Victoria Australia”. An officer…
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Poles apart
PHUKET: “This morning I watched the two sides warming up. I saw India, and they looked like they’d got their kit out of the garage! They were all in different gear. England looked really professional next to them. They just looked poles apart.” Andrew ‘Freddie’ Flintoff expressed his disappointment yesterday with the Indian side’s preparations for the fourth and final…
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One dead, two injured at Phuket’s ‘Pigpen Curve’
PHUKET: One man died and his two passengers were injured when a pickup slammed into a tree at a notorious blackspot in Phuket’s Thalang district early this morning. Thalang Police identified the deceased as 35-year-old Prakit Ploonang. The late Mr Prakit, listed as a resident of Khlong Thom District in Krabi, was driving two female friends home from their work…
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Free Thai Massage: Phuket prepares to set world record
PHUKET: A total of 584 pairs of hands will be working together tomorrow at Kata Beach in Phuket’s attempt to set the world record for the most people simultaneously performing Thai massage. The current record stands at 232 pair, set on March 20 last year by Tourism Victoria Australia. Phuket’s attempt will more than double the record, but the digits…
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Phuket expat deported over fraud charges
PHUKET: American Roger Miller today pleaded to the press that he himself was a victim of fraud as he faces immediate extradition to Florida for allegedly defrauding investors of US$1.2 million. “Between 2006 and 2009, Mr Miller operated a real estate business named Rama Lama Mortgage that dealt with property transactions including estate mortgages,” Phuket Immigration Superintendent Panuwat Ruamrak explained…
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Phuket hosts Indonesian tourism push to revive Aceh
PHUKET: A delegation from the Indonesian Ministry of Culture and Tourism will host a reception for about 200 Phuket residents at Ao Chalong Yacht Club (ACYC) tomorrow. The event is part of the ministry’s strategy to revive and promote tourism to Aceh Province, the hardest hit landfall of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. The ministry has identified yachting as a…
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Toyota League Cup result: Phattalung 1 – 0 FC Phuket
PHUKET: FC Phuket lost 1-0 at Phattalung FC in the first leg of their quarterfinal pairing with the Division Two side last night. The two teams appeared to be headed for a scoreless draw until Phattalung scored in the 80th minute on a long shot by Anukon Sangrum that was deflected into the net by FC Phuket keeper Jonathan Matijas.…
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Phuket airport limo in vehicular bovicide
PHUKET: A Phuket airport limousine plowed into and killed a roaming buffalo early Monday morning at the same location where a tourist passenger van killed two buffaloes late last month. No people were injured in this latest accident. “The car was heading toward Phuket Town at about 1:30am. The driver said the buffalo appeared from nowhere, crossing the road right…
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Phuket and Pattalung football battle in the south
PHUKET: FC Phuket take on Pattalung FC this evening in a highly anticipated first-leg quarter final for the 2011 Toyota League Cup football tournament. Kick off is scheduled for 6pm. The purple and white shirted Pattalung “Swiftlets”, also known as the “Swallows”, will be the hosts of tonight’s game at Pattalung Provincial stadium in Pattalung town. The second leg will…
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Phuket Live Wire: More players in the island’s new internet game
PHUKET: Two weeks ago Live Wire covered the current state of the Internet in Phuket. At the time, evaluating TOT Fiber 2U and AIS GHSPA services was not touched upon because there was not enough data on the Phuket Internet Speed Reporting site. The numbers are pouring in now thanks to those of you who take a minute to report…
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Tuk-tuks: no more beatings, blockades – warns Phuket police chief
PHUKET: The commander of the Phuket Provincial Police yesterday ordered the tuk-tuk drivers responsible for beating two Dutch tourists in Patong earlier this month to turn themselves in or face stiffer punishment. Commander Pekad Tantipong and Kathu Police Superintendent Arayapan Pukbuakao chaired a meeting with representatives of tuk-tuk co-operatives at Patong Police station to discuss the beating of Unobovd Alcawbimel,…
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Phuket tourist dies after Kata Beach rescue
PHUKET: A Swiss man died after falling unconscious while swimming at Kata Beach yesterday. Kathu Police confirmed that a Swiss man was pronounced dead at around 5pm at Patong Hospital following an incident at Kata Beach. Witnesses reported to lifeguards at about 4:30pm that they saw the man “swimming” about 150 meters from shore, Uten Singsom, head of the Kata-Karon…
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Phuket ready to launch online check-in for yachts
PHUKET: The long-awaited “one-stop shop” online check-in system for yachts arriving in Phuket will launch on September 1. Vice Governor Weerawat Janpen announced the news today at Provincial Hall at a meeting to discuss the final details for the new service. The Software Industry Promotion Agency (SIPA) have been working on the project since last year. “We have finished developing…
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Phuket’s Swedish murder suspects may not do ‘hard’ time
PHUKET: The Swedish duo charged with the August 1 murder of Maksim Schantz would likely serve out their sentences in Sweden, a consular official told the Phuket Gazette. Johan Sebastian Ljung, 25, and Tommy Viktor Söderlund, 26, confessed on August 2 to attacking and stabbing to death the Russian-born Swedish national Mr Schantz, police said. The pair allegedly were angered…
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Phuket airport lands record meth bust
PHUKET: A Thai woman was caught trying to smuggle a record 3.2 kilograms of ya ice (crystal methamphetamine) into Thailand at Phuket International Airport last night. The haul, valued at 10.5 million baht, was touted to be the biggest meth bust in the airport’s history. The suspect, 39-year-old Ratchanee Chidnaporn, from Khon Kaen Province in Northeast Thailand (Isarn), arrived from…
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Phuket Media: Ethics more credible than pretensions of ‘War’
PHUKET: A story on a local blog last weekend continued to celebrate a “War” which it had declared several months ago, not against, but rather on behalf of and between, two of Phuket’s newspapers. We understood the writer’s interests at the time and have marveled at his diligence in following the conflagration with regular weekly reports. But the blog’s ‘report’…
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Phuket Sports: FC Phuket draw 1-1 at JW Rangsit
PHUKET: FC Phuket again failed to achieve their first win in an away match this season, though came from behind to grab a point against JW Rangsit with a 1-1 draw yesterday . Phuket went into the match ninth on the table and had a solid 3-1 home win over 11th-place Rangsit under their belt. The Phuket squad came out…
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FC Phuket face JW Rangsit FC today
PHUKET: Having defeated JW Rangsit in the Thai Premier League (TPL) Division One earlier this season at Surakul Stadium, a second victory for FC Phuket over their Pathum Thani rivals is expected today. However, it is an away fixture, and Phuket’s miserable away record continues to weigh on the minds of players, management, the media and faithful supporters. A commanding…
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Phuket Gov first to be drug tested
PHUKET: Phuket Governor Tri Augkaradacha today passed a drug test as part of the grand opening ceremony for the new drug testing center in Phuket. The governor officiated at the the event at the Regional Medical Sciences Center in Thalang this morning and offered a urine sample which was then screened for all five classes of illegal narcotics. After a…
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Phuket students to have tablet ‘e-textbooks’ next year
BANGKOK: The government yesterday announced a practical side to Pheu Thai Party’s election campaign promise to give free tablet computers to students throughout Thailand: They will come equipped with e-textbooks. Education Minister Woravat Auapinyakul explained that each tablet will cost no more than 3,000 baht and have a life span of up to four years. Presently, the government allocates between…
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Well known Phuket resident Ken Brookes passes away in UK
PHUKET: Canadian Barrister and long-term Phuket resident Ken Brookes died in hospital in London last night. He was 67. His wife Lori Ashton was with him on a holiday when Ken fell ill. Both Ken and Lori are best known for the successful ‘Art and Culture’ publishing business and lived in Rawai for a number of years. Born Kenneth JA…
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Koreans step up campaign for Phuket light-rail project
PHUKET: Korean mega-project developer Dohwa Engineering Co Ltd yesterday unveiled a series of proposed light-rail service routes across Phuket, including Patong. Sung-Min Lee, president of Dohwa’s Railway Metro Division, explained to Phuket Governor Tri Augkaradacha at Provincial Hall that the proposed routes were part of the company’s draft master plan. Although other mass-transit options that were presented included modern trams,…
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Love for the game of tennis
PHUKET: Travis Bertram, 30, from Seattle, Washington, USA, is the new tennis director for Thanyapura Sports and Leisure Club (TSLC). Having come through the ranks at leading tennis management company Peter Burwash International, Travis will develop TSLC’s new tennis academy. Speaking to the Phuket Gazette, Travis talks about his profession and hopes for tennis in Phuket. What drew you to…
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Phuket Youth Sailing Squadron heads for Hua Hin
PHUKET: The Phuket Youth Sailing Squadron (PYSS) is preparing to enter the Hua Hin Regatta 2011, and are inviting youths aged seven and up, specifically underprivileged children, to sign up for this new club that promotes youth sailing in Phuket. Five new youngsters have recently joined the sailing program, so there are now more than 20 members. Seventeen of these…
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Bend it like Therdsak
PHUKET: Former Captain of the Thailand national football team and current vice-captain of Thai Premier League side, Chonburi FC, Therdsak Chaiman was in Phuket recently for a youth coaching session at Thanyapura Sports and Leisure Club (TSLC). The free coaching clinic was organized with the help of Thanachart Bank and ran between 8am and 11am on July 30. Over 30…
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Phuket Poll: When will Thaksin return?
PHUKET: Now that Yingluck Shinawatra has been installed as Thailand’s first female prime minister, many political analysts are posing the question: When will her brother, fugitive former PM Thaksin, return to Thailand? In its latest online poll, the Phuket Gazette invites readers to suggest when they think this will happen – if ever. To have your say, click here or…
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Tourist arrivals jump exposes Phuket infrastructure lag
ANALYSIS PHUKET: Officials forecasting a record high four million passenger arrivals at Phuket International Airport for 2011 has highlighted lagging infrastructure, mounting travel delays and long immigration queues that have the potential to derail growth in Phuket’s hospitality industry. Phuket Airport has a stated total capacity of 6.5 million passengers a year, including all arrivals and departures from international and…
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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