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 Rugby 10s at Karon Stadium simmers!
PHUKET: The Phuket Rugby 10s simmers with the Phuket Viagrabonds, Cottesloe Old Gulls, Morrabbin Rams and the Taipei Silverbacks all showing themselves as potential winners. The results from games nine to 12 in the Athena Siam Coffin Dodgers Competition at Karon Stadium were: Selangor Old Dogs 0 Cottesloe Old Gulls 15 Wanderers Jagermeister Wrinklies 24 Hong Kong Bulls 7 Old…
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Phuket Rugby 10s heats up!
PHUKET: The Phuket rugby 10s continues, in glorious sunshine, though harsh for the players. The standard is high with top scorers so far, our very own Phuket Viagrabonds and the Morrabbin Rams. The results from the following four games in the Athena Siam Coffin Dodgers Comp were: Phuket Viagrabonds 31 Asian Japanese Dragons 0 Morrabbin Rams 38 Aarabian Gulf Legends…
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Heineken Thailand Brewery Co. Ltd Phuket Rugby 10s Kicks Off!
PHUKET: The Phuket rugby 10s sponsored by Heineken Thailand Brewery Co. Ltd kicked off under slightly overcast skies, just perfect conditions. We will be bringing you frequent updates throughout the day. The results from the opening games in the Athena Siam Coffin Dodgers Comp were: Taipei Silverbacks 19 Cottesloe Pirates 0 Stray Cats 7 Bedhoff Kings 24 Hong Kong Bulls…
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New Phuket bridge to open next week
PHUKET: The new bridge connecting Phuket with Phang Nga will be open to traffic next week as planned, the Phuket Provincial Highways Office (PPHO) announced. Known as the “Sarasin Bridge 2” throughout the construction phase, the new roadway will be known officially as the Srisoonthorn Bridge. “The new bridge is about 94 per cent complete and the construction contract ends…
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Iceland volcano eruption has no effect on Phuket flights
PHUKET: THE eruption of the Grimsvötn volcano in Iceland has not affected flights at Phuket International Airport, the Phuket Gazette was told yesterday. Airlines are also back in the skies over Europe as schedules return to normal today after a week of flight disruptions caused by a cloud of volcanic ash drifting over parts of the continent, Bloomberg reported. On…
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Steep slope stalls Phuket shortcut plan
PHUKET: Work is underway on a new road joining Kathu and Wichit, in central Phuket, but the plans are being reviewed as the main hill the road was to have passed over has now proved too steep to pave. Teeraporn Jirarattanakorn, director of the Department of Rural Roads office in Phuket, told the Phuket Gazette the completed 1.5-kilometer road will…
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Dirty tackle
PHUKET SPORTS: “This move is little more than a tactic being used by those who have no confidence in their own ability to emerge successfully from the Fifa presidential election.” Mohamed Bin Hammam (President of the Asian Football Confederation) offering a vague clue as to who and why allegations of corruption have been brought against him. — Neil Quail
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Rugby 10s gets Phuket buzzing
PHUKET: THE 13th Phuket International Rugby 10s kicks off tomorrow May 27 with Phuket’s own Vagabonds intent on providing stiff opposition for would be challengers in the event. Karon Stadium again plays home to this hugely popular tournament and after recent rains the surface is in ideal condition for rugby. Phuket Vagabonds rivalry with the Bangkok Bangers will certainly entice…
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Rubbish piling up on Phuket’s sister ‘eco-island’
PHUKET: Now that the two municipal landfills on Koh Yao Noi are filled to capacity, villagers living on the island are demanding new solutions. About 30 villagers on May 12 handed a letter of complaint to Mayor Somphol Roengsamut at the Koh Yao Noi Municipality offices. The group said waste management had been a problem for years on the island.…
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Dems out in droves in Phuket
PHUKET: Anchalee Vanich Thepabutr and Raywat Areerob arrived at Provincial Hall at 8:30am today to register as the Democrat Party candidates in the upcoming general election. Mrs Anchalee will run in Phuket constituency 1, which covers all of Muang District except Rassada and Koh Kaew subdistricts. Mr Raywat will run in constituency 2, which covers the rest of the island.…
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Thai stars to clash with Liverpool Legends at Thanyapura Phuket
PHUKET: THE clash of legends on Phuket. In mid-June, a team of former Thailand internationals hope to turn back the clock and take the game to a potent force of illustrious former Liverpool FC players. One of the most celebrated strikers ever to wear a ‘war elephants’ shirt is Piyapong Pue On. A national hero, he has represented Thailand on…
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Windsor notches eight gold medals at BIS, Phuket
PHUKET: BRITISH International School (BIS) hosted 382 young athletes for its impressive third Flying Fish International Swimming Invitational and witnessed the emergence of a future star from Phuket. Twenty-one teams represented seven countries from around the region including Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, China, the Philippines and Pakistan. The vast number of boys and girls were organized by age, ranging from…
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“Comebacks happen in finals”
“I said at the break that comebacks happen in finals and used the example of Liverpool in the Champions League. I knew we could come back from the deficit.” Leinster out-half and man of the match, Jonathan Sexton after his team’s victory over Northampton Saints in the Heineken Cup Final.May 22, 2011 — Neil Quail
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Thailand champions from Phuket place fifth in South Africa
PHUKET’S golfing duo Michael Weinstein and Kenth Fredin returned from a successful – if somewhat saturated – World Corporate Golf Challenge (WCGC) Finals held in the Eden district of South Africa. Victory in Bangkok at the qualifying tournament in March this year, awarded Michael and Kenth the opportunity to represent Thailand at the 36-hole challenge final. Played on the Jack…
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Football still in the dark ages
PHUKET: I USED to love football. A game for thugs played by gentleman as the saying partly goes. My father played for Glentoran in Northern Ireland and in later years he became a respected referee. My younger brother followed this officious capacity in sports and became an international hockey umpire. As one can imagine, our household was never short on…
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Legends to match up at Thanyapura, Phuket
PHUKET: THE host venue for the Liverpool Legends versus the Legends of Thailand Phuket leg has officially been advised to the Phuket Gazette as the Thanyapura Sports and Leisure Center (TSLC), by the owners and promoters North Scoreboard Co Ltd. “Thanyapura was selected for the quality of the pitch and facilities to support our international teams and visitors, as well…
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Phuket expat hotelier and Hash House Harrier dies in motorbike crash
PHUKET: A Phuket expat was killed yesterday morning when he lost control of his 1,400cc motorcycle on a notoriously dangerous curve on Thepkrasattri Road. Irish national Patrick “Paddy” O’Mahony, who turned 57 on Sunday, was travelling toward the Sarasin Bridge on his red Kawasaki ZZR 1400 when he crashed near the turnoff to the JW Marriott Resort & Spa. A…
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Honorary Consuls tackle Phuket tourism’s Big Bad Four
PHUKET: Tuk-tuks, jet-skis, dirty water and bad publicity abroad once again topped the agenda at the sixth “Honorary Consuls Meeting with Local Authorities” at Phuket Provincial Hall yesterday afternoon. Governor Tri Augkaradecha opened the proceedings by apologizing for some “inappropriate language” by some attendees at the previous gathering in February. He also promised to keep the meetings short by inviting…
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Tonight, Tonight: Phuket Police chief to square off against boxing legend
PHUKET: The island’s “Top Gun” will take on Thailand’s legendary boxing champion tonight in a charity bout to raise relief funds for the families of police still suffering from the devastating flooding in parts of the south that took place in late March. Phuket Provincial Police Commander Pekad Tantipong will enter the ring against former WBA champion Khaosai Galaxy in…
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Phuket youngster killed in shrimp farm machinery
PHUKET: A seven-year-old boy was killed on Saturday after becoming stuck in an aerator drive shaft at a shrimp farm pond. Chonnakan “Thua Lek (small child)” Sae-lao suffered multiple broken bones, including a broken neck, when his clothing was snagged by the rotating drive shaft. Chonnakan’s parents, Sommai Pengpaitoon, 37 and Piraphong Sae-lao, 41, are fruit vendors and had gone…
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Wedding double booking bumps Phuket MP registration
PHUKET: A wedding booked at the Community Hall in Phuket Town means that candidates wanting to contest the upcoming elections must now register at a makeshift center at Provincial Hall. “The couple had booked their wedding before the election day of July 3 was announced and they have already sent out their wedding invitations,” Phuket Election Commission Director Kitipong Thiengkunakrit…
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Phuket poor get food, scholarships
PHUKET: Some of Phuket’s poorest people were on hand at the Kusoldharm Foundation headquarters yesterday afternoon to accept donations of food as part of the annual Te Krajard merit-making ceremony. The event marks the birthday of the Chinese God Hui Joh that is highly revered by Phuket’s ethnic Chinese community. Led by Kusoldharm Foundation President Benjawan Tamphanuwat, workers distributed 3,000…
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Aussie “marathon centurion’ to run Laguna Phuket
PHUKET: Completing one marathon is on the “to do” list for many people, but Australian Julia Thorn has gone more than 100 times better than most: she plans to complete her 115th at the Laguna Phuket International Marathon (LPIM) on June 12. Not content with adding another notch to her belt, the-53-year old Melbourne mother of three has set herself…
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Phuket prisoners ready to break out the furniture
PHUKET: The annual fair for inmates to sell their wares made while serving their prison sentences will return to Phuket from June 3 to 12, Phuket Prison Chief Rapin Nichanon has announced. Handmade products from 25 prisons throughout Thailand’s 14 southern provinces will be on sale at Saphan Hin in Phuket Town at the 8th annual Southern Prison Products Fair.…
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Abhisit heads for Phuket, Anchalee to run for Democrats
PHUKET: Caretaker Prime Minister Abihist Vejjajiva will visit Phuket next Thursday to head a Democrat rally at Saphan Hin. The news came today as longstanding Phuket Democrat Anchalee Vanich Thepabutr confirmed she will be the Democrat Party candidate contesting the Phuket 1 constituency in the July 3 general election. Mrs Anchalee this morning spent an hour visiting residents on Thalang…
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Abuse of Phuket tourists: ‘Bar mafia’ crackdown looms
PHUKET: Foreign “mafiosi” who cheat and even assault foreign tourists sometimes do so with the support of Phuket officials, yesterday’s meeting with a high-ranking Ministry of Interior (MoI) official was told. Interior Ministry Deputy Permanent Secretary Pranai Suwannarat was in Phuket to hear directly from tourism industry operators and analysts about problems facing the industry. His findings during the four-hour…
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Phuket murder victim found nearly decapitated
PHUKET: The partially decapitated body of an unidentified man was discovered in a Phuket rubber plantation this morning. The victim’s completely severed right hand was found near the body, which was discovered on Koh Sireh in Rassada by a Burmese rubber tapper. Phuket City Police led by Charoon Plaiduang estimated the age of the victim at 40 to 45. There…
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Police yet to question crew over Phuket diver death
PHUKET: Almost two weeks after Japanese dive tourist Hitomi Shibata died after being struck in the head with a boat propeller off Koh Racha Noi, police have yet to question the crew of the boat she was on. Chalong Police Duty Officer Attawat Suwannarat on Wednesday told the Phuket Gazette that he was still investigating the case and had not…
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Phuket police probe into drinking shooting death on hold
PHUKET: The key witness to the shooting death of a Ratcha Buri man in Phuket last weekend remains at large, and the investigation is suspended until relatives hold funeral services for the deceased. The victim, 34-year-old Yodthong Pinjit, was found dead of a gunshot wound to the top of the head in his small home near Patong Temple last Saturday…
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“Beaten, cheated, cursed’: Phuket tourists get it all
PHUKET: Tourists being beaten, cheated and cursed were among the top problems plaguing the island’s critical tourism industry, Interior Ministry Deputy Permanent Secretary Pranai Suwannarat heard from industry experts today. Mr Pranai this afternoon chaired a meeting at Provincial Hall attended by Vice Governor Niwit Arunrat and about 20 other officials from provinces along the Andaman coast, all present to…
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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