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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Elderly German woman still missing in Phuket as search enters seventh day
Search parties in Phuket are still no closer to finding an elderly German woman who has now been missing for 7 days. Barbara Elisabeth Monika Glag Lange is thought to have Alzheimer’s, according to a Nation Thailand report. She disappeared from her hotel in Mai Khao, north of Phuket International Airport, last Monday. District officials, village chiefs, as well as…
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Phuket tourism hopes for cash flow from the long weekend
The Tourism Authority of Thailand, Phuket office, is hoping for cash to flow over this 4 day weekend (Friday was a public service holiday for Ploughing Day and tomorrow is the substitute holiday for today’s Visaka Bucha Day). TAT Phuket’s director, Nanthasiri Ronnasiri, said yesterday that the average hotel room occupancy rate is 44.5%, and it’s expected to jump to…
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UPDATE: CCTV footage of missing German tourist in Phuket
THE LATEST The German tourist who went missing from a hotel in Phuket’s Thalang district on May 9 was last seen on CCTV footage, walking on a road in Mai Khao-subdistrict (far north on the west coast). The footage is reportedly from a hotel nearby. It has not yet been reported what date the footage is from, or which road…
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Big storm plunders homes in Patong
A storm of fierce rain and wind caused several large trees to fall down and plunder 3 houses in Patong on Phuket’s west coast yesterday. No injuries were reported, and staff from the local Disaster Prevention and Mitigation office arrived to cut and remove the trees from the area. But photos by The Phuket Express revealed that the houses were…
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UPDATE: New details emerge on missing German tourist in Phuket
THE LATEST Phuket police are still on the lookout for the German tourist who reportedly went missing from a hotel in Thalang district on Monday (May 9). The 76 year old woman was originally only identified as Ms. Barbara, however the Thalang district police chief has now told The Phuket Express that her full name is Barbara Elisabeth Monika Glag…
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Phuket’s THB4.5 Billion Andamanda Project Set to Open
Thailand’s newest integrated resort, the Andamanda Phuket will soft open next week on 21st May 2022. Styled as a leisure and entertainment offering, a water park debut will be the first phase of a larger development by Thailand’s Proud Group with a total investment of THB4.5 billion (USD134 million). Andamanda will bring a world-class attraction to the resort island featuring…
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UPDATE: Excavation banned on hill in Phuket, further investigation
THE LATEST After Thai media reported construction tools and trucks digging soil on a hill in Kamala, a town in Phuket, officials have banned any further excavation on the site. Kathu District Chief Siwat Rawangkul confirmed the ban when he and other officials revisited the site on Tuesday. He said that no government office has issued a building permit for…
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German tourist missing in Phuket
After a German tourist in Phuket was rescued after getting stuck between rocks last week, another German tourist in the island province is also in a tricky situation. The 76 year old woman, who so far has only been identified as Ms. Barbara, reportedly went missing from a hotel in Thalang district on Monday (May 9). This is reportedly the…
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Phuket targets 1 million foreign tourists for last quarter of 2022
The president of the Phuket Tourist Association says the island hopes to attract a million foreign tourists in the last quarter of the year. Bhummikitti Raktaengam says things are looking up since the cancellation of Test & Go, and he’s hopeful the southern island could receive a total of 3.5 million visitors this year. Since May 1, the number of…
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Dog kills its owner’s sister in Phuket
A woman was found dead with bite marks on her neck at her home in Phuket in southern Thailand this morning. She was taking care of her brother’s two Thai ridgeback dogs while he was away on a business trip to Bangkok. One of the dogs had traces of blood on its mouth and fur. Police found 38 year old…
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Two Thai boys attempt to walk from Isaan to Phuket to visit their relatives
Or “Top and Tai’s Excellent Adventure”. Two teenage boys attempted to walk from the Isaan province of Udon Thani to Phuket in southern Thailand, a distance of some 1,450 kilometres, because they wanted to visit their relatives. The pair didn’t get very far. When they were spotted walking along the road in Udon Thani, they were sent back home for…
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A piece of ceiling at Phuket airport falls, one passenger sent to hospital
An aluminium ‘bar’ from Phuket Airport’s domestic terminal ceiling has fallen to the floor, just avoiding hitting a female passenger standing nearby. No injuries were reported, but the woman was in shock and fainted. Ceiling structures at Thailand’s airports have suffered from ‘gravity’ over the past few weeks. Yesterday, at 11.20 am, officials at Phuket airport’s domestic terminal were notified…
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What you can get for 1 million USD in Phuket
Wondering what you could buy in Phuket with a budget of 1 million USD? A million dollars goes a lot further in Phuket than in most western countries like the United States. With house prices rising significantly in many areas around the world, properties in beautiful but less expensive places like Phuket are certainly looking very enticing. Phuket has been…
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Phuket prepares reforestation activity for National Tree Day
National Tree Day is coming up next Friday, May 13, and Phuket is getting ready to celebrate! Phuket authorities plan to host a public event where people can come and plant trees. The event will start at Wat Kosit Viharn Temple, off Thepkrasattri Road in Rassada, and move to Toh Sae National Forest reserve, which is behind the temple off…
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Major Thai police leader to discuss closing times in Pattaya, Phuket and elsewhere
Thailand’s most famous policeman, ‘Big Joke’, aka. Surachate Hakparn, has plans to discuss legal closing times for ‘restaurants’ in Pattaya, Phuket and other renowned tourist hotspots where the closing time issue continues to be a hot topic. Bars and clubs in Thailand, under official laws, are still only allowed to reopen as ‘restaurants’, and only until midnight at the moment.…
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Phuket officials investigate land excavation in Kamala hills
After news broke on Thai media that a backhoe was seen digging soil and loading it onto trucks in Kamala, a town on the central west coast of Phuket, officials are now investigating what is suspected of being an illegal land excavation. Isra News Agency, the Thai media platform that first reported the incident, published photos on Thursday of what…
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How living the dream became a nightmare for Phuket property buyers
Dreams die hard, even in a pandemic. But for thousands of Phuket property buyers who invested in the promise of a tropical dream with endless sunsets, the stone-cold reality of failure is just starting to hit home. Amidst a backdrop of rusting steel, decaying concrete, and empty construction sites lays the dark side of the island’s real estate trade. To…
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Phuket and Andaman coast warned of storms and rough seas for next few days
A weather alert from last night by the Phuket Info Centre is warning of possible flash floods and “wild water flows” in Phuket, and other provinces on the Andaman coast. The stormy weather and high waves are predicted to last from today until Monday (May 7-9). Sailors in the Andaman Sea are being warned not to sail in areas with…
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What makes Phuket one of the best destinations in the world to retire
Have you been dreaming of spending your retirement years in a tropical paradise? Would you like to escape the hustle and bustle of busy city life? If the answer is yes, then Phuket can be a fantastic destination for you. There are so many excellent reasons to retire in Phuket. With its gorgeous beaches, lively nightlife, and fascinating culture, Phuket…
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Phuket official suggests drawing tourists with sharks
After an animal, which some suspect was a shark, bit a child at a Phuket beach on this week, one official thinks sharks could be a cool new tourist attraction. Earlier, a lifeguard had voiced concern that if the attack was indeed a shark attack, this would impact tourism in the area. But Jutha Dumlak, the president of the Kamala…
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Rental demand soars, as Phuket real estate returns to fundamentals
Urban flight has driven Phuket’s once investment-focused property market in an entirely new direction. This seismic shift has resulted in a dramatic return to real estate basics. Focusing on the pandemic era of the past two years, a constant flow of new incoming residents from both abroad and Bangkok has seen the scales tip, as rental demand has vastly exceeded…
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German tourist rescued after getting stuck between rocks in Phuket
A German tourist has become stuck between a rock and a hard place in Phuket. The island’s tourist police rescued a German tourist stuck between huge rocks in the forest facing Nai Thon Beach on Phuket’s west coast. He walked from the airport and was later trapped at the spot. He was lucky his phone signal was still available for…
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After child suffers animal bite, Phuket beach cleared for patrols
After an 8 year old Thai-Ukrainian boy was injured in a suspected shark attack on Tuesday, Phuket’s Kamala Beach was cleared of swimmers for lifeguards, police and officials to patrol. The chief of Kathu district told The Phuket News that there were still beachgoers, and the patrol was meant to warn tourists to be careful of ‘aquatic animals’. But photos showed that…
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Phuket officials optimistic as Covid-19 infections drop
Health officials on the southern island of Phuket have hailed a drop in Covid-19 infections, as the country looks forward to declaring the virus endemic. Phuket has reported fewer than 100 new daily cases for the past 10 days. According to public health chief Koosak Kookiatkul, the island reported just 39 new infections, with zero deaths, on Tuesday. In addition,…
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8 year old Thai-Ukrainian child bitten by ‘shark’ in Phuket
An 8 year old half Thai, half Ukrainian child was reported as being bitten by an unknown sea animal at Kamala Beach on Phuket’s west coast. The officer from the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources believes the animal could have been a shark. On April 1, Thai media reported that the child travelled with 6 other family members. He…
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Another Phuket festival showcases the island’s traditional clothing
Another Phuket seafood festival, but this time, there’s a unique new feature! From Friday until Saturday night, officials in Kathu district Phuket organised the ‘Suk Jai Naithu’ festival. The festival included a parade of people dressed in colourful, elaborate costumes. These costumes are the traditional clothing of Phuket. ‘Suk Jai Nathu’ means ‘Happy Naithu’. Phuket Vice Governor Amnuay Pitsuwan and…
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Phuket driver filmed obstructing ambulance claims he didn’t hear it
A Phuket driver, who was caught on film driving slowly and erratically braking, obstructing an ambulance that was taking a seriously injured woman to a hospital, has now presented himself to police. A video clip was posted online on Thursday, causing outrage among Thai netizens. The driver presented himself at Phuket City Police Station yesterday (Saturday). He claims he didn’t…
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Official promises to give Phuket’s sea gypsies housing
As part of a larger effort to provide housing for the Andaman region’s indigenous people, an official is promising to provide sea gypsies with housing in Phuket and other Andaman areas. The official, Deputy PM and Minister of Commerce Jurin Laksanawisit, made the announcement yesterday while visiting a sea gypsy village. Jurin has been in the news recently, as leader…
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Phuket police and park officers rescue American lost in jungle
Phuket Tourist Police and national park officers have rescued an American tourist who got lost in a jungle in Thalang district yesterday in central Phuket. The tourist, an unnamed 68 year old man, had become lost in the afternoon, but the team luckily found him in the early evening. He reportedly had some scratches on his leg, and was dehydrated,…
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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