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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Patong’s first high school to open 2014
PHUKET: Patong Municipality will spend 320 million baht to renovate and expand the Ban Sainamyen School, establishing it as the busy Phuket tourist town’s first high school. Plans have been drawn up and construction is expected to take two years, with the high school slated to open in 2014. “The [existing] school building is old but clean, though at present…
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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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Phuket Live Wire: WiFi versus 3G
PHUKET: More than a dozen people have asked me in the past week, “What’s the difference between WiFi and 3G?” I am sure the interest has nothing to do with learning about technology. Every one of the people is considering buying an iPad 2. They can figure out which color they want and how much memory they want, but they’re…
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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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Crowds turn out to support Phuket election candidates
PHUKET: A large crowd of supporters greeted three political hopefuls this morning as they arrived at Phuket Provincial Hall to register their candidacies with the Phuket Election Committee (PEC). First on hand to register, at 8:30am, was Bhumjaithai Party candidate Jirayus Songyos, who will contest Phuket Constituency 2. The second applicant was Pheu Thai Party candidate Wisit Jai-arj, who will…
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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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FC Phuket caught by Hares
PHUKET: Recovering from their disappointing home loss last week, FC Phuket traveled to eastern Thailand on Saturday where they managed a draw against Chantaburi FC. The 12th-place Chantaburi “Hares”, who drew against Suphanburi FC 2-2 in an away game last week, were not to be taken lightly on their home turf. A lethargic 45 minutes and several poorly missed opportunities…
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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’s fireball yacht probe hits the doldrums
PHKET: The police investigation into whether or not any people were trapped inside a 40-foot yacht that burst into flames and sank last Saturday has stalled. Chalong Police Duty Officer Boonlert Onklang told the Phuket Gazette on Wednesday that no person had claimed ownership of the yacht, which was identified by a witness to the fire as Karni. “I checked…
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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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Snooker stars take their cue for Phuket Cup
PHUKET: Snooker is back in the frame from June 6 to 11 when 19 professional players challenge for the 2011 SangSom Phuket Cup to be held at the Royal Paradise Hotel and Spa Patong. The tournament is part of Thailand’s Ranking Circuit Snooker Championship and will include two English professionals: Stuart Bingham and Alfred Burden. Thai star Ratchapol Pu-Ob-Orm, or…
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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…
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Phuket visit of Bikini babes postponed
PHUKET: The highly anticipated visit to Phuket of the Miss Thailand Beach International 2011 finalists next month has been postponed. Scheduled to stimulate the streets of Patong from June 3 to 5 with a calendar shoot, fashion show and “Save the Environment on Earth Day” event, the girls will have to wait for a later date, organizers confirmed today. Nittaya…
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Phuket AirAsia workers in late night car crash
PHUKET: Four Thai AirAsia employees were seriously injured early this morning when the car they were riding in crashed into a power pole in Thalang. The accident, reported at 2:10am, occurred about 200 meters from the Mae Ju souvenir shop on Thepkrasattri Road northbound in Thepkrasattri subdistrict. A rescue worker reported there was heavy rainfall and flooding at the time…
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Phuket Live Wire: iPad2 in Thailand is a steal
PHUKET: The Tourism Authority of Thailand should take out a full-page ad in the New York Times. “Fly to Thailand,” it could say, “and get a 20 per cent discount on a new iPad 2.” Hard to believe, but the iPad 2 is significantly cheaper in Thailand than in the US – and the savings are even greater if your…
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Pheu Thai names Phuket District 1 candidate
PHUKET: The Pheu Thai Party yesterday announced Wisit Jai-arj as its candidate for the Phuket District 1 constituency seat in Parliament. The announcement was made by Dr Olarn Chaipravit, a Pheu Thai board member, at the opening of Mr Wisit’s campaign office in Phuket Town. Pheu Thai Party southern region leader Pichet Sathirachawal and Korkaew Pikulthong, another Pheu Thai leader,…
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Phuket sea gypsies continue quest for identity
PHUKET: Thirty Phuket sea gypsies recently took the first step in the daunting process of applying for Thai citizenship. Their plight as stateless people was one of many issues raised during a May 4 meeting at Phuket Provincial Hall. Chaired by Vice Governor Weerawat Janpen, the gathering was intended to discuss ways to preserve sea gypsies’ traditional lifestyles in a…
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Phuket meth mule busted, 1500 pills seized
PHUKET: In the latest drug arrest, Phuket City Police last night nabbed a man found in possession of 1,500 ya bah (methamphetamine) pills and a small amount of ya ice (crystal methamphetamine). Police said Tossapol Maneepakorn, 21, was pulled over at a police checkpoint on Rassadanusorn Road in the Ban Kuku area of Rassada at about 11:30 pm. As they…
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Service for Phuket’s Louis Bronner this Sunday
PHUKET: A funeral service for Louis Bronner will be held at Wat Ladthiwanaram in Chalong on Sunday. Mr Bronner, the renowned general manager of the Boathouse restaurant in Kata, died on Monday after complications from heart surgery. He was 70 years old. His remains are being kept at Sala 16 of Wat Thadthong in Bangkok, where friends and family can…
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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