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 Town ‘Pink Bus’ project wins ‘innovation’ award
PHUKET: The Phuket Provincial Administration Organization’s “Pink Bus” project providing reasonably-priced public transport for Phuket City residents has won a national award for “Local Innovation” from the Prime Minister’s Office. The award was one of 61 awarded to local administration offices by a new Prime Minister’s Office committee on decentralization of power to local administration organizations. A total of 1,003…
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Noisy Phuket teens survive shotgun blast
PHUKET: A teenage couple out joyriding and lighting off firecrackers last night sustained injuries from a shotgun blast that police think was intended as a warning shot. Phuket City Police received a 191 emergency report of the shooting just before midnight. Phuket City Police Superintendent Wanchai Ekpornpit led officials to the scene in front to the Rachada Pub, located along…
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Only 15 spots left in Phuket Pro-Am charity golf event
PHUKET: The island’s first-ever Pro-Am charity golf tournament is coming to Phuket with more than 30 big names from the PGA Asian Tour signed up to take part. But time is running out for Phuket amateur golfers to get involved in the exciting event, as there are only 15 places left, the organizers say. The 2010 Phuket Property Dot Com…
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‘India loves Phuket’, travel agents say
PHUKET: The Travel Agents’ Association of India (TAAI) expects at least a 100% increase in the number of Indian tourists coming to Phuket next year, TAAI President Rajinder Rai told the Gazette. Some 1,000 Indian travel agents attended a three-day TAAI conference organized by the Tourism Authority of Thailand. The event, hosted by Phuket Fantasea in Kamala, ended yesterday. “Last…
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Phuket girl wins Quiksilver Thailand Surf Competition 2010
PHUKET: Indonesian Tipi “The Tiger” Jabrik took first place in the finals of the Men’s shortboard competition at the Quiksilver Thailand Surf Competition 2010 yesterday, while 12-year-old Phuket local Annissa Flynn used her knowledge of the “home surf” to take top honors in the women’s shortboard event. Seventy-seven surfers from 10 countries competed in the events, with total cash prizes…
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Diving for debris: Phuket marks Coastal Cleanup Day
PHUKET: Fully-gloved and nets in hand, volunteer divers helped remove about 100 kilograms of rubbish from the sea as part of International Coastal Cleanup Day on September 25. The event was supported by Sea Bees, Scuba Schools International, TDA Diving Association (Thailand) and Green Fins Thailand. Volunteers taking part met at Chalong Pier on Saturday morning for the voyage to…
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Phuket villagers ramp up tunnel protest
PHUKET: More than 100 villagers from Baan Mon community in Patong descended on Provincial Hall last week to hand a formal letter of complaint to the governor against the proposed Patong Tunnel project. The villagers vowed to fight any government effort to expropriate land needed for the project. Current scheduled rates for expropriation set by the Land Department would never…
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Fried chicken vendor is latest Phuket road fatality
PHUKET: A fried chicken vendor was killed instantly last night in Kathu when his motorbike was struck by another traveling at high speed. Thung Thong Police were notified of the accident at 8:10pm. Investigations Inspector Chaowalit Petch-sribia rushed to the scene at the entrance to Soi Boon-erb, a well-known traffic danger spot at the base of Patong Hill. Accompanied by…
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FC Phuket in training in Bangkok
PHUKET: FC Phuket are now in their second week of training for the upcoming “mini-league” playoffs to determine which four of the twelve qualifying teams will move up to Division One of the Thai League. Arjhan Songgamsub, head coach of Division 2 South champion FC Phuket, also known as Southern Sea Kirin, said all of his players are in good…
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‘Toxins for tablets’ with Phuket Safe project
PHUKET: Island residents can now exchange hazardous household waste for medicine at 36 drugstores as part of a new project called “Phuket Safe”. Starting on Monday this week, 20 drug stores displayed stickers showing their participation in the project, which is a joint initiative between Phuket City Municipality and the Phuket Drug Store Association. Club president Jindee Santikayawakul said the…
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Phuket Immigration: No change in visa overstay rules
PHUKET: The Phuket Immigration chief today denied there have been any formal changes in the way Thai Immigration Police deal with foreigners who overstay their permits-to-stay or who are otherwise discovered to be residing in the Kingdom illegally. Phuket Immigration Superintendent Panuwat Ruamrak admitted receiving “many” calls today following an online media report stating that foreigners who try to depart…
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All systems go for Phuket Veggiefest 2010
PHUKET: Final preparations are being ironed out for this year’s Phuket Vegetarian Festival, which will kick off with an opening ceremony at Saphan Hin Park at 9am on October 7. The raising of go teng poles to welcome the Chinese Warrior Gods down from their celestial abode will take place at participating shrines later the same day. The ceremony “proper”…
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Phuket braces for another anti-smoking crackdown
PHUKET: Patong business operators have been given one month to post No Smoking signs and set up smoking areas in their air-conditioned restaurants and nightclubs, or face a fine of up to 20,000 baht.Smokers found breaking the law will face a fine of up to 2,000 baht.The deadline was handed down by Kathu Police Superintendent Arayapan Pukbuakao on September 14.At…
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Phuket Muslims prepare for Hajj
PHUKET: A Saudi embassy announcement yesterday that it will issue the 13,000 visas necessary for Thai Muslims to join the Hajj this year comes as welcome news for Phuket Islamic Committee President Bamroong Samphaorat. “Saudi Arabia – under no circumstances – associates its relations with any country, with allowing or forbidding Muslims from performing their fifth pillar of Islam of…
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Hilton deal to boost golf tourism to Phuket
PHUKET: The Hilton hotel chain has joined Golfasian, a leading inbound golf tour operator in Thailand to create the Thai marketing cooperative ‘Golf in a Kingdom: The Thai Golf Experience’. The initiative will make it easier for visitors looking for a premium golf holiday to book a variety of stay-and-play itineraries. It is also hoped that Hilton’s involvement will help…
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Phuket tourists face jail for long immigration overstays
PHUKET: The Thai Immigration Bureau in Bangkok is now arresting and jailing foreigners with long “overstays” before permitting them to leave the Kingdom, ThaiVisa.com reports. Immigration officers at Suvarnabhumi Airport are apparently fed up with foreigners flouting Thai Immigration law by turning up at the checkpoint with a valid air ticket and the maximum fine of 20,000 baht in hand.…
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Phuket Surf Competition underway
PHUKET: The Quiksilver Thailand Surf Competition 2010 is underway at Kata Beach, with finals scheduled for Sunday. Highlights for tomorrow will be a special surf show from 11am to 1pm with two renowned professionals demonstrating their skills. Taking to the surf will be Indonesian Surfing Championship (ISC) president Tipi ‘Tiger’ Jabrik of Indonesia and ISC board member Jake ‘The Snake’…
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‘Phuket 2.0’: Opportunities for the future seminar on October 1
PHUKET: The American Chamber of Commerce in Thailand is teaming up with Laguna Property, C9 Hotelworks and Sheraton Grande Laguna Phuket for a special business networking event on October 1. Mark Armsden of Delivering Asia Communications will join a panel of industry experts to discuss Phuket opportunities in the following areas: Hotels and property: Michael Ayling of Laguna Resorts and…
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Phuket divers gear up for Coastal Cleanup Day
PHUKET: Phuket’s recreational dive community is gearing up for International Coastal Cleanup Day on Saturday, with two major cleanup activities planned. The Thai Diving Association, Scuba Schools International and Sea Bees are holding a “big clean-up dive” off Phuket to help save local reefs. The meeting point will be at the Anchor Inn restaurant in Chalong at 9am. Finger food…
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Phuket’s budget airlines under fire; Phuket surf; Gas leak
Phuket NEWS Hound – A daily digest of news about Thailand from around the world, compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community. Phuket’s budget airlines facing heat PHUKET: The Office of the Consumer Protection Board (OCPB) is summoning low-cost airlines to respond to complaints of unfair charges. The OCPB has issued letters to all low-cost airlines operating in Thailand…
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TCT to push Phuket as ‘high-end’ tourism destination
PHUKET: The Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT) has laid out an eight-point strategy to help develop the tourism industry that includes promoting Phuket as a high-end destination and issuing longer tourist visas to help prepare for the Asean Free Trade Agreement (Afta) that goes into effect in 2015. Piyaman Tejabaibul, the new TCT chairman, said yesterday that building unique and…
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Miss Thailand World in Phuket to fulfill sacred vow
PHUKET: Heads were turning yesterday as Miss Thailand World 2010, Sirirat ‘Noo Si’ Rueangsri, paid her respects to the Big Buddha image high up in the Nakkerd Hills in Phuket. Ms Sirirat, a 22-year-old law student from Chiang Mai, was in Phuket for a one-day visit to fulfill a promise she made to herself to revisit the site if she…
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Phuket Town welcomes Full Moon tonight
PHUKET: A Satree Phuket School student presented a “Moon Goddess” costume as part of a fashion show on the first night of the Moon Festival celebration September 20 at Queen Sirikit Park in Phuket Town. The three-day celebration, officially celebrated by the municipality for the first time this year, ends tonight with a Moon Worship ceremony starting at 8:45 pm…
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Phuket to Chiang Mai bus set for early 2011
PHUKET: Travelers with plenty of stamina will soon be able to travel directly by bus between Phuket and Chiang Mai, a journey of almost 24 hours. Green Bus, which already holds a concession for air-conditioned bus transport in Northern Thailand, plans to launch the service in early 2011. The journey will take 22 to 23 hours. Somchai Thongkhamkhoon, managing director…
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Teen hurt after running red in Phuket
RASSADA, PHUKET: A 16-year-old girl was seriously injured after she allegedly jumped a red light on her motorcycle and was hit by a car in Phuket yesterday. Shortly before midnight, Phuket City Police Inspector Chaliao Thaihoo received a report of an accident at the Narisorn Intersection on Surin Road in tambon Rassada. Capt Chaliao rushed to the scene with Kusoldharm…
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Phuket Vegetarian Festival 2010 to serve up tourism treat
PHUKET: Promising signs are emerging for Phuket’s upcoming high season, as reservation rates have reached 50% for the upcoming Phuket Vegetarian Festival, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has announced. Wanaphapar Suksombul, Deputy Director of the TAT South Region 4 in Phuket, believes the October 8 to 16 Vegetarian Festival will help the 2010-2011 high season get off to a…
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Phuket marks National Fisheries Day today
THALANG: To mark today’s National Fisheries Day today, Phuket Provincial Fisheries Office last week organized the release of 2.4 million baby banana shrimp and 2,000 milkfish to help replenish diminishing stocks in remaining Phuket mangrove areas. The event, led by Phuket Governor Wichai Phraisa-ngop, was held at the Phuket Coastal Fisheries Research and Development Center at Laem Sai in Pa…
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Phuket monkey viewpoint half complete
PHUKET: The “monkey viewpoint” being developed on Koh Sireh is costing Rassada Municipality 14 million baht and tenders are now being accepted for a separate 24-million-baht tourism development project at nearby Mali Kaew, also on Koh Sireh. Rassada Mayor Surathin Leunudom said the 14 million baht is being spent on renovating and extending a footpath along a 750-meter stretch of…
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Krabi ya bah mules arrested at Phuket checkpoint
PHUKET: Police at Tah Chat Chai checkpoint on Saturday arrested two Krabi men in possession of 3,932 ya bah (methamphetamine) tablets with an estimated street value of nearly 1.2 million baht, police said. At around 11am, officers led by Lt Col Thawat Tansakul stopped the Krabi-registered pickup being driven by Sayan Dumkeaw, 30, with Thirapong Naun-on, 21, as passenger. “The…
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Single Asean visa would benefit tourism: Phuket poll
PHUKET: The results of the latest Phuket Gazette Poll show that a slight majority of readers overall think that a single Asean visa, similar to the Schengen visa used by 15 European countries, would benefit tourism to Phuket. Results of the poll showed that 53.2% of readers overall thought having a single Asean visa would bring more tourists to 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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