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 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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Phuket Poll: Should Patong hotels set fixed minimum prices?
PHUKET: Faced with oversupply and price-cutting that threatens to put many small hotel and guesthouse owners in Patong out of business, a group of hoteliers is calling for cooperation in setting fixed minimum prices for hotel rooms. (For the original story click here.) Do you think such a plan should be adopted? Could it ever work? Have your say by…
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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.…
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Phuket blackouts continue in Chalong tomorrow
PHUKET: The Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA) has scheduled another blackout in Chalong tomorrow to carry out maintenance on high-voltage power lines. The power cut is set to begin at 9am and expected to end around 4pm. The affected areas will be along the east side of Chao Fa West Road from Wat Chalong to Chalong Circle, including Soi Mae Lamai,…
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Phuket water shutdown postponed
PHUKET: The Phuket Provincial Waterworks Authority (PPWA) this morning canceled the major water mains shutdown that was set to affect key parts of Phuket Town and nearby areas today and tomorrow. PPWA Manager Sayan Wareearoonroj said the new water mains could not be installed because some parts did not fit the old mains. The department needs a few more days…
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Phuket hoteliers seek solution to price-cutting woes
PHUKET: In a bid to keep small hotels and guesthouses in Patong from falling into bankruptcy, a group called the Patong Hotel and Guesthouse Association (PHGA) is calling for hoteliers to end current price wars by agreeing to set minimum room prices. The informal consortium of hoteliers wrote in its “Letter of Awareness Awaking” sent to members last week: “During…
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Phuket calm while Thailand on red alert
PHUKET: In Phuket as well as the rest of Thailand today all eyes will be on the red shirts and the national security situation as protesters commemorate the fourth anniversary of the September 2006 military coup and the fourth month since the crackdown on the bloody rally in Bangkok. Security has been beefed up in Chiang Mai and Bangkok but…
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Storm off Phuket sinks trans-Pacific kayakers’ dream
PHUKET: While paddling nine kilometers off Phuket’s southeast coast just after midday on August 24, two men in a kayak braced as a wave shattered the support beam holding together their twin-hull sailing kayak. As strong winds lashed the raised sail, the kayak listed and seawater gushed into the left hull. The boat began to sink, and along with it…
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Major Phuket water shortage starts Monday
PHUKET: Residents in parts of Wichit, Kathu and Phuket Town are advised to start storing water over the weekend, as their water supply will be cut off from 9am on Monday through Tuesday afternoon. The Phuket Provincial Waterworks Authority announced that the scheduled supply disruption is to allow installation of water mains on Wichit Songkram Road, in front of Surakul…
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Korean commits suicide in Phuket
PHUKET: A Korean man found hanging by the neck at a Patong guesthouse this week had told his long-term Thai girlfriend he had safely returned to South Korea, police said. The body of 34-year-old Lee Jai Yup was discovered at Tina Guesthouse on Rat-U-Thit 200 Pee Road on Tuesday afternoon. Just days earlier, Mr Lee had seen off his girlfriend…
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Phuket expats urged to complete on-line census
PHUKET: Foreigners living in Phuket can now take part in the 2010 National Census by completing an on-line data form available at the National Statistical Office (NSO) website: www.nso.go.th. After several failed attempts using a Firefox browser, the Gazette contacted the NSO and was informed by its ICT Center that the data entry “works better” using Internet Explorer. Participants must…
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Phuket Moon Festival celebrations begin Monday
PHUKET: The Chinese Moon Festival will be celebrated in Phuket with three nights of activities at Queen Sirikit Park on Thalang Road in Phuket Town, starting at 7pm on Monday. The event is organized by Phuket Municipality, the Muang District Culture Committee and the Old Phuket Foundation. Phuket Town Mayor Somjai Suwansupana announced details of the festival on Wednesday. “The…
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Phuket celebrates revered monk’s 114th birthday
PHUKET: Birthday celebrations are ongoing today as revered Phuket monk Luang Pu Supha is joined by hundreds of well-wishers at his namesake temple in Chalong. Luang Pu Supha is 114 years old today. Having helped build 38 temples throughout Thailand, Luang Pu Supha is regarded as an iconic theological figure and inspiration by many. More than 200 monks from around…
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Two firsts for Phuket King’s Cup 2010
PHUKET: In a move to broaden the appeal of yacht racing and support youth sailing in the region, organizers of the Phuket King’s Cup Regatta have announced two major changes to the annual international event. It was announced yesterday that, for the first time, in the regatta’s 24-year history, dinghies will race as part of the official King’s Cup Regatta…
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Phuket murder suspect Lee Aldhouse faces swift extradition from UK
PHUKET: The Office of the Attorney General (OAG) in Bangkok has petitioned UK authorities to place Lee Aldhouse under provisional arrest when he is released from Wormwood Scrubs Prison in London on September 24. Mr Aldhouse, 28, is wanted for the stabbing murder of former US Marine Dashawn Longfellow in Rawai on August 14. The incident occurred after a brawl…
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New Phuket hospital to open next year: Paiboon
PHUKET: The long-awaited Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (PPAO) Hospital is likely to open early next year, PPAO President Paiboon Upatising has told the Gazette. The hospital was scheduled to start offering limited medical services last month, but procedural delays have deferred the planned “soft opening”. The PPAO is still waiting for the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) in Bangkok…
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Bangkok bound: Five tons of toxic waste rolls off Phuket
PHUKET: The Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (PPAO) held a “send off” ceremony Tuesday morning for a five-ton truckload of toxic household waste that will be destroyed at a plant near Bangkok. Collected from local administration organizations over a period of months, the waste comprised fluorescent bulbs, dry batteries, used chemical containers and other items not suitable for incineration. The waste…
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Phuket sea gypsy cultural center moves ahead
PHUKET: The award-winning design of the Orang Laut Culture Center is one big step closer to construction now that the extra budget needed has been approved. The Phuket Cultural Office (PCO) announced they will soon be seeking tenders for construction. The center, which takes its name from the Malay Orang Laut, meaning “sea people”, will be built at Baan Laem…
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Phuket police grill prime suspect in karaoke girl murder
PHUKET: The prime suspect in the investigation into the murder of a karaoke hostess whose body was found south of Patong on Tuesday presented himself at Chalong Police Station yesterday morning. Phitsanulok native Nipon “Maew” Pongpanit, 20, was subjected to more than 10 hours of questioning by police. He was wanted for questioning over the rape and murder of his…
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Phuket blackouts: Chalong tomorrow, Rawai Friday
PHUKET: The Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA) has announced scheduled blackouts in Chalong tomorrow and in Rawai on Friday, in order to continue its work on power lines in those areas. The power outages will take place from 9am to 4pm on both days. The following areas will be affected: September 16, Chalong: East side of Chao Fa West Road, from…
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Two-headed turtle dies in Phang Nga
PHUKET: The two-headed Hawksbill turtle born on the Similan Islands in July died in late August at about one month of age, the Gazette has learned. Chaloemsak Chaijit, information officer at the Royal Thai Navy base in Phang Nga, said the reptile died at about noon on August 29. Staff at the Sea Turtle Conservation Unit there noted a lack…
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Qatar Air ready for Phuket; Sheraton Phuket eyes mice
Phuket NEWS Hound – A daily digest of news about Thailand from around the world, compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community. Qatar Air to launch daily flights to Phuket PHUKET: Qatar Airways will expand and strengthen its first and business class offerings with the addition of Phuket to the airline’s Thailand routes. The daily service to and from…
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Phuket police identify karaoke murder victim
PHUKET: Police this afternoon identified the body of the woman who was raped, murdered and abandoned in the hills just south of Patong. They told the Gazette the corpse was that of karaoke hostess Anicha Khaigunha, 21, from Khon Kaen. Her body was found about three kilometers from Sirirat Rd, halfway between Patong and Karon, by waterworks contractor Ong-ard Kongkaew,…
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SUCCESS: Phuket sea gypsies salvage oil carrier
PHUKET: A team of sea gypsy divers have successfully re-floated and towed ashore the Choke Taworn 6, which sunk in heavy seas off Phuket earlier this month with an estimated 25,000 liters of diesel fuel aboard. The team, led by Surin Pramongkij, successfully brought the vessel to the surface at 11am. The boat was then towed by its sister vessel…
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‘Run4Rino Charity Run’ in Phuket next month
PHUKET: Runners of all ages from around Phuket are coming together to help young Rino Mangon Vogt, who is bravely battling a rare cardiac condition and urgently needs heart surgery. Participants in the “Run4Rino Charity Run” at Nai Harn Lake on October 17 will each set a target number of laps to run around the 2.1-kilometer circuit. Before the run…
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Phuket sea gypsies perform turtle exorcism ritual
PHUKET: Sea gypsies in Rawai held an exorcism ceremony on Mai Thon Island recently to seek forgiveness from their guardian spirit. They were hoping to appease spirit Balai Da Toe after two fellow sea gypsies died from food poisoning in June after eating Hawksbill turtle meat. Many others fell seriously ill, but survived the meal. The late-August ceremony, involving the…
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“Passion for Fashion” show raises money for Phuket charity
PHUKET: Over 250 Phuket locals and tourists raised a whopping 250,000 baht for underprivileged children at the Andara Resort & Villa’s “Passion for Fashion” charity fashion show in Kamala on Sunday afternoon. Resort General Manager Andrew Whitaker said the event was a “win, win” for all involved, with 100% of proceeds from all tickets going to a worthy cause. The…
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Phuket siren song: DDPM chief says “pump up the volume’
PHUKET: The head of Thailand’s Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) pronounced this morning’s tsunami evacuation drill in Patong an overall success, but said he would call for an increase in the volume of the “siren song” from the Soi Bangla tower so that it can be better heard in windy conditions. More than 1,000 people, mostly students from…
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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