Phuket News
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Taxis, tour agencies ink MoU to end blockades at Phuket Deep Sea Port
PHUKET: An hour of intense negotiations today finally ended with taxi drivers and tour agencies signing an agreement to end blockades at Phuket’s Deep Sea Port. Most, but not all, parties present at the meeting at Provincial Hall today signed the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), which was outlined by verbal agreement following the blockade of tourists attempting to disembark the…
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Police rally against vote selling in Phuket
PHUKET: Phuket police today held their second rally to encourage people to vote for the candidates they support and not to “sell” their votes to canvassers who come knocking at their doors in the run-up to the July 3 general election. Carrying banners and walking to music played by school marching bands, the crowd paraded south from a market on…
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Russian honeymoon tourist in Phuket dies after dangerous surf rescue
PHUKET: A young Russian tourist on honeymoon in Phuket died earlier today after she was pulled unconscious from dangerous surf at Nai Thon Beach late yesterday afternoon. Irina Tsyz, 24, was swimming with her husband Alexander Ovsov, 25, when she started to flounder in the large waves, Tah Chat Chai police told the Phuket Gazette. “It was windy and she…
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Phuket PEA issues blackout notice
PHUKET: The Phuket Provincial Electricity Authority, Thalang office, has announced a scheduled blackout to carry out maintenance work on high-voltage power lines. The work will be carried out on Tuesday, June 21, from 9am to 5pm. Affected areas include the road from Baan Mai Khao to Baan Suan Maprao, including Mai Khao Soi 8, Mai Khao Soi 9, Soi Suan…
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Early vote registration in Phuket ends tomorrow
PHUKET: Tomorrow is the last day for Phuket residents who will be out of town on July 3 to register to vote early on June 26 in the upcoming general election. Phuket Election Commission Director Kitipong Thiengkunakrit is urging all such residents to register at the District Office or subdistrict (tambon or municipality) office where they reside. The early vote…
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Phuket “Miniature World’ expo starts tomorrow
PHUKET: The annual Amazing Thai Miniature World exhibition returns to Phuket tomorrow at the Jungceylon shopping complex in Patong. Set to take place at Silang Boulevardon the ground floor, the exhibition will feature glimpses into the Thai way of life, both past and present, as represented by tiny carvings and other intricate artwork produced by expert craftsmen. The event, going…
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New South Wales take State of Origin to game three
PHUKET: Two years without winning a Rugby League State of Origin game ended for New South Wales last night defeating Queensland to leave the 2011 series balanced with one win each. A victory for the Maroons (Queensland) in yesterday’s match played in Sydney would have sealed the series and taken them to six titles in a row. Hope for a…
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One dead, three injured in Phuket car crash
PHUKET: One man was killed and three others badly injured when their pickup crashed near the Heroines’ Monument in Phuket early this morning. Thalang Police Duty Officer Praman Yomkaphan was informed of the accident at 3:40am. Arriving at the scene, on Thepkrasattri Road southbound near Tha Reua Temple, officers found a badly damaged Suzuki utility truck on the median strip.…
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Phuket Live Wire: Internet access really is getting better
PHUKET: It’s fashionable to squawk and groan about our Internet connections here in Phuket, but the fact is that we’re approaching the speeds one would commonly find in the United States and other developing countries. Err, well, you know what I mean. Scandinavia is much faster, as are Hong Kong, Singapore and much of South Korea. Those places recognized the…
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Phuket stargazers treated to full lunar eclipse tonight
PHUKET: Residents and tourists with clear skies over their heads tonight will be treated to an astronomical phenomenon – literally. The National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand (NARIT) earlier today announced through its website that a total lunar eclipse will be visible – weather permitting – across Thailand. The eclipse will start at 1:22am and the moon will be plunged…
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Phuket street shootout gunman dies from injuries
PHUKET: The second of two men involved in a shootout with Phuket police in Kata-Karon on Sunday has died in hospital. Chalong Police duty officer Boonlert Onklang told the Phuket Gazette today that 21-year-old Somkid Kongtin died at Vachira Hospital Phuket at 7:20pm yesterday. Mr Somkid suffered multiple gunshot wounds in the shootout, but the two most serious wounds were…
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FC Phuket take on Bangkok Christian tonight
PHUKET: FC Phuket will take on Bangkok Christian College FC in the second round of the 2011 Thai League FA Cup tonight. The match at Surakul Stadium will kick off at 6pm. Following Saturday’s 4 -1 victory over Chainat, FC Phuket began a two-week break from Division 1 league play. Anticipating a challenging home match up against southern rivals Songkhla…
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Korean ambassador ‘grateful’ for positive Phuket relations
PHUKET: South Korea Ambassador to Thailand Chung Hae-moon today told Phuket Governor Tri Augkadachara that he was “grateful” for the positive support the Korean community in Phuket had received from the local authorities. “We have been cooperating and coordinating very well between Honorary Consul Tosaporn Tephabutra, the law enforcement authorities and the Korean community. “We have not yet faced any…
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Phuket Airport to get first woman director
PHUKET: Phuket International Airport will mark history tomorrow when Duangchai Condee arrives to take up the post of Director. Ms Duangchai, a senior executive at Airports of Thailand, will leave her position as Deputy Director (Commercial) at Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok to become the first woman to hold the top position in Phuket. Ms Duangchai, who has received the Thai…
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Beckham’s Olympic bid
PHUKET: “When I was asked to be part of the Olympic bid I was very skeptical at first because I’d never competed in the Olympics, I’m a football player.” David Beckham seems unsure that football is also played at amateur status without the need for gratuities, salaries and bonuses. The former England international may well play for Great Britain at…
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Tsunami detecting radar coming to Phuket
PHUKET: A high-frequency radar system to monitor ocean currents and aid in the detection of tsunami waves will be set up in Patong by the end of the month, local officials say. The Thai Meteorological Department (TMD), in cooperation with Patong Municipality, is preparing the site at a location called Kor Sai Lod, a headland on the south coast of…
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Phuket to ‘paint the world RED’ today
PHUKET: To mark World Blood Donor Day today the Phuket Regional Blood Center and Phuket Red Cross are arranging special activities in Phuket. Phuket Governor Tri Augkadachara kicked off the activities by honoring 100 Phuket Public Health Volunteers with certificates in a ceremony at Phuket Community Hall. Pins are also awarded to people who reached donation milestones in multiples of…
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Pro Am golfers ready to drive off in style
PHUKET: Players in the 2011 Phuket Property Dot Com Pro Am Invitational golf tourney, to be played at the Laguna Phuket Golf Club on Friday, have a chance to win a Mini Cooper S or a 19-foot day boat for sinking a hole-in-one. The course has two par 3 holes. “The inaugural event in 2010 was a resounding success and…
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British woman fends off alleged rapist
PHUKET: A hotel handyman has been arrested for the alleged rape of a British woman at a Phuket hotel last weekend. The victim, a 32-year-old British woman, reported the case to Patong Police at about 1:30pm on Saturday. She traded punches with her assailant and managed to fend him off, but not before he ejaculated onto her bedsheets, she told…
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FC Phuket crush Chainat, 4-1
PHUKET: FC Phuket routed the Chainat “Hornbills” 4-1 on a rainy Saturday night at Surakul Stadium. FC Phuket opened the scoring on 26 minutes with a goal by Niran Panthong, but Chainat equalized just before the break to a goal that drew the vociferous ire of the FC Phuket supporters, (aka “The Hulk”), who booed the officials off the field…
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Khudyakov smashes Laguna Phuket Marathon record
PHUKET: Vsevolod Khudyakov blazed along the 42-kilometer 2011 Laguna Phuket International Marathon (LPIM) course today to set a course record of just over 2 hours and 33 minutes. “I really enjoyed my marathon and I’m very pleased that I finished so well,” he said. The ultra-fit Ukrainian probably did not get an opportunity to enjoy the scenic aspect of “Run…
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Khudyakov smashes Laguna Phuket Marathon course record
PHUKET: Vsevolod Khudyakov blazed through the 2011 Laguna Phuket International Marathon (LPIM) 42km course on Sunday setting a course record of just over two hours and 33 minutes.“I really enjoyed my marathon and I’m very pleased that I finished so well,” said Khudyakov. The ultra-fit Ukrainian* probably did not get an opportunity to enjoy the scenic aspect of “Run Paradise”,…
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Announcing PCs4Kids: Phuket’s new initiative to unlock the potential of the gifted poor
PHUKET: The organizers of a new technology-based initiative note that many children continue to grow up in Phuket without acquiring even the most basic computer skills, often because their parents cannot afford to buy them a PC or send them to places that can make one available without charge. This seriously deprives many intellectually gifted youngsters of an opportunity to…
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Thepchaiya wins Phuket snooker final as Bingham’s luck runs out
PHUKET: Thailand’s Thepchaiya Uh-nooh is the 2011 Sangsom Phuket Snooker Cup champion, having defeated the world number 17, Stuart Bingham, in a thrilling final this afternoon at the Royal Paradise Hotel, Patong. Bingham was the only ranked player who remained in the tournament which saw Thanawat Thirapongpaiboon (82), Alfie Burden (57), Ratchapol Pu-Ob-Orm (67) and Issara Kachaiwong (87) all fail…
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“Vote No’ rally takes to Phuket streets
PHUKET: A band of about 30 protesters took to the streets of Phuket Town this afternoon to support their call for people to “vote no” in Thailand’s upcoming July 3 general election. Starting from Queen Sirikit Park on Thalang Road in the heart of Old Phuket Town, the protesters made their way past the Clock Tower Circle in front of…
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FC Phuket’s Rock Rhino looks for first home win
PHUKET: New FC Phuket coach Sompong “Rock Rhino” Wattana will take to the sidelines for his first home match tonight, when Phuket takes on Chainat FC at Surakul Stadium. Kick-off will be at 6pm. All eyes will be on Coach Sompong, whose first outing was a 1-1 draw on the road at Air Force United last weekend. He has reportedly…
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Car theft: Phuket car rental firm seeks compensation
PHUKET: The owner of a small car rental outfit in Phuket is demanding insurance compensation for a car allegedly stolen by a Singaporean tourist, but the claims adjuster says none will be forthcoming. Somjit Prayunsri, 50, went to Patong Police Station yesterday to check if there had been any progress in the investigation into a Honda Jazz that she reported…
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Skytrain proposed for Phuket
PHUKET: The latest firm to present itself as a contender for building Phuket’s light rail system yesterday proposed building a skytrain – like the one in Bangkok – as the island’s mass transit system instead. Tophon Kraianupongsa, managing director of Gold Phoenix Construction Consulting (Thailand) Co Ltd, yesterday pitched the idea to Phuket Governor Tri Augkaradacha at a meeting at…
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Phuket gold heist reward upped to B200k
PHUKET: The owners of a Phuket Town gold shop robbed in broad daylight last Saturday have upped the reward to a maximum of 200,000 baht for information that leads to return of the stolen jewelry. Jirasak and Chantana Tarnattanasombut on Wednesday said that those who recovered any stolen items would be given 30 per cent of its value as a…
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“Vote No’ election billboards in Phuket to stay – for now
PHUKET: Phuket Provincial Election Commission Director Kitipong Thiengkunakrit yesterday confirmed to the Phuket Gazette that the billboards urging people to vote “none of the above” in the July 3 elections will stay until he receives from Bangkok an official order to remove them. The Election Commission of Thailand on Thursday ruled that similar billboards in Bangkok were in breach of…
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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