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 poll: Vegetarian Festival 2010
PHUKET: Phuket is busy making final preparations for the annual Vegetarian Festival, which officially gets underway with the arrival of the new moon on Friday. A great number of Phuket Town residents dress in white and observe 10 days of physical and spiritual purification by abstaining from meat, alcohol and other things viewed as contaminants by devotees. Those who choose…
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Phuket poll: Price-fixing not the answer to hotel price war
PHUKET: Fewer than 20% of Phuket Gazette readers think setting minimum standard room prices at small hotels and guesthouse in Patong is the answer to the current price-cutting war going on there. In the last Phuket Gazette readers’ poll, participants were asked: Do you think setting minimum standard room prices is the answer to price-cutting wars among small hotel and…
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Phuket helmet crackdown to cover entire island from January 1
PHUKET: Police across Phuket are preparing to take the helmet crackdown campaign beyond Phuket City Police District to cover the entire island, effective January 1. Phuket Provincial Police Commander Maj Gen Pekad Tantipong told the Gazette the move to enforce the traffic law island-wide follows the success of the campaign launched in Phuket Town. “Since [the campaign was launched on]…
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Phuket nurse in stabbing murder
PHUKET: A nurse at Bangkok Hospital Phuket has confessed to stabbing her husband to death in Rassada last night. Phuket City Police received a call from the 40-year-old nurse, Mrs Rachada Rattanadilok na Phuket, at about 10:30pm yesterday. Phuket City Police Superintendent Col Wanchai Ekpornpit, Inspector Col Wijak Tarom and other investigators raced to the scene, a room in an…
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Phuket Vegetarian Festival 2010 marches on
PHUKET: The Tourism Authority of Thailand office in Phuket has released the schedule of street processions by participating Chinese temples in the upcoming Vegetarian Festival. The festival will get underway with an opening ceremony near the Tin Mining Monument in Saphan Hin Park at 9am on October 7. The traditional raising of go teng poles to welcome the Chinese gods…
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Phuket launches oil-recycling drive
PHUKET: In a bid to stop boat owners from dumping used motor oil into Chalong Bay, the Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (PPAO) has set up waste-oil collection drums at Chalong Pier. Speaking to a group of boat operators at a meeting at the Chalong Sunrise Restaurant at Chalong Pier on September 25, PPAO Chief Mechanic Wasana Rongphol implored boat owners…
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Phuket agency helps Burmese workers go legit
PHUKET: Many of the Burmese citizens working in the construction industry in Phuket are highly educated and “just as talented as Thai people,” according to the owner of a company specializing in legalizing the island’s foreign laborers. Thanadech Supasuwan, who runs the Noom Broker agency in Rassada, said that the younger generation of Burmese on Phuket aspire to work in…
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Gazette goes national
PHUKET: Now in its 18th year of publication, the Phuket Gazette is delighted to announce the launch of its new Nationwide Edition – today, Saturday, October 2. The new edition makes its debut in style as a stand-alone Phuket Gazette tucked into the fold of its long-term partner newspaper The Nation. Focused entirely on Phuket and the Andaman Region, our…
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New Phuket Governor to focus on tourism development
PHUKET: Tri Augkaradacha, who today officially became Phuket’s 43rd governor, has announced tourism development as his top-priority in office. Having served as a vice-governor of Phuket since December 2006, Governor Tri is well aware of the many complex issues facing the island. The 58-year-old is a bachelor’s degree graduate in political science from Chiang Mai. He also holds a master’s…
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Phuket’s Patong claims another suicide victim
PHUKET: A half-Thai, half-Japanese teenager is the latest person to take his own life in Phuket’s popular beach resort of Patong. Kathu Police were informed at 8:30am today of the apparent suicide by hanging at a guesthouse on Soi Patong Resort, off the beach road. Capt Veerapong Sukito of the Kathu Police identified the victim as a 17-year-old whose name…
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Thailand plans Phuket bid for Asian Beach Games
PHUKET: Thailand looks likely to bid for Phuket to host the fourth-ever Asian Beach Games in November 2014, following a high-level meeting at the Ministry of Sports and Tourism.The 500-million-baht event would take place between November 15 to 24. Events would include handball, kabaddi, takraw, volleyball, sailing, paragliding, football, water skiing, bodybuilding, windsurfing, jet-skiing, triathlon, woodball, swim marathon, boat racing,…
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Phuket Police pinch pot peddlars
PHUKET: Phuket City Police yesterday arrested two men for possession of eight bars of dried marijuana. Phuket City Police Inspector Wijak “The Magnet” Tarom identified the pair as Iruphan “Heng” Latae, 34, and Worrapoj “Roos” Sairaya, 29. Lt Col Wijak and his team noticed Mr Iruphan acting suspiciously outside an unnamed apartment block on Soi Siangtai, off Thepkrasattri Rd southbound…
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New Phuket incinerator to burn off landfill waste
PHUKET: The days of the landfill behind the Phuket City Incinerator at Saphan Hin may be numbered, following confirmation that a new incinerator now under construction at the site will use any extra burning capacity to reduce the huge stockpiles of trash. Phuket City Deputy Mayor Thaworn Jeeraphat told Gazette that project contractor PJT is contracted to burn at least…
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Asian Hospitality & Travel Show starts tomorrow in Phuket
PHUKET: The three-day Asian Hospitality & Travel Show, the first Asian trade exhibition bringing together suppliers and exhibitors of every facet of the hospitality and travel industry from all over Asia, kicks of tomorrow at the Häfele Design Center Phuket on the bypass road southbound. The show, proudly sponsored by the Phuket Gazette, will bring together more than 100 exhibitors…
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Phuket businessman and companion die in car crash
PHUKET: Well-known Phuket businessman Pornchai Sawasri and a female companion died in a car accident in Thalang last night when Mr Pornchai lost control of his vehicle and hit a power pole after swerving to avoid a dog. Thalang Police were notified of the crash at 9:30pm. At the scene, on a curved section of Thepkrasattri Road northbound opposite the…
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New Phuket fertility clinic opens tomorrow at PIH
PHUKET: Adding to Phuket’s medical tourism appeal is the fact that now patients not only have the option of getting popular treatments such as dental work or cosmetic surgery, but also the chance to conceive a baby. A 20-million-baht “Safe Fertility Center” officially opens at Phuket International Hospital (PIH) tomorrow. The largest In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) Center in southern Thailand,…
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Thai police pounce on prolific panty perv
PHUKET: A motorbike taxi driver caught red-handed with a bag full of used bras and panties was later found in possession of thousands of women’s undergarments at his home. After arresting 46-year-old Phanu Phloisuwan on September 26, Samut Prakarn City police found a trove of more than 5,000 undergarments, mostly stolen from washing lines over a two-year period. Most of…
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One dead, two critical following Phuket horror smash
PHUKET: A young student is dead and two other people seriously injured after a 22-wheel tractor-trailer rig slammed into two motorcycles at the Tesco-Lotus junction at around noon today. Witnesses told the Gazette that the truck, traveling on the bypass road southbound, ran a red light as westbound traffic pulled out of Yaowarat Road in the direction of Kathu. One…
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Phuket governor and wife bid farewell
PHUKET: Governor Wichai Phraisa-ngop and his wife Thaisika left the Governor’s Mansion early this morning, his Mercedez-Benz trailed by a van full of Phuket government officers and members of the media who will travel with him all the way back to his home in Nakhon Pathom. Among the 300 people who got up early to send off Gov Wichai was…
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UNFAO hopes for “Phuket Agreement” on aquaculture
PHUKET: Hot on the heels of the Global Conference On Aquaculture 2010 held in Phuket last week, experts have stayed on for a follow-up conference hoping to hammer out an international agreement on guidelines for the fish farming industry worldwide. The fifth session of the Sub-Committee on Aquaculture of the United Nation’s Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) opened September 27…
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Scuba Cat team rakes in marine debris off Phuket
PHUKET: Divers of all ages took the plunge Saturday and Sunday as part of dive tour operator Scuba Cat’s contribution to International Coastal Cleanup Day on Saturday. A total of 31 divers volunteered their time dragging trash from the depths of the Andaman at Koh Racha Yai over the weekend. The team included Scuba Cat staff, repeat customers and 14…
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Phuket Gov farewell wish: Make Saphan Hin road a reality
PHUKET: Governor Wichai Phraisa-ngop last night called for his successor to continue the fight to complete the Klong Koh Pee road project, which looks set to move forward following a new measure issued by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MNRE) specifically for Phuket. Governor Wichai made the comment during a speech at a farewell press party last night,…
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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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‘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 murder suspect still in UK jail: British Embassy
PHUKET: British Ambassador to Thailand Quinton Quayle this morning confirmed that fugitive murder suspect Lee Aldhouse is still in custody somewhere in the UK. British officials will work closely with their Thai counterparts in their efforts to have the kickboxer extradited to Phuket to face charges for the stabbing murder of American Dashawn Longfellow in Rawai last month, he said.…
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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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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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Burmese workers camp burns in Phuket
PHUKET: A Burmese workers’ camp in Phuket burned to the ground in just 20 minutes on Friday night, leading an unknown number of occupants to flee. The fire started around 9pm at the site in Chalong, which housed workers for a stone processing company belonging to a prominent Phuket family. Disaster Prevention and Mitigation staff from Tambon Chalong and Wichit…
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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