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.
-
Sponsored Limited-time deal: Save 20% on Cigna's expat health plans forever
Starting a new life abroad is exciting—new culture, new lifestyle, and new chances to grow. But living far from home also means taking steps to protect your health in unfamiliar surroundings. Without the right coverage, even small health issues can...
-
British expats’ Phuket home burgled
PHUKET: A British couple living in Rawai returned home from dinner last night to find their house burgled, with several valuable items stolen. Charles Stuart Crompton and his wife left their home in Soi Natai at 8:30pm on Tuesday night and went out for a meal. When the couple returned home two hours later they found their house had been…
-
Phuket’s most wanted: DEA souvenirs
PHUKET: Officers from the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) met with their Thai counterparts in Phuket yesterday to discuss when and where they will hand out souvenir items bearing images of some of the “most wanted” drug traffickers in Asia. Attending the meeting at Tourist Police headquarters in Phuket Town were DEA Group supervisor David McConell and special agents Scott…
-
British PM: Phuket, I’m not coming
PHUKET: British Prime Minister David Cameron will cancel a planned family holiday in Phuket over the Christmas holidays following concerns about negative publicity and Thailand’s human-rights record, the British press has reported. Matt Chorley, political correspondent at The Independent, wrote that Prime Minister Cameron had faced claims that the trip would be viewed as showing support for the government of…
-
Phuket Poll: Will the new Chalong Marina curtail the drug trade?
PHUKET: Officials hope the opening of the new Chalong Marina, with improved Customs and Immigration controls, will lead to a decrease in drug trafficking on the island. How much of an effect on the island’s drug trade do you expect the new facility to have? Have your say in the new Phuket Gazette readers’ poll by clicking here or on…
-
Strong Thai baht will hurt Phuket: Poll
PHUKET: The surging Thai baht will have a negative affect on this year’s high season for tourism, a majority of Phuket Gazette online readers think. The poll asked online readers: With the Thai baht up more than 11% against the US dollar this year and gaining against many other foreign currencies, it is more expensive for many foreigners to travel…
-
Burmese man shot dead in Patong, Phuket
PHUKET: A Burmese worker died in Phuket Saturday after being shot in the head by an ethnic Mon assailant, police said. Kathu Police duty officer Patapee Srichay said the man arrived at a workers’ camp located on Soi Khaun Yang, off Patong hill road, at about 10am. He was in search of a Burmese man who was later identified by…
-
Facebook seminar in Phuket tomorrow
PHUKET: Following his standing-room-only Facebook presentation last month, PhuketSchool.com director Sitthichai “Mr X” Laoveerakul will present a follow-up seminar tomorrow night. The seminar at The Nap hotel in Patong last month drew about 70 people, possibly the largest computer-related gathering ever in Phuket, said Phuket IT guru Woody Leonhard. That event focused on using Facebook to publicize businesses, charities and…
-
Phuket update: Chalong Marina project
PHUKET: Phase two of the construction of the new Chalong Marina is well underway and scheduled for completion in September 2011. Officials say the opening of the new marina should help reduce drug trafficking in Phuket. Project work is being carried out jointly by Golden Plan Co Ltd and Prommitr Co Ltd. Phase one of the project saw construction of…
-
Korean Ambassador visits Phuket
PHUKET: The Korean ambassador to Thailand met with Phuket Governor Tri Augkaradacha on Friday, asking him to make it easier for Korean tour guides to work on the island. Ambassador Chung Hae-moon made the request at a Phuket Provincial Hall meeting also attended by Korean Honorary Consul and Phuket MP Tossaporn Thepabutr and Korn Suwanasai, head of Phuket Passport Office.…
-
Tie game for FC Phuket and Loei City
PHUKET: FC Phuket picked up another point in their bid for promotion to Division 1 of the Thai League this afternoon with a scoreless draw at Loei City. In other matches in Group B play, Chainat FC rediscovered their scoring touch by beating Samut Prakarn on the road 4-2, while Rayong FC drew at Bangkok FC, 1-1. The top two…
-
Phuket property massacre: Mother and daughter killed
PHUKET: A well-known real estate dealer and her daughter were killed when their car was riddled with bullets by gunmen in Phuket Saturday evening. A second daughter was seriously injured in the attack, which took place in the Yoojaroen Project 1 estate in village 8, Pa Khlok. Police are hunting the killers and the mastermind behind the slaughter. They believe…
-
Dengue control inititiative launched in Phuket Town
PHUKET: Phuket City Municipality has designated four city temples as “pilot areas” in the battle to stop the spread of dengue fever. Phuket Town Mayor Somjai Suwansupapana told the state-run MCOT news agency there have been 693 confirmed cases of dengue in the city so far this year. The number of new cases being reported is on the rise. Monsoon…
-
Phuket fireworks crackdown during Loy Krathong festival
PHUKET: The Phuket Provincial Police chief has ordered an island-wide crime crackdown during Loy Krathong celebrations, with police to set up checkpoints in key areas to prevent criminal activities, including illegal use of fireworks. Phuket Provincial Police Commander Pol Maj Gen Pekad Tantipong said the Loy Krathong festival was an important and beautiful Thai cultural tradition worth preserving. As a…
-
Finns find gold in Phuket
PHUKET: A Finnish company has opened its first Thailand branch in Phuket, giving jewelry owners a unique opportunity to cash in old gold – regardless of its karat rating. The ‘GoldToMoney’ shop, located at Chalong Circle, may deceive passers-by because it has not an ounce of gold on display. That’s because the company does not sell gold. It only buys…
-
Loy Kratong activities in Phuket
PHUKET: As the weekend approaches, people throughout Phuket and across the Kingdom are preparing for the annual Loy Krathong festival on Sunday. Stages are being set up for entertainment and vendors are preparing for the droves of people who will float their krathong at popular sites in Phuket. For those who have yet to decide where to spend Loy Krathong…
-
FC Phuket primed for success in Loei
PHUKET: The FC Phuket promotion bandwagon is back on the road this weekend, with the team traveling north to face Loei City on tomorrow afternoon. Kickoff for the AIS Regional League Division 2 playoff match will be at 4pm. Last Saturday the Phuket team came from a goal down to beat Loei 2-1 on the home turf at Surakul Stadium.…
-
Point blank: Phuket man dies in Thalang shooting murder
PHUKET: A man was shot dead in front of his mother in his Phuket home last night. Thalang Police duty officer Pratuang Polmana identified the victim as Nipon Lohajan, aged 35. The victim’s mother told police her son answered a knock at the door of their home near the Heroines’ Monument at about 11:30pm. As soon as the door opened…
-
Drug cases top Phuket crime statistics for October
PHUKET: Crime statistics released by the Phuket Provincial Police for October this year show decreases in most crime categories, with narcotics-related crimes once again the most common. There was no change in the number of Category 1 (heinous) crimes year-on-year, with 10 cases reported. There were four pre-mediated murders reported with two arrests in October this year and five cases…
-
Disaster preparedness drills planned for Phuket
PHUKET: A full tsunami evacuation drill is set to take place in Phuket on December 24, provincial officials have announced. Speaking at a disaster preparedness meeting at Provincial Hall on Wednesday, Phuket Vice Governor Niwit Aroonrat said the drill is aimed at testing emergency response units’ readiness for disaster. The full drill will be the culmination of three days of…
-
Aussie carrier Strategic Air to launch Phuket services
PHUKET: Australian carrier Strategic Airlines is preparing to launch non-stop direct flights to Phuket from Melbourne and Brisbane early next year, the Herald Sun has reported. The full-service carrier will offer twice-weekly flights, Tuesday and Fridays, from Melbourne to Phuket starting from February 22, 2011. The move follows Virgin Australia’s decision to end its Phuket service. Strategic’s service will be…
-
Craig Alexander to compete in Laguna Phuket Ironman 70.3 event
PHUKET: The world’s most successful Ironman athlete of recent years, Australian Craig Alexander will contest the Ironman 70.3 Asia-Pacific Championship at Laguna Phuket on December 5. Alexander is the latest addition to a stellar line-up of elite professional triathletes heading to the island. As Ironman World Champion for the past two years, Alexander is set to face-off against fellow Ironman…
-
Ronald Fanelli update: Still no return to Phuket Prison
PHUKET: Legal proceedings against confessed killer Ronald Fanelli are on hold until the American returns to Phuket, the Gazette has learned. Mr Fanelli is currently undergoing psychiatric examination at a facility in Surat Thani. The former US Navy officer was taken to Suan Saranrom Hospital for examination on September 13, reportedly at his own request. The case against him has…
-
Phuket mototaxi driver dies of glue overdose
PHUKET TOWN: A motorcycle taxi driver was found dead in an abandoned cinema in Phuket Town yesterday after an apparent overdose on glue, police said. Police estimated that Bangkok-native Thianchai Atwinit, 33, died three days before his body was discovered. Phuket City Police Duty Officer Somchai Nuboon was alerted to the grim discovery by a local resident at about 7:30pm…
-
Phuket star gazers hope for clear skies
PHUKET: Weather permitting, the annual Leonids meteor shower should be viewable with unaided eyes after midnight tonight. The show will reach its peak between 3am and 5am, according to the National Astronomical Research Institute. Phuket people might not want to do an all-night vigil hoping to catch a glimpse, however. The northeast monsoon continues to prevail over Southern Thailand’s west…
-
Phuket youth rugby club seeks donations
PHUKET: Members of Phuket’s Lomas Rugby club are appealing for donations as they get ready for a busy tour schedule. The club, which relies on contributions to pay expenses, is sending teams to two important youth tournaments in the coming weeks. The under-15 and under-12 squads will compete in the National Sevens Regional Qualifiers to be held in Krabi on…
-
Two new vice governors for Phuket
PHUKET: Two new vice governors will take up office in Phuket later this month under the latest civil service reshuffle approved by the Ministry of Interior. The two new vice governors, effective from November 29, will be sitting Krabi Vice Governor Weerawat Janpen and sitting Surin Vice Governor Somkiet Sangkaosutthirak. Their appointments, approved on Saturday, are expected to lighten the…
-
Phuket Amateur Golf Open event at Laguna on Sunday
PHUKET: There are a number of places still available for the Phuket Amateur Golf Open event at Laguna Golf Club on Sunday. The event is the fifth in a series of 11 events to determine who is Phuket’s best amateur golfer. First and second place winners in each tournament will qualify for the 11th and final tournament, the Phuket Amateur…
-
Phuket poll: Will the strong baht hurt high-season tourism?
PHUKET: With the Thai baht surging against many foreign currencies, the Gazette asks readers what effect they think the strong baht will have on the local economy entering the “high season” for tourism. To vote in the latest readers’ poll, click here or on the icon at the top right of this page. — News editor
-
Phuket International Sportfishing Tournament starts Thursday
PHUKET: Registration for the annual Phuket International Sportfishing Tournament 2010 starts from 5pm tomorrow, with competitors setting out from Chalong Pier over the following three days in search of 11 eligible species, including black marlin, sailfish, cobia, barracuda and tuna. Trophies will go to the heaviest catch in each category, as well as for the most billfish releases. There will…
-
Phuket fire: Patong post office damaged
PHUKET: A small fire in Patong yesterday afternoon caused commotion along Phuket’s busiest beach road and water damage to Taweewong Post Office. The blaze reportedly broke out from an electrical short inside an air compressor on the second floor of the True Coffee shop, on Soi Patong Post Office. Six Patong Municipality firefighting vehicles rushed to the scene. Firefighters managed…
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.
Don't forget to check out some other things to do in Thailand - get help starting a business or finding a job in Thailand, buy Thailand property, rent a yacht or book a medical procedure worldwide.