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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7th annual Prison Products Fair in Phuket
PHUKET: The seventh annual Prison Products Fair will take place at Saphan Hin starting at 9am on Friday. The 10-day event, from June 4 to 13, will offer a wide range of hand-made products crafted by prison inmates from 14 provincial prisons across the southern region as part of their vocational skills training. The fair will officially kick off at…
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Will THAI Airways become a pariah in Phuket?
Phuket NEWS Hound – A daily digest of news from around the world compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community PHUKET: In a stinging editorial in Travel Daily News yesterday, the Thailand chapter of the Pacific Area Travel Association (PATA) blasts THAI Airways for its authorship of a “self-defeating tourism recovery strategy for Thailand” which some stakeholders in Phuket…
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AoT defends taxi fees
PHUKET: The director of Phuket International Airport (PIA) has defended concession fees charged to taxi and limousine operators by Airports of Thailand Plc (AoT), pointing out that the airport is expensive to run and that, as a public company, AoT must make a profit. “I want to explain that everyone involved in business needs to make a profit. Based on…
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Alien worker scheme flops in Phuket
PHUKET: Phuket is facing a shortage of alien labor as the numbers of registered alien workers requesting extensions of their permits are down 15,166 year-on-year, according to official figures. The Phuket Provincial Employment Office (PPEO) said that this year only 49,017 out of 64,183 registered workers from Burma, Laos and Cambodia extended their work permits. The vast majority of these,…
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Immigration to check on UK pedophile’s trip to Phuket
PHUKET: The Phuket Immigration chief says his office will contact the British Embassy regarding the background of a UK man reportedly convicted on child pornography charges in the UK, and now said to be planning to travel to Phuket to marry a Thai girl. News that UK national Craig Meehan was planning a trip to Phuket was first reported by…
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Phuket hotels not happy with THAI Airways
Phuket NEWS Hound – A daily digest of news from around the world compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community PHUKET: Fears of Phuket hotels being forced into a massive price war are already being realised with THAI Airways International “cordially inviting” hotels contracted under its Royal Orchid Holidays (ROH) program to offer 50% discounts. TTR Weekly reports that…
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Kriel Roosters win Phuket Rugby 10s
PHUKET: Scoring three tries in the first half, the Kriel Roosters from South Africa trounced the Moorabbin Rams from Australia 31-0 in the final of the 12th Overgaard Phuket International Rugby 10s played at Karon Stadium yesterday. The South Africans were clearly the fresher side, making the most of their speed advantage by quickly passing the ball wide and using…
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Phuket to host Asian Hospitality & Travel Show in October
PHUKET: Events Thailand team and Skal Phuket are combining talents to stage the inaugural ‘Asian Hospitality & Travel Show’ at the Central Festival Phuket Convention and Exhibition Center from October 1 to 3. “The exhibition is geared towards becoming a platform for networking between suppliers within the Asian Hospitality and travel sectors,” said Events Thailand committee member Simon Samaan, who…
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Phuket Software Park ‘Tech Talk’ series in June
PHUKET: Phuket Software Park has announced the schedule of weekly activities under its ‘Tech Talk’ series in June. June 3: Ads on Google: Just a piece of cakePresented by Brand Identity and Innovation, a Phuket Software Park incubatee; June 10: Exploring iPhone Usage & Making Money: User Track Presented by Phuket School; June 17: Exploring iPhone Usage & Making Money:…
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A Phuket Imperative: Credible Public Transport
PHUKET: Public debate has intensified in recent weeks as road projects that have been talked about for years appear closer to becoming reality in Phuket. Despite the recent chaos in Bangkok, the number of tourists visiting the island continues to grow. Airports of Thailand (AoT) reported over 120,000 international arrivals at Phuket International Airport in April 2010, a 41% increase…
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Phuket will lead recovery of Thai tourism
Phuket NEWS Hound – A daily digest of news from around the world compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community PHUKET: The curent issue of Time magazine quotes Bill Heinecke, whose Minor group owns two hotels in Phuket, as emphasizing that Phuket and Hua Hin were among the many places in Thailand where “tourists were never in any danger…
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Mystery shrouds fatal Phuket road accident
PHUKET: Police are investigating a hit-and-run accident that left a man dead on the bypass road last night. Phuket City Police duty officer Lt Teerawat Amnachjaroenying identified the victim as Wittaya Sapsong, 35, whose body was found at 7:30pm on the southbound side of the bypass road in Koh Kaew, between the Bypass Seafood restaurant and the entrance to Premium…
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Phuket thief ‘nagged’ into crime
PHUKET: A man arrested for stealing a masseuse’s bag in Karon told police that his wife’s constant complaining drove him to commit the crime. Chalong Police at 5pm on Wednesday arrested Sittha Rattanaphan, 36, at the Andaman Seaview Hotel in Karon, seizing as evidence a Honda motorbike and a brown bag containing 200 baht in cash, a mobile phone, an…
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Natural causes suspected in Phuket “drowning’
PHUKET: Cherng Talay Police are awaiting a coroner’s report to learn whether a German tourist who died at Surin Beach on Wednesday drowned or died of other causes. Cherng Talay Police duty officer Lt Tatchagrit Ritnuang identified the deceased as 51-year-old Marek Klein. Mr Klein, his wife and 10-year-old daughter were guests at the nearby Courtyard by Marriott Phuket resort.…
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Update: Phuket International Film Festival
Phuket NEWS Hound – A daily digest of news from around the world compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community PHUKET: Scheduled for June 4-13, the Phuket International Film Festival is offering 10 days of award-winning movies, parties and networking events with international filmmakers, cultural activities and, of course, world-famous Thai hospitality. The film festival is unique in that…
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Air Asia aids Phuket
Phuket NEWS Hound – A daily digest of news from around the world compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community PHUKET: AirAsia Group is today kicking off a promotional campaign called “It’s OK, Thailand”. The campaign aggressively markets Bangkok as well as other Thai destinations, most notably Phuket, with low fares to revive Thailand’s travel and tourism industry. The…
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Paul Poole workshops to resume
PHUKET: Despite political uncertainty in many parts of the country, sponsorship specialists Paul Poole (South East Asia) Co Ltd have decided to resume their popular training workshops following a two-year hiatus. Paul Poole explained that resuming the workshops, to be held at The Metropolitan Hotel in Bangkok, is the result of what he termed “surprising popular demand”. “We plan on…
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Phuket pawnshops busy in April
PHUKET: Government-run pawnshops on the island did a roaring trade last month in the run-up to the new school term that began in mid-May. More than 10,000 people pawned goods valued at over 200 million baht at the island’s three government-licensed pawnshops in April. The Phuket City Municipality Pawnshop currently has 247 million baht out on loan, while the Patong…
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Australians warned off Phuket medical tourism
Phuket NEWS Hound – A daily digest of news from around the world compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community PHUKET: The Australian Medical Association (AMA) yesterday urged people to be cautious after a Gold Coast business offered plastic surgery and dental holidays in Phuket. For background on the CosMediTour offer, see Tuesday’s Phuket NEWS Hound, here. Although doctors…
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Patong to get ‘drunk center’
PHUKET: Foreign tourists who over-indulge and get into trouble in Patong may soon be left overnight to sober up in a ‘drunk center’, according to plans revealed at the second meeting between Honorary Consuls and Phuket authorities on May 24. Another major proposal mooted at the meeting was setting up a call center to coordinate taxi services in Patong. Phuket…
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Travel warning revision to benefit Phuket
Phuket NEWS Hound – A daily digest of news from around the world compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community PHUKET: Britain’s Foreign Office eased its advice against travel to the Thai capital yesterday as Bangkok slowly returned to normal after protests and riots. Britain had advised against all travel to Bangkok, including Phuket and Thailand in general, earlier…
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Murder trio nabbed in Phuket
PHUKET: Phuket City Police this afternoon held a press conference announcing the capture of three young men wanted in connection with the stabbing murder of Sathit Chuenchuan in Rassada Sunday night. Led by Phuket Provincial Police Deputy Commander Komol Wattrakorn, police identified the stabber as 22-year-old Kanokchart ‘San’ Deethong-on from Nakhon Sri Thammarat. Also presented were his alleged accomplices, 23-year-old…
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U.S. Embassy in full service
PHUKET: The U.S. embassy in Bangkok re-opened today for “limited operations” and will resume full services tomorrow after being closed for a week due to the street protests. “In Thailand, our embassy was open for limited operations today [Monday] and we anticipate resuming full operations tomorrow,” State Department spokesman Philip Crowley told reporters. The United States closed its embassy, located…
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Phuket medicine goes to the Gold Coast
Phuket NEWS Hound – A daily digest of news from around the world compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community PHUKET: More than 150 people are expected to be on hand tomorrow at a Phuket medical tourism initiative on Australia’s Gold Coast. Among them will be Phuket’s internationally recognized cosmetic surgeon Dr Sanguan Kunaporn and director Peter Davidson of…
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Hearing on bypass road ‘flyover’ in Phuket tomorrow
PHUKET: A planned flyover at the Darasamuth Intersection near Central Festival Phuket will become a ‘flyunder’, if the project consultants get their way.At a public hearing scheduled for tomorrow at The Metropole hotel, Thai Engineering Consultants (TEC) will recommend a tunnel to take bypass road traffic under the intersection and onto Chao Fa West Road. Another tunnel would also take…
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Briton dies in Phuket hotel room
PATONG, PHUKET: The body of a British man who died of apparent heart failure was discovered by his father in a Patong hotel room yesterday afternoon. Kathu Police Duty Inspector Jakkapong Luang-aon identified the body as that of UK national Kevin Dean, age 47. Mr Dean’s body was discovered at about 2:30pm on the bathroom floor of his room at…
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Revved motorbike leads to Phuket stabbing murder
RASSADA, PHUKET: A man was stabbed to death in Phuket last night after complaining about his neighbors’ noisy motorbike. The 24-year-old victim, Sathit ‘Geng’ Chuanchuen from Suphanburi province, died on the way to Vachira Phuket Hospital of a stab wound to the heart. Hospital workers alerted police to Mr Sathit’s death at around 12:20am today. Police examined his body in…
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AirAsia suspends Phuket – Ho Chi Minh, Phuket – Medan routes
PHUKET: Thai AirAsia’s direct flights from Phuket to Ho Chi Minh City and Medan have been canceled temporarily due to low demand, but the carrier remains committed to growing Phuket as its second air hub in the Kingdom. The two services began at the end of last year with daily flights to Ho Chi Minh City and three flights weekly…
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Mumbo jumbo in Phuket hotel bookings
Phuket NEWS Hound – A daily digest of news from around the world compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community PHUKET: Phuket readers of stories from a wide array of ‘media outlets’ are by now well accustomed to conflicts, mumbo jumbo and gobbledygook when it comes to hotel occupancy, forward bookings and other tourism statistics. There are times when…
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Phuket Perspective: Major media did poorly in the protests
PHUKET: While on holiday in Phuket two weeks ago, a Malaysian Sun Daily columnist was disappointed, if not disgusted, by the reports of respected international media covering the protests in Thailand. In his column Down2Earth last week, he wrote about a spectacle that many Thais in Phuket and all over Thailand, including Bangkok itself, had been observing with indredulity for…
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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