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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Sponsored Infinito helps hotels in Thailand with revenue management
Maximising revenue and profit–isn’t that the ultimate goal for every business in the hospitality industry? If you run a hotel, you might have heard that revenue management is an effective way to boost your top-line revenue. It involves using data...
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Phuket well prepared for swine flu outbreak
PHUKET CITY: Despite no cases of “swine flu” being recorded in Thailand, public health officials are taking measures to prevent the spread of the virus into the country through Phuket Airport and other air gateways. Pongsawad Ratanasang, director of the Public Health Office, told the media he is not overly concerned by the danger posed to the island by this…
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Second Phuket Airport road a top priority
PHUKET CITY: Phuket Governor Wichai Phraisa-ngop will make construction of a second north-south artery the top priority among the four new road projects he will push for the island. Presently, Phuket has only Thepkrasattri Road to connect Phuket International Airport to most parts of the the island. With the airport’s planned upgrade allowing it to accommodate 11.5 million passengers a…
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Phuket Police gear up for planned Asean summit
PHUKET CITY: It was a busy day yesterday at Phuket City Police headquarters, where some 300 officers began two days of special training in how to deal forcefully but effectively with large crowds and riots.The training, ordered by Phuket Provincial Police Commander Pigad Thantipong, was in reaction to the political turmoil in the capital and other parts of the country.It…
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Phuket dive boat accident relatives urged to file claims
PHUKET CITY: Relatives of several European victims of the Choke Somboon 19 disaster off Phuket Island have yet to file insurance claims with underwriter AIG, which is waiting to pay out 200,000 baht for each of the deceased.The seven victims – Swiss, German and Austrian – were covered under a mandatory group insurance policy taken out by Dive Asia Phuket,…
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Burrowes free after paying 500 baht fine
PHUKET CITY: The Simon Burrowes saga appears to have finally come to a conclusion as the Englishman pled guilty to a charge of being impolite to a state official and was fined 500 baht. Burrowes was due to fly back to the UK on January 31, but became involved in an altercation with Immigration Police officials at Phuket International Airport,…
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Pollution solution due in October, 2010
PHUKET CITY: Phuket City Municipality last week held a hearing to present to the public its plan to build a second waste-to-energy incinerator, scheduled to go on-line in October, 2010. About 300 government officers and members of the public attended the session, held last Thursday afternoon at the Phuket Merlin Hotel. Phuket Vice-Governor Worapoj Ratthasima chaired the hearing and Phuket…
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Social security contributions lowered
PHUKET: In a bid to increase spending, the Thai Social Security Fund (SSF) plans to lower monthly contributions from both employers and employees during the ongoing economic crisis. The Social Security Office board, which manages the fund, is scheduled to meet today to conclude details of the contribution reduction. “The reduction should be applicable for six months starting from June,”…
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Swine flu scanner installed at Phuket Airport
PHUKET: Phuket International Airport and two other major Thai aviation gateways have installed thermo-scanners to screen foreign passengers for swine flu. The two other locations now using the infrared sensors are Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport and Chiang Mai International Airport. Travellers found with suspicious flu symptoms that could develop into the swine influenza will be asked to undergo treatment at the…
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Mother of murder suspect alleges corruption
PHUKET CITY: The mother of a suspect in the high-profile killing of Matichon journalist Athiwut Chainurat has accused a senior policeman of taking a bribe to secure her son’s release. Prasert Kaowseesot, 53-year-old mother of murder suspect Lamduan Kaowseesot, 31, took the case to the Nakhon Sri Thammarat Justice Center after the police officer allegedly failed to follow through with…
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Tourism businesses urged to join Phuket re-branding launch
PHUKET, Thailand: A group of local hoteliers and businesses in Phuket have “cancelled” Low Season – April 15 through November 1 – and are renaming the period more appropriately as “Summer Season”, to better reflect the fact that Phuket is one of the world’s top year-round vacation and second home destinations. For further details about Summer in Phuket, visit www.summerinphuket.com…
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Samkong Bridge project nears completion
PHUKET CITY: Workers from the Phuket Rock Company toiled hard over the weekend making repairs to part of the Samkong Bridge, which supports two lanes of traffic on Yaowarat Road.The bridge, built in 1970, passes over Klong Bangyai near Bangkok Hospital in the busy Samkong part of Phuket City.Klong Bangyai, Phuket largest watercourse, drains water from large parts of Muang…
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Phuket may gain from bullish view on Thai markets
PHUKET: Renowned investment guru Mark Mobius remains upbeat about the Thai stock market, due to its “undervalued prices and high dividend yields”. Speaking on Friday at a seminar in Bangkok entitled “The Thai Economy: If It Can Recover”, Mobius said the dividend yield on Thai shares currently averages about 5.5%, well above that of other emerging markets, which are at…
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Private sector hails lifting of emergency decree
PHUKET CITY: The government’s lifting of the State of Emergency Decree in Bangkok and surrounding areas yesterday has drawn applause from the private-sector.Federation of Thai Industries chairman Santi Vilassakdanont said the move would help restore confidence in the country.The situation would return to normal in two weeks, he predictedHowever the government must move more quickly to explain the situation to…
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Tourism outlook positive after lifting of emergency rule
PHUKET: Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva has pledged to ensure peace and normalcy by relying on relevant laws following the lifting of emergency rule in Greater Bangkok yesterday. “It is the duty of my government to keep the peace, and I pledge to allay public concerns about security by invoking relevant laws without taking any extra measures,” he said. PM Abhisit…
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Frogmen plug leaking oil tank in Satun
PHUKET CITY: A team of frogmen yesterday sealed a hole in the tank of a sunken fishing vessel off Satun’s Koh Lipe, stopping an oil leak that left some island beaches blackened earlier in the week. The oil leak was first noticed early last Saturday morning at Ao Pramong, on the north coast of Koh Lipe. In an all-day operation…
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Game shop killer surrenders
PHUKET CITY: Ekawood Pipatratana, the video game center owner who accidentally shot and killed a 12-year-old boy in his shop on Wednesday, handed himself in to police today. Mr Ekawood, 43, dumped Amornthep “Gaga” Panya-sirikul’s body in marshland near Phuket International Airport before fleeing in his car to his wife in Bangkok. At a press conference at Phuket City Police…
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Gaga’s mom talks to the Gazette, issues ultimatum to police
CHERNG TALAY: The mother of slain schoolboy Amornthep “Gaga” Panya-sirikul is giving police five days to bring to justice the man who took her son’s life by shooting him in the head inside a computer game center yesterday afternoon. Gaga’s mother, Mrs Somjai Sudjit, told the Gazette today she took the boy’s remains home at 11am today after identifying Gaga…
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Cherng Talay protesters finally disband
CHERNG TALAY, PHUKET: An adamant group of protesters continued to block a 300-meter stretch of Srisoonthorn Road in Baan Bang Tao most of today, demanding police catch the man responsible for the shooting murder of 12-year-old Amornthep “Gaga” Panya-sirikul. The group finally disbanded late this afternoon following unconfirmed reports that the shooter was about to turn himself in to authorities.…
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Boy killed in gun play gone wrong
PHUKET, CHERNG TALAY: A 12-year-old boy was shot and killed following a gun play accident at an internet and games shop in Baan Bang Tao, Cherng Talay at about noon yesterday.The shooting occurred at Dr Com Electronic Center located opposite Baan Bang Tao School on Srisoonthorn Road when the owner of the cafe, Ekawood Pipatratana, 34, was showing off his…
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Phuket cancels ‘low season’
PHUKET: A group of local hotels and other businesses in Phuket have “canceled” Low Season – April 15 through November 1 – and are renaming the period more appropriately: “Summer Season”. The new designation (‘re-branding’) is being undertaken to better reflect the fact that Phuket is one of the world’s top year-round vacation and second-home destinations. “We’re going to have…
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Gov Wichai to push for reservoir at Kathu Waterfall
KATHU, PHUKET: The Phuket Provincial Office will seek a budget from the central government to construct a new reservoir at Kathu Waterfall in order to solve chronic dry season drought problems in the area. On Monday, Phuket Governor Wichai Phraisa-ngop toured the proposed project site, also a popular tourist destination. He was accompanied by Kathu District Chief Siripath Patakul, Kathu…
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PM confirms plan for Phuket to host Asean summit in June
PHUKET: The government has tentatively chosen Phuket to host the Asean summit with six dialogue partners from the Asia-Pacific region in June, Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva said yesterday. The summit, initially to be held from April 10-12, had to be canceled after it was stormed by red-shirt protesters in Pattaya. Dates for the next summit could not be fixed yet because several…
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Fisherman ends life by lethal injection with weed killer
RASSADA, PHUKET: A commercial fisherman allegedly cheated out of his pay by his employer ended his life yesterday morning by injecting himself with liquid weed killer. At 12:30pm on April 20, Phuket City Police duty inspector Pitak Sompong received a report from residents of Soi Hormok, off Srisuthat Road in Rassada Village 3, that they had found the body of…
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Satun oil spill clean-up starts today
PHUKET CITY: The waters off part of the resort island of Koh Lipe in Satun were polluted last weekend by an oil slick, estimated by authorities to cover an area of about five kilometers. Koh Lipe is about 160 nautical miles from Phuket. Marine Police Region 3 Inspector Banjerd Manawetch was first notified of the slick by the crew of…
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Phuket to host Asean summits
PHUKET: The abruptly suspended Asean Summit will be rescheduled in Phuket as soon as possible in an effort to restore foreign investors’ confidence in the country, Deputy Commerce Minister Alongkorn Pollabutr has announced. Asean chief Surin Pitsuwan said on Friday that the summit would take place no later than early June. Mr Alongkorn said the Asean Economic Summit would be…
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PAD concert goes off without a hitch
SAPHAN HIN, PHUKET: Last night saw more than 30,000 yellow-shirted People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) followers gather in a show of support for injured leader Sondhi Limthongkul at the sold-out PAD 6th political concert, which was aired nationwide on ASTV. Maj Gen Chamlong Srimuang, one of the PAD’s five core leaders, told the crowd he felt happy to see such…
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4 dead, 60 injured in Songkran road accidents
PHUKET CITY: The final tally for this years’ “Seven Days of Danger” road safety campaign over the Songkran holiday period in Phuket is four dead, with 60 people injured in 60 road accidents. The figures are almost identical to last year, when four were killed and 64 were injured in 64 accidents. In the annual accounting, only injuries requiring admittance…
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Political turmoil cost Phuket two direct flights from China
PHUKET CITY: Last week’s political turmoil in Bangkok has caused two Chinese airlines to shelve plans to launch direct flights to Phuket from Shanghai and Guangzhou. Following a tourism “roadshow” to mainland China, the Phuket Tourist Association’s Somboon Jirayus said that Shanghai Airlines was set to begin direct flights from Shanghai to Phuket, starting at the end of the month,…
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Phuket to host halal expo
PHUKET CITY: Phuket is set to host the “World of Halal Science, Industry & Business International Conference 2009” and “Halal Expo”, aimed at turning the southern region into a center of the halal-related industry. Winai Dahlan, dean of the faculty of allied health sciences at Chulalongkorn University, said the dual events were scheduled to be held between April 30 and…
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PAD concert to go on despite Sondhi shooting
SAPHAN HIN, PHUKET: The People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) benefit concert will go on as scheduled tomorrow night, despite the shooting of PAD leader Sondhi Limthongkul early this morning. Phuket PAD coordinator Aparat Chartchutikumjorn told the Gazette today that Mr Sondhi is now in a stable condition and able to speak after surgeons at Vajira Hospital in Bangkok successfully removed…
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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