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.
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Retiring in Thailand comes with many benefits, like warm weather, affordable living, and a rich culture. However, it also brings challenges. Retirees must deal with visa rules, healthcare costs, language barriers, and cultural differences. Rising medical expenses, required insurance, and...
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Swine flu under control in Phuket
PHUKET CITY: The head of the Phuket Public Health Office has downplayed a report in the state-run media that lists Phuket as one of seven provinces with high incidences of A(H1N1) infection. The figures are skewed because they don’t take into account the island’s large ‘hidden population’, he said. Phuket Public Health Office director Dr Pongsawas Ratanasang said the total…
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Phuket Vegetarian Festival schedule update
PHUKET: With the Phuket Vegetarian Festival in full swing, Phuket’s Chinese temples are packed with worshipers wearing white from early morning until late at night, and the surrounding roads are lined with meat-free food stalls, strung with yellow garlands and red lanterns. Below is the schedule of processions and other vegetarian festival related activities taking place at Phuket’s Chinese shrines…
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Phuket leads the south in A(H1N1) infection
PHUKET CITY: Phuket is among seven provinces in the country with the highest incidence of infection with the swine flu virus, the state-run Thai News Agency has reported. Permanent Secretary for Public Health Dr Paijit Worajit yesterday informed the press that there have been three more deaths from swine flu in Thailand, while the total number of fatalities rose to…
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Phuket strengthens ties with Russian sister
PHUKET CITY: A delegation from the Russian city of Nakhodka met the Phuket governor at Provincial Hall this afternoon as part of a bid to tighten the relationship between the two cities. Nakhodka and Phuket became sister cities in September 2006. First Vice-Mayor of Nakhodka Boris Gladkikh presented Governor Wichai Phraisa-ngop with a commemorative plate as a gift from his…
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Deadline for Phuket’s ‘yellow pages’
PHUKET: Businesses wishing to appear in the 2010 Gazette Guide, Phuket’s ‘yellow pages’, have until 6pm on Thursday, November 12, to enter (or update) their listings. Businesses entered after that date will appear in the Gazette Guide Online only – not in the hard-copy book. Businesses who have entered or updated their listings over the past six months need do…
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Jet-skis under control: Phuket police
PATONG, PHUKET: A much-vaunted mandatory insurance scheme aimed at ending disputes between jet-ski operators and tourists in Phuket will be in place by November 16. But Patong’s top cop says: “We’ve already solved the problem.” Kathu Police Superintendent Grissak Songmoonnark said the police have set up a committee of experts to adjudicate in disputes, deciding who should pay for any…
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Patong tunnel study details revealed
PHUKET CITY: The director of the consulting company undertaking a 40-million-baht feasibility study into construction of a tunnel to Patong has revealed more details about its initial findings. Tanin Pongrujikorn, Director of Epsilon Co Ltd, told the Gazette, “Patong Municipality, which initiated the project, invited six Thai consulting companies registered with the Ministry of Finance and with relevant experience to…
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Chinese acrobats to perform in Patong
PHUKET CITY: About 1,000 people who patiently braved the elements at Saphan Hin last night were treated to a stunning performance by one of the world’s top acrobatics troupes. The troupe, the 40-strong Beijing Acrobatics Fantasy, are in Phuket for two special performances coinciding with the annual Phuket Vegetarian Festival. Last night’s show got underway well past the scheduled start…
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Beijing Acrobatics Fantasy in Phuket tonight
PHUKET CITY: One of the world’s most fascinating acrobatics troupes will perform a charity performance at Saphan Hin starting at 7pm. The 40-strong Beijing Acrobatics Fantasy perform a wide variety of acrobatic stunts. The troupe are currently in Phuket as part of a nationwide tour that has included stops in Bangkok and the Isarn region. In a recent nationally televised…
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Half a million expected for Phuket veg fest
PHUKET CITY: Half a million people are expected to attend this year’s Phuket Vegetarian Festival, bringing in around 33 million baht, a senior tourism official said. Wanaphapar Suksombul, Assistant Director of the Tourism Authority of Thailand’s Phuket Office, said 80 percent of Phuket City’s hotel rooms have been booked up during the event, which officially started at midnight on Saturday.…
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Safe robbery dangerous for Phuket thieves
KATHU, PHUKET: Two bungling robbers broke their legs in a motorcycle crash while trying to drive home with a 25-kilogram safe they stole from a British expat’s house, police said. Jirawat Khongsuwan, 24, and Chanakarn Sukhumdecha, 22, deny taking the box from David Kelleway’s house at the Phuket Country Club in Kathu last Saturday. But Inspector Kittipong Kaikaew of Tung…
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Phuket Vegetarian Festival Procession Routes
PHUKET: Following inaugural ceremonies in Phuket over the weekend to summon Chinese ancestral gods to take part in the island’s Vegetarian Festival, Phuket City’s Chinese temples are buzzing with activity and shrouded in the smoke from thousands of firecrackers and incense lit throughout the day.Now that those gods have taken up temporary residence on Phuket in the bodies of believers…
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Phuket Police rule out murder in Aussie tourist’s death
PATONG, PHUKET: Kathu Police have been unable to track down and question two Thai women seen entering a hotel room with an Australian man who was found dead by hotel staff later the same day. Police Duty Officer Lt Weerapong Rakkhito identified the deceased as 45-year-old Australian national Brian Martin Hickey. Staff at the PS 2 Inn in central Patong…
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Phuket Police sweep the city clean for Vegetable Festival
PHUKET CITY: Phuket police swept the city last night in a final crime crackdown before the start of the annual Vegetarian Festival that officially starts at midnight tonight. Officers assembled in front of Phuket City Police Station at 6.30pm before fanning out and setting up police checkpoints at the following spots: In front of Muang Mai Motors on Thepkrasattri Road;…
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Phuket to stage ‘National Anthem Singing’
PHUKET CITY: Phuket’s iconic Phromthep Cape will be in the national spotlight on October 29 when a large crowd is expected to turn out for a nationally televised singing of the Thai National Anthem. The announcement that Phuket’s southernmost tip has been chosen for the event came at meeting chaired by Phuket Governor Wichai Phraisa-ngop at Phuket Provincial Hall yesterday.…
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Phuket contestants needed for PCF Race Day
PHUKET: Phuketians are invited to form teams to race rafts, dragon boats, kayaks and even cardboard boxes for the chance to win awards and prizes at the Phuket Community Foundation’s upcoming Race Day charity fundraiser.The day of family fun in and around the water will be held at Canal Village, Laguna Phuket on November 7, which still gives potential participants…
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Struggling Phuket families get homes of their own
SRISOONTHORN, PHUKET: A low-cost housing project opened in Thalang this week is set to become home to more than 400 low-income families. Loans from the Government Housing Bank have allowed many of the families to buy units in the latest ‘Eua Arthorn’ public housing project and become home owners for the first time. The 846-million-baht project covers 40 rai and…
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Protection plan launched for Phuket forests
PHUKET: In just six years, the rate of destruction of Phuket’s forests has almost quadrupled, figures from the Office of Natural Resources and the Environment show.In 2004, 66 rai of forest were destroyed in 15 recorded cases of land encroachment.This year has already seen 62 cases of land encroachment, with the destruction of 239 rai of forest.The stark figures were…
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Phuket agog over strange fruit
PA KHLOK, PHUKET: Villagers in Pa Khlok are unsure whether two recently discovered agricultural oddities are signs of good luck – or eerie harbingers of man’s impact on the environment. The strange specimens were found on the grounds of two local primary schools located side-by-side in the small coastal community of Ban Thala. Manoj Hawharn, a janitor at the Phuket…
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AirAsia’s “Phuket Air Hub’ ready for takeoff
PATONG, PHUKET: Thai AirAsia has geared up for the establishment of Phuket as a new regional air hub next month with its “AirAsia Loves Phuket Fair”, which ends at Jungceylon today.Thai AirAsia CEO Tassapon Bijileveld visited the fair yesterday, presenting a model AirAsia aircraft to Phuket Governor Wichai Phraisa-ngop as part of the festivities.November 15 has been designated as the official…
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New reef project for Phuket
PHUKET CITY: Local divers will welcome the news that three old ships are scheduled to be sunk off Racha Yai Island to create a new artificial reef. The project, organized by the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMRC) regional office in Phuket and a host of other local government agencies, is scheduled to start next month. The initiative enjoys…
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Phuket police celebrate at new HQ
PHUKET CITY: Police combined the official opening of the new Phuket Provincial Police headquarters with National Police Day celebrations yesterday.Police from every station in Phuket attended the ceremony, which started at 9.30am.Phuket Governor Wichai Phraisa-ngop and Phuket Provincial Police Commander Pekad Tantipong gave speeches to the assembled officers outside the new station on Yaowarat Road.As part of an annual tradition,…
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Officials tour Taj Exotica resort site in Phuket
RAWAI, PHUKET: The developers of the Taj Exotica Resort and Spa planned for Koh Lone will consider abandoning their request to build a pier if the idea is rejected during the environmental impact assessment (EIA) approval process, the Gazette has learned. Members of a provincial oversight committee on Monday afternoon toured the proposed 136-rai project site, located on the east…
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Fixtures announced for Phuket Kata Group Cup
PHUKET CITY: Organizers of the Phuket Kata Group Cup have announced the opening fixtures for the four-team tournament, which kicks off on October 27 at Surakul Stadium. In the semifinal matches, the Thailand XI, coached by new boss and former England star Bryan Robson, will face 2009 Myanmar National League Cup winners Yadanabon FC, while Thai Premier League champions Muang…
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Phuket jet-ski operators agree to insurance plan
PHUKET CITY: It’s official. Following a deal signed at Phuket Provincial Hall today, Phuket jet-ski operators will now be required to get mandatory insurance for their machines. Phuket Jet-ski Association President Anusorn Sahreh signed the deal with Saiwalee Sakornjit of Ayudhya Insurance Public Company Limited just before noon. The event was witnessed by around 15 jet-ski operators. Phuket Governor Wichai…
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Phuket power cuts announced
PHUKET CITY: The Phuket office of the Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA) has announced the following scheduled power cuts to carry out maintenance on high voltage wires, starting with parts of Chalong on Thursday.October 15 (9am to 4pm): ChalongAffected areas include parts of Patak Rd, left hand side, from Chalong Circle to the Phuket Shooting Range. Patak Villa is among the…
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Phuket man murdered over Bt10,000 debt
PHUKET CITY: Following an argument over a 10,000 baht debt, a man stabbed his friend to death as they were driving together in Phuket City. Nathee Pinyayo, a 30-year-old resident of Phang Nga’s Kuraburi District, confessed to slashing 34-year old Pornsil Makphol’s neck and stabbing him several times in the chest while Mr Pornsil was driving, just after midnight on October…
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Why did Phuket police officers cross the road?
BECAUSE: Phuket Provincial Police have now moved into their new HQ, just across the road from the 40-year-old former headquarters on Yaowarat Road in Phuket City.Although construction work on the new 21-million-baht police station was mostly completed in 2008, officers finally moved in over the weekend, after landscaping work was eventually finished.The new Phuket Provincial Police HQ will be officially opened with a…
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October blood donation drive in Phuket
PHUKET CITY: The Phuket Chapter of the Thai Red Cross Society has arranged for its mobile unit to accept blood donations at the following places and times in Phuket in October.October 15 (noon to 7pm): Tesco Lotus Phuket, RassadaOctober 16 (noon – 6pm): HomeWorks Phuket, WichitOctober 29 (10am – 7pm): Tesco Lotus Phuket, RassadaOctober 30 (noon – 6pm): Phuket Airport,…
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‘Exciting opportunities’ at Phuket AOCAP event
PHUKET: Phuket property and tourism professionals are taking advantage of networking opportunities and learning more about the boom in fractional ownership at the Alternative Ownership Conference–Asia Pacific, which got underway this morning at the Millenium Resort Patong. Key speakers in the property and tourism industries have flown into Phuket from around the world for the region’s first two-day AOCAP conference.…
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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