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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Flower power for Phuket
PHUKET: Flowers of all kinds and colors have temporarily taken root at Saphan Hin in Phuket for the 17th Annual Ornamental Plants & Flowers Fair Phuket, which began on Friday and runs until Sunday.The flower fair’s covered market-stall area boasts more than 130 stalls of colorful flora and other ornamental items for gardens of any size.Among the items on offer…
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Search continues for missing teenager
PHUKET: Rescue teams have spent the day searching in vain for a 15-year-old boy who became caught in an undertow at Karon Beach and is feared drowned.The boy, Pattharadanai ‘Ooad’ Kampong, was last seen waving for help in heavy surf about 6pm on Sunday.Lifesavers saw him in trouble, and tried to save him, but were unable to battle through the…
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Boy missing, feared drowned
A 16-year-old boy is missing, feared drowned, after disappearing from Karon Beach about 6pm last night (Sunday night).The teenager, from Pijit Province, is a Phuket resident and went swimming with friends who said he went into the water about 6pm, but did not return.Chalong police and rescue teams using a jet boat searched for him, but have so far been unable to…
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Suspected Phuket ‘gangster’ jumps bail
PHUKET CITY: An arrest warrant has been issued for a Pakistani man who failed to make a mandatory court appearance while on bail for attempted murder of a compatriot in Rawai in 2007, police say. The suspect, identified as Imran Ahmed “Munna” Qureshi, was arrested by the Phuket Tourist Police in October 2007 for the attempted murder of fellow Pakistani…
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Asean ends, troops leave Phuket
PHUKET: As of midnight last night, the tight security surrounding the Asean venue for the past two weeks in Phuket was relaxed.Troops began packing up at midnight last night as the Asean Foreign Ministers Meetings officially ended and the Internal Security Act was lifted.The Internal Security Act was enforced for the very first time in Phuket from July 10 to 24…
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Three out of three for Evolution Sails
SIX SENSES PHUKET RACEWEEK, DAY 2: Ray Roberts’ boat Evolution Sails made it three out of three with a third consecutive victory in the morning race to put him in pole position in the Racing class.However, Roberts did not have it all his own way, as Neil Prydes’ Hi Fi broke Evolution Sails‘ monopoly, to win the afternoon race. Hi…
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June tourist arrivals down almost 22.9%
PHUKET CITY: The number of international tourists arriving at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport in June was down almost 23% year-on-year, according to the Thai Immigration Bureau. Figures for June arrivals into Phuket from abroad are not yet available. June’s international arrivals into Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi airport were 642,732, down 29.7% from the 833,678 arrivals in June 2008. Arrivals from East Asian countries…
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Olive branch offered to Burma during Phuket Asean talks
CHERNG TALAY, PHUKET: Members of the Asean Regional Forum (ARF) in Phuket yesterday offered to help Burma promote democracy, human rights and well-being among its people, but avoided mentioning the controversy over pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi. “Asean, as well as members of the ARF, would like to work with Myanmar [Burma] and are ready to assist in its…
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Heavy rains in Phuket cause landslide
PHUKET/PATONG: Torrential rain last night caused a massive landslide in Patong which left 200 meters of Sirirat Road covered in thick mud and debris.The road blockage and flood waters caused traffic jams and long delays.The landslide started from a construction site on Petchakut Road, 150 meters above Sirirat road, opposite Simon Cabaret.Patong Deputy Mayor, Prasarn Yordtor said water from a…
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Police identify victims of Phuket shootout
PATONG, PHUKET: Kathu Police have identified the man who died in a wild west-style gunfight that broke out at Patong Beach on Tuesday as 24-year-old Daruwat Burintarakot, nephew of the late Jintana Plaza heiress Komkai Kositkoon who was murdered in July last year. Police have also released the names of the three men injured in the shootout, during which dozens…
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Hillary Clinton in Phuket: Asean urged to be open about human rights
PHUKET: US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and her diplomatic entourage flew into Phuket yesterday on two private jets. Mrs Clinton was then whisked off to the Sheraton Grande Laguna Phuket, the Asean Ministers’ Meetings Phuket venue, where she gave a speech that included a call on the Burmese junta to release democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who has been…
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Bomb scare at Laguna Phuket
CHERNG TALAY, PHUKET: A loud boom reported at Laguna Phuket this morning was caused by security officials who blasted a suspicious motorbike with high-pressure water from a fire hose.Reuters news agency reported that a ‘loud blast’ of unknown origin was heard by witnesses.A source at Laguna Phuket confirmed that security officers at the resort found a suspicious motorbike parked near the Laguna Holiday Club, less than a…
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Temporary ICU for Asean talks in Phuket
CHERNG TALAY, PHUKET: Emergency medical facilities including a temporary intensive care unit (ICU) are in place at Laguna Phuket in case any delegates at the Asean Ministerial Meetings fall seriously ill during the talks. Three medical aid points have been set up specifically for such an event. The most well equipped is ‘Medical Center 1201’, located inside host venue the…
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Phuket gangs shoot it out in Patong
PATONG, PHUKET: Tourists ran for their lives when a gunfight erupted between two gangs on the Patong beachfront today. One man was killed and three injured in the Patong shootout.Bystanders said two gangs of Thai men began shooting at each other on the site of the burned out Jintana shopping center on the Patong beach road in the early afternoon.One witness said a…
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New Phuket City market to open by year’s end
PHUKET CITY: Structural work on the new municipal market on Ranong Road is complete, but the 167-million-baht facility probably won’t be open for business until the end of the year. Phuket City Mayor Somjai Suwansupana said the four-story market building and the 27 shophouse units surrounding it were finished, but interior work would probably take several months to plan and…
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Phuket swine flu infections drop
PHUKET CITY: Phuket appears to be winning the battle against swine flu, but the island’s top public health official is asking the public to maintain vigilance.Phuket Public Health Office (PPHO) director Dr Pongsawas Ratanasang said yesterday morning the number of new cases reported daily has fallen to fewer than five, on average.So far there have been 123 reported cases of…
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Clubbers survive brutal beating in Phuket
CHERNG TALAY, PHUKET: Two people have been hospitalized after a brutal attack in the early hours of Saturday.Narissa Phokabut, 28, and her 30-year-old English friend, were leaving the Stereo Lab nightclub before dawn on Saturday when they were attacked by two Thai men.Yards away, revelers were still partying at the Hed Kandi night, an event put on by the popular…
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Thai PM opens Asean meeting in Phuket
MAI KHAO, PHUKET: Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva and his entourage arrived in Phuket this morning for the 42nd Asean Ministerial Meeting (AMM) and related meetings that got underway at the Laguna Phuket resort on Friday. Among those on hand to greet PM Abhisit at the Phuket International Airport VIP room at 8.30am were national police chief Gen Patcharawat Wongsuwan,…
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Phuket residents decidedly calm in run-up to Asean
PHUKET CITY: Asean Secretary-General Surin Pitsuwan yesterday told the international community that the upcoming meetings of Asean foreign ministers and dialogue partners would be secure. “I want to assure you all that the security arrangements are superb and the meetings will proceed without disruption,” he said. In April, anti-government protesters stormed into the Asean Summit’s venue in Pattaya, forcing the…
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Internet shop closure not enforced in Phuket
PHUKET CITY: The government-ordered closure of internet shops and tutorial schools nationwide to stop the spread of swine flu is not being enforced in Phuket, public health officials admit. Most of the 480 registered internet shops on the island simply ignored the order, which they view as unfair and illegal. Cabinet last Thursday approved a proposal by the Ministry of…
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Phuket plant fair starts next week
PHUKET CITY: Green thumbs take note: the 17th Annual Ornamental Plants & Flowers Fair will take place at Saphan Hin from July 24 to August 2. Somchai Hengwatcharaphaibul, chief of the Phuket Agriculture and Cooperatives Office, said he expects this year’s event to generate about 40 million baht in sales. The fair will include exhibitions, displays, competitions in flower arrangement…
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Readers’ Poll: More buses best solution to Phuket’s transport woes
PHUKET CITY: Gazette readers think an expanded public bus network is the single best solution to Phuket’s transport woes, last month’s readers’ poll has determined. Over 400 readers cast votes in the poll, which is now closed. We asked readers to tell us what they thought was the single best solution to Phuket’s transport problems. The most popular solution, with…
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Phuket still safe despite Jakarta bombings
PHUKET: The bomb blasts which shattered Jakarta’s Ritz-Carlton and JW Marriott Hotels this morning, killing at least nine people and injuring dozens more, have sent the topic of terrorism rocketing to the top of the agenda at the 42nd Asean Foreign Ministers Meeting which got underway in Phuket today. Asean Secretary General Dr Surin Pitsuwan said officials and delegates were…
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Partial solar eclipse in Phuket on Wednesday
PHUKET CITY: Weather permitting, a partial solar eclipse will be visible in Phuket on Wednesday morning. The eclipse, blocking about 20% of the sun at its peak at 8.10am, will last around six minutes. Rajabhat Phuket University is hosting a viewing event at the traffic circle in front of the Dean’s Office on the Rajabhat campus. Assistant Professor Sakchai Phetchuai…
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Dasta holds public hearings in Phuket
PHUKET CITY: The public organization pushing to develop the Ao Phuket mega-project off Saphan Hin is conducting public hearings to gauge reaction to the possibility of designating all of Phuket as a special administrative zone for sustainable tourism. Designated Areas for Sustainable Tourism Administration (Dasta), a public organization whose board answers directly to the Prime Minister’s Office, held the first…
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Phuket abuzz with pride and wonder about ASEAN event
PHUKET: Phuket has begun pulsing with vibrancy today. Official cars, police and army officers, and security guards are becoming a common sight. It’s all about the ASEAN foreign ministers meetings and the ASEAN Regional Forum, to be held at Laguna Phuket from Friday to July 23. Phuketians generally welcome the massive security effort, despite all the checkpoints and limitations on…
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Swine flu “service centers” open in Phuket
PHUKET CITY: There have been 77 confirmed cases of A(H1N1) infection in Phuket since the swine flu outbreak first hit the island in early June, the Gazette has learned. To combat the spread of the new flu strain, the Phuket Public Health Office (PPHO) has launched three “One Stop Service” (OSS) centers for suspected swine flu cases at Phuket’s three…
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Rolly Tasker donates land for Phuket road project
PHUKET CITY: Rolly Tasker Sails Co Ltd yesterday morning donated eight rai of land to the state for construction of a second airport road. Company founder Mr Tasker, an Australian sailing legend, handed over the title deeds to Phuket Governor Wichai Praisa-ngop at a ceremony at Phuket Provincial Hall yesterday morning. Gov Wichai has pushed for the new new airport…
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Foundered ferry under tow to Phuket
PHUKET CITY: Salvage workers are today trying to tow back to Phuket the unregistered passenger ferry that foundered in heavy seas in Phang Nga Bay over the weekend. Phuket Marine Police on Sunday morning rescued the captain and crew of the unregistered ferry Kacha Marine, which sank during a sea squall near the Mu Sung Rocks about seven miles off…
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Burmese government to open ID centers for illegals
PHUKET CITY: In an effort to legalize untold thousands of its citizens working illegally in Thailand, the Burmese government will tomorrow open ‘citizen identification centers’ at three immigration checkpoints along the Thai border. The announcement came at a seminar at the Thavorn Grand Plaza Hotel on Saturday attended by Burmese Deputy Foreign Affairs Minister U Maung Myaint, Thai Labor Minister…
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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