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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Sakoo OrBorTor: “no action’ on Nai Thon dumping
NAI THON: More than a month after being given photographs showing a truck belonging to Vasi Construction Co Ltd dumping trash near Nai Thon Beach, the Sakoo Tambon Administration Organization (OrBorTor) says it cannot press charges because nobody has been caught in the act.The photos were sent to the Gazette in January by a concerned reader. The site is about 200…
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Seized land earmarked for botanical gardens
PHUKET CITY: The Phuket Provincial Land Reform Office plans to establish botanical gardens on plots of agricultural reform (SorPorKor) land previously held by three Phuket tycoons.The land was returned to the state last year in three separate Supreme Court rulings that found the tycoons did not qualify to occupy the land because they were not poor farmers.Land Reform Office Chief…
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Phummisak named Austrian Consul for the South
PHUKET: Phuket Senator Phummisak Hongsyok, a former Phuket City Mayor and a major businessman on the island, has been appointed Austrian Honorary Consul for Southern Thailand. K. Phummisak replaces his younger brother Chuchai Hongyok, who has held the position for more than 10 years. “K. Chuchai just wants to retire,” K. Phummisak told the Gazette. “I’m very happy that the…
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Ice dealer arrested at Big C
PHUKET: Police on Sunday arrested a man found in possession six grams of ya ice (crystal methamphetamine), Phuket City Police Superintendent Col Nos Svettalekha told a press conference yesterday.After a tip-off from undercover police, plain-clothes officers searched Phuket native Chalermrat “Chai” Thongwong in front of the MK Suki restaurant at the Big C shopping mall on the bypass road at…
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Food Fest draws big weekend crowds
SAPHAN HIN: The 11th annual Phuket Food Festival kicked off on Wednesday with an official ceremony presided over by Phuket Vice-Governor Smith Palawatwichai.Seventy food and drink stands from Phuket and neighboring provinces are serving food at the event, organized by the Phuket Food Vendors’ Club and the Phuket City Municipality.The first day featured a competition to find the tastiest “Hor Mok…
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Hanna Backlund memorial
MAI KHAO: About 50 people gathered at Mai Khao Beach this morning to attend a memorial service for slain Swedish tourist Hanna Backlund, who would have been 27 yesterday.Akkaradej “Chon” Tankae, 31, has confessed to stabbing Miss Backlund to death on the morning March 15, less than 500 meters from the Mai Khao Bungalows where she had been staying with…
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Patong to expand CCTV surveillance
PATONG: Kathu Police plan to install about 10 more closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras in Patong to increase security and fight crime there, the police chief has announced.Kathu Police Superintendent Col Grissak Songmoonnak told the Gazette that more CCTV cameras are needed in Patong, as the 16 cameras that went into operation there in early 2007 are effective for traffic control,…
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Murder case reward money under review
PHUKET CITY: Following widespread criticism, the Phuket Provincial Police will set up a panel to reconsider plans to give the family of confessed murderer Akkaradej “Chon” Tankae the 100,000 baht in promised reward money for their help in his capture.Akkaradej was arrested in Ranong last Wednesday and charged with the murder of 26-year-old Swedish tourist Hanna Backlund.Miss Backlund was stabbed…
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Police arrest Hanna’s suspected killer
PHUKET CITY: After a regional manhunt for the killer of Swedish tourist Hanna Charlotta Backlund, 26, whose body was found at Mai Khao Beach on Saturday, police have arrested and charged with murder their prime suspect after he gave himself up in Ranong province early this morning.Region 8 Police Deputy Commander Maj Gen Tavat Boonfueng led a team to Ranong…
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Phuket pets to require microchips
PHUKET: From April 24 every cat and dog arriving on Phuket must be microchipped, Phuket Provincial Livestock Office Chief Dr Sunart Wongchawalit has announced. He has also announced that with no reports of cats or dogs on Phuket being infected with rabies since 2003, Phuket is the first province in Thailand to be declared “rabies free” by the Ministry of…
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Unsolved murders and drug arrests on the rise
PHUKET: According to monthly crime statistics released by Phuket Provincial Police, four murders committed in February remain unsolved, while the number of drug-related arrests was about 30% higher than the same period last year.There were also four attempted murders reported in February, with two related arrests made, and 15 reports of assault. One arrest was made for rape.There were 109…
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Blowout leaves Chalong in the dark
CHALONG: Many parts of Chalong bordering Chao Fa West Rd were without power for about four hours Monday evening after a transformer box blew out. Workers restored power at about 10:30 pm, after replacing power lines that had been damaged. Suthep Jitsiri, Manager of the Phuket Provincial Electricity Authority, told the Gazette that the blowout happened because the box was outdated.…
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Police launch manhunt for prime suspect in Hanna murder
MAI KHAO: Police have been issued an arrest warrant for Phuket native Akkaradej “Chon” Tunkae, 31, a local resident in Mai Khao, for the murder of Swedish tourist Hanna Backlund, 26.Hanna was found stabbed to death on Mai Khao Beach about 300 meters from where she was staying. Her body was discovered by Emma Stenman, who Hanna was holidaying with…
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Warcraft reef to bring back marine life
PHUKET: Ten decommissioned military aircraft will be sunk off the coast of Cherng Talay to create the largest artificial reef of its kind in Thailand. The announcement was made at a meeting and project presentation chaired by Vice-Governor Worapot Ratthasima at Phuket Provincial Hall on Thursday.Attending were representatives from several government agencies and Vittayen Muttamara, head of the Bangkok-based For…
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Staff protest continues at Blue Canyon
MAI KHAO: For the past three weeks, some 100 staff of the Blue Canyon Country Club (BCCC) have spent their mornings protesting in front of the golf course, claiming its new management has threatened them by placing them on indefinite, unpaid leave. The management refutes their claims, however, saying the work suspension is only temporary and part of management restructuring,…
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Police close in on prime suspect in Hanna murder
MAI KHAO: Police investigating the murder of Swedish tourist Hanna Charlotta Backlund, 26, whose body was found at Mai Khao Beach on Saturday morning, are waiting to speak to a key person before moving to arrest their prime suspect in the case, Phuket Police Deputy Commander Col Paween Pongsirin told the Gazette today.“We have received important information from villagers in the…
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Swedish tourist slain at Mai Khao
MAI KHAO: The body of a Swedish tourist was found at Mai Khao Beach, at the north end of Phuket, this morning.Lt Col Somkid Khaosang of Tah Chat Chai Police Station named the deceased as Hanna Charlotta, 27.Her body, dressed in a one-piece swimsuit, was found at about 11:30 am on the beach around 300 meters from Mai Khao Beach…
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Little support for new Chalong Marina plan
CHALONG: Scaled-down plans aimed at allaying local opposition to the second phase of the Chalong Bay Marina found few backers during a public hearing at Muang Phuket School in Rawai on Wednesday.The project, to be operated by the Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (OrBorJor), is part of the provincial development strategy drawn up by the Phuket Provincial Office, which has expansion…
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Kidnapped baby turns up in Krabi
THALANG: Police are searching for two people suspected of snatching a newborn baby from Thalang Hospital after a two-day ordeal ended with mother and baby being reunited in Krabi yesterday.Thalang Police have issued arrest warrants for Sunantha Sangarun, 28, and her unidentified accomplice, said Phuket Vice-Governor Worapoj Ratthasima at a press conference today.Burmese native K. Fah, 20, gave birth to…
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Smith denies resigning as NDWC chief
BANGKOK: Dr Smith Dharmasaroja late this afternoon denied reports in the Thai media that he had resigned his position as Director of the National Disaster Warning Center (NDWC), which is responsible for issuing tsunami warnings.In a telephone interview with the Gazette, Dr Smith said that he told a press conference in Bangkok yesterday that he was only considering resigning –…
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Samkong shortcut to become one-way
PHUKET: In a bid to relieve traffic congestion at the Wor Kor Intersection, the Rajabhat-Samkong road, which runs from the Wor Kor Intersection, past Phuket Rajabhat University (PRU) and ends at Yaowarat Rd, will be one-way from Monday.Phuket City Police Traffic Inspector Maj Teerawat Leamsuwan said that the one-way system should ease traffic bottlenecks at the Wor Kor Intersection, where…
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Ko Noi killers sentenced
PHUKET: Two former police officers were sentenced at Phuket Provincial Court February 28 for their part in the assassination of well-known businessman Preecha “Ko Noi” Kraitas, who was shot dead on March 14, 2006.According to a report released by Phuket Provincial Court, Wanchana Polpalangkul, who pleaded not guilty to all charges, was sentenced to death for conspiracy to murder for…
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Aborted fetus found on Koh Sireh
RASSADA: Villagers on Koh Sireh made a gruesome discovery on Monday, finding the corpse of an aborted fetus partially buried by the side of the main road to Koh Sireh.Pol Maj Nanon Pitakkulthorn of Phuket City Police said that on the afternoon of March 10, a villager alerted police after he found the corpse of a fetus, probably in its…
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Brush with death
WICHIT: Female motorcycle rider Arisara Srimaung sustained only a cut eyebrow after colliding with a pickup truck on Chao Fa West Rd outbound near the House and Home building supply center, just before 9 o’clock this morning.Level-headed bystanders administered first aid and ensured that K Arisara remained motionless until a Phuket Ruamjai Foundation ambulance arrived about 10 minutes later to…
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7-baht wage hike had “no effect’ – Labor chief
PHUKET: The seven-baht increase in the minimum wage in Phuket to 193 baht a day, which came into effect on January 1, has not negatively affected businesses on the island, Vice-Governor Worapoj Ratthasima announced on Monday.Before the rise from 186 to 193 baht, bestowing Phuket with the second-most-expensive minimum daily wage rate in the country – and just a baht…
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Date set for OrBorJor elections
PHUKET: Phuket Election Committee (PEC) Director Supap Akkam has announced that the Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (OrBorJor) elections – one specifically to elect a new OrBorJor president and another to elect a new OrBorJor council – will be held on April 20.K. Supap explained that the election date satisfied statutory requirements for elections to be held within 60 days of…
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Phuket roads leave 2 dead, 15 injured
PHUKET: At least two people are dead and many more injured after a truck overturned in Kamala this morning and a tour bus slammed into a house in Patong yesterday evening.About 9 am today, a 10-wheeled truck carrying mattresses from Bangkok to Phuket overturned on a hill in front of the Kamala Falls condo project site.Lt Col Warit Jado, Duty…
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Wounded tuk-tuk driver still missing
PHUKET CITY: Police have yet to hear back from a tuk-tuk driver who appeared at Phuket City Police Station early Friday morning drunk and bleeding from an apparent gunshot wound – and told to come back later.Pol Lt Saran Redeng, Duty Officer at Phuket City Police Station, said that Somkid Huangsrapram, 42, arrived at the station about 2:50 am, complaining…
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WiMax tests positive, but roll-out not likely this year
PHUKET: Although the recent high-profile testing of WiMax Internet access technology aboard a sailboat off Karon proved successful, the high-speed wireless service is not likely to grace Phuket’s shores until next year, the Gazette has learned.The WiMax tests were carried out on February 22 by broadband service provider the Benchachinda Group with its affiliate companies United Information Highway Co Ltd…
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4 charged, 566 pills seized in ya bah busts
PHUKET CITY: Four people have been charged and more than 500 ya bah (methamphetamine) pills seized in two separate cases in Phuket City on Thursday.Maj Wichan Suwannasit of the Phuket City Police told the Gazette that about 6:30 pm police arrested Thanat “Ped” Soithong with 10 ya bah pills at the home of 23-year-old Chamaiphon “Ann” Kanrit on Luang Por…
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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