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.
-
Sponsored
10 biggest challenges retirees face in Thailand (and how to overcome them)
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...
-
Aussie arrivals receive Christmas surprise
MAI KHAO, PHUKET: Airports of Thailand (AOT) held a “Splendid Phuket Merry Christmas & Happy New Year 2009” event in the main terminal building of Phuket International Airport on the afternoon of December 26. Phuket Governor Preecha Ruangjan, AOT Chairman Wuttipan Wichairat and Phuket International Airport Director Wicha Nernlop were on hand to preside over the activities, which included staged…
-
Day of danger on Phuket roads
WICHIT, PHUKET: In a chilling reminder about the need to drive safely during the current holiday season, a man on a motorcycle was killed instantly when he was hit by a six-wheeled truck and then pulled under its wheels yesterday afternoon. The accident occurred at about 1:30 pm near the entrance to Sukko Spa in Tambon Wichit, about 300 meters…
-
New Government to continue free water project
PHUKET CITY: Consumers will be glad to know that a nationwide project that exempts most homeowners from having to pay water bills will continue under the new Government. The exemption, part of a six-month economic stimulus package introduced by ex-prime minister Samak Sundaravej, started in October. Sawong Sri-in, Director of the Phuket Municipality Water Supply Division, told the Gazette that…
-
Two foreign tourists die in Rawai in two days
RAWAI, PHUKET: Two foreign tourists were found dead in their rooms in Rawai early this week. The first was identified by Chalong Police as American Martin Howard Schechter. Mr Schechter, 67, was found in the bed of his rented bungalow in Rawai Village 4. At about 11 am on Monday morning, the staff grew concerned because Mr Schechter, who they…
-
Phuket Airport to fall short of 6 million passenger milestone
PHUKET / MAI KHAO: A “Splendid Phuket Merry Christmas and Happy New Year” event will take place on Boxing Day at Phuket International Airport, replacing a previously scheduled activity to welcome the airport’s record 6 millionth passenger in 2008. Airport authorities expected the 6 millionth passenger to arrive around Christmas, but the milestone will not be reached because of the…
-
Komkai’s killer apprehended, but mastermind still at-large
PHUKET: After almost six months of investigation, police have arrested a hired gunman who confessed to the shooting murder of well-known Patong businesswoman Komkai Kositkoon on July 18. After his arrest at a construction site in Krabi on Saturday morning, 39-year-old Arun Chanma was brought in for a re-enactment of the crime, which took place on Wichit Songkraam Rd. He…
-
Holiday road safety measures set
PHUKET: Nine major road checkpoints and 18 smaller “mobile units” will be in operation around Phuket from December 30 to January 5, 2009. The checkpoints form the final phase of a three-pronged effort to combat road accidents over the holiday period. This year’s strategy, coordinated by the Phuket office of the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM), started with…
-
Pair nabbed for passing bogus bills
PHUKET / SRISOONTHORN: Thalang Police on Wednesday night arrested two men for passing counterfeit banknotes at local shops and restaurants. Thalang Police Duty Inspector Anukul Nuket identified the suspects as 24-year-old Nikorn Raksapol from Nakhon Sri Thammarat and Pattipong Nuea-nan, 31, from Chiang Rai. The pair were arrested at about 11 pm in the Fah Sai Restaurant in tambon Srisoonthorn…
-
Burglar arrested with B1.5m in stolen goods
CHALONG: A cat burglar released from prison last year is now back in custody, arrested on Sunday with over 1.5 million baht in stolen goods – mostly Buddhist amulets. Also arrested were his two alleged accomplices, one a 16-year-old boy. The arrests were announced a press conference later the same day led by Police Region 8 Commander Santarn Chayanon. The…
-
Students, teachers and heroines: all survive smash
THALANG: Fourteen tired students and staff of Kajonkietsuksa School returning home from Haad Yai had a rude awakening Tuesday night, when the bus they were traveling on crashed into the Heroines Monument at about 10 pm. The bus, nearing the end of an eight-hour journey, was carrying seven of the school’s top students, seven teachers plus the driver. The clever…
-
Kids lifesaving carnival on Saturday
KAMALA: A “Nippers Mini Surf Lifesaving Carnival” will be held on Saturday morning, December 20, at Kamala Beach, near Kamala Park and Kamala Police Station. The competition, open to kids five to 15 years of age, is organized and conducted by the Phuket Lifeguard Club. Children from local schools and swim clubs are invited to attend the carnival, which is…
-
Blackout tomorrow in city’s south end
PHUKET CITY: Residents of much of Phuket City’s Talad Neua sub-district will be without electricity from 9 am to 4 pm tomorrow, as the Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA) will cut the power to replace pylons along three main roads. The affected area starts from the Tha Kraeng three-way junction near Suan Luang Park in the south, runs north along Chao…
-
Phuket’s Sukhumvit Rd complex boarded up
PHUKET (PATONG): Scores of publicans running beer bars at the Sukhumvit Road night entertainment complex on Rat-U-Thit 200 Pi Rd were locked out of their businesses on Thursday afternoon for refusing to sign new rental agreements with Moodies Entertainment, which has reclaimed the right to operate the complex. Kathu Police Inspector Sophon Borrirak told the Gazette that he received a…
-
Phuket businesses seek debt moratorium
PHUKET (The Nation): Cash-strapped tourism businesses in Phuket are seeking debt relief in order to deal with the current downturn in tourist arrivals at a time when hotel occupancy rates are normally at their highest. Somchai Pathamakantin, founder of the Phuket Seashell Museum and representative of tourist business groups on Kata and Karon beaches, today proposed to Phuket Governor Preecha…
-
Work on new Phuket City market almost complete
PHUKET CITY: Work on the new public market on Ranong Rd in downtown Phuket City is now 90% complete, according to officials at Phuket City Hall. City official Udom Tansakul yesterday told the Gazette that the only work left to be done involves installation of vendors’ stalls and other finishing touches. The city has already paid 14 of 16 installments specified…
-
Police nab alleged extortionists
PHUKET CITY: Two young men were arrested on the morning of December 8 in Tambon Rassada for beating up an off-duty sailor, stealing his safety helmet and walkie-talkie, and then allegedly using the equipment to pose as government officers to extort money from Burmese workers. At a press conference led by Phuket Provincial Police Commander Apirak Hongtong at the Phuket…
-
Wife fatally stabs husband in clinic
PHUKET CITY: A man stabbed in the shoulder by his wife went into shock and died while receiving hospital treatment early Sunday morning.Phuket City Police Duty Inspector Sarit Butnongsang told the Gazette he received a report at 3:20 am on Sunday of a stabbing at Mor Term Medical Clinic Branch 2, a traditional Thai medicine clinic located in a commercial…
-
Phuket business community pleads for stability
PHUKET: With it still unclear whether the Democrat Party or the Pheu Thai Party will form the next Thai government, top figures in the Phuket tourism and real estate sectors say a return to stability is the key to restoring the local economy. Tanan Tanphaibul, President of the Phuket Real Estate Club, says the Phuket business community is calling for…
-
Fourth quarter airport arrivals down almost 50%
PHUKET (MAI KHAO): Passenger numbers at Phuket International Airport for the last three months of 2008 are expected to be down about 48% year-on-year due to global economic conditions and recent events in the Thai capital. Phuket International Airport Director Wicha Nernlop told the Gazette that around 65 direct international flights to the airport were canceled during the10-day political standoff…
-
Building site murder suspect arrested in Bangkok
PHUKET (RASSADA): After a six-week manhunt, police in Bangkok on December 4 arrested a suspect in the shooting murder of building contractor Manoon Pramoonsilp at a work site off Thepkrasattri Rd in Rassada. The suspect, 50-year-old construction materials salesman Suchart Sae-lee, confessed to killing Mr Manoon with a single .38 caliber bullet to his right temple following a dispute over…
-
Island Fling retakes lead in King’s Cup Regatta
KATA: Despite Ray Roberts’ Quantum Racing winning both races on Friday, December 5 in the Racing class of the 22nd King’s Cup Regatta, being held off Kata Beach, Winkelman and Dodd’s Island Fling has retaken the lead in the class with consistently good sailing. Before starting the day’s racing, the 94-boat fleet this morning staged a “sail-past salute” past the…
-
Work on new bus station underway
RASSADA: Work is underway on Phuket’s new bus terminal, which is scheduled to open in early 2010. Phuket Provincial Land Transport Office chief Sompong Thosawat said the new bus terminal will occupy a nine-rai plot of land on Thepkrasattri Rd southbound, about 300 meters south of Supercheap. The site is suitable for the new station as it is located outside…
-
Neil Pryde and Hi Fi move into first in Racing Class
KATA: Proving that this year’s 22nd King’s Cup Regatta competition is tighter than ever, today saw the third leader in as many days of racing. Neil Pryde and his crew on Hi Fi scored a first place in the Racing class as the fleet swept around the southern end of Phuket, powered by strong and steady headwinds in the morning.…
-
Quantum Racing scores ‘double’ in King’s Cup Regatta
KATA: Ray Roberts’ Quantum Racing crew scored two wins and a third place in today’s racing, moving them into first place overall in the Racing class of the King’s Cup Regatta being held off Kata Beach. Frank Pong’s 70-foot yacht Jelik has moved into second place in the class, closely followed by Neil Pryde’s Hi Fi in third place overall.…
-
Phuket Airport begs PAD to cease protest
MAI KHAO: Phuket International Airport Director Wicha Nernlop is begging the anti-government People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) to end its siege of Bangkok’s two commercial airports, saying the revenue lost already dwarfs the amount lost through corruption during the Thaksin years.Speaking to the Gazette this afternoon, Mr Wicha said that the number of travelers stranded in Phuket has now reached…
-
Phuket PAD: “No plans’ to close airport
THALANG: The Phuket branch of the People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) has “no plans” to close down Phuket International Airport again, according to a spokesman. The number of unscheduled flights in and out of Phuket has been increasing in recent days, with foreign governments arranging special flights for people stranded in Thailand by the closure of Suvarnabhumi and Don Muang…
-
Phuket to host Suzuki Cup
PHUKET CITY: Phuket has been designated as the new Thai venue for Group B play in the AFF Suzuki Cup. Formerly known as the Tiger Cup, the tournament is the biggest in Southeast Asia and the only regional football competition to feature senior squads of all Asean nations. A spokesperson for the Football Association of Thailand (FAT) confirmed that Phuket…
-
Car scam gang arrested
THALANG: Tah Chat Chai Police on November 25 arrested a six-member gang on charges including vehicle theft, receiving stolen goods and passport fraud. The men, three Thai nationals and three foreigners, are alleged to have been involved in a scam in which fake passports were used to rent cars, which were then to be sold in Laos. At around 2…
-
Governor urges police to quash trade in sex, pirate goods
PHUKET CITY: Fearful that foreigners will view Phuket as a “sex tour” destination and center for trade in counterfeit goods, Phuket Governor Preecha Ruangjan has urged police to take a more serious approach in enforcing prostitution and intellectual property laws. At the monthly meeting of the Provincial Committee for Social Stability held at Phuket Provincial Hall on November 27, Gov…
-
100,000 passengers miss flights in 3 days
BANGKOK: Nearly 100,000 passengers have missed flights since protesters shut down Bangkok’s two main airports on Tuesday and the total could hit 300,000 as the shutdown continues, Tourism and Sports Minister Weerasak Kowsurat said yesterday. “The total number could hit 300,000. When Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang airports are cleared, it will take 24 to 48 hours to verify aviation standards.…
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.
Don't forget to check out some other things to do in Thailand - get help starting a business or finding a job in Thailand, buy Thailand property, rent a yacht or book a medical procedure worldwide.