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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Phuket launches twin-bins scheme
PHUKET CITY: Phuket City Municipality has launched an initiative to solve some of the island’s waste woes with the addition of 400 pairs of mobile garbage bins around town, allocated to the areas in town deemed to have the densest population.Each pair comprises a light-blue bin for organic waste and a green bin for general waste. A budget of six…
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Gambling tops September crime statistics
PHUKET: Gambling topped the latest crime statistics released by Phuket Provincial Police, with 230 arrests made in September.In second place, 102 people arrested were arrested for drug-related cases, of which 63 involved ya bah (methamphetamine) with a total of 3,329 pills seized.Seventeen people were arrested for the use of cannabis, with 19.45 grams confiscated. There were 11 arrests for inhalant…
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Pakistani stabbed in Patong
PATONG: A Pakistani gang member has been arrested for the October 5 stabbing in Patong of a Pakistani businessman who refused to pay a protection fee to a local racket, said Pol Maj Bundit Kaosutham. Marmoon Igbal Butt was returning to his car after attending a party when he was confronted by Ram Nagar Raygarn, 38, said Maj Bundit.Ram told…
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Pedestrian run down, killed
RAWAI: A 10-wheeled truck mowed down and killed a pedestrian walking on a sidewalk on Saiyuan Rd last at about 3 pm Thursday afternoon, said Pol Lt Col Sanguan Muangtham of the Chalong Police.“When police arrived on the scene they found the body of the man underneath the truck. The victim was male aged 40 to 45 years old. He…
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Vegetarian festivities underway
PHUKET CITY: Thousands of people gathered at Chinese shrines around Phuket today to participate in pole-raising ceremonies before for the Vegetarian Festival, which starts in earnest tomorrow. Permanent Secretary for Interior Pongpayom Wasaputi joined the crowds dressed in white at Jui Tui shrine to place squares of gold leaf on the bamboo poles before they were raised at the auspicious…
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International beach volleyball to return to Phuket
KARON: The world’s top beach volleyball stars will grace the sands of Phuket at the Second Phuket Thailand Open, the last stop on the Swatch-FIVB Women’s Beach Volleyball World Tour.The tournament, to be held at Karon Beach from October 31 to November 4, has a prize purse of US$200,000 up for grabs, with top international teams ready to compete in…
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Regional Police HQ coming to Phuket
MAI KHAO: The Royal Thai Police Region 8 command headquarters, currently in Surat Thani, will be moving to Mai Khao, where a 150-rai parcel of Treasury Department land has been put aside for the project.Phuket Governor Niran Kalayanamit chaired a meeting on the move at Phuket Provincial Hall on October 9. He told the meeting that the upcoming moved reflected…
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Three youths no longer suspects
PHUKET CITY: Three youths previously arrested for the fatal stabbing of Norwegian Simen Sparre Knudsen in Rawai on September 23 are no longer under suspicion for the murder, the police officer in charge of the investigation has revealed.Phuket City Police Inspector Pol Lt Col Somkid Boonrat, assigned to investigate the case by Phuket Provincial Police, today said that questioning of…
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Proposed site for ICEC finally selected
PHUKET: Investment group ING Funds (Thailand) has chosen a 350-rai plot of Treasury Department land in Mai Khao as the preferred site for the Phuket International Convention and Exhibition Center (ICEC).The announcement came during a meeting of the project’s siting committee chaired by Phuket Governor Niran Kalayanamit at Phuket Provincial Hall on Thursday.In announcing its conclusion, ING Funds (Thailand) Managing…
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Survivor recounts life-or-death struggle
PHUKET: One of two recreational fisherman missing since Saturday when a boat capsized off Koh Racha Yai was finally rescued by Phuket Marine Police yesterday afternoon after surviving five days on a small, rocky island.The search for fellow missing fisherman Phuthong Tirawattana continues.Phuket Marine Police aboard the vessel Chawengsak Songkram picked up Surat “Dang” Boonserm, 53, about 4:30 pm yesterday…
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Drug bust nets over 5,000 ya bah pills
PHUKET CITY: A police drug bust on Wednesday resulted in two arrests and the seizure of 5,394 ya bah pills (methamphetamine), 41 kilograms of marijuana and over one million baht in cash and gold jewelry. Police are still looking for one more suspect in the case.The operation was led by Pol Lt Col Teeranat Kademee, Inspector of the Phuket Provincial…
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OrBorTor elections force alcohol ban
PHUKET: Starting tomorrow at 6 pm, sale of alcohol will be banned in all eight tambons holding elections on Sunday for tambon administration organization (OrBorTor) representatives.The ban will last until midnight on Sunday.The eight affected tambons are Chalong, Koh Kaew, Cherng Talay, Mai Khao, Srisoonthorn, Thepkrasattri, Sakoo and Kamala.A representative at the Phuket Election Commission (PEC) confirmed to the Gazette…
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One dead, one injured in karaoke brawl
KATHU: Police have arrested youths, including a 16-year-old boy, for stabbing one man to death and seriously injuring another during a brawl at a karaoke bar just after midnight on Tuesday morning. Tung Tong Police Station Investigator Sub Lt Pattapee Srichay told the Gazette that his station received a report of a fight at the Dowrueng Restaurant and Karaoke on…
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Search continues for missing men after boat sinking
PHUKET: The Phuket Marine Police and the Royal Thai Navy Third Naval Command continue to search the waters around Koh Racha Yai and Koh Racha Noi for two missing men whose fishing boat capsized and sank in heavy seas late Sunday afternoon.Phuket Marine Police Inspector Lt Col Prasert Srikunnarat identified the two men as Surat Boonserm and Phuthong Tirawattana, both…
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Phuket needs foreign blood
PHUKET: Vachira Phuket Hospital’s blood bank is in need of new donors and Phuket’s foreign residents with Rhesus-negative blood are being called on to sign up as donors before the coming high season. The blood bank is joining up with Phuket Red Cross to collect the contact details of people living in Phuket with Rh-negative blood who can then be…
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TOT moves ahead with Phuket line expansion
PHUKET: TOT is expanding its coverage in Phuket with the addition of 11 telephone exchanges, switchboards that connect calls, this month, together providing 5,400 new phone lines for the island.Copper cabling across Phuket will also be upgraded to support high-speed ADSL Internet access and improve the quality of services offered.Many Phuket residents have been complaining about problems with telephone lines…
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Knudsen murder suspects arrested
CHALONG: Two teenagers arrested by police have reportedly confessed to the stabbing murder of 53-year-old Norwegian Simen Sparre Knudsen on September 23, along with several other armed robberies of foreign tourists driving motorbikes alone late at night.A source from Chalong Police, who requested that his name not be printed, identified the two suspects as 18-year-old Narongsak “Sak” Tongviset and his…
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New retail center planned for Phuket
RASSADA: A group of Thai investors have bought and cleared the only remaining section of undeveloped land at the Tesco-Lotus intersection with the intention of developing a large retail and entertainment complex there. Phuket Governor Niran Kalayananamit told the Gazette recently that the Bangkok-based investors had approached him to discuss the proposed development, which is still in its initial design phase.…
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Vegetarian Festival 2007 parade routes announced
PHUKET CITY: Traffic Police have co-ordinated with representatives from the nine major Chinese shrines in Phuket City that will stage parades during the upcoming Vegetarian Festival, to be held from October 11 to 19, in order to announce the parade routes for each shrine.Lt Col Theerawat Liamsuwan explained that the nine major shrines staging parades are:– Kuan Te Kun Shrine…
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Patong announces trash-sorting initiative
PATONG: Residents of Patong should get ready to start sorting their trash, as Patong Municipality plans to improve its waste management system by distributing plastic garbage bags in 10 colors, each designated for a particular category of waste.The scheme, developed jointly with the Thai Industrialist Development Forum (TIDF), was announced at a press conference hosted by Patong Mayor Pian Keesin…
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Insurers start paying out air-crash claims
PHUKET: In addition to payouts due from the Thai Social Security Office and One-Two-Go airline, relatives of 31 deceased victims of flight OG269 collectively stand to receive more than 45 million baht in compensation from 15 Thai insurers. Some of the firms have already begun paying out claims.Phuket Provincial Insurance Office Chief Suwimon Saelim on Thursday said her office had…
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Phuket police facing manpower crisis
PHUKET: Some 10% of all police officers in Phuket have applied for transfers out of the province, with many citing overwork as their reason, adding to the problem of Phuket’s already understaffed police force.Word of the widespread dissatisfaction in the ranks came from Lt Gen Thanee Tavitcha, Commander of Royal Thai Police Region 8.Some 10% of Phuket’s current police force…
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Ranong border remains open
RANONG: Although protests across Myanmar have been met with violent crackdowns by the Burmese military, it’s business as usual for immigration services at Ranong, Pol Lt Col Parinya Pinpak, deputy superintendent of Ranong Immigration Office, has told the Gazette. “The only effect is that fewer Burmese will come to Thailand. However, commercial traffic will continue as usual. People can still…
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Monk-stabber to walk free
PHUKET CITY: A man arrested Thursday for stabbing a monk at a Phuket temple on Wednesday will walk free without being charged, as police believe him to be mentally unstable.Pol Capt Atthapol Wannasaengthong of the Phuket City Police told the Gazette that about 4 am Wednesday, Uthen “Pra Pinnateepo” Ronnarit, 52, was in his living quarters when he heard a…
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Chalong Police pressured over Knudsen murder
PHUKET: Phuket Provincial Police expect the investigation into the stabbing murder of Norwegian Simen Sparre Knudsen to end in arrests soon.Knudsen, a resident of Phuket for 20 years, was stabbed and left for dead on a dark, hilly roadside in Rawai on September 23.He later died in hospital, despite a valiant effort by a German man to save his life.…
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Red-shirt-Friday campaign sweeps Phuket
PHUKET: In a global groundswell of support for the people of Burma, SMS messages have been circulating around the island in the past few hours with the message: “In support of our incredibly brave friends in Burma: May all the people around the world wear a red shirt on Friday, September 28.”This message was brought to the Gazette‘s attention by…
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Last air-crash victims identified, repatriated
PHUKET CITY: The bodies of all 89 victims of One-Two-Go flight OG269 have been identified and the last three corpses, all Iranian, being kept at Phuket International Airport (PIA) were flown out yesterday afternoon.Phuket Vice-Governor Worapoj Ratthasima announced the news at a special meeting chaired by Phuket Governor Niran Kalayanamit at the Phuket Public Health Office yesterday afternoon.He also reported…
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One-Two-Go crash probe points to wind shear, pilot decision
BANGKOK (Nation): The probe into the crash of One-Two-Go flight OG029 points to wind shear and the pilot’s decision to land despite weather warnings as likely causes, the air crash investigation committee has announced.“The initial finding, which encompasses the weather conditions at the time of the accident, communications between the tower and the crashed plane’s pilot as well as other…
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Police hunt for Knudsen’s killer
RAWAI: Police say they have suspects in mind but are collecting more evidence to submit to Phuket Provincial Court when they apply for arrest warrants in the case of Norwegian Simen Sparre Knudsen, who was stabbed to death on September 23.Mr Knudsen, 47, was stabbed and left for dead on the road from the Kata Viewpoint to Rawai at about…
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Patong Hill road being resurfaced
PATONG: In response to the large number of accidents on the section of Phra Barami Rd from Kathu to Patong – one of the busiest roads on the island – the Phuket Provincial Highways Office (PPHO) is spending nearly 10 million baht on resurfacing the road.PPHO Deputy Chief Nirong Khumtua explained to the Gazette, “We have received many complaints from…
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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