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.
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Reinard sets Phuket cycling record
PHUKET: Luxembourg national and local environmental activist Marco Reinard completed his 24-hour solo bike ride around Phuket at 6 pm on Saturday, arriving at Yoonique Stone bar, Nai Harn, the same place he had set off from the day before at 4.30 pm.Marco’s pedal-powered ride to promote environmental awareness covered a record 522 kilometers, clocking an average speed of 22kmh.…
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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…
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Norwegian dies after knife attack
RAWAI: Police are investigating the murder of a Norwegian man who was stabbed on the road from the Kata Viewpoint to Rawai just after midnight early Sunday morning and later died in hospital.Chalong Police Superintendent Col Chalit Kaewyarat identified the victim as Simen Sparra Knudsen, a Norwegian who had lived in Phuket for more than 20 years.Col Chalit said two…
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One-Two-Go crash victims to each receive US$150,000
PHUKET AIRPORT: Survivors and the families of those who died in the crash landing of One-Two-Go flight OG269 on Sunday will each receive an insurance payout of US$150,000 (about 5 million baht), Udom Thantprasongchai, managing director of Orient Thai, which operates One-Two-Go, said today.Speaking to the press at Phuket Airport Office, K. Udom explained that One-Two-Go had already offered up…
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Air-crash mystery hero steps forward
PHUKET CITY: Australian Robert Borland, who was pulled from the burning wreckage of One-Two-Go Flight OG269 on Sunday by a “man in a yellow shirt”, finally had a chance to thank his savior in a meeting arranged yesterday afternoon by the staff of Bangkok Phuket Hospital, where both men are being treated for injuries sustained in the crash.The hero was identified as…
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French mourn air-crash victims
PHUKET AIRPORT: A French delegation arrived in Phuket this morning to mourn the loss of 10 French nationals killed in Sunday’s One-Two-Go plane crash. Led by Rama Yade, Minister of State responsible for foreign affairs and human rights, the group arrived at the airport at 9:30 am and placed flowers before a metal storage container housing the bodies of 10 victims,…
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ICEC site decision deferred
PHUKET: Originally scheduled to be held today, the provincial committee meeting set to make a final decision on the site for Phuket’s long-awaited International Convention and Exhibition Center (ICEC) has been postponed until further notice. The reason for the postponement is that Phuket Governor Niran Kalayanamit, who chairs the committee, was called to an urgent meeting today at Government House…
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Poor turnout for Korean MOU signing
PHUKET CITY: After months of setbacks, debates and discussions, only 25 of the island’s 54 Korean tour operators signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) ensuring that they will hire Thai tour guides.Kim Tae Woen, Chairman of the Korean Association, and Phuket Vice-Governor Worapoj Ratthasima welcomed representatives from 25 of the island’s Korean tour operators to Phuket Provincial Hall and thanked…
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33 foreign crash victims remain unidentified
PHUKET AIRPORT: Forty-eight hours after the ill-fated One-Two-Go flight OG269 crashed at Phuket International Airport (PIA), killing 89 of the 130 people on board, the cause of the disaster is still unknown and 33 corpses of foreigners remain unidentified. Phuket Airport Director Sq Ldr Pornchai Eua-aree told the Gazette that there is no problem with the runway and that the…
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Death toll at 89, all bodies recovered
PHUKET: As Phuket woke up to memories of yesterday’s airport disaster, the death toll of those on board One-Two-Go flight OG269 stood at 89, including five crew members. A press conference held this morning at Phuket International Airport was attended by Deputy Transport Minister Sansern Wongchaoom; Kalaya Pakakrong, acting managing director of Airports of Thailand (AOT); Udom Thantiprasongchai, managing director…
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88 perish in One-Two-Go crash
PHUKET: Of the 130 passengers and crew aboard One-Two-Go flight OG269 that crash landed at Phuket International Airport about 3:45 pm today, only 42 survived the crash and fire that followed it. Of these, 15 were Thai nationals.At a press conference at the Airports Of Thailand office about 9 pm, Phuket Airport Director Sq Ldr Pornchai Eua-aree said the crash…
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Khao Lak road collapses
KHAO LAK: A large section of Petchkasem Rd near Khao Lak, as well as part of a recently-built sidewalk and steel barrier, plunged 40 meters down a slope after heavy rain on Wednesday night.The landslide, near the Baan Krating resort at the top of the range at Lamru National Park, came to rest a few meters from a building near…
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Cherng Talay locals protest Tesco-Lotus branch
CHERNG TALAY: Some 50 protesters gathered in front of the Red Room restaurant on Srisoonthorn Rd yesterday morning to protest the construction of Phuket’s first Tesco-Lotus Express store.The protesters claim that the work defied a stoppage order issued by the now-disbanded Cherng Talay Tambon Administration Organization (OrBorTor).The protest was held just around the corner from the project site on Soi…
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Send in your photos!
Where were you during last night’s tsunami scare? The Gazette‘s news desk is asking for help from citizen reporters in sending in any digital images you may have taken that capture the spirit of what happened – along with any other comments you might have about what you saw and how it relates to Phuket’s readiness to deal with a…
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Patong breathes easy after tsunami scare
PATONG: Following the high state of tsunami alert last night, after a major quake off the coast of Sumatra – followed by several powerful aftershocks – it’s business as usual for the Phuket tourism industry, despite the excitement.Indonesian government authorities issued a tsunami warning after a powerful earthquake measuring 7.9 on the Richter scale jolted parts of Indonesia’s Java and…
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Baby killers out on bail
PHUKET CITY: Two youths arrested for the grisly murder of a two-year-old girl and her nanny during a botched robbery attempt in Rassada on June 22 are back on the streets after having been bailed out of jail by relatives, the Gazette has learned.The two teenagers, a 15-year-old student at Phuket Technical College (PTC) and his 17-year-old friend, confessed to…
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Investigation launched into prison death
PHUKET CITY: Phuket City Police are investigating the death of an inmate who died on the way to hospital yesterday afternoon after suffering blows to the head and body with a heavy object.Phuket Provincial Prison Director Paisal Suwanraksa has confirmed that the victim was 38-year-old Sakulthep Konkaew, a Chiang Rai native who last year began serving a two-and-a-half year sentence…
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Phuket rated Thailand’s first “hygienic” fishing port
RASSADA: Following recent renovations, Phuket Fishing Port is being hailed as a model for hygienic port operations and is set to become Thailand’s tuna export hub after successfully qualifying as the country’s first certified “hygienic” fishing port.Port Manager Pramual Rakjai announced at the monthly Governor Meets The Press event on September 3 that following inspections by the Fishery Department in…
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Wounded Israeli flies home
PHUKET CITY: Israeli tourist Adam Berdichevsky, whose left foot was mangled during the boat capsizing that claimed the life of another Israeli tourist on September 4, flies back to Israel tonight after a week of treatment at Bangkok Hospital Phuket.Assistant Hospital Director Dr Sompoch Nipakanont said the latest in a series of operations to the mangled foot was performed yesterday,…
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One dead after double ride-by shooting
PHUKET CITY: Two ride-by shootings on Sunday night left one dead and two seriously injured in what police believe are gang-related incidents, said Pol Lt Col Somkid Boonratof Phuket City Police Station.Chaiwat Jaemjan, 21, was riding his motorcycle on Damrong Rd, when he was shot by a member of a gang of about eight youths on motorcycles, said Col Somkid.Friends…
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Serial burglar nabbed
PHUKET CITY: After a series of unsolved home burglaries, Phuket City Police finally arrested 28-year-old Wirat Nookue at his home in Rassada Village 3 on September 8.Stolen goods valued by police at 600,000 baht were recovered.At a press conference yesterday, Phuket City Police Superintendent Pol Col Nos Svettalekha explained that Wirat, described as a “dealer in used goods”, was spotted…
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Man arrested for Koh Kaew murder
PHUKET CITY: Police have arrested and charged one of two suspects wanted for the beating murder of a disabled man in Koh Kaew on the night of September 2.Police identified the suspect as Somyot Longlode, 22, apprehended in Phang Nga’s Koh Yao District at about 5 pm Thursday night.Case investigator Pol Lt Theeradet Jiraksa of Phuket City Police told the…
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Phuket Airport disaster drill hailed a “success’
PHUKET: The emergency response drill at Phuket International Airport (PIA) on Thursday was a “success”, PIA Director Sq Ldr Pornchai Eua-aree told a press conference after the event.The drill started at 10 am with PIA air traffic control guiding a Thai Airways International Airbus A300-600 simulating engine trouble in to land.Once safely stopped on the tarmac, the aircraft was quickly…
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One million mangrove trees pledged for Phuket
PHUKET CITY: Phuket is due an injection of greenery with the news that a memorandum of understand (MOU) has been signed by Deputy Prime Minister Paiboon Watthanasiritham stating that one million mangrove trees will be planted around the island between now and the end of 2009 as part of the nationwide Yoo Dee Mee Suk (“Good Life and Happiness”) program.Mangroves…
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Phuket to host “sufficiency education’ expo
PHUKET CITY: Phuket Rajabhat University (PRU) will host a regional conference and exhibition demonstrating how to implement sufficiency economy practices with respect to education in the South from September 13 to 14.The exhibition will include explanations and discussion on applying His Majesty the King’s sufficiency economy philosophy and policy in public and home schools. Four home schooling Phuket families will…
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Cops nab rape, robbery gang
TUNG TONG: Police have arrested a gang of six youths who last week forced their way into two homes in Kathu, where they stole cash and valuables and gang-raped one female occupant at knifepoint.The arrests were announced during a press conference led by Phuket Provincial Police Commander Maj Gen Decha Budnampetch at Tung Tong Police Station late Tuesday afternoon.The suspects…
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International superyacht brokers to descend on Phuket
PHUKET: Yacht Crews Ltd of Thailand (YCL) will host 10 international superyacht brokers from around the world on a fact-finding visit to Phuket, the Gazette learned today from Khun Thidarat Pimson, Managing Director of YCL.K. Thidarat has organized a four-day tour of the Phuket-Phi Phi-Krabi area aboard the motor yacht Taipan, a 172-foot superyacht managed by Emerald Yachts of Florida,…
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Phuket Airport to stage disaster drill
PHUKET: A full-scale, emergency-response drill will take place at Phuket International Airport on Thursday as part of Phuket Airport’s Emergency Plan Exercise 2007 (PEMEX 2007).Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Phuket International Airport Director Sq Ldr Pornchai Eua-aree said the exercise, to begin at 10 am, is being co-organized by Airports of Thailand Plc (AoT).Taking part will be 14…
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Morning blaze ravages Patong shophouses
PATONG: A shophouse fire along the beach road in Patong gutted 10 small vendors’ shops before dawn on Monday. It was the third such blaze in the past 15 months. No injuries were reported.Police Station Superintendent Pol Col Grissak Songmoonnark told the Gazette that the fire broke out at about 5 am inside a shophouse located between the Holiday Inn…
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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