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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With World Kindness Day just two days away on November 13, it’s the perfect time to reflect on how empathy and care can make a real impact, not just in our relationships but in our health, too. This day is...
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Phuket anti-corruption director says corruption due to “lack of knowledge”
The director of the Phuket office of the National Anti-Corruption Commission reported yesterday that corruption in procurement from some local government organisations was caused by a lack of knowledge in supplies and procedures. He said this was based on 2020 survey results about corruption. The director said the most common complaints to the NACC were about corruption involving land. He…
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Phuket to become world class medical tourism hub by 2028
PM Prayut Chan-o-cha plans to turn Phuket into a world-class hub of medical tourism by 2028, according to a spokesperson for the prime minister. An international medical and public health service centre called “Medical Plaza” is planned, complete with an international elderly care centre, a palliative care centre and a rehabilitation centre. Thailand’s medical and public health services have been…
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Phuket Sandbox generates 50 billion baht revenue, PM Prayut happy with outcome
While some called it a failure, PM Prayut Chan-o-cha is pleased with the outcome of the Phuket Sandbox programme, which generated 50 billion baht in tourism revenue for the local economy, according to a spokesperson for the prime minister. In light of the challenges the Covid-19 pandemic presented to the Thai tourism industry, the spokesperson says Prayut has emphasised that…
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Phuket officer allegedly threatens woman with prostitution charges for money
A woman in Phuket told the press yesterday that a police officer at Thalang Police Station threatened to charge her with prostitution if she didn’t pay 50,000 baht in monthly payments of 5,000 baht. The payment is allegedly for her car, which police threatened to seize as evidence of her committing prostitution. The woman claims the officer first contacted her…
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Wildlife officials uncover 5th turtle nest in Phang Nga
After finding four others earlier this month, officials at a national park in Phang Nga have discovered another turtles’ nest, complete with 73 fertilised eggs. The officials work for Khao Lampi Hat-Thai Muang National Park, and found the nest on Thai Muang Beach. Officials first saw the mother turtle’s on the beach early in the morning yesterday. They found the…
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Thailand, a yacht racing destination
It all started in 1986 when a select group from the elite Royal Varuna Yacht Club (RVYC) got together and decided to launch a regatta in Phuket in 1987 – as a special tribute for the 60th birthday of the then King of Thailand, His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej. Thus the Phuket King’s Cup Regatta (PKCR) was born. Royally connected…
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Phuket Governor Narong issues mandates on handling Covid-19 corpses
Phuket Governor Narong issued a provincial order with four mandates on Wednesday about how to deal with the dead bodies of Covid-19 victims. The mandates are: 1) It is forbidden to bathe the corpse. 2) It is forbidden to use injections to treat the corpse. 3) It is forbidden to open the corpse after it has been collected for the…
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Vietnamese man tries to paddle from Phuket to India on inflatable boat to see his wife
A devoted Vietnamese husband attempted to row through the Bay of Bengal from Phuket to India on an inflatable boat to see his wife who he hadn’t seen in two years due to the Covid-19 pandemic. Thai marines found 37 year old Ho Huang Hung yesterday around 80 kilometres away from the Andaman coast after he had been at sea…
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Phuket governor presents campaign to create 10,000 new minimum-wage jobs
As Phuket struggles to pick up its disheveled tourism economy, provincial Governor Narong has a plan for recovery. In a meeting with local government agencies yesterday, Narong presented his plans on a whiteboard. He said the provincial government will work with local government organisations to create 10,000 vacancies. The vacancies, he said, would pay the minimum wage of 336 baht…
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Phuket man paralysed by drunk officer seeks 15 million baht in compensation
The family of the noodle vendor who was shot by a drunk, off-duty police officer last year on Phuket’s Bangla Road is seeking compensation of 15 million baht. The 25 year old vendor was shot in the stomach with the bullet lodged in his spine, paralysing him from the waist down. The officer is now on trial for attempted murder,…
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Flash flood warning in Phuket, southern Thailand
Ranong, Phang Nga, Phuket and Krabi are expected to face flash flooding following heavy rainfall today and tomorrow, according to the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation. A low-pressure area over the Bay of Bengal is expected to move northward resulting in a cyclone on the southern west coast of Thailand. Increased rainfall and heavy winds are also expected in…
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Phuket Monopoly launched, not that you’ll recognise many of the squares
Welcome to Phuket and some of the most famous attractions like Utopia, BCIS, BIS, The Nai Harn (hotel), Blue Elephant and The Phuket News. All for sale with your Monopoly money when the game becomes available. Whilst you will see Mai Khao Beach, Phuket Town, Cape Promthep, the Karon Viewpoint and Kata Beach, the new Phuket Monopoly board game, due…
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Club Med Phuket reopens after over 2 years
After closing its doors for over two years since the Covid-19 pandemic struck, Club Med Phuket is now back in business. The resort reopened yesterday following efforts to clean up the area and bring back tourists. The island province’s Vice Governor Pichet, who attended the reopening, said the reopening should help Phuket’s disheveled tourism economy. “Club Med is known around…
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Phuket police on the hunt for alleged shoplifting foreigner
A foreign man reportedly stole snacks from a Phuket shop on two separate occasions. The shopkeeper alleges the foreigner first stole snacks back in January, after he came to the store with a Thai woman. The woman paid for her items, while the man allegedly stole 228 baht worth of snacks. The man reported the alleged theft to Phuket City…
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Murderer of Swiss tourist in Phuket sentenced to life imprisonment
The Thai man who murdered the Swiss tourist at a Phuket waterfall last year has been sentenced to life in prison by the Phuket Court. 28 year old Teerawat Thothip was initially sentenced to death, but it was then reduced to life imprisonment given that Teerawat confessed to investigators. The body of 57 year old victim Nicole Sauvain Weisskopf, the…
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Phuket tourism official reports low number of calls to Russian, Ukrainian helpline
An official from the Tourism Authority of Thailand’s Phuket office says most Russian and Ukrainian tourists on the southern island appear to be “coping”. Nanthasiri Ronasiri says there have not been that many calls to a hotline set up specifically to help tourists stranded by cancelled flights or facing financial problems as a result of sanctions on Russia. Russia’s invasion…
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Thai Navy helps bring crew of gas tanker back to shore after more than a year at sea
The Thai Navy helped five crew members on a gas tanker get to shore after one complained that they had been on board the vessel for 13 months without leave. The Schumi 7 liquefied petroleum gas tanker, en route for Bangladesh, was redirected to a boat pier at Ao Makham Bay in Phuket. Noppadol Boonmee, a crewman on the vessel, had…
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Phuket welcomes first group of Test & Go tourists travelling by sea
Phuket welcomed its first group of Test & Go travellers entering the island province by sea and tourism officials say more visitors travelling on cruise ships and yachts will be entering under the quarantine exemption scheme. On March 1, the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration eased travel restrictions, allowing Test & Go travellers to enter Thailand by land and sea,…
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Call centre set up to help Ukrainian and Russian tourists in Phuket
With a number of Russian and Ukrainian expats and tourists in Phuket, a call centre has been set up in the island province to help those who may need assistance during the ongoing conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Those who need assistance can call 0939372086 or 0948191124. A local tourism official says the centre is prepared to help Ukrainians and…
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Family and fun Sunday brunch with the live jazz at Four Points by Sheraton Phuket returning to Sears & Co
Press Release Phuket, Thailand, February 17, 2022 – A favoured afternoon activity for family and friends, Sunday brunch at Four Points by Sheraton Phuket Patong Beach Resort is back on March 6, 2022. Bringing the taste of the world’s weekend brunch scene to Patong beach with live saxophone and cool DJ vibes. Enjoy contemporary and classic cuisine combining the freshest…
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Thai police ask Canadian court not to grant bail to Jimi Sandhu murder suspect
Police in Thailand are asking a Canadian court to refuse a bail application for a man wanted for murder on the southern island of Phuket. Canadian national Matthew Dupre is 1 of 2 suspects wanted for the murder of Indian gang member Jimi Singh Sandhu, who was gunned down outside his Rawai villa on February 4. Dupre and his alleged…
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Russians in Phuket granted 1 month extension to stay
Despite Russia banning Facebook in the country just 2 days ago, the Russian Consulate in Phuket has posted on its own Facebook page yesterday to announce that Russian citizens in Phuket can stay at least month longer than the original date on their visa. To do this, Russian travellers must go to Phuket immigration with their original letter from the…
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Phuket’s tuna industry falling behind, Phuket VP calls to train fishermen
In a meeting yesterday, Phuket’s Vice Governor Pichet said the provincial government wants fishermen to develop stronger skills with tuna and tuna fishing practices. He said strict fishing laws have already lowered the number of tuna caught in the province. Another issue is that Thailand doesn’t have proper tuna fishing boats. VP Pichet said amendments to current laws on which…
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Thai tourist rescued after going into cardiac arrest while diving near Koh Lipe
A Thai man was rescued after he lost consciousness and went into cardiac arrest while diving at a spot by Koh Yang, an island near the popular tourist destination Koh Lipe in the southern province Satun. The 62 year old man was unconscious when he was pulled to the surface of the water. He was later sent by helicopter to…
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Phuket prisoner who escaped put back in jail
On Monday night, prison wardens recaptured a prisoner who escaped Phuket Provincial Prison. The Phuket News didn’t specify when the man was first imprisoned or when he escaped, but reported that he was in remand pending trial for robbery. After he was found at a friend’s house, he was taken back into custody yesterday. The man is identified as Jamnien…
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Cabinet approves budget to make Phuket a “world class health destination”
Thai officials plan to make Phuket a “world class health destination.” The Cabinet just approved a 1.411 billion baht budget to develop health and wellness centres on the island and improve medical services. Over 45 acres of state-owned land in Phuket will be used to develop health centres and facilities. The project was expected to take four years to complete…
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Russian Ambassador meets with Phuket officials, discusses establishing a sister city
Impeccable timing! The Russian Ambassador to Thailand met with officials in Phuket to discuss establishing Russia’s Kamchatka Krai Administrative Region as a sister city and other matters that affect the roughly 8,000 Russian citizens on the island. Vice Governor Pichet Panapong says Thai authorities are in the process of reviewing the Memorandum of Understanding with the region, adding that it…
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In Phuket, phoney monk publicly strips, changes into normal clothes
A man in Phuket who pretended to be a monk to convince people to give him ‘alms’ money publicly stripped off his monk robe in a field to change into normal clothes. The Phuket Provincial Police chief told The Phuket News people complained and sent videos of the man publicly changing in a field across the road from the Phuket…
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Phuket makes plans to attract more Thai tourists, same day Level 4 alert anounced
Even after the Test & Go program was rebooted on February 1, along with the additional and unpopular Day 5 PCR test, there hasn’t been a large increase in the number of international tourists visiting Thailand. Indeed the new applications and actual arrivals have fallen well below expectations by Thailand’s tourism tzars. Now, Phuket officials have launched new plans to…
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Phuket police officially ban electric scooters from public roads, in wake of ‘scooter-gate’ crackdown on tourist rentals
In the wake of last week’s “scooter-gate” crackdown in Patong, electric scooters have now been officially banned from all public roads in Phuket. Local police stations received an official notice from Major General Sermphan yesterday clarifying how the stand-up form of scooter transportation, popular among tourists on the island, fits in with existing traffic laws. He stated that anyone caught…
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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