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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5 hidden healthcare costs in Thailand and how to avoid them
Thailand's healthcare system is affordable and supported by the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) scheme, offering essential services to most citizens. However, hidden healthcare costs can surprise patients and lead to unexpected expenses. These include specialist fees, insurance gaps, emergency services,...
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World-class windsurfers set off on 100km rally
NAI YANG: Thailand’s first international windsurfing rally championship started yesterday as 30 world-class windsurfers from 21 countries set off from Nai Yang Beach in the first of four days of racing covering 100 kilometers.The windsurfers are members of the Eastern Windsurfing Club (EWC), which has teamed up with the Windsurfing Association of Thailand, the Yacht Racing Association of Thailand (YRAT)…
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Slain frogman identified
KARON: After days of intense speculation, Chalong Police investigating the bizarre death of a frogman who attacked a Swiss yacht owner and a Thai woman on the night of January 9 have finally identified the attacker as German national Peter Michael Schmid, aged 35. The investigation by Chalong Police included showing pictures of the deceased frogman to hotel employees in…
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Full booze ban for Senatorial election
PHUKET: Following final confirmation by the national Election Commission (EC) that voting for the Senatorial election will take place nationwide on March 2, the Phuket Election Committee (PEC) has confirmed that it is 100% ready to conduct the polls – and that the same restrictions on alcohol sales will be in force during both the advance and general polling.Under the…
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Old Phuket Festival canceled
PHUKET CITY: The Old Phuket Festival, originally scheduled to take place along Thalang Rd from February 13 to 15, has been canceled as the nation mourns HRH Princess Galyani Vadhana, who passed away on January 2.The cancellation of what would have been the 10th annual festival follows a request made by the Royal Household Bureau on January 2 for a period…
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Party for the Little People
PHUKET: Parents around Thailand today have their hands full as the nation celebrates Children’s Day. To mark the annual event, free activities, prizes and entertainment are being held for youngsters around the island. Here, the Gazette has compiled a roundup of where to go and what to do to keep Phuket’s little people entertained on this special day. However, this…
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Banphaeo Hospital steps in to help OrBorJor
PHUKET CITY: Banphaeo Hospital in Samut Sakhon will next month sign a management contract agreeing to help the Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (OrBorJor) re-open the long-abandoned Phyathai Hospital as a public organization, to be run independently of the Public Health Ministry.OrBorJor President Anchalee Vanich Tephabutra said that when the new facility opens, hopefully by the end of the year, it…
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Kho En “death bend’ roadworks complete by March
MAI KHAO: Roadworks to make the notorious Kho En “death bend” on Thepkrasattri Rd safer are about 40% complete and the section of road should be ready by the end of February, Saroj Suwinchai, director of the provincial office of the Highways Department, has told the Gazette.The Kho En curve is a notorious blackspot that has been the site of several…
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Police release sketches of gold shop bandits
WICHIT: Police are still searching for two men who robbed a gold shop on Chao Fa East Rd Wednesday morning, escaping with jewelry valued at more than a million baht.Phuket City Police Duty Officer Lt Theeradet Jiraksa told the Gazette that the robbery took place about 11 am at Srithong Gold Shop, located by Moom Muang Market, near the entrance…
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“Crab Bank’ launched in Rassada
RASSADA: In a bid to increase dwindling crab stocks in local waters, the Phuket Provincial Fisheries Office with other government and non-government organizations this morning held a ceremony to launch the island’s first “crab bank”, off the coast of Rassada Village 3.As part of the ceremony, nine monks blessed 250 saffron ribbons, which were tied around mangrove trees lining the…
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Saphan Hin gunfight leaves one dead
SAPHAN HIN: One youth was killed and three others injured following a gunfight with police that took place at about 1 am Sunday morning.Phuket City Police officers Maj Vichak Tarom and Sen Sgt Maj Suthon Pakdee were on patrol near the roundabout at Saphan Hin when the shooting took place.Maj Vichak told the Gazette that the officers saw a gang…
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Chalong Bay Marina expansion to be scaled back
PHUKET CITY: The second phase of the Chalong Bay Marina project is now being redrawn, following complaints from local fishermen to the National Human Rights Committee that its construction could harm the local environment and destroy their livelihoods. Wasan Panich, a member of the National Human Rights Commission, on January 7 chaired an ad-hoc committee meeting at the Phuket Merlin…
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Holiday season sees B2bn boon for tourism sector
PHUKET: Businesses in Phuket’s tourism sector enjoyed a prosperous festive season, with many hotels fully booked and more than 2 billion baht generated by the industry during the period December 24 through January 2.Runjuan Tongrut, assistant director of Tourism Authority of Thailand Southern Region 4 Office, made the announcement at a press conference on January 2.A large number of Thais and foreigners came to…
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Jealous man kills ex-wife’s new husband
CHERNG TALAY: A jealous ex-husband allegedly stabbed his former wife’s new husband to death just before dawn on January 5, then fled the scene with the woman.Cherng Talay Police Duty Inspector Pol Lt Col Jessada Sangsuree identified the victim as Rungnapa Sriburam, 31, a native of Kalasin province who was staying on Soi Layan in Cherng Talay Village 6 at the…
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Yamu marina a “test case’ for coastal development
PHUKET CITY: Human Rights Commissioner Wasan Panich, who is leading the investigation into whether permission should be granted for a marina to be built at Cape Yamu, yesterday announced the project was developing into a “test case” on guidelines for similar developments in the future.K. Wasan made the announcement at a public hearing at the Phuket Merlin Hotel, where people…
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EC to approve Democrat win tomorrow
PHUKET CITY: The Election Commission (EC) will confirm Democrat Party candidates Tossaporn Thepabutr and Rewat Areerob as the winners of the Phuket round of the December 23 general election, the Gazette was told today.A five-member EC team arrived in Phuket on Thursday to investigate a charge lodged by rival candidates claiming that K. Tossaporn’s wife, Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (OrBorJor)…
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Police seek two Burmese for double murder at sea
RASSADA: Police are looking for two Burmese men wanted for the murder of a squid boat owner and his wife, whose bodies were pulled from the sea near Koh Dokmai late last week.The Gazette’s Thai-language affiliate newspaper Kom Chad Luek originally reported that the first body was discovered by fishermen off Koh Dokmai, some 30 kilometers west of Phuket City,…
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Police call for witnesses to Rawai horse accident
RAWAI: Police are calling for witnesses to a collision between a horse and a motorbike on Wiset Rd yesterday. The accident occurred about 3:30pm and it is understood that the motorbike had a sidecar. More information is sought to assist in the investigation.The collision, at the entrance to the Phuket Riding Club on Wiset Rd, splintered the horse’s leg bones and a veterinarian…
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Blacklist threatened for bars that break request for “national mourning silence’
PHUKET (Kom Chad Luek, Gazette): Muang District Chief Wisit Kurattanavej this afternoon threatened to blacklist entertainment venues that do not follow the government’s request to observe the national mourning of HRH Princess Galyani Vadhana, who passed away early yesterday morning.K. Wisit made the announcement at a meeting to discuss a ban on “entertainment noise” during the 15-day national mourning period,…
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Search launched for hotel worker lost at sea
KOH RACHA YAI: Phuket Marine Police are searching for a worker at The Racha resort who was washed overboard when a wave overturned the small catamaran he was sailing on early yesterday evening.Capt Chatchai Sakdee of Phuket Marine Police said that he received the initial report from the Third Area Naval Command. “The incident happened about 7 pm yesterday, about…
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Phi Phi pee turns deadly
KOH PHI PHI DON: An American tourist on holiday at Koh Phi Phi Don fell about five meters to his death after he stopped to relieve himself at a rocky outcrop on the way back to his bungalow after celebrating New Year’s Eve at a local bar.Sub Lt Noppadon Klompong of the Krabi Muang District Police outpost on Koh Phi…
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New Year bust nets 300 ya bah pills
PHUKET: Provincial authorities working with a Border Patrol Police drug-suppression unit from Phang Nga on New Year’s Day arrested a man for possession of 300 ya bah (methamphetamine) pills with intent to sell. Wisut Romin, deputy chief of the Phuket Provincial Special Operations Unit, identified the suspect as Kittiphong “Phong” Leamsai, 41.After a period of surveillance, officers from the drug-suppression…
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Thailand enters national mourning
PHUKET: The Royal Household Bureau today asked for staff at all government offices, state enterprises and educational institutions to fly the national flag at half-mast and to wear black for the next 15 days as a mark of respect for HRH Galyani Vadhana, who passed away early this morning.An emergency meeting of the Cabinet today concurred the request.Students, however, may…
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HRH Princess Galyani Vadhana passes away
BANGKOK (Nation): After months of receiving treatment for cancer, HRH Princess Galyani Vadhana’s condition deteriorated last night and she passed away 2.54 am this morning. She was 84.The Princess had been receiving treatment for cancer at Siriraj Hospital for months. Well-wishers had flocked to the hospital since the news spread that she was admitted.The Princess is the elder sister of…
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Phuket holiday road toll: 5 dead in 4 days
PHUKET: Figures issued by the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM-Phuket) for the first four days of the “seven days of danger” holiday road-safety campaign put the death toll from accidents in Phuket at five, including two foreigners.A total of 43 accidents were reported during the period that ended at midnight last night, with 48 people suffering injuries requiring…
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Tossaporn’s win under investigation
PHUKET: The Election Commission (EC) in Bangkok has accepted for investigation one complaint of electoral fraud against Tossaporn Thepabutr, one of the two Democrat Party candidates elected to represent Phuket in parliament in a landslide win in the December 23 general election. Phuket Election Committee (PEC) investigation officer Ratchapon Thongnuengarm confirmed yesterday that the EC had ordered him to collect…
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Phuket land prices skyrocket
PHUKET: The tax man will have some jolly years ahead as the government-assessed land prices for many locations in Phuket are seeing triple-digit rates of growth.On Thursday, the Phuket Provincial Treasury Office (PPTO) confirmed details of the new land values, which were leaked to a Prachachart Turakij reporter in October (click here for full story).https://phuketgazette.net/news/index.asp?fromsearch=yes&Id=6033Land appraisals are done every four…
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Windsurfers prepare for Phuket championship
PHUKET: The Eastern Windsurfing Club (EWC) is teaming up with the Windsurfing Association of Thailand and the Yacht Racing Association of Thailand to present Thailand’s first international windsurfing rally championship from January 15 to 20.Competitors will race along the west coast of Phuket.The first day of racing, January 16, will take place from Nai Yang Beach to Surin Beach. On the second day,…
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Wife comatose after severe beating
PATONG: A 37-year-old woman is clinging to life at Vachira Phuket Hospital after her enraged husband of 20 years allegedly beat her over the head with a dumbbell early yesterday morning.Pol Lt Col Serm Kwannimit identified the victim as Dawan Harnsena, a native of Nongkhai and long-time Patong resident.After questioning the victim’s younger sister, police learned that Dawan’s likely assailant…
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Chef scorched in Patong gas explosion
PATONG: The chef at a newly opened restaurant on Rat-U-Thit 200 Pi Rd suffered first- and second-degree burns to 40% of his body after a cooking gas cylinder exploded on Wednesday morning.Pol Capt Jongserm Preecha of the Kathu Police told the Gazette that he received a report at 8 am that there was an explosion at Patong Corner Restaurant, on…
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Tsunami memorial service lights up Patong
PATONG: Some 700 people joined a memorial service for those who died in the tsunami three years ago, each placing a lit candle in the sand, basking the beach in a solemn glow.Guests and dignitries, including Swedish Ambassador Lennart Linner and Tourism and Sports Minister Dr Suwit Yodmanee, joined the event, giving speeches on loss, grief and recovery and laying…
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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