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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53 repossessed vehicles up for auction
PHUKET CITY: Kiatnakin Bank will publicly auction 53 repossessed vehicles on May 19 at the Yee Teng Complex on Bangkok Rd.Kiatnakin Bank Chief of Operations Thanyaporn Suwanyayee told the Gazette that this is the second time that the Phuket branch has held such an auction. The first was in December last year.The vehicles will be available for inspection at the…
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Patong Hospital to become more autonomous
PATONG: Patong Hospital on October 2 will become a public organization, though wholly owned by the Ministry of Public Health, so that local community leaders can join the hospital’s board of administrators.A public seminar was held yesterday to inform staff and the public to the changes the hospital will face.Contrary to reports in the local media, the hospital will not…
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Small retailers call for more government support
PHUKET CITY: The Phuket Chamber of Commerce (PCC) has called for the central government to do more to help small retailers cope with the on-going expansion of superstores and convenience store chains on the island – including having the stores pay more in local taxes. PCC President Eam Thavornwongwongse on Friday led a small delegation of PCC representatives at a…
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Norwegian’s home burgled, B600,000 missing
PATONG: A burglar made off with 600,000 baht in cash and valuables stashed in a safe that he stole from the home of a Norwegian man living on Soi Maneesri.The victim, Oystein Karlsen, 38, told the Gazette the burglar broke into his hillside home in Soi Maneesri, located off Petchakut Rd, opposite the entrance to Simon Cabaret, between 3 am and…
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Boy drowns at Bang Wad
KATHU: A 12-year-old boy drowned in a canal near Bang Wad Dam after swimming there with five friends yesterday afternoon.Pol Sub Lt Pathaphi Srichai of Tung Tong Police Station told the Gazette, “Yesterday afternoon Songwut Chanmee and five friends went to swim in the klong, which is five meters deep.”Sub Lt Pathaphi explained that after swimming, Songwut’s friends went home,…
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2 die in Kusoldham high-speed smash
RASSADA: Two people died and five were injured when a Kusoldharm Volunteer Rescue Foundation truck rushing four accident victims to hospital collided with a Toyota sedan at high speed. The accident occured at the Tesco-Lotus intersection on Sunday morning.Phuket City Police Inspector for Investigations, Lt Col Adul Nirapai, identified the two dead as Kusoldharm volunteer Apirak Suemuang, 24, and Namfon Niewnaen,19.Namfon was one…
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Teen killed by friend in “mistake’ shooting
PHUKET CITY: Police have charged a 20-year-old man for the murder of his friend after he allegedly shot his friend in the back – accidentally – while the pair were riding through Saphan Hin on a motorbike early Thursday morning.Phuket City Police Inspector for Investigation Lt Col Somkid Boonrat told the Gazette that the shooting took place near a stoplight near the Provincial…
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Phuket beaches closed due to bad weather
PHUKET (Gazette, The Nation): Winds gusting up to 35 kilometers an hour and waves of up to two meters in height crashing along Phuket’s west coast forced lifeguards to close nearly all of Phuket’s main beaches today.Siripong Yukhonthorn, Deputy President of the Andaman Life Saving Club and a senior figure in the provincial government’s Life Guard project, told the Gazette,…
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Local venues make Conde Nast “hot list’
PHUKET: Three local hotels and two spas have been listed on Conde Nast Traveler’s 2007 “Hot List”. The list is compiled by the prestigious international travel magazine to give “an inside look at the latest scene stealing hotels, restaurants, bars and spas”.The spa hot list, rated by undercover reporters, listed Lemongrass House in Cherng Talay as “laid back and funky”,…
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PIMEX 2007 relocates to Royal Phuket Marina
PHUKET: For the first time in its five-year history, the Phuket International Boat Show this year will be held at the Royal Phuket Marina, December 6 to 9. Gulu Lalvani, developer of Royal Phuket Marina, said he was delighted with the news and welcomed PIMEX as part of his dream to cement the position of Phuket as the first destination…
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Khun Woody salutes Patong’s finest
PATONG: Police early yesterday morning arrested a burglar minutes after computer guru and Gazette columnist Woody Leonhard had chased the robber out of his home with a butcher’s knife.K. Woody told the Gazette, “The burglar first tried to come into my townhouse through the sliding glass door in the top floor bedroom. Apparently he saw my 82-year-old father sleeping, so…
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Storm warning issued
PHUKET: The Thai Meteorological Department this morning issued a regional weather warning for Southern Thailand after tracking a tropical depression that has been causing unusually rainy conditions in the region over the past few days. At 10 am this morning the depression was centered about 300 kilometers west of Chumphon. The system, with maximum wind gusts of about 55kmh, was…
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Fifth time unlucky for furniture thief
CHALONG: A man was placed under citizens arrest by the owner of a furniture shop after he was caught stealing three large wooden clocks at 3:45 am on April 25. It was the fifth time within a month that the man had broken into Watthana Wood Furniture on Chao Fa East Rd.Lt Col Chokchai Sutthimek, an Inspector at Chalong Police…
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Phuket brings home boating awards
BANGKOK: Phuket has been named Asia’s Maritime Capital at the prestigious Christofle Asia Boating Awards at the Peninsula Hotel in Bangkok by popular vote among the 20 judges, who rewarded Phuket for its “first-class boating facilities, which include modern marinas, state-of-the-art boatyards and prime chartering”.The annual King’s Cup sailing regatta won Yachting Event of the Year while Phuket-based Asia Marine…
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Kathu Chief moves to close Safari Pub permanently
PATONG: Kathu District Chief Khantee Silapa will ask Phuket Governor Niran Kalayanamit to order the permanent closure of Safari Pub as the venue has been caught repeatedly trading after hours, most recently early Friday morning.Chief Khantee told the Gazette, “I have ordered the police to watch the Safari Pub closely and to not allow it to reopen. This will be…
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Public Prosecutor defers Valentino land charges
BANGKOK (Kom Chad Luek, The Nation): Prosecutors in the land encroachment case against Malaysian Tan Teik Hai, better known as “Valentino”, and his associates have delayed bringing the trial to court as they are still waiting for the Department of Special Investigations (DSI) to submit more evidence.The first Public Prosecutor’s hearing of the case was held yesterday morning at the…
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Officials call for post-tremor calm
PHUKET: The Phuket Office for Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (ODPM) has asked people in beach areas to remain calm after tremors were felt in Patong and Kamala this afternoon.The call for calm followed reports of an earthquake in Indonesia, at 3:02 pm, measuring 6.1 on the Richter scale ODPM officer Damri Sungsap told the Gazette, “The earthquake was centered at the north…
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Island’s official population up by 2,262
PHUKET: Between March 21 and April 20, Phuket’s three District Offices registered 2,262 new residents, bringing Phuket’s official population to 315,557.Provincial Chief Administrative Officer (Palad) Piya Bharatasilpin reported the increase to Phuket Governor Niran Kalayanamit during the monthly meeting of the Phuket Provincial Security Committee yesterday.There were 1,881 new registrations during the previous reporting period, from February 21 to March…
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Crocodiles spotted at city tin mine lagoon
PHUKET CITY: The Phuket Provincial Fisheries Office (PPFO) is warning the public to stay away from an abandoned tin mine on the south side of town, following reports by local residents that two or three crocodiles were spotted there yesterday morning.Provincial officials are trying to track down and catch the dangerous reptiles, but thus far to no avail.Aroon Kerdsom, Chief…
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Drunk falls down well, drowns
CHALONG: Police are treating the death of a Chalong man whose body was recovered from a well in the Soi Palai area Monday afternoon as an accident.Pol Lt Col Sanguan Muangtham of the Chalong Police told the Gazette that the victim was probably drunk, fell down the well and drowned.“This is not a big case, just a guy getting drunk…
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Immigration Chief denies offering private security service
PHUKET CITY: Phuket Provincial Immigration Office (PPIO) Superintendent Pol Col Ittipon Atchariyapradit has dismissed claims that the PPIO will launch a private security service, contrary to claims being made in an advertising flier currently being circulated on the island.The flier claims that, “A special task force will work together with an approved Security Company in order to provide and equip…
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Engine fire sinks Phi Phi ferry
PHI PHI ISLANDS: More than 100 tourists were safely rescued by the Krabi Marine Police today after a fire broke out on the ferry they were taking from Phuket to Koh Phi Phi Don.Phuket Marine Police Officer Lt Col Prathueng Srilamontree identified the vessel as Jet Wave 3, which departed from Rassada Harbor in Phuket this morning bound for Koh…
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Police shooting sparks Koh Yao mob
PHANG NGA: Some 100 angry villagers on Koh Yao Noi descended upon the Koh Yao Police Station on Saturday after a youth, who was shot by a police officer the day before, died from his injuries.The villagers arrived around 1 pm with the body of 20-year-old Theerawut Kumuda, who died 10 am Saturday morning.Pol Col Jakkarit Srisuwan, Superintendent of the…
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Nok Air, One-Two-Go to launch Phuket-Haad Yai flights
PHUKET: After almost two years with no flights connecting Southern Thailand’s two busiest airports, lost-cost carriers Nok Air and One-Two-Go will launch regular services between Phuket International Airport and Haad Yai International Airport.From May 15, Nok Air flights using 150-seat Boeing 737-400s will depart Phuket daily at 2:05 pm and reach Haad Yai at 2:45 pm. The return leg will…
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NESDB meets Governor over development issues
PHUKET CITY: A representative from the National Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB) met Phuket Governor Niran Kalayanamit today to discuss a wide range of development issues facing the island.Thanin Pa-Em, Director of Competitive Development Office of the NESDB, explained that he was in Phuket to review and follow up on projects supporting development of the island, such as projects…
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Lamma CC hot at Cricket Sixes scorcher
KARON: Lamma CC from Hong Kong are hot favorites to win the Montpelier Phuket International Cricket Sixes 2007 after beating 2005 champions and pre-tournament favorites Corner Tigers from Pakistan in the first day of play yesterday at the recently returfed Karon Stadium.Round 2 of the tourney was played today under a scorching Phuket sun, with both Lamma CC and Corner…
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Immigration denies dive shop crackdown
PHUKET: Phuket Immigration Office Superintendent Pol Col Ittipon Atchariyapradit has denied that Immigration officers were involved in what seems to have been a shakedown attempt at a Patong dive shop.He believes the men were impostors.In an email sent to the Gazette, it was explained that on April 3 a foreign dive instructor emerged from the company’s dive training pool, where he had…
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Gazette takes flight on Dragonair
PHUKET: From next Friday, April 27, the Phuket Gazette will be on board all inbound Dragonair flights from Hong Kong. Dragonair relaunched its direct daily Hong Kong-Phuket service in December, with CEO Kenny Tang saying, “We are excited about returning to Phuket, a destination that we first flew to in December 1986. We are confident that the route will be…
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One-way surveys yield contradicting results
PATONG: The results from two public opinion surveys of Patong’s one-way traffic system are in – one says the public is in favor of keeping the system, the other says it is not.Prince of Songkla University, Phuket campus, surveyed 759 people in Patong, with 60% saying that are satisfied with the one-way system, but 40% saying they are not happy…
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Five die in one-car accident
PHUKET CITY: Five Thai tourists from Krabi died after the pickup they were traveling in slammed into a power pole near Super Cheap on Thepkrasattri Rd early yesterday morning.The tourists were driving back to Krabi about 5 am when the driver lost control of the car, which careered off the road and into a power pole in front of Sor…
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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