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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The Great American Smokeout, held this year on November 17, is a nationwide event that encourages smokers to take their first steps towards a smoke-free life. If you’re an expat in Thailand, this day could be a timely reminder to...
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Water mains fiasco stalls Chalong roadworks
PHUKET: Work on widening Chao Fa West Rd has been further delayed due to a dispute over moving water pipes and the expiration of the contract with the company assigned to carry out the work.The Phuket Provincial Highways Office (PPHO) is still unable to give a completion date for the project, which began in 2005.PPHO Chief Supphasak Nunsang told the…
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Free rabies vaccinations
PHUKET: Phuket Provincial Livestock Office (PPLO) is offering free rabies vaccinations for cats and dogs at Tambon Administration Organization (OrBorTor) offices until April 30.PPLO Veterinarian Veeraphap Termkeitpisan told the Gazette, “We have already vaccinated about 5,000 dogs and cats in the Phuket City, Rawai, Wichit and Chalong this year.”“The last human death from rabies in Phuket was in 1984,” K.…
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Songkran road toll targets set
PHUKET: Phuket officials have declared that they want no more than three deaths, 34 accidents and 53 injuries during the Songkran holiday period from April 11 to 17.Last year’s Songkran holidays, from April 7 to 16, and saw six deaths and 99 accidents, with 96 accident victims requiring hospital care.A meeting to discuss the targets for this year’s Songkran was…
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Marine Department allows late jet-ski registrations
PHUKET: The Marine Department is continuing to accept registration applications for new jet-skis replacing old or broken ones despite the one-month grace period expiring on Saturday. Surin Theerakulpisut, Chief of Phuket Marine Office, which oversees the use and registration of jet-skis on and around Phuket, told the Gazette that the owners of unregistered jet-skis being used in Phuket waters will…
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OrBorJor extends school MoUs
PHUKET: The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) agreements between the Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (OrBorJor) and seven Phuket schools have been extended for three years, effectively allowing the OrBorJor to continue providing support for the schools through to 2009.The seven schools are Baan Maireab, Kathu Wittaya, Cherng Talay Wittayakom, Muang Phuket, Baan Talad Neua, Thalang Pranangsang and Baan Nabon.OrBorJor President Anchalee…
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Drastic new measures to save Patong
PATONG: Following the overwhelming success of the one-way traffic system that went into effect in Patong in January, local officials will extend the concept to include pedestrian traffic by making Soi Bangla one-way for people traveling on foot.When the new system is brought into effect, currently scheduled for April 15, pedestrian traffic will only be permitted in an easterly direction, i.e.…
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Chalong bomber investigation stalls
CHALONG: After hearing that the police investigation into the November bombing of three houses in Chalong had stalled, Phuket Vice-Governor Worapoj Ratthasima ordered police to step up efforts to catch the person or persons responsible.The three homemade bombs, described as “fertilizer bombs”, detonated at about 2:30 am on November 28 on Soi Songkun, about one kilometer off Chao Fa East…
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Russian “sister city’ delegation visits Phuket
PHUKET: Mayor Kolyadin Oleg Genyadierich, Deputy Mayor Serganor Oleg L’voich and other officials from Nakhodka, Phuket’s “sister city” in the Russian Far East, met Phuket Governor Niran Kalayanimit and other top provincial officials earlier this week, agreeing to cooperate in a range of areas, including fisheries, education, tourism and sports.Gov Niran visited Nakhodka last September, when the two cities were…
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Rock City co-owner dies after heart attack
PATONG: Swedish national Carl Essler, 47, one of the investors in the popular Rock City nightclub in Patong, died after suffering a heart attack early on Wednesday.He was rushed to Patong Hospital after suffering chest pains in the early hours of the morning and was later pronounced dead.Fredrik Klingvall, Managing Director of Rock City, told the Gazette, “It has come…
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Karon restaurateur kills next-door rival
KARON: Police are on the lookout for Karon restaurateur Suban Pon-iamsaen after eyewitnesses reported that he calmly walked into the kitchen of the Mala Seafood restaurant, next door to his own restaurant on the beach road, and shot dead the owner, Mala Peng-iam, 52.Eyewitnesses reported that Suban carried out the execution at point blank range at about 7 pm yesterday.He…
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Slum dwellers of Phuket unite
PHUKET CITY: About 300 angry villagers representing more than 20 slum communities from around Phuket protested noisily outside Phuket Provincial Hall Thursday morning, demanding that Phuket Governor Niran Kalayanamit help alleviate their poverty.A protest leader, Supat Nunkhao, from Pla Katak Pattana community on Koh Sireh, told the Gazette that the villagers want the provincial authorities to develop their homes and…
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Vietnamese couple busted with heroin
PATONG: Kathu Police arrested a Vietnamese couple on March 25 for possession of heroin with intent to sell, seizing about 40 grams of the drug.Acting on information provided by an informant, a team of Kathu Police led by Investigations Inspector Lt Col Serm Kwannimit at 3 pm approached a single-room flat on the second floor of an apartment block on…
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Austrian found dead in hotel room
PATONG: An Austrian man was found dead in his hotel room on the afternoon of March 22, an apparent victim of alcohol poisoning. According to the Kathu Police daily log for that day, 38-year-old Dr Werner Jellen was found dead in room 302 of Patong Resort Hotel at 2:30 pm.Pol Lt Col Sophon Borirak reported that there was no evidence…
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7-Eleven robbed at gunpoint
KOH KAEW: A bandit toting a shotgun made off with about 4,900 baht in a robbery on a 7-Eleven in Koh Kaew at about 4 am yesterday.Staff at the mini-mart, located on Thepkrasattri Rd just north of Boat Lagoon, told police that the robber was tall with light-colored skin and was wearing a black jacket and motorcycle helmet. Approaching the…
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Phuket-Penang direct flights to launch April 13
PHUKET CITY: As part of a drive to boost the number of tourists to Malaysia, Malaysian Airlines’ new low-cost carrier Firefly airlines will start daily direct flights between Phuket and Penang beginning April 13. Malaysian Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor discussed the new service at a press conference at the Royal Phuket City Hotel on Thursday. Firefly,…
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Aussie father abducts daughter, arrested in Patong
PATONG: An Australian father who abducted his daughter and demanded 30 million baht from his estranged wife was arrested at his rented apartment on Rat-U-Thit 200 Pi Rd at 8 pm last night.Pol Lt Col Yodake Raksasuwan, Inspector at Phuket Immigration Office, told the Gazette that John Justin Goyen Leary, 39, was arrested after police discovered his whereabouts by tracing his…
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Cocaine mules nabbed at airport
PHUKET: Two Peruvian men were arrested at Phuket International Airport on Wednesday with more than two kilograms of cocaine that they were carrying internally.A press release from Somyot Santarvorn, Chief Customs Inspector at Phuket International Airport, reported that Godoy Paz Sadi Mercedes, 29, was found in possession of 91 packets of the cocaine, weighing a total of 882.7 grams.His accomplice,…
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Police box torched
RASSADA: A “temporary” police box installed at the entrance to Pahin Namsai Village, located off Ruam Pattana Rd, has turned out to be very temporary indeed. It was burned to the ground by persons unknown at about 4:30 am on Monday – just one week after it was installed.Lt Col Adul Niraphai, Duty Inspector at Phuket City Police Station, told…
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Second incinerator “not likely’
PHUKET CITY: Phuket will likely have to wait for a new government before getting a second incinerator to deal with the island’s increasing volume of trash, Wisut Singkhachornworakul, Advisor to the Ministry of Interior, told a meeting at Phuket Provincial Hall on Monday.During the meeting, held to discuss problems faced by the province, Phuket City Mayor Somjai Suwannasuppana said that…
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Highways Office applies for “new’ Sarasin Bridge
PHUKET CITY: The Phuket Provincial Highways Office (PPHO) will apply to the Highways Department headquarters in Bangkok for permission to start researching costs and possible designs for a new bridge off the island.PPHO Chief Supphasak Nunsang told the Gazette, “We will include a proposal for a new Sarasin Bridge in our 2008 budget, but first we need to draw up…
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Police to press charges over sea gypsy assault
PHUKET: Police are preparing to press grievous bodily harm charges against a businessman accused of cutting the oxygen line of a sea gypsy diving off Nui Beach in January, Lt Col Peerapan Meemak of Chalong Police Station announced at a meeting at Provincial Hall to discuss Rawai sea gypsies’ fishing rights.“I received a report from two sea gypsies on January…
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Phuket prepares for water shortages
PHUKET CITY: Despite a spattering of some much welcome rain on the island yesterday, provincial authorities are preparing for water shortages as Phuket is expected to endure more hot weather before the annual rains arrive in May.At a March 15 meeting at Phuket Provincial Hall chaired by Phuket Vice-Governor Worapoj Ratthasima, Aroon Kerdsom, Chief of the Phuket Office of Disaster…
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BIS to teach English at Phuket schools
PHUKET: British International School (BIS) has signed a memorandum of understanding with the Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (OrBorJor) to teach English-language classes at five Phuket schools.BIS teachers will teach English at Muang Phuket School, Kathu Wittaya School, Cherng Talay Wittayakom School, Baan Maireab School and Thalang Phra Nangsang School.OrBorJor President Anchalee Vanich-Thephabutr said, “The OrBorJor is committed to developing education…
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Youth arrested for See Kor stabbing
TUNG TONG: A young man was arrested early Sunday morning for the murder of 20-year-old Thanongsak Umpaisakul, who was stabbed to death outside See Kor market at dawn the previous day.Thongchai “Lan” Noomueang, 22, was riding his motorbike around Saphan Hin with a group of friends when police caught up with him and presented him with an arrest warrant for…
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License plate auction raises B11.62m
PHUKET CITY: The Phuket Provincial Transport Office (PPTO) and Pun-Neung Co Ltd’s third car license plate number auction at Thavorn Grand Plaza Hotel March 17 and 18 raised 11.62 million baht, which will be donated to the Road Safety Fund to help victims of road accidents and to support traffic safety education in schools.The previous such auction in 2005 raised…
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West Sands to be investigated over encroachment
MAI KHAO: Thalang District Chief Samart Waradisai and Mai Khao Tambon Administration Organization President Sarawut Srikookam will spearhead an investigation into whether the West Sands development being built near Phuket International Airport is encroaching on government land.The investigation follows allegations by villagers from Mai Khao Village 4, led by Boonlit Sae-aew, who filed a complaint to Phuket Governor Niran Kalayanamit on…
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Patong one-way to stay
PATONG: The one-way traffic system in Patong will stay after the 90-day trial period is over, the Superintendent of Kathu District Police Station has told the Gazette. Col Teeraphol Thipjaroen said the system would definitely remain in place, though with improvements to meet the demands of people in Patong. To this end, a survey will be carried out to gauge…
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Gov moves to evict Chalong encroachers
CHALONG: Phuket Governor Niran Kalayanamit will head a committee aimed at evicting encroachers from government land off Soi Songkul, where three homes were badly damaged last November in a bombing believed to have been motivated by a land rights dispute.Tawicha Chaithong, who heads the Phuket Administrative and Justice Enhancement Group, said there are three areas of greatest concern: Klong Mudong…
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Chalong policeman’s wife arrested for Phichai murder
CHALONG: Col Chalit Kaewyarat, Superintendent of Chalong Police Station, today confirmed that the wife of a Chalong police officer has been arrested for allegedly hiring four men to kill 44-year-old construction contractor Phichai Wanlayapetch, who was gunned down after dropping his child off at a Chalong day care center on February 26. Col Chalit declined to name the officer, but…
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Guts and glory
PATONG: The champion of Jungceylon’s first Charity Eat-A-Thon, held from March 9 to 11, is Brazilian Moises Huerta. He downed two large hamburgers, a personal-size pizza, three donuts, a pitcher of beer and a bottle of water. The massive meal earned him 10,000 baht in winnings.The Eat-A-Thon raised about 20,000 baht in donations to help buy lunches for poor children…
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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