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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Princess to open tsunami aid HQ
PHUKET: HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn will pay a Royal Visit to Phuket next week to preside over the official opening ceremony of her Special Task Unit (STU) building in Tambon Wichit on Tuesday morning.The STU is dedicated to supporting the long-term recovery of tsunami victims in all six Andaman coast provinces. Funded jointly by Her Royal Highness’s Fund and…
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Election observers “impressed with polling’
PHUKET, PHANG NGA: Girawadee Khao-orn, one of the eight UN-affiliated election monitors who came to Phuket to check out yesterday’s poll, told the Gazette today that the observers were impressed with how voting was conducted in Phuket and Phang Nga. “We could see the efforts made by the Regional Election Commission, which tried to serve people in all areas, even…
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“Live with it,’ TAT tells complaining Kamala hotels
KAMALA: The losses hotels have suffered from tourists canceling bookings after seeing the rebuilding work on Kamala Beach are just a sacrifice they have to make, Wanchai Ruang-udom, the landscaping coordinator hired to complete the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Kamala beautification project, told the Gazette yesterday.“This is a sacrifice they have to make. This project was approved by Kamala…
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Thanyarat wins Senatorial race
PHUKET: Thanyarat “Gee” Achariyachai is Phuket’s first woman Senator, after winning yesterday’s Senatorial election by a convincing margin.K. Thanyarat, a former Juvenile Court Judge and wife of former Phuket Chamber of Commerce President Pamuke Achariyachai, polled 34,142 votes.In second place was Prawat Suwannadithakul with 28,539, followed by Dr Prasit Koeysiripong with 14,198 votes.Vote counts for the other candidates in the…
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Tough itinerary for UN poll-watchers
PATONG: A group of eight UN-affiliated election experts from around the world arrived this morning to observe tomorrow’s Senate election in Phuket.Their program is a full one. This afternoon, the group observed the distribution of ballot sheets and other election materials as well as preparation of polling booths and vote-counting areas in Phuket’s three districts. Tonight they are due to…
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Songkran road death toll totals five – or six
PHUKET: Road accidents claimed the lives of five people in the province during Songkran. Or six, depending on how one counts.Officially, five people died on the roads between April 7 and April 16, officers from the Phuket Office for Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (ODPM) said at a press conference this morning. This was two higher than last year’s figure and…
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Phang Nga tsunami victims “have all been helped’
KHAO LAK: All Phang Nga residents who were in need of financial aid after the tsunami have received it, either through government assistance or in the form of private-sector donations, a senior provincial official has told the Gazette.“We can say that 100% of the people who lost homes and fishing boats have had them replaced,” Vice-Governor Opas Svetamani told the…
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Four candidates qualify for April 23 poll
PHUKET CITY: The Phuket Election Commission (PEC) has announced that four people have been declared eligible to run in the April 23 parliamentary by-elections in Phuket, two in each voting district.The Head of the Phuket Election Commission (PEC), Dr Prapa Kayee, told the Gazette today that the candidates for District 1 will be Dr Sriyada Palimapan of the Thai Rak…
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Gazette offices closed for Songkran
PHUKET: The offices of the Phuket Gazette will be closed over the Songkran holidays, from Thursday April 13 to Sunday April 16 inclusive.As a result, there will be no hard-copy issue of the Phuket Gazette on April 22. The next issue will hit the newsstands on April 29.For those addicted to news, stories will still be posted in the Gazette…
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Islandia sold for B1.05bn
PHUKET: Central Hotels & Resorts and an unnamed investor have created a joint venture company named Karon Phuket Hotel Co and have bought the 316-room Islandia Park Resort in Karon. It will become the third Central property in the Karon area. The amount paid was not revealed by the partners, but hotel industry publications said that they paid a total…
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Property expo hits the mark
PHUKET CITY: Properties with a total value of more than 300 million baht were reserved at the Property Investment Exhibition 2006 (PIE), which drew to a close at Central Festival Phuket yesterday, said the organizer.Thanet Traiwut, Managing Director of exhibition organizer Delice Thai, said, “The exhibition was a success. About 80% of visitors were looking for a house and 20%…
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Drugs haul at Kalim Beach bar
KALIM: Undercover police armed with a warrant arrested suspected drug dealer Boonyarit Charnpraneet, 46, in the evening of April 7 following a tip-off from a member of the public. The arrest took place at the bar – the name of which police declined to disclose to the Gazette – owned by Boonyarit at Kalim Beach. The police also managed to…
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Rougher seas ahead for Phuket’s dive industry
PHUKET CITY: A newly formed committee met at Phuket Provincial Hall on April 5 to discuss recent developments in the dive industry, particularly accusations leveled at the industry that some dive operators have been evading tax and employing staff without work permits.Phuket’s Chief Administrative Officer (Palad) Nivit Aroonrat, claimed after the meeting that Phuket’s dive industry is “concealing” facts and…
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1,000 incentives delegates at Sheraton generate B150m
CHERNG TALAY: A thousand Australians descended on the Sheraton Grande Laguna Phuket on April 8 for the biggest incentive program yet hosted in the Laguna complex.The organizers, Hagemeyer Electrical of Australia, a subsidiary of Dutch trading giant Hagemeyer, estimate that the three-day program, which brought 850 of the company’s top customers to Thailand, injected some 150 million baht into the…
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Six apply to run in April 23 by-election
PHUKET: Six people have applied to run in the April 23 parliamentary by-elections in Phuket, four of them in District 1, which covers Phuket City and the immediate area, and two in District 2, covering the rest of the island. The Phuket Election Commission (PEC) will take just a few days to determine which of the candidates will qualify to…
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THAI cuts fares, boosts flights for Songkran
BANGKOK: Thai Airways International (THAI) is introducing discounted domestic air tickets to and from Bangkok during the Songkran period, starting today and ending next Monday. The discounted destinations are Chiang Mai, Phuket, Haad Yai, Krabi, Surat Thani, Ubon Ratchathani, Khon Kaen, Chiang Rai, Krabi, Phitsanulok and Udon Thani. Vasing Kittikul, THAI’s Executive Vice President said that passengers buying the discounted…
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Easing of 80-meter rule back on the agenda
PHUKET: The Provincial Natural Resources and Environment Office (PNREO) has proposed changes to the current law limiting the height of construction in Phuket to no higher than 80 meters above sea level.A five-year ban on building above 80 meters was enforced in 1997 as a way of preventing landslides. The Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MNRE) extended the ban…
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French tourist dies in fall from rocks
NAI HARN: A French tourist died on Wednesday morning after he apparently slipped while climbing rocks at Nai Harn Beach, plunging onto submerged rocks below.Chalong Police Inspector Pol Lt Col Chockchai Sutthimek identified the victim as Gregory Eric Muguet, 34. The accident occurred after the victim went out for a morning walk and swim with his mother, Col Chockchai said.…
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Songkran aim: no more than 4 road deaths
PHUKET: As in previous years, the province will set up police checkpoints around the island during the Songkran Holiday period in a bid to keep road deaths and injuries to a minimum. At a conference at Phuket Provincial Hall on Monday, members of the media were each handed a 24-page stack of documents prepared by the Phuket Office for Disaster…
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Democrats see Thaksin ‘resignation’ as a ploy
PHUKET: The island’s Democrats have announced that they will boycott new elections called for April 23 because they are not satisfied with Caretaker Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra’s pledge not to accept the post of Prime Minister in the next Parliament.In a dramatic speech broadcast live last night by all TV channels, the PM announced that he would not be Prime…
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All bets are off as gambling tops arrests stats again
PHUKET: Gambling, with 162 arrests made between March 1 and 25, has again topped the monthly arrests statistics, the Phuket Provincial Police announced today. Of these, 25 people were arrested for being involved in the sale of illegal lottery tickets.There were three cases of murder – including that of Preecha “Ko Noi” Kraitas (see also page 1). Three arrests made,…
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Preecha assassin still at large
PHUKET CITY: The hunt continues for Samrerng Klaising, the gunman wanted for assassinating prominent Phuket businessman Preecha “Ko Noi” Kraitas, but so far without result.However, Phuket Provincial Police Commander Pol Maj Gen Decha Budnampeth said yesterday that police are making progress in their investigation.Samrerng, originally from Petchaburi Province, and his driver in the shooting, whom police have yet to name,…
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Fishermen refer marina row to human rights body
PA KHLOK: The Fishermen’s Association in Moo 6, Pa Khlok, which staged a protest at Provincial Hall and lodged a formal complaint over the construction of the Ao Por Marina on March 16, has applied for advice from the Human Rights Commission as to what rights it has in defending its members’ livelihoods.Rattanaporn Jaengjaidee, an adviser to the association, told…
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Rain staves off water shortage – again
PHUKET: The heavy downpours late last month boosted Phuket’s water reserves in Bang Wad Reservoir to 2.7 million cubic meters – enough to last until mid-June, Watchara Arepornsiri, Project Director at Phuket Irrigation Office, has told the Gazette.“The amount of water in Bang Wad Reservoir has risen to 2.7 million cubic meters, and we should have no problems because we…
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Thai Rak Thai flops in Phuket poll
SAPHAN HIN: Thai Rak Thai Party (TRT) candidate Dr Sriyada Palimapan has failed in her bid to be elected Member of Parliament for Phuket District 1.In District 2, counting of votes from two polling stations has yet to be completed, but the unofficial tally so far indicates that Wisut Santikul, also of the TRT, has also failed to get elected.Dr…
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Blaze blackens Jammin’ Pub
PHUKET CITY: Fire broke out in the popular Jammin’ nightclub early this morning, causing damage estimated at between 2 million and 3 million baht. No one was hurt in the blaze.Co-owner Mel Purdue told the Gazette this afternoon, “It would appear not to have done too much structural damage. Unfortunately it was the DJ pit, and it looks like [the…
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Disqualifications leave Sriyada to run unopposed
PHUKET CITY: The Supreme Court has upheld the disqualification of two of the three parliamentary candidates for Phuket Electoral District 1, which includes Phuket City and its surrounds.This leaves Dr Sriyada Palimapan of Thai Rak Thai (TRT) as the sole candidate, the Phuket Election Commission (PEC) has announced. PEC Director Kittipong Thiengkunagrit told the Gazette that the Supreme Court on…
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Spa trots out “best’ detox treatment
PHUKET: A consortium of international investors known as the Gastro Group has announced a 1.5-billion-baht investment in what is being billed as the world’s first “detoxotel” – a 150-room facility specializing in state-of-the-art detoxification treatments.Construction of the facility, which will be on a 15-rai site coastal site, the location of which is currently being kept secret, is scheduled to get…
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Bypass road fully open
PHUKET CITY: Today marked a milestone in the 111-million-baht bypass road widening project, as the new northbound lane, blasted out of the hillside near Tesco-Lotus, was finally opened fully to traffic. The opening caused some confusion among motorists, who had grown used to the counterflow traffic system using the southbound lane near Chan’s Antiques. Phuket Highway Department Engineer Boonyakiat Kongketyai…
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Booze sales banned during election
PHUKET: There will be a total ban on the sale and provision of alcohol anywhere in Thailand before and during Sunday’s general election.In accordance with the Election Act, shops, bars, restaurants and hotels will be prohibited from selling or providing alcohol to customers between 6 pm on Saturday, April 1, and midnight at the end of Sunday, April 2.Wisut Romin,…
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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