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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Mom Tri plans to open international school
KATA: Famed architect and developer ML Tridhosyuth Devakul has unveiled plans to establish a new International Baccalaureate (IB) school in Phuket.Mom Tri, as he is widely known, was speaking at the groundbreaking ceremony yesterday for the Villas Grand Cru, a new residential project in the Kata Hills.In 2001, Mom Tri founded the Prem Tinsulanonda International School (Prem Center) in Chiang…
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Landing fees for charter flights halved
PHUKET: In an effort to attract more flights to the island, Airports of Thailand (AOT) has halved landing fees for all international charter flights arriving at Phuket until December 31.The airport Director, Sq/Ldr Pornchai Eua-aree, told the Gazette that the airport had originally suggested halving fees on all services, but that the Cabinet had approved the reduction only for charter…
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Bizarre death in elephant camp
PATONG: Bizarre theories surround the fate of an Asian woman, probably Thai, who was found dead Wednesday morning at the Safari Elephant Camp on Siriraj Rd, between Karon and Patong.Police have speculated that she may have been assaulted by unknown assailants who tried to rape her, and was then crushed to death by one of the elephants.The woman is thought…
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HRH Princess Soamsavali to visit Phuket
PHUKET: HRH Princess Soamsavali will visit Phuket on October 10 to preside over the official opening of two rooms bearing the name of the Sweden’s King Carl XVI Gustaf at Bangkok Phuket Hospital.The two rooms, the King Carl Gustaf Conference Room and the Tsunami Memorial Room, are in the hospital’s new Outpatient Building.King Carl XVI Gustaf, accompanied by Queen Silvia,…
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British Ecstasy dealer jailed
PHUKET: Briton Jason Crosby today pleaded guilty to charges of possession of 50 ya E (Ecstasy) tablets with intent to sell and was sentenced to nearly seven years in jail and fined 390,000 baht by Phuket Provincial Court.The court initially sentenced him to 13 years and eight months in prison and a 780,000-baht fine but, in accordance with standard practice,…
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11,000 hotel rooms for tsunami relatives “difficult to find’
PHUKET: (Gazette/The Nation) The Phuket Tourist Association (PTA) is unsure whether its member hotels will be able to provide the 11,000 hotel rooms requested by the government to accommodate family members of tsunami victims expected to attend the first-year memorial services in December. The official number of tsunami dead in Phuket was 279, with 620 reported missing. The disaster claimed…
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TTVI center to close before December 26
PHUKET: The Chalong-based Thai Tsunami Victim Identification (TTVI) center will close some time before the anniversary of the Indian Ocean tsunami on December 26, police say. Pol Col Khemmarin Hassiri, Superintendent of the TTVI’s Thai disaster victim identification (DVI) unit, said that a written order from the Cabinet to close the center was received by the TTVI following a decision…
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Phuket boosts security after Bali bomb blasts
PHUKET: Police are stepping up security across the island following three suicide bomb blasts in Bali on Saturday that claimed at least 19 lives and injured 133 people, Pol Maj Gen Decha Budnampeth, the new Phuket Provincial Police Commander, told the Gazette today.He called for tourists not to be put off by seeing a greater police presence on the street.“I…
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Vegetarian Festival begins
PHUKET: Phuket’s Vegetarian Festival has begun with the raising of bamboo go teng poles at each participating temple. Gods are then invited down the poles to join in the celebrations. Shrines around the island performed the same ceremony at exactly 5:09 pm Sunday.Minister of Energy Viset Jupibal chaired the opening ceremony at Phuket City’s Jui Tui Shrine, with more than…
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New police chief asks for feedback
PHUKET: The new commander of Phuket Provincial Police has asked for more help and feedback from Thais and also from foreigners, both tourists and those who live here.Pol Maj Gen Decha Budnampeth, previously Deputy Commander of Phang Nga Provincial Police, took up his new post in Phuket today.Maj Gen Decha was at Phang Nga Provincial Police for a year, and…
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Patong-Kamala redevelopment to start this month
PHUKET: Work on the long-awaited Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) post-tsunami redevelopment projects for Patong and Kamala beaches will get under way in October, with first-phase landscaping work on both projects to be completed by the end of November, officials say.On June 13, the TAT received approval from the Budget Bureau of 194.7 million baht for the three-phase Patong project…
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HRH Princess Sirindhorn to visit Phuket
PHUKET: HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn will visit Phuket and Phang Nga in October and again in November, Phuket Governor Udomsak Uswarangkura announced this morning.On October 26, Princess Sirindhorn will be in Phuket to take part in a Tod Kathin ceremony, during which people donate money to a wat, at Wat Luang Phu Supa in Chalong, residence of Abbot Luang…
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Phuket “disaster academy’ opens
THALANG: The Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Academy, Phuket Campus, opened on Monday at the old Phuket Provincial Office of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (ODPM) in Tambon Sri Soonthorn. It is one of six schools nationwide set up to help prevent disasters and minimize their effects.The plan for this scheme was approved by Cabinet in July last year and by the…
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Dead man found floating in canal
KOH SIREH: Local villagers yesterday morning found the body of an unidentified dead man floating in Klong Tha Chin, which separates Koh Sireh from Phuket.The body had 10 stab wounds to the neck and the base of the skull.The police believe that the victim, between 25 and 30 years of age, was killed more than two days before his body…
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Wind of change
PHUKET: The cool, wet and windy conditions Phuket is currently experiencing as a result of tropical storm Damrey will end tomorrow, when normal monsoon conditions will prevail, Chumnong Chitpukdee, Director of Southern Meteorological Center (West Coast) Meteorological Department, has told the Gazette.He said that Phuket would likely not experience any more heavy rain from the system, but windy conditions could…
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Phuket gets another “sister’
PHUKET CITY: Nearly three years after the idea was first floated, Phuket and Hainan Island, in China, are now “sisters”.The special status relationship was ratified on Sunday with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) by Phuket Governor Udomsak Uswarangkura and Hainan Governor Wei Liucheng, at the Royal Phuket City Hotel.The MoU, which became effective immediately, states having the…
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Tentative steps toward ending airport taxi deadlock
PHUKET: The Phuket Vehicle Service Co-operative and Confederation (PVSCC) has held its first meeting to try to solve the impasse between airport limousine drivers and meter taxi operators.The committee comprises members of the Airport Limousine and Business Service Co-operative, Phuket Taxi Service Co-operative (green license plate car service), Phuket Small Four-wheel Co-operative (tuk-tuk service), and Patong Motor Taxi Service. The…
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Anti-terrorist drill “a success’
AO MAKHAM: Although admitting that there were some “communication problems”, Phuket Provincial Administration Officer (Palad) Vichan Busapavanich hailed today’s anti-terrorist exercise at Phuket Deep Sea Port in Ao Makham as “a success”.The hypothetical scenario involved of a band of terrorists taking hostages in a building at the port, where they detonate an explosive device. In the exercise, the building was…
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Woman found dead on Koh Sireh
KOH SIREH: The body of a middle-aged Thai woman was discovered by locals on a Pae Ong Beach on Koh Sireh on Friday.Pol Lt Patrawut Onchuay, of Phuket City Police Station, told the Gazette that the victim, Ampai Yothapakdee, 46, had been killed no more than eight hours before her body was discovered at 10 am.Customers at the nearby Wangkung…
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“Too many mobile phones’ for tsunami SMS warning system
PHUKET CITY: Ministers and high-ranking officials are able receive a tsunami warning SMS from the National Disaster Warning Center (NDWC) but other mobile phone users are not yet able to receive messages because of delays.Dr Smith Thammasaroj, appointed to establish the NDWC, made his comments at a recent seminar held at the Phuket Royal City Hotel. The seminar was attended by…
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Samui property agent shot
KOH SAMUI: Samui property agent Gary Pearmain and his girlfriend, Sirinya Sansenao, 25, were shot and wounded by two gunmen at their house in Baan Thongkrud at about 8 pm on Thursday.Pol Maj Sompong Krutsuwan, Inspector of Samui Police Station, told the Gazette that Mr Pearmain, a British national, was shot in the left hand and chest, and K. Sirinya…
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Number plate auction hopes to top 8 million baht
PHUKET CITY: A total of 301 numbers will go on the block at Phuket’s second two-day auction of car license plates, starting at 8:30 am on October 15 and 16 at The Metropole Hotel Phuket.Theerayuth Prasertphol, Chief Technical Officer of the Phuket Provincial Transportation Office (PPTO), told the Gazette today that there will be a variety of categories of numbers…
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Tsunami memorial design competition opens
BANGKOK: Registration for the competition to design the national tsunami memorial opened on September 15. The competition is open until November 15, and the five shortlisted proposals will be displayed on December 26, 2005 at Khao Lak Lamru National Park.. The 1.5 billion baht-project – the cost of which has been mired in controversy – is due for completion by…
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New luxury resort planned for Phi Phi
PHI PHI: A new luxury resort, built by InterContinental Hotels Group (IHG), is planned for Lanah Bay, Phi Phi Island, with another two resorts – one on Koh Samui and another in Pattaya – in the pipeline.The properties, slated to open in 2007, will be IHG‘s first resorts in Thailand, and will bring the total number of properties managed by IHG…
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Gov urges police to work harder on drug cases
PHUKET: Governor Udomsak Uswarangkura has urged local police to concentrate their efforts in the war on drugs. He was speaking at a meeting at Phuket Provincial Hall yesterday.The Phuket Provincial Health Office (PPHO) reported to the meeting that most teenage drug cases involved two main drugs – ya bah (methamphetamine) and cannabis – and that most teenagers were able to…
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Miss Teen Phuket 2005
PHUKET: Aroonrat Sakulchit, 18, gracefully edged out 29 fellow contestants to win the “Miss Teen Phuket 2005” on September 17 at Central Festival.The beauty contest was overseen by Wilak Lohthong, Chairman of Miss Teen Thailand 2005, and Chairman of Miss Teen Phuket 2005, Pamuke Archariyachai.The 30 contenders modeled products from the One Tambon One Product (OTOP) project before the judges selected…
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Vicente blows in good news and bad
PHUKET: The skirts of Tropical Storm Vicente trailed good news and bad across Phuket over the weekend, topping up the Bang Wad Reservoir with badly needed supplies of water but, at the same time, sending mud pouring into seven homes in Phuket City.The heavy rain added 288,000 cubic meters of water to Phuket’s only major reservoir, enough to keep the…
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Wet weekend ahead
PHUKET: Island residents can expect a wet and overcast weekend, thanks to slow-moving tropical storm Vicente, which at 7 am today was centered in the South China Sea about 600 kilometers east of the Vietnamese city of Qui Nhon. Maximum winds speeds recorded near the center of the storm were about 75 kilometers an hour. Chumnong Chitpukeed, Director of the…
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ATM cash thieves arrested in Phuket
BANGKOK (Kom Chad Luek): Crime Suppression Division detectives announced at a press conference in Bangkok yesterday the arrest in Phuket on Wednesday of two Krung Thai Bank employees who allegedly stole a massive 28.8 million baht from ATM machines in the capital.The suspects, identified as Chatchai Jongsirirat, 32, and Pichet Kraibutra, 29, were employed by Krung Thai Business Service Co.…
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Shrimp farmer and mule netted in ya bah sting
PHUKET CITY: A joint sting operation carried out yesterday between Phuket City Police Station and Phang Nga police officers netted 1,100 ya bah (methamphetamine) tablets and two alleged dealers.Phuket City Police Superintendent Col Paween Pongsirin told the Gazette that undercover officers met with shrimp farmer Sanan Pandej, 50, from Nakhon Sri Thammarat, outside the Imperial 2 Hotel on Luang Por…
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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