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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Island to get water from Surat Thani?
PHUKET CITY: Surasak Anakkhaphan, Adviser to Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Minister Suwit Khunkitti, today proposed that water be piped from Chieo Lan Reservoir in Surat Thani Province as a long-term solution to Phuket’s chronic – and worsening – water shortage problems.At a meeting at the Phuket Provincial Hall, K. Surasak explained that Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra had allocated each…
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Phuket gets first film festival
PHUKET: The SFX Coliseum Cinema at Central Festival Phuket will host an 11-day festival of movies from the European Union, starting June 16. The event will be co-sponsored by the Phuket Gazette. The opening ceremony, between 5 pm and 10 pm on June 16, will feature music from the band Ocastra and an exhibition about the films. The event will…
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Airport numbers go into a dive
PHUKET: International passenger arrivals and departures at Phuket International Airport in April plummeted to less than half the number in April last year, and the number of international flights dropped by a third, thanks to the downturn in tourism following the tsunami.The statistics, obtained from Phuket International Airport, show that the number of international passengers using the island’s airport slumped…
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Miss Canada is Miss Universe 2005
BANGKOK: Natalie Glebova, 23, from Canada, was crowned Miss Universe 2005 at about 10 am today.Miss Glebova was born in Russia but moved with her family to Toronto when she was 12 years old. She is an information technology management and marketing student at Ryerson University, and also works as a model.Runners-up, in order, were Miss Dominican Republic, Miss Mexico and Miss…
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Gov orders probe into tour company
PHUKET CITY (Khom Chad Luek, Phuket Gazette) : Phuket Governor Udomsak Usawarangkura has ordered an investigation into a tour company for allegedly intimidating tourists into buying overpriced package tours.The Tourist Police denied having received any complaints about the company in question, which is located close to their office on the bypass road .The Governor ordered the investigation while chairing the monthly…
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Environment tops Governor’s agenda
PHUKET: Governor Udomsak Usawarangkura has ordered that a special committee be set up to protect the environment in Phuket.Gov Udomsak said he would like police officers, forestry staff and volunteers to sit on the committee, which would respond to complaints from the public about environmental damage.“I would like the committee to be able to act as soon as it receives…
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Tsunami mental health center opens
KHAO LAK: More than five months after the tsunami, the Mental Health Recovery Center (MHRC) – in Khuek Khak, Takua Pa District, Phang Nga Province, and set up at a cost of some 20 million baht – was opened on May 26 by Deputy Minister of Public Health Anutin Charnvirakul.Dr Benjaporn Panyayong, the Director of the MHRC, told the Gazette…
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Blood bank in plea for foreign volunteers
PHUKET CITY: The blood bank at Wachira Phuket Hospital is appealing for expats of all ages and nationalities to become volunteer helpers. The head of the blood bank, Sriroung Choophak, told the Gazette that foreign volunteers could help put donors at ease when they came to give blood, and maybe give the hospital ideas on improving the blood service. K.…
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April sees rise in road deaths
PHUKET CITY: Official figures for April obtained from Wachira, Thalang, Patong and Ruampaet government hospitals show that 18 people died in motorcycle accidents on Phuket’s roads during the month.In addition, three died in car accidents and one unlucky pedestrian was killed.The figures are an increase on those for March, when 11 people died in Phuket, all in motorbike accidents.The hospital…
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Cop gets life for killing tourists
KANCHANABURI: Pol Sgt Somchai Wisetsingha has been handed a life sentence for the murders eight months ago of British tourists Adam Lloyd, 25, and Vanessa Arscott, 24.The court had heard that, after an argument with Mr Lloyd, Somchai assaulted him and then shot him dead. As Ms Arscott fled from the scene Somchai ran her down with his Volvo car,…
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Drive to promote duty-free shopping
PHUKET: The government is to urge businesspeople to open more duty-free shops in Phuket, the Director of the Thai Customs Department, Sathit Limpongpan, said today.K. Sathit said it was hoped that having more duty-free shops in the province would encourage more tourists to come here.At present there are only two duty free shops in the province, one at Phuket International…
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Man found dead in Burmese Cemetery
RASSADA: A man, thought to be Burmese and about 30 years old, was found dead yesterday at Klong Tah Jeen, near Choke Raft, in an area long known as the Burmese Cemetery because of the number of murder victims dumped there.Pol Sub-Lt Teeradat Jiragsa of Phuket City Police Station explained that the victim, who was about 165cm tall and dark-skinned…
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Training seminar for volunteer officers
THALANG: Ninety new volunteer police officers have taken part in two days of training during which they learned the rudiments of martial arts along with topics including providing security for VIPs and dealing with sensitive situations such as bomb threats.The 90 men who have volunteered to support the province’s 400 paid, full-time officers gathered at the Khao Pra Taew Wildlife…
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B280m more needed to identify tsunami dead
PHUKET: Around 20 million baht is needed to pay for the testing of DNA samples of victims of the tsunami who have yet to be identified, the head of the Thai Tsunami Victims Identification centre (TTVI), Pol Gen Noppadol Somboonsap, said yesterday.And an additional 260 million baht, or more, may be needed to set up a proposed Thai-run disaster victims…
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Tsunami delays Jungceylon opening
PATONG: It has been decided to delay the opening of the Jungceylon shopping, entertainment and hotel complex until October, seven months later than originally planned, because of the tsunami.Jungceylon public relations and events supervisor Khemawat Pudpuang told the Gazette this morning that the management team, meeting after the tsunami, decided not to open the centre in March, as originally intended,…
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Drug cases top crime stats again
PHUKET: Drugs were yet again the main cause for arrests in Phuket in April, according to the latest Provincial Police crime statistics.A total of 93 people were arrested for drug-related offenses between April 1 and April 30, compared with 81 arrests in March.Possession of ya bah (methamphetamine) accounted for the largest number of arrests – 38 – in April, followed…
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Funding for tsunami victim ID “embarrassing’ – Interpol
PHUKET: Ronald K Noble, the Secretary General of the International Criminal Police Organization (Interpol), this morning lashed out at the lack of funding from the international community for work to continue in identifying victims of the December 26 tsunami.“We, as a world community, should be embarrassed that the people in the DVI teams, who should be [regarded as] heroes, aren’t…
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Surakul gets green card for Premier League kid’s soccer clinic
PHUKET CITY: Three representatives of English Premiership teams Everton, Bolton and Manchester City yesterday gave their approval for Surakul Stadium to be the venue of a one-day kid’s soccer camp on July 21, run by three coaches and two players of each team.Eam Thavornvongwongse, President of the Phuket Sports Association, said, “The purpose of this course is to give about…
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Phuket Air stops Bangkok-Bali service
THAILAND: Phuket Air has stopped its Bangkok-Bali service after passenger numbers slumped following banishment of the airline from Amsterdam and London airports earlier this month for breaches of safety standards.Sribenja Semmeesook, Communication Consultant of Aziam Burson-Marsteller, which handles public relations for Phuket Air, told the Gazette today, “Many customers from the Netherlands and the rest of Europe used Phuket Air to fly to Bangkok,…
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Patong police get new “beach busters’
PATONG: Officers from Kathu Police Station will find it easier to patrol the sands of Patong Beach with the new 4×4 off-road vehicles presented to them yesterday by the US Embassy in Thailand.The vehicles, called ST 4×4, were donated by E-Z-Go Company, which is owned by Textron, well-known for its Bell Helicopter and Cessna Aircraft brands.Two of the vehicles, which…
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Tour of beauty
PHUKET: Picturesque Phuket provided the perfect backdrop for a visit by 81 of the world’s most beautiful young women today.The competitors in the Miss Universe 2005 beauty contest came to Phuket to boost post-tsunami tourism, and they received a warm welcome from residents and tourists.After lunch at FantaSea, Kamala, and seeing the “Amazing Kamala” show, one group of contestants went…
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Sticker fever unabated
PHUKET: Since its launch five weeks ago, the Phuket Gazette‘s “We Love Phuket” sticker campaign has yielded continuing surprises. Originally budgeted for 8,000 stickers, the project has now printed and placed 14,000. Though currently out of stock, an additional 6,000 pieces will arrive from the printer this Friday (20 May). Of those, 3,200 have already been booked, so a further…
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Entertainment license fees finally arrive
PHUKET: More than 14 months after all entertainment licenses were declared statutorily void, a list of fees for entertainment licenses has been announced, paving the way for provincial authorities to start processing applications.Wisut Romin, Deputy Secretary of the Phuket Provincial Administrative Office, told the Gazette that he received the list of fees today, although it was ratified by the Ministry…
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Bypass expansion stems water supply
PHUKET CITY: Phuket Provincial Water Supply (PPWS) has announced that its customers living in areas to the south of the bypass road expansion project will experience reductions in flow rate until about May 25. The reduced flow, about 50% on average, will result from a PPWS project to move water mains to accommodate the road expansion now underway by the…
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Tsunami cost B20 billion in tourism revenue
PHUKET: The province has lost at least 20 billion baht in revenue from tourism between January and March because of the December tsunami, Tourism Council of Thailand President Vichit Na Ranong said on Friday.K. Vichit said, “Phuket makes on average 70 billion baht a year from tourism. Generally, the province makes around twice as much revenue in the high season as…
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Employment Office launches English-language web pages
PHUKET: The Phuket Provincial Employment Office (PPEO) has created several English-language web pages on its website to help foreigners understand the complexities of obtaining and extending a work permit. The pages include translations of the 1978 Working of Aliens Act, the 1979 Royal Decree listing professions that aliens are prohibited from engaging in, and other information useful for those looking to work in the Kingdom.…
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Police blitz late-night entertainment venues
PHUKET CITY: Police and provincial government officers are raiding entertainment venues around the island up to 20 times a month to ensure they are not trading past the 1 am deadline for closing, Provincial Chief Administrative Officer (Palad) Vichan Busapavanich said today. Speaking at a press conference at Phuket Provincial Hall this morning, Palad Vichan said, “The law says that…
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Miss Universe beauties to visit Phuket
PHUKET: Miss Universe 2005 contestants will visit tourist attractions and hospitals, and learn about “Phuket culture”, when they visit the island on May 19 on a tour designed to boost Phuket’s tourism industry.The 82 young women from around the world will spend a day in the province during the run-up to the competition, which will take place in Bangkok on…
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Dulwich divorce is final
PHUKET: The divorce is final. Dr Arthit Ourairath, CEO and Founder of Dulwich International College, has announced that ties between Dulwich College in London (DCL) and Phuket’s top international school have been severed.Dulwich International College will, from June 24, be known as the British International College of Thailand, unless agreement can be reached with another school willing to replace DCL’s…
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Dengue fever cases up sharply
PHUKET CITY: The Phuket Public Health Office (PPHO) is urging the public to take steps to eradicate mosquitoes around their premises in an effort to prevent the spread of dengue fever. Despite efforts by the PPHO to prevent the spread of mosquito-borne disease after the tsunami, there have been 68 reported cases of the disease since the beginning of the…
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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