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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Planeload of Saudi aid arrives
PHUKET CITY: Medical supplies, tents, sleeping mats, blankets and 75 tons of food donated by the government of Saudi Arabia arrived in Phuket yesterday.The aid items, flown to Phuket on a special relief flight, were handed over to Interior Minister Bhokin Bhalakula at Phuket Provincial Hall.Saudi government officers visited the tsunami-stricken areas of southern Thailand last week.Hani A Mominah, Chargé…
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Canadian PM pledges help
PHUKET CITY: Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin yesterday visited Phuket and offered his country’s help in restoring the coastal environment and establishing a tsunami early warning system.Mr Martin met Interior Minister Bhokin Bhalakula at Phuket Provincial Hall, before visiting Kamala to talk with Canadian and Thai volunteers, and officers of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police.Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs Sorajak Kasemsuvan…
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Rugby 10s to raise funds for tsunami orphans
PHUKET: The 7th AirAsia International Phuket Rugby 10s will be held at the Karon Municipal Stadium on May 28 and 29, with the profits going to an scholarship fund for orphans. Patrick Cotter, Chairman of the Phuket Vagabonds RFC, said, “We plan to set up a scholarship fund for children orphaned [by the tsunami] to ensure that they can at…
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Beach chair operators oppose recovery plan
PATONG: Operators of umbrella and beach chair rental businesses on Patong Beach are to ask the government to reconsider its plans for rebuilding the municipality after the December 26 tsunami.According to the plan, the number of beach umbrealls for rent on the beach would be reduced from 7,000 pre-tsunami to 1,500, and beach chairs and beds would be banned, replaced…
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Scandinavian package airline to resume Phuket flights
PHUKET: MyTravel Airways, based at Copenhagen Airport, Denmark, is to resume direct flights from Scandinavia to Phuket International Airport on February 3, bringing about 1,000 people a week to Phuket and Krabi.Torben Andersen, the airline’s Head of Information and PR, told the Gazette that the first resumed flight will leave Oslo, Norway, on February 3, with another departing from Stockholm…
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Residents ‘will resist’ Kamala plan
PHUKET: A 331 million-baht plan for the post-tsunami rebuilding of Kamala has set local residents against Phuket governor Udomsak Usawarangkura.Under the plan – drawn up after Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra called for damaged areas to be reconstructed in a way that would make them “beautiful and safe” – residents would be prohibited from returning to homes near the beach, and…
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Appeal for donations of building materials
BANG TAO: Residents building emergency housing for neighbours who lost their homes in the tsunami have issued an urgent appeal for donations of building materials and voluntary labour.Robin Plant, of Audio Visual Connections Phuket, told the Gazette that although a plot of land has been secured and some funds raised, building materials are in short supply.“We began planning this around…
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Industry Minister pledges B2bn in SME support
PATONG: Industry Minister Pongsak Raktapongpaisan announced yesterday that the Office of Small and Medium Enterprises Promotion (OSMEP) has earmarked 2 billion baht from its Venture Capital Fund to buy between 10% and 49% interest in tsunami-affected SMEs in order to provide much-needed cash flow. There will be no interest levied on the capital injection nor will the OSMEP claim any…
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Call for underwater cleanup volunteers
PHUKET: The Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) is calling for volunteers to help clean up underwater areas off Patong, Kata and Karon Beaches this weekend.DMCR Director Anuwat Nateewathana said, “After inspecting Phuket’s underwater areas, the coral is still in good condition though some parts have been damaged by debris from homes and other wreckage.“We are worried that if…
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Mystery over missing survivors
PHUKET: Anguished families have pleaded for any information on two European women and a boy who apparently survived the tsunami and were treated at hospitals for minor wounds, but who have since disappeared. In addition to Barbara Kuehne, who was apparently treated at Thai Muang Hospital and discharged before disappearing (see earlier story here), an 11-year-old Austrian boy and a…
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Ricky Martin arrives in Phuket
PHUKET CITY: Latin American pop singer Ricky Martin arrived in Phuket this morning and met with Interior Minister Bhokin Bhalakula this afternoon at the Phuket Provincial Hall. The Puerto Rican idol, on his first trip to the island, is here to provide assistance to orphaned survivors of the tsunami. K. Bhokin, who conferred with the singer in private, said that…
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TAT submits B550m plan for Patong Beach
PHUKET CITY: Architects commissioned by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) yesterday presented a plan to rebuild Patong Beach, at a cost of 550 million baht, to make the popular tourist attraction safe from any future tsunami while at the same time preserving its beauty.TAT Deputy Governor for Marketing Santichai Euajongprasit presented the plan, with architects from SPA Architect Co…
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MS agrees to replace software
PHUKET: Microsoft Thailand has agreed to replace software and user licenses damaged or lost in the tsunami in Thailand.Andrew McBean, Managing Director of Microsoft Thailand, has announced, “Anyone who has lost or has had genuine Microsoft software or licenses damaged in the affected areas can contact our call center and we will replace the licenses and media free of charge.“We…
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Australian embassy to hold memorial service
PATONG: Australia will observe a National Day of Mourning and Reflection on Sunday morning to remember the victims of the tsunami.In Thailand, the Australian Embassy will hold a short memorial service at the Seven Dolphins Memorial fountain on Patong Beach (where the statue of dolphins stood before the tsunami, just north of the intersection of Sawadtirak Rd and the beach…
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OrBorJor warning system in the works
PHUKET: The Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (OrBorJor) is planning to establish and operate its own 8.8-million-baht emergency radio network and warning system in order to help prevent a repeat of the December 26 disaster.The idea is the brainchild of OrBorJor President Anchalee Vanich-Thepabutr, who said her own efforts to coordinate an emergency response to the tsunami failed when mobile telephone…
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US, Australia, ease travel advisories
PHUKET: Two Western governments that persisted in describing Phuket as being severely damaged by the tsunami finally amended their advisories yesterday to paint more accurate pictures of the situation The US State Department amended the travel advisory on its website to read: “A series of tsunami waves caused by a severe earthquake struck southwestern coastal areas of Thailand on December…
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Governments begin relaxing travel advisories
PHUKET: Foreign governments have been relaxing their warnings against travelling to Phuket, although the change is by no means universal, and all government websites visited by the Gazette are still recommending that their nationals avoid Phi Phi and Khao Lak. The French government was one of the first to take Phuket off the pariah list. On Friday last week, the…
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Seafood “safe to eat’
PHUKET: The island’s health chief has confirmed that seafood supplies are safe to eat, though he has also reminded people not to eat raw seafood.Dr Wanchai Sattayawutthipong, Chief of the Phuket Provincial Health Office, told the Gazette that every kind of meat should be well cooked before being served. Such precautions apply at all times, not just now, he said.“I…
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Ricky Martin to tour Phuket
PHUKET CITY: Latin American pop singer Ricky Martin will arrive in Thailand tomorrow to tour tsunami-hit areas and assist orphaned survivors, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs has said. The tour is being conducted through the People for Children project, which Martin heads though his Puerto Rico-based Ricky Martin Foundation. The group fights against sexual exploitation of children, but in Thailand…
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Call for govt to sponsor F1 powerboat race
PHUKET: Phuket Chamber of Commerce Chairman Pamuke Archariyachai has called for the government to commit 50 million baht in sponsorship for the F1 powerboat race in Phuket, as a way to attract tourists back to the island.K. Pamuke called for the support at a meeting, at Phuket Royal City Hotel, held to discuss ways to revive the tourism industry in…
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Appeal for relief supplies for second Khao Lak convoy
PHUKET: The organizers of a convoy filled with relief supplies sent to stricken areas of Phang Nga on January 7 say they have “barely scratched the surface” and are planning to send another convoy on Friday.The team, which sent of four six-wheeled trucks, two four-wheeled trucks and about six pickup trucks and cars full of supplies in the first convoy,…
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Fixing Kamala water “will take 2 months’
KAMALA: Local authority staff are distributing water to residents of Kamala whose supplies have been rendered undrinkable after being contaminated during the tsunami.Kamala Tambon Administration Organization (OrBorTor) Chairman Jaran Sararak told the Gazette that the OrBorTor had arranged for water to be delivered to villagers in Moo 3, where the existing water supply had been disrupted.He said he hoped that…
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British Embassy office moves
PHUKET: The British Embassy has announced that its office in Phuket, established to deal with the aftermath of the tsuanmi disaster, was today moved to the Royal Phuket City Hotel on Phang Nga Rd inPhuket City.The office may be reached 24 hours a day at Tel: 076-264473, 076-264474 or 076-264484 (Fax: 076-263993) and will be keep official office hours daily…
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Candidates register for general election
PHUKET: Tsunami or no, the four parliamentary candidates from the two big political parties turned up this morning to register their candidacies for the upcoming general election.With the Democrat Party candidates in blue, their Thai Rak Thai (TRT) opponents in red, all wearing yellow garlands and cheered on by enthusiastic supporters, the atmosphere was reminiscent of the final minutes before…
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Patong “clear of tsunami wreckage’
PATONG: Wreckage caused by the tsunami has now been cleared from the streets of Patong and dumped in a disused tinmine, Phunsak Naksena, Chief Administration officer of Patong Municipality told the Gazette today.“We have dumped all construction debris into a privately-owned tin mine,” said K. Phunsak. “Most car owners have already contacted their insurance companies to handle the disposal of…
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Help pours in for damaged schools
KAMALA: Financial assistance has been pouring in from Thailand and around the world to help rebuild Phuket schools damaged by the December 26 tsunami. The Education Ministry has already issued 800,000 baht in emergency funding to rebuild four schools damaged by the December 26 tsunami, said Damrong Boonchoti, Director of the Phuket Educational Area Office. Most of the funding will…
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Play equipment offered cheap to schools
PHUKET: A play-equipment manufacturer is offering a 50% discount on items bought to be donated to schools, nurseries and kindergartens to replace equipment lost to the tsunami. Wichana Praditpolkarn, Managing Director of Genius Kids, told the Gazette, “We feel that play equipment is important to the children since we heard that children feel sad and do not want to go…
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Gay Festival postponed until April
PATONG: The Phuket Gay Festival, originally scheduled to take place in February, has been postponed because of the tsunami. The event will now be run from April 7 to 10. Festival organizers have announced that although most gay venues escaped direct damage from the tsunami, two were hit, with one member of staff killed. An announcement on the organizer’s website…
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Bizarre twists in UK travel advisory
PHUKET: In a bizarre twist possibly sparked more by politics than reality, Britain’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) yesterday took Phuket off its list of places for British travelers to avoid, and then, within hours, put it back on.On its website, the FCO had advised, since the tsunami struck, against “all but essential travel to affected resorts and towns along…
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Some dead may never be identified – Straw
PHUKET: British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said today that identification of tsunami victims may take months and, in some cases, identification may never be possible.Mr Straw was speaking during a visit to Phuket, where he met survivors and relatives of some of the thousands killed by the tsunami.He said the tsunami had claimed the lives of at least 49 Britons in…
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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