Phuket News
Phuket news, politics, business, tourism, and nightlife—stay updated with breaking stories, events, and expat updates from Thailand’s top island destination. Get the latest from The Thaiger, your trusted Phuket news source.
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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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Gambling tops August arrests statistics
PHUKET: Statistics released by Phuket Provincial Police show that gambling once again topped the crime table, with 149 people arrested in August for the offense. Thirty-four cases involved the sale of illegal underground lottery tickets.Eight murders were reported during the month with four cases solved, resulting in the arrests of six people.There were six cases of attempted murder with no…
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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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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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“Public Point’ to ease pressure on govt services
PHUKET: The Department of Local Administration (DOLA) and the Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (OrBorJor) on Tuesday jointly opened a “Public Point” service center on the basement floor of Big C Supercenter on the bypass road.The center, open daily from 10 am to 8 pm, is connected to DOLA’s online system and offers most of the same basic services as a…
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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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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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Medium restraint during veg fest – Governor
PHUKET (Gazette, Kom Chad Luek): Phuket Governor Udomsak Uswarangkura has urged mediums at this year’s Vegetarian Festival not to be too extreme during the street parades that are to take place from October 3-11. At the same time the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), Phuket believes the festival will attract more than 50,000 tourists.Gov Udomsak, said he ordered supervising officials…
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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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“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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Soi Dog Foundation closed as ‘warning’
PHUKET: The Phuket Provincial Livestock Office (PPLO) on September 16 ordered the Soi Dog Foundation (SDF) in Tambon Rassada to suspend operations on the grounds that it is not in compliance with Thai law because it is not registered under the name of a Thai veterinarian.PPLO Chief Sunart Wongchawalit told the Gazette that Phuket has up to 17 animal rescue…
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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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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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Tourism picking up as high season approaches
PHUKET: A Singapore-based budget airline is to launch a four-times-a-week service to Phuket from October 25, and will be offering special low one-way fares (excluding taxes) of S$22 (520 baht) until December 15.The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) hopes the flights by Jetstar Asia, an affiliate of Australia’s Qantas Airways, will attract many Singaporeans to Phuket during the high season.Suwalai…
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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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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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Gasohol in Phuket by Monday
PHUKET: Gasohol will available at all 14 PTT gas stations on the island by Monday, Vichitpong Cheanthongsub, PTT Oil Phuket Depot Manager, told the Gazette yesterday.“Gasohol became available throughout the South yesterday [on Thursday], but some PTT gas stations are still in the process of having the tanks installed. PTT gas stations in Phuket will have gasohol available for 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…
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National lottery draw to be held in Phuket
PATONG: The October 1 draw of the government national lottery, which will be televised live round the country, will take place at the Graceland Resort & Spa in Patong.Wallapa Pajareepong of the Government Lottery Office said that the lottery will be held in Phuket in order to promote tourism to the province. During the show, footage of popular tourist spots…
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“Barbecued’ dolphin found on Karon Beach
KARON: The charred carcass of a male bottlenose dolphin, believed to have been dragged ashore by fishermen hoping to barbecue it, was found on Karon Beach on Tuesday.Kongkiat Kittiwattawong, a biologist at the Phuket Marine Biological Center (PMBC) at Cape Panwa, told the Gazette that the dolphin was about 20-25 years old. It was 2.5 meters long and weighed about 80…
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Phuket Air cuts more routes after accident
BANGKOK: Phuket Air has canceled its services between Bangkok and Mae Sot, and Bangkok and Buri Ram, after one of its aircrft skidded off the runway at Tak Airport while landing the day before yesterday. None of the 30 passengers on board was injured.The decades-old Japanese YS-11 twin-turboprop aircraft, which can carry 64 passengers, barreled into the airport’s perimeter fence,…
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Crackdown on land officials imminent
BANGKOK (The Nation): The top money-laundering examiner yesterday sounded an alarm that rogue officials in Phuket, Phang Nga, Ranong and Krabi were behind scams to issue land-right documents unlawfully for plots overlapping forests.“From confidential investigations by the Anti-Money Laundering Office (AMLO), [we have ascertained that] rogue officials in four southern provinces have abused their office to issue false documents for…
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Two singers sought for rape
PATONG: Two Thai singers are being sought on charges of sexually assaulting a young woman from the Netherlands in the early hours of Saturday morning.Pol Lt Weerapong Rakhito of Kathu Police Station said that, at 3:30 am on Saturday, Patong Hospital reported that two women tourists, one apparently the victim of a sexual assault, had arrived there by tuk-tuk.Eighteen-year-old “Anna”…
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Ticket scam suspect makes bail
PATONG: British national Jonathan Duncan, charged with selling fraudulently obtained air tickets to tourists, has been released on bail of 50,000 baht after spending five days locked up following his arrest.Duncan, 24, was arrested August 30 on charges of fraud, following complaints by people who had bought cheap air tickets from him. It is alleged that he bought them by…
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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