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.
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Embassy staff contact numbers
PHUKET: Following is a list of embassy staff from 41 countries responsible for looking after their nationals in the aftermath of the tsunami in the six Andaman coast provinces of Thailand:Australia:Robin Hamilton: 01-8165709Ms Sudamani: 01-8366131Austria:Edwin Ferner: 01-8145965Belgium:Ronny Elaut: 01-8339986Canada:Diego Tremblay: 01-8438275Sukanya Racharit: 01-8352690China:Pan Guangxie: 01-6555884Mo Yaohing: 01-8214771Hua Jinzhou: 01-9903858Li Tuzong: 09-8766052Denmark:Ulrik Helwek-Jarsen: 01-8558159France:Michel Frebourg: 09-8101084Finland:Heikki Tuunanen, Jussi Koskela, Khaikhae Louwithawas:…
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Early warning center “by end of January’
PHUKET: A disaster warning center aimed at reducing the death and injury rate in any future tsunami may be established as early as the end of this month, the Gazette has learned.Smith Dharmasaroja, newly assigned to the office of the Prime Minister with responsibility for examining what can be learned from the events of December 26, told a press conference…
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Delivery of relief items to Takua Pa
PHUKET: The organizers of a relief delivery to Khao Lak (story here) have announced that they will also be pleased to deliver items for Takua Pa (story here) on behalf of those unable to make delivery themselves. Items for Khao Lak (crockery, cutlery, camping gas stoves and non-electric rice cookers) and items for Takua Pa (baby formula, baby bottles, toys, children’s shoes,…
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Call for info on missing persons
BANGKOK: Nordic embassies in Bangkok, representing Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden, have called for all people with information about possible missing nationals to contact them.In a press release sent to the Gazette, the embassies pointed out that people seriously injured or too young to report themselves may be listed as still missing.Anyone with information of such people should notify…
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Khao Lak needs cooking implements
KHAO LAK: Volunteers gathering relief for survivors in the devastated area around Khao Lak have appealed for items urgently needed there. These include: Cooking Utensils – Pots and pans, woks, plates, bowls, mugs, forks and spoons; Cooking Oil; Simple gas stoves (like those used for camping); Simple rice cookers (non electric). A collection point for such items has been set…
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Relief items needed urgently in Takua Pa
TAKUA PA: The Gazette has received an urgent plea from volunteers working with tsunami survivors at the Takua Pa District office for the following: Milk powder for babies; Milk bottles for babies; Toys to occupy children; Children’s shoes, e.g. flip-flops; Mosquito nets; and Sarongs. Anyone who can purchase some of these items and deliver them to Takua Pa District Office will be…
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Account details for relief donations
PHUKET: The following are account details for those wishing to make monetary donations to help victims of the tsunami disaster in Phuket and surrounding areas. – Rotary Club of Patong: Siam Commercial Bank Public Ltd, Chao Fa Branch (Phuket); Account number: 633-2-49365-8; Account name: Rotary Club of Patong Beach (Tsunami Relief Fund); Swift Code: SICOTHBK; Telex number: 20455 SIAMFX TH…
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Identification Documents found on beach at Koh Lanta
A driver’s license and ID card belonging to a Marion Reijerink have been found on the beach on Koh Lanta. They are currently in the hands of FD Luca who has posted a notice at https://thethaiger.com/classifieds/details.asp?thequerytype=&id=48434&Cat=54 and who can be contacted at lucafd@yahoo.com
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DNA centers set up to help identify victims
PHUKET: The Scientific Crime Detection Division (SCDD) of the Royal Thai Police has set up three centers in Phuket and one in Krabi to facilitate the collection of DNA samples from relatives of missing people in an effort to identify the victims of the tsunami. Wachira Phuket Hospital and Patong Hospital, and Phuket City Hall are the island’s sampling centers,…
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Central website on tsunami victims launched
PHUKET: Worried relatives and friends of people living in or visiting provinces stricken by Sunday’s tsunami now have a central point for information on victims here. The Official Thai Tsunami Information Center website, set up by the Royal Thai Police, has Thai, English, Japanese, Chinese, French, German and Spanish versions and contains long lists of people injured, killed or missing…
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13 looters arrested in Patong
PATONG: Police have arrested 13 people for looting damaged businesses in the Patong area.Pol Col Teeraphol Thipjaroen, the Superintendent of Kathu Police Station, told the Gazette that since December 26 his officers had arrested nine Thais and four Burmese for looting.“In accordance with the law, people engaged in theft at a time of crisis like this are subject to severe…
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A somber New Year
PHUKET: About 500 people gathered at Central Festival on the outskirts of Phuket City last night in a somber and emotional candlelit gathering to remember those killed by last Sunday’s tsunami.Interior Minister Bhokin Bhalakula, Phuket Governor Udomsak Usawarangkura and government officers also attended the memorial gathering.Each person received a candle and a white rose. Songs, both in Thai and English,…
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Unidentified victims “will not be cremated’
PHUKET: Interior Minister Bhokin Bhalakula today stressed that the bodies of foreign victims of last Sunday’s tsunami will not be cremated or buried before they can be identified.His statement contradicted an earlier one by Phuket Governor Udomsak Usawarangkura that burials would begin at a site in Mai Khao today.Speaking at a press conference at the emergency center at Phuket Provincial…
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Huge progress made in Patong cleanup
PATONG: Just five days after the tsunami hit Patong Beach, astonishing progress has been made with the clean-up of the resort town.Tourists are back in the water or strolling along the sand, though the view is very different from the clutter that existed before the wave hit. With no beach chairs or umbrellas, one can now look along the entire…
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B20m support for beleaguered tourists
PHUKET: The Government has given the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) permission to spend 20 million baht on supporting tourists in the six provinces affected by the tsunami.Deputy Prime Minister Suwat Liptapanlop said during a visit to the emergency centre at Phuket Provincial Hall that the TAT would receive 20 million baht of the 260 million baht Thailand has already…
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Midnight memorial in Patong tonight
PATONG: There will be a memorial service for victims of the December 26 tsunami at midnight tonight at the west end of Soi Bangla, near the Patong waterfront. The event is being organized jointly by the Phuket Tourism Association and the Patong Beach Hotel Business Association as a way for survivors to remember friends and relatives who perished in the…
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Appeal for forensic experts, body bags
KHAO LAK: A volunteer helping to collect and wrap bodies in this epicenter of the tsunami tragedy issued an urgent appeal this morning for forensic experts to come to the shattered resort to help set up some system for identifying the dead.John Dalley, originally from Leeds, England, but now a resident of Phuket, told the Gazette, “There are lots of…
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Grim toll still rising
PHUKET: Official figures released by the emergency center at Phuket Provincial Hall at 4.30 this afternoon show the number of dead in Phang Nga, Phuket and Krabi, the three provinces worst hit by the tsunami, has climbed to 2,232 .In Phuket the number of dead has risen to 282 (149 Thai, 108 foreigners and 25 of unknown nationality). No new…
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More help for tsunami victims
Support for those affected by Sunday’s tsunami disaster continues to increase.Private tour companies are offering free minibus services to return tourists from the Provincial Administration Organisation (OrBorJor) and nearby offices to their hotels or to Phuket International Airport.Bangkok Phuket Hospital is screening patients and is, with the help of Bangkok Airways, airlifting serious cases to Bangkok free of charge, marketing…
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Devastated Khao Lak resembles war zone
PHANG NGA: Hotels, resorts and other structures along the beach in Khao Lak were devastated by last Sunday’s tsunami waves, which ravaged everything in their path and pushed wreckage back all the way back past Highway 4, the main road through the area.A fisherwoman, Sawaad, told the Gazette, “I saw the huge wave come over one kilometer onto the land.…
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Foreign rescue teams arrive
PHUKET: Teams of foreign rescue workers have been arriving in Phuket to assist in rescue and recovery operations in Khao Lak following Sunday’s disaster. Last night a team of some 35 Taiwanese arrived at Phuket Provincial Hall. Other rescue teams arriving include a unit from Germany and a volunteer squad from the United States.They were followed this morning by French…
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Dead to be buried in Mai Khao
PHUKET: Phuket is preparing a 10-rai plot of land at the Sea Gypsy cemetery in Tambon Mai Khao to bury victims of Sunday’s tsunami waves. Phuket Governor Udomsak Usawarangkura said after a meeting with local officials at Phuket Provincial Hall today that the dead will be kept until then in four 40-foot cold-storage containers.Officials will begin moving the bodies to…
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1,536 died in tidal waves
PHUKET: Figures released this morning by the emergency center at Phuket Provincial Hall list 1,536 people dead, 8,953 injured and 4,073 missing in the six southern provinces affected by Sunday’s tsunami waves.Among the dead are 187 foreigners, 1,175 Thais and 174 people whose nationalities remain unknown.The breakdown of the figures is as follows:Phuket: 233 dead; 1,268 injured; 1,580 reported missing.(Deaths:…
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Assistance for Hong Kongers in Phuket
PHUKET: Hong Kong residents of Phuket or the surrounding areas who require help following the tsunami tragedy may call the Hong Kong Immigration Department’s 24-hour hotline at + (852) 2829 3010.Immigration Department Officers are in Phuket assisting, and can be reached on + (852) 6409 1846 or at their temporary office in Room 270, Boat Lagoon Resort, Tel: 66 (0)…
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Phang Nga death toll 1,000 and climbing
PHANG NGA: The bodies of over 1,000 victims of the Boxing Day tsunami have already been recovered in Phang Nga and the number is expected to rise as rescue teams continue their search. Phang Nga Governor Anuwat Metheeviboonwut announced the figure during an interview on Thai television this morning, adding that rescue workers would try to complete their searches of…
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Free flight for Australians, New Zealanders
PHUKET: Australian airline Qantas will provide free seats for stranded nationals of Australia and New Zealand this evening, taking off at 6:45 pm.Those wishing to be on the flight should go direct to the airport and contact the airline’s representatives. For further information, contact Australian embassy personnel in Phuket at 076-370672.
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Donations urgently needed
PHUKET: As the island continues its recovery from the tsunami that hit the island on Sunday morning, many hospitals and other organizations are calling for donations to assist victims. Hospitals: clothes, shoes, counseling: Wachira Phuket Hospital and other hospitals say there is an urgent need for shoes, shorts and T-shirts, especially in sizes large enough for foreigners. Shoes are the…
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Cabinet approves B2.8bn in emergency aid
PHUKET: The Cabinet yesterday approved a 2.8-billion-baht emergency relief budget to help relieve the suffering of those affected by December 26 tsunami.Interior Minister Bhokin Bhalakula said that during a video-conference Cabinet meeting in Phuket yesterday morning, PM Thaksin ordered that the search for bodies in the areas of the Phi Phi Islands and Khao Lak be intensified.Bodies are now piling…
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Missing persons bulletins launched on Gazette Online
PHUKET: The Phuket Gazette Online recorded 149,949 visitors during the 24 hours ended at midnight (local time), December 27. Site outages of one to two minutes occurred eight times, for which the Gazette apologizes. A large volume of requests for assistance with regard to missing persons is also being received. In order to “widen the net” and increase the likelihood…
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Commercial airlines offer free evacuation flights
PHUKET: At least five Thai commercial airlines are offering free flights to Bangkok to assist the government effort in evacuating the dead and wounded from the island.Vasing Kittikul, Executive Vice-President of the Thai Airways (THAI) Commercial Department, said that THAI had already evacuated some 1,100 people to Bangkok today.Those injured or needing to arrange transport for the deceased should call 076-327274 or…
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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