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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5 hidden healthcare costs in Thailand and how to avoid them
Thailand's healthcare system is affordable and supported by the Universal Health Coverage (UHC) scheme, offering essential services to most citizens. However, hidden healthcare costs can surprise patients and lead to unexpected expenses. These include specialist fees, insurance gaps, emergency services,...
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Pracha unmoved by Patong pleas
PHUKET: Venues in entertainment zones in Phuket must close at 1 am, tourist destination or no tourist destination, Deputy Minister of the Interior Pracha Maleenont has declared.The deputy minister was responding to a request from the Patong Entertainment Business Association (PEBA) to be allowed to stay open until 2 am.Speaking yesterday to Thai Rak Thai parliamentary candidates Sriyada Palimapan and…
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“Worrying’ Aids figures in Phuket
PHUKET: Phuket has the second-highest incidence of Aids of Thailand’s southern provinces, and the fifth-highest rate in the country, according to the Phuket Provincial Health Office (PPHO).The number of cases is still rising, Dr Wanchai Sattayawuthipong, the head of the PPHO, said. “The number of Aids cases in Phuket has risen in each of the past three years. In Phuket,…
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New law for hotel operators
PHUKET CITY: Hotel and guesthouse owners have been informed of regulations governing the industry, expected to come into force in mid-January after HM the King signs them into law.Nilubon Tantichupan, Secretary General of the Thai Hotels Association (THA) Southern Chapter, told THA members gathered at The Metropole hotel that the new Hotel Act will cover many aspects of hotel ownership…
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Shortage of monitors for general election
PHUKET: Just over two months before Thailand’s general election is due to take place, Phuket still does not have enough observers to monitor the polling to ensure that it is clean, one of Thailand’s four Election Commissioners revealed yesterday.“This is a big problem,” the Commissioner, Prinya Nakchudtree, told local authority officials gathered at Phuket Municipality.K. Prinya said the shortage of…
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Storm turns into damp squib
PHUKET: Tropical Storm Muifa, which killed some 65 people in the Philippines and was expected to hit Surat Thani, bringing wet and windy weather to Phuket, veered to the north yesterday evening and made landfall in Chumphon.The storm, which had weakened to a tropical depression by the time it hit the Thai coast, dumped heavy rain on the east coast…
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Blood tests to confirm identity of body
PATONG: Police are to use blood tests to try to identify a man whose body was found yesterday near Laem Daeng Beach, halfway between Patong and Kamala.An identity card in the name of Boonsong Sulaopa was found in one of the pockets of the clothes on the victim’s body, but the face was too decomposed to be matched with the picture on…
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Burmese found with throat slashed
PHUKET CITY: The body of a Burmese fisherman with a three-inch gash across his throat was found in the Rassada Port area on Tuesday.Pol Maj Watcharin Jirattikarn, Inspector of Phuket City Police Station, said he received a phone call from local Thai residents informing him that a body had been discovered near the fishing port.Police officers arrived at the scene…
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Visitors to Phuket up by 10pc
PHUKET CITY: Around two million tourists visited Phuket between January and June this year – an increase of more than 10% on the same period in 2003 – according to the Director of the Phuket office of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), Suwalai Pinpradab.This year’s visitors brought around 38 billion baht into Phuket, around 4 billion more than during…
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Spas rally against 10% excise tax
PHUKET CITY: Pakin Raktae-Ngam, Chaiman of the Phuket Spa Business Club, today lashed out at the 10% excise tax levied on spas, saying that if his spa is forced to pay the tax, he would register it as a massage parlor.K. Pakin’s strong comments were made at a protest against the tax by some 200 owners and managers of spa…
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Move to open up historic arcades
PHUKET CITY: Residents of Thalang Road, in the old part of Phuket City, have been asked to consider opening up the Ngo Kha Khee arcades in front of their historic Sino-Portuguese houses for use as public walkways.Around 20 residents attended a meeting of the Old Phuket Foundation on Sunday at Thai Hua Phuket School, Thalang Rd to hear about the…
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Deputy PM nixes underpasses plan
PHUKET: Two underpasses on the bypass road will not be built in the immediate future, Deputy Prime Minister Suwat Liptapanlop has announced.During his recent visit to Phuket, K. Suwat said the proposals for the underpasses – at the notorious Samkong and Darasamut School intersections – will not even be considered until the widening of the bypass road is completed in September…
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Russian star for Paradorn tour
PHUKET: Rising Russian tennis star Anna Chakvetadze has been confirmed as one of the players in the 2004 Paradorn Super Tour which stops off at Laguna Beach Resort next weekend (November 27 and 28).Chakvetadze, 17, replaces Karolina Sprem, who is suffering from a persistent viral infection.Moscow-born Chakvetadze, who will play singles and mixed doubles matches against Tamarine Tanasugarn, defeated French…
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Murdered tourists’ parents in disbelief
BANGKOK (The Nation): The parents of British backpackers Vanessa Arscott and Adam Lloyd, who were murdered by an off-duty police sergeant in Kanchanaburi province in September, have reacted with fury at the “secret” release of the policeman on bail.They now plan to fly to Bnagkok to meet with, among others, the Ministry of Justice and the Tourism Authority of Thailand.A…
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Australians dominate Laguna triathlon
CHERNG TALAY: Australians dominated the Laguna Phuket Triathlon 2004 this morning, taking the top three places in the men’s professional competition, and winning first place in the women’s professional category.2002 winner Craig Alexander, from Sydney, crossed the finish line first, completing the course in 2 hours 33 minutes 7 seconds. Hot on his heels was last year’s winner Simon “Tommo”…
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Expo Center dithering continues
NAI YANG: A meeting called yesterday by Deputy Prime Minister Suwat Liptapanlop shed little new light on the continuing saga of where Phuket’s proposed International Conference and Exhibition Center (ICEC) will be sited.The Deputy PM chaired the meeting, at the Pearl Village Hotel at Nai Yang Beach, held to discuss the progress of various government policies on the island.At the…
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Couple “make wedding history’ at Kata viewpoint
KATA: Bride Amanda Gudgin and groom Steve Hancock, from Melbourne, made a small bit of history at 4 pm yesterday, when they were wed at the Kata viewpoint.Ms Hancock, in a traditional white wedding dress, explained to the Gazette that her family used to live in Hong Kong. “We have been regular visitors to Phuket since 1977,” she said.Her father,…
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500 pray for peace in troubled South
PHUKET CITY: About 500 people, including local leaders of the major faiths in Thailand, held a mass session yesterday to pray for peace to return to the troubled provinces of Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat.The congregation gathered at Phuket Provincial Hall in support of the government’s call for mass prayer, which Phuket Governor Udomsak Usawarangkura explained was inspired by HM Queen Sirikit’s…
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Jet-ski operators vow to fight ban
CHERNG TALAY: Veerachai Thonghom, chairman of the Phuket Jet-Ski Club, yesterday vowed to appeal to the central government in Bangkok to allow jet-ski operators to continue renting out their machines on Phuket’s beaches.K. Veerchai announced his intention yesterday after Phuket Governor Udomsak Usawarangkura refused to budge on his stated policy of reducing jet-skis in Phuket to zero by March 1,…
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US donates anti-terror gear
PHUKET CITY: As part of its fight against terrorism, the US Department of Defense has donated anti-terrorism equipment worth about 2 million baht to Royal Thai Police Region 8, which includes Phuket.In a ceremony at Phuket Provincial Police Headquarters this morning, David Turner, Chief of the US Defense Department’s Force Protection Detachment at the US Embassy in Bangkok, presented the…
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Bangkok “monitoring early closing’
PHUKET CITY: Phuket Governor Udomsak Usawarangkura has said that the government is monitoring reaction to its controversial early-closing policy for entertainment venues, but that it is still “early days”.Speaking at his regular press conference at the Provincial Hall on Monday, the Governor also stressed that he did not have the power to alter the rules for Phuket.Since September, entertainment venues…
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Chalermlak “chained” by election rules
PHUKET: The rules imposed by the Office of the Election Commission of Thailand (OECT) governing what MPs may do during the run-up to the election campaign period have, according to Chalermlak Kebsup, Democrat MP for Phuket District 2, obstructed her.“I feel chained by the rules,” K. Chalermlak said. “The OECT has said that MPs must not conduct any campaigning or…
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B66m in deals inked at Hong Kong property show
HONG KONG: Exhibitors at the Phuket & Samui Property Exhibition say they were pleased with the quality of visitors to the show, and the general organization of it.The event featured mostly property developers from Phuket and Koh Samui, but also attracted one developer from Bangkok and another, South Thailand Homes, looking to sell a development on Koh Lanta.Although none of the…
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Land fees generate B935m
PHUKET CITY: The Phuket Provincial Land Office (PPLO) has collected 935 million baht in taxes and fees this year, more than three times the amount collected last year.The money was generated from purchases and sales of land, subdivisions of plots, and issuance of permits for development projects during the financial year from October 1, 2003 to September 30, 2004.PPLO Chief Suphot Suwannachote told the…
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Three injured in “visa run’ smash
RANONG: One man had a leg amputated and two others required hospitalization after a minivan taking passengers from Phuket on a “visa run” collided with a water truck on November 12.Pol Sub Lt Chatchai Pongsingto, of Ranong Town Police Station, told the Gazette that the accident happened on Paknam-Ranong Rd at about 12:20 pm.The van, which is owned by Andaman…
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B1.5m damage in Patong blaze
PATONG: One man is seriously ill in Phuket International Hospital after being badly burned during a fire that destroyed two houses in Phisit Gorani Soi 1 late last night.After evacuating his family from the house, Chalermporn Jikpipaksit, 46, ran back into the blaze to remove a gas cylinder from his cooker so it would not explode. He suffered severe burns…
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Cabinet approves B300m improvements at fishing port
PHUKET CITY: The Cabinet has approved a plan to spend more than 300 million baht to improve Phuket Fishing Port in Tambon Rassada, and to build a seafood processing plant there.The proposal, drawn up by the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, was approved by the Cabinet on Tuesday.The Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives told the Cabinet that improvements would make…
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Student pharmacist dies from overdose
PATONG: Police believe that a 19-year-old pharmacology student on holiday in Phuket committed suicide by overdosing on barbiturates in a hotel room in Patong.Alongkorn Pitaktrirat, of Nakhon Ratchasima, had been dead for around two days when his body was found on Wednesday at the Baan Bua Hotel, where he was staying.Pol Lt Padungpong Duksukaew, of Kathu Police Station, said that…
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Governor to appeal for homes to stay on state land
PHUKET CITY: Governor Udomsak Usawarangkura will ask the Cabinet to allow residents in Soi Kingkaew, near Koh Sireh, to keep their homes, even though government offices have long claimed that the houses have been built on state land.The Governor visited the soi on Tuesday with Phuket Provincial Office of Natural Resources and Environment chief Thongchai Saowapong. The inspection came after…
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Alleged jewel thief arrested in Koh Lanta
KOH LANTA: Anthony “Dirk” De Weirdt, wanted for questioning in connection with missing jewelry worth an estimated 18 million baht, was arrested on Koh Lanta on Friday following a tip-off.De Weirdt, a Belgian who was formerly the factory manager of Bangkok’s CB Fine Jewelry, disappeared shortly after precious stones and other items were found missing from the company’s safe on…
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WTO helps develop sustainable tourism
PHUKET CITY: Developing tourism as a sustainable industry for Phuket was the topic discussed by World Tourism Organisation (WTO) adviser Hans Carl Jacobsen and local officials at a meeting today at Phuket Provincial Hall.Joining Mr Jacobsen at the seminar were representatives of the Office of Tourism Development and the Ministry of Sports and Tourism, as well as Phuket Governor Udomsak…
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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