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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Gazette launches private home delivery
PHUKET: In response to increasing demand from readers for home delivery, as well as pressure from advertisers for paid (vs ‘give-away’) circulation, the Phuket Gazette has today launched a “Phuket Special Delivery” subscription. Available to readers in Phuket Province only, the new service promises direct, hand delivery to homes and offices virtually anywhere on the island – “every Saturday morning,…
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Autopsy finds Russian girl was electrocuted
PHUKET: Police have resumed their inquiry into the death of a 10-year-old Russian girl beside the pool at the Dusit Laguna Resort Hotel, after an autopsy by the Institute of Forensic Medicine (IFM) in Bangkok established that she was electrocuted. It is almost two months since Ksenia Drashinskiy died in mysterious circumstances while on vacation with her parents at the…
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Deadline approaches for fun venues
PHUKET: Entertainment venues on the island have just a few more days to register under a new law that requires all such venues to have licenses. From January 13, owners of the venues were given 60 days to apply for licenses under the revised provisions of Section 3 of the Entertainment Act. The 60-day period expires on Friday. Wisut Romin,…
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Makeover for Immigration office
PHUKET CITY: The Phuket Immigration Office (PIO) is to be redecorated as a prelude to a proposed full-scale redevelopment that could add an IT crime center and make Phuket an Immigration center for other southern provinces. The new Superintendent of the PIO, Pol Col Witawat Buranasompop, told the Gazette that the new look for the Immigration ofice should be complete…
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Chuan leads Democrat vote drive
PHUKET CITY: Former Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai and other Democrat Party leaders went walkabout and attended a rally at Saphan Hin on Saturday to support Anchalee Vanich-Thepabutr’s bid to win the presidency of Phuket’s Provincial Administration Organization (OrBorJor). Among others in attendance at the walkabout and rally were current Democrat Party leader Banyat Banthadtan and senior members Trairong Suwankiri and…
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Stranded dugong recovering after rescue
CAPE PANWA: A sick dugong was rescued by the Phuket Marine Biological Center (PMBC) on Friday, given medication and food, and is making its first steps toward recovery. A fisherman saw the animal, a young female, stranded in Klong Pa Khlock, Baan Para, close to where the klong meets the sea. He contacted the PMBC who came and retrieved the…
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Search and destroy at the chicken farm
PHUKET: This week has been Clean Your Chicken Farm Week. Starting on Monday, the Phuket Provincial Livestock Office (PPLO) initiated a campaign to destroy any viruses in chicken farms and chicken meat companies in Phuket. While the campaign has been deemed successful, PPLO Chief Sunart Wongchawalit and Vice-Governor Niran Kalayanamit took matters into their hands yesterday morning, personally administering the…
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Two more held for gang slaying
PHUKET TOWN: Two more teenagers believed involved in the execution-style murder of a 15-year-old on January 17 were arrested on Monday in Ranong. The victim, Khajornkiat Tongdeesuk, was tied up, gagged and beaten before being taken to Naamsai beach on Koh Sireh where his killer fired a shotgun into his head. Police believe the slaying was part of a war…
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Wind stops as Langkawi regatta starts
LANGKAWI (Gazette, Asian Yachting): Yesterday’s first day of racing in the BMW-Royal Langkawi International Regatta 2004 suffered from a syndrome known all too well to organizers and competitors in the Phuket King’s Cup Regatta – fickle winds. For the Racing, Premier Cruising and Sports Boats classes, two windward-leeward courses were planned, but after the first lap of the first race,…
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B145m reservoir budget “a done deal’
THALANG: The head of the Phuket office of the Royal Irrigation Project (PRIP) is “100% confident” that the 145-million-baht budget for the purchase of land to create a reservoir at Klong Bang Neaw Dum will be approved by Bangkok by the end of March. The project, which is intended to provide a second major supply of water on the island,…
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Entertainment venues get temporary reprieve
BANGKOK: The Cabinet resolved today that entertainment venues may stay open until 2 am for the time being because new regulations enforcing earlier closing times have yet to be approved. A source in the Cabinet Secretariat, who asked not to be named, told the Gazette that all venues, regardless of when they received operating licenses, could stay open until 2…
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Press freedom under siege, says IFJ
BRUSSELS: The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has today written to Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra calling on his government to stop political interference in the media, and reiterating a call to introduce new rules to prevent conflicts of interest over media ownership. The letter follows a spate of incidents threatening independent media in Thailand. The IFJ, the Brussels-based global…
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Spy network to tackle road safety
PHUKET: A new road safety campaign aims to recruit volunteers from government departments, schools, factories, transport operators, private companies and even villages – a large proportion of the island’s population – to look out for and report violations of traffic laws. The scheme was launched last week by the newly-formed Phuket Land Transport Security Center (PLTSC) under instructions from the…
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18,889 register as poor in Phuket
PHUKET CITY: A total of 18,889 people registered as poor in Phuket between January 5 and the registration deadline yesterday. The registration process also brought to light 5,881 people who do not have Thai IDs. It is believed that most of them are sea gypsies, supposedly the original inhabitants of Phuket. People were able to list one or more reasons…
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Marina finally breaks ground
KOH KAEW: The Royal Phuket Marina took its first step toward construction this morning with a ceremonial ground-breaking and the placing of the first stone. Phuket Governor Udomsak Usawarangkura was the guest of honor at the ceremony, presided over by the marina’s president, Gulu Lalvani. Mr Lalvani told the Gazette that he hopes the marina will attract anyone who enjoys…
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Impetuous boat owners pay the price
PHUKET CITY: Overeager boat owners who have been too quick to import their yachts or take ownership from Thai boatbuilders may now be regretting their hastiness. The Phuket Area Excise Office (PAEO) announced on Friday that boats that were registered after the Customs duty was reduced to zero but before February 23, would still be required to pay excise tax…
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Sipa branch launches cyber future
PHUKET CITY: After years of promises, Phuket today moved one step towards the goal of becoming a center for information technology with the opening of a branch of the Software Industry Promotion Agency (Sipa) at Saphan Hin. The opening aligns Phuket with Sipa headquarters in Bangkok and puts the local branch in control of software development throughout southern Thailand. It…
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Third party enters municipal poll
PHUKET CITY: A third party entered the Phuket City Municipality race this morning, on the final day for registration. The Pattana Baan Rao (“Develop Our Home”) Party is led my mayoral candidate Thanapong Kho-udom, 53, who explained the late entry: “We came to register on the last day because we didn’t want to compete [for the number 1 on ballot…
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Illegals top Feb crime stats
PHUKET: Illegal immigration topped crime statistics for February 1 to 23 with 203 illegal migrants arrested, according to figures just released by the Phuket Provincial Police. Arrests for gambling coming in second, with 194 people taken into custody in the course of 106 raids. Police apprehended another 46 people for prostitution and made 34 arrests for possession or use of…
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D-day arrives for black taxis
PHUKET: In a long-awaited move to eliminate unlicensed “black” taxis on the island, the Phuket Provincial Transportation Office (PPTO) and the Phuket Provincial Police will from Monday fine any such taxi caught operating on Phuket. The maximum penalty for operating an unlicensed taxi is a fine of 2,000 baht. Teerayuth Prasertphol, Deputy Chief of the PPTO, told the Gazette today…
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Sipa to bring “e-life’ to Thailand
PHUKET CITY: Kruewal Somana, Adviser to Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Minister Surapong Suebwonglee, today explained the aims of the Software Industry Promotion Agency (Sipa), which will open an office on Monday at Saphan Hin. At a seminar in the Royal Phuket City Hotel this afternoon, she said that Sipa will support all sectors of society by bringing them the…
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2004 Thailand Tourism Awards launched
PHUKET CITY: The Thailand Tourism Awards 2004 were given their regional launch yesterday at the Royal Phuket City Hotel, showcasing the dual themes of environmental conservation and sustainable tourism. The Director of the local office of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), Suwalai Pinpradab, said that the fifth annual tourism awards competition will also encourage greater competitiveness vis a vis…
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New benchmarks for central funding
PHUKET CITY: Provincial projects must meet meet one of two new criteria if they to receive funding from the central government: profit or “communal benefit”. Speaking at Phuket Provincial Hall this morning, Gov Udomsak Usawarangkura told provincial government department chiefs that only projects that make money or that offer benefits to other provinces will be considered when it comes to…
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City municipal campaigning begins
PHUKET CITY: Garlands of marigolds marked the start of the election campaign for mayor and councillors of Phuket City today as the first two candidates registered and outlined their policies. More candidates are expected to join the race before the April 4 poll. The streets of the newly-declared city are expected to resound with public-announcement trucks and be filled with…
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Province requests B2.5bn for expo center
PHUKET CITY: Phuket Province and the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) have jointly requested 2.5 billion baht in funding from the central government for construction of the proposed International Convention and Exhibition Center (ICEC) at Saphan Hin – a site still seen by most island residents as inappropriate for such a project. Speaking after a planning seminar at the Royal…
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Beach encroachment survey begins
CHERNG TALAY: Around 40 restaurateurs and café owners at Lay Pang Beach will find out soon whether their premises are encroaching on public land. Officials from Thalang District Office and Cherng Talay Tambon Administration Organization (OrBorTor) began a cadastral survey of 17 rai of the Lay Pang area yesterday in order to define boundaries in preparation for taking court action…
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Langkawi Regatta draws 70 entries
LANGKAWI: The BMW Royal Langkawi International Regatta 2004 (RLIR) will be contested from March 3-6 in waters off the Royal Langkawi Yacht Club in Kuah, Langkawi. The organizers say that almost 70 boats from Switzerland, Britain, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, Brazil, the US, Alaska, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Hong Kong and Vanuatu have registered to take part. The official closing…
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Shopping for a change
PHUKET CITY: A new initiative to help adolescent offenders in Phuket learn legitimate skills and steer them away from a life of crime was launched on Saturday. Youngsters doing time at the Phuket Juvenile Observation and Protection Center (PJOPC) will now have the opportunity to learn handicrafts, batik-making and hairdressing skills and then sell their products or skills at a…
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A flap but no bird ‘flu
PHUKET: The Chief of Phuket Provincial Health Office confirmed today that a hospital patient originally suspected of having bird ‘flu had been allowed to go home after doctors found he was free of the disease. Virat Hongsib-paed, 33, a garbage man employed in Kamala, was admitted to the Mission Hospital Phuket on Friday after feeling ill for several days. Concern…
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Warehouse blaze causes B2m damage
PHUKET TOWN: An electrical fire this morning caused damage estimated at two million baht in a recently built warehouse belonging to furniture company Phuket Intercraft Co Ltd, on Chao Fa East Rd. Police at first suspected arson until they were told that the building was not insured. Nutchanart Benchakij, owner of the company, told the Gazette that no one was…
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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