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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With World Kindness Day just two days away on November 13, it’s the perfect time to reflect on how empathy and care can make a real impact, not just in our relationships but in our health, too. This day is...
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“Green” Covid-19 cases to move to Phuket community isolation centres
The Phuket Provincial Public Health Office Chief Dr Kusak Kukiattikoon has stated the province will deal with the struggle to maintain available hospital beds by moving mildly affected “green” Covid-19 patients into home quarantine and community isolation centres. Phuket has been adding hundreds of hospital beds every week, with 200 beds added yesterday, to keep up with the rising Covid-19…
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Phuket update: 30 total Covid-19 deaths with 10 in the last 4 days.
With 234 new Covid-19 cases reported, the total infections in the Phuket Sandbox inches to nearly 6,000, deaths have seen a sharp rise on the island. 2 new deaths reported last night to bring the total to 30 Covid-19 deaths since April, a jump of 50% since Sunday. Over the last 5 months, 20 people had died of Covid-19 in…
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Survey shows over half of Thai hotels are considering closing due to low demand
A survey conducted by the Bank of Thailand and the Thai Hotels Association shows that 52% of hotels are considering closing temporarily and 9% want to shut down for good. 62% plan to reduce their workforce costs as a result of the financial fallout from Covid-19, while 61% say they will cut expenditure elsewhere. The Bangkok Post reports that the…
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Local tour operator, marina and restaurant come together to help Phuket residents
The following is a press release from 5 Star Marine, Ann’s Kitchen and Royal Phuket Marine on their one-day “Fundraising Experience” which raised 65,000 baht to help Phuket residents in need. With the continued economic effect in Thailand from Covid-19, new and innovative charity efforts are needed to engage both expats and locals in order to help the 48,000+ Phuket residents in…
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No more sandbox: Phuket private sector calls for full re-opening by December 1
The vice-president of the Phuket Tourism Association says businesses on the island need it to fully re-open by December 1 if they are to survive. According to a Bangkok Post report, Nanthida Atiset says fully re-opening the island could generate over 210 billion baht in revenue, adding that the sandbox scheme is simply not enough. “Only over 20,000 tourists have…
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Phuket Sandbox draws 28,000 travellers, 1.634 billion baht
The Phuket Sandbox has been lauded as a success and derided as a failure, but officials have released some raw data over the past few days that indicates the programme falls somewhere in between. Immigration and the Tourism Authority of Thailand have reported on total incoming travellers and their opinions, and the Economics Tourism and Sports Division of the Tourism and…
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Jetstar launches weekly flights between Phuket and Singapore
Now that flight restrictions are finally easing, Jetstar Asia Airways has launched a weekly flight between Singapore and Phuket. The first flight departed Singapore Friday evening and arrived at Phuket International Airport an hour and 40 minutes later. The inaugural Jetstar flight was greeted with fanfare by various airport staff including the Deputy Director of Phuket Airport Operations and Maintenance. The…
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Phuket Covid-19: 3 Sandbox infections, no deaths, 3,000+ recovered
Today marked 3 new Covid-19 infections identified in international travellers who arrived via the Phuket Sandbox programme but saw no new Covid-19 deaths on the island and 240 new infections, down 2 from yesterday’s daily total. Another milestone was hit, this time more positive than yesterday’s surpassing of 5,000 infections in Phuket, as today saw the number of people recovered…
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Phuket daily Covid-19: 235 infections, no death, no Sandboxers
As Phuket prepares to carefully allow domestic tourists back onto the island, Covid-19 numbers remain relatively stable. Daily infections were 235 today, with 6 of the last 7 days reaching above 200. No new deaths were reported and no new Sandbox infections were identified. With the influx of new hospital beds yesterday, the bed occupancy rate remained around 70% though…
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Vaccinated domestic travellers allowed to enter Phuket starting next week
Domestic travellers who are fully vaccinated against Covid-19 will be allowed to enter Phuket starting on September 8, Phuket Governor Narong Woonsiew announced. Travellers from overseas have been able to enter the island province under the “Sandbox” model, but with the rise of Covid-19 cases, Phuket officials imposed tight restrictions on domestic entry. Travellers will need to book and pay for…
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Phuket entry rules relaxed to allow residents to exit and return
A slight modification to the rules for entering and exiting Phuket will now allow people who live or work in Phuket to exit and re-enter the island more freely. Phuket Vice Governor Pichet Panapong explained that a special permission letter that was previously required in order to leave Phuket and gain re-entry after would no longer be needed. With strict…
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Bangkok ranked #1 best “workation” city in the world, Phuket #10
Bangkok has been ranked as the number one city in the world for a ‘workation’ – a portmanteau combining work and vacation – with Phuket also ranking in the top 10. The two Thai destinations ranked among the top cities in the world where people can get a break from their office life and have a holiday while still actively…
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Phuket Fishing Port to reopen tomorrow
The Phuket Fishing Port on Koh Siray will reopen tomorrow. Officials performed a mass cleaning of the port yesterday ahead of the reopening. The port had been closed for 2 weeks after a Covid outbreak from fisherman who had come ashore following a period of weather that rendered them unable to catch fish. Phuket Governor Narong Woonciew scrutinised the cleaning…
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Phuket extends tight entry restrictions, vaccine required for most
Tight entry restrictions to Phuket have been extended until at least for the next two weeks, according to a provincial order imposed yesterday. Domestic entry onto the island province by land, water, and air is prohibited, with the exception of essential vehicles, residents returning home, and travellers entering under the “Sandbox” scheme. Those allowed to enter Phuket under the exceptions…
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1 new death, another daily Covid-19 record in Phuket
With one new death and one new Phuket Sandbox traveller infected, Phuket continues its upward climb in Covid-19 infection rates. Yesterday saw a record 257 Covid-19 infections in one day (Monday), one more than the last new record high in Phuket the day before. For Tuesday Phuket has reported 119 new infections. The death from Monday’s totals brought the total…
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Phuket officials look to vaccinated domestic visitors for tourism lifeline
Officials on the southern island of Phuket are pinning their hopes on vaccinated domestic tourists to revive the flagging economy. A proposal to attract vaccinated local tourists is being submitted for approval and if granted, would replace current restrictions, says deputy governor, Pichet Panapong. According to a Bangkok Post report, Pichet says the current measures on Phuket are damaging the…
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Bangkok Hospital Phuket offers expats vaccines including Pfizer
Another round of free Covid-19 vaccinations for expats was announced yesterday, this time with the option of receiving the Pfizer vaccine. Bangkok Hospital in Phuket made the announcement stating that they would be providing expats the free vaccines in partnership with the Department of Disease Control, but they would only be offering inoculation for those who have never received any…
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1 new death as daily Covid-19 infections in Phuket top 200
Just 16 days after Phuket saw domestic Covid-19 infections surpass 100 cases in a day, the island has now passed the 200 mark with 209 new Covid-19 infections reported yesterday. The Phuket Provincial Public Health Office also released data confirming 1 more Phuket Sandbox international traveller infection and 1 death from Covid-19. The surge in cases has now pushed the…
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Phuket Covid-19 numbers drop slightly to 169, no new deaths
Though today’s Covid-19 numbers in Phuket are lower than yesterday, they do push the rolling weekly total above 900, 10 times the original threshold for reevaluating the Phuket Sandbox. One new Sandbox infection was identified, along with 169 domestic infections yesterday. Now, new deaths have been reported. The Phuket Provincial Public Health Office report confirmed the new infections and no…
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Officials inspect Phuket and consider Covid-19 lockdown extension
As Covid cases surge and weekly infections rates are now over 10 times the original threshold of 90 infections that would prompt a reconsidering of the Phuket Sandbox, officials in Phuket are now discussing an extension of lockdown measures on the island. Pol Maj-General Surachet Hakparn (yes, Big Joke is back!) and his team inspected the Phuket Sandbox and the…
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Phuket Covid-19 over 3000 total, nearly 900 this week, 189 today
Today’s Covid-19 numbers in Phuket push the overall total above 3000, bring the weekly total to just about 900 (10 times the original threshold for reevaluating the Phuket Sandbox), and sets yet another daily record. 189 new domestic cases of Covid-19 were reported yesterday, making the count for 6 of the last 7 days over 100 infections. 3 new Sandbox…
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Record 156 Covid-19 infections as Phuket edges near 800 a week
The number of weekly rolling Covid-19 infections in Phuket is poised to pass 800, as 5 of the last 7 days have seen infections of over 100 people and the 7-day total now stands at 798 new local Covid-19 infections. According to the Phuket Provincial Public Health Office, yesterday marked a new daily high of 156 new infections and one…
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Phuket-Samui flights on Bangkok Airways resume from today
Flights between Phuket and Koh Samui that had originally been cancelled until the end of the month have now resumed nearly a week early as Bangkok Airways relaunched the flight route with limited service. From today, the Phuket Sandbox and Samui Plus schemes will be reconnected as part of the Sandbox 7+7 Extension, allowing people to arrive in Phuket, spend…
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Blood donations desperately needed for Phuket expat
The Phuket Regional Blood Center calling blood donations for an elderly expat’s open-heart surgery. 87 year old Peter Ferry, who is originally from Glasgow, Scotland, told the Phuket News today that he is currently at Bangkok Hospital Phuket waiting for people to donate blood so he can have the surgery. Peter’s blood type is B negative, which is so rare…
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Phuket tourists rescued after being caught 3 kilometres off-shore while kayaking
Phuket Tourist Police have rescued a Dutch couple who became trapped 3 kilometres off-shore while kayaking. The Pattaya News reports that strong waves meant the couple, who are on the island as part of the sandbox scheme, were unable to paddle back to shore. The incident happened around 1.30pm yesterday, with police responding to a report of the couple’s plight.…
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Por Tor Festival still going in Phuket, no street processions
Phuket’s annual Por Tor Festival, AKA the “Hungry Ghosts Festival” is currently going on in Phuket Town. The festival is being held without street processions due to the Covid situation and will go until August 28. The annual celebration comes on the seventh lunar month in the Chinese calendar. This date is considered the time when the gates of hell…
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German man found dead in apparent suicide in Phuket Hotel
A German national has been found dead with a gunshot wound to his head in a Phuket hotel room. Thai media reports that police believe the wound is self-inflicted. The apparent suicide was reported at 7:44 pm, yesterday, at the Amata Patong Hotel, says a police investigator identified only as Chompunut. Police and a doctor were called in to investigate.…
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Phuket sees third consecutive day over 100 Covid-19 infections
For the third day in a row, new Covid-19 infections in Phuket had topped 100 people as 126 new local infections were identified in the province yesterday. 2 new infections were found in Phuket Sandbox travellers as well. There were no new deaths reported yesterday, and the total remains at 17 fatalities from Covid-19’s third wave. The rolling weekly total…
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Real estate trends across Thailand’s resort markets
Where are property investors looking in Thailand at the moment? How has Covid impacted the resort property markets of Phuket, Hua Hin, Pattaya and Koh Samui? Tim Newton speaks to Brennan Campbell, CEO of Thai proptech group FazWaz, in this rundown of current and future trends in Thailand’s most popular resort destinations. And there’s a few surprises too.
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Phuket government warn businesses against price gouging
The Phuket Vice Governor Pichet Panapong has reinforced the warning for vendors in Phuket to avoid price gouging or overcharging customers. He requested officials in Phuket to be vigilant in checking stores and vendors to make sure their pricing is reasonable and not artificially inflated. With the economic pummeling Thailand, and Phuket in particular, have taken with the loss of international…
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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