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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TAT tips increase in African visitors
PHUKET: Officials believe a tourism road-show to South Africa last month will lift the number of visitors to Phuket and the region by more than 20,000 based on the levels of interest. Anupharp Thirarath, Director of the local Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) office, visited South Africa from July 13-20 with representatives from 40 tour companies based in Phuket, Phang…
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Wanted: a spy for the AMLO
PHUKET: Always wanted to work for the government but never been keen on a desk job? The Anti-Money Laundering Office (AMLO) has the role for you – they are looking for spies. But wait, it gets better: no experience is necessary and no qualifications are required. All you have to do is apply by filling in the appropriate form at…
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Raffles to open a resort in Phuket
PHUKET TOWN: Singapore-based Raffles International Limited and its subsidiary Raffles International Hotels & Resorts (Thailand) Co, Ltd, have announced the signing of an agreement with Andaman Peninsula Company Ltd to develop a five-star luxury resort in Phuket. The Raffles Resort Phuket, to be built on the headland south of Kata Noi Beach, will include 79 luxury hotel rooms, 30 residential…
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2,000 fake CDs seized in Bangla
PATONG: Police this afternoon raided two stores on Soi Bangla and seized more than 2,000 copy CDs and many other imitation brand-name goods with an estimated total street value of at least 2 million baht. Led by Pol Col Chalit Thintanee, Superintendent of Kathu Police Station, officers at 2:30 pm raided the stores and arrested storeowners Kampan Sakornnitikul, 25, and…
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Gov boosts security after Jakarta blast
PHUKET: In response to yesterday’s bomb blast in Jakarta, where at least 14 have been killed and 149 injured, Phuket Governor CEO Pongpayome Vasaputi has ordered police to boost security at all hotels across the island. Governor Pongpayome today told the Gazette that he ordered a general alert last night, and today ordered police to pay particular attention to security…
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Water deal ends risk of rationing
PHUKET: The island’s immediate water problems appear to be over with the settlement in Bangkok yesterday of a row about who pays for the power for a water pump. At the meeting, the Provincial Waterworks Authority (PWA) agreed on behalf of the Phuket Provincial Waterworks (PPW) to pay 70% of the cost of the electricity required to pump extra water…
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Teen gunned down in Chalong
CHALONG: A teenager was blasted at point-blank range by young hoodlums in Soi Thanuthep yesterday afternoon while on his way to visit a friend. Nattawuth Somanon, 17, from Kata, was riding his motorbike along the soi, with two friends on another motorbike at about 1:30 pm, when two young men rode past in the opposite direction, Pol Maj Jessada Sangsuree,…
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Income boost tipped from film location shoots
PHUKET: A Phuket seminar on making films in Thailand is a step towards doubling the nation’s income from film shoots, according to Dr Sasithara Pichaichannarong, Director-General, Office of Tourism Development. “We see this as a good opportunity to support the film industry,” she told the Gazette. “Next year, we expect to earn double the income we earned last year.” Thailand…
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Rain! But water row stops flow
PHUKET TOWN: Heavy rains have boosted levels in Bang Wad reservoir but a debate over the cost of an electric pump is delaying a large project designed to ease the island’s chronic water shortage. As a result, the rights and wrongs were being thrashed out at a meeting in Bangkok today. The dispute involves two island water bodies, the Phuket…
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Official’s land holdings worth B100 million
PHUKET: Investigators looking into Phuket’s land title scams have discovered that the former Chief of the Kathu District Land Office, Bunchoo Limraksasin, who was caught by police in Ranong on July 21, owns land worth more than 100 million baht. Checks have also revealed that Bunchoo’s former personal secretary has bank account balances in excess of 28 million baht. Pol…
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Governor is moving up
PHUKET TOWN: Phuket Governor CEO Pongpayome Vasaputi is being promoted to the important post of Director-General of the Department of Local Administration (DOLA) after two years running the province, a vice-governor has confirmed. After Gov Pongpayome came to Phuket in October 2000, he became one of five pioneer Governor CEOs in an experiment initiated by Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. In…
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Apec on parade in the rain
PHUKET: Processions of up to 60 cars will be seen on Phuket’s roads during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation gathering, the Deputy Commander of Phuket Provincial Police, Pol Col Decha Butnampetch, has told the Gazette. He said police will be looking after the security and safety of up to 1,000 visitors during the Apec meetings from August 14-23. The dignitaries from…
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Young at risk on bikes: Governor
PHUKET TOWN: High school students were responsible for more of the 16,000-a-year traffic violations on Phuket’s roads than any other group, according to Governor CEO Pongpayome Vasaputi. He was speaking at the Safety Traffic Control Center at Phuket Town Police Station after talking to senior traffic police on Friday. He urged schools to take a more serious look at the…
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B12m fakes seized in warehouse raid
PATONG: More than 12,000 fake items with a street value of 12 million baht were seized in a raid on a warehouse in Patong yesterday. The haul, one of the largest in Phuket so far, was the latest in a crackdown that now involves police checks on outlets in tourist areas almost every day. Among the imitation items of clothing…
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Traffic survey sparks crackdown
PHUKET TOWN: A two-month survey of moving violation charges has sparked an island-wide crackdown on people breaking traffic laws, a provincial government official announced at a meeting this morning. From June 1 to July 31, eight Phuket police stations tallied traffic law violations in their districts, with Kathu Police Station reporting the most offenders. During the period, 5,728 people were…
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Land for Phuket schools misused
PHUKET TOWN: Land encroachment made the top of Phuket Governor CEO Pongpayome Vasaputi’s agenda again on Tuesday, this time involving plots designated for use by government schools in Thalang. The Governor met Prasit Suebchana, Head of the Phuket Treasury Office (PTO), and representatives from the Phuket Primary Education Office (PPEO) to determine an equitable solution to the problem. The eight…
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Phuket’s roads claim 15 more lives
PHUKET: Fifteen people were killed on Phuket’s roads between June 20 and July 20, according to the latest statistics from the Wachira, Thalang and Patong government hospitals. Fourteen of the victims died while riding motorcycles and one was killed in a car crash, Ampaipan Pawawattananusorn of the Phuket Provincial Health Office reported. In the same period, 867 were hurt in…
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Education government’s greatest failure – Abhisit
PHUKET TOWN: The current government’s education policy is hindering the country’s development, says Democrat Party Deputy Leader Abhisit Vejjajiva. Following Saturday’s meeting of three top Democrat Party leaders at the Phuket Merlin Hotel, K. Abhisit told the Gazette that he had been assigned to discuss details of the party’s education policy, an issue the opposition Democrats intend to highlight in…
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Democrat leader slams land probe
PHUKET: In Phuket to attend a meeting of Democrat Party leaders at the Phuket Merlin Hotel on Saturday, Party Leader Banyat Banthadtan told the Gazette his visit was intended to show support and encouragement for Phuket residents targeted by the government in its ongoing investigation into land rights on the island. K. Banyat said he wanted to tell those under…
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Farmers demand justice
PHUKET TOWN: More than 200 villagers gathered this morning to complain to Phuket Governer CEO Pongpayome Vasaputi about land problems. The Provincial Administration Organization building was jammed with villagers, including farmers, planters and representatives of many communities who complained that, following the SorPorKor investigation, their land had been declared as encroaching on forest preserve areas – the so-called Zone C…
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Land probe: nine premises raided
PHUKET: Armed with warrants, officers from the Crime Suppression Division in Bangkok and police from Phuket made early-morning raids on nine premises in Phuket this morning. Pol Col Paween Pongsirin, Superintendent of Phuket Town Police Station, told the Gazette that the premises searched belonged to people suspected of being involved with fugitive land official Thawatchai Anukul in falsifying land documents.…
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Police seize mystery powder
PHUKET TOWN: Following a tip-off, police raided a house on Wichit Songkhram Rd yesterday and seized more than 200 tonnes of powdered mineral. Some 10 police officers from the Crime Suppression Division Region 5, led by Pol Col Itti Nantapruksa, Superintendent, and Pol Lt Col Karn Lekhawanich, Deputy Superintendent, raided 64/1-2 Wichit Songkhram Rd about 6:30 pm. Supanee Rojananont, Duty…
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Politics for all, says Purachai
PHUKET TOWN: Thailand’s voters had to be persuaded about the benefits of the political process locally and nationally, Deputy Prime Minister Purachai Piemsomboon said today. He was speaking to about 500 guests at a conference at The Metropole hotel in Phuket Town, with the topic Local Elections and Phuket’s Future. All people, especially the young, needed to be educated about…
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Visa charges: Correction
PHUKET: Due to wrong information supplied to us by the Immigration Department in Bangkok, the Gazette story detailing new visa charges to be imposed contained an error in the date on which the new charges will come into force. The correct date, as supplied to us by the Phuket Provincial Immigration Office, is August 26 this year. All other information…
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SorPorKor probe is unjust – farmers
PHUKET TOWN: Irritated and scared by the ongoing land title investigation, some 200 farmers holding SorPorKor 4-01 land papers assembled at the Phuket Provincial Hall this morning after hearing a rumor that Deputy Minister of Agriculture Newin Chidchob would be there. Prayad Poombua, 59, who farms eight rai of SorPorKor land in Chalong, told the Gazette that he and the…
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Visa hikes “no threat to tourism’
PHUKET TOWN: The tourism industry will be able to absorb increased visa rates and still lift visitor numbers, according to spokespeople for tour operators and the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT). Napasorn Kakai, Deputy Director of the local TAT, told the Gazette that any negative effects would be short-term and would end once tour operators absorbed the cost in their…
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Talks on new bus terminal
PHUKET TOWN: The cramped and dingy inter-provincial bus terminal on Phang Nga Rd is likely to make way soon for a more modern, spacious station in a different location. Provinical Transportation Office (PPTO) Chief Prasit Amarapal told the Gazette today that alternatives were being considered with interested parties scheduled to meet Vice-Governor Winai Buapradit within weeks to discuss the change.…
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Luxury liner returns to Phuket
CAPE PANWA: The luxury liner SuperStar Virgo returned yesterday to dock at Phuket’s deep sea port at Cape Panwa, a sign that the Sars scare is well and truly history. “The SuperStar Virgo has been in Perth for the past three months because of the Sars outbreak,” said Chutiman Topanyaruang, General Manager of Star Cruises, which owns the ship. “However,…
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Limo drivers win victory over “black’ taxis
MAI KHAO: Limousine drivers at the airport went back to work at 5 pm today after receiving a written assurance that “black” taxis will be barred from the airport and car park except in certain specific circumstances. The assurance, from the Provincial Government, stated that black taxi drivers will be allowed to drop passengers at the airport but will not…
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New three-digit lottery plan in place
PHUKET TOWN: Lottery agents were given registration details today in preparation for the new government lottery that will begin August 1 and which is aimed at subverting the popular underground lottery in which punters choose just three numbers. Each of 100 lottery agents in Phuket may have up to 50 lottery salespeople, and agencies and dealers will have to provide…
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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