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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First of the year: Green sea turtle lays 125 eggs in Phuket
In Phuket, a green sea turtle was seen laying eggs on the beach for the first time this year last night on Ao Sane Beach in Rawei. The rare event is celebrated each time it is spotted on the island province. The green turtle waded onto the beach to lay its eggs and laid a total of 125 of them.…
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Phuket Immigration visiting those in Hotel Isolation to extend visas
After the story went viral of a man being charged for an overstay because he was locked in Hotel Isolation after testing positive for Covid-19, Phuket is taking action. The Immigration Chief of Phuket is sending staff around to local hotels to make sure that people caught in a 10-day Hotel Isolation do not have their visas expire. If a…
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Mask rules enforcement starts with campaigns in Bangla and Phuket Town
Strong punishment is written into the laws for violating Covid-19 rules laid out in the Emergency Decree and the Communicable Diseases Act, but they have rarely been enforced. So when it was announced that Phuket Police would be cracking down on foreigners not wearing masks, many questioned whether any action would be taken. But last night, police began enforcing the…
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Police sting nabs trans woman for alleged child sex trafficking
A transgender woman accused of human trafficking and child exploitation was arrested in Phuket yesterday in a police sting. The 37 year old trans woman allegedly arranged for prostitution of children under the age of 18 online via Twitter. Local police have been searching for her after catching wind of her exploitation from her Twitter account where she went by…
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Sealed route proposal for asymptomatic infected tourists gets lukewarm reception in Phuket
Phuket officials have responded less than enthusiastically to a suggestion that infected asymptomatic tourists be allowed to travel via a sealed route. Pichet Panapong, the province’s deputy governor, says he believes infected tourists should stay in their hotel rooms. According to a Bangkok Post report, he’s already said as much to the immigration chief who initially made the suggestion. Pichet…
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Time frames laid out for vaccine booster shots in Phuket
Authorities in Phuket have announced their plans to provide third and fourth vaccines as booster shots to protect the tourist province from Covid-19. The ministry of the Interior’s Phuket office issued the plan through the Phuket info centre that they operate, and was developed by the Phuket City development company, a group of businesses that work on major public service projects…
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21 year old woman found drowned in Phuket pond
Police in the Chalong sub-district of Phuket found the drowned body of a 21 year old woman in the pond of a housing estate yesterday evening. After being notified that a woman had fallen into the pond and drowned, the police rushed to the scene. They, along with a diving team, then spent an hour searching the waters for the…
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Tourists not wearing masks face tough talk from Phuket authorities
Expressing frustration against tourists that disregard Covid-19 safety rules and regulations, authorities in Phuket say they will take legal action against foreigners who don’t wear their face masks in public. Phuket’s immigration chief called on authorities to strictly enforce the regulations set out by the local Communicable Disease Committee that required that masks be worn at all times in public.…
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Man in Phuket threatens new neighbour with 30 gunshots
A new resident was “welcomed” to the neighbourhood in Phuket with a man firing his gun into the area, saying he wasn’t afraid of anyone. The shooter, identified as “Mr. Yut,” allegedly fired his gun and a pump-action shotgun 30 times in the air. The new resident, Wisa Choo, had just moved into the neighbourhood after purchasing a plot of…
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Back to school in Phuket as governor’s order allows return to onsite learning
One of these provinces is doing its own thing… Despite central government recommending schools move to home learning until January 31, schools in Phuket have been told they can re-open. The Ministry of Education had advised Thailand’s schools to suspend in-classroom learning due to the rapidly-spreading Omicron variant, but Phuket governor Narong Woonciew has issued an order allowing schools on…
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Police seek Russian couple after wife tests positive for Covid-19
After mild punishment for the first widely reported case of someone leaving their approved hotel before their quarantine period was over, it seems the floodgates are open. In Koh Chang, 6 people who tested positive for Covid-19 left their hotel and had to be tracked down. A few days ago a Russian man with Covid-19 who was supposed to be…
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A second Russian man with Covid-19 missing from Phuket hotel
A Russian man who tested positive for Covid-19 is being sought after disappearing from his hotel room and not returning yet. Wait! Don’t click away! This isn’t a story about the Russian man who was the subject of a manhunt Thursday and Friday. This is another very similar incident and police are still searching for the missing Covid-infected man. Anton…
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Phuket has surging Covid-19, but 95% of infections are mild
Phuket is experiencing a surge in new Covid-19 infections, with daily figures skyrocketing to some of the highest levels since the pandemic began. But, the Deputy Director of Vachira Phuket Hospital says that there is a silver lining, because about 95% of new cases are experiencing either mild symptoms or no symptoms at all. The Deputy Director said yesterday that…
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Police find Covid-19 infected missing Russian tourist… In his own hotel room
After frenzied reporting on Thai news yesterday, the police manhunt for a Covid-19 positive Russian tourist thought to have escaped his Phuket Sandbox hotel is over and considered a false alarm. The police 191 hotline received notification from the Patong Parak Hotel in Phuket that the man had disappeared from his room after testing positive for Covid-19. The man was…
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Phuket’s critical situation calls for increased support
The following is a press release from Living Waters Phuket. The deteriorating tourism situation plus rising Omicron cases have led to a demand for immediate and increased community support from Living Waters Phuket. Living Waters Phuket Foundation, together with 5 Star Marine, are dealing with a steep increase in demand for their ‘Life Bags’ from local communities in need, as…
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Phuket immigration confirms vaccination not needed for extension
In order to combat rumours swirling online and amongst nervous anti-vax foreigners, the Phuket Immigration Office reassured people that vaccination is not required in order to get an extension of their stay in Thailand. The office in Phuket Town made the announcement via their Facebook page, though they did not address well several other complaints and issues that have been…
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Phuket seeing healthy tourism demand, with 4,000 Thailand Pass applications a day
The president of the Phuket Tourism Association says the island is proving popular with foreign tourists, receiving 4,000 applications a day through the Thailand Pass system. Bhummikitti Ruktaengam says most of those visitors are from Germany, Russia, Kazakhstan, the United Kingdom, the United States, and France. Bhummikitti credits the success of the island’s Covid-19 measures for inspiring confidence among foreign…
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Rejuvenated Maya Bay open for business
Maya Bay, the tropical island cove of Hollywood acclaim in Krabi province, finally reopened for tourism on January 1, after 3-and-a-half years of closure in a bid to restore its damaged white-sand beach and decimated marine ecosystem. Officials temporarily closed the bay in June 2018 to clean the beach and restore the area’s coral reefs. Originally planned as a 4…
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Thailand adds three Sandbox destinations to take some pressure off Phuket
Aside from Phuket, vaccinated travellers can now travel to three prominent beach resorts in Thailand – Krabi, Phang Nga, and Koh Samui – under the Sandbox tourism programme, which allows foreign tourists to enter the kingdom without undergoing a strict and lengthy quarantine. With the Test & Go quarantine exemption scheme suspended indefinitely, allowing the three destinations to welcome foreign…
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Phuket Immigration officers to visit quarantine hotels to help with visa extensions
Immigration authorities are reportedly visiting each centre, hotel and resort in Phuket approved for Covid-19 isolation and quarantine to assist foreign Covid-19 patients who need to extend their visa, but cannot visit the Immigration Bureau Office because they isolating or receiving medical treatment for the coronavirus. Yesterday the authorities visit Patong Resort to bring documents for foreign visitors who need…
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Police apprehend man who killed 2, injured 3 at Phuket market
After a shooting on Friday at the Phuket City Municipality Fresh Market 1 that left 3 injured and 2 dead, police announced today that they have apprehended the suspect they hold responsible for the shootout. Investigators have been tracking his escape after he fled the scene of the crime and managed to pick him up this morning. He allegedly confessed…
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Have a Test & Go QR code to enter Thailand? Read this.
Details emerging from last Friday’s deliberations by the CCSA have now been published in the Royal Gazette, enacting them into law. Missing from the published guidelines about changes to the Thailand Pass, is any reference to a cut-off date which was both stated and then published by government representatives on Friday following a meeting of the CCSA. Speaking to the…
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Phuket to 8 foreign reps: your citizens must obey Covid-19 rules
When children in class misbehave, teachers contact the parents and tell them to keep their kids in line. But what do you do when foreign tourists are misbehaving in your country? Phuket Governor Narong Woonciew met today with Consul Generals and Honorary Consuls from 8 countries to ask them to warn their citizens to follow the rules – especially Covid-19…
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Police searching Coconut Island for fresh market shooter
After a shooting spree at a fresh market in Phuket Town that left 2 people dead and 3 injured, the gunman phoned the police and announced his intention to confess to the crimes and turn himself in. But Maneenop Meethong, the 47-year old seafood vendor at the Phuket City Municipality Fresh Market 1, did not surrender to police and is…
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Bangkok and Pattaya left out of the Sandboxes
Goodbye Test & Go. Hello Sandboxes, but more Sandboxes. But all the Sandboxes are in Thailand’s south and Bangkok, Pattaya and Chiang Mai, to name the obvious victims, have been left out in the cold the latest re-arrangement of Thailand Pass re-entry conditions. With the Sandbox programs, originally launched in Phuket on July 1, travellers can enter Thailand, stay and…
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Phuket Shooting at a fresh market leaves 2 dead, 3 injured
A man opened fire on a fresh market in Phuket Town, shooting and killing 2 people and injuring 3 others in the hail of bullets. The shooing took place this morning at Phuket City Municipality Fresh Market 1 in Phuket Town on Ranong Road. Police were notified around 10:20 am of the shooting and Phuket City Police responded with rescue…
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Phuket to get 60,000 Moderna vaccines for 4th boosters
Phuket is lined up to get some of the millions of Moderna vaccines arriving in Thailand now with plans to begin administering fourth vaccines – second booster shots – beginning later this month. The Phuket Provincial Administration Organisation has allocated budget money to procure 60,000 Moderna vaccines for residents of the province. Phuket has been among the most successful regions…
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Hundreds barred daily on Phuket bridge lacking Covid-19 docs
Police are warning people that if you’re going to drive into Phuket, you better have a negative Covid-19 test no more than 72 hours before arrival or proof you are fully vaccinated or you will be turned away. The officers guarding the land entrance onto Phuket Island said they are turning away as many as 500 drivers per day who…
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Phuket governor vows to iron out issues with sandbox requirements
The governor of Phuket has pledged to sort out a number of issues with the island’s sandbox scheme as infection rates continue to rise. According to a Bangkok Post report, Narong Woosiew says the matters identified will lead to improvements, adding that he will soon introduce “Phuket Sandbox Version 2“. “Currently, the local economy is doing well due to the…
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Phuket governor says island will remain open for tourists, despite rise in infections
The governor of Phuket has reassured local businesses that the island remains open for tourists under its sandbox scheme. Narong Wunsiew says that despite a steep rise in Covid-19 case numbers, there are no plans for a lockdown. “As we aim to contain Covid-19 while boosting the economy, we have received pleas for us not to shut down the island…
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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