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.
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Spectacular Leonids show this year
PHUKET: This year’s annual Leonids meteorite shower will be particularly spectacular, because it will be augmented by a phenomenon that occurs just once every 33 years. Prof Sakchai Petchshuai, professor of meteorological studies at the Rajabhat Institute Phuket, told the Gazette that the Leonids, so named because they appear to radiate from the constellation Leo, are the result of the…
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PTA protests air fares price hike
PHUKET: The Phuket Tourism Association (PTA) is making a last-ditch effort to convince Thai Airways (THAI) to reconsider its 15% price hike on domestic flights, due to come into effect tomorrow. Kitti Phatanachinda, Vice President of the PTA, told the Gazette today that PTA members are sending a letter to the board of THAI, the central government and the Tourism…
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Suspect named in boatman’s murder
PHUKET: Police have named a man they wish to interview in connection with the murder of Koh Yao longtail boatman Bangsen Jaidee, whose body was found floating in the sea off Naka Noi island yesterday. Pol Col Chatchai Sakulporn, superintendent of Thalang District Police Station, named the wanted man as Siwadol “Dol” Lomin, also from Koh Yao, a member of…
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Villagers battle landowner
PA KHLOK: Fifteen villagers were warned by police yesterday for trespassing on land belonging to Taweesak Apichatmaneekul, a Bangkok-based businessman. The warning is the latest development in an increasingly heated dispute over land ownership and local fishermen’s rights of access to their boats. The latest confrontation came after K. Taweesak recently started fencing off the boundaries to his land, including…
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Duongchalerm’s brother arrested
BANGKOK (AFP): Thai police today arrested Wanchalerm Yoobamrung, older brother of fugitive Duongchalerm Yoobamrung, on charges of illegal weapons possession, conspiracy to assault, and interfering in the course of justice. The charges relate to the shooting of a police officer in the Twenty Club in Bangkok on October 27, allegedly by Duongchalerm. Police chief Gen Sant Sarutanond said several witnesses…
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Local boat owner shot dead
KOH YAO: A well-known and widely respected long-tail boat owner was found today floating in the sea off Naka Noi Island after he disappeared two days ago. The body of 52-year-old Bangsen Jaidee was found by his daughter who, with other family members, had been searching for the missing man since Saturday. The Gazette understands that he had been shot…
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Gov sparks furore with Phi Phi proposal
PHUKET: Governor CEO Pongpayome Vasaputi has landed in the middle of a war of words after suggesting that the central government should buy the Phi Phi islands, kick out private businesses and run the islands as a state enterprise. During a speech about the CEO system at a Thai Rak Thai Party seminar on Friday at the Patong Beach Hotel,…
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Drugs claiming ever younger victims
BANGKOK (AFP): When Supabun Kosum took her first methamphetamine tablet she was a curious 18-year-old schoolgirl wanting only “to test” if the little orange pill delivered the euphoria and invincibility her friends raved about. But her schoolyard experimentation with the drug in Thailand’s northern Nakhon Sawan province touched off a seven-year addiction that would consume her life and her income,…
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Dump truck careers off Patong Hill
PATONG: A dump truck loaded with sand swerved off a tight bend on Patong Hill at about 3 pm yesterday after its brakes failed. No one was hurt. The driver, Soontorn Chaichana, told the Gazette, “I noticed the brakes starting to fade just past the Chinese shrine [at the top of the hill]. “Then, just at the last curve, about…
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Drug bust nets six men and over 4,000 pills
PHUKET TOWN: Police arrested six men on Tuesday in a plain-clothes bust involving more than 4,000 ya bah (methamphetamine) pills. Acting on a tip off, Pol Lt Worapojt Watanasuwan and his squad of plain clothes officers from Phuket Town Police Station, organized to meet Tawit Juansri, 23, Wasin Sotatas, 30, and Surachai Jankaew, 23, at 6:30 am at a public…
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Turtle island to be opened to visitors
PHANG NGA: The Similan National Park authorities will open nine islands to visitors from next Thursday, including one that is usually closed to the public for the protection of sea turtles. Tipawadee Thambamrung, the park’s public relations officer at the Tub Lamu office, told the Gazette, “It’s very special for visitors this year. We’ve going to allow them to stay…
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Two seized boats sold at auction
PHUKET TOWN: Two confiscated yachts were sold at auction this morning at the Phuket Customs Region 5 office. Niwat Triemsantipap, the assistant general manager of the Maiton Resort, bid 720,000 baht to acquire the nine-meter speedboat “Seafarer” for the resort, while another resort, Moonlight Bay on Koh Lanta, bought the 9.8-meter Hatteras motor cruiser, “Old Crow”, for 619,000 baht. K.…
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Rogue police a major worry: Governor
PHUKET: Governor CEO Pongpayome Vasaputi has accepted that there is a major problem in Phuket with police officers engaging in criminal activities, and has called for a change in the system that encourages such activities. He told the Gazette that reports of police officers selling narcotics were particularly worrying. “It seems to me the number of reports is rising every…
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Children reminded about overstay fines
PHUKET: The Phuket Provincial Immigration Office has issued a reminder that foreign children over seven years of age who overstay their permits to be in Thailand – whether in their own passport or included in a parent’s passport – face fines of 200 baht for each day they overstay. Pol Lt Col Paisan Deedoykhar, Inspector of the Phuket Immigration Police,…
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MAS ditches Phuket-Penang flights
PHUKET: Malaysia Airlines has canceled its regular thrice-weekly Phuket-Penang service and has instead increased the number of flights between Kuala Lumpur and Phuket. With effect from October 28, the airline boosted the number of KL-Phuket flights from nine to 14 a week. Tajul Arrissin Kamal, director of Malaysia Airlines Phuket, said the decision was made as part of an effort…
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Outrage at escape from murder rap
BANGKOK (AFP): The Thaksin government’s failure to apprehend the son of a widely distrusted politician has exposed glaring flaws in Thai democracy. Murder suspect Doungchalerm Yubamrung, a junior army officer and the son of a prominent member of Thaksin’s coalition government, has been on the run for a week since a police officer was shot dead in cold blood at…
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Carnival marks start of high season
PATONG: The Patong Carnival 2001 yesterday marked the opening of this year’s tourism high season. The day’s activities, which began in the morning with a merit-making ceremony, included a beach clean-up, a coral exhibition and a mini-marathon fun run. The highlight of the carnival was the colorful evening parade along Thaweewong Rd and into Soi Bangla. The parade, which was…
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One-stop shop for yachts to reopen
CHALONG: Phuket Governor CEO Pongpayome Vasaputi will reopen the “one-stop shop” in Chalong for visiting yachts and their crews next Monday. The Phuket Port Control Center (PPCC), was originally opened in 1999 by the then-Governor Chadej Insawang. It was closed down more than a year ago, officially because there were not enough officers to man it and there was no…
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Duongchalerm disappears; manhunt launched
BANGKOK (AFP): A nationwide manhunt was launched today for Duongchalerm Yoobamrung, wanted for the killing of a police officer at a city nightclub on Sunday, after he apparently slipped away from both the Thai military and the police. The search for Duongchalerm, son of Thai parliamentarian Chalerm Yoobamrung, was launched after he failed to surrender to authorities today, as promised…
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Cooking gas price rises on the way
PHUKET: The island can expect substantial rises in the price of cooking gas over the coming few weeks, after the government announced today that it had stopped subsidizing the fuel and was allowing vendors to set their own prices. So far, cooking gas prices in Phuket remain at much the same levels as before, at about 190 baht for a…
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Seized speedboat to be auctioned
PHUKET: A nine-meter British-built speedboat with twin 200hp Mercury engines, seized from a dive company in Ao Chalong earlier this year, will be put up for auction on November 8 at the Phuket Customs Region 5 offices on Phuket Rd. As with previous vessels put up for auction, the speedboat, “Seafarer”, was seized for alleged non-payment of Thailand’s crushing boat…
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Road injuries toll nearing 10,000
PHUKET: Road deaths in Phuket between January 1 and September 20 are down on the past two years, according to the latest government statistics, but the number of people injured this year is heading rapidly for five figures. According to statistics from the Wachira, Thalang and Patong government hospitals, 11 people died as a result of traffic accidents between August…
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Rise in babies named Osama
BANGKOK (AFP): The name Osama has become popular for newborn babies in Thailand’s predominantly Muslim south since the September 11 terrorist attacks on the United States, officials said today. “The name Osama can be applied to both boys and girls, and to my knowledge there are many newborn babies [receiving this name],” said Irfan Sulong, a member of the Yala…
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New Provincial Palad takes office
PHUKET: Vithit Jiannai took office yesterday as Phuket’s new Provincial Palad, Governer CEO Pongpayome Vasaputi announced this morning at the monthly meeting of provincial department heads. K. Vithit, who was transferred from Prachuap Khiri Khan Province, replaces Dr Sumeth Chailertvanitkul, who yesterday moved to a new post as Palad of Nakhon Sawan Province.
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Murder warrant issued for Chalerm’s son
BANGKOK (AFP): Thai police today issued a warrant for the arrest of Duongchalerm Yoobamrung, 29-year-old son of top MP Chalerm Yoobamrung, for shooting dead a police officer in a Bangkok nightclub. Inspector General Suraphon Kanchanajittra said he ordered the arrest of Sub-Lt Doungchalerm for premeditated murder after witnesses reported seeing him fire the fatal shot last night. “There were two…
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Top businessman dies of heart attack
PHUKET: Banlue Tantiwit, former President of the Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (OrBorJor) died this morning of a heart attack. Phuket-born K. Banlue, who was 70, was also the Founding Chairman of the Phuket Rotary Club, a former Chairman of the Kathu Shrine and Chairman of the Phuket Sports Association. A well-known businessman, he was Chairman of the Board of the…
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US tourist drowns in Krabi
KRABI: American tourist Michael George Smith, 48, died while snorkeling at Koh Pai on Friday. Tour guide Suchart Aonrutee of Phi Phi-based Chao Koh Tour reported to Krabi police that he took Mr Smith and 10 other tourists from Koh Phi Phi to Koh Pai on a snorkeling trip. After they had spent an hour at Koh Pai, K. Suchart…
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Illegal labor raids to resume in earnest
PHUKET: The drive by the Phuket Provincial Employment Service Office (ESO) to register all Burmese, Laotian and Cambodian laborers working in Phuket came to an end on Thursday. The ESO has warned that raids to find unregistered workers will now resume in earnest. In a campaign that began on August 28 as part of a national effort, the ESO registered…
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Experts enter burned-out ammo dump
KORAT (AFP): Thai army experts today entered the smoking ruins of a badly damaged ammunition dump to search for victims of yesterday’s massive explosions that are thought to have killed at least 13 people and injured 80. The warehouse complex in Pak Chong District was torn apart yesterday when a truck overturned, setting off a deadly chain reaction that engulfed…
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Strange day as Patong gets new Mayor
PATONG: The Patong Municipal Council has elected a new mayor for the town after former Mayor Pian Keesin was forced to step down last week when his budget plan was rejected by a vote of 9-2. Oddly, the new Mayor is Surasak Maneesri, one of the two councilors to vote for Pian’s budget – the other being Pian himself. Sakorn…
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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