Phuket News
Phuket news, politics, business, tourism, and nightlife—stay updated with breaking stories, events, and expat updates from Thailand’s top island destination. Get the latest from The Thaiger, your trusted Phuket news source.
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Seminar identifies greatest threats to Phuket
PHUKET TOWN: The greatest threat to Phuket’s continued success as a top tourist destination is not a lack of planning, but the fact that few plans are put into action and, when they are, there is a lack of supervision or enforcement. That was the clear message from the majority of speakers in yesterday’s seminar on “The Prospects for Land…
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Motorcycle injury stats keep breaking records
PHUKET: The number of people injured in traffic accidents involving motorcycles continues to reach new heights, according to the latest statistics released by the Wachira, Thalang and Patong government hospitals. Between September 20 and October 20, 958 people were injured in motorcycle accidents, boosting the year’s total to 9,481 – a 12% rise on the 8,434 injured in the same…
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Meeting slams illegal Korean tour guides
PHUKET TOWN: Governor CEO Pongpayome Vasaputi today spearheaded an attack on the problem of illegal Korean tour guides at a high-level political meeting. The meeting, at the Phuket Provincial Hall, brought together MPs from the Parliamentary Tourism Committee and local tourism officials. “Thai guides have complained that Koreans have become the real guides, Gov Pongpayome said, “while the Thai guides…
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Australia road show “a big success’
PHUKET TOWN: The Phuket Road Show in Australia earlier this month was a great success, Panu Massirat, a member of the Phuket Tourism Association and organizer of the road show, said today. “As soon as I got back to Phuket, I got more than 10 phone calls from tour agencies in Australia asking me about tourism in Phuket, and the…
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A false sense of security
PHUKET TOWN: This year has not been a good one for 47-year-old security guard Pirat Rungpian, from Nakhon Pathom. After six years of robbing businesses he was supposed to be protecting, his career in crime finally came to a halt after a wheel fell off. Literally. Pirat was arrested in Nakhon Sawan on Friday on a charge of attempted robbery…
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Islander stings “black money’ con man
BANGKOK: Utter the phrases “West African” and “black money” in the same breath, and, surely, most people will sniff one of the oldest con-tricks in the book. Yet it seems that there are still some people out there whose greed makes them blind to their own gullibility. Granted, in the latest case to come to light, the con men carefully…
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Three confess to Ao Nang murder – police
KRABI: Police have arrested three construction workers from Amphur Chaoud, Nakhon Sri Thammarat, who, they say, have confessed to stabbing 33-year-old German tourist Petra Sack on Ao Nang Beach on November 28 at Ao Nang. Miss Sack died four hours after the stabbing. Two of the three were arrested on Sunday. One, a 16-year-old, was found in Songkhla, where he…
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Police seek better photos of mob leaders
THALANG: Police have been unable to issue warrants for the arrests of people suspected of being involved in a mob three weeks ago at the Yacht Haven marina because the pictures they have are not clear enough for positive identification. The mob beat up Kent Michalick, a member of the crew of the superyacht Yanneke Too and trashed the pick-up…
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Patong upgrade to town status delayed
PATONG: Patong Mayor Surasak Maneesri has blamed the previous local administration for a lack of progress in getting the town’s status upgraded from tessabaan tambon (village) to tessaban muang (town). In February last year, local government officials estimated that the application process would take eight months to a year to complete. But, said Mayor Surasak, “The Ministry of Interior has…
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Slow going in Krabi murder probe
KRABI: Police have released one suspect held during investigations into the November 29 murder of German tourist Petra Sack, after it was found that the man, Santi “Neng” Sagnakul, was in Phang Nga at the time of the murder. Another man, Somchai “Ann” Samartjit, 22, is still being questioned, though police say they are now more inclined to believe that…
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Deputy PM calls for traffic-free Bangla
PATONG: Deputy Prime Minister Pitak Intrawitayanunt, who is also Minister for Tourism, conducted an inspection tour of Patong on foot last night to investigate the possibility of converting part of the beach road and all of Soi Bangla into a pedestrian zone at weekends. The proposed L-shaped zone would cover about 1.5 kilometers of road, starting from the Phuket Cabana…
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Casino boss gambles on nudists
BANGKOK (AFP): Senator Vikrom Isiri, the entrepreneur who built the Andaman Club casino and hotel on Myanmar’s Son island, close to Ranong, now plans to build a nudist colony on the nearby island of St Luke’s. The Nation newspaper reported that the resort will cater to Europeans who “like to take their clothes off in public”. “Everybody [guests] will have…
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American resident, 50, dies in bike smash
PATONG: Kamala-based financial adviser Richard “Nick” Dixon, 50, died of multiple injuries after he lost control of his motorcycle on Tuesday and smashed into an oncoming pick-up truck.on a sharp curve in Kalim. Pol Lt Serm Kwannimit of Kathu Police Station told the Gazette that when he arrived at the scene at around 5.45 pm, Mr Dixon, an American citizen,…
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Traffic drive nets 1,000 offenders in 5 days
KATHU: Police here have been showing that they are serious about their crackdown on traffic violations. Between December 1 and yesterday, they fined nearly 1,000 people for a variety of offenses. In many cases, people were cited for more than one violation. A total of 914 people were charged with riding a motorcycle without a helmet and were fined 100…
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Tuna boat burns and sinks
KOH HEY: A Taiwanese-owned tuna fishing boat, the KM Vaninda 34, caught fire yesterday about nine nautical miles off Koh Hey and sank after burning fiercely for about an hour. The Taiwanese skipper and engineer, along with the seven other crew members – one Malaysian and six Indonesians – jumped overboard and were rescued by a passing dive boat, the…
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Nightclub owners reminded to close tonight
PHUKET TOWN: The chief of police in Muang District, Pol Col Paween Pongsirin, yesterday chaired a meeting attended by 75 owners of entertainment venues, at which he reminded them that no one may sell alcohol today, HM The King’s Birthday, and that the only evening venues that may open are restaurants. Col Paween, the Superintendent of the Phuket Town Police…
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Chalerm questioned over missing guns
BANGKOK (AFP): Police questioned Thai politician Chalerm Yoobamrung and his wife Lamnao for two hours today in connection with the murder of a police officer for which their son, Duongchalerm, is the chief suspect, officials said. Chalerm and Lamnao, were questioned separately over the disappearance of two handguns from their home, one of which is believed to have been used…
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Prison bulging with narcotics offenders
PHUKET: More than half of the people currently incarcerated in Phuket’s overcrowded provincial prison have either been convicted of narcotics offenses or are awaiting trial on such charges. According to the latest statistics released by the prison, 636 people – more than half the total – are currently incarcerated on narcotics-related convictions or charges. Of these, 505 are men and…
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Customs officials seize armadillos
BANGKOK (AFP): Thai customs officials seized a truck carrying nearly 500 legally protected armadillos destined for the stewpots of Chinese restaurants across Asia, an official said this afternoon. Manit Wityatem, customs chief in Thailand’s southern Chumphon province, said his officers had intercepted 483 armadillos believed to have been smuggled in from Malaysia. They were worth about a million baht (22,800…
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Burmese fisherman found murdered
PHUKET TOWN: A man believed to have been a Burmese fisherman was found murdered on Thursday in deep grass near Sri Sena fishing port. Pol Maj. Pissanu Poolwong of Phuket Town Police Station told the Gazette that the man, as yet unidentified, had died from 14 stab wounds to the forehead, neck, chest, stomach and right side. He added that…
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Big C opening causes traffic chaos
PHUKET TOWN: The snarl of traffic on the bypass road yesterday, on the evening of the opening of Big C Supercenter, marked the start of a fierce battle for the hearts and wallets of Phuket shoppers between Big C and the its retail giant rival, Tesco Lotus Supercenter. Both have brought the heavy artillery in for the battle. Big C…
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Four gibbons released in the forest
THALANG: Four gibbons from the Gibbon Rehabilitation Project (GRP) were released into the forest this morning. The gibbons – Fish, Bamboo and Mai, all four years old, and six-year old Tara, the only female – were set free about three and a half kilometers away from the Bang Pae waterfall. Upon release, Tara was the first gibbon to venture out…
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Another tourist murdered in Krabi
KRABI: A tourist from Germany died here early this morning of multiple stab wounds she received during what police believe was a rape attempt by three local men. Petra Sabine Sack, 33, was found unconscious on Ao Nang beach by a guard at TK Mansion, where she was staying. The guard heard screams from the beach nearby at about 10…
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“UFOs’ seen over Phuket Town
PHUKET TOWN: Mobile phone systems were jammed last night as people phoned friends all over town to tell them about mysterious white lights zooming around the sky to the north of Phuket Town between 8 and 9 pm. Niyompong Torwong, Public Relations Officer of the Bangkok Phuket Hospital, told the Gazette that he saw a star moving very fast around…
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Kathu Police to crack down on traffic laws
PATONG: Kathu police today warned that, from next Wednesday, they will crack down on road traffic violations in a campaign aimed at reducing the number of deaths and injuries on the district’s roads. Signs in Thai and English have been going up all over the district, and particularly in Patong, warning motorists to follow the Highway Code or face the…
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Police home in on mob members
THALANG: Police have compiled, from criminal records, a list of some 50 people they suspect may have been involved in the mob that beat up a New Zealand yachtsman on November 18, then trashed the pick-up truck he had been driving. The mob, from Baan Kor-Ane, attacked Kent Michalick, from the superyacht “Yanneke Too”, and smashed up the truck, after…
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Rajabhat students scoop arts contest
PHUKET TOWN: Students from Rajabhat Institute Phuket scooped the top six prizes in the “King, Regatta and Phuket” drawing and essay writing competition, which drew some 230 entrants. The competition was aimed at involving the local community more closely in the Phuket King’s Cup Regatta, which takes place early next month. The students received their prizes on Sunday at the…
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Help us eradicate sex tours – TAT boss
PHUKET: Anupharp Thirarath, the Director of the local office of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT), has appealed for information about any person or company involved in promoting sex for sale in Phuket. The appeal comes after TAT officers discovered websites offering child sex as part of package tours. One website offered three days and two nights’ stay, including sex…
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Three nighttime venues raided
PHUKET TOWN: Three nighttime venues have been cited for violations after police officers, led by Vice Governor Niwat Wattanasen and Pol Col Paween Pongsirin, Superintendent of Phuket Town Police Station, went on an inspection tour on Tuesday. The Sure Garden, in Soi Taling Chan, was ordered closed for 30 days because it was found to be serving customers under the…
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Governor moves Muang District Chief
PHUKET TOWN: Governor CEO Pongpayome Vasaputi has ordered the replacement of Muang District Chief Somsak Sanyanuphap with Wirachai Chanpen of Phang Nga province. The transfer order, issued on Friday, is the first demonstration of the new power of the Governor CEO, granted as part of Thailand’s experiment in giving provincial governments more autonomy. Under the new system, the Governor CEO…
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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