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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Four crushed to death in truck accident
CHALONG: Four construction workers from Phuket were crushed to death and two others were seriously hurt when a 10-wheel truck crashed on Patak Rd in Karon on Saturday. Pol Capt Sanae Panmee of Chalong Police Station told the Gazette that the truck was carrying a 3½-ton excavator as well as 10 construction workers, four in the cab with the driver…
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Raids net two ya bah dealers in one day
PHUKET TOWN: Police nabbed two ya bah dealers on Thursday in two separate raids. The first arrest came after Pol Maj Searmpan Sirikong, inspector of the Special Team at Phuket Town Police Station, received information that a house on Soi Suknirun, off Chao Fa Nai Rd, was being used by drug dealers to sell ya bah. Police raided the house…
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Lotus road chaos “could last a month’ – police
SAM KONG: With traffic backed up in all four directions at the ‘Lotus intersection’ again last night, Phuketians are getting a good taste of motoring Bangkok-style. The narrow Phra Phuket Rd, running east from the notorious junction with the Bypass Rd, was blocked all the way to the traffic lights at Yaowarat Rd, a distance of close to two kilometers.…
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Home-owners catch burglary suspect
CHALONG: Police have asked foreigners who have lost safes, cash, jewelry and other property in burglaries over the past 18 months to contact them. The call came after the arrest of a man they believe was responsible for raiding at least four foreigners’ homes in the Nai Harn area, and who appears to be connected also to a spate of…
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Airport much busier than last year
PHUKET: If figures just issued by the Phuket International Airport are anything to go by, this year’s high season could be another big one. The numbers for September show that 210, 343 passengers arrived or departed through the airport, an increase of more than 7% on the same month last year. Although passengers on domestic flights totaled 131,443, a decrease…
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Tourist couple wake to burglary nightmare
CHALONG: A Swedish couple on holiday in Karon woke up in the early hours yesterday to a nightmare: a burglar in their room holding their three-year-old daughter with his hand over her mouth. The Winnheds, in their 30s, were woken by a noise in their room and sat up to see the burglar with their daughter in his arms. Mrs…
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Lotus opening creates massive traffic jams
PHUKET: Lotus yesterday opened its new super store on the edge of Phuket Town, the company’s 17th in Thailand. The “soft” opening caused huge traffic jams in all direction as shoppers rushed to check the place out. Grinning widely, Gwyn Sundhagul, Senior Vice President of Operations, admitted that the company, which is majority-owned by British retailing giant Tesco, had underestimated…
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Businesses help tax office stay on track
PHUKET: With 11 months of the taxman’s year complete, The Phuket Provincial Revenue Office reports that collections are up very slightly compared with the same period last year. There have been significant falls in VAT revenue, down 47 million baht; in Specific Business Tax (mostly from banks and finance companies), which fell 32 million baht; and in Personal Income Tax,…
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14 hurt as police turn dogs on tapioca protest
BANGKOK (AFP): Fourteen people were injured today when riot police turned dogs on thousands of tapioca farmers blockading Government House in Bangkok. Witnesses said police moved to break up the protest after demonstrators, who have been surrounding government offices for 24 hours, crossed a bridge leading to the entrance of the building. Dog handlers advanced on a line of women…
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Korean tourist drowns off Coral Island
RAWAI: A tourist from South Korea on a day trip to Koh Hei, (Coral Island), drowned yesterday afternoon. Police named the dead man as Hong Joonhan, 27, who was on holiday with his wife. Despite the heavy seas, the couple went swimming and Mr Hong disappeared. His body was not found until an hour later. An autopsy at Wachira Hospital…
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Last call for listings for local “yellow’ pages
PHUKET TOWN: The deadline for listings in the Year 2000 Gazette Guide is 5 pm, Friday, November 12. Local businesses are urged to enter (or check/update) their listings by going to https://thethaiger.com/guide/form.asp as soon as possible before that date. Listings, or alterations to listings, received after the deadline will not appear in the 2000 Gazette Guide, (although they will be…
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Drug suspects “attempted to bribe police’
PHUKET TOWN: Two alleged ya bah dealers arrested by Phuket Town police on Friday got themselves into even bigger trouble when they tried to bribe officers to release them. Pol Maj Prakarn Permwassana, inspector of the Phuket Town investigation team, told the Gazette that officers had received information that ya bah dealers were due in town, that they would be…
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Weather blocks roads, cuts power and phones
PHUKET: The wet and windy weather of the past few days has caused flooding in several parts of the island, and knocked out power and telephones in a number of locations. Several roads have also been blocked by fallen trees or utility poles. The Bypass Road around Phuket Town was blocked this morning by a fallen tree, while another tree…
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Australian tourist drowns off Kata Noi
KATA: A 57-year-old Australian tourist named by police as Ian Branwell drowned in heavy waves off Kata Noi beach on Friday morning. Mr Branwell was staying with his wife at the Kata Thani Hotel. The couple went swimming mid-morning. Mrs Branwell, who last saw her husband floating on his back, noticed that he had disappeared and summoned help. A beach…
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20 dead, 709 hurt in traffic accidents
PHUKET: Twenty people died in traffic accidents in Phuket between August 20 and September 20, according to statistics from the province’s three government hospitals. Of these, 17 were on motorcycles and three were in cars. Ampaipan Pawawattananusorn, the Professional Nurse at the Phuket Provincial Health Office, reported that 709 people were injured on the roads during the same period. Of…
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Arrest warrant issued for former mayor of Patong
PHUKET: A warrant has been issued for the arrest of the former Mayor of Patong, Dr Anan Ananthanawat, on charges of involvement in last year’s murder of an ex-policeman. Pol Lt Col Paween Pongsirin, Deputy Superintendent of Investigation at Phuket Town Police Station, told the Gazette that five men had already been arrested for involvement in the murder of the…
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Man arrested for British tourist’s murder
BANGKOK (AFP): A 31-year-old man has been arrested in Bangkok on suspicion of murdering a British tourist and seriously wounding his travelling companion, police said today. Saichon Lomgun was arrested late on Thursday in a hotel in downtown Bangkok and charged with premeditated murder and carrying an unlicensed gun. “The suspect has cooperated with police and we expect to conclude…
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Chuan sacks driver after seizure of pirated CDs
BANGKOK (AFP): Thai Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai has sacked his driver after police seized pirated compact discs which were about to be delivered to his official residence, police said this afternoon. Police guarding Chuan’s home said they made the bust as Malaysian national Liew Chee Kong, 41, arrived at the prime minister’s residence to allegedly hand over 80 illegal CDs…
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Investigator gives evidence in Tong trial
PHUKET TOWN: The prosecutor in the trial of five men accused of participation in the June 24, 1997 murder of American Danis Wayne Tong today called Pol Capt Thanet Poungmanee, investigation inspector of Chalong Police Station, to the witness stand. The trial was adjourned until November 5. On trail are Manit Panme, Pratin Praktong, Prajuab Sukkong, Pairat Raksawong, and Hugo…
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British tourist shot dead in Pattaya
PATTAYA (AFP): A British tourist was shot dead and another seriously wounded during an attack in a Pattaya bar early yesterday, British embassy officials said today this morning. An embassy spokesman named the dead man as Terence Morley, 31, from Romford in Essex. Dean Brendan Sherrin, also from Romford, was seriously wounded. “We regret to confirm that Mr Morley died.…
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Thai team “favorite for pétanque victory’
PHUKET: The two Thai teams that will compete in the World Junior Pétanque Championships at the end of next week reckon they should be favorites to win the tournament, based on their performance in training and their experience in overseas competitions. Prarot Thongpratet, vice-secretary of the Thailand Pétanque Association, said, “Thailand has been runner-up three out of the five times…
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Lions Pearl raises B600k for Child Watch
KARON BEACH: The Lions Club of Phuket Pearl raised 600,000 baht for the Child-Watch Phuket charity during its “Ray of Hope” Gala Dinner on October 9 at the Phuket Arcadia Hotel. The money came from the sale of dinner tickets, raffle tickets, and auctions. Vilaiwan Dienel, President of Lions Pearl, said, “It is a worldwide Lions tradition to honor the…
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Two tourists survive, four missing in boat mishap
BANGKOK, (AFP): Two Singaporeans narrowly escaped with their lives today and four other tourists are missing after a sightseeing boat overturned on Bangkok’s Chao Phraya River, police and rescue officials said. Police said they were still searching for the missing passengers, whose nationalities were not immediately known, as well as the driver of the traditional Thai long-tail boat. Police said…
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Man arrested for stealing, cooking dog
PHUKET TOWN: A worker from Isaan was arrested on Saturday after he was caught cooking a dog he had stolen from a neighbor. Pol Capt Suwarit Prommul of Phuket Town Police Station told the Gazette that police were called by the dog’s owner, a Khun Kanda. She told them that in the morning she had let her one-year-old dog out…
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Three murdered on road to Bangkok airport
BANGKOK, Oct 17 (AFP): Thai police have launched a major investigation into the murder of three men from Hong Kong early Saturday morning. Chen Jian-jun, 40, Chan Kam-yin, 41, and Hong Leong, 41, were killed shortly after midnight as they travelled on a main highway heading to the Bangkok airport, police said. They said the men had taken a taxi…
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Burmese fisherman murdered by gang
PHUKET TOWN: A Burmese fisherman was stabbed to death in the early hours of Thursday morning in a boat at the entrance to the fishing port on Soi Si Sena, near Phya Thai Hospital. He was the third person murdered in the fishing port in the past week. Pol Lt Passakorn Sonthikul of Phuket Town Police Station told the Gazette…
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Hotel guests robbed of 25,900 baht
PHUKET TOWN: An Italian tourist and his Thai girlfriend, who came to Phuket from Chiang Mai to see the Vegetarian Festival, were robbed of 25,900 baht and their credit cards on Thursday. Pol Maj Winai Kongkaew of Muang Station said that the couple, who were staying at the Suksabai Hotel in Phuket Town, admitted that when they went out to…
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German tourist drowns off Kata
KATA: A German tourist, named by Phuket Town police as Mr E. Utzke, aged 68, drowned off Kata Beach on Wednesday. Mr Utzke was staying at the Kata Beach Hotel with his wife. Police believe he may have suffered cramps while in the water. Alerted by people on the beach, members of the Kupai Foundation searched for him using a…
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Lauda begins scheduled flights to Phuket
PHUKET: Austrian airline Lauda Air on Tuesday began scheduled flights between Phuket and the Austrian capital, Vienna. On Tuesdays the airline flies Vienna-Phuket-Bangkok-Vienna. On Saturdays, from November to March only, it will fly Vienna-Bangkok-Phuket-Vienna.
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Thai banks slash interest rates for foreigners
PHUKET: Thai banks here and across the country have quietly followed the legions of tuk-tuk drivers and street vendors who practice “two-tier” pricing – one for Thais and another for foreigners. In this case, the pricing relates to interest paid on savings accounts and fixed deposits. While the rates paid to foreigners vary from bank to bank, almost all are…
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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