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.
-
18 year old crew remains missing after boat collision off Phuket yesterday, one dead
PHOTO: Phuket People’s Voice The Royal Thai Navy continued searching off Phuket’s east coast today for 18 year old Kittipong ‘Boy’ Samunboot, a crew who fell overboard in yesterday’s collision between a tour boat and a large luxury yacht off Koh Khai Nok. The incident happened around 4pm. A search for the missing young man continued last night and was…
-
Boat crash near Koh Kai off Phuket – four injured
PHOTOS: Newshawk Phuket On Wednesday, December 18, there was a boat incident near Koh Kai, in Phang Nga. The collision is believed to have happened around 4pm. A speedboat on tour collided into a luxury yacht, which resulted in at least four injuries. One of the passengers on the yacht suffered a broken leg. When marine rescue arrived at the…
-
Phuket resort owners Castlewood Group goes into liquidation
UPDATE: “The liquidation is for Singapore assets only, NOT Thai assets, the (Phuket) hotel is not being liquidated and operating as normal,” according to the Dream Phuket Hotel & Spa General Manager Chris Adams. PHOTO: Couple Travel The World The future of a Phuket resort in the booming Layan Beach/Cherngtalay area, funded by a Singapore-based property developer, is under a cloud following…
-
SIS Kata receives “Gold Level” G-Green award 2019 – Ministry of the Environment
The SIS Kata in Kata, Phuket has received the G-Green awards 2019 – “Gold Level” by the Thai Ministry of the Environment. The award recognises the Phuket 5 star resort for its ongoing dedication to maintaining a healthy and sustainable tourist environment in Kata and the many initiatives introduced around the resort in the past 12 months. On December 16 the Director…
-
Ten days later, no sign of missing Phuket pair, or their kayak
PHOTO: Phuket People’s Voice Nearly ten days have passed since Polish tourist Mateusz Juszkiewicz and his Thai friend Werakan Siriprakon went missing off the southern coast of Phuket. The hopes of finding them alive are fading fast as vast swathes of the Andaman and coastal areas have been searched by up to 100 Navy, officers, Tourist Police, Rawai police and…
-
Students clamber up destroyed stairway to get to school in Phuket
Students this morning had to climb an almost collapsed stairway to get to school. A truck (photo) careered off Thepkasattri Road in Koh Kaew, Phuket on Saturday night, running into the stairway and destroying half of the concrete stairway to the school’s overpass. Undaunted, students tried to climb up the wrecked stairway this morning on their regular trip to school.…
-
“Phuket’s economy is shrinking” – University report
PHOTO: Rocket Bird Travel Company “Phuket’s economy is shrinking.” A report released by the local Prince of Songkla University reveals some disturbing trends for the once-booming tropical paradise. Chayanon Phucharoen, the university’s associate dean of research and graduate study says that Phuket’s economy is undergoing a transformation. He blames the strong Thai baht and says digital disruption is funnelling tourist services…
-
Baby dumped on the steps of a bank in Rawai, Phuket
PHOTOS: Phuket Newshawk/Phuket Hotnews On December 13, at about 4pm, Chalong police received a report about a baby found abandoned in front of Siam Commercial Bank, in Rawai. At the scene, police found a baby boy with fair skin and appeared like a mix caucasian/Asian. The infant was crying but the witnesses who called police were trying to hold, comfort…
-
Phuket’s economy is entering a period of recession – PSU report
PHOTO: kapumail Phuket’s Prince of Songkla University Faculty of Hospitality and Tourism has completed a lengthy report about the health of the island’s tourism, saying that tourism and Phuket’s economy are in poor condition. Part of the report says that, despite a 4% rise in visitor numbers in 2019, revenue from tourism is falling. “The economy of Phuket is entering…
-
Phuket road closures and areas to avoid Sunday morning
Sunday, December 15, Phuket locals and officials will gather to celebrate the arrival of the holy Buddha’s relic alongside other highly respected monks’ religious relics. There will be parades and road closures in and around the Phuket Town area.The Phuket Municipality will close down the road from the the Phuket Post Office intersection all the way to Thalang Road –…
-
Phuket Light Rail project hits a few speed bumps
The Phuket Light Rail (Phuket Tram) project has hit a few hurdles and has been shelved, apparently temporarily, whilst some further studies are conducted into the ambitious public transport project. The proposed tram route was proposed to start at Phuket Airport and finish at the Chalong Intersection, with a total of 21 stations along the way. As president of the…
-
Mother cat and 4 kittens poisoned at Sai Kaew Beach, Phuket
On December 11, a report was made following a post from the Facebook page ‘Rain Forest’ about 5 cats that were dumped and poisoned at Sai Kaew Beach, at the far north end of Mai Khao Beach in Phuket. The post shows pictures of a cat and her four kittens that had been poisoned with water and food, probably laced…
-
Russian tourist bitten by a monkey on To Sae Hill, Phuket town
PHOTOS: Phuket Hotnews On December 10, a report emerged that a tourist had been bitten by a monkey on the popular To Sae Hill viewpoint in Phuket Town. The video shared on social media shows that the man was bleeding a lot from his arm before another man helped attend to the wound to stop the blood. A volunteer who…
-
Phuket’s high season delayed until after Christmas
PHOTO: The Hotel Specialist “Diversifying Phuket’s market to rely less on Chinese tourists is key to improving tourism in the province.” It will be a quiet Christmas in Phuket as the island’s high season will come late for hotels this year, with most reservations are for after the Christmas celebration. Tourism in Phuket usually increases in November, but this year’s November…
-
UPDATE: Polish and Thai kayak pair still missing off Phuket
PHOTOS: Newshawk Phuket As we enter day four of the search for 26 year old Mateusz Juszkiewicz from Poland and his female Thai friend, 23 year old Werakan Sirirakon, there is no update other than the pair are still missing. Last evening Rawai’s mayor, Arun Solos revealed that the missing pair were wearing life vests when they set off for…
-
Phuket King’s Cup regatta organisers deny allegations of coral destruction at Kata
SCREENSHOT: Part of the post from the Kata Beach Shore Diving The 2019 King’s Cup Regatta in Phuket has been run and won, packed up and gone home. The annual event, run for the 33rd time this year, is one Thailand’s most prestigious yachting regattas and traditionally allows its vessels to anchor in the natural Kata harbour, using the Beyond…
-
Drunk driver collides with motorcycle in Phuket, killing the rider
PHOTO: Phuket Hotnews On December 8, Thalang police received a report about an incident on Srisoonthorn Road, opposite the Baan Manik PTT petrol station, in Thalang district, Phuket. At the scene, police found that a grey pick-up truck had collided with a blue Honda Wave motorcycle, causing one death. The motorcycle was lying on its side in the middle of…
-
UPDATE: Missing Polish tourist and Thai friend in canoe off Phuket
PHOTO: Phuket People’s Voice As of this morning around 10am, the 26 year old Mateusz Juszkiewicz from Poland and a female Thai friend, 23 year old Werakan Sirirakon from Nakon Sawan, were still missing off the coast of Phuket. The pair headed to sea with other couples in rented kayaks from Ya Nui Beach, south of Phuket, to visit a…
-
Polish tourist and Thai female remain missing after kayak trip off Phuket
PHOTOS: Phuket People’s Voice A helicopter has now joined the growing fleet of vessels who have been searching for a Polish tourist and a Thai woman. The pair disappeared after hiring kayaks with friends at Ya Nui Beach in Phuket yesterday afternoon. Search efforts resumed early this morning after a fruitless search last night. 26 year old Mateusz Juszkiewicz from…
-
FULL TIME WRITER – English language
THIS IS A JOB ADVERTISEMENT Are you Mr. or Ms. Write? The Thaiger is currently seeking a full-time writer, in English, to work from our Cherngtalay offices in Phuket. You will have an enthusiasm for writing and a working knowledge of life in Thailand. You may have journalism experience but flair, speed and enthusiasm are much more important. You will…
-
Strong interest of foreign investors in Phuket’s resorts – JLL report
PHOTO: Dhawa Phuket “In the Asia Pacific, Phuket is one of the three hotel investment markets in the region that have been highlighted.” Buoyed by the rise of experience-driven travel and an affinity toward locally-inspired hotel offerings, resort assets remain a top target among investors. According to JLL Hotels & Hospitality’s Global Resort Report, resort sales accounted for 20% of…
-
The 33rd Phuket King’s Cup Regatta runs to December 7
The Phuket King’s Cup Regatta, kicks off its 33rd year this week and will run to December 7, 2019. With 10 classes of Keelboats and Multihulls, and six International Dinghy Classes, and the new IOMC (International One Metre Class) class, the regatta aims to grow sustainable sailing communities and help develop the skills of a new wave of sailors and…
-
1 killed, 9 injured in Phuket road incidents
A woman has died and nine others injured in three separate incidents in Phuket. In the first accident, in Muang district, eyewitnesses say a Toyota Vios swerved before overturning and ending up on its roof. A 42 year old woman, Netchanok Det-arn was thrown from the car and seriously injured. The driver, who hasn’t yet been identified, was slightly injured…
-
Another dugong found dead on Koh Yao Noi, Phang Nga Bay
PHOTO: เหยี่ยวข่าว ภูเก็ต Newshawk Phuket On November 30, the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources, received a report about another dead dugong in Phang Nga Bay. Local people found the dugong washed up on Tha Khao Beach in Moo 5, Yao Noi Island, located between Phuket and Krabi. The officials reported it was a male dugong and its body had been…
-
Taiwan’s Eva Air adds direct flights to Phuket from next April
by Bill Barnett of c9hotelworks.com As the tourist demographic matures and evolves, so does the airline mix landing in Phuket. Now Phuket’s direct international airlift is set to increase again with non-stop flights from Taipei, Taiwan on Eva Air. The island’s airline traffic is already almost booked out for the next few months with Phuket International Airport officials asking airlines…
-
Thailand Charter Week a great success for Thai yachting industry
Organisers of the Thailand Charter Week hope to make next year’s event even bigger after this month’s successful inaugural edition at Phuket Yacht Haven. Yachts hosted familiarisation cruises around Phang Nga Bay and surrounding areas. The second edition is being held from November 14-18, 2020. Many of the world’s most renowned brokerage houses, Asia’s leading charter companies and Thailand-based yacht service…
-
Phuket tollway and tunnel project, linking Kathu and Patong, awaiting approval
PHOTOS: Phuket People’s Voice Phuket’s first ever tolled highway, to be built linking Kathu to Patong route, is awaiting approval from the government’s committee on public-private partnership. This will be the first ever tolled highway in Thailand that also allows motorcycles. The infamous, and much-discussed, Patong Tunnel, and accompanying link roads, has been a slow-burn story over the past two…
-
Soi Dog reaches new milestone – neutering 100,000 animals in one year
“The day we see no suffering of stray animals on the streets and the eradication of rabies in Thailand.” That’s the long-term goals of the Soi Dog Foundation. The non-profit organisation has made great strides towards these so far in 2019 by surpassing 100,000 stray dog and cat sterilisations in a calendar year for the first time in its history,…
-
Warnings of heavy rain and flash floods for southern Thailand
The Thailand Meteorological Department is warning about possible heavy rain and strong winds for the south of the country as a result of the strong northeast monsoon currently over the Gulf of Thailand. The northeast monsoon started in the south of Thailand this year from mid to late October, reducing the length of the annual wet season. Many parts of…
-
10 months later, no action to catch Bea’s murderer – Phuket
PHOTO: Dimitrios ‘Dim’ Chairopoulo, wanted and believed to be living in Greece “We are all in desperate need of some answers so that justice can be served for the family.” It’s been over 10 months since the murder of a local Phuket beautician 43 year old Niramon ‘Bea’ Aewkaew. But her alleged Greek murderer Dimitrios ‘Dim’ Chairopoulos remains on the…
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.
Don't forget to check out some other things to do in Thailand - get help starting a business or finding a job in Thailand, buy Thailand property, rent a yacht or book a medical procedure worldwide.