Phuket News
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Why health insurance costs more each year and how expats in Thailand can save more money
Each year, many expats living in Thailand see their health insurance premiums go up and often without a clear reason. This can be frustrating, especially when you're trying to plan your budget. But by understanding why prices rise and learning...
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Not holding water – Phuket authorities blameless for floods
Phuket authorities, blameless for this year’s floods, have decided that the sale of government land was behind the recent inundations and landslides on the island. During a disaster mitigation forum at Phuket Rajabhat University, authorities were able to demonstrate their innocence again and again. The new owners of former government land built an unauthorised dam, completely contrary to the purpose…
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Fine Dining with a Phuket View | Amari Phuket
https://youtu.be/qAP2-loBVpE Join Natty Warisa and Jay for a 5 Star Fine DIning Foodie Journey, as they take you to some of their favorite dining spots in Phuket, Thailand. In this episode, they will be highlighting the must have Phuketian foods at Rim Talay Restaurant, Amari Phuket’s beach side restaurant where you can watch the island slowly awaken with color over…
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An Azur Air flight circles Phuket for hours, then aborts
An Azur Air flight intended for Russia never made and no one is saying why. The flight took off toward Novosibirsk after a five-hour delay but never made it past the Andaman Sea. It circled for hours and ended up back in Phuket leaving about 200 passengers stranded. Azur Air flight ZF3750 was supposed to depart at 3.50pm yesterday toward…
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Canadian hitman in Phuket killing moves closer to extradition
The Canadian hitman accused of killing a Vancouver gangster in Phuket is one step closer to extradition after a ruling from an Alberta judge. Matthew Dupre was committed to extradition Friday, to be surrendered to Thailand to be tried for his involvement in the death of Jimi Singh Sandhu. Dupre was a member of the Canadian Armed Forces in Afghanistan…
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Chinese tourist found dead in Phuket
A Chinese tourist has been found dead in Phuket yesterday. The 46 year old woman was found hanging from a durian tree in the Sakhu district, The Phuket News reported. A local woman, 60 year old Churaiwan Lengyi, told police she found the Chinese woman’s body when she went out to check if her laundry had dried. She alerted a…
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Officials say no to floating lanterns and fireworks on Patong Beach
Officials aren’t liking floating lanterns and fireworks on Patong Beach. On Wednesday night, officials were alerted that vendors were welling these items on the beach, according to Kathu District Chief Siwat Rawangkul. A team led by Siwat then inspected the beach to crack down on people selling and using the items. The team then found stashes of lanterns and fireworks…
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Christmas present to Phuket motorists: Patong Hill road to reopen
Good news for motorists in Phuket, Patong Hill road is expected to fully reopen to all traffic on Christmas Day. The road between Kathu and Patong was closed after it was hit by a landslide during a deluge of heavy rain in October. The road is only partially open at the moment but the Mayor of Kathu, Chai-anan Sutthikul, reported…
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Four orcas spotted playing near the Similan Islands
Killer whales, otherwise known as orcas, were spotted off the coast of the Similan Islands in Phang Nga province. A private chartered fishing trip ran into the group of four seemingly friendly orcas as the boat sailed the waters of the Andaman Sea nearby the islands. The 35 year old local host of the trip said that he had taken…
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Phuket welcomes 6,730 flights in December
High season has arrived in Phuket, as the airport schedule lists 6,730 flights this month. The average number of flights per day throughout the month of December will reach 217, up from about 200 in November. (The busiest day in November saw 219 flight land with 10,467 passengers arriving.) Some 3,000 of those flights are international arrivals, while 3,730 flights…
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Phuket flight cancellation due to earlier cancelled flight, runway maintenance
After pandemonium at Phuket International Airport on Thursday night with a flight cancellation stranding 300 passengers overnight, airport and tourism authorities say they’re more prepared and it won’t happen again. It all started when budget airline Thai VietJet cancelled a flight from Phuket to Bangkok minutes before take-off last night because staff couldn’t find a seat for one passenger. But…
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Bullets-in-bag Israeli given 18 months in Thailand
The bullets-in-bag Israeli police officer was handed an 18-month jail sentence on Friday for arriving in Thailand with a deadly cargo of live ammunition. Gal Shmuel Farjun was arrested in October at Phuket Airport with two loaded magazines in his suitcase. The 29 year old claimed to have left the bullets in his bag “by accident.” The Israeli Foreign Ministry…
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Phang Nga officials find more leatherback turtle eggs
Turtle nesting season is well on its way in Phang Nga. Phang Nga officials found more leatherback turtle eggs, after finding over 118 of them on the same beach last month. On Wednesday, officials from the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) said they found more nests on Bang Khwan Beach, about 500 metres from the previous nest. However, the…
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Phuket officials once again report finding no human trafficking on fishing boats
Phuket officials reported once again they found no evidence of human trafficking on fishing boats. Officials conducted a series of random interviews at Rassada Pier in the main city district yesterday. They inspected a total of seven boats with 249 workers. Some 117 workers were Thai, and 130 were from Vietnam and Laos. Officials confirmed that they did not discover…
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Planning a small conference? Try Thailand’s super-luxury villas
If you are planning an international get-together, or a training conference for local staff, why waste your time and money on a decaying Bangkok hotel meeting room with ugly furniture, toxic air conditioning and a buffet prepared by the kitchen intern? Try a super-luxury villa. Thailand is home to some of the most spectacular meeting spots in the world. And…
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Thai immigration reports over 900,000 tourists in Phuket since May
Phuket’s tourism is continuing to make its post-Covid-19 comeback. Thai immigration reported over 900,000 tourists in Phuket from May 1 to November 27. The total number of tourists that visited the island province in that time frame is 934,164. Of those tourists, 914,746 are foreigners, and 19,418 are Thai. Meanwhile the Phuket Walking Street Sunday Market, also well known as…
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Phuket sees over 50,000 Russian tourists in past month
Russian tourists seem to be arriving in Phuket in droves with over 50,000 of them landing on its shores in November. This month, 55,097 Russians made their way to the island province, making up its largest tourist group. The second largest tourist group in Phuket this month came from India, with 26,525 travellers, according to Phuket Immigration. The third largest…
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Gus, 7, youngest Thai person to reach Everest Base Camp
At the same time as two Thai women died trekking in the Himalayas, a 7 and a half year old boy from Phuket became what is believed to be the youngest Thai person ever to reach Mount Everest Base Camp. Young Gus made the trek along with his parents earlier this month. The team reached Mount Everest Base Camp 5,340…
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New direct flight between Muscat and Bangkok
The Sultanate of Oman today announced the introduction of a direct flight between Muscat and Bangkok. From Sunday, December 18, Oman’s budget airline SalamAir will fly directly between Muscat and Bangkok three times per week. Flights from Muscat depart on Sundays, Tuesdays, and Fridays, while return flights from Bangkok are scheduled for Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday. Bangkok is SalamAir’s second…
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Man arrested in South Thailand for attempted murder in Phuket
A man has been arrested in South Thailand’s Phatthalung province for attempted murder in Phuket four years ago. The man, 23 year old Thanakorn Phontha, was wanted on arrest warrants issued in January and August 2018. Officers found Thanakorn in his house on Moo 7 in the Srinakarin district, after finding through an investigation that he had been hiding in…
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Masks recommended in crowds amid Covid increase
If there’s one thing we’ve learned from the Covid-19 pandemic it’s that people just absolutely love wearing masks. They can’t wait to start wearing them when outbreaks occur, and they look forward to wearing them regularly for the foreseeable future. For those of you who love wearing masks, the Ministry of Public Health advised yesterday that, in crowded places, wearing…
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Blaze guts foreigner’s car in Phuket
A blaze gutted a foreigner’s car in Phuket’s main city district on Tuesday night. Koh Kaew firefighters rushed to the scene on Number 3013 Road to find the car engulfed in flames. It took the firefighters about 10 minutes to bring the blaze under control. The car was destroyed, but luckily the driver escaped uninjured. The cause of the fire…
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CCTV across Phuket to be integrated as part of “Phuket Crime-Free”
Phuket Governor Narong launched a new initiative earlier this week called “Phuket Crime-Free.” As part of the initiative, Phuket officials are making some innovations on the island province’s CCTV networks. CCTV networks across Phuket will now be integrated into one system. On Tuesday, there was a mass signing of an MoU between agencies and government offices involved. This included 12…
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Singapore cruise ship arrives to sample Patong’s delights
A cruise ship from Singapore anchored off Patong yesterday morning, bringing 3,000 passengers for a brief visit to the jewel in Phuket’s crown of insalubrity. The Genting Dream, owned by Resorts World Cruises, arrived around dawn. The ship is on a five-day cruise out of Singapore and had stopped at Penang in Malaysia before arriving in Phuket, so passengers obviously…
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Patong business operators want transgender sex workers “cleaned up”
Patong business operators on Bangla Road want transgender sex workers to be “cleaned up,” in addition to food and drink vendors. The president of the Patong Entertainment Business Association, Weerawit Kreuasombat, said… “While Patong officials are now increasing safety management measures on Bangla Road, transgender prostitutes should be cleaned up too. We consistently get complaints that they are annoying and…
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Rawai expat arrested for owning whale bones
Bart Simpson famously used to say, “Don’t have a cow, man!” But maybe, also don’t have a whale! In Rawai, a Frenchmen was arrested after he was discovered in possession of part of a whale skeleton. It turns out that owning whale bones violates the Wild Animal Protection Act. The Phuket Express reports that the man was nabbed when officials…
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Charter flights to Phuket and Pattaya filled with Russian tourists
Charter flights to Thailand’s hotspots of Phuket and Pattaya are being filled with Russian tourists. The chairman of the Chonburi Council of Tourism Industry, Thanet Suparashasrangsi, said… “The Azur Airline will start bringing in charter flights from November 26 on B757 carriers, which can hold about 202 passengers and will improve the number of tourists in Pattaya significantly.” Russia’s Ikar…
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Son slits father’s throat in Phuket, allegedly in self defence
A man in Phuket allegedly killed his father in a violent incident over cigarette money. The man, 26 year old Arnon Kammanochart, slit the throat of his father, 51 year old Uthai Kammanochart, in Thalang district yesterday evening. Arnon said that he was defending himself. Arnon told Thalang Police that his father asked him to buy cigarettes. Arnon said he…
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Rowdy monkeys moved on Phuket island
Two rowdy monkeys on an island off Phuket have been moved to the far side of the island after bothering residents. The two macaques had been disturbing locals and causing trouble, according to the head of Khao Phra Thaeo Nature and Wildlife Education Center Pongchart Chuahom. Officers from a rescue foundation of the Khao Phra Thaeo Non-hunting Area arrived on…
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Turtle lays over 100 eggs in Phang Nga, marking the start of nesting season
A sea turtle marked the start of nesting season by laying over 100 eggs in Phang Nga yesterday. Officials from the Khok Kloi area found the nest of 118 eggs, with track marks from the turtle, a Bang Khwan Beach. The officials confirmed that a leatherback sea turtle had laid the eggs. Out of the 118 eggs, 106 were fertile…
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Phuket expects 1 billion baht revenue boost from yacht tourism
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) hosted the Thailand Charter Week 2022 at Phuket Yacht Haven Marina on Wednesday in a bid to boost nautical tourism. The TAT believes accommodating the sailing community in Phuket will generate 1 billion baht in revenue. The Deputy Governor of the Domestic Marketing Department of TAT, Thapanee Kiatpaiboon, revealed that the Thailand Charter Week…
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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