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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Phuket lawyer to sue his client for defamation and unpaid bills of 100 million baht
PHOTOS: Phuket Hot News On September 30, Narongrit Netikietiwong, the lawyer of Chanwit Kitlertsiriwattana, Managing Director of Phukhaohokluk Company, who claims to own the land on Naka Noi Island, went to Phuket Media Association to file an official complaint against his client. This follows a report that Chanwit made to the police, accusing the lawyer of “defrauding him”. Narongrit explained…
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21st dugong found dead in fish nets off Phang Nga
Another dugong, the 21st this year, has been found dead, trapped in fish net in the sea off Khura Buri district in Phang Nga. Khura Buri is north of Khao Lak. Marine biologist and vice dean of the Fisheries Faculty at Kasetsart University, Dr. Thon Thamrongnawasawat, reported today that 21 deaths was the highest number recorded in one year for…
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Mah Songs parade through Phuket Town exciting tourists and locals
PHOTOS: Phuket Hot News Today, the Sapam and Bangku Shrines started their Mah Song parade, also known as ‘Lew Geng’ around the the main city of Phuket, in Phuket Town on the island’s east coast. The parades in the annual vegetarian festival are are feature of the 10 day event and attract thousands of tourists to the island in increasing…
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OPINION: Phuket’s Vegetarian Festival is now for the tourists, not the locals
OPINION: Pruth Kulprasit Phuket’s vegetarian Festival is an annual event steeped in ancient Chinese mysticism and fused with local island traditions and Buddhism. It’s a cacophony of noise, spiritualism, body piercing and rather bland vegetarian food. For the tourist or expat that witnesses the parades, fire-walking and ceremonies for the first time it’s a shock to the senses.For local Thai-Chinese,…
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Phuket encroacher is handed down 10 year sentence
PHOTO: Nai Yang Beach, just part of the coastal land along Phuket’s north-west coastline The Department of Special Investigation have successfully prosecuted an encroachment case involving land on Phuket’s north-west coast. The Criminal Court handed down a 10 year sentence to Anek Lipracha, a prime suspect in a case involving encroachment of 93 rai of coastal land in Sirinat Marine National…
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Chinese tourists surge during Phuket’s vegetarian festival
… and it’s not much about vegetarian food. It’s on again, one of the most bizarre festivals on the world’s calendar of WTF events. The Phuket Tourist Association says that the Phuket Vegetarian Festival that runs until October 7, is expected to bring in around 2 billion baht in your revenue. They say that, despite the high value of the…
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1000 gather in Phuket to join the global cry on climate change
Asia’s largest travel and tourism sustainability event, opened in Phuket yesterday, as Southeast Asia’s hospitality industry came together in a spirit of collaboration to tackle the critical environmental issues facing resort destinations across the region. A year on from the inaugural edition of PHIST, the event continues to grow. A record attendance of 1,000 delegates attended the full-day event, held…
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Thomas Cook demise will affect British tourism to Thailand for the rest of 2019
“British tourists have contribute between 900,000 – 1,000,000 tourists to Thailand annually for the past seven years.” The failure of the British Thomas Cook travel business will cut the numbers of arrivals from Britain to Thailand for the remainder of this year. Yuthasak Supasorn, governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand says they are also assessing a drop in northern-European…
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Top 10 things to do in Phuket when it rains (2020)
Phuket really only has two seasons – wet and dry. The wet season usually runs from April to November each year. And when it rains, it pours! But there’s still plenty to do on the island, rain or sunshine. Best of all it’s always going to be around 30 degrees so it’s not cold or unpleasant. A 20 baht plastic poncho…
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Clean the Beach Boot Camp takes on Nai Harn Beach on World Clean Up Day
A very special Clean The Beach Boot Camp (CBBC) took place on last Saturday in support World Clean Up Day. In total, 170 people, including 120 students from the Faculty of Hospitality and Tourism at the Prince of Songkla University in Kathu headed to Nai Harn Beach, one of the island’s favourites in the island’s south. Involving some 18 different…
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Phuket social enterprise shop takes the first steps
PHOTOS: stepswiththeera.com A Bangkok-based social enterprise has made its debut in Phuket as it opened a new zero-waste shop, cafe and vocational training centre in Cherng Talay. The shop is run by Steps With Theera and provides a range of plastic substitutes including bamboo straw sets, bamboo toothbrushes and SuperBee wax wraps, alongside a refill station with beauty products from…
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6 year old Burmese boy dies from bike-pickup truck crash
SOURCE: khaosod.co.th A 6 year old Burmese boy has died following a motorcycle accident when his parents crashed the vehicle onto a pick-up truck earlier this week. He died in the intensive care ward at Vachira Hospital yesterday morning (Thursday) The accident occurred on September 15 near Soi Pramote, Chaofa West Road, Chalong. The boy’s father, 39 year old Thein…
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Phuket university’s safe-sex campaign attracts 390 volunteers
Yesterday, saw the return of Prince of Songkhla University’s Safe Sex Campaign. Now in its third year, some 390 PSU students turned up to support the campaign by making safe sex packs, which are then distributed free to bars in Patong. The safe sex packs include a condom and lubricant. It was the biggest turn-out of students since this corporate social…
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New branding for the old town – tweaking Phuket’s Old Town
PHOTO: Many renovated buildings and putting the crappy overhead cabling underground is bringing the old town alive Though Phuket remains among the world’s most popular tourist destinations, injecting some 477 billion baht to the Thai economy, with its “Pearl of the Andaman Sea” branding, its future status is being questioned due to competition from Indonesia and Vietnam. In response, Phuket…
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“Phuket needs a world class exhibition and convention centre”
“Two key developments we are tracking is Central Festivals next phase of expansion and Proud Groups Andamanda project that both have significant concerence, meeting and incentive space.” Plans to promote Phuket as a world-class MICE (meetings, incentives, conventions, exhibitions) location are being obstructed by many impediments – inefficient town planning, poor transport systems and poor availability of land in tourist…
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Laguna Angsana Resort opens conference and exhibition venue
by Bill Barnett of c9hotelworks.com Laguna Phuket’s Angsana resort is set to debut it’s new 1,500 square metre conference and exhibition space. It’s actually a renovation and rebranding of the successful Laguna marquee space and relocated to a more permanent location within the Angsana Laguna Phuket complex. Tagged as ACES, the venue will open at the end of September. For…
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Phuket police to embrace technology in dealing with traffic violations
PHOTO: Trafficpolice.go.th From next Friday, traffic police in Phuket will no longer confiscate licences when drivers are stopped for traffic violations. Police will now record the details of a driving licence but return it to the driver as soon as they’ve done so. They will still issue fines on paper, with drivers unable to pay their road tax until any…
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Wan Yubamrung’s subordinate arrested for attempted murder in Patong
PHOTO: Manager Online Last night (September 12), 32 year old Thanpawat Supchotiwanich, a subordinate of Thai Pheu Thai party politician Wan Yubamrung, was arrested in front of his house in Soi Ekkachai 135, in Patong, acting on a warrant issued back in 2010 after he shot a business peer over an undisclosed conflict. Thanpawat is also known as ‘Tong Deksuegaeng’…
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Jet-ski collision injures two Chinese tourists in Patong
Two Chinese tourists have been injured in a jet-ski collision in Patong yesterday, the Phuket News reports. Maj Teerasak Boonsaeng from Patong Police was notified of the accident shortly before 4.00pm yesterday, with both men taken to Patong hospital for treatment. The men, named as 28 year old Hu Meng and 26 year old Yang Ming, had rented jet-skis from…
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Centara signs up three more Phuket hotels
The surge of new properties continues in Phuket as the developers and Thai business leaders continue to show their confidence in Phuket as an international holiday destination. Thai hospitality group Centara Hotels and Resorts has entered into agreements to manage three hotels on Phuket’s northern west coast in Mai Khao. Two of the properties are currently operating, which are the…
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“Don’t extend opening hours to 4am” – Tourist zones
“Think again about extending pub opening hours to 4am in tourist areas”. That’s the advice from Dr Mohamed Fahmy Tale, an advocate for alcohol control, directed to Thailand’s tourism minister, Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn. Manager Online says that he wants the government to focus more on safety rather than encouraging more drinking. The Tourism and Sports Minister, Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn, had proposed an extension…
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Phuket Governor requests 38 million baht to finally finish Provincial Hall
The Governor of Phuket, Phakaphong Tavipatana, confirms he has requested 38 million baht for the long-awaited completion of Phuket Provincial Hall on the south side of Phuket town. Last October, he had asked for a new contractor to be appointed by December, but that never happened. It’s understood he has now filed a request with the Ministry of Interior in…
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Wyndham adds two more hotels for Phuket’s south
PHOTOS: Artists impressions of the new Wyndham Nai Harn Resort Phuket Global hotel group Wyndham has announced two more Phuket pipeline hotels. The announcement follows a long list of new developments and openings over the next few years on the island. First for Wyndham, is a 353 key property named the Wyndham Nai Harn Resort Phuket at the popular southern west-coast…
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Phuket’s Katathani Beach Resort land under investigation
The Katathani Phuket Beach Resort, sprawled along Kata Noi’s small beach on Phuket, is the latest subject of investigation by the Phuket Provincial Land Office. The investigation team has been given 30 days to complete its review by the Phuket Governor. The latest investigations are the latest in a tit-for-tat battle between the owners of the Katathani Phuket Beach Resort…
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Car rental scam busted, gang leaders arrested in Phuket and Trang
PHOTOS: Achadtaya Chuenniran Three people have been arrested separately in Phuket and Trang, south of thailand. They’ve been accused of running a scam, targeting car owners and car rental operators. Police have so far seized 23 out of 40 vehicles the gang had resold. Nine victims made official complaints on August 26 that a gang was renting cars from them…
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3 drug dealers arrested in Phanason condo, Phuket
Phuket police revealed that they have arrested 3 drug dealers at the Phanason Greenplace condominium complex in the Samkong area, on the road that connects Samkong to Surukul Stadium. One of the suspects already had an arrest warrant out for several crimes before this drug case. The three men include 20 year old Narasak ‘Film’ Sarika, who was arrested with…
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Norwegian accused of Phuket murder absconds, manhunt launched
PHOTO: Thaiexaminer.com The Norwegian tourist accused of murdering a British guest at a resort in Karon two weeks ago has absconded while out on bail, police say. Following Roger Bullman’s no-show for his appointment at the Phuket Provincial Court, a police manhunt has been launched and arrest warrant issued. Police say they’re confident he has not fled the country as…
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Court orders prison sentence for airline boss after 2007 Phuket crash
PHOTO: La-croix.com 12 years after a crash at Phuket airport that killed 89 passengers, a Paris court has sentenced the former chief of Thai budget airline One-Two-Go to four years’ imprisonment and a fine of 75,000 Euros. Udom Tantiprasongchai has been found guilty of voluntary manslaughter in a civil suit brought by the families of 9 French victims. However, despite…
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The problems with Phuket’s lifeguarding, in plain sight
PHOTO: Patong Surf Lifesaving Club A personal view from a veteran ocean lifeguard After viewing the news and photos today of yet another body retrieval from Phuket’s ocean waters, this latest is unfortunately one in a long-line of such grisly episodes, for as many years as I can remember. And as Kee Lighting and Engineering Company, apparently the contract provider…
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Indian visitors to Phuket surge whilst total numbers drop
by Bill Barnett from c9hotelworks.com The soaring number of Indian visitors to Phuket for the first seven months of 2019 has propelled Indian tourists into the Top 5 arrivals for the first time. Arrivals from India from January – July, compared to the same period in 2018, grew 354%, amassing a total of 186,360 arrivals. Mainland Chinese arrival figures continue…
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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