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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Fishing trawler capsizes off Phang Nga in local storm cell
An isolated Saturday night storm cell off Phang Nga capsized a fishing trawler. The entire crew, about 30 or so people, were rescued soon after. The kamnan of Lam Kaen tambon in Tai Muang district, Umakorn Phaeyai, said this morning the mishap occurred 20 nautical miles offshore. She said the crew of the 53 tonne Thanakorn 1 waited for rescue…
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Beam me up Phuket – new space theme hotel for the island
A 150 key space themed hotel is under development in Kathu, Phuket, by a Singaporean group . Located close to the Central Festival and Makro complexes, the project is expected to open next year according to a report in TTG Asia. The One Pioneer – Beyond Space Travel hotel say it’s “highly focused on an outer space storyline and will have…
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Two charged with attacking an ambulance and driver in Phuket
Two men were have been charged with attacking a moving ambulance and the volunteer ambulance driver along the ByPass Road in Phuket earlier this week. The two assailants were easily identified as 22 year old Sagib Yomyai and 29 year old Sutthi Sripoon, both from Trang province, were arrested at a rented house in Tambon Wichit, Muang district, with an…
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No injury as trailer truck loses control in Phuket Darasamut Underpass – VIDEO
PHOTOS/VIDEO: Newshawk Phuket / อาสา ของ ประชาชน A trailer has skidded and lost control, and then collided with concrete barriers at the southern entrance to the Darasamut Underpass this morning. No injuries were reported as a result of the incident. Wichit Police were notified of the incident at 10am. Police and emergency responders arrived at the scene to find the…
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UPDATE: Suspects arrested over ambulance attack
Phuket police today have arrested suspects who attacked and harassed an ambulance and the driver. The suspects tried to stop the ambulance and were captured on video attacking the ambulance whilst chasing it along Phuket’s roads. Read more about the attackers HERE. Police today have arrested two suspects following their attack on the ambulance and drivers this week after the issue…
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Phuket police hunting for suspects who attacked an ambulance – VIDEO
VIDEO: Detnarong Songsang Phuket police are hunting for suspects who tried to stop an ambulance and attack rescue workers. They have good photos of the attackers and say it will be easy to track them down. The Wichit Police were notified of the incident earlier in the week. 41 year old Detnarong Songsang, a rescue worker, was driving the ambulance…
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UPDATE: Ancient cannon found off Koh Racha aged from Rattanakosin period
An object found near Koh Racha Noi off Phuket’s southern coast yesterday is believed to be ancient cannon from the Rattanakosin period (1782-1932). An investigation has been launched after the object, similar to an ancient cannon along with an accompanying ‘base’, was found underwater just off the coast of Koh Racha Noi. Read more about the discovery HERE. Divers from the…
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Skål International heads to Phuket, June 2020
by Paul Poole Tourism industry professionals from all over the world are expected to descend on Phuket between June 25-27, 2020, for the 49th edition of Skål Asia Congress. With more than 15,000 members in almost 90 different countries, Skål International is the world’s largest organisation of tourism professionals. Through countless local, national and international events, Skål International promotes global tourism…
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Fallen light pole blocks traffic in Thalang after truck rolls over – VIDEO
PHOTOS/VIDEO: Newshawk Phuket Two people have sustained injuries after a truck overturned in Thalang this morning. Newshawk Phuket reports that at about 8.50am this morning the Thalang Police were notified of an accident on Thepkrasattri Road, southbound, in Baan Ko-en, Thalang. Police and emergency responders arrived at the scene to find the overturned trailer truck on the road. A light…
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Phoenix goes up for auction, starting price 900,000 baht
The notorious and ill-fated tour boat Phoenix, which sank off Phuket last July killing 47 Chinese tourists, is among 48 items that the Anti-Money Laundering Office will auction off this Wednesday at its head office. At the time, many of the dead were retrieved from the boat, though its crew and captain escaped unharmed via life rafts, leaving many passengers…
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Whale shark sighted off Koh Racha – VIDEO
VIDEO/PHOTO: บังดำ นายสุวัฒน์ บาเร็ม/Saranyu Hassanai A whale shark was sighted off Koh Racha, south of Phuket, yesterday. A Facebook user ‘Saranyu Hassanai’ has posted the video clip with a message saying “A whale shark has showed up near the boat while we were travelling near Koh Racha.” “Tourists on the boat were very happy to see the whale shark.” https://www.facebook.com/100017729653298/videos/391081111492874/?id=100017729653298…
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UPDATE: Total 4 deaths in Phang Nga Chinese tour bus crash
One person died at the scene yesterday while another three have since died in hospital. Nine other people sustained injuries in yesterday’s incident in Phang Nga when a pick-up, careering out of control, crossed the median strip, took out a motorbike, and then crashed head-on into a tour bus. Newshawk Phuket reports that emergency responders were notified of the incident…
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One dead, many injured in Phang Nga bus crash
PHOTOS: Newshawk Phuket One person has been found dead while many others have sustained injuries in a Phang Nga bus collision this morning. Newshawk Phuket reports that emergency responders were notified of the incident this morning on Phet Kasem Road, southbound, in Borsane, Thapput in Phang Nga. The collision was between the the tour bus and a silver pick-up. Both…
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New Zealander found hanged in Patong hotel
A New Zealand man has been found hanged in a room at a hotel in Patong. Patong Police were notified the incident at the Deevana Plaza Hotel on Rat-U-Thit 200 Pi Road in Patong yesterday at 4pm. Police and emergency responders arrived at the hotel room to find the body of a foreign man who was later identified as 49 year…
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Central’s new Suvarnabhumi lifestyle centre set to open late August
PHOTO: Central Pattana Central Village, a new luxury retail outlet situated near Suvarnabhumi International Airport, is 70% finished. Wallaya Chirathivat, deputy chief executive of Central Pattana, says the new lifestyle shopping precinct is scheduled to open on August 31. Central says that retail space in Phase 2 have now opened after Phase 1 of the retail development was totally booked. They report…
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Old Phuket Town underground cable works to be completed by August
The project to hide the unsightly over-head cables around Old Phuket Town is due to be completed in August this year. The Phuket City Mayor says there will be inconvenience to traffic in Old Phuket Town while the works are underway installing underground cabling in the remaining streets. Read more about the progress of the works HERE. The Phuket Provincial Public…
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Air Asia resumes flights from Phuket to Jakarta
AirAsia Indonesia says they will resume direct flights between Phuket and Jakarta on the second of July this year. Flights will be available three times a week. For AirAsia, the move marks a return of the route which had been flown for a number of years in the past. “Currently the traveling trend continues to increase especially in the youth market, hence…
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Officials investigate complaints of elephants on Phuket beach
Officials have investigated social media complaints about elephants in the water and the taking of photos with tourists on Tri Trang beach. Officials haven’t arrested anyone at this stage. The issue about elephants playing in the shallows with tourist went viral in local social media as netizens made comments ranging from the “elephants are damaging the coral” and the “elephants…
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Suspect charged with murder after stabbing in Patong restaurant
A suspect has been charged after he stabbed and killed a staff member at a Patong restaurant in Bangla Road last night. Patong Police were notified of the incident at 9.50pm last night on Bangla Road in Patong. Police and rescue workers arrived at the scene to find the man, later identified as 42 year old Anuchet Chanwijit from Trang,…
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The blackwater is back at Bang Tao Canal – VIDEO
Locals are pushing the local government to check wastewater treatment plants after dirty black water come back to Bang Tao Canal again this morning. The President of the Cherng Talay OrBorJor is Ma’Ann Samran. (If you’d like to send Ma’Ann a message you can click on his Facebook page HERE.) “90% of business operators and locals are releasing wastewater into…
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Surin Islands in Phang Nga closed until November
The Mu Koh Surin National Park in Phang Nga, 100 kilometres north of the Similans, has been closed down for the wet season and will be open again in November. The Mu Koh Surin National Park Chief Puttapot Kuprasit says, “The Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) is forecasting that today there will be 60-70% chance of rain and high waves up…
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Wyndham to manage new condo at Layan Beach Phuket
by Bill Barnett A new Wyndham managed condominium hotel is rising in the Layan Beach area of Phuket. Named the Laya Resort Phuket, the first phase of the project is 300 units of studio and one-bedroom configuration. The new development will be situated about 400 metres from Layan Beach. Pricing starts from 150,000 baht a square metre and a 15…
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90% untreated water flowing into Bang Tao canal
90% of business operators and locals are releasing wastewater into the filthy Bang Tao canal. Cherng Talay Tambol Administrative Organisation President Maann Samran says, “There are some hotels, restaurants and locals still releasing wastewater into Bang Tao Canal where it is flowing into the sea.” “Only 10% of them have connected their wastewater pipe into the wastewater treatment plants.” “Today…
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Booking in advance, standardised tours, limited numbers – Maya Bay’s tourism future
“Both Thon and DNP executives emphasised that mass tourism would not be allowed again at Maya Bay.” by Pratch Rujivcanarom Maya Bay’s visitors will have to book in advance for limited day tours once the popular tourist magnet reopens to the public. After an official inspection of the rehabilitation efforts at Maya Bay on Koh Phi Phi Ley, local marine…
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Deja vu: Dirty, smelly, blackwater flows into the Andaman Sea, again
PHOTOS: Newshawk Phuket Phuket’s Governor has given an urgent order to solve the problem of wastewater flowing into Bang Tao Beach yesterday after the issue went viral in social media. If you suddenly having a sense of deja vu and are SURE you’ve read this before, that’s because the issue has been brought up hundreds of time in the past…
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Biometrics ID System being tested at Phuket Airport
A new Biometrics System is currently being installed and tested at the Phuket International Airport before going live this July. The biometrics system, a machine for personal facial identification and finger prints is being installed and tested at the Phuket international Airport today. The system is being installed at 16 airports around Thailand and is about 70% completed. Deputy police…
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Maya Bay’s closure could be further extended – Dr Thon
Maya Bay, closed to the public since last June to allow its beach and coral to recover, will remain shut to visitors for at least another two years as its ecology needs more time to heal. “The director-general of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, Tanya Netithammakul will have the final say on whether to reopen the…
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Ultimate parties at The Bay and Beach Club, Patong
Newly built and super stylish, The Bay and Beach Club is the hottest addition to the island’s most favorite resort neighborhood of Patong. Elegant and luxurious with a modern design and spacious rooms, the resort sets the benchmark for beachfront accommodation in Phuket. With a convenient location right on the sands of Patong Beach, a holiday spent at The Bay…
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Maya Bay closed for at least another two years
Maya Bay on Koh Phi Phi Ley, closed last June to allow coral restoration and beach recovery, will now remain closed to visitors for at least another two years. Dr Thon Thamrongnawasawat, assistant dean of the Faculty of Fisheries at Kasetsart University and a renowned marine specialist says, “The meeting yesterday concluded that Maya Bay is to be closed for…
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Man found hanged at rental property in Wichit
A man has been found hanged at a rental property in Wichit. His mother believed that he was stressed after being arrested with drugs, and was unemployed. Wichit Police were notified of the incident inside Soi Pracha Saeree in Wichit yesterday. Police and rescue workers arrived to find the body of a man hanged inside his room. He was identified…
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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