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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Chinese continue to soak up Thailand’s condo glut
There are man reasons why Thailand is a favourite location for property buyers from Hong Kong and mainland China – the street food and great weather are just a part of the allure. Chinese nationals spent a record 40 billion baht (US$1.25 billion) on Thai properties in 2018, according to the Bank of Thailand. So who is buying Thailand’s condominiums?…
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Upper Southern provinces being warned about dengue spread
“The number of patients is expected to rise as rain has begun falling in some southern provinces.” Residents of provinces in Thailand’s upper South are being warned that dengue could spread now that the annual monsoon rains have arrived. Doctor Sirilak Thaicharoen, director of Nakhon Si Thammarat’s 11th Disease Control Office, said 1,165 people in seven upper Southern provinces had…
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British man who locked himself in Phuket condo to be deported
PHOTO: Police waiting for officials to enter the man’s room from the outside of the ninth floor The man who locked himself in a Phuket Town condo for over three months is going to be deported and banned from re-entry for up to five years. David Maclean was evicted, by force, from the Supalai Condo yesterday afternoon at 3pm. Officers…
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Police summons issued for Phuket’s seastead couple
Wichit Police have issued a summons for the ‘seastead’ couple after Phuket Immigration pressed another charged against the couple. Phuket Immigration have now pressed charges saying that the pair departed the kingdom without clearing through the immigration channels. The charge follows the couple heading out more than 12 nautical miles offshore from Phuket to set up and live in the…
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Fire destroys apartment in Rassada
Fire has gutted an apartment in Rassada this morning. Staff at the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation heard about the fire at the apartment in Soi Sakornket in Rassada at 7.45 this morning. Three fire engines arrived at the apartment on the ground floor of the building. Fire and smoke had totally engulfed the room. It took firefighters about…
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British man, who locked himself in a Phuket condo, removed – VIDEO
An Australian-born British man who had shut himself in for nearly four months at the Sulalai Park condo in Phuket Town has been safely removed after a risky mission by police. Police forced their way into the room around 3pm. 51 years old David Alexander Denoon Maclean, had been living in the room on the ninth floor of a condominium…
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British man injured after stabbing in Wichit, Phuket
Police are investigating after a British man was stabbed by a teenage suspect in front of a restaurant in Wichit last night. Wichit Police were notified of the incident in the parking area of a restaurant on Chao Fah West Road at 7pm last night. Police report that they arrived and staff told them that the injured man had already been…
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Kra Canal – the 28 Billion Baht shortcut
By Jintana Panyaarvudh Despite a history going back three centuries, the highly controversial and politically sensitive proposed Kra Canal mega-project in southern Thailand is once again up for debate. At a forum held yesterday by Rangsit University entitled the “Stakeholders in Kra Canal@Klong Thai”, national security and the canal’s impact on tourism were among the main issues of concern as…
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Fishing crew release Manta rays after getting snared in their nets
A fishing boat has released two giant Manta rays, tangled in its nets, back to the Andaman Sea off Phang Nga’s Kura Buri. The crew have won wide praise for releasing the snared rays. Thana Ketsa-ard, owner of the Thanakorn 99 fishing boat, posted a video on Facebook at 12.30am on Tuesday night showing his workers rescuing the two Manta…
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Phuket’s recent rains allow PWA to restore mains pressure around the island
The Chief of Phuket’s Provincial Waterworks Authority says that water pressure to most areas across the island has been restored (but The Thaiger is still getting reports from residents in Kamala and parts of Kathu about low flow or still no water mains pressure). Phuket Town recorded nearly 80mm of rainfall on Saturday night when heavy rains, the first for…
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Aussie lifeguards and Navy conduct local lifesaver program
PHOTO: The HMAS Canberra and HMAS Newcastle sit off Patong Bay as Navy officers conduct the beach activities yesterday. Surf Life Saving Australia and the Australian Navy have joined with Phuket’s lifeguards for some marine safety training at Patong Beach. About 100 young people and teenagers from around the island joined in the training as part of the project ‘Australia…
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49 passengers on Bangkok-Phuket bus as it skids off road in Surat Thani
PHOTOS: Newshawk Phuket An express bus which was traveling from Bangkok to Phuket has skidded off the road in Surat Thani. 49 passengers escaped injury following the wayward bus careering off the main road into roadside gravel and bushes. Newshawk Phuket reports that, at 7.47am this morning, a bus travelling from Bangkok heading to Phuket skidded off the road in…
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Thailand’s Michelin Guide adds Chiang Mai
Michelin say they’re extending The Michelin Guide in Thailand to cover the northern city of Chiang Mai with the new edition The Michelin Guide Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket & Phang Nga 2020. The extended foodie guide will be released at the end of 2019. This third edition of The Michelin Guide in Thailand will continue to showcase the country’s three unique and…
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How the bike-share start-ups fell over
They were awful to ride and were the result of an even more toxic start-up culture in China. A few years ago the bike-sharing craze hit the tourist island of Phuket. It arrived amongst much flourish and ceremony. A year later the bike-sharing company bailed out. It was the same in many targeted tourist zones around the world. At the…
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Coral off Phuket suffering from bleaching
by Thai PBS Corals have started to bleach off the coast of Phuket. The problem is due to the warming of the sea, according to reports from the Phuket-based operations centre of the 2nd National Marine Park. Marine scientists at the centre conducted a survey of coral reefs off Nai Yang beach in the Sirinat national park last Thursday and…
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Australian Navy and Phuket Consulate join in ‘Big Cleaning Day’
Officers from the Royal Australian Navy and representatives from the local Australian Consulate joined with Rassada Municipality officials and staff for the ‘Big Cleaning Day’. This morning in Rassada, led by Rassada Mayor Phudit Raksarat, officials launched the activity together with officers and crew from the Australian Navy’s HMAS Canberra and HMAS Newcastle, and delegates from the Australian Consulate General…
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Australian navy ship HMAS Canberra visits Phuket for maritime exercises
The Australian Navy ship and navy officers have arrived at Patong beach to join the annual maritime enforcement exercises for ‘Indo-Pacific Endeavour 2019’ today. The Australian Navy’s HMAS Canberra, which is carrying helicopters, and HMAS Newcastle arrived in Patong on Saturday to join the ‘Indo-Pacific Endeavour 2019’ . Air Commodore Rick Owen says, “We visited here to continue the good…
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Man arrested with Cat 1 drugs and guns in Phuket
Officers have arrested a drug suspect in Cherng Talay, Phuket. The man was found with 20,666 methamphetamine pills, 339 grams of crystal methamphetamine (a third of a kilogram) and two guns. Phuket Administrative Officers and the Cherng Talay Police arrested 38 year old Komsan Prateep ‘Hug’ Na Thalang at an apartment in Cherng Talay. Police seized the methamphetamine pills and…
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Tourists injured as minivan flips over in Krabi
Indian tourists have sustained minor injuries after the minivan they were traveling in over-turned in Krabi on the way back to Ao Nang from Phuket. Ao Nang Police were notified of the incident on Nong Talay – Khao Thong Road in Mueang Krabi District yesterday at 10.30am. Police and emergency responders arrived to find the passenger van flipped over, on…
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Cycling enthusiasts launch Ranong as a southern tourism alternative
by Prasert Thepsri The Government has been keen to start boosting tourism outside the country’s hot-spots – the so-called ‘2nd tier tourist zones. So the neighbouring provinces of Phuket are now actively promoting their attractions to draw tourists heading to the southern island as a side-trip. Yesterday, hundreds of cycling enthusiasts joined a 38 kilometre bicycle ride which aimed to…
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Omura’s whale sighted of Koh Similan in Phang Nga
PHOTOS: Wow Andaman Omura’s whale has been sighted off the Koh Similans in Phang Nga this week. Tour guides from the Wow Andaman Tour were on a speedboat with tourists at the Koh Similans. They say they sighted an Omura’s whale near the boat. Marine biologist Dr Thon Thamrongnawasawat says, “There are many endanger marine species which areoften sighted in…
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Two Aussie cave diving doctors holiday in Phuket
Today at the Phuket International Airport officials welcomed Dr.Richard James Harris and Dr.Craig Challen, Australian divers who were part of the rescue team that recovered the 13 young footballers from the Tham Luang caves in Chiang Rai last July. The two doctors devised the plan to train other divers about anaesthesia and medically sedate the Mu Pa team so they…
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Man found dead in pickup with charcoal burner in Rassada, Phuket
A man has been found dead inside a pickup truck with a coal burner also inside the vehicle in Rassada this morning. Police were notified of the situation in Soi Muen Sri in Rassada. Police and emergency responders arrived to find the man’s body in the parked pickup truck. The man was identified as 28 year old Weerawat Pakdeewirot from…
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Injured Brahminy Kite (bird) rescued in Karon
An injured Brahminy Kite has been rescued by locals in Karon, Phuket. The mature Brahminy Kite was found in Karon this week. Locals who found the bird contacted the head of Khao Phra Thaeo Non-Hunting Area, Pongchart Chueahom. The Brahminy Kite had a wound similar to a bite wound under its wing. It was unable tp fly. It is now…
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Power outage hits parts of Thalang
Electricity was shut off in Thalang today. The The Phuket Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA) announced the outage. Residents of Thalang have had to endure blackouts from 9am to 4.30pm today as the PEA continues its work on high power voltage systems in the area. Areas being affected are from Makprok PTT Gas Station to Baan Mueang Mai Intersection and from Baan…
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Mystery luxury house found under construction overlooking Bang Wad Dam in Kathu
PHOTOS: Chatchanon Na Thalang A luxury house, under construction, has been found on the Nark Herd Hills overlooking Bang Wad Dam in Kathu. The issue came to light after aerial photos of the house went viral in local social media. Yesterday officials paid a visit to the new house. A man name Taweep Phonputchai from Bangkok, a representative of the…
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Residents protest the Phuket Governor over water shortages
Local residents in Rassada have picketed the Phuket Provincial City hall to demand answers from the Phuket Governor over the current water shortages. Phuket Governor Pakkaphong Tavipattana told the media yesterday they are managing to solve water shortage problems in Phuket throughout this dry season. Whilst claiming that there was no ‘drought crisis’ in Phuket the Governor said… “All local…
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American arrested at airport after stealing speedboat in Krabi
PHOTOS: Pudam News An American tourist has been arrested after stealing a speedboat on Koh Phi Phi to drive to Krabi. Koh Phi Phi Police Chief Col Kritsapas Detinthasorn says, “We received a report from Ms Apissamai Sangjan that her speedboat, which was moored at Ao Nang Beach, was stolen on April 19. An allegedly drunken tourist jumped in, started…
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Phuket faces critical water shortages if the monsoon doesn’t arrive soon
Phuket is now, officially, experiencing water shortages, with water in the province’s three catchments just enough for the supply of tap water until the end of May, and the condition is expected to get worse if the annual monsoon doesn’t kick in soon. The annual south-west monsoon usually starts dragging in moist air and the ‘wet season’ begins sometime around…
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Soldier attacked and killed by her husband over alleged affair in Rawai
A female soldier has been attacked and killed by her soldier husband over an alleged sexual affair in Rawai today. The Chalong Police were notified of the incident at 8.30am this morning at a hotel on Patak Road in Rawai. Police arrived at the room to find the 39 year old woman, Ratchadaphon Mongkonrung, a Squadron Leader with the Thai…
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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