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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Sponsored THAIFEX - Anuga Asia 2024 exhibits unforgettable food innovation
THAIFEX - Anuga Asia 2024 has officially wrapped up for another year after delivering an unforgettable showcase of food innovation and culinary experiences. With 3,133 exhibitions hosted at the event, entrepreneurs and culinary creatives from over 50 countries were present...
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Motorbike driver crushed by cement truck in Thalang, Phuket
A cement truck driver has been charged with reckless driving causing death after a motorbike driver died at the scene after being run over by the cement truck in Thalang yesterday afternoon. The Thalang Police were notified of the incident at 5.10pm on Srisoonthorn Road in Thalang, central Phuket. Police and emergency responders arrived to find a cement truck in…
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Investigation launched into tiger chained at Phuket Zoo – VIDEO
PHOTOS: DNP VIDEO – I Am A Tiger Advocate Officials are conducting a full investigation after a video clip of a tiger chained at Phuket Zoo on social media claimed that the tiger had been drugged for photos with the public. Phuket officials today have inspected the Phuket Zoo after several social media complaints that the tiger was chained and…
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Body found off Saphan Hin on Koh Tapao Noi, Phuket
An unidentified body has been found on Koh Tapao Noi off Saphan Hin along Phuket’s east coast yesterday afternoon. Wichit Police were notified that the body was found on Tapao Noi beach at 5 pm. Police and Kusoldharm Rescue workers arrived at Saphan Hin in Wichit and four rescue workers headed out on a an inflatable dinghy to Koh Tapao…
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Burasari opens second Phuket hotel on Coconut Island
PHOTO: Original Vision Island Escape by Burasari, the second Phuket hotel from the Thai-based group, will have a soft opening this September. Located on Koh Maphrao (also known as Coconut Island), the initial product will be 15 villas. By December this year, the full inventory of 180 rooms and 40 villas will be operational. With Island Escape, Burasari Group will operate eight…
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‘Fast and Furious 9’ to be partly filmed in southern Thailand, including Phuket
The latest sequel of the ‘Fast and Furious’ movie franchise will partly be filmed in Phuket, Phang Nga, Krabi and Surat Thani next month. Yesterday Piya Petonji, the film’s production manager, met with Krabi Governor M.L. Kitibadee Prawit at the Krabi City Hall before the cast arrives and filming begins. The filming will be from July 1-27 in locations around…
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change.org petition calls on Phuket locals to take action on construction dump
Locals have launched a petition on Change.org to draw attention to a construction dump operating in central Phuket, in the suburb of Cherng Talay, which adjoins the coastal towns of Bang Tao, Layan and Surin. We print the article verbatim, spelling and all. The article is titled “Close burning dump near Laguna Phuket” and has been penned in English and Russian…
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Motorbike driver seriously injured in truck hit and run in Thalang, Phuket
PHOTOS: Kusoldharm Foundation A motorbike driver has sustained serious injuries after colliding with a truck in Thalang. The truck and the driver weren’t at the scene when police arrived. Phuket’s Kusoldarm Foundation report that they were notified of the incident at 9.10pm on Thepkrasattri Road, southbound, at the Tharua curve last night. Rescue workers arrived at the scene to find…
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13 gamblers arrested in Patong gambling den raid
Police have arrested 13 gamblers at an illegal gambling den in Patong. Police received a tip-off that there was an illegal gambling den on Nanai Road in Patong. Police checked out the situation and then raided the gambling den on Nanai Road yesterday. Police arrested 13 gamblers, well at least the ones they were able to capture. Some of the…
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Phuket Town – the UNESCO City of Gastronomy reveals some secrets
VIDEO: Thai PBS A UNESCO City of Gastronomy, Phuket Town is a real foodie town. Among their amazing arrays of local delicacies is a variety of tea snacks, many of which are the integral part of their daily life. The delicate and cute and delicious Pang Pia is among the oldest recipes. Phuket Town has gone through several transformations. Once…
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German motorbike driver dies on Patong Hill, Phuket
A German motorbike driver has died at the scene after colliding with a pickup truck travelling down Patong Hill in Phuket. The Kathu police were notified of the accident on Monday night on Phra Baramee Road, on the Kathu side of the notoriously dangerous Patong hill road. Police and emergency responders arrived to find the damaged motorbike. Nearby they found…
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Man charged with shooting girlfriend’s relatives in Rawai, Phuket
A man has been charged with shooting his girlfriend’s relatives after failing to reconcile with his girlfriend in Rawai, Phuket. Chalong Police were notified of the incident at a house on Patak Road in Rawai yesterday. Police and emergency responders arrived to find two people injured from gun shot wounds – 40 year old Saksit Eiamsamran and 22 year old Pongsakorn…
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Injured dolphin rescued off Phang Nga
An injured dolphin is being cared for after being rescued along Tai Mueang beach in Phang Nga, southern Thailand. National park and marine officials were notified from locals that the dolphin was found on the Tai Mueang beach. Scratches were found on the bottlenose dolphin. The dolphin measured 10 centimetres wide and 180 centimetres long. The dolphin was unable to…
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‘Phoenix’ fails to attract any bidders at auction. Sits rotting in Phuket boatyard.
Last month’s auction to sell Phoenix, the tour boat that capsized causing the drowning of 47 Chinese tourists on July 5 last year, has failed to secure a buyer. Meanwhile the cursed vessel sits gathering dust and accumulating storage fees of 100,000 baht per month at the Rassada boat yard in Phuket. The boat went up for auction last month…
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Four metre python caught in Koh Kaew, Phuket
PHOTOS: Kusoldarm Foundation A four metre python has been caught in Koh Kaew over the weekend. Kusoldharm rescue workers were notified of the reptile trying to hide in a roof space at a house in Soi Koh Kaew 1. Rescue workers arrived at the home to find the python above the kitchen in the ceiling. Four rescue workers took about one…
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Filipino and Japanese battle the weather in the 2019 Laguna Phuket Marathon
Full results below… The Laguna Phuket Marathon welcomed a record 12,000-plus runners from 73 countries for its 14th edition. The two-day festival of sport and fun was held over the weekend. The weather wasn’t kind to the event this year making the run additionally challenging for runners, and difficult for organisers. A boon for Phuket’s low season tourism, Laguna Phuket…
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Final design for Phuket Light Rail wrapped up next week
A final design of light rail (tram) project in Phuket should be concluded by next week as a dispute over how the rail structure will be laid is close to being settled. Deputy Transport Minister Pailin Chuchottaworn says recent talks have been focussing on the design of tram track construction along some of the densely populated areas from the airport…
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Is Airbnb taking over the Thai hotel industry?
Airbnb is posing a less significant threat to hotels in Thailand than expected, but its influence in the longer term should not be underestimated, according to real estate company JLL Offering new alternatives to travellers, Airbnb is certainly taking some of the wind out of the sails of the traditional hotel accommodation model. However, findings from Jone Lang Lasalle (JLL) shows…
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Laguna Phuket Marathon road closures and info
Laguna Phuket Marathon will take place this coming weekend on Saturday and Sunday, June 8 & 9 at Laguna Phuket in Cherng Talay. The forecast for the weekend is for some more rain so we urge people to be extra careful around the area with the runners also using the roads in and around the Laguna area. ROAD CLOSURES The…
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Trees damage cars and a house in Phuket
Trees have been brought down by heavy rain and local wind squalls around the Cape Phromthep, Chalong and Kata areas, where cars and a house have been damaged. At 4.15pm yesterday trees fell on a residential house in Chalong. The house-owner escaped injuries. At 4.20pm the Rawai Municipality was notified of another incident. Staffers headed to the scene where they…
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19 year old dies after big bike accident in Kathu, Phuket
PHOTOS: เทศกิจ 201(กะทู้) อุทิศ 5811 / อาสาของประชาชน A 19 year old was pronounced dead at Vachira Phuket Hospital after being seriously injured in a sports bike (Honda CB 650cc) accident in Kathu. Rescue workers report that they were notified of the accident at 1.45pm yesterday on the Phra Phuket Kaew Road near Bang Jak petrol station. Emergency responders arrived at the…
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Hard Rock Café Phuket hosts charity concert on June 17 featuring ‘Da Endorphine’
Award-winning Thai popular singer ‘Da Endorphine’ is set to headline an intimate performance at Hard Rock Café Phuket, where fans will get the chance to rock out to the GMM-Grammy singer’s biggest hits and support a good cause. Just like the ‘feel-good’ vibe suggested by the popular singer’s stage name, the venue is sure to become a “pleasure centre” of musical…
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One injured in Patong Hill collision between two minivans & two sedans
PHOTOS: Newshawk Phuket A minivan driver has sustained injuries in a collision on Patong Hill this morning. The incident was between two minivans and two sedans. Newshawk Phuket reports that they were notified of the crash in front of Suwankiriwong Temple at 5.02am this morning. The temple is at the bottom of Patong Hill, coming from Kathu. Emergency responders arrived…
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Four suspects arrested after body found in Wichit forest, Phuket
Four men have been arrested after the body of 24 year old man was found in Wichit in a central Phuket forest last weekend. Wichit Police note that 24 year old Sataphon Yindee was reported missing since April 12. The body was found on Sunday. His family identified Mr Sataphon’s body as they recalled the ring on his finger and…
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Man found hanged in Karon house, Phuket
The body of a man has been found hanged inside a house in Karon this morning. Karon Police were notified of the incident at the house in Soi Patak 9. Police and emergency responders arrived to find the body of a man who was later identified as 40 year old Sanit Janthorn, found hanged inside the house. Police believe that the…
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Airports of Thailand open bidding for new duty free contracts at three airports
Airports of Thailand (AoT) says they will finalise the bidding process to announce who will manage the commercial areas at three provincial airports – Phuket, Had Yai and Chiang Mai – on June 10. King Power Duty Free has had a stranglehold on the duty free concession areas of the country’s four main airports but are having to bid for…
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Thailand’s Maya Bay settles into an extended period of rest – VIDEO
You can look but you can’t touch. Maya Bay’s beach, closed last year to allow coral restoration and beach recovery, is likely to remain closed to visitors for many years, even up to five. The famous Koh Phi Phi Ley beach and bay, made famous in the 2000 movie The Beach, needs time for its ecology to fully recover years…
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Thailand Events – June 2019
with The Sponsorship Experts – Paul Poole (South East Asia) There are no shortage of food related events in Bangkok in June but if you’re only going to go to one, the third installation of Taan Bangkok’s Chef Table series will see Khun Kanaporn “Aum” Chancherdsak, the owner of Trang’s renowned restaurant Trang Ko’e, showcase her meticulous cooking on June…
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Russian injured after falling from rock taking selfie on Patong beach, Phuket
PHOTOS: Patong Surf Life Saving A female Russian tourist has been injured after falling from a rock on Patong beach while trying to take selfie-photo over the weekend. Patong Surf Life Saving report that they arrived at the scene to find the Russian woman laying on the beach. There were quite a few scratches on her body. Her friends said…
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Six vehicles damaged, one person injured, as truck swipes parked cars in Phuket
PHOTOS: เป็นปาก เป็นเสียง Six vehicles parked on Yaowarat Road, Old Phuket Town, have been damaged after a truck has swiped them as it was driving down the road. A pedestrian on the footpath was also injured in the incident. Phuket City Police report that they were notified of the incident at about noon today on Yaowarat Road in the island’s…
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Phuket light rail project blows out another two billion baht
PHOTOS: Post Today Changes have been made to the original light rail project design which will add two billion baht to the projected budget. The budget is now projected to be almost 40 billion baht. Post Today reports that the director of the Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand Phakkaphong Sirikantaramart says “the Phuket light rail design has been adapted.…
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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