Phuket News
Phuket news, politics, business, tourism, and nightlife—stay updated with breaking stories, events, and expat updates from Thailand’s top island destination. Get the latest from The Thaiger, your trusted Phuket news source.
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Foreigner dies in Phuket motorbike crash after losing control
A tragic accident occurred in Phuket yesterday morning, December 4, resulting in the death of a foreign man who lost control of his motorbike and crashed into a guardrail in Kathu. The incident took place on Wichit Songkhram Road, with local police responding to the scene around 7.30am. Upon arrival, Kathu Police and rescue workers found a severely damaged Honda…
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Grim discovery: Tourist found dead off Patong Beach
Holidaymakers were left in shock yesterday, January 3, as police launched an investigation into the death of a foreign tourist found floating lifelessly off Patong Beach in the morning. The grim discovery was made near the iconic Dolphin Circle at approximately 10am yesterday. Traiphop Buakhai, a local parasail speedboat operator, was the first to notice the tragic scene—a body face…
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Phuket boosts marine safety with smart pier inspection
Phuket Vice Governor Ronnarong Tipsiri spearheaded an inspection at Ao Por Pier in Pa Khlok yesterday, January 2, as part of efforts to enhance marine safety and instil confidence among tourists during the busy new year season. Joining him were officials from both government and private sectors, who evaluated the safety protocols and the ongoing transformation of the pier into…
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Foreign men attack Phuket taxi driver over fare dispute (video)
A viral video showed two foreign men attacking a Thai taxi driver outside a supermarket in Phuket, allegedly over a fare dispute. Several Facebook news pages in Phuket shared the video of the physical assault today, December 3. In the video, one of the two foreign men, both wearing white T-shirts, is seen kicking the taxi driver, who was standing…
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Out of luck: Lottery scammer busted at Phuket fair
A brazen fraudster tried her luck at scamming thousands of revellers at Phuket’s new year fair—only to find herself caught red-handed by police in the early hours of the morning today, January 2. Phuket City Police swooped in on 45 year old Kritporn Butlo near the central stage of the Saphan Hin Good Things fair around 12.30am. The suspect was…
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Phuket ushers in new year with traditional almsgiving ceremony
Phuket officials marked the new year with a traditional almsgiving ceremony, drawing prominent figures and residents from across the province. The event took place yesterday morning outside the Government Savings Bank on Phang Nga Road in Phuket Town, setting the tone for a year filled with aspirations for unity and prosperity. The ceremony began at 6am, featuring offerings of food…
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Thai-foreign couple lose 3 million baht in Phuket home robbery
A Thai woman and her foreign husband in Phuket sought help from the police after losing 3 million baht in cash and gold during a home robbery on New Year’s Eve, December 31. The local news Facebook page Phuket Hotnews reported the robbery yesterday, January 1. The theft reportedly occurred in a village on Soi Nayai in the Chalong sub-district,…
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Phuket horror: Tourist bludgeoned by rider over route dispute (video)
A Norwegian tourist’s dream holiday turned into a nightmare when he was viciously attacked by a ride-hailing driver in Phuket. The shocking incident, which occurred in the early hours of December 30, left the tourist battered and bruised, sparking a heated debate about passenger safety. A Thai woman, 44 year old Thanatphon Khongcharoen, accompanied her friend, 57 year old…
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Phuket family returns home to theft of 1 million baht safe
A family in Phuket faced an unexpected start to the new year when they returned home from celebrations to discover their house had been burglarised. A safe containing 1 million baht, gold bars, gold necklaces, and passports had been stolen. Police are actively pursuing the case, aiming to recover the stolen items and apprehend the culprits. The incident was reported…
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Russian man arrested for rampage and knife attack at Phuket hotel
Police arrested a Russian man who went on a violent rampage at a hotel in the Choeng Thale area of Phuket, physically assaulting other hotel guests and Thai police officers. Officers from Choeng Thale Police Station were called to the hotel to contain the situation after the Russian man, identified only as Sharapov, attacked other guests with a knife. Fortunately,…
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Two Chalong Pier boat operators test positive for methamphetamine
Two boat operators from Chalong Pier have been found positive for methamphetamine use during a safety campaign screening in Phuket. This effort, part of the new year safety initiative, was led by Phuket Marine Chief Natchapong Pranit and took place on the morning of December 28. A total of 34 boat operators and crew members underwent the random drug tests,…
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Thai man arrested for stabbing Danish tourist in Patong
A 27 year old Thai man has been apprehended by Patong Police after allegedly stabbing a Danish tourist early on December 28. The swift action by senior officers at Patong Police Station led to the arrest following the incident which left the tourist injured. The suspect was detained at a residence on Soi Kralim 6, located off Phra Barami Road…
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Phuket teacher investigated for alleged molestation of students
A teacher from an elementary school in Phuket is currently under investigation following allegations of molestation made by the parents of two young students. These serious claims have prompted police to look into the matter, raising concerns about the safety of children at the institution. Deputy Chief of Investigations at Phuket City Police Station, Pawiinuch Kongsut, shared details of the…
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Phuket communities recognised for innovative food waste reduction project
Phuket’s Cherng Talay Tambon Administrative Organisation and Baan Haad Surin Community have earned recognition as model communities for their exceptional work in the Raksa Food project, commonly known as Food Banks. Phuket Governor Sophon Suwannarat awarded certificates during a ceremony at Phuket Provincial Hall on Christmas Day to honour their achievements. The Raksa Food project, led by the Phuket Provincial…
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Gridlock crisis: Phuket’s billion-baht boom sparks urgent action
Provincial officials have vowed to tackle Phuket’s surging traffic chaos as the island’s tourism industry hits record-breaking highs. Governor Sophon Suwannarat chaired a high-stakes Zoom meeting with key stakeholders on Thursday, December 26, to address infrastructure challenges threatening the paradise’s reputation. With over 10 million visitors in 2023 generating a staggering 388 billion baht in revenue—an astounding 100.38% increase from…
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Phuket’s Freedom Beach embroiled in land encroachment dispute
Phuket’s scenic Freedom Beach, a favourite among tourists, finds itself at the centre of a legal tussle as allegations of land encroachment surface. The head of the Forest Protection Unit, Sorasak Rananan, has reported 15 alleged incidents of encroachment onto the protected grounds within the Khao Nakkerd National Forest Reserve. This complaint was lodged with the Karon Police following an…
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Frenchman loses 6,000 euros to foreign sex worker in Phuket
A Frenchman lost 6,000 euros in cash (approximately 210,000 baht) to a sex worker of colour in Phuket on Christmas night, December 25. The Facebook news page Phuket Times reported today that the French victim took a foreign sex worker to a hotel after a Christmas party in the Patong neighbourhood of Phuket. He was intoxicated and subsequently fell asleep.…
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Fight breaks out between 2 foreign men on Bangla Road in Phuket
Two foreign men engaged in a fight using Muay Thai and wrestling skills on Bangla Road in Phuket on December 25, drawing hilarious comments. Some Thai netizens remarked that it was just another typical day on Bangla Road. A video of the altercation between the two men was shared yesterday, December 26, on the Facebook pages of Phuket Times and…
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Top official inspects Phuket’s safety amid landslide scandal
A high-profile visit to Phuket has reignited scrutiny over the island’s safety protocols and infrastructure as former Vice Governor and now Inspector-General of the Ministry of Interior, Supoj Rodruang Na Nongkhai, returned on Christmas Day. Supoj, whose career has soared since leaving Phuket in 2020, arrived to review critical policies including tsunami preparedness, illegal hotels, and landslide prevention. Accompanied by…
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20th anniversary: Phuket looks back on Boxing Day tsunami
Two decades after the catastrophic Indian Ocean Tsunami, communities along Thailand’s Andaman coast, including Phuket, gathered today, Boxing Day, to honour the lives lost and reflect on the lessons learned from that fateful day in 2004. The disaster claimed an estimated 230,000 to 280,000 lives across multiple countries, with Thailand designating December 26 as National Disaster Prevention Day in its…
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Phuket duo swipes 600 euros from Belgian with a fake hug
Police yesterday, December 25, arrested a Thai woman and a transwoman for pretending to greet a Belgian man with a hug and stealing 600 euros in cash (approximately 21,000 baht) from him in the Patong area of Phuket. The 58 year old Belgian victim filed a complaint with Patong Police Station officers at around 5am on December 22, reporting that…
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Stranded on the beach: Foreign driver’s pickup gets stuck in Phuket (video)
A yellow four-door pickup truck driven by a foreign driver became stuck on Mai Khao Beach in Phuket, causing a stir among both locals and online users. The mishap was captured in a 34-second video shared on Facebook which quickly drew attention and comments online. The video shows the vehicle stuck in the sand in front of a hotel, with…
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Phuket vendor revives Italian man, but tragedy strikes in hospital
A Thai chicken rice vendor successfully revived an Italian man who collapsed while dining at his restaurant in Phuket, but tragically, the foreign man later passed away in hospital. A viral video of a Thai man administering CPR to a foreigner was widely shared on Thai social media yesterday, December 24. The incident reportedly occurred at a renowned chicken rice…
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Motorcyclist dies in high-speed crash on Phuket’s Thepkrasattri Road
A tragic accident occurred yesterday on Thepkrasattri Road in Thalang, Phuket, when a 26 year old motorcyclist lost control of his high-speed big bike, crashing into a palm tree on the central reservation. The collision resulted in the rider’s immediate death. Police were alerted to the incident at 3.05pm yesterday, December 24, prompting Napadol Somnuek, an officer from Thalang Police…
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Phuket’s Nai Harn Lake revamp set for February completion
A significant 66-million-baht development project is currently transforming Nai Harn Lake in Phuket, with a completion target set for early February, according to local officials. The project, overseen by the Phuket Provincial Administrative Organisation (PPAO), aims to enhance the lake’s surroundings with a new bike path and landscaping improvements. The initiative covers a stretch of 1,973 metres and includes the…
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Hong Kong man restrained by taxi drivers after rampage near Phuket airport
A group of Thai taxi drivers restrained a foreign man from Hong Kong after he went on a rampage outside Phuket International Airport yesterday, December 23. The Facebook news page Phuket Times shared pictures of the man with a caption that read, “What’s happening near Phuket Airport this afternoon? It appears to be an altercation!” The photos showed the man…
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Phuket tackles homelessness and begging with new initiative
Phuket officials have embarked on a significant initiative to tackle homelessness and begging in Phuket Town, with a focus on enhancing the lives of vulnerable residents. This proactive effort was spearheaded by Vice Governor Samawit Suphanphai, who led a field visit to Lan Nawamin, off Phuket Road, yesterday, December 23. The visit was a collaborative endeavour involving key agencies including…
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Husband strangles wife to death in Phuket tragedy
A tragic incident unfolded when a husband strangled his wife to death in their rented home in Pa Khlok, Thalang district, Phuket. Colleagues of the victim expressed sorrow, revealing that she had recently mentioned feeling relieved after her husband had moved out with his belongings. However, he returned and committed the heinous act early this morning, December 24, at 5.05am.…
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Twenty years on, waves of Tsunami trauma still echoes in Phang Nga
Twenty years after the devastating 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, survivors in Thailand’s Ban Nam Khem village in Phan Nga province still carry vivid memories of that fateful December morning. For Neungduangjai Sritrakarn, then a 20 year old college freshman, the day began with her mother’s urgent warning to evacuate their seaside home. Sensing danger from unusual whitecaps on the Andaman…
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Dutch tourist allegedly escapes bills and steals from many Phuket hotels
A Dutch tourist reportedly evaded paying bills and stole room keys, along with other items, from several hotels in Phuket but remains at large. The Facebook page Phuket Times reported on Saturday, December 21, issuing a warning to hotels in Phuket… “Naughty tourist! He stayed at multiple hotels in Phuket and left without paying. He even stole the room key…
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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