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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With World Kindness Day just two days away on November 13, it’s the perfect time to reflect on how empathy and care can make a real impact, not just in our relationships but in our health, too. This day is...
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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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Truck brings down six power poles in Chalong, one injured
A motorbike driver has been injured while 13 Burmese workers on the back of a pickup truck have escaped injury after ta truck brought down six power poles in a Chalong soi. The incident was in Soi Tanuthep in Chalong at 11.20am today. Police and rescue workers arrived to find the pickup in the middle of the road. Fallen cables…
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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 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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German man found dead at house in Rawai
A 73 year old German man has been found dead inside a house in Rawai. The Chalong Police were notified of the situation at a house in Rawai at 1pm yesterday. Police and rescue workers arrived at the house to find the body of a foreign man who was later identified as a 73 year old German man (The Thaiger…
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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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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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Drunk man arrested after collecting parking fees in Phuket Town
PHOTOS: The Phuket City Police Police have arrested an intoxicated man who was collecting parking fees around a department store in Phuket Town. The Phuket City Police arrested the man, Adisak Rueathong, who had been collecting parking fees around Robinson Ocean Department Store in Talad Yai, Phuket Town. The arrest follows police receiving complaints last week that there was a…
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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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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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IndiGo pulls non-stop flights between Phuket and Bengaluru
‘Commercial non-viability’ is the official reason given for the pulling of the twice-weekly non-stop flights between Bengaluru, India and Phuket by IndiGo Airline. The airline’s six weekly non-stop flights between Delhi and Phuket will continue. “Phuket is a key market for IndiGo and we see great potential in the growth of tourism between India and Phuket. We will explore various…
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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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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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Buyback Option at VIP KATA Condominium by Phuket9
Phuket9 Company announces a buy-back option for VIP KATA Condominium Project with a rental return of 56% over 8 years. The first two buildings of VIP KATA Condominium were launched in July 2018. After one month in August 2018, Phuket9 commenced construction of the second phase – 2 more buildings including 209 apartments, 2 common swimming pools, rooftop gardens, restaurants and a kids club.…
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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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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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Army commander visits Phuket residents to discuss water shortage
Lt Gen Pornsak Poonsawat, the Commander of the Fourth Army Region (Southern) in Nakhon Si Thammarat, came to Phuket to visit residents over water shortage issues in Rassada. Lt Gen Pornsak says “we were contacted from the Phuket Governor that Phuket is facing serious water shortages. We have come here with water trucks to help residents to join with other…
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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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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’s seastead couple remain elusive
The Seastead may be under 24 hour guard at the Port of Phuket but the couple who were staying in the structure offshore from Phuket, and have become the international face of the seastead experiment, remain elusive. According to Phuket’s deputy police chief Pol Colonel Witoon Kongsudjai, their mobile phone signal identified the couple’s last known location as Tarutao Island…
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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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Phuket’s water supply in a critical situation
Phuket’s water lords are now admitting the island’s water situation is in a critical situation – a situation they have had the power to avert but have chosen instead to ‘hope’ for monsoonal rains and go in search of alternative water sources to top up the dwindling catchment resources. Phuket is now in the throws of a water shortage. The…
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Phuket’s ‘seastead’ is now a sad ‘homestead’ back on shore – VIDEO
The Phuket seastead removal operation was a success yesterday, according to the Royal Thai Navy. The controversial seastead structure is now under guard at the Port of Thailand. The Royal Thai Navy says they are confident with the evidence they have for any litigation that may follow the removal of the structure from its offshore home, some 22 kilometres off…
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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