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 Infinito helps hotels in Thailand with revenue management
Maximising revenue and profit–isn’t that the ultimate goal for every business in the hospitality industry? If you run a hotel, you might have heard that revenue management is an effective way to boost your top-line revenue. It involves using data...
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Australian woman sends desperate messages from Thai immigration detention
PHOTOS: Facebook – Claire Johnson – founder and MD of Cosmetic Holidays International Claire Johnson was due back in Sydney on January 8, but sent frantic text messages from a Thailand detention centre. She claims she wouldn’t be going home because ‘serious stuff went down’. She sent texts to a friend saying she was ‘so scared… get media involved’. A story…
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More sharks found displayed at seafood restaurant in Phuket
PHOTO: Go-Eco Phuket More sharks been discovered hanging in front of a seafood restaurant in Karon in “Thailand famous tourism city” (translated). A Facebook page ‘Go-Eco Phuket,’ principally a diving and environmental site, yesterday posted a photo of the shark being displayed out the front of a restaurant with a message reading… “This is at the number one tourism city…
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Driver charged in Chumphon tour bus accident
PHOTOS: หน่วยกู้ภัยมูลนิธิชุมพร //บางหมาก 02 / MulnithiChumphrKarKuslSngKheaaH A tour bus driver has been charged for reckless driving after yesterday morning’s tour bus accident in Chumphon. 23 Filipino tourists escaped serious injury in the bus crash. The bus was travelling from Bangkok to Phuket. Read more about yesterday’s crash HERE. Thairath is reporting that the tour bus driver, 36 year old Taweesak Chitchuea from…
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Bike ride to the top of Mt Everest – Raising money for Phuket Has Been Good To Us
The Ride4Ever is an epic to ride a bike to the top of Mt Everest, this Saturday. Well, sort of. On January 19 our goal will be to raise 300,000 baht to sponsor one class and ten students at the Phuket Has Been Good To Us Foundation. How are we going to do this? Pretty simple, we will RIDE4EVER and ride…
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23 Filipino tourists escape serious injury in Bangkok – Phuket bus accident in Chumphon
PHOTOS: หน่วยกู้ภัยมูลนิธิชุมพร //บางหมาก 02 / MulnithiChumphrKarKuslSngKheaaH 23 Filipino tourists have escaped serious injury in a tour bus crash in Chumphon early this morning. The bus was travelling from Bangkok to Phuket. Chumphon rescue workers were notified of the incident on Phetkasem Road, southbound, at 4.30am this morning. Rescue workers arrived at the scene to find the Bangkok – Phuket tour bus in…
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Explore the best of Patong from Patong Bay Hill Resort, Phuket
Patong Beach is the most popular beach destination in Phuket. Known the world over, the neighbourhood is the beating heart of the island’s vibrant nightlife scene and also offers up a variety of dining options and unique places for shopping. This bustling neighbourhood is also home to the classy Patong Bay Hill Resort. Perched high above the beach in the…
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Fire destroys six houses in Wichit, Phuket
Fire has destroyed six houses at the Klong Koh Phee Community in Wichit last night. No injuries or deaths was reported. Officers from the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) stationed at Wichit Municipality were notified of a fire in Soi 6 in Klong Koh Phee Community in Wichit at 11:50pm last night. Fire fighters and the Wichit Police…
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Eight days in southern Thailand
mtv.co.uk have visited Thailand recently and come up with their own short, cool, stays in the southern region. If you have a spare eight days, here is their guide for a quick southern beach holiday. Phuket: 2 nights How to get there It’s time to switch it up and head to the Southern region of Thailand. The easiest way is…
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Family of British Phuket property developer say “he was murdered”
PHOTO: Lawyer Vincent McOwen holding up a photo of Steven James Granville – Khaosod English A lawyer representing the family of Steven James Granville has filed a complaint with the Technology Crime Suppression Division (TCSD) in Bangkok over police reports about injuries sustained in a 2013 ‘cycling incident’. The TCSD is now overseen by Immigration Chief Pol Lt Gen Surachate Hakparn.…
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UPDATE: Phuket’s injured Leopard Cat dies
The leopard cat, which was found severely injured in front of a Mai Khao Graveyard on December 31, has unfortunately passed away. Read more about the locals finding the cat HERE, Read more about the injuries and care for the leopard cat HERE The can was transported to Soi Dog Foundation on January 1 for treatment and was under constant care from the…
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Company reports 80K beer cans disappeared after truck accident in Phuket
A logistic company representative has filed a report to police after more than 80,000 beer cans, valued at more than two million baht, mysteriously vanished after a beer truck overturned in Rassada this morning. The truck overturned and beer cans were scattered all over the road outside a 7-11. Read more about the incident HERE. Locals nearby helped clear up…
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Beer truck overturns in Rassada, Phuket – VIDEO
PHOTOS / VIDEO: Mana Sombat / Kanlaya Singkangrang A beer truck overturned in Rassada this morning where beer cans were scattered on the road outside a 7-11. Police were notified about the incident early today at Soi King Kaew in front of a 7-eleven in Rassada. At the scene they found thousands of beer cans scattered all over the road.…
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Lots of green seaweed washed up on Patong Beach
Patong Municipality public works staff have been clean up piles of green seaweed on Patong Beach today. This morning there was a line of green seaweed along 500 metres along the popular beach. Arnon Poomduang, a jet-ski operator says, “This is a normal and happens every year around this time. This year it is more than in the past years.…
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Pod of more than 10 dolphins spotted off Phuket – VIDEO
VIDEO: ยศ กระจก – อลูมิเนียม A pod of more than ten dolphins was spotted off Phuket yesterday. Khun Nigorn Garari, who recorded the videos says, “My friends and I were heading from Tab Lamu Pier in Phang Nga at about 1pm yesterday. When we were near Laem Pakarang, which is at the north of Phuket, we saw lots of dolphins.…
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French tourist in hospital after parasailing incident at Naka Island in Phuket
A French tourist has been hospitalised after having a bad landing on the tow boat and ending up in the water while parasailing at Koh Naka Yai off the Paklok coast yesterday. Thalang Police were notified of the incident off Koh Naka Yai at 5.25 pm. Thalang Police report that the 57 year old French woman, Claudine Robinet, broke her…
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Himalayan griffon vulture found in a Krabi rubber plantation after storm
PHOTOS: DNP A large but weak Himalayan griffon vulture has been found in a Krabi rubber plantation after poor weather on Monday. It’s believed to have come from Tibet. The head of Phang Nga Breeding Centre, Teetat Damudom says, “The Himalayan griffon vulture was brought to us on Monday. The vulture was been found by locals at a rubber plantation…
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Phuket tram project seeks private sector investment
(The term ‘tram’ and ‘light rail’ are variously used to describe the new public transport project for Phuket.) The Mass Rapid Transit Authority of Thailand (MRTA) is now inviting the private sector and local administrative bodies to get behind and invest in a mass-transit project in Phuket. The project is valued around 35 billion baht. The next rounds of talks…
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More sea turtle eggs found on Phang Nga Beach
PHOTO: DMCR In another really positive sign for the future of the leatherback sea turtle population in the region, 112 sea turtle eggs were found at Kuek Kak Beach in Khao Lak, Phang Nga this morning. 64 of the eggs have now been carefully moved to a safe area at the same beach whilst 48 eggs had already broken. 64…
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Police chasing people taking pot shots at road signs in Rawai
Rawai’s Mayor is considering further legal action after many road signs around Rawai have been damaged by gunfire. Rawai Mayor Aroon Solos headed to an area near Naiharn lake in Rawai, about 500 metres from Promthep Cape, after being informed that road signs had been damaged by gunshots. “About 10 road signs have been damaged by bullets. Photos have been…
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UPDATE: Leopard Cat recovering after car accident with Soi Dog Foundation vets
PHOTO: ‘Happy Tiger’ – Recovering at Soi Dog Foundation, Mai Khao The condition of the Leopard Cat remains much the same – there has been no real improvement. The leopard cat is still under the care of Soi Dog Foundation vets. The vets have reported that his left eye doesn’t respond to light or anything and is probably blind. The…
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Leather back turtle egg nest on Phang Nga beach safe after Pabuk
PHOTOS: DMCR The leather back sea turtle eggs found on a Phang Nga Beach in Tai Mueang a few weeks ago have been checked and they are safe after last Friday and Saturday’s bad weather. About 80-100 eggs were found after a leather back sea turtle laid eggs on the beach in Tai Mueang, Phang Nga last month. Read more about…
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Blacktip reef sharks found at Phuket seafood restaurant
PHOTO: Sunshine Sketcher There are now two reliable places you can see Blacktip Reef Sharks – off the shores of Maya Bay and hanging in front of a restaurant in Karon. Two blacktip reef sharks been discovered hanging in front of a seafood restaurant at Karon Beach. A facebook user name ‘Sunshine Sketcher’ today posted a photo with the message read…
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Tourists surge back to Chalong Pier and out to the islands
Chalong Pier has been back to normal today following the lifting of the ban on boats leaving port last night. The busy tourist pier this morning saw many travellers heading off to the islands again. Yesterday the Phuket Marine Office announced that after midnight (January 6) all boats were allowed to head back to sea after a ban on travel…
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Tour boats can return to the islands
The Phuket Marine Office has lifted its ban on boats leaving port. The lift means than fishing boats, commercial vessels and tour boats will now again be able to head off from Phuket, Krabi and other ports to the offshore islands, and stranded tourists and passengers, stuck on the islands when the ban was imposed on Thursday afternoon, can continue…
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Overloaded pickup truck rolls off road into Rawai jungle
An overloaded pickup truck has rolled down into off-road jungle in Rawai today. The pickup driver sustained only minor injuries. The Chalong Police were notified of the incident on Patak Road in Soi Suksan 1, Rawai at 10.50am today. Patrol police and emergency responders arrived to find a damaged pickup truck head-long into a tree 10 metres from the roadside.…
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Pabuk: Floods and blackouts along southern Gulf coast as storm moves away
• Floods and blackouts have left nearly 30,000 people in evacuation shelters across southern Thailand • Relieved tourists stranded on islands further north were spared the worst and are now working on continuing their journeys • Pabuk packed winds of up to 75 kph (45 mph) and brought heavy rains and storm surges as it lashed the much of the southern…
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Pabuk: ‘War room’ set up to help tourists
The Sports and Tourism Ministry has set up a war room to assist the many tourists whose plans were thrown into confusion in the wake of tropical storm Pabuk. The Government and authorities took extra precautions, closing airports and marine tourism, in preparedness to minimise potential danger to tourists as Pabuk approached. Santi Pawai, deputy permanent-secretary of the Tourism and…
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Pabuk: The worst is over as southern Thailand mops up
The potential for any further problems associated with Tropical Storm Pabuk are diminished as the remnants of the storm continue to move westward and out to sea away from the Andaman Coast. The general consensus is that, whilst unseasonal and packing high wind speeds (for Thailand), the storm’s impact was less than predicted causing minimal damage to infrastructure in the…
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Phuket Airport announces delayed or canceled flights – Pabuk
Sixteen flights from three airways heading to Phuket have been delayed or canceled due to storm ‘Pabuk’ today. Pilot Officer Thanee Chuangchoo, General Manager of Phuket International Airport, says, “There has been a total of 16 flights from Bangkok Airways, Juneyao Airlines and Hainan Airlines which have been either canceled or delayed.” The Bangkok Airways flights into Phuket were all scheduled…
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Pabuk: 2,000 tourists on Koh Phi Phi moved to Krabi mainland
PHOTOS: Krabi PR Office About 2,000 tourists on Phi Phi Island moved up on land. Some are Phuket tourists who are currently unable to return to the island due to the ban on boats leaving port. The Ao Nang Tourist Police say that lots of tourists from Phi Phi Island have been arriving at a pier in Krabi City as…
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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