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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5 ways retirees in Thailand lose money (and how to stop it)
Retiring in Thailand can be affordable and enjoyable, but many retirees lose money due to common mistakes. High living costs, scams, and unexpected expenses can quickly drain savings. There are five ways that retirees in Thailand can lose money and...
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2 speedboats destroyed by fire in Phuket – VIDEO
There’s been another speed boat incident in Phuket, south Thailand. This time 2 speed boats have been badly damaged after one of them caught fire while tied up at a pier in Thalang yesterday afternoon. The fire spread to a second boat tied up next to it. No injuries were reported. Phuket’s marine police chief, Pol Col Prasert Srikhunrat, reported…
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Nong Nong forced to lift weights and perform for tourists at a Phuket zoo – VIDEO
A monkey has been filmed lifting weights and doing other ‘tricks’ for tourists at an unnamed zoo in Phuket. Footage was shot by people recording the video for PETA, the global animal rights group, of the monkey being forced to lift weights and do press-ups as entertainment for the island’s tourists. The monkey is an indigenous Macaque species and named ‘Ning…
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The Coronavirus effect – Phuket and hotel report
by Bill Barnett, c9hotelworks.com “Perhaps the biggest wild card is the mounting number of travel advisories across the globe based on Covid-19” In what is a continuing storyline on the global coronavirus outbreak, Bill Barnett reports on the impact on Thailand’s most popular island destination, Phuket. He says that the impact on the Phuket tourism market is creating a challenging landscape.…
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British sailor, adrift for 3 days, rescued by Thai navy
A British man had to be towed to shore along with his sailboat after the craft’s motor broke down off Phuket, leaving him adrift for three days before he was rescued. The operations centre of the 3rd Naval Area in Phuket got a request from the cargo ship Miclyn Endurance yesterday afternoon to help a sailboat, the Pollen Path, which…
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UPDATE: 3 year old drowns at Blue Tree water park, Phuket
A 3 year old boy drowned yesterday at the Blue Tree water park in Cherngtalay, Phuket. The incident happened late yesterday afternoon. The incident at the newly-opened (middle of 2019) water park on Srisoonthorn road was reported about 6.30pm, according to Pol Capt Yanpatr Malai, a police investigator with the Cherngtalay police, as reported in Bangkok Post. The father has been…
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3 year old drowns at Blue Tree water park, Phuket
A three year old drowned yesterday at the recently opened Blue Tree water park and entertainment facility in Cherngtalay, Phuket. Although details are sketchy at this stage it appears the young boy, with a British father and Thai mother, wandered into one of the pools unattended yesterday afternoon. The incident is said to have happened in the Landing Pool, an…
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Songkran around Thailand – where can you get wet in 2020?
PLEASE NOTE: Some of these scheduled activities may change or be altered due to the ongoing coronavirus outbreak. Songkran Festival is an event where an all-out water battle and ancient traditions somehow blend in annual celebration. It’s unlike anything else in the world. And it’s wet. Venturing out onto Thailand’s streets on April 13 is an open invitation to have a…
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Phuket calls for immediate government help over coronavirus impact
Phuket’s Chamber of Commerce has asked the Thai govenment for swift action to help cope with the economic impact of the COVID-19 coronavirus, particularly on tourism. According to Chamber president Thanusak Phungdet: “I explained to Tourism Committee President Surasak Phanchalernworakul about the situation and how coronavirus is affecting tourism and business in Phuket. I requested them to share this information with…
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Unemployment rises 34% in Phuket due to virus’s impact
Unemployment on the resort island of Phuket is up 34% year on year due the impact of the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak, according to the Phuket Provincial Employment Office (PPEO). “After Chinese government banned their citizens from travel abroad because of COVID-19, the number of people coming to register as unemployed has been rising quickly. About 80 people come to register…
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Thailand welcomes cruise ship shunned in Vietnam over virus fears
German cruise ship AIDAvita has been welcomed in Thailand, days after it was blocked from docking in Vietnam due to fears of the COVID-19 coronavirus spreading across the region. Authorities in Vietnam’s Quang Ninh province, home to UNESCO world heritage site Ha Long Bay, barred passengers on the AIDAvita from disembarking on Thursday, according to the Vietnam News Agency. Germany’s…
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More than 200 couples exchange vows on Valentine’s Day 2020 in Phuket
Knots were tied, brooms were jumped, rings were donned and brides were kissed. All three of Phuket’s district offices, Muang Phuket, Kathu and Thalang, were packed yesterday as couples vied to get married on Valentine’s Day. 109 couples registered their marriage at the Muang District Office alone, with the island’s vice governor present as a witness. The 109 couples, of…
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‘Leaving Thailand’ – From Phuket with love and heartaches
“In his new memoir “Leaving Thailand,” a former journalist, film tech and Phuket resident looks back on his life and loves in the kingdom that continue to haunt and inspire him.” By Jim Algie I’m wary of memoirs set in Thailand in which a sex-starved Western man descends on the country to get caught up in the carnal circus of…
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Thai Marine chief visits Phuket, bans boat captains, two Russian children dead
“If you see any unsafe boat, unsafe pier, dangerous boat driver, please inform the Marine Department hotline 1199.” The Thai Marine Department Chief visited Phuket yesterday afternoon for a full briefing following yesterday morning’s tragic speedboat crash that killed two Russian children, a 6 and 12 year old, and injuring up to 20 passengers around 7.50am. The incident happened in…
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UPDATE: Phuket speedboats crash: 2 children dead, 22 injured – VIDEO
“…both boat drivers have been charged with reckless driving causing death and injury.” Two Russian children have died and some 22 people were injured following a high-speed speedboat collision off Phuket’s east coast just before 8am this morning. The incident occurred in the channel linking Phuket’s two main east coast marinas with the Phang Nga Bay on the east side of…
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Rare leatherback turtle lays eggs in Phuket’s Mai Khao
Officials of the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources and army personnel rushed to build a fence at Mai Khao Beach on Friday after learning from a village headman that a leatherback sea turtle laid eggs there. The area is located in the Sirinart Marine National Park, one kilometre north of Phuket’s airport. Officials built the fence and posted army…
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Austrian man dies in Patong condo fall
A 68 year old Austrian man is dead after falling from his 12th floor condominium in Patong. His body was found at about 10 last night, on the ground outside the Patong Night Plaza condominium, where police say he lived alone. According to his passport he entered Thailand on December 19 on a 90 day visa. Blood pressure diabetes medications…
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The knock-on effect. Coronavirus hits Phuket hotels.
The Thaiger’s occasional Phuket hotel management contributor is back with some inside knowledge of the current situation for hoteliers on the holiday island. That the coronavirus situation is affecting hotel bookings, is an understatement, he says. Here’s some of the current thinking as Phuket hoteliers stand around the water-cooler and mull the situation. Our writer has asked to remain anonymous……
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Russian woman drowns in Patong
A 34 year old Russian woman drowned while swimming at Patong beach on Saturday. Lifeguards performed CPR on the woman before she was taken to Patong Hospital, where she was pronounced dead, according to police, who were alerted at 9am. Police say the woman, whose name was witheld pending notification of relatives, travelled with her boyfriend to Patong with the…
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Phuket, Bangkok and Chiang Mai hard hit over ‘palpable’ tourism drop
The 2019-nCoV coronavirus, the official name for the Wuhan or Novel Corononavirus, is resulting in dozens of high-season flights to Thai southern beach resorts being cancelled. The virus is already deemed an international public health emergency by the World Health Organisation. “While Patong survived and thrived after SARS, the tsunami and a few army coups, this virus is stripping our…
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Phuket’s governor appeals for calm, issues warning over fake virus news
Amid the flurry of news stories about the Wuhan Coronavirus outbreak, Phuket’s Governor Phakaphong urged people this week to beware of fake news and reports that don’t cite their sources. “Fake news has been shared on social media, making people worried and damaging Phuket’s tourism image. Please check before believing it, reduce the panic.” One report that went viral this…
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No confirmed coronavirus cases in Phuket, six tourists under observation
A this stage, no one in Phuket has been confirmed as infected with the coronavirus. Director of Vachira Hospital’s Dr Chalermpong Sukontapol brought local media up to date in his media scrum at the hospital yesterday. But he announced that 6 more tourists are currently under observation but are, as yet, unconfirmed to be carrying the novel coronavirus. One of…
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The Coronavirus Effect – Phuket by numbers
by Bill Barnett of c9hotelworks.com The impact of the current outbreak of the novel coronavirus in China, and a limited spread to 18 other countries, will be felt in the months ahead. Whilst the headlines loom large at the moment with statistics and stories of the spread, the downstream effects on Thai tourism, and particularly the areas favoured by Chinese…
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No confirmed cases in Phuket, 10 remain in hospital awaiting tests
Ten patients in Phuket were still waiting for test results confirming if they had the coronavirus or not yesterday. Up to yesterday afternoon there have been no confirmed cases detected on the island in southern Thailand. The director of Vachiraphuket Hospital in Phuket Town, Dr Chalermpong Sukhonthapol, confirmed that since January 5 health officials had identified 23 people with “suspicious…
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4 year old Wuhan girl cleared of coronavirus in Phuket
A 4 year old girl from Wuhan, who was not allowed to board her flight home on Friday, has tested negative for the Wuhan Coronavirus and been discharged from hospital. “A fluid sample from the girl’s nose was sent to the Health Control Division in Bangkok to test for the virus,” local health authorities told The Phuket News. “The test…
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Top 10 islands to visit in Thailand (2020)
Thailand is famous for its outstanding island experiences and there are many to choose from. From sweeping stretches of clear golden sands to islands where you can dive, snorkel and stay, Thailand’s islands and beaches are as diverse as they are plentiful. Let’s count them down… 10. Koh Tao & Koh Nang Yuan Koh Tao is an island that is…
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Latest Khao Lak hotel report
by Bill Barnett, c9hotelworks.com Increasing hotel supply in Khao Lak with stable tourism growth reflects a destination market entering a new cycle. Khao Lak is a beachside destination an hour and a half drive north from Phuket Airport in Phang Nga province. The upcoming second Greater Phuket airport (in Phang Nga) is expected to push the destination to diversify offerings…
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Australian rescued after falling from the top of Ton Chongfa waterfall in Phang Ngan
Emergency responders from the Phang-nga provincial public disaster prevention and mitigation office have recovered a female Australian who fell from the edge of a waterfall in Takuapa district in Phang Nga yesterday afternoon. The rescue took more than five hours with rescue crews working in almost total darkness. The female victim was part of a group of three other Australian tourists…
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64 year old Singaporean found dead in Thalang, Phuket
A 64 year old Singaporean man was found dead inside a house in Phuket’s Thalang district on Thursday morning. Police say they were called to Yucharoen housing estate by neighbours who found the man dead in his bathroom. The man’s name is being withheld pending notification of relatives. Police say there were no bruises on the man’s body and that it appears…
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Suspected British Coronavirus patient, confirmed NOT to have the virus – UPDATE
It’s now been confirmed that a British man, in critical condition in a Thai Hospital, has not contracted the Chinese Coronavirus. Ashley Shorley, who was holidaying on Koh Phi Phi at the time, became seriously ill with a “flu virus” on December 27. He was rushed by boat (reported as a sea plane in other media) to Phuket where his condition worsened. He…
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32 year old British patient recovering in Phuket, suspected Coronavirus victim
UPDATE HERE. A British tourist is reported to be fighting for his life in a Phuket hospital. He could be the first Western victim of the coronavirus strain sweeping through China, according to Doctors at the hospital, but is yet to be confirmed. This latest coronavirus, related to the SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome) and MERS (Middle East Respiratory Syndrome)…
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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