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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Sponsored How to reduce out-of-pocket medical expenses in Thailand?
Managing medical expenses in Thailand is important as healthcare costs continue to rise. The country’s healthcare system includes both public and private options, but even with the Universal Coverage Scheme (UCS) for citizens, many still face high out-of-pocket medical expenses....
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Swiss man despondent over health problems attempts suicide
PHUKET: A Swiss man despondent over several chronic health problems, including diabetes and asthma, cut his throat last night, but was saved by his wife.It was his second suicide attempt.Patong Police received a call at 10pm from a woman who reported that her 58-year-old Swiss husband had used a kitchen knife to slit his own throat.“He did it in the…
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Phuket Police officer beaten in mass brawl as suspect resists arrest
PHUKET: Police in Cherng Talay are on the lookout for an unknown number of suspects after a senior officer was badly beaten and a squad of at least five other policemen suffered minor injuries while attempting to serve an arrest warrant on Monday. Cherng Talay Deputy Superintendent Sommai On-khum regained consciousness at Vachira Phuket Hospital in Phuket Town on Monday…
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Phuket taxi cartel head arrested, denies extortion charges
PHUKET: The head of the group of taxis operating out of Central Festival Phuket and his brother have denied using physical violence to extort money from fellow taxi drivers operating at the renowned shopping mall. Pom Sukkasam, 42, and his brother Sern Sukkasam, 52, were arrested by Crime Suppression Division (CSD) officers on Sunday and taken to Bangkok, where they…
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Corpse with distinctive tattoo washes up twice
PHUKET: The body of a man first spotted floating in the sea near Koh Taphao Yai on Sunday was recovered yesterday when it reappeared 25km away off Koh Racha Yai.Residents on Koh Taphao Island notified authorities when they saw the body, but after Marine Police arrived, they were unable to locate it. The body was seen again yesterday off the…
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Phuket beach blitz nets illegal jet-skis, drug user at Patong
PHUKET: Police apprehended one jet-ski rental operator for testing positive for drugs at Patong Beach yesterday afternoon.Officers from the Phuket Marine Police also seized two jet-skis being rented out to tourists with expired registrations.The officers arrived unannounced at the popular beach to “pee-test” 15 jet-ski rental operators and speedboat staff operating at the beach.“One of the 15 men, Wutthipong Thepwongsa,…
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Si Racha’s Blue Marlins take a big bite out of Phuket FC
PHUKET: Every season since getting promoted to the Yamaha League One (YL1), Phuket FC has had a devastating off-day; in the 2011 season, it was their 7-0 away-loss to Buriram; last year, it happened twice on the road – in their 6-0 loss to PTT Rayong and 5-1 loss to Saraburi. Last Saturday the Islanders experienced another such day –…
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Phuket lifeguards ordered to pull down ‘unsightly’ beach station
PHUKET: Karon Municipality has decided to remove the Phuket lifeguard stand on Karon Beach on the grounds that it is unsightly and not fit for use.“Karon municipality officers led by Karon Deputy Mayor Ittiporn Singkaew have inspected the lifeguard station. It does not look nice and it is not well organized,” Karon Municipality Chief Administrative Officer (Palad) Weerasak Anekwongsawat explained.“We…
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Phuket murder trial: Girlfriend recounts night Aldhouse stabbed US Marine Dashawn Longfellow
PHUKET: A witness in the Lee Aldhouse murder trial provided shocking testimony on Friday afternoon. Following the arrival in court, 10 minutes late, of a grim-faced Aldhouse, a female Thai witness explained that she was the girlfriend of the victim, US Marine Dashawn Longfellow, at the time of his death. She then gave her account of how a seemingly ordinary…
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Phuket Governor leads sendoff for pilgrims performing Hajj
PHUKET: Phuket Governor Maitri Inthusut led an ensemble of local government officers on Saturday to wish Muslims from across Southern Thailand a safe journey as they boarded the first flight from Phuket to Saudi Arabia dedicated to pilgrims performing the Hajj. The 301 Muslims gathered at Phuket International Airport had arrived from Songkhla, Yala, Pattani and Narathiwat provinces in Thailand’s…
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Phuket town hit by flash flood after three-hour downpour
PHUKET: Many parts of Phuket Town were briefly underwater yesterday in the wake of a ferocious three-hour morning rainstorm.A number of roads were flooded and the Bang Yai Canal threatened to burst its banks.Phuket Governor Maitri Inthusut and Phuket City Mayor Somjai Suwansupana led officials to inspect Bang Yai Canal’s alarming water levels near the Standard Chartered Intersection in the…
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Phuket beach safety hits tide of resistance
PHUKET: A move by the Phuket Marine Office to enforce a 5-knot speed limit for all boats in Phuket is meeting strong resistance from parasail operators at Patong Beach. Enforcement of the boat speed limit is aimed at boosting water safety in the wake of a Chinese honeymooner being rendered comatose in a collision between a parasail boat and the…
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Patong Beach water quality tests to take another two weeks
PHUKET: The results of water quality tests conducted on samples collected from Patong Bay amid an “algae bloom” on August 23 will not be available for at least another two weeks, the Phuket Gazette has been told. The news flies in the face of comments made by Phuket’s leading environment officer, Dr Pornsri Suthanaruk, director of the Phuket-based Regional Environmental…
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Phuket Police arrest shooter of Russian tourist
PHUKET: Police have arrested the man who injured a Russian tourist by opening fire on a car in a fit of road rage in Rawai last month. Officers took Narongsak Saelim, 21, into custody yesterday, the same day Phuket Provincial Court issued a warrant for his arrest (story here). He is charged with attempted murder and possession of an illegal…
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Phuket officials, business figures unite to fight graft
PHUKET: A network of six influential private and government bodies this morning announced its intention to fight corruption throughout Phuket, amid concern over alarming levels of graft across the island.The network includes members of the Phuket Chamber of Commerce, Phuket Office of the National Anti-Corruption Commission, Federation of Thai Industries Phuket Chapter, Phuket Tourist Association, Thai Hotels Association (Southern Chapter)…
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Phuket Police close in on shooter of Russian tourist
PHUKET: Phuket Provincial Court has issued an arrest warrant for the man believed to have shot Russian tourist Maksim Klocskov in Rawai on August 17. “The suspect we are seeking is Narongsak Saelim, 21,” said Lt Col Jumroon Plaidoung of the Chalong Police. Mr Klockskov was shot in the back when a bullet aimed at the car he was riding…
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Patong tuk-tuk drivers lodge second complaint about illegal tuk-tuk drivers
PHUKET: Patong tuk-tuk drivers yesterday filed their second complaint with the governor about illegal tuk-tuks operating in Patong and stealing their jobs. The drivers asked for an update on the complaint they filed on June 26 (story here) and noted that the numbers of illegal drivers continues to increase. “On June 26, we filed a complaint to Governor Maitri Inthusut…
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Business operators win fight to keep shops at Phuket International Airport
PHUKET: Business operators of concessions at Phuket International Airport have prevailed in their battle to keep their concessions at the airport. Not only will they be allowed to remain at the airport, but they will be allowed to continue their business in the new airport terminal once it is completed in 2015, said Thammarawat Wongcharoenyut, one of the operators. The…
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DSI lands windfall in Phuket illegal taxi fines, no cars seized
PHUKET: Efforts to rein in illegal taxi drivers in Phuket has landed a windfall 868,000 baht in fines since the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) opened its anti-organized crime centers in Phuket on August 10.The fines were garnered when officers stopped and fined illegal taxi drivers 434 times at six checkpoints across the island from August 10-29, Lt Col Somboon…
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Phuket Prison officer busted for drugs in Bangkok
PHUKET: A Phuket Prison officer who taught inmates new life skills to use after their release was arrested for drug possession in Bangkok on Tuesday.Thanawit Puangnoi, 56, was arrested after Nonthaburi Provincial Police received a tip-off that a man would pick up drugs in the neighborhood around Jan Temple in Bang Kruai District.Officers staking out the neighborhood saw Mr Thanawit…
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Phuket Police on guard to face angry rubber farmers
PHUKET: Officers of the Phuket Police assisting local officers to guard the Surat Thani Airport against farmers protesting rubber prices say airport operations are continuing normally. A contingent of 155 Phuket police officers has been at the airport since Monday, Phuket Provincial Police Deputy Commander Peerayuth Karachedi told the Phuket Gazette. “So far, no flights have been affected,” he said.…
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F1: Speed, straights and storms – Phuket Sports
PHUKET: Before Spa, I said that we must hope that there had been some breakthroughs to spice-up a season dominated by Red Bull. It’s all getting a bit predictable. I trusted rain to add spice, but it was stubbornly dry at Spa (click here for story). I said that both Spa and the uninteresting new Pirelli tyres would favour Red…
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Phuket Police baffled over Bang Tao beach bar blaze
PHUKET: A small bar at Bang Tao beach was burned to the ground late on Tuesday, with no explanation thus far for the blaze.On hearing about the fire shortly before midnight, firefighters and police officers rushed to the scene.“When we arrived, we found the bar – which apparently had no name – ablaze. Despite the modest size of the bar,…
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Phuket Romance: Man stabbed to death in feud over girlfriend
PHUKET: A 20-year-old determined to hold on to his girlfriend was stabbed to death by his romantic rival in Cherng Talay on Tuesday evening.Police arrived at the scene to find a crowd of onlookers and a pool of blood; Autthapon “Adam” Kahapana, 19, had already been rushed to Thalang Hospital.Iyara “Rudy” Puttaraksa, 20, had fled, but was soon found by…
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Phuket’s TSLC sporting tips: Tennis and swimming
PHUKET: In a continuing series of sporting tips provided by Phuket’s Thanyapura Sports & Leisure Club, resident experts Tennis Head Coach Roger Cochrane loosens his grip and Aquatics Head Coach Randy Simon is in for the long haul. Loosening your service grip – Roger Cochrane You have probably noticed that the more pressure you feel in a match, the more…
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Blackout in Cherng Talay – Bang Tao Beach
PHUKET: The Phuket Provincial Electricity Authority (PPEA) has issued a late notice that there will be a scheduled blackout in the Cherng Talay area from 9am to 5pm today.The affected area will extend from Soi Bang Tao 1 to Soi Bang Tao 8.The blackout is for PPEA staff to carry out maintenance work on high-voltage power lines.
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Phuket vote fraud allegations can’t stop Pian
PATONG Mayor Pian Keesin has the right to run for re-election even if he is found guilty of vote fraud and the order to remove him from office is upheld, election officials have confirmed. Action to unseat Mayor Pian began last year when the Office of the Election Commission of Thailand (EC) headquarters in Bangkok, responding to a complaint after…
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Phuket python accused of fowl play
PHUKET: A Phuket python got into a chicken coop and devoured a prized breeding hen yesterday, while the fowl’s owner was away from home.Sombat Sae-eow realized something was amiss when he came home and discovered the python, sporting a large bulge in its middle, lying under a bamboo chicken pen.Kusoldharm Foundation rescue workers were called to the house in Baan…
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Ironwoman: Get moving!
PHUKET: Inspirational “Ironwoman”, Australian Triathlon Hall of Fame member, Belinda Granger shed light on her inspiring career at an “Empowering Women Workshop” held at Phuket’s Thanyapura last week. Belinda Granger is one of the most influential and successful triathletes Australia has produced, with an incredible 15 Ironman distance wins and five Top 10 finishes at the Ironman World Championships at…
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Chinese tourist comatose after Phuket jet-ski accident recovers
PHUKET: The Chinese tourist rendered comatose when the jet-ski he was riding collided with a paragliding speedboat at Patong Beach has recovered and is to be discharged from hospital today. A nurse at Phuket International Hospital confirmed to the Phuket Gazette that Shen Baocheng’s doctors had approved his release. Lifeguards pulled Mr Shen from the water unconscious last Saturday morning…
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Australian tourist dies in Patong motorcycle crash
PHUKET: An male Australian tourist died this morning at Vachira Phuket Hospital after the motorcycle he was riding crashed into a power pole in Patong. Patong Police and Kusoldharm Rescue Foundation Worker were notified of an accident near Patong Municipality Office on Ratchapathanuson Road (map here) at about 5:30am. “When we arrived we found a man in his 30s, unconscious,…
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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