Phuket News
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Phuket stages full-scale fire drill to boost city safety
Phuket officials are preparing a full-scale fire drill at City Hall to train government agencies, volunteers, and the public in emergency response and safety. The exercise will see government agencies, volunteers, and private-sector partners join forces to simulate disaster response and enhance fire safety knowledge across the province. The drill is scheduled for today, September 10, at 1.30pm, with the…
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Foreign couple survives unharmed after SUV crashes into Phuket sea
A foreign couple miraculously escaped unharmed after driving their SUV into the sea at a yacht marina in Phuket on Sunday, September 7. Footage of the incident went viral on Thai social media after being shared in several boat operator chat groups in Phuket. Multiple Facebook news pages later reposted the clip today. The video caption read… “A foreign couple…
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Scholarships awarded to 119 disabled children in Phuket
A total of 119 children with disabilities in Phuket received scholarships to support their education and personal development, aimed at fostering inclusion and opportunity. The ceremony, held yesterday, September 8, at Phibun Sawatdi Municipality School, was organised by the Khun Phum Foundation in collaboration with the Phuket Special Education Centre. Governor Sophon Suwannarat attended the event alongside representatives from the…
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Phuket drug suspect shot dead after killing police officer
A Thai drug dealer died in an extrajudicial killing after resisting arrest and fatally shooting a police officer at a rented room in Phuket yesterday, September 8. Officers from the Investigation Sub-division in Phuket had earlier arrested three drug suspects and questioned them until they revealed the identities of more senior dealers in the province. The suspects identified a couple…
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Phuket eatery raided for using all-Myanmar staff illegally
A Myanmar national was arrested in Phuket after officials raided a restaurant found to be illegally operated and staffed entirely by foreign workers. The venue, named Thu Nge Chin Sine, is located behind Public Market 1 on Bangkok Road in Phuket Town. It was raided following complaints from residents about its operations, according to the Bangkok Post. A team of…
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Phuket ramps up drug-free drive with workplace testing push
Phuket officials are stepping up their campaign to make workplaces drug-free, with more than 2,500 employees screened, several companies certified, and dozens of staff referred for treatment. At a meeting chaired by Deputy Governor Suwit Phansengiam at the Phuket Provincial Labour Protection and Welfare Office, officials reviewed progress on the province’s drug-free labour initiative this year. The scheme is designed…
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Phuket shop seeks foreign woman caught swapping price tags
A clothes shop owner in Phuket is offering a reward of 6,000 baht to anyone with information about a foreign woman who secretly swapped a price tag in order to pay less for an item. The shop owner shared CCTV footage of the incident with the Newshawk Phuket Facebook page yesterday, September 4, seeking help from the online community to…
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Phuket blood centre issues urgent appeal as type O runs low
The Phuket Red Cross Blood Centre (PRBC) has issued an urgent call for blood donors as supplies of type O blood remain at dangerously low levels. As of 9.30am yesterday, September 4, the National Blood Service in Phuket reported a daily demand of 390 units: 200 units of type O, 100 of type A, 70 of type AB, and 20…
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Scotsman’s Thailand trip cut short after ex cancels passport
A Scottish holidaymaker’s dream trip to Thailand turned into a nightmare when his ex-partner cancelled his passport, leading to his detention at the airport and subsequent deportation back to the UK. William Barr, from Inverkeithing, Fife, was detained by immigration officers as soon as he arrived in Phuket, and ultimately deported back to the UK before his holiday even began. “I…
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Phuket tackles high fees at Deep Sea Port after complaints
Phuket’s provincial officials convened an urgent meeting yesterday to address growing complaints from transport operators regarding the high entrance fees being charged at Phuket Deep Sea Port. The meeting, chaired by Vice Governor Samawit Suphanphai, took place at the Damrongtham Centre (Phuket Provincial Ombudsman’s Office) in Phuket Provincial Hall yesterday, September 3. The discussions were deemed crucial enough to involve…
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Thailand and Malaysia boost cooperation on border security issues
Thailand and Malaysia have reaffirmed their commitment to enhancing border security and regional stability at the 117th Thai-Malaysian Regional Border Committee (RBC) meeting, held yesterday at the Angsana Laguna Phuket Hotel. The high-level meeting yesterday, September 3, co-chaired by Major General Apinan Chaemchaeng, Commander of the 5th Infantry Division, and Maj. Gen. Dato’ Hj Fazal bin Hj Abdul Rahman, Commander…
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New non-stop Mumbai to Phuket flight opens doors for tourists
Mumbai, India’s bustling financial capital, is now directly connected to one of Thailand’s most coveted tourist destinations, Phuket, thanks to the launch of a new flight route by Akasa Air planned for September 20. This non-stop service promises to revolutionise travel between India and Thailand, offering an efficient and seamless journey, leaving behind the long layovers and connecting flights that…
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Phuket tuk tuks set to go electric in new pilot project
Phuket’s famous tuk tuks are about to get a green makeover as the island becomes the testing ground for Thailand’s first project to switch small passenger vehicles from petrol to electric power. Akaradej Wongpitakroj, MP for Ratchaburi and chairman of the House Industrial Committee, confirmed on a recent visit that Phuket will spearhead the conversion drive. The lessons learned here…
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Foreign motorcyclists slammed for risky U-turn on Phuket traffic island
Thai netizens criticised two foreign motorcyclists for making a U-turn by riding onto a traffic island in Phuket, with some suggesting they were simply following the example set by Thai motorists. The Phuket Times Facebook page shared a video of the incident yesterday, September 2, with the caption, “Very dangerous! Foreigners in Phuket at a U-turn near Thai Watsadu on…
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Phuket man wanted after stabbing wife in domestic row
Police in Phuket are hunting a man who allegedly stabbed his wife with a pair of scissors during a row at a motorcycle repair shop in Thalang. The attack happened at around 7pm yesterday, September 2, opposite the Thai Watsadu store in Srisoonthorn. The victim, 38 year old Pornpana Manhan, was stabbed in the back and rushed to Thalang Hospital…
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Phuket Airport stages emergency drill as safety test Friday
Passengers flying through Phuket International Airport this Friday morning can expect to see chaos, but only as part of a full-scale emergency drill. Airport officials confirmed that the exercise, scheduled for 9am on Friday, September 5, will simulate a major incident under the Airport Contingency Plan. The goal is to sharpen safety standards and ensure staff are fully prepared to…
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Phuket’s pricey new night market flop shut in 2 months
Phuket’s newest night market has turned into a multimillion-baht flop, shutting its doors just two months after opening in a blaze of publicity. The 30 million baht Plern Pao Night Market, near Surin Circle’s clocktower roundabout, closed abruptly this week. Organiser Plern Pao Co Ltd issued a notice on Monday, September 1, confirming the shutdown and instructing vendors to collect…
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Burmese man dies from head injury on Phuket construction site
A Myanmar worker was fatally struck by heavy machinery on a Phuket construction site this morning. The incident occurred today, September 2, at a building site near the main SuperCheap branch north of Phuket Town. Police confirmed the victim as 53 year old Ko Thet Win, a Myanmar national employed at the site. According to Phuket City Police, the worker…
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Film crew blasted for rolling up Thai flag at Phuket viewpoint (video)
It was meant to be just another day of shooting at a scenic Phuket viewpoint, but when a filming crew rolled up the Thai national flag, social media erupted with criticism. The 58-second clip, filmed at Black Rock Viewpoint (Pha Hin Dam) in Rawai at the southern tip of the island, shows a woman believed to be part of a…
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Tourist surge in Phuket drives revenue into the billions
Phuket’s tourism industry is riding a wave of recovery, welcoming millions of visitors and raking in staggering revenue in just seven months. According to the Provincial Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Office in Phuket, more than 7.6 million tourists arrived between January and July this year. The influx generated 290 billion baht for the island’s economy, reinforcing Phuket’s status as…
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Phuket landlord finds rental room trashed by tenant
A landlord in Phuket expressed her dismay after discovering her rental room abandoned in a poor state, with substantial rubbish left behind by a tenant. The tenant, who had rented the room for three months, reportedly fell behind on rent and complained of financial difficulties. Nan, the landlord, shared that problems began after the first month, with the tenant failing…
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Thai Navy intercepts suspicious foreign vessel off Phuket coast
The Royal Thai Navy deployed HTMS Hua Hin on August 30 to intercept a foreign vessel behaving suspiciously in Thai waters west of Phuket. Vice Admiral Suwat Donsakul, Director of the Thai Maritime Enforcement Command Centre Region 3 (Thai MECC 3), initiated the operation following a report from the Phuket Vessel Traffic Service Centre. The report detailed unusual activity by…
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Police seek French tourist after Patong hotel altercation with Australian
An altercation between an Australian tourist and a French tourist occurred inside a hotel in Patong yesterday morning, August 31, leading the police to search for the Frenchman who left the scene. Patong Police responded to a report of a violent incident on Nanai Road, Patong, at approximately 9.35am. Hotel staff reported a fight between two foreign guests. Police arrived…
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Phuket expats unite for life-saving blood donation drive
Foreign residents and local organisations in Phuket have come together to encourage life-saving blood donations as the island braces for its busy tourist season. The Australian Consulate-General in Phuket teamed up with Phuket Has Been Good To Us, the British Honorary Consul and the Phuket Veterans for a blood drive at Vachira Phuket Hospital this week. The event aimed to…
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Aussie found dead on Phuket hotel bed with weed and Viagra
A 36 year old Australian man has been found dead in his hotel room in Phuket, with police investigating whether a suspected drug overdose was the cause. Chalong Police were called to the scene at a hotel on Soi Ta-iad at around 2.30pm on Wednesday, August 27, after staff reported discovering the man lying motionless on his bed. Police Lieutenant…
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Caught out: Suspected Phuket cat burglar faces fresh charges
A suspected cat burglar already behind bars in Phang Nga is now staring down more charges in Phuket, after police linked him to a string of break-ins in Wichit and Chalong. Wichit Police Chief, Colonel Somsak Thongkliang, confirmed yesterday, August 28, that investigators are pushing the Phuket Provincial Court to issue an arrest warrant for the suspect, identified only as…
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Outta control: Runaway truck ploughs into Patong ditch
A Bangkok-registered six-wheeled truck caused a stir in Patong yesterday after careering off Phra Barami Road and crashing into a roadside ditch, just metres away from a local temple. The dramatic accident occurred around 11.10am yesterday, August 28, when the driver reportedly suffered brake failure while descending the notoriously steep Patong Hill. The truck lost control at the dangerous Pla…
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NACC swoops on shady Phuket land works in corruption blitz
Corruption busters are getting their boots dirty in Phuket as the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) zeroes in on suspicious land excavation and filling projects across the island. The NACC Phuket office, led by Chief Suwat Saowarat, launched a new initiative titled Pinning Areas at Risk of Corruption, targeting projects carried out by local administrations. The inspections, which took place from…
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Police hunt violent youth gang for shooting teen on Phuket road
A quiet Phuket road turned into a shooting scene when a teenager was gunned down by a gang member riding past on a motorbike. The incident occurred on the evening of August 24 along Muang Thong-Khao Khad Road near Muang Thong Market in Wichit subdistrict, Mueang district. The victim, identified as 18 year old Thanwa, was shot in the back while…
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Phuket man busted with meth after riding into police checkpoint
A 26 year old man from Surat Thani was arrested in Phuket early yesterday after riding his motorbike into an active police checkpoint. Officers stopped him for acting suspiciously and found meth pills in his possession. A drug test came back positive. Police in Phuket arrested the man yesterday, August 27, after he drove suspiciously into an active checkpoint set…
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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