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 Thailand vs. the West: What expats save on healthcare each year
Healthcare in Thailand is much cheaper than in Western countries, making it a great choice for expatriates looking for affordable medical care. Both public and private healthcare options offer high-quality services, with savings of up to 80% on procedures like...
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Unidentified man found hanged in Kamala, Phuket
Police in Phuket are investigating the death of an unidentified man whose body was found hanging from a mangosteen tree beside a small plantation in Kamala yesterday morning, June 15. The body was discovered around 9.30am near the Yai Bua workers’ camp in Moo 5. Officers from Kamala Police Station, along with forensic teams from Vachira Phuket Hospital and rescue…
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Phuket garden blast injures two, teens suspected of planting bomb
In Ratsada, Phuket, a homemade explosive disguised as a large garland detonated in a residential garden last Friday afternoon, June 13, causing minor injuries to two individuals. Police are currently searching for a group of teenagers suspected of planting the device. The incident was reported to the Phuket police at approximately 5.35pm. Officers from the Phuket City Police, along with…
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Foreign man caught on viral video kissing Naga statue in Phuket
A foreign man went viral on Thai social media after locals witnessed him making a wish and kissing a Naga statue in Phuket. Photos and videos of the incident were widely shared online. The Phuket Times Facebook page posted images and a video of the man today, June 16, with a caption reading, “Kissing a Naga statue. He’s so into…
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Tourist fined 5,000 baht after jeep stuck on beach in Phuket
A 22 year old tourist faced a fine after his jeep got stuck in the sand at Layi Beach in Kamala, Phuket, much to the ire of locals and online users. The incident, which occurred on June 14, was captured in a video shared by officials, showing Kamala police officers assisting in freeing the Phuket-registered white jeep. The footage prompted…
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Indian man quizzed after bomb scare on Phuket flight
A 52 year old Indian man was arrested for questioning after a bomb threat forced an Air India flight to make an emergency landing at Phuket International Airport yesterday morning. The alarming incident triggered a swift security response, with 156 passengers onboard caught in the tense drama. The flight, AI 379, was en route from Phuket to Delhi when, around…
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Phuket pushes for gender equality with vibrant pride events
Phuket is taking bold steps towards inclusivity and gender equality with a major seminar and a packed Pride Month programme. Yesterday, June 12, the Phuket Provincial Social Development and Human Security Office hosted a seminar titled Our World is Equal: Awareness, Awareness, Awareness of Gender Equality (Pride for All) at the Seabed Grand Hotel in Wichit. Vice Governor Samawit Suphanphai, who…
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Bomb threat forces emergency landing of Air India flight in Phuket
Following the Air India flight crash yesterday, a bomb threat forced another flight from the troubled airline to make an emergency landing at Phuket Airport today. Flight AI 379, en route from Phuket to Delhi with 156 passengers aboard, was diverted to Phuket after a bomb threat message was discovered on board. At 9.30am today, June 13, Phuket International Airport…
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British man found dead at sea after missing from yacht off Phuket
A search team, yesterday, June 12, discovered the deceased body of a British man who went missing from his family’s private yacht off Phuket on June 8. The British national, 28 year old Endnaler Johnson, disappeared during a trip with four family members aboard a private yacht, De Mareft. The vessel was anchored approximately one kilometre off Cape Yamu in…
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Phuket’s stink crisis: Landfill odours worsen amid rainy season
Phuket’s bustling streets are getting a whiff of something far less pleasant as the city grapples with an intensifying odour crisis. The stink emanating from the Phuket Waste Disposal Centre at Saphan Hin has reached unbearable levels, especially as the rainy season worsens conditions at the already overcrowded landfill. With more than 1,200 tonnes of rubbish arriving at the site…
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Two tourists drown after Phuket swimming mishaps
Two foreign tourists drowned yesterday after swimming incidents in Phuket. Karon subdistrict municipality rescue units were alerted yesterday, June 11, at 3.50pm, by lifeguards at Kata Beach about a foreign tourist found unconscious in the water. Upon arrival, rescuers discovered a foreign male tourist without a pulse. CPR and an Ambu bag were used to revive him before transferring to…
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Tragic end for man found near Phuket beach in suspected suicide
A 40 year old man was found dead near Yanui Beach in Phuket yesterday afternoon, as police suspect suicide linked to depression and financial struggles. At around 1pm yesterday, June 11, relatives of Wirach Tanpuean reported him missing to Chalong Police. He was last seen in the Yanui area, and officers from Chalong Police, along with the Rawai Municipality Rescue…
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Phuket woman gives birth at home before rescue arrives
A woman in Thalang district, Phuket, gave birth to a healthy baby boy at home before rescue services arrived. The incident occurred at 4.40pm yesterday, June 11. Both mother and child were safely transferred to a hospital for further care. Locals showed interest in the house number for lucky lottery digits. Rescue personnel from the Mai Khao subdistrict received a…
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Taking the piss: Ukrainians arrested in Phuket for assaulting guard
Two Ukrainian men have been arrested after allegedly assaulting a security guard who confronted them for urinating in public outside a shopping centre in Kathu district. The assault took place early on Saturday morning, June 7, at around 6.25am, when the two men, aged 27 and 38, were seen urinating in an area rented by local stallholders. When the security…
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British tourist rescued after motorbike plunges into Patong canal
A British tourist had a close call when his motorbike plunged into a canal behind Patong Hospital, but thanks to quick-thinking rescue workers, he was saved with only minor injuries. The incident occurred yesterday, June 10, on Sai Nam Yen Road, with emergency teams from the Kusoldharm Phuket Foundation’s Patong unit rushing to the scene after receiving the call for…
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Albanian tourist drowns at Karon Beach, husband in distress
A 43 year old Egyptian man was seen in distress at a hospital’s emergency room in Phuket after his 41 year old Albanian wife drowned at Karon Beach. They had arrived in Phuket, checked into a hotel, and within two hours, she tragically drowned. Police Captain Charat Lempan from Karon Police Station received a report at 6pm yesterday, June 10,…
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Mystery man goes viral for ‘following’ cars at Phuket traffic light (video)
A strange and amusing moment captured on TikTok has taken the Internet by storm, as a young man in Phuket gained viral attention for his quirky behaviour at a traffic light intersection. The video, shared by a TikTok user named Pond, shows the man standing at a red light on Wichit Songkhram Road in Kathu subdistrict, pretending to drive behind…
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Phuket’s election results are in: 10 new mayors announced
Phuket officially confirmed its new batch of mayors after last month’s municipal elections, with 10 leaders set to take office across the island. Following the announcement by the Election Commission of Thailand (ECT Phuket) yesterday, June 10, the island’s political landscape is about to undergo a major transformation. Despite a slight delay in releasing the results, the ECT Phuket branch…
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Urgent search for missing 72 year old woman in Phuket canal
Rescue teams in Phuket were alerted to a missing person incident, prompting an urgent search effort for a 72 year old woman. Relatives believe the woman, Yenjit Pae-Ui, might have fallen into Khlong Bang Yai. Her shoes were discovered near the canal, but the strong currents led to the suspension of the search. Plans are being made to resume the…
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Catamaran drifts 24 miles before being safely recovered in Phuket
A 48-foot catamaran has been recovered after breaking free from its mooring in Chalong Bay yesterday and drifting an astonishing 24 nautical miles. The vessel, named Seabeat, was set adrift by strong winds and rough seas, triggering a swift rescue operation that ended in success. At around 8.10am, yesterday, June 9, the Thai Maritime Enforcement Command Centre Region 3 (Thai…
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Police arrest eight teens in Wichit street racing crackdown
A late-night police operation in Wichit resulted in the arrest of eight teenagers and the seizure of five motorbikes, as officers intensify efforts to combat illegal street racing that has disrupted residents’ sleep. The initiative was undertaken following numerous complaints from locals residing along Sakdidet Road in the Baan Bo Rae area, who reported frequent and disruptive motorcycle races at…
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Thai thief caught on CCTV stealing 4,000 baht from Phuket resort
A Thai employee at a resort in the Patong area of Phuket attempted to track down a thief who stole 4,000 baht in cash from the premises by sharing CCTV footage of the incident on social media. The employee of Seeka Boutique Resort posted the video on her Facebook account, Chanattha Chatchanan In-om, on Thursday, June 5. She wrote in…
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Phuket locals plea for help for German man with leg injury
Residents of the Rawai sub-district in Mueang district, Phuket, are seeking assistance for a German man with a leg injury after witnessing him sleeping on the roadside for several days. Concerned locals shared photos of the man, believed to be a German national, with the Phuket Times Facebook page yesterday, June 8. They urged the local news agency to publicise…
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Danish tourist found dead in Patong rental bathroom
A 66 year old Danish tourist was found deceased in a bathroom at a rental property on Nanai Road in Patong yesterday, June 8. The man had been suffering from diarrhoea and fatigue, according to those at the residence. Patong Police, led by Police Lieutenant Colonel Chomphonuch Anantayakun, are investigating the incident alongside forensic officers and emergency responders from the…
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2 foreigners assault 2 Phuket guards after public urination dispute
Two foreigners remain at large after physically assaulting two Thai security guards on Saturday, 7 June, for stopping them from urinating outside a shopping mall in Phuket. One of the victims is now in critical condition. The Phuket Times Facebook page reported that the brutal assault occurred at 6.14am on Saturday outside a shopping mall in the Patong area of…
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Thailand intensifies crackdown on foreign nominee arrangements, impacting investors
Thailand is currently undergoing a period of significant legal and economic changes, impacting its previously attractive environment for foreign investors. The country, which has long relied heavily on tourism and foreign capital, is intensifying its crackdown on nominee arrangements and clarifying property lease laws, creating uncertainty for foreign investments. Phuket, known for its stunning landscapes and vibrant tourism, has historically…
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Phuket cops team up with school to fight drugs and helmet rebels
Wichit Police have joined forces with Darasamut School in Phuket in a bold new campaign to tackle teen drug use, vaping, and traffic law violations, all while promoting safer, smarter behaviour among students. The initiative, held under the direction of Wichit Police Chief Police Colonel Somsak Thongkliang, was led by Police Lieutenant Colonel Wutthawat Liangbunchinda, Deputy Superintendent of Investigation. He…
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Knife-wielding man removed from Phuket streets
A mentally ill man accused of causing repeated panic in Phuket’s Soi Palai area has finally been removed from the community after over a year of complaints. The man, identified as Thiranai Chanphong, was taken into custody and transferred to Vachira Phuket Hospital for psychiatric treatment on Thursday, June 5. The breakthrough came after frustrated landlady Pranee Boonsawang, 51, took…
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Phuket marine life in crisis as biologists save species
Marine biologists in Phuket are working tirelessly to protect the island’s marine life, with two sea turtle rescues and an investigation into the mysterious death of a dolphin. Yesterday, June 5, the Phuket Marine Biological Centre (PMBC) and the Rare Marine Animal Rescue Network sprang into action after receiving reports of two critically endangered species in distress. The first rescue…
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Phuket school flouts rules as education office struggles for action
An unregistered kindergarten in Cherng Talay continues to promote itself as a legitimate school despite lacking formal approval from the Phuket Provincial Education Area Office (PPEAO), raising concerns over education oversight on the island. Despite weeks of questioning, the PPEAO has failed to provide clear answers on the legal status of the school, leaving many concerned about the oversight of…
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Terror in Chalong: Landlady’s plea after year of harassment
A distressed landlady in Chalong has reached out to the media after more than a year of harassment by her mentally unstable neighbour, claiming police inaction and a lack of mental health support have left her with no choice but to go public. Pranee Boonsawang, 51, known as Som, owns an apartment complex in Soi Palai, Village 2, Chalong, where…
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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