Phuket News
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Local tour guides protest over illegal tour guides
Phuket tour guides today protested at the Phuket Provincial City Hall over illegal tour guides they say are taking their jobs. About 100 Phuket tour guides protested in front of the Phuket Provincial City Hall and handed a letter to Phuket’s Vice Governor Tanyawat Chanpinit pleading for fairness in the situation. President of Andaman Tour Guide Association, Krit Thepbamrung, who…
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9 years of providing Phuket’s lifeguards comes to an end
PHOTO: Constant training and up-skilling was at the core of the Phuket Lifeguard Service The nine year relationship between the Phuket Lifeguard Service and the Phuket provincial and Thesaban administrators is over. The contract for providing professional lifesavers at Patong beach, the final beach under their watchful eye, finished yesterday. Speaking to the MD of the Phuket Lifeguard Service Company,…
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Phuket Carnival 2018 kicks off in a blaze of colour
More Than 30,000 oThai and foreign tourists, as well as Phuket residents lined the streets of Patong last night to usher in the annual Patong Carnival, held each year to mark the beginning of the tourism high season. Titled “Colorful of Patong Beach”, the grand opening parade was a lot better than the Organiser’s grammar. Joining in the opening ceremony…
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Power outage to hit parts of Patong tomorrow
The Phuket Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA) says they’re going to have scheduled blackouts in parts of Patong tomorrow. Residents of Patong are being advised that there will be scheduled power outages during the day as the PEA continues its work on high power voltage systems in the area. Areas to be effected include… Near Patong Police Station to Sawaddi Hotel…
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Two suspects arrested over Chalong robbery
Police have arrested two suspects who robbed a shop in Chalong and sped away with cash and a gold necklace last week on October 23. Chalong Police were originally notified about thentwo suspects robbing the shop in Soi Songkhun in Chalong. Read about the original reports HERE. Yesterday Police arrested 27 year old Puwanart ‘Nam’ Maneechot from Phuket following the issuing…
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Female Russian jumps from her condominium in Wichit
A female Russian has died after jumping from a condominium in Wichit this afternoon. Wichit Police were notified around 1.30pm. The incident was also widely reported on social media. Wichit Police, along with the Phuket Tourist Police and rescue workers, arrived at the seven story condominium. A body of a 48 year old female Russian (name withheld at this stage)…
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Phuket Carnival at Patong “ready to rock Phuket”
The five day Patong annual carnival, this year themed “The Colours of Patong Beach”, starts tomorrow. The annual Patong Carnival is a celebration marking the beginning of the high season in Phuket. The carnival is usually held right at the beginning of November when the weather is starting to get sunnier. The carnival is run by the Patong Municipality and…
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Phuket motorcyclist falls off bike at checkpoint – VIDEO
A video clip of a man falling off his motorbike at a checkpoint in Rassada last night has gone viral in local social media. The elder brother of the injured man claims that police grabbed his brother’s collar when he was on the bike. Facebook user ‘Chaolert Tunsakun’ has posted the video clip last night with a message reading, “You…
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Darasamut Underpass to be temporary closed
The Phuket Highway Office has issued an announcement that says the Darasamut Underpass (adjacent to the Central shopping precinct) will be closed from tomorrow from 9am to 3pm (Tuesday, October 30). The announcement says, “The underpass will be temporary closed. Workers will be carrying out repairs of the electrical systems and cleaning the underpass.” “We apologise for any inconvenience during the…
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Northern temperatures to drop 3-5 degrees Celsius
OK, so we’ve exaggerated a bit. Mercury in Thailand’s north is set to drop another 3-5 degrees from tomorrow until Friday. Meanwhile southern regions are facing forecast rains and isolated heavy rain in some areas. The Thai Meteorological Department says another strong cold front out of China is looming south to cover the upper regions of Thailand from October 30-November…
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Patong Municipality responds to waste water flowing into bay
PHOTOS: Patong Municipality A video clip of wastewater flowing into sea at Patong Beach has gone viral in social media over the weekend. Patong Municipality yesterday issued a statement saying, “Referring to the case of waste water adjacent to the Diamond Cliff Beach Resort and Spa, Kalim Beach, two water pumps transferring waste water had stopped working due to the amount…
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Even more blacktip reef sharks spotted at recovering Maya Bay – VIDEO
Blacktip reef sharks have again been spotted at the recovering Maya Bay on Koh Phi Phi yesterday. Director of the National Park Management Division Kamon Nuanyai says, “at 8am yesterday Hat Nopparat Thara – Mu Koh Phi Phi National Park officials have recorded a video clip of Blacktip reef sharks near the shores at Maya Bay. During the ongoing Maya…
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Phang Nga Court convicts 11 men over gang rape of 14 year old
A Phang Nga court has convicted 11 men and sentenced them to lengthy jail terms for gang-raping a 14 year old girl in the province last year. Read the original story we broke on The Thaiger HERE. News about the assaults came to light in September 2017 after the mother filed charges with police. She outlined a litany of abuses…
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100 million baht of counterfeit goods seized in Patong
Acting Immigration Police Chief Maj Gen Surachete Hakparn last night headed down to Soi Bangla and seized more than 50,000 counterfeit items with a street value of more than 100 million baht. Illegal foreigners, allegedly working without proper papers, were also arrested. Maj Gen Surachete says, “Phuket is one of Thailand’s most important tourism destinations. Many people from difference countries…
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Man found dead in his car at Ranong
A Ranong man has been found dead inside his car at a tourist spot today. Ranong is a five hour drive north of Phuket. Police were alerted this morning that a car had been parked overnight in the parking lot of Grass Mountain in the main central district. When police unlocked the car they found the body of a man,…
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13 provinces on alert for flash flooding
The Deputy PM Gen Chatchai Sarikalya explained today that winter will officially begin in the nation late this month and the Meteorological Department has assessed that rains in all regions except the south will be 10-20 percent less than the usual average for this time of the year. Meanwhile, flood warnings are in force in the south until Saturday night. Permanent Secretary…
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One dead two injured in Thalang road accident
PHOTOS: Thalang Police One motorbike driver has died whilst two others have been injured in motorbikes accidents in Thalang last night. The first accident accident occurred at 7.10pm in front of a restaurant on Srisoonthorn Road in Thalang. Police and rescue workers arrived to find a motorbike and two injured – the male driver, 27 year old Piyakan Uppala from…
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Pickup driver survives after high-speed collision with speed sign
A pickup truck driver has survived after the vehicle he was driving collided with a speed sign on the side of the road in Thalang this early morning. The Thalang Police were notified of the incident on Thepkrasattri Road, southbound, in Thalang at 1am early this morning. Kusoldharm Rescue workers arrived to find the damaged pickup truck at right angles…
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Three arrested with drugs and guns around Sakoo
Phuket police have arrested three suspects and seized drugs, gun and bullets in Sakoo this week. Sakoo Police arrested 25 year old Chayan Srinuan and 37 year old Adiraek Manseb in Sakoo. Police seized 988 of methamphetamine pills and 24.35 grams of crystal methamphetamine along with weapons and 7 bullets. The pair have been charged with illegal possession of Category…
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Police hunting for two men who robbed shop in Chalong
Police are still hunting for two suspects who last night robbed a shop in Chalong and sped away with 3,000 baht cash and a gold necklace. The Chalong Police were notified of the incident at 7.15pm last night, that two suspects had robbed the shop in Soi Songkhun in Chalong. CCTV footage showed the two suspects on a motorbike stopping…
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Phuket smartens up to bring tourists back
Marimi Kishimoto, Nikkei staff writer Reeling from a deadly boat accident this summer, Thailand’s Phuket Island is using “smart” technologies to tackle issues like safety and traffic in an effort to get back on track amid the Southeast Asian tourism boom. The international tourist destination has seen tourist traffic drop off after two boats capsized in July, killing dozens. It…
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Water shut off in parts of Karon and Patong
The Phuket Water Authority (PWA) has announced that water supply in some areas of Patong and Karon will be shut off from 9am to 5pm this Thursday, October 25. Water will be shut off while work is being carried out on the Reverse Osmosis (RO) water pumping station in Karon. Areas to be affected include parts of Patong and Karon.…
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Power outage to hit parts of Patong tomorrow
The Phuket Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA) says they’re going to have scheduled blackouts in Patong tomorrow (Wednesday). Residents of Patong are being advised that there will be scheduled power outages during the day from 9am to 5pm as the PEA continues its work on high power voltage systems in the area. Areas to be effected are near the intersection on…
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Soi Dog Foundation responds to rabies and dog registration stories
PHOTO: Bangkok Thailand Soi Dog Phuket’s Soi Dog Foundation has sent The Thaiger a response to an article published on October 16. The story was sourced from our Bangkok partners ‘The Nation’ and, according to Soi Dog, contains some glaring inaccuracies. You can read the original article HERE. We reprint the response from the Soi Dog Foundation below… “The Department…
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Phuket Administrative Court officially opens
The Phuket Administrative Court has been officially opened which provide service for the Krabi, Phang Nga, Ranong and Phuket provinces. The Administrative Courts adjudicate on cases relating to people and private business versus state-run departments, enterprises and political entities. The official launch ceremony was held this morning at the new Phuket Administrative Court in Mai Khao and led by Piya…
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Police hunt for suspects after an early morning car chase around Phuket
Phuket police are now hunting for suspects who broke through a checkpoint in Rassada and then abandoned their car in Chalong early this morning. The Phuket City Police set up a routine checkpoint at 2am on Rassada Nusorn Road in Rassada. A Lop Buri licensed sedan approached the checkpoint but slowly turned back and sped away. The car then collided…
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Two injured after car overturns and hits a bridge
Two people have sustained injuries after their car overturned, colliding with a bridge and mains water pipe in Chalong early this morning. The Chalong Police were notified about the accident at 2am today. Police and emergency responders arrived to find a damaged Honda Jazz car overturned at the bridge on Chao Fa East Road in Chalong. The driver and passenger…
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Swimmers stung by Bluebottles on Patong Beach
PHOTOS: Lucky / Patong Lifeguard / Newshawk Phuket Today, tourists have been stung by jellyfish at Patong beach. Lifeguards provided quick first aid. The tourists described the stings as painful but that the treatment provided relief very quickly. First aid providers said the stings were not dangerous in this case. Attending lifeguards advised that the ‘jellyfish’ were likely the Portuguese…
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Suspect arrested in Phuket over 11 year old murder case
Phuket police yesterday arrested a suspect in Phuket who was allegedly involved in a police killing in Phattalung 11 years ago. On May 10, 2007, 37 year old Maj Wuttichai Jantakan, who was stationed at Tung Tam Sao Police in Hatyai, Songkhla, was murdered in Pattalung. Slash wounds were found on his neck and a bullet wound was found on…
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Evidence of Maya Bay recovery
Blacktip reef sharks have been spotted at the recovering Maya Bay on Koh Phi Phi Ley today. This morning official at the Hat Noppharat Thara-Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park reported that many Blacktip reef sharks were discovered swimming just off the beach in Maya Bay. They said it was a good sign of the improving biological system. The famous…
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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