Phuket News
Discover the latest news and updates from Thailand’s most famous and beautiful island, The Thaiger’s hometown, having previously operated as the Phuket Gazette.
Our team brings you breaking news, in-depth analysis, and exclusive stories from Phuket, covering everything from local politics and business to lifestyle and tourism. Learn about the island’s stunning beaches, vibrant nightlife, and thriving expat community, as well as keeping updated on events, and attractions.
The Thaiger is your ultimate guide to staying connected with Phuket’s ever-evolving landscape. To keep up with the most reliable news source on the island, subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on social media.
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THAIGER TODAY Wednesday, December 20
Prayut backs his deputy over watch scandal | Air Asia uniforms ‘too revealing’ | Help comes to Krabi 9 year old | Baan Yamu monkeys to be shifted | National police chief vows to track down bus burners | Tanyakan family file official police complaint | Diphtheria hits young refugees in camps in Bangladesh.
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Pick-up truck loses control killing Khon Kaen driver
Kathu police received a report at 1.35am this morning (December 20) about a car crash in Phra Phuket Kaew Road. The officers and Kusoltham Phuket Foundation rushed to the scene and found a bronze pick-up truck wrapped around a lamp post in the middle of the road, near the coconut plantation curve heading east towards the Samkong Underpass intersection. Inside,…
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Help pours in to assist the 9 year old boy from Krabi
After the news regarding 9 year old Poramet Duangchan was reported yesterday (Poramet was hit by a car, suffered head trauma, and now has to live in a cage as his father, who works full-time, finds it difficult to control him and stop him from running away), Krabi Office of Social Development and Human Security, along with Krabi officials and…
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Paklok monkeys to be sterilised and moved away
After a second public hearing gathering about 50 locals of Baan Yamu in Paklok, who have all had problems with monkeys destroying their valuables, the Chief of Khao Phra Theao non-hunting area, Pongchat Chuahom, says the monkeys will be sterilised, receive a health checkup and then moved to a new home. The meeting chaired by Paklok’s Mayor, Punya Sampaorat, agreed…
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Phuket Governor follows up on flood solutions for Route 402
File photo During today’s morning meeting (December 19) at Provincial Hall, the Governor, along with relevant Phuket authorities, discussed updates on the ongoing flooding issues that hit Route 402, and urged everyone to put it on the top of the agenda for Phuket. The designated areas are located in Srisunthorn sub-district, in Thalang, and include the front of Home Pro…
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Krabi kid fenced at home after tragic accident
A Krabi man, Chamnan Duangchan, the father 9 year old Poramet Duangchan, is crying out for help after his son was hit by a car and become so worried that he feels he has to keep his son in a cage while working away from home. The 9 year old Poramet was hit by a car 5 years ago while…
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Hi-lo gambling crackdown in Koh Kaew
Police have arrested ten gamblers at a construction camp today (December 19) in Koh Kaew, east of Phuket Town. The six men and four women were found with several pieces of gambling paraphernalia – such as 12 dice, a scoreboard, one set of Hi-Lo gamble equipment, 18,000 baht in cash and some other valuables. The ten gamblers have been sent…
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THAIGER TODAY Tuesday, December 19
9 year old in a cage in Krabi | Reprieve for Thai fishing industry | Police suspect ‘business’ behind Sunday’s bus torching | Alcohol Control Board goes after beer gardens | English proficiency on the improve in Thailand | Bad weather on the way this weekend.
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Chalong Circle construction update
Chao Fah West road, approaching the underpass construction works at the Chalong Circle, heading south towards Rawai, is being reduced to one lane. People travelling north from Rawai to the middle of the island are advised to use Chaofa East Road instead to help reduce congestion on Chao Fah West (outside Home Pro/Villa Market). Chao Fah West, approaching the Chalong…
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Pretty in pink – the OrBorJor expands the Potong bus services
‘Potong’, the traditional open pink ‘busses’ of Phuket operated by the OrBorJor, will now be available every day from 6 am to 7 pm featuring four new routes. be ‘Potong’, the traditional non-air conditioning busses of Phuket that can be always seen in pink operated by the OrBorJor, will now available every day from 6 am to 7 pm featuring…
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THAIGER TODAY Monday, December 18
New local football club emerges | Militants torch a bus in Yala | Crackdown on Khao Lak fakes | Brutal injury from a Muay Thai fight in Patong | 1000 ride for local sea turtles | Trang school students suspended following student extortion | Toon in Tak, 400 Km to go.
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Phuket City getting ready to join the Euro Cake League T3
Following the winding up of the former Phuket Football Club last month (story HERE), we now have a new team in town. And they’ve been auditioning players under the watchful eye of their new coach. The new football team for the island, Phuket City, welcomes its new head coach, Sarit Wuttichuay, from Bangkok while more than 100 football players attended…
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MONDAY MORNING NEWS BRIEFING – All your local news in a 3 minute read
Welcome to the start of the final week before Christmas. A mainly fine day with a bumper sunset on the way this evening. We have news & weather updates, all day, seven days a week, on The Thaiger 102.75 FM. Let’s head to today’s main news stories… Militants set fire to a bus in Yala Militants armed with rifles have…
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Cyclists gather to release 80 sea turtles
1000 cyclists rode around the southern part of Phuket yesterday (Sunday, December 17) to raise awareness about the island’s sea turtle population and release 80 young turtles at Cape Panwa. Rawai Municipality, along with the Andaman Rotary Club and Royal Thai Navy Area 3, hosted the “Cycling for Sea Turtle Preservation”. Former Phuket member of parliament, Rewat Areerob, hosted the…
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SUNDAY MORNING NEWS BRIEFING – All your local news in 3 minutes
Sunday, Sunday. Rain, sunshine, clouds. Will the weather please make up its mind! The forecast is for some early rain clearing as the day goes. Mostly cloudy and a top of 30. Let’s check today’s main local headlines… Trang school gangs extorting students The director of a well-known private school in the southern province of Trang has admitted some students…
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SATURDAY MORNING NEWS BRIEFING – All your local news in 3 minutes
Welcome to your Saturday. A clear, cloudless sunrise this morning across the island but the forecast is for some rain. High-season weather is really trying to breakthrough. Let’s enjoy it! Here’s your Saturday news briefing… Mekong River projects gather steam A meeting of the Lancang-Mekong Cooperation has brought together senior diplomats from China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam. The…
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THAIGER TODAY Friday, December 15
Parents of dead Army cadet say they’ll sue the Army | Two Thai athletes stripped of their SEA gold medals | New points system for traffic infringements being started next year | Myanmar Reuters journalists arrested | Toon stepping up the pace.
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FRIDAY MORNING NEWS BRIEFING – All your news in 3 minutes
Promises of some rain from the Meteorological Department but it’s looking fine so far for the final day of the working week. Main story this morning is the Army handing down its findings into an investigation into the death of Phakhapong Tanyakan. The full story on the website but it leads our briefs for this morning… Tanyakan family says they…
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It’s time for “Upcycling the Oceans”
On January 27 and 28 2018, the PHA and TAT, in association with resources giant PTT and environmental design studio Ecoalf, will launch a new campaign aimed at collecting ocean waste and transforming it into stylish clothing and accessories. Taking place at Patong Beach, the associations will work together with the local community to collect waste and litter from the…
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THAIGER TODAY Thursday, December 14
Prawit’s been caught wearing another seven watches | The Army will release it’s report into dead cadet today | Patong Mayor says the 10% zones aren’t being ‘expanded’ | PM dances with the red shirts in Kalasin | Hemp crops will be legal from January 1, but… All brought to you by Phuket’s 102.75 FM, The Thaiger.
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THURSDAY MORNING NEWS BRIEFING – All your local news in 3 minutes
Thursday. Star Wars day. Well, it’s the premiere of the latest in the Star Wars franchise and there will be a few queues at Central and Jungceylon today. There’s also a war between our embattled Deputy PM and Defence Minister Prawit Wongsuwan and social media with more photos and more watches appearing. Let’s go to all the main stories from…
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Are the 10% beach zones becoming 20% zones?
Despite appearances that the 10% beach zones seem to be magically growing into the remaining 90% of Patong Beach, Patong Mayor, Chalermluck Kebsup has assured the Phuket Gazette that the rule remains the same and the operators are still following the rules for the placement of sun lounges and umbrellas. “The 10% zoning remains the same and there are signs…
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THAIGER TODAY Wednesday, December 13
Underground cabling works start April 2018 | Schools remain closed in Songkhla | Hells Angel Aussie and his Thai wife in custody | Couple trying to smuggle 98 million baht over Thai-Laos border | Missing Ukranian swimmer found – alive and well. Brought to you by The Thaiger 102.75 FM.
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Patong underground cabling works start next April
Phuket’s Governor has received an update on the Patong underground cabling works during the morning meeting today (December 13). Representatives from PEA (Phuket Electrical Authority), Patong PEA Office Manager, Watcharin Prapa, and Director of Undergrounding Project of PEA, Wachira Pitaktansakul, reported the progress on the targeted area, Taweewong Road (Beach Road), where a budget of 224 million Baht has been…
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WEDNESDAY MORNING BRIEFING – All your local news in 3 minutes
PHOTO: That’s a LOT of cash to take over the border. Mum & Dad have a currency exchange business. Really?! Welcome to Wednesday. Here’s our daily 3 minute news read to bring you up to date with some of the major local news stories…. Taking a bit of cash over the border. 89 million baht! Customs officials have discovered more than…
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Chalong villagers being expelled from land
Villagers from Satonpoh Community in Chalong gathered at the Provincial Hall today (December 12) to file a letter to the Governor, calling for help for re-location after getting expelled from privately owned land. Somjin Chuchuay, the representative of the community, explained that the land was initially a tin mine. According to Phuket Provincial Industry Office, the land belongs to the…
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The can of worms makes its way to Damrongtham Centre
Sarantip Chaeton, who earlier found worms in a can of fish, has visited the Damrongtham Centre at the Provincial Hall today (December 12) asking for some answers from the manufacturer. Read the original story HERE. She told staff at the Damrongtham Centre that the Office of Consumer Protection Board in Phuket informed her that there would be a staff from…
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Missing Ukranian swimmer turns up – alive and well
Happy ending for our missing Ukranian man. Original story HERE. The missing Ukrainian man, 27 year old Mykhailo Ryboichuk who went missing on December 10 has been found safe today (December 12). It ends up that he was just going for a swim, got out of the water when he had finished, didn’t tell others that he’d returned and went…
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THAIGER TODAY Tuesday, December 12
Thailand hits the World Number One spot for road deaths | Change.org calls for Prawit to ‘step down’ | The world’s tallest pagoda burns down | Toon, down with a cold, is back on track today | EU resumes political relations with Thailand | ‘Butt boys’ back home in San Diego.
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TUESDAY MORNING BRIEFING – All your local news in 3 minutes
Welcome to your Tuesday in Phuket. Another excellent day on the way with only a 10% chance of rain later on. The forecast says ‘Mostly sunny’. Back to work and school following your day off (if you were lucky enough to have a long weekend). Here’s today’s main headlines… Change.org calls for General Prawit to step down An online campaign…
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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