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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Sponsored Is tap water in Thailand safe to consume?
Wondering if you can drink the tap water in Thailand? From brushing your teeth to filling up a bottle, it’s helpful to understand a few basics. Tap water safety in Thailand varies by location, and while some people use it...
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Free share-bike extended to the end of the year
The operators of the Ofo and Obike share-bike scheme have agreed to extend the free service from the end of this month to the end of the year to provide more time for Phuketians and tourists to get used to the share-bike system. The extension was announced during a press conference yesterday (October 20) to explain about the public share-bike…
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Shooting at a Thalang rubber plantation
40 year old Danudech Maliwan from Phang Nga, a worker at a rubber plantation in Thalang, has been shot on his left arm by an anonymous shooter driving a white car. Police found a .357 bullet left at the scene. The rubber plantation is located at the entrance of the Tonsai Waterfall in the Thepkasattri sub district. Danudech told the…
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2017 Phuket Vegetarian Festival Calendar
October 20 Official start of the Vegetarian Festival Every day from October 23 – 28 There’s a ritual paying respects to Chinese guardian angels (Ko Gun) at Bangniew Shrine and from October 22, the ceremonies can be seen at Jui Tui Tao Bo Keng Shrine and Ta Rua Shrine as well. October 23 A ritual to pay respect to ancestors…
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THAIGER TODAY Friday, October 20
Vegetarian Festival launched in Phuket | On-again, off-again, maybe on-again with Facebook meeting | Training in full swing for new lifesavers | Forecast looking good in BKK for October 26 | ‘Tara’ the elephant saved from canal.
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DSI claim ‘powerful people’ interfering in Krabi land-deed corruption case
Krabi Forest – File Photo The Department of Special Investigation (DSI) has said local powerful people are behind a delay in revoking an illegal land deed involving forest lands in Krabi. Saengrawee Bongkotmas filed a complaint with DSI on Thursday calling on the body to investigate delays in revoking an illegal land-deed registration for a forested area. She said that…
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UPDATE: Got a drone in Thailand? Here’s what you need to know.
The days of you flying your drone carefree in the skies above Thailand are over. Last week, the Thailand’s National Broadcasting and Telecommunications Commission (NBTC) announced that all drones in Thailand need to be registered. The NBTC said the move came after only 350 drones out of an estimated 50,000 had previously been registered in Thailand. Owners have until January…
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Minesweeper relic taken to Phang Nga
The minesweeper found just offshore at Nai Yang Beach two weeks ago is said to be safe and has been taken to Phang Nga. The EOD team checked the suspected minesweeper device for explosive powder and found that the inside of it is empty and safe. After identifying the mystery object – which was found submerged at low tide 30…
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Phuket’s OrBorJor arranging training courses for lifeguards while tourists drown on beaches
Following two drownings and up to ten ‘near misses’ on Phuket’s beaches over the past week, the first class of 30 volunteer lifeguards joined the training course organised by the OrBorJor at the Cherngtalay sports centre yesterday (October 18). Phuket’s Vice Governor, Saint Srivihok, paid a visit to the training session. During the training, there was also an officer from…
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Guns, loan contracts seized in Phang Nga raid
A large amount of weapons and some loan contracts were seized during a raid by police, army and administrative officials on a snooker club in Phang Nga’s Muang district today (October 18). Provincial police chief Pol Maj General Boonthawee Toraksa led the team to search the club in Tambon Tham Nam Phud, which belonged to 35 year old Piyawat Khanpakdee.…
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Three vehicles in a crash in Thalang kills one, injures another
At the scene, a car, motorcycle and truck had collided. The motorcyclist died in the collision. Police presume that the cause of accident that killed the motorcyclist, 32 year old Thongmai Chairat, and injured his passenger, Natthawut Chaikham, was that they were trying to pass through the traffic jam by riding in the middle of two lanes when they hit…
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THAIGER TODAY Wednesday, October 18
From Bangla Road… What’s happening with dead fish washing up on Hua Bin beach? | Mark Zuckerberg heading to BKK | Bangkok needs long-term drainage strategy | Huge half tonne haul of drugs.
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New management contract for Hollywood nightclub
The Hollywood nightclub management contract has been revoked after a shooting in the club last week while new management has been put in place. Preechawut “Prab” Keesin, owner of the venue and the head of the Pisona Group of companies, revealed that he has cancelled the management contract of the Hollywood nightclub for ‘damaging the reputation of the business’ as…
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Young dolphin washes up on Kamala Beach
Officers from the Rare Sea Animal Division of the Phuket Marine Biological Center (PMBC) have revealed today (October 17) that the dead dolphin found on Kamala Beach washed up ashore yesterday was a young Fraser’s Dolphin, which is rare in the Andaman Sea. The body is 2 metres long and weighs approximately 70 kilograms. The body was still fresh when…
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THAIGER TODAY Monday, October 16
A drowning and near-misses at Phuket beaches | Royal rehearsals in Bangkok | Crocodiles escape in Petchabun floods | Myanmar Army about to release a report about alleged atrocities.
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Three locals arrested for drugs and gun’s in Chalong.
Yesterday afternoon (October 15), Chalong police arrested Panya Chidchiew and Kwanjai Kaewbamrung in Soi Chalermprakiet 6 with 351 amphetamine pills and 6 grams of meth amphetamine. Police found that they are connected to another bigger drug dealer who lives in Soi Koktanod in the same area and, after an investigation, police arrested Nopporn Rawanghet on the same day with a…
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Chinese tourist drowns near Koh Racha whilst snorkelling
Yesterday afternoon (October 15), 26 years old He Sixiang drowned during a snorkelling tour near Racha Noi Island. The man and his girlfriend went for a trip with a group of 24 people and when the snorkelling time was up the tour guide found that one passenger was missing. After searching for the missing diver, they found him face down…
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Russian tourist drowns at Karon red-flagged beach
A 42 year old Russian tourist, Parshukov Ole, drowned at Karon Beach this afternoon (October 15). The area of the beach the man was drowning was designated with red flags, deemed unsafe for swimming with big waves and rip currents. Patong Hospital say that the man was sent to hospital after he was swept by strong waves near Karon Circle.…
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Russian tourists in trouble swimming off Karon Beach
Karon Municipality Tourist Centre saved six foreigners off red-flagged Karon Beach this afternoon (October 14). There were initially two Russian tourists drowning 50 metres ashore. The team from the Royal Thai Navy Area 3 and officers of the Phuket Marine Security Centre used jet-skis and speedboats to fetch the duo and return them to shore safely. A little while later,…
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Dead whale and dolphin washed up on Koh Lanta
Sub Lieutenant Nitikorn Chankham from the Royal Thai Navy Area 3 revealed yesterday (October 13) that local fishermen found a dead whale washed up on Had Nui Beach, in Koh Lanta, Krabi. Five navy officers were sent to the scene alongside agents from the Rare Sea Animal Division of the Phuket Marine Biological Centre. The officers presumed that the whale…
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PVC warehouse blaze in Phuket Town
At about 11 pm last night (October 13), officers from the Phuket Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Office received a report about a fire at a one story warehouse that belongs to the Modern PVC Co. and the K P Modern Group. The facilities are located on Soi Saensuk 1, Phuket Road. The 3 fire trucks took about 30 minutes to…
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Patong shooter surrenders – assisting Police with investigation
34 year old Manas Pongsuppakij, who lives in Patong, surrendered himself to Patong police today (October 13) after getting pressure from the police to report to them as soon as possible. Following a shooting at Hollywood nightclub in Bangla Road, injuring the victim 27 year old Pongwarit Thiptara, to his leg and back, the police were able to track down…
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Baggage handler caught stealing from luggage
Airport baggage handler, 27 year old Abdullah Hayee Mayeh, was arrested with a bluetooth speaker on October 12 after his robbery was recorded on video. CCTV cameras caught him trying to open the luggage of a passenger of Jetstar Airways flight on October 10 at Bay 15 at Phuket International Airport while loading luggage onto the aircraft parked on the…
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It’s not a torpedo. It’s not a bomb. It’s a….
The mysterious object found in the sea of Nai Yang Beach has been revealed as “Oropesa”, a buoy from a naval minesweeper from World War II. The object is not harmful. The team from the Mine Squadron and Explosives Ordinance Division of the Royal Thai Army Area 3, Phang Nga base officers visited the scene this morning (October 12) to…
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Shooting at a Patong nightclub
At 3 am this morning, a shooting took place in a famous nightclub in the middle of Bangla Road, Patong. One Thai man was injured. The incident happened when the nightclub was closing down. 27 year old Pongwarit Thiptara was walking past a man when the two accidentally collided inside the club and the man, who he has never seen…
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Chalong police arrest two with 100 kilograms of Kratom leaves
Two men, 28 year old Thanachai Ngakaew and 18 year old Ratthapong Tingnui, have been arrested with 42 kilograms of Kratom plants and 60 kilograms of fresh Kratom leaves on October 10. The two were arrested at their rented house in Chalong area after police tracked them for a while after they had allegedly traded the drugs to local…
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Injured turtle found at Nai Harn Beach
Yesterday at 4pm, swimmers at Nai Harn Beach found an Olive Ridley sea turtle near the shore. Its front left leg was severely injured from a trawler or motorboat propeller and its right front leg was mildly cut as well. The lifeguards at Nai Harn Beach contacted Rawai Municipality and the Rare Sea Animal Division of Phuket Marine Biological Centre…
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More Phuket – Bangkok flights on offer during Royal Funeral week
Thai Airways and Thai Smile Airways will increase their roundtrip daily flights during the Royal Cremation of His Majesty the Late King Bhumibol Adulyadej. The additional domestic flights will be operated from October 23 to 31 to meet the transport needs of passengers attending the ceremony. Thai Airways will add 11 flights between Bangkok and Phuket and five flights between…
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Vegetable contamination check for the Vegetarian Festival
Phuket’s Governor, together with the Phuket Mayor, visited Banzan fresh market in Patong today (October 11) to check for any contamination of fresh vegetable and fruits before this year’s Vegetarian Festival. “The Vegetarian Festival starts from October 20 – 28 and there will be a lot more people consuming vegetables and fruits during the festival. These products can be contaminated…
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PM Prayut clarifies election date
PM General Prayut Chan-o-cha yesterday announced firmly that the election would be held in November next year, following a previous indication that it would be in June 2019. “For this [election] part, it was said that it would be around June 2018 that there will be the announcement of the election date, and then in November, there will be the…
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Phuket’s cremation ceremony rehearsal set for October 22
Phuket’s Governor, Norapat Plodthong, announced during his press conference “Governor Meets Media” that the cremation ceremony rehearsal for King Bhumibol Adulyadej in Phuket will take place at Sapan Hin Park on October 22. He explained that the ceremony will be set in 3 zones; the closest zone inside is where the wooden flowers and pyre model are placed, the second…
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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