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.
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Seven turned themselves in, five detained – Phang Nga Rape Case.
Seven men have now turned themselves into police in Phang Nga to deny any wrongdoing in the alleged gang rapes of a 15 year old schoolgirl over a period of six months on 2016. Five were immediately detained because the Phang Nga Provincial Court had approved arrest warrants for them. Previously, three other suspects have been arrested. Their trials will…
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Cleaning up Patong. 12 arrested for drug possession in Phuket
12 drug dealers have been arrested and charged with possession of 8,000 amphetamine pills , 500 grams of meth amphetamine and 40 kilograms of Kratom leaves. Nine of the them were initially arrested on September 6 by Patong police including 5 men and 4 women who were found in possession of meth amphetamine and Kratom leaves. Three of the men…
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Laypang gets measured up for new home
A big team from Bangkok consisting the Deputy Director of Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) – Dr. Pinsak Surasawadee, alongside Marine Specialist and Deputy Dean of Faculty of Fisheries, Kasetsart University – Thon Thamrongnawasawad, and other specialists visited the 200 kilogram crocodile today (September 8) to verify the exact species in order to find a proper…
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Two students allege being hit by school director
Baan Bomuang School Director, Opat Kongpakdee, is to be investigated and possibly sacked from the school after harming 2 students. Anusorn Samart and Rittidech Mas-Osot, two students from grade 5, were accompanied by their parents and village chief, Sittichai Bomuang, to Krabi Damrongtham Center to complain about the case. The students were found with bruises on their heads which they…
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Baby green turtle born at Koh Racha
A green turtle was born at 2 am this morning (September 8) after the 20 year old mother laid 87 eggs on Koh Racha on August 15. The eggs were kept in the safe place by villagers as this is the first group of turtle found around Racha Island in the past 14 years. Initially, the mother laid the eggs…
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The tide is low but it has been lower in the past
It’s been drier in the past. Bang Wad dam May 2015 Bang Wad dam is low for this time of the year but Richard Rognard reminds us with photos from May 2015, the driest the dam has ever been. Of course this was immediately following a very dry ‘dry season’ when there was almost no rain for over four months.…
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Phang Nga rape victim and her mother meet psychologist
The victim and her mother from Baan Koh Raed, Phang Nga, have been brought by officers from the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security to see a psychologist after facing severe depression from case and the pressure from their neighbours. They also claim they have been facing ongoing harassment from other villagers. The 34 year old mother and 15…
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Is Phuket’s Bang Wad dam running dry?
Last year’s dry season, the traditional December to April period when there is little rain in Phuket, was very wet. So after four months of this year’s wet season you’d think the dams would be getting close to full. Right? The Bang Wad dam in Kathu, one of the island’s main fresh water sources, is at a low point that…
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THAIGER TODAY Thursday, September 7
11 suspects identified over Phang Nga rape case | The ‘Dowry Scammer’ has netted 2 – 3 million Baht | ‘Persecution of Muslims in Burma’ report released in Bangkok | High-speed railway starting next month | ‘Run 2 Gether’ route around Phuket Town announced | Sea Turtles saved from trawler nets
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Urban push is on in Phuket’s Cherngtalay area
Phuket tourism is no longer just about the beach and the urban push is ‘game on’. One leading example is Cherngtalay which is near to the destination resort Laguna Phuket and Bangtao Beach. Upcoming in the fourth quarter of this year will be the X2 Vibe Bangtao that is set to usher in a rush of new ‘off beach’ properties. Within…
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A girl denies having been raped – Phang Nga Rape Case
Another girl who was mentioned by the 14 year old from Baan Koh Raed village is denying ever being raped while villagers maintain they are very stressed about the case. Drugs utensils were found in the shack described as the rape scene in front of the beach. The 17 year old girl has denied being involved in the rape case…
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Dolphin found on Bang Tao beach
Bang Tao beach lifeguards found the body of a 1.2-meter long dolphin on the beach today (September 6). Phuket Marine Biological Center took the body from the beach and kept it frozen while waiting for an autopsy to determine the cause of death. The dolphin is 1.2-meter long with a width of about 20 cm and weighs 20 kilograms. It…
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Hawksbill Sea Turtles saved from trawler nets
The crew from the Nikorn Marine 824 speed boat have saved two Hawksbill Sea Turtles near Racha Island yesterday (September 5). They were both injured from trawler nets. The turtles were found on the way from Racha Island back to Chalong Pier. After a veterinarian’s inspection, the turtles were found to be injured from the netting wrapped around their flippers.…
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THAIGER TODAY Wednesday, September 6
Terrorist plot thwarted in KL | Gender imbalance report for Asian countries | Following Yingluck’s CCTV trail | 13 grounded airlines named | 15 year old rape victim’s family ‘harassed’.
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Special October broadcasting to honour HM Rama IX
The Government is asking television broadcasters to return to black and white and show programs about His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej during the 20 days leading up to his cremation, starting from October 1. For the duration of funerary rites, the Thai Cabinet is asking all channels to cooperate by toning down their programming – to black and white and low-key…
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“Harassment and threats” from local community – Phang Nga rape case
Latest from The Nation The family of a 15-year-old girl who was allegedly raped by more than 40 perpetrators on different occasions in Phang Nga’s Takua Thung district has reportedly faced harassment and threats from members of the local community. The Muslims for Peace Foundation, which has stepped in to aid the family, urged authorities to extend their full protection…
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Ten reef sharks found off Phuket
Blacktip reef sharks have been found in shallow water in Koh Hong area, Krabi, today (September 5). The sharks were about on metre long and weighing an estimated 10 kilograms each. They were spotted at the beach in Koh Hong where they hunt for small fish in the shallow waters. The national park officers were able to get some pictures…
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More victims and drugs involved in Baan Ko Raed Phang Nga rape case
The ‘Muslim for Peace Foundation’ is calling for help after the 14 years old and her family were threatened by villagers while the girl reported more information that there are more victims and she was forced to use drugs before being raped. “The girl has been moved from the village to a children’s shelter in Phang Nga because she has…
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THAIGER TODAY Tuesday, September 5
Police investigating 40 men in Phang Nga village over rape case | Khao San Road vendors being moved off the footpath | 16 Thai airlines grounded | Our favorite crocodile has a name | Samui has critical rubbish problem
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40 men accused of raping 14 year old girl being investigated
Phang Nga’s Governor, Pakkapong Tawipat, has sent an investigative team to work on the rape case that happened in a village in Kokloy, Phang Nga, where a 14-year-old girl was raped by 40 local men from May to October last year. “The team is chaired by the Vice Governor, Ekkarat Leesen. We have moved the girl and her family out…
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14 year old Phang Nga girl raped by 40 local men
On September 3, the mother of a 14 year-old girl from Takuatung, Phang Nga, reported to Kokloy Police that her daughter had been raped by 40 men from the same village – repeatedly from May to October last year. There are 3 men charged over the case so far. “We still can’t reveal the number of the criminals in this…
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THAIGER TODAY Monday, September 4
Nigerian charged over shooting/robbery but claims innocence | Phuket’s favorite crocodile not eating | Five provinces still inundated with floodwaters | The Cambodian Daily forced to close paper today | Dolphins sighted between Koh Racha and Coral Island.
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Captured Croc isn’t eating. BKK specialist on the way.
Fisheries officers are investigating whether the captured crocodile comes from nature or was owned by an individual. After catching the crocodile spotted at Bangtao Beach on August 25 and which came from a tin mine lake near Laypang Beach, Phuket’s Governor visited the crocodile at the rehabilitation pond in Thalang. The 200-kilogram reptile still hasn’t eaten any food provided by…
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Dolphins spotted between Koh Racha and Phuket
Dolphins have been spotted by tour groups heading to Koh Racha over the weekend. On September 2, at about midday, Surachet Mitsee and many other travellers spotted dolphins swimming alongside their boat between Koh Racha Island and Coral Island. They started to see a group of 7-8 grey dolphins at about 4 nautical miles from Chalong Pier. The dolphins consist…
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DSI assisting Rawai’s Sea Gypsies with land probe
A DSI (Department of Special Investigations) team led by Deputy Director of the DSI, Pol Lt Col Prawut Wongsinil, visited the village yesterday (August 31) drawing a crowd of approximately 100 villagers. “We visited the sea gypsies today to advise them on how to present their proof in Court efficiently. If they forget or leave out some details, it can…
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Tuk Tuk driver fined 500 Baht for threatening tourists
Following a video posted on the Facebook page “Spotlight Phuket”, showing a Tuk Tuk driver threatening tourists after failing to negotiate the fare, Patong police have fined the driver, 36 years old Pannawit Nakamin, 500 Baht. The incident took place in front of a massage shop in Soi Kebsup at about 5.00 am yesterday (August 31) after the Tuk Tuk…
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THAIGER TODAY Friday, September 1
Crocodile captured after two day hunt around Bang Tao beach | Songkhla’s much BIGGER croc problem | Huge individual drug haul in Krabi valued at 100 million Baht | 459 metre tower gets Government funding | Buddhist nationalists protesting Rohingya violence | Tricks from last week’s Flow Jam event in Bangkok.
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Crocodile being cared for after two day hunt
The crocodile captured in an old tin mine behind Bang Tao beach is now kept at the Phuket Coastal Aquatic Animals Development Centre. After a veterinary check, it was found to be healthy but quite exhausted after the two day hunt. It may take few days to recover. The Head of Phuket Fisheries Office, Paiboon Bunlipatanon, says the crocodile is…
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Bang Tao Croc Captured. Week-long search over.
That crocodile, that was first spotted swimming off Bang Tao beach and then making its way into an old tin mine lake, has been captured after two days and two nights of hunting. The 3 metre crocodile is a salt water crocodile, originally thought to be a fresh water croc. Headed by the Phuket Fisheries Office, croc experts and local…
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And you thought WE had problems with crocodiles!?
OK, so we have one elusive crocodile playing hide ‘n seek with a ‘consortium’ of crocodile hunters (we’ll admit we don’t know what the collective noun is for crocodile hunters). But Songkhla have a whole different croc problem. An unknown number of crocodiles have escaped from a farm in Songkhla’s Singhanakorn district after a wall at their enclosure collapsed on…
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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