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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Motorists stranded as deluge causes bridge collapse in Krabi
KRABI: Torrential rain has swelled rivers in Krabi, causing a road bridge to collapse, leaving motorists and pedestrians stranded in Marui District. “The main bridge across Khlong Pak Lao is closed for repairs so the Marui-Ao Luek road was being used as an alternative route in the meantime, but now that road is impassable too,” the Krabi Department of Rural…
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Police capture more Rohingya on the run
PNANG NGA: Police last night tracked down eight more of the 21 Rohingya detainees who fled from Phang Nga Immigration Detention Center early yesterday morning. The men broke out of the center at 3am yesterday and split into two groups; one group heading for the sea and the other into forested hills. One of the escapees was fatally shot during…
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Phuket number plate auction raises B22mn for crash victims
PHUKET: The sale of lucky licence plates raised 22 million baht this week to fund road safety campaigns and rehabilitation programs for traffic accident victims. More than 300 lucky licence plates were auctioned off at the 11th annual two-day event organized by the Phuket Land Transport Office (PLTO) and held at the Phuket Merlin Hotel on May 21 and 22.…
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Russian expat dead in Phuket with needle in arm
PHUKET: The body of a Russian man with a needle embedded in his left arm was discovered at an apartment near Khao Rang in Phuket City yesterday. The man has been identified as a 38-year-old computer programmer. The Gazette is withholding his name until his family has been notified of his death. The body was discovered by a concerned colleague,…
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Body of missing man found off Nai Thon
PHUKET: The body of a man who was swept out to sea at Nai Thon Beach last night was found washed up on a private beach this afternoon about two kilometers south of the spot where he disappeared. “Staff from the Andaman White Beach Resort spotted the body of Wichit Sophon, 30, who was reported missing at about 8pm last…
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Appeal underway for Koh Tao double murder suspects
SAMUI: The mothers of two Myanmar migrant workers sentenced to death for the murder of two British travellers on Koh Tao in 2014, arrived in Samui yesterday to file an appeal against their sons’ convictions. Phyu Shew Nu and May Thein, mothers of suspects Wai Phyo and Zaw Lin respectively, came armed with about 200 pages of documentation to state…
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Andaman storm to batter Phuket, Southern Thailand
PHUKET: The Southern Meteorological Center (West Coast) on Saturday issued a storm warning about heavy rains and increasingly strong winds for the remainder of this week in Phuket and other areas in the Andaman and Southern Thailand. The following areas are placed on high alert: Phuket, Ranong, Phang Nga, Krabi, Trang and Satun. Residents are warned to remain cautious due…
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Man dragged out to sea by body-snatching wave at Nai Thon Beach
PHUKET: A search and rescue operation is underway to locate a man dragged out to sea at Nai Thon Beach last night. He was reportedly pulled out by a wave while walking along the beach and dragged away by the strong currents. “Wichit Sophon, 30, was reported missing by his girlfriend Sompong Noinak, 30, at about 8pm. Ms Sompong was…
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Manhunt launched for karaoke killer
PHUKET: Police are hunting for the murderer of a man who was stabbed outside a karaoke bar in Thalang yesterday. “We found the body of Chaiyuth Innsathorn, 35, outside Panan karaoke bar in Thalang at about 3:20am. His throat was slashed and there was blood on his head and clothes,” confirmed Thalang Police Lt Suporn Muangkai. “Another man named Rachane…
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Phuket crisis negotiators stop suicidal woman from jumping off clifftop
PHUKET: Crisis negotiators last night talked down a woman threatening to commit suicide by jumping from the top of Promthep Cape. Rawai Mayor Aroon Solos and municipality staff learned of the impending suicide attempt when the distraught woman posted her plans on Facebook while commemorating Visakha Bucha Day. The Facebook post by Noo Noi Nang Fa (Little Angel), written in…
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Tour boats warned to steer clear of dolphins off Phuket
PHUKET: Officials have warned tour guides and boat operators to stay at a safe distance from marine life, after a large pod of dolphins was spotted near Koh Mai Thon off the southeast coast of Phuket. Suchat Rattanaruengsri, head of the Marine and Coastal Resources Conservation Division Region 6, was joined by marine experts and officials as they looked into…
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First Pracharat Marine Protection Institute opens in Phuket
PHUKET: General Surasak Kanjanarat, head of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment, chaired the opening ceremony of the first marine protection institute in Thailand on May 15. The Pracharat Marine Protection Institute, located in Sirinat National Park, is based on the ‘Pracharat’ ideology of economic partnerships among the people, the government and the private sector. “The institute is located…
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EXCLUSIVE: Phuket Prison’s female inmates talk about their lost lives
PHUKET: Behind the walls of Phuket Provincial Prison are more than 2,000 inmates. About 350 of them are women; most of them doing time for drug dealing. The Gazette takes you behind the bars of Phuket’s cramped prison for exclusive insights into the lives and circumstances of two women, ‘Wan’ and ‘Bee’, locked up for drug-related crimes in a facility…
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Island View: Learning to accept your mistakes
PHUKET: I must admit that my knowledge of Phuket is limited to what I’ve experienced in the year that I’ve been here, but I can easily say that I like what I’ve seen so far. Admittedly, Phuket has its fair share of problems, but for an island with a rapidly growing population and countless visitors all year round, that is…
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Grand (re)opening of Surin Beach announced
PHUKET: After years of delays and last minute attempts to save illegal beach businesses from the wrecking ball, Surin Beach has finally been restored to its ‘natural’ state. In what seems to be a rather quick rise from the rubble, officials have announced the beach’s grand opening set for June 9. It is now being called the ‘Beach of Honor’…
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Severe coral bleaching threatens popular Phi Phi dive spots
PHUKET: Coral bleaching is rife in Phi Phi national park – the worst ever recorded in Thailand – alarmed conservation officials reported yesterday. Many varieties of coral have been affected by the bleaching, which is due to the sea temperature rising to between 31 to 35 degrees Celsius, said an official from the Department of National Parks Wildlife and Plant…
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Rawai sea gypsies finally see the light
PHUKET: The 25-household Rawai sea gypsy community is overjoyed to finally have electricity, after having lived without it for most of their lives, as a land-rights conflict hampered their access to the power grid. The free installation of a 3,000-watt solar cell-powered system to generate electricity in the area is the result of an initiative by Phra Khru Wimonpanyakhun, the…
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BREAKING: Tattooed body washes up on Karon Beach
PHUKET: The body of a man wearing only underpants washed up on Karon Beach last night. A foreign tourist was shocked to discover the body while walking along the beach at 7:30pm and contacted the police. The deceased was aged 35-40 and was about 165-170cm tall. He has a bald head and appears, by the dark color of his skin,…
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Weather men predict rain over Phuket by weekend
PHUKET: As many Phuketians run low on water following an extended period of drought this year, the heavens are predicted to open by the end of the week and bring forth a long-awaited downpour or two. The Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) has promised rain as early as Thursday, according to an announcement on the TMD’s website today. Phuket is among…
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Phuket Marine Police seize illegally imported boat equipment
PHUKET: Marine police seized boat engines and other heavy machinery with a total value of five million baht, stored at a lockup in Rassada on Monday. “We received a tip from an anonymous source that machinery was being stored in a fishing industry warehouse in Rassada,” Phuket Marine Police Chief Panya Chaichana said. “During an early morning raid on the…
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Intoxicated man burns BMW
PHUKET: A drunk man allegedly poured a gallon of gasoline onto a BMW and set it on fire early yesterday morning, officials confirmed. The Kathu Municipality Fire Department rushed to put out the blaze at the entrance to Irawadee Kejho village. “Locals reported the fire to the station at about 3am, after which firefighters arrived at the scene and put…
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Thousands pawn valuables to cover back to school costs
PHUKET: Phuket’s pawn brokers said transactions on May 10 totalled nearly 12 million baht, as families pawned valuables to cover their children’s school costs. Phuket City Municipality Pawnshop representative Apirat Chaiyakul said transactions between May and June are expected to increase by as much as 30 per cent over last year. Mr Apirat said his store will do around 180mn…
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Body of missing swimmer washes up at Nai Harn
PHUKET: A Myanmar man who was reported missing at Nai Harn Beach yesterday, was found dead this afternoon, officials confirmed. Joe Ye Bai, 22, reportedly went to Nai Harn with two of his friends and was washed away by waves at around 6:20pm, May 15. His body washed ashore on Nai Harn Beach at about 2:10pm today. “The clothes on…
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Aussie life savers support Phuket lifeguard training
PHUKET: About 60 volunteers took part in a training seminar on emergency life-saving techniques at Phuket’s Air Traffic Control Center May 10-14. The annual lifeguard training was sponsored by the Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (PPAO), and was supported by members of the non-profit organization Surf Life Saving Australia. “Our trainers included personnel from the Third Naval Area Command and the…
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New police station opens near Phuket airport
PHUKET: The new Sakoo Police Station officially opened its doors on May 11, to oversee Sakoo sub-district as well as the Phuket International Airport. The new station, located near Nai Yang Beach in Sirinath National Park, was one of 88 police stations opened nationwide on the same day. The new station’s operations cover five communities (Moo Baan) in Sakoo sub-district…
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Video Report: Phuket researchers internationally recognized for breakthrough explosive-testing kit
PHUKET: A six member research team from Phuket and Hat Yai was awarded silver medals for creating low-cost explosive testing kits at the 44th International Exhibition of Inventions Geneva 2016. The invention comes in the wake of several recent bombings in Thailand. The competition included more than 800 inventions submitted by participants from more than 40 countries around the world.…
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Maya Bay tourist ban proposed to save marine life
PHUKET: Maya Bay could be closed next month to help save marine life. The closure of the popular tourist spot in Phi Phi National Park was proposed by marine experts as a preventative measure to help restore bleached coral and other marine life. “Currently, sea temperature is very high, and it’s expected to continue increasing from about 30.5 to about…
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Fishing captain hospitalized after ammonia leak
PHUKET: A Taiwanese fishing boat captain was injured from an ammonia leak aboard a tuna fishing vessel at the Fish Marketing Organization pier in Rassada yesterday. A Kusoldharm Foundation rescue worker received the report of the leak and found the captain unconscious. “Armed with protective masks, rescue workers boarded the Shun Ying and used a machine to remove the gas…
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Power cut to affect Koh Kaew on May 17
PHUKET: A scheduled electricity shut-off will affect residents in the Koh Kaew sub-district on Tuesday, May 17. The Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA) announced that there will be no electricity in the area from 9am to 5pm. All areas from Chao Fah Gardens (near 7-Eleven), up to the Isuzu showroom in Koh Kaew, as well as roads in the surrounding vicinity,…
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Work underway to fix B400k damage to Chalong road caused by water trucks
PHUKET: Work is underway to repair 400,000 baht worth of damage done by water delivery trucks to a road behind Chalong Temple. Chalong Municipality confirmed today that work began this week to resurface Luangporgluam Road, which runs alongside the reservoir, an old tin mine, after complaints from locals prompted Chalong Mayor Samran Jindapon to ban water delivery trucks from using…
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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