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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Ask people to name the most beautiful places in Thailand, and you'll often hear Phuket and Koh Samui being mentioned. Who would disagree? One is renowned for its bustling nightlife, vibrant culture, and lively beach scene, while the other is...
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Phuket Heroines’ Memorial Festival March 5-19
PHUKET: This year’s Heroines’ Memorial Festival, running March 5-19, is sure to impress all in attendance with cultural and historical activities to honor war heroes Thao Thepkrasattri and Thao Srisoonthorn. “The purpose of this event is to honor the heroism of Lady Thepkrasattri and Lady Srisoonthorn, who sacrificed their blood and lives for generations to come,” said Phuket Governor Chamroen…
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Hit-and-run driver kills Indian man in Phuket
PHUKET: Police are hunting the driver of a fuel-transport truck who fled the scene after killing an Indian man in Phuket last night. “Cheriya Parambil Johi, 40, sustained a serious head injury in a motorbike crash on the bypass road and was pronounced dead at the scene. The other passenger, Thai national Veera Morthong, 28, was also seriously injured,” said…
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Car-bomb suspect arrested after 16 years on the run
PHUKET: A man wanted in connection with a car bombing in Patong more than 16 years ago was arrested at his home in Trang yesterday. Police were acting on an arrest warrant issued in May 2003 by the Phuket Provincial Court following a car-bomb attack that seriously injured three people outside of a gold shop in 1999. Police officers from…
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Teen driver kills two teachers, injures head monk
KRABI: A 17-year-old was charged with reckless driving causing death after the car he was driving collided with a van, killing two teachers and severely injuring a head monk in Krabi yesterday afternoon. Three teachers from Kanchanapisek Wittayalai School, as well as Phra Kru Sri Thammawutti, head of Wat Phokha Chuthamas and Lord Abbot of Muang Krabi District Buddhist Monastery,…
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A Decade Ago: Visa runs and the ‘Ranong 12’
PHUKET: Phuket is changing at exponential speed. The transformation from what this little island looked like ten years ago, to the traffic-congested mayhem we now see on our roads, is dramatic to say the least. But some things never change, or at least they don’t change for long. ‘Visa runners released after four nights of fear’ reads the sub-headline on…
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Aussie survives Phuket balcony fall
PHUKET: A conscious Australian tourist was rushed to hospital after falling from the third-floor balcony of a Patong hotel just after midnight today. “Jonann Petschauer, 65, fell off the balcony attached to his room and through a glass ceiling at Charm Resort Phuket,” said Lt Col Anukul Nuket of the Patong Police. Mr Petschauer was on holiday with Jacqi Lillian…
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Bodies of two missing canoers found in Rassada
PHUKET: Rescue workers this morning recovered the bodies of two men who had been missing since their canoe capsized near Koh Sireh on Sunday. “The body of Mat Panthip, 51, was found floating near Ruen Talay Seafood restaurant in Rassada at about 9:30am,” said Phuket Marine Police Chief Panya Chaichana. “About two hours later, we found the body of Laong…
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British backpacker found safe and well in Krabi
PHUKET: Police in Krabi have tracked down a 21-year-old British woman who disappeared for six days while travelling in Thailand, prompting a social media frenzy to help find her. Krabi Tourist Police confirmed that they found Ms Taylor at Krabi International Airport earlier today. Tourist police stayed with her to ensure her safety, while awaiting the arrival of a family…
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One dead, 17 injured in another Patong Hill bus crash
PHUKET: A Phuket bus driver was killed and 17 tourists injured when the bus crashed into an electricity pole while descending Patong Hill last night. Bus driver Jeerasak Kimbuathong, 40, was pinned in the driver’s seat by the the pole, which fell on the vehicle. “It took rescue workers nearly an hour to pry him out, but he could not…
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Calls for closure of Phuket Zoo
PHUKET: Milo, the female orangutan at the center of a wildlife furore, is recovering in the Phang Nga Wildlife Nursery Station after being rescued late on Saturday (story here). Wildlife activist Edwin Wiek said yesterday that Milo was ‘a bit weak, but in good spirits’ after being dumped in the jungle while still in a cage. More than 12,000 people…
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Prime Minister keeps controversial comedian off stage
PHUKET: The show of controversial comedian and hate-speech convict Dieudonne M’bala M’bala, scheduled to take place last month at Illuzion night club in Phuket, was cancelled after the venue pulled the plug less than 24 hours ahead of the Frenchman taking the stage. Since then, Mr M’bala M’bala has struggled to find his footing in Asia. “One of the owners…
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Bangkok Airways flight postponed due to “bomb’ scare
PHUKET: Panic ensued on a Bangkok Airways flight when cabin crew feared a bomb threat after overhearing a conversation between a group of passengers yesterday afternoon. Staff on Bangkok Airways flight PG 924 from Bangkok to Phuket reported that prior to take-off, four passengers on the flight were overheard talking about ‘explosions’ with each other, said Sirote Duangratana, the general…
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Phuket orangutan discovered caged in jungle
PHUKET: Khao Phra Thaeo Non Hunting Zone officers discovered a missing 13-year-old orangutan Saturday evening after she disappeared from the Phuket Zoo ahead of a police raid on Friday. “Milo was found in a healthy condition,” Edwin Weik, the founder and director of Wildlife Friends of Thailand (WFFT), told the Phuket Gazette. “I do not believe that she went missing…
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Brother-in-law of ex-mayor arrested after standoff with CIB
PHUKET: Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) officers swarmed the home of former Rassada mayor Suratin Lian-udom on Saturday morning during a standoff with suspected drug dealers (story here). CIB officers were informed that those living in the home may be involved in an influential drug network on the island, confirmed CIB Commander Maj Gen Chatchai Eamsang. Officers from the Crime Suppression…
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Rescue workers unable to revive swimmer at Bang Tao
PHUKET: A Chinese national died Saturday afternoon after swimming with his family at Bang Tao Beach. Miu Zhioin, 63, was pulled unconscious from the water after losing his footing and going under the waves, confirmed Capt Kraisorn Boonprasop of the Thalang Police. “Layan rescue workers’ attempts to revive Mr Miu were unsuccessful. He was pronounced dead on arrival at Thalang…
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Phuket beach vendor arrested for encroachment
PHUKET: A Phuket vendor caught encroaching on public land at Bang Tao Beach was arrested Saturday afternoon. “Jakkrit Dechana, 28, was arrested with three wooden tables and 10 chairs,” said Col Bancha Panpradap, an officer with the Region 5 Natural Resources and Environmental Crime Suppression Division (NED). Mr Jakkrit told police he was only in charge of taking care of…
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CSD raids home of former Rassada mayor’s wife
About a hundred officers led by the Crime Suppression Division this morning surrounded the house of former Rassada Mayor Suratin Lian-udom’s wife, as the Central Investigation Bureau continues raids throughout the island. Several suspects were apprehended after declining to be searched and resisting arrest. Mr Suratin was not at home at the time and was not the apparent target of…
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Ultraman World Champion to swim around Phuket
PHUKET: Swedish Ultraman World Champion Jonas Colting will undertake the first ‘Swim Around Phuket’. If successful, he will be the first swimmer to circumnavigate the island. Another aim of the mission is to raise funds for the Yaowawit School, a government-approved boarding school for children from underprivileged families, initially founded to help children who were victims of the 2004 tsunami.…
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Thailand Beach Volley Festival coming to Karon Beach [video]
PHUKET: Karon Beach is preparing its sands for the Thailand Beach Volley Festival Phuket powered by PTT on March 23 through March 27. The international amateur beach volley tournament will feature three classes: two X two men, two X two women and four X four mixed. After preliminary pooled games, the men’s two X two event will be divided into…
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Phuket orangutan “disappears’ ahead of police raid
PHUKET: A 13-year-old orangutan that conservationists were fighting to free from Phuket Zoo has gone missing, confirmed Wildlife Friends of Thailand (WFFT). “Natural Resources and Environmental Crime Division (NRECD) of the Royal Thai Police and Department of National Parks (DNP) agreed to investigate the case of Milo, agreeing to raid the zoo this morning,” Edwin Weik, the founder and director…
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Rawai sea gypsies turn down government offer
PHUKET: The Rawai sea gypsies have turned down the provincial government’s offer to purchase 19 rai of disputed land (story here), insisting that the land deeds must be revoked entirely. Reasons for the most recent refusal in the prolonged land dispute between landowners and the sea gypsies were that the sea gypsies believe the land deeds were unlawfully acquired so…
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Van driver crushed in early morning collision
PHUKET: A van driver was killed when he reportedly slammed into the back of an 18-wheeler truck on Thepkrasattri Road early this morning. It took rescue workers about 40 minutes to remove driver Nate Saengpayap, 35, from the vehicle, confirmed Lt Col Sanit Nookong of the Thalang Police. “Mr Nate was not transporting any passengers in his van at the…
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HeadStart International inaugurates new Phuket campus
PHUKET: HeadStart International School last week held an opening ceremony for its new campus, located at Soi Na Sua near Central Festival Phuket. “Our new campus is situated on 15 rai of beautiful landscape and is very easy to access from major locations in Phuket,” said School Director Jazon Edouard. Some of the facilities at the new campus include large,…
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CIB nabs illegal jet-ski operators in Phuket
PHUKET: A total of 28 jet-ski operators were arrested during a Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) raid on Phuket yesterday. Despite numerous accidents and a legacy of scamming tourists, jet-ski operators have continued to work under an umbrella of lax enforcement of jet-ski rules and regulations. “We arrested the jet-ski operators for renting their vehicles to tourists without provincial permission,” said…
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Upcoming alcohol ban for Makha Bucha Day
PHUKET: A nationwide ban on the sale and purchase of alcohol will be in place for 24 hours on Monday out of respect for Makha Bucha Day. “Letters will be sent to night entertainment business operators to inform them of the ban,” Peerayuth Karajedee, Phuket Provincial Police deputy commander, told the Phuket Gazette this morning. “According to trading laws, entertainment…
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Video Report: Officials hunt boat caught anchoring on corals
PHUKET: Officials are hunting down the company that owns a boat that was caught on video anchoring in fragile corals off Koh Racha Yai. The video shows the anchor biting into a coral bommie with the metal chain laying across a few species of corals. The anchor is connected to a rope tied to the boat, which the cameraman clearly…
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Turkish Ambassador blasts Phuket airport
PHUKET: The Turkish ambassador to Thailand blasted Phuket International Airport during a meeting at Phuket Provincial Hall on Tuesday. “Phuket is a beautiful place and many Turkish people want to travel to the island. However, they always complain about three aspects of their trip: the narrow airport terminal, communication issues with airport employees, and immigration,” Ambassador of the Republic of…
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Video Report: First Thailand Yacht Show a resounding success
PHUKET: The first government-sponsored Thailand Yacht Show attracted almost 5,000 visitors in four days, say the organizers, who hailed the inaugural event a resounding success and believe it will put Phuket firmly on the map as a regional hub for the marine leisure industry. A total of 43 boats from a variety of locala and international boat builders and brokers…
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Almost A Decade Ago: WWII relics and superyachts
PHUKET: As the Phuket Gazette plunged in with its first-ever Thailand Yacht Show Special Edition, we narrowed the gap in ‘A Decade Ago’ to 9-years-and-9-months ago… for the sake of marine thematics. Skipping over what is without a doubt a very dry page one at the beginning of the rainy season, let’s dive to the depths of a small story…
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Phuket to double direct flights from St Petersburg
PHUKET: Phuket will double its weekly flights to and from St Petersburg, Russia due to a sharp increase in the number of Russian tourists on the island, a government spokesperson confirmed. “We will add 14 weekly flights between St Petersburg and Phuket to the already existing flights,” said Deputy Government Spokesman Maj Gen Sunsern Kaewkumnerd. During Tuesday’s Thailand-Russia aviation conference…
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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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