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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Samkong Underpass opens Sunday, not completely finished until July
PHUKET: The northbound lane of the long-awaited Samkong Underpass will be open to traffic on Sunday, confirmed the project engineer today. “Northbound motorists will have to use the underpass as the construction company works on the road surface of the northbound, ground-level roadway,” explained Chalermpol Wongkiattikun, the project engineer from the Department of Highways. Just last week, Boon Tapanadul from…
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Krabi locals pay respect to metal cow pat
KRABI: Locals are paying their respects to a large chunk of metal that was found in a steaming pile of cow feces yesterday. “I went to collect the cow poo for fertilizer, and noticed that it was heavier than normal,” said Boonjan Duangjan, 53. “I’ve raised about 15 cows in my palm plantation for more than 20 years, and have…
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Surin Beach businesses beg Bangkok to stop demolition
PHUKET: About 20 evicted Surin beachfront shop owners appealed to the Justice Minstry in Bangkok yesterday in hopes of stopping or delaying the demolition of their restaurants, shops and clubs. Ma-ann Samran, president of the Cherng Talay Tambon Administration Organization (OrBorTor), told the Phuket Gazette today that he is aware of the complaint, but was not worried about it. “We…
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Row2Rio more than halfway through epic adventure
PHUKET: Battered by waves, flying fish and brutal heat, the adventurers of Row2Rio left the African coastline, pulling themselves through the middle of the Atlantic in their pioneer voyage from Portugal to Brazil (story here). “30 days doing two hours on, two hours off – it sounds ridiculous when I say it,” wrote Luke Richmond, Aussie expat and head coach…
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Fruit truck flips, spills load, makes squash on Kamala Hill
PHUKET: A six-wheel truck laden with fruit flipped on Kamala Hill, spilling its load across the road yesterday afternoon. The single-vehicle accident caused tailbacks for several hours while a clean-up team righted the truck and cleared the road of produce. “A crane was brought in to pull the truck out of a ditch. The driver, Somparn Talunai, 42, escaped with…
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Transport Minister opens Phuket’s Thep Srisin Bridge
PHUKET: Transport Minister Arkhom Termpittayapaisith chaired the grand opening of the much-anticipated Klong Koh Pee Flyover yesterday morning. The roadway, officially named Thep Srisin Bridge, connects Sakdidet Road Soi 7 directly to Saphan Hin. “The bridge will improve traffic flow. Additionally, it is a beautiful structure that is a boon to Phuket tourism,” Minister Arkhom said. The bridge was originally…
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Temporary road closure on Chao Fa West tomorrow
PHUKET: Chao Fa West Road will be closed from 7am-6pm tomorrow so that construction work can be carried out on the Chalong Underpass, the Department of Highways told the Phuket Gazette today. “The northbound lane of Chao Fa West Road, in front of Home Pro, will be temporarily closed for removing power poles as part of the construction process,” said…
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Phuket commemorates Chakri Day
PHUKET: Phuket Governor Chamroen Tipayapongtada led local officials and community members in a ceremony this morning at Phuket Rajabhat University to commemorate Chakri Day. The public holiday marks the founding of the royal Chakri Dynasty in 1782, of which the present Thai monarch, HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej, is the ninth king (Rama IX). “Today we paid our respects to the…
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Similan “spearfishing boat’ banned from national park
PHUKET: The Similan Island’s liveaboard diving boat that a group of Hong Kong spearfishermen used during their recent hunting excursion has been banned from entering the national park for 30 days. Photos of Hong Kong spear fishermen showing off the bounty they hunted in the waters of the Andaman caused an uproar on social media as those online made allegations…
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Migrant workers jump ship, tangle fishing vessels in red tape
PHUKET: Migrant labors jumping ship for better paying jobs on other fishing vessels is causing a logistical tangle at the Port in – Port out Control Center (PIPO), which is stopping many boats from departing. “Many boats have not been allowed to leave because the number of crew members on the boat does not match with the PIPO database,” explained…
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Indian Navy training vessels berth in Phuket
PHUKET: Four Indian Navy vessels have berthed at the Deep Sea Port in Phuket as naval and Coast Guard trainees take on 24 weeks of at-sea exercises. A statement from the navy said the deployment of the training squadron to Phuket “provides opportunities for extensive maritime engagement, contributes to the maintenance of good order at sea, and further cements the…
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Karon Police too busy to cage slow loris touts
PHUKET: Karon Police admitted today that slow loris touts on the beach are not a high enough priority to merit the resources necessary to put them behind bars. “Tourists’ safety and the safety of their belongings is a bigger concern for us,” said Lt Col Pornnarong Karnonchai of the Karon Police. “We do our best to take care of smaller…
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Hong Kong spear fishers put Similan dive boat in hot water
PHUKET: Photos of Hong Kong spear fishermen showing off the bounty they hunted in the waters of the Andaman caused an uproar on social media as those online made allegations that they had been fishing in Similan National Park, Thailand’s top diving destination. Panunee, the boat that the tourists were hunting from, is touted as a 5-star luxury liveaboard. The…
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Fisheries department launches e-licences to sustain fish stocks
PHUKET: The Phuket Fisheries Department launched an e-licencing system on April 1 aimed at regulating local fishing operations in order to sustain fish stocks by limiting commercial fishing in the province. The department has also warned operators of commercial fishing vessels to renew their licences by the end of the month or face stiff penatlies. “The Fisheries Act 2015 states…
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Tri-lingual tryst ‘Patong Girl’ premiers this month
PHUKET: A young German lad falls in love with the mysterious, native beauty Fai while on holiday in Thailand with his family. He follows his heart, but things get complicated… That’s the synopsis of Patong Girl, the latest tri-lingual movie co-produced by Thailand-based moviemaker Tom Waller. Set for release in Phuket on April 18 at SF Cinema at Jungceylon, Patong…
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Clean Phuket toilets to impress Songkran tourists, say officials
PHUKET: Armed with brushes and detergent, Phuket officials put on gloves and face masks to scrub down some of the island’s public toilets in an attempt to impress Songkran tourists this month. Last week, Tourism and Sports Minister Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul and Public Health Minister Piyasakon Sakolsattayatorn launched the WC OK: Happy Tourist Toilet campaign in Bangkok, which has since trickled…
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Home robbers murder Phuket woman
PHUKET: Two suspects were arrested last night for murdering a woman during a home burglary in Phuket on Saturday. The body of Ubon Romporee, 49, was found by her 11-year-old son in their home in Pa Khlok Saturday afternoon. “Ms Ubon had been stabbed multiple times and had her throat cut,” confirmed Thalang Police Superintendent Chanuchan Cholsuwat. “We have arrested…
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Bangkok Ombudsman pushes for Samkong underpass completion
PHUKET: After months of delays, the Samkong underpass is expected to be open later this month and be fully operational by May, it has been confirmed. Inspectors from the Ombudsman Office in Bangkok visited the construction site yesterday and confirmed the underpass should be open to traffic within the next few weeks. Boon Tapanadul from the Bangkok Ombudsman Office was…
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Spanish tourist arrivals on the up
PHUKET: The number of Spanish tourists visiting Thailand has risen by almost 30 per cent this year while the number of Russian tourists continues to rapidly decline, according to the latest figures released by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT). Despite a drop in the overall number of European visitors to Thailand by about nine per cent, there was a…
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Fire threatens forest, leisure facilities in Cherng Talay
PHUKET: Fire fighters were called out this morning to tackle a blaze which broke out in Cherng Talay and threatened to spread to nearby forest and damage a golf course in the area. Witnesses say the fire started at about 11:00am. Cherng Talay fire chief Teerapol Sakpracha told the Phuket Gazette that fire fighters managed to bring the blaze under…
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Phuket airport retailers forced to drop prices
PHUKET: Phuket International Airport has slashed the cost of drinking water on sale inside its terminals by 75 per cent and has launched lower priced menus to appease hungry travellers on a budget. Under pressure from irate tourists complaining on social media about the high costs of food and drink inside the infamous airport, the Ministry of Commerce ordered the…
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Video Report: Animatronics attraction lands in Phuket
PHUKET: Life-like dinosaurs, giant spiders and aliens have landed in Phuket on board the space ship Ghostinium; a new high-tech animatronic attraction which opened at Central Festival East today. The new indoor exhibition featuring a variety of robotic creatures is located on the third floor of the shopping center next to Homeworks. “Ghostinium offers a great, fun way for kids…
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Four tourists hurt in knife fight with robbers on Patong Beach
PHUKET: Police are hunting for three teenaged males involved in a knife fight with four foreign tourists on Patong Beach early this morning. “Russian nationals Anton Lukin, 30, and Aleksandra Obodova, 21, were both hospitalized with cuts to their hands sustained in the scuffle, which occurred at 4:30am in front of the Graceland Hotel on Taweewong Road. “Two Australians, Daniel…
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Mysterious fire guts house in Chalong
PHUKET: Authorities are trying to track down the owner of a house in Chalong that was gutted by fire this afternoon. The fire broke out at about 12:45pm at the single-storey residence situated in a row of terraced houses in Soi Songkun. “We believe the house is rented out by a foreigner, who was last seen leaving for work this…
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B468k electricity bill shocks shophouse owner
PHUKET: The owner of a small shophouse in Vichit was shocked to get an electricity bill for almost half a million baht this week. Boonlert NokBanjong, 48, who has never paid more than 2,000 baht a month to power his single-storey shophouse, was stunned when his bill for March arrived demanding 468,182.82 baht. “I only use one air conditioner,” complained…
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Man fires gun in Phuket shellfish dispute
PHUKET: A Myanmar national was beaten to the ground inside a Phuket school after having discharged a firearm in a shellfish dispute at a nearby local market today. The 20-year-old man, named by police only as ‘Suriyan’, allegedly pulled the homemade gun on 64-year-old fresh food vendor Somjai Utsaha. “Mr Suriyan allegedly attempted to shoot Mr Somjai after he refused…
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Phuket to splash out B450k for animatronic Sea Gypsy Museum exhibit plans
PHUKET: Local officials are searching for a private company to draw up the exhibit plans for the soon-to-be animatronic Sea Gypsy Cultural Center, Rassada Municipality Chief Administrative Officer (palad) Dechakanee Leelanont told the Phuket Gazette today. “The Phuket Rajabhat University study group concluded their research into the history of the sea gypsies and the viability of using a 4D-exhibit model…
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A Decade Ago: Airline safety no April fools joke
PHUKET: The April 1, 2006 edition of the Phuket Gazette was no joking matter, as the European Commission (EC) blacklisted the now-defunct Phuket Airlines due to safety concerns. However, even as the Gazette went to press a decade ago, the company had applied to launch another airline, to be called Holiday Airplanes. Phuket is no stranger to horrific airline crashes,…
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Monkey attacks on tourists spark official action
PHUKET: Park officials concerned about the changing behavior of macaque monkeys on Monkey Beach have erected signs urging tourists not to feed the wild animals. “When the monkeys see a tour boat stop, they gather and move toward the tourists. If the tourists don’t have any food, the monkeys get agitated, sometimes biting or scratching them,” explained Sarayuth Tanthien, chief…
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Video Report: Beach Volley Festival Phuket hailed slamming success
PHUKET: The Thai national team was knocked out of the professional men’s final of the Thailand Beach Volley Festival Phuket as the USA/Brazil team dug into the sands and spiked a win against the Russian/Guam team. Brian Chappy and Danillio Lamparlio took the top place in the men’s finals. The professional women champions were Yupa Phukrongploy and Orawan Auying. Nearly…
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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