Phuket News
Phuket news, politics, business, tourism, and nightlife—stay updated with breaking stories, events, and expat updates from Thailand’s top island destination. Get the latest from The Thaiger, your trusted Phuket news source.
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Managing medical expenses in Thailand is important as healthcare costs continue to rise. The country’s healthcare system includes both public and private options, but even with the Universal Coverage Scheme (UCS) for citizens, many still face high out-of-pocket medical expenses....
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One dead, four injured in three-vehicle crash
PHUKET: One man died and four others were injured in a three-vehicle crash on the bypass road near the Samkong intersection yesterday afternoon. The three vehicles involved in the accident were a pick-up truck, a Honda Jazz and a Toyota Vios. “Narin Saenganan, 35, a passenger in the back of the pick-up truck, was pronounced dead on arrival at Vachira…
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Rawai sea wall shored up after collapse
PHUKET: Truckloads of rocks were dumped along a 30-meter stretch of Rawai beachfront on Sunday to temporarily shore up the sea wall, which gave way last week after it was damaged by strong waves. Rawai Mayor Aroon Solos ordered the quick fix after inspecting the site on Saturday. “The wall and sidewalk were damaged after being battered for three days…
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Canadian crash victim safe after blood donations
PHUKET: A Canadian man badly injured in a motorcycle accident on Friday is now in stable condition thanks to donations of A-negative blood, medical staff at Vachira Phuket Hospital confirmed this morning. Connelly Bavid Lee, 35, required the blood so doctors could carry out a second round of surgery following emergency treatment after Mr Lee was seriously injured in a…
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Diving: Safety regulations in the dive industry
PHUKET: As promised, let’s dig into two of the biggest questions professionals in the industry are faced with in Phuket: “can we bend the rules to take photos on a Discover Scuba Diving (DSD) course” and “what counts as a ‘confined water environment’ for DSD”. Even at the PADI seminar on March 8 (story here), which included some of the…
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Phuket police make B5mn drug haul
PHUKET: Phuket Provincial Police announced the seizure of street drugs valued at more than five million baht following the arrests of five drug pushers, May 4-5. Police seized more than 2.5 kilograms of crystal meth (ya ice) and 6,400 methamphetamine pills (ya bah) with a total value of about 5 million baht. “Narachai Chuatchuea, 33, was arrested at his rental…
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Starving fishermen blame government restrictions for loss of income
PHANG NGA: More than 300 anchovy fishermen, claiming loss of income following the introduction of new regulations established by the Ministry of Agriculture and Cooperatives, gathered in protest at Laem Mai pier at Koh Yao Noi on Thursday. Led by spokesperson Tiwakorn Thongkert, the fishermen demand changes to regulations which prevent vessels weighing 10 tons or more from fishing within…
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Alex Face unfazed by the controversy surrounding his painting
PHUKET: Alex Face, the artist who painted the controversial mural depicting a three-eyed child on a wall of one of the city’s most historic buildings, the Peranakan Nitat (Baba) Museum in Phuket Town, is set to remove the artwork today. The Thai artist, whose given name is Patcharapol Tangruen, has been commissioned to paint buildings all over the world, but…
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Phang Nga hailstorm, high winds worst in almost 40 years
KRABI – PHANG NGA: High winds, rain and hailstones caused extensive damage to property in Krabi and Phang Nga on Thursday, marking the onset of the monsoon season. One official said it was the worst storm in almost 40 years. “At least two houses were completely destroyed and 20 others were extensively damaged in Krabi, as well as crops, including…
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Two injured in Phuket parasailing accident
PHUKET: A Chinese girl and a Thai man were injured in a parasailing accident at Kata Beach yesterday afternoon when the pair became caught up in a tree and then fell to the ground. The 9-year-old girl was flying tandem with Prasert Boonkert, 30, an employee of Sea Sport Speed Boat, at around 1pm when the pair became entangled in…
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Wet road surface blamed for three vehicle pile-up
PHUKET: A slippery road surface due to rain was blamed for a three car pile-up on Thepkrasattri Road on Thursday night, causing long tailbacks and delays for northbound motorists. Two people were injured in the multi-car collision near Wat Phra Thong in Thalang at about 10pm. The driver of a Mazda sedan heading southbound lost control and rammed into oncoming…
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Join the festivities at the last Lighthouse Market of the season
The last Lighthouse Market of the season is being held at the Boat Lagoon in Koh Kaew today and tomorrow from 6pm. The spacious water-edge promenade will be decorated with imagery from countries around the world – including the Champs-Elysees in Paris, the windmills of Holland, then to Egypt, Japan and back to Thailand. The market features a panoramic view…
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Drugs litter fiery crash
PHUKET: Two people were injured when the driver of a car lost control and hit a power pole on the byapass road near the Premium Outlet mall, resulting in the car catching fire early this morning. The driver, Amran Dueramae, 27, suffered a serious head injury, while his passenger, Sulaimarn Da-O, 25, sustained minor injuries. Police found several packs of…
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Tourist dies while snorkelling in Phang Nga
PHUKET: An Indian tourist suffered a fatal heart attack while snorkeling in Phang Nga Bay yesterday. Officials originally believed that the man, Prakash Narayan Raote, 63, had drowned and that a doctor failed to resuscitate him. Mr Raote and his family were snorkeling with a Pachtree Company tour group when the incident occurred. The Mumbai man was examined by the…
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A-negative blood needed for Canadian crash victim
PHUKET: Vachira Phuket Hospital requires donations of A-negative blood to save the life of a 35-year-old Canadian motorcyclist who was seriously injured in a collision with a 10-wheel truck in Phuket yesterday. “Connelly Bavid Lee was admitted to Vachira Phuket Hospital early yesterday morning with serious injuries to his chest, back, and legs. We have given him four units of…
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B2.4mn Provincial Hall roundabout opens today
PHUKET: The grand opening of the Narisorn roundabout near Phuket Provincial Hall was held at midday today, with Phuket Vice Governor Kajornkiet Rakpanitmanee, Phuket City Deputy Mayor Thavorn Jirapattanasophon and other officials in attendance. Construction of the 2.4-million-baht roundabout was funded last year by the UK-based non-profit Safer Roads Foundation at the island’s deadly Narisorn-Surin intersection. Last year, a total…
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Job-training program graduates prisoners
PHUKET: Certificates were awarded to prisoners who completed a sticker-cutting course yesterday, officials confirmed. The ceremony marked the end of a cooperation course by Phuket Provincial Prison, Southern Media Co Ltd and the Thai Advertising Business Development Association, under the ‘Building Sustainable Future’ project. The course aimed to help prisoners acquire knowledge and employable skills that might be useful after…
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Suspect at large after one killed in Krabi shootout
KRABI: A shootout in the early morning hours today left one man dead in Krabi, allegedly slain by his close friend. Somyot Kuantai, 20, reportedly fired 10 rounds into the home of the victim while he and his family cowered inside. Police are collecting evidence to issue an arrest warrant for the shooter, who reportedly attacked the family after arguing…
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Spin out on slippery road injures teen passenger
PHUKET: A teenage woman was injured in an accident on Thepkrasattri Road at about 8:15pm last night, when a pick-up truck spun out of control on the slippery road, hitting two motorbikes parked on the side. Krittiya Kengreng, 19, a passenger in the pick-up truck, suffered injuries to her right leg and forehead. Rescue workers rushed her to Vachira Phuket…
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Depressed Krabi man dumped by wife threatens to jump from pylon
KRABI: A domestic dispute led a Krabi man to attempt leaping off a high-voltage electric pylon yesterday, confirmed officials from the Naneu Administration Organization (OrBorTor) in Ao Leuk. Prasit Duangjan, a 66-year-old resident of Ao Leuk District, climbed about 30 meters up the pylon, dodging live power lines, and threatened to jump for nearly two hours. Rescue teams from Ao…
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Driver in stoning incident files attempted murder charges
PHUKET: A driver whose car was pelted with stones, causing it to veer off the road and crash into a power pole on Tuesday, filed attempted murder charges against the motorcyclist responsible for it. The accused motorcyclist, Anucha Yeemuda, 21, was initially charged with assault and causing damage to property after he turned himself in to the police (story here).…
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Austrian paraglider warned over Nai Harn flights
PHUKET: An Austrian expat allegedly running an illegal paragliding business received an official warning from the municipality and narrowly escaped charges on Tuesday. “We were informed by a concerned resident that Kurt Pirker was operating an illegal paragliding business at the windmill in Nai Harn,” said Rawai Mayor Aroon Solos. “We sent out municipality officers to warn him, but he…
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Miracle escape for family of four in Phuket car-flip horror
PHUKET: A family of four escaped serious injury when their car skidded off the road, smashed into trees and flipped over early this morning. The accident occurred at 3:40am on Thepkrasattri Road during a rainstorm. The driver, Somchai Kennadam, 44, said he lost control of the car as he took a bend on the slippery road heading towards Mai Khao.…
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Stone thower charged after road rage injures family of three
PHUKET: A Phuket man who pelted a car with stones, making the driver lose control and crash, has been charged for assault and causing damage to property after the family of three in the car was hospitalized. Police received a call at 1:10pm yesterday that a car had lost control and hit a power pole in the Laem Hin area,…
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Social media sleuth snares smokey bus
PHUKET: A pollution-emitting tour bus was banned from service after a Facebook user posted a video showing clouds of thick, black smoke emanating from it, confirmed officials on Sunday. Facebook user Joke Moodie, who posted the video, immediately alerted authorities to take action and shut the bus down. Phuket Land Transport Office (PLTO) Chief Policy Adviser Jaturong Kaewkasi said that…
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Phuket now home to largest marine service center in Thailand
PHUKET: The largest Yamaha marine service center in Thailand opened for business in Phuket on April 30. Tourism and Sports Minister Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul attended the grand opening of the 70-million-baht Yamaha Marine Service Center covering three rai in Koh Kaew. Watchara Marine Co Managing Director Tanate Satienpan said the opening of the facility marks an ambitious expansion into the marine…
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Phuket expat requests A-negative blood donations
PHUKET: A pensioner from the UK currently being treated in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at Phuket International Hospital is in urgent need of A-negative blood. “The hospital needs the blood in stock before doctors can perform surgery”, explains an expat relative of the patient. A-negative is a rare blood type found only in 7 per cent of Caucasians, 2…
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Krabi woman gives birth on boat
KRABI: Two Krabi police officers helped deliver a baby at sea on Sunday morning, when the mother could not make it to a hospital on time. Capt Prayong Pongsawang of the Khao Phanom Police and Lt Rawi Praekpan of the Krabi Provincial Forensic Police are being called heroes on social media for safely delivering the baby. The Krabi woman, who…
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Krabi officials frustrated by local beliefs
KRABI: Locals believe a serpent is the cause of a sinkhole at the Khao Phanom Temple, but officials disagree. Officials from the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MNRE) Region 4 in Surat Thani arrived to inspect the sinkhole last week. Their findings concluded that the hole outside the temple – roughly five meters wide and four meters deep –…
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V/Gov cracks down on ‘slovenly’ tour guides
PHUKET: What began as new regulations aimed at curbing cheating and poorly dressed taxi drivers has now turned into an additional island-wide action to imporve tour guides’ dress codes, officials announced last week. “From now on, all tour companies must provide staff uniforms for their employees with company logos and names,” said Santi Pawai, director of the Ministry of Tourism…
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Phuket tax-dodging nominees for foreigners to face charges
PHUKET: Police in Phuket expect to arrest soon a number of people in the province who are acting as nominees for foreigners doing business illegally in Thailand. The nominees for Phuket businesses operated by foreigners are among more than 1,000 Thais in the Kingdom set to face charges in a large-scale crackdown on people acting as such, including law firms…
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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