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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A Decade Ago: Do you remember the TTVI Center?
PHUKET: Those new to the island – relatively speaking – might not have the visceral churning in their guts when they hear the name ‘TTVI center’. However, island residents who were here at least a decade ago know that TTVI stands for Thai Tsunami Victim Identification. The center was tasked with identifying 3,777 of the bodies recovered from the six…
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Phuket Town meth network unraveled, guns seized
PHUKET: Police confiscated four firearms, 194 rounds of ammunition, 3,507 ya ba (methamphetamine) pills and 31 grams of ya ice (crystal methamphetamine) during a two-day raid on a Phuket Town drug network. “The contraband seized was in the possession of the four suspects we arrested,” Lt Col Prawit Engchuan of Phuket Provincial Police said yesterday. The string of arrests started…
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Cobra caught in Phuket expat’s shoe rack
PHUKET: An expat and his wife received quite a surprise when they discovered a 1.5 meter cobra relaxing in a shoe rack inside their Ao Yon home this morning. The pair called Kusoldharm Foundation rescue workers as the snake made its way out of the house and into an old broken boat in their garden. Rescue workers spent about 40…
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Phuket air pollution back to safe level
PHUKET: Air pollution levels in Phuket have dropped back down to safe levels today, following the Indonesian haze descending on Phuket this week. “The 24-hour average was down to 89 micrograms [PM10] per cubic meter, which is already within safe limits,” said Pornsri Suthanarak, the director of the Regional Environmental Office. Average air pollution levels climbed up to 201 earlier…
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Haze causes more delays for flights at Phuket Airport
PHUKET: All flights were back on schedule by noon today after seven planes were delayed due to the dense Indonesian haze, confirmed Amnuay Sarachart, deputy director of the AoT Phuket Office. “However, we are worried about the conditions tonight and will be monitoring visibility closely,” said Mr Amnuay. This morning, pollution levels from the haze continued to climb with an…
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Phuket night club fires bouncers after brutal beating of Aussie tourists
PHUKET: Management from the White Room Night Club in Patong today denounced the violent actions of five of their bouncers in a confrontation with six Australian tourists last night. A video of security guards brutally beating two of the Australian tourists was shared on Facebook and quickly went viral. “We, the management of White Room Night Club, are shocked and…
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Aircraft fleet to combat fires, Indonesia consul tells Phuket Governor
PHUKET: A multi-national fleet of aircraft are expected to arrive in Indonesia today or tomorrow to help combat the forest fires that are belching haze across the region, Indonesian Consul Triyogo Jatmiko told Phuket Governor Chamroen Tipayapongtada today. “We are very aware of the serious impact that the forest fires are having. So, as ordered by President Joko Widodo, we…
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Phuket air pollution levels climb to new heights [video]
PHUKET: Pollution levels from the Indonesian haze that has descended on Phuket continued to climb over the last 24-hours, with an average of 201 micrograms (PM10) per cubic meter. Tourists are still going to Phuket’s beaches despite the health risks from the Indonesian haze. The reason: no one has told them a health warning has been issued. Video: PGTV The…
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Phuket haze causes flight delays
PHUKET: Despite earlier reports, more than a dozen flights were kept in a holding pattern over Phuket this morning due to the thick Indonesian haze currently blanketing the island. Three of the 15 flights were forced to land at Bangkok, Penang and Samui airports, while the others were cleared to land here after 10am, confirmed Amnuay Sarachart, deputy director of…
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Snorkelling tourist dies on Phuket day trip
PHUKET: Employees of a speedboat tour company were unable to save the life of a snorkelling client at Koh Kai yesterday evening. Despite their efforts, the 32-year-old Chinese tourist, Daliang Wang, was declared dead by medical staff upon arrival at Rassada Pier. “Employees explained that Mr Daliang was snorkelling when he was spotted struggling in the water. He appeared to…
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Free air pollution masks distributed at Phuket hospitals, government offices [video]
PHUKET: Government hospitals and offices on the island are handing out free air pollution masks due to the steadily thickening Indonesian haze that has settled over Phuket. Tourists are still going to Phuket’s beaches despite the health risks fromthe Indonesian haze. The reason: no one has told them a health warning hasbeen issued. Video: PGTV “Due to the current air…
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Video Report: Phuket air pollution steadily rising
PHUKET: The haze caused by Indonesian wildfires continues to cover Phuket with an average air pollution level of 163 micrograms (PM10) per cubic meter for the last 24-hour period, confirmed Pornsri Suthanarak, director of the Regional Environmental Office. The new reading marks a steady increase from yesterday’s average of 136 PM10, which forced Phuket officials to issue a health warning…
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Illegal Chinese tour guides busted for bribing police
PHUKET: Police ensnared two illegal Chinese tour guides operating at Chalong Pier with additional charges after the pair attempted to bribe the officers 100,000 baht to secure their release yesterday. Locals informed police that Wenheng Wu, 24, and Boran Chen, 25, were displaying Chinese language tour fliers to potential clients on the pier for several days prior to the arrest.…
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Indonesia haze prompts Phuket boat warning
PHUKET: The Phuket Marine Office has issued a warning to all boat captains to beware of the decreased visibility caused by the Indonesian haze, which has blanketed the region. “Vision is limited to about one nautical mile. Therefore, all vessels must proceed with caution,” said Phuket Marine Office Chief Phuripat Theerakulpisut, who signed the warning into effect yesterday. This morning,…
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Sea Gypsy Cultural Center to be turned into “4D’ museum
PHUKET: A budget of 20 million baht has been injected into the stumbling, soon-to-be animatronic Sea Gypsy Cultural Center, which saw costs of the facility balloon from 2mn baht to 5.4mn baht before it started to deteriorate into a derelict shell of a building that has become a shelter for the homeless. Located in a small, nondescript soi at Laem…
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Armed security added to Rohingya shelter
PHANG NGA: Armed night guards have been placed at the Phang Nga Shelter for Children and Families after 14 Rohingya women and children fled the facility yesterday. “The increased security is to prevent human smugglers from targeting the women and attempting to help them escape the facility,” said Anan Dontri, director of the Phang Nga office of Social Development and…
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There’s money in trash [video]
PHUKET: The island’s monsoon-season seas continue to plaster popular beaches with rubbish, while the growing urban environment produces an average of 729 tonnes of trash a day. Though deemed unsightly by expats, locals and tourists, the mass of junk does provide a living for numerous individuals, families and communities. “About one ton of trash is swept onto two of Phuket’s…
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Wildlife sanctuary chief defends staff’s double pricing discrimination against Phuket man
PHUKET: A wildlife sanctuary chief this morning defended his staff’s double-pricing discrimination against a Phuket man at Krabi’s Emerald Pool on Saturday. “There were three tourists, two men and a woman. The two Thais were asked for 20 baht each for the fee and the other man was asked to pay 200 baht,” said Wutthipong Chusangrat, the chief of Khao…
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Video Report: Mayor gives teachers, students masks for haze
PHUKET: Rawai Mayor Aroon Solos handed out face masks to municipality employees, teachers and children following the massive drop in air quality this afternoon (story here). “Though no warning has been issued given the average air quality over the last 24 hours, I decided it was best to ensure the safety of the children and city employees in my jurisdiction,”…
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Haze: Air pollution levels spike in Phuket
PHUKET: Air pollution spiked to unsafe levels this afternoon due to Indonesian haze, confirmed Pornsri Suthanarak, the director of the Regional Environmental Office. “Air pollution on the island reached 175 micrograms per cubic meter by 2pm,” Dr Pornsri said. “However, the average level over the last 24 hours is well within the public safety standard of 120, so we have…
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Beach business sues Phuket official
PHUKET: An evicted beach business owner has filed a law suit against Cherng Talay Local Administration Organization (OrBorTor) President Ma-ann Samran for dereliction of duty (Section 157). Kanokpon ‘Tony’ Somrak, owner of Tony Restaurant, which was saved from demolition after the Ministry of Interior stepped in at the last minute, brought legal action against Mr Ma-ann last month (story here).…
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Officials capture escaped Rohingya women, children
PHANG NGA: Officers were able to recover all 14 Rohingya women and children who escaped by a rope made of clothes from the second floor of the Phang Nga Shelter for Children and Families this morning. The escaped refugees ranged from a 5-year-old boy and 7-year-old girl to women up to 32 years old. “We received a reporter right after…
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A Decade Ago: Reining back mediums as poo spreads
PHUKET: The lead story on page one a decade ago, in what has become a familiar cry, was the Governor urging spirit mediums – the people who endure swords, needles and an assortment other objects thrust through their cheeks while possessed by the gods – to practice restraint. Five years later, it was the Assistant Director at the Tourism Authority…
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DDPM Phuket issues weather warning
PHUKET: Officials have issued a heavy rain, flood, strong wind and landslide warning for Phuket. The warning will remain in place until Wednesday. “We issued a warning to all local governments on the island today. They have been asked to beware of weather conditions from the effects of tropical cyclone Mujigae, which could possibly lead to flash floods, landslides and…
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Haze descends on Phuket
PHUKET: Air quality levels are rapidly dropping in Phuket as an Indonesian haze again sweeps across the island. “Air pollution levels are likely to go beyond what is deemed safe for the public, 120 micrograms per cubic meter for a 24-hour period,” Pornsri Suthanarak, director of the Regional Environmental Office, told the Phuket Gazette this morning. Over the last measured…
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Phuket celebrates ‘Golden Week’ to promote Chinese tourism
PHUKET: Phuket International Airport launched the island’s ‘Golden Week’ campaign yesterday to celebrate the National Day of the People’s Republic of China. To get the seven-day party started off right, Phuket’s new governor, Chamroen Tipayapongtada (story here) and Airport Director Monrudee Gettuphan welcomed to the island 260 mainland Chinese visitors arriving on direct flights from Guiyang and Shenzhen. The lucky…
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New police commander eager to suppress crime
PHUKET: The new Region 8 police commander arrived on the island yesterday and has vowed to tackle crime as well as support the region’s tourism. “What I aim to concentrate on is crime suppression, violent criminals, drugs and human trafficking. At the same time, I will support tourism, as we know there are so many tourist attractions on the island,”…
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Promthep Cape paragliders sail into trouble
PHUKET: Rawai municipality is looking into complaints about paragliders blocking public land on Phuket’s iconic Promthep Cape. “[A recent] complaint stated that visitors were being told to get out of paragliders’ way while they were taking off,” said Rawai Mayor Aroon Solos. The municipality is now moving to solve the problem by calling members of the paragliding club for a…
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Police bust escaped Cambodian fishermen for pirated sunglasses
PHUKET: Three escaped Cambodian fishermen were arrested on Kata Beach for peddling fake name brand sunglasses to tourists yesterday. “We received a letter from the Damrongtham Center [ombudsman’s office] that tourists had been conned into buying pirated sunglasses by migrant workers on Kata Beach,” said Muang District Chief Administrative Officer (Palad) Samran Yukunthorn. “The three said that they used to…
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Video Report: Aussie to circumnavigate Phuket by standup paddle board
PHUKET: Damien Rider, who was dubbed ‘Men’s Health Man of 2015’ after completing an 800km unassisted paddle boarding adventure in the shark infested waters of the Gold Coast, will depart Nai Harn Beach at 7am on October 5 as he attempts to circumnavigate Phuket on a standup paddle board (SUP). His four-day, solo SUP journey is designed to raise awareness…
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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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