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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American dies in fall from 17th floor of Phuket hotel
PHUKET: A 40-year-old American man fell to his death from the 17th floor of a Patong hotel early this morning. “When we arrived at the scene, we found the body of the man was laying in the parking lot of the Royal Paradise Hotel and Spa,” said Patong Police Deputy Superintendent Akanit Danpitaksat. The man, whose name is being withheld…
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British expat found dead at Kamala home
PHUKET: A British expat was found dead in front of his home in Kamala this morning. A neighbor discovered Thomas Robert Putnam, 52, hanging by his neck from a beam in his front yard. “We received a call from Mr Putnam’s landlord, Jarin Sattaman, whose father found him hanging in front of the house,” confirmed Lt Navin Petchjan of the…
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Resort employee beat by taxi driver for hailing tuk-tuk
PHUKET: Police arrested a taxi driver Wednesday after he was caught on CCTV cameras assaulting a Holiday Inn Resort Phuket employee in Patong on Tuesday. Officers used the footage to identify Chamni Khaiduang, 50, who was seen viciously attacking Human Resources Director Tawatchai Kwanchum, 37, after he hailed a tuk-tuk for hotel guests. “Mr Tawatchai flagged down a tuk-tuk at…
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Police hunt driver in fatal hit-and-run
PHUKET: Police are hunting the driver of a vehicle that struck and killed a woman in Paklok this morning. Obrom Daengprapai, 68, was dropping her 5-year-old granddaughter off at school when her motorbike was hit by a car while changing lanes, confirmed Lt Kraisorn Boonprasop of the Thalang Police. “Witnesses told us that Ms Obrom attempted to change from the…
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Open house to be held by Phuket Homeschooling Network
PHUKET: The Phuket Homeschool Network will be staging an all day open house at Rajabhat Univeristy’s Arts and Cultural Center on January 24 to present the achievements of the homeschooling network throughout the island. The event aims to present an alternative education system to the public and display the achievements of homeschooled children, explained Pakawan Chaimaneekorn, representative of Phuket Homeschool…
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Police continue to pursue riot suspects
PHUKET: Officials announced this week that they have apprehended 17 suspects wanted in connection with October’s Thalang Police Station riot that saw more than 6 million baht worth of damage to the station and nearby vehicles (story here). Region 8 Police Commander Tesa Siriwato confirmed that most suspects were arrested on unrelated drug charges and will be dealt with through…
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Helmet-less drivers to have bikes seized
PHUKET: In an effort to improve Phuket’s road safety, officials will soon be launching a new campaign that will see the motorbikes of helmet-less drivers seized on the spot. Offenders will be released and their motorbikes returned only after being escorted to the police station to view road-accident videos, to purchase a 99-baht helmet, and to pay the maximum fine,…
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Officials to mandate international driving licence for foreigners
PHUKET: Officials will soon require all foreign drivers on Phuket’s roads to be in possession of an international driving licence, confirmed Phuket Vice Governor Chokdee Amornwat on Tuesday. In an effort to protect tourists, renters and business owners, as well as to lower road accidents and fatalities, Vice Governor Chokdee established a committee whose aim is to help monitor the…
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Phuket named richest province
PHUKET: Data compiled by the Office of the National Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB) has dubbed Phuket the richest among Thailand’s 77 provinces. The NESDB list, headed “Human Achievement Index (HAI) 2015, shows that Phuketians not only have the highest income but also relatively low poverty in comparison with the rest of the country. Following Phuket on the list…
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Snake show halted pending municipality approval
PHUKET: Officials have shut down a snake show in Chalong this week after finding that it did not hold proper documentation from the municipality to operate. The show, held at the Phuket Bio Technology Co Ltd, came under fire on Saturday after a 2.5-meter-long python bit a Chinese tourist when she attempted to kiss it (story here). Chalong Municipality Deputy…
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View the ocean realm through the eyes of award-winning photographer Pete Atkinson
PHUKET: Escaping the rat race is the dream of many, but few achieve it. Award-winning, Phuket-based Getty Images photographer Pete Atkinson’s new book, Polynesia – An Ocean Realm, shows that with passion and determination anything is possible, even on a limited budget. Pete made ends meet by shooting pictures under water – using home-made acrylic camera housings – and writing…
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Suspects arrested in Finnish assault case
PHUKET: Police arrested two suspects yesterday wanted for attacking a female Finnish tourist and stealing her handbag on Saturday. Nat Roongrojchanakorn, 18, and Thanathip Siriwat, 19, confessed to the snatching as well as the assault on Mari Inkeri Ruohonen, noting that they were high on a kratom-based drink at the time. Ms Ruohonen was attacked and seriously wounded when she…
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Snake show python that attacked tourist in Phuket ruled illegal [video]
PHUKET: The owner of a snake that bit a kissy Chinese tourist in Phuket was charged for the illegal possession of a protected species today. Officials launched an in-depth inspection of Phuket Bio Technology Co Ltd in Chalong after the 2.5-meter-long python bit 29-year-old Jin Jing on the nose when she attempted to kiss it (story here). According to the…
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Body found with throat slit off Phuket
PHUKET: The body of a man with his throat slit was found offshore Phuket by a local fisherman this morning. Police have yet to identify the corpse, which was found in Ao Makham Bay by 43-year-old Sayan Thanakarnjana. Wichit Moo 8 headman Sontaya Audsaha confirmed to police that the body wasn’t that of a local. “At this point, we presume…
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Tour bus flips north of Phuket
PHUKET: A tour bus carrying 18 Chinese tourists flipped in Phang Nga at about 10pm last night. The bus was on its way to Krabi International Airport when the driver reportedly “lost control” at a sharp curve. Zhang Shuai, a passenger on the bus who suffered head injuries, was taken to Vachira Phuket Hospital for treatment. However, hospital staff confirmed…
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Illegal Phuket tour guides to be deported, blacklisted
PHUKET: A Chinese national working as an illegal tour guide in Phuket will be the first to be deported and blacklisted in Thailand as the country takes a staunch stance on the ever-growing issue, confirmed officials. “Starting today, any foreigner caught working as a tour guide will be deported,” Santi Pawai, director of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports (MOTS)…
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BISP swimmer wins six golds at Thailand National Games
PHUKET: After a successful first day in the pool at the Thailand National Games in Nakhon Sawan, where she won two gold medals, British International School Phuket (BISP) JSA Swim Academy member Phiangkhwan ‘Eing’ Pawapotako won the 100m Back on day two of the competition in a time of 65.44, making it three wins from three events. However, she didn’t…
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Illegal gibbon touts spotted on Phi Phi again [video]
PHUKET: Officers are hunting more gibbon touts on Phi Phi Island after receiving a video of a man using the protected species as a photo prop for tourists. “The video was taken on Saturday, but we’ll send someone out to see if the touts are still there or not,” said Phi Phi Police Chief Jetsada Junphum. Though officers have struggled…
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Finnish tourist slashed while fighting off bag thieves
PHUKET: A Finnish tourist was seriously wounded when she attempted to fight off bag snatchers in Phuket on Saturday night. “Two men drove by on a motorbike and attempted to swipe the bag off the shoulder of Mari Inkeri Ruohonen, 31,” explained Karon Police Superintendent Sompong Boonrat. “However, when she resisted, they pulled a box cutter out and attempted to…
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Police arrest drug runners with meth
PHUKET: Region 8 Police arrested two drug runners and seized nearly 70,000 ya ba (methamphetamine) pills in Phang Nga on Friday. Jiraporn Promnoo, 42, and Somnuek Rammani, 51, were arrested with 10,000 ya ba pills after a tip off from another drug suspect led police to intercept a scheduled delivery, confirmed Region 8 Police Commander Tesa Siriwato. The pair denied…
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TAT sets sights on Vietnamese, Indonesian tourists
PHUKET: The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) recently announced its plans to promote Phuket’s image as a tourist destination in Vietnam and Indonesia. Anoma Wongyai, director of TAT Phuket, touched on the positive response seen from tourists during this holiday season, with an 83 per cent increase in visitor numbers and 4.2 million baht of revenue generation. “We now aim…
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Marine Police increase safety checks after death of French tourist
PHUKET: Phuket and Krabi Marine Police are ramping up safety checks in order to get tour operators to comply strictly with marine regulations. The boost comes hard on the heels of the death of a French tourist who was killed last week after being struck in the head by a speedboat propeller while snorkelling near Poda Island (story here). Phuket…
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Diver rescued in Similans by navy [video]
PHUKET: A medical student was saved by the navy after he fell unconscious during a dive in the Similan Islands on Saturday. The Royal Thai Navy was called to aid in the rescue of Thai national Tossawat Tassaworn, 24, a student at Rangsit University. According to a navy report, Mr Tossawat gave his dive master a distress signal at a…
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Video Report: Phuket snake bites tourist after attempted kiss, officials review safety measures
PHUKET: Officials are scrambling to reevaluate snake show safety measures after a Chinese tourist was bitten by a 2.5-meter-long python that she attempted to kiss in Phuket on Saturday. “After the show, I took the python out for the tourists to take photos with as usual. Then suddenly, a woman tried to kiss the snake without informing me of what…
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Officials mull waste management policies in Phuket
PHUKET: In an effort to improve waste management on the island, Phuket officials are working toward implementing more efficient rubbish disposal policies. “Waste management in Phuket is centralized in Phuket Town at the Saphan Hin incinerators. Currently, they are only able to handle up to 700 tonnes per day,” Phuket City Mayor Somjai Suwansupana said. Mayor Somjai noted that the…
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Australian Embassy announces consular outreach services for Phuket
PHUKET: The Consular Section of the Australian Embassy in Bangkok has announced that its staff will be in Phuket on January 18 to provide consular outreach services. The consulate staff will be available from 9:00am to 12:00pm and 1:00pm to 3:00pm at the Australian Consulate Office at 77/77 Unit 6D Moo 5, Chalermprakiat Rama 9 (bypass road) in Rassada. For…
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Killer Whale spotted in Phuket bay [video]
PHUKET: An English family holidaying in Phuket spotted a Killer Whale off Freedom Beach in Patong Bay yesterday morning. Susan and Thomas Halleron were on a longtail boat with their son Joe when they spotted the unusual sight. “We went for a one hour trip around the island, and on the way back we saw the whale [Orca]… it was…
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German tourist’s bag returned after Facebook post goes viral
PHUKET: A German tourist lucked out this week after a Facebook post by a fellow traveller helped reunite her with her lost bag. Polish national Ewelina Moszczynska, 31, found the handbag next to her bungalow on Phi Phi Island on Thursday morning. “It was the morning after a party that I found the bag next to my bungalow,” Ms Moszczynska…
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Phuket police arrest ladyboy for pimping 15-year-old
PHUKET: Police arrested a ladyboy for pimping children in Phuket Town yesterday evening. Boonsong Saetan, 23, was arrested after she received 1,500 baht given to a 15-year-old that she had lined up to offer sexual services to an undercover police officer. “The officer confirmed an appointment at a hotel in the Poonpon area at 5pm with a 15-year-old girl,” explained…
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Deadly roads: The fight to make island roads safe
PHUKET: Despite the devastating death toll during the ‘Seven Days of Danger’ annual road-safety campaign – reaching seven this year, more than triple last year’s total – the number of fatalities from road accidents on the island have gradually declined throughout the last seven years, confirmed the Thai Road Safety Network (RSN). The number of road deaths has reduced from…
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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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