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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Police drop case against Aussie expat charged for Phuket killing
PHUKET: Police have dropped the case against Australian expat and Phuket community member Mark Pendlebury for the fatal stabbing of a nightclub employee across the street from the island’s famed party strip, Soi Bangla, in March. The decision was made by police after CCTV footage surfaced backing claims that Mr Pendlebury had acted in self defence when confronted by 25-year-old…
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Police postpone charging owner of fatal Phuket bungy-jump tower
PHUKET: Police are expected to press charges on Thursday against the owner of World Bungy Jump, the site of the death of a 25-year-old tourist last month. Vinat Chanthornwiboonkul will be charged with reckless endangerment as police continue to investigate the case of Kuwaiti Abdullah Adel Kadhmbadman, who died after jumping from the 30-meter bungy tower (story here). “Even though…
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Phuket’s annual Goat Fair returns [video]
PHUKET: Local farmers are gearing up for the 18th annual Phuket Goat Fair, which will be held June 11 through 13 behind Tesco Lotus in Cherng Talay. The fair will provide an opportunity for farmers to exchange knowledge, learn from experts and showcase their animals and products. “The main goal of the event is to urge goat farmers to continue…
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Human trafficking “caretaker’ turns himself in
PHUKET: A human-trafficking ‘caretaker’ handed himself in to police north of Phuket on June 2. Alee Banjob, 35, from Ranong, was wanted for his connection to a human-trafficking network operating in his home province, explained Kanokpol Pimthong, Deputy Director of Internal Security Operations Command (Isoc) in Phang Nga Province. Mr Alee’s surrender follows the October 14 arrest of Songphol ‘Boss…
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PRBC launches World Blood Donor Day event
PHUKET: The Phuket Regional Blood Center (PRBC) has invited all qualified island residents to make blood donations in recognition of World Blood Donor Day this month. World Blood Donor Day, on June 14, falls on the birthday of Dr Karl Landsteiner, who is known for his discovery of the main blood groups and their classifications, PRBC Chief Pornthip Rattajak told…
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Maimed sea turtle rescued in Phuket
PHUKET: A maimed sea turtle was rescued off Mai Khao Beach and taken to the Phuket Marine Biological Center (PMBC) in Cape Panwa yesterday afternoon. PMBC experts examined the turtle and concluded that it had mostly likely been caught in a fishing net for at least three days before it was rescued. “The turtle looked very weak. It might have…
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Outrageously high water bill prompts official warning
PHUKET: Leaky water pipes landed a Rassada resident with a more than 16,000-baht water bill to pay, prompting Phuket authorities to issue a home maintenance advisory to all island dwellers. Pornsak Saengsri was stunned to receive a 16,829-baht water bill for the month of May after having become accustomed to paying a maximum of 200 baht to keep the water…
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Body of foreigner found in Rawai yet to be identified
PHUKET: Police have yet to identify a male foreigner whose body was discovered near Baan Krating Phuket Resort in Rawai two weeks ago (story here). The body was found near an empty bottle of alcohol, and had a wound on one leg resembling an animal bite. “We have done our best so far. We have used social media to share…
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Human remains found in Patong Hills
PHUKET: The decaying remains of a human body were found by a field worker in the hills above Patong yesterday afternoon. “The bones were found by a man who was hired to clear grass in a local orchard about one kilometer from Soi Prabaramee 3,” explained Patong Police Superintendent Chaiwat Auikam. No identifying evidence was found at the site. “At…
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South African tourist caught in Phuket insurance scam
PHUKET: A South African tourist was arrested after he was caught trying to scam his insurance company on Saturday. “On Saturday afternoon, Laurie Viljoen Botha, 33, filed a police complaint claiming that items in his hotel room at Sino Imperial Hotel in Phuket Town had been stolen. Additionally, he claimed that he had been robbed while walking on the street…
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Three arrested for Patong stabbing death
PHUKET: Police have arrested three suspects for the stabbing death of Somkit Jandawong, 27, which took place in Patong last Monday. When police questioned witnesses and checked CCTV in the area, they discovered that the stabber, whom police have named only as ‘Pat’, is 17 years old. “We contacted Mr Pat’s mother and urged her to convince him to surrender…
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Video Report: Police arrest Korean gambling racketeers in Phuket
PHUKET: Police are searching for the head of an online gambling operation after eight Koreans were caught on Wednesday running a gambling site out of an apartment in Phuket. The arrests follow a report in March from police in Bangkok about the gambling racket. Phuket Police have been on the trail ever since, said Phuket Provincial Police Commander Patchara Boonyasit.…
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NACC names names in corruption investigations
PHUKET: The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) named names as it started gunning for local officials tangled up in millions of baht worth of infrastructure and illegal land issuance scandals in Phuket. At the top of the list of 17 cases cited at a meeting led by Wicha Mahakun, spokesman for the NACC, on Saturday was that of former Phuket Governor…
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Cake-box drug runner busted in Phuket
PHUKET: A Trang drug runner was arrested at a Phuket bus stop in possession of about 1 million baht worth of methamphetamine stuffed into a cake box last week. Aorrathai Iadwong, 20, confessed to police that she had been paid to bring the drugs to Phuket by a drug dealer in Trang, whose name she has claimed not to know.…
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Phuket underpass construction site floods
PHUKET: Though heavy flooding at the Samkong Intersection caused traffic tailbacks this morning, it did not delay construction of the island’s second underpass, experts confirmed to the Phuket Gazette. “Already the water level is lowering. It’s the sort of flooding we expected to happen, so it won’t really affect the construction timeline,” said Chalermpol Wongkiattikun, project manager from the Department…
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Lottery ticket prices to drop to 80 baht in Phuket
PHUKET: Lottery tickets on the island will no longer legally be allowed to be sold for more than 80 baht starting on June 3, Governor Nisit Jansomwong said at a meeting at Phuket Provincial Hall on Friday. The meeting with local officials follows Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha’s decision to replace the Government Lottery Office’s board on May 1 by…
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Man killed in Phuket Town over “bad’ dance moves
PHUKET: Five men were arrested yesterday evening for the stabbing death of a man in Phuket Town earlier that morning. The fatal argument that led to the death of Sayompoo Kuomsup, 21, and his friend Sompong Boonrak, 21, being seriously injured, stemmed from an issue with their dance moves at the ‘At Time’ pub. Police named the men arrested for…
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Patong stabbing leaves ‘drinking mate’ dead
PHUKET: A man was stabbed to death in Patong after getting into a drunken row with a fellow drinker early this morning. When police arrived at the scene at about 3:45am, they found a heavily tattooed man dead on the ground at a house on Soi Paradise. “We checked the body of Somkit Jandawong, 27, and found that he had…
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Flash flood puts Phuket police station in deep water
PHUKET: Patong Police are scrambling to keep dry after their station was hit by flash floods this afternoon. “The flood happened just after lunch. This morning the weather was fine. However, this afternoon our office began filling up with water,” Lt Col Suttichai Tianpho of the Patong Police told the Phuket Gazette. “I don’t think there was much damage. Maybe…
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No gap-guarantee as Phuket lifeguard contract policy remains unchanged
PHUKET: No change in policies in the Phuket lifeguard contract means there are no guarantees that lifeguards won’t walk from the sands again as their contract expires and the dangerous southwest monsoon season begins anew in 2016. “We want the public to be confident about their safety. However, we cannot change the laws or system for the bidding process. We…
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Multilingual beach-safety cards redistributed by Phuket expat
PHUKET: The news that lifeguards have returned to Phuket’s beaches (story here) prompted Tourist Police volunteer Simon Luttrell to return to printing multilingual beach-safety advice cards and distributing them to lifeguards. “Now that all beaches have lifeguards again, I wanted to check that they all had my cards to help warn foreign tourists about the unseen dangers of rip currents,…
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Fatal Phuket bungy-jumping business ordered closed – temporarily
PHUKET: World Bungy Jump in Patong has been temporarily closed while officials investigate the death of a 25-year-old tourist who was fatally injured at the facility on Wednesday. “The business will be closed for at least a month while police determine if this was an accident or reckless endangerment on the part of the bungy-jump owner,” explained Patong Mayor Chalermluck…
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Busted at Phuket boarding gate for fake credit card shopping spree
PHUKET: Police arrested a confessed credit card scammer as she waited to board a plane back to Malaysia at Phuket International Airport on Wednesday. Koo Ping Sze, 20, was taken into custody after police received a report from Kasikornbank (KBank) that she had used a fake credit card to make a purchase in Patong. “Kbank identified that the cardholder was…
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Phuket Airport possible base for US military support
PHUKET: Thailand may allow the United States to use either Phuket Airport or U-Tapao in Rayong as a base for planes assigned to monitor the movement of migrants stranded in surrounding seas. “The Foreign Ministry is reviewing the request,” Supreme Commander General Worapong Sa-nganet said on Tuesday. Thailand is setting up the Operations Centre for Patrol and Humanitarian Assistance to…
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Suit up for the SEA games
PHUKET: Thanyapura’s top swimming stars are hoping to bring home a bounty of medals when they dive into the pool and compete at the Southeast Asian Games (SEA) next week. Swimming sensations Peerapat ‘Garfield’ Loessathapornsuk, 18, Patarawadee ‘Ploy’ Kittiya, 21, Kornkanjana ‘Golf’ Sapianchai, 17, and Tanakrit ‘Nok’ Kittiya, 19, will come up against the best in the region at the…
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Video Report: Navy flotilla floats humanitarian mission for Rohingya
PHUKET: The Royal Thai Navy unveiled a patrolling navy fleet in the Andaman on Tuesday that was given the mission of ‘helping on’ Rohingya and Bengali migrants by providing medical services and translators, as well as food and water supplies. “More than 600 officers have been assigned to this mission, which will be running seven boats, two airplanes and two…
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Phuket officials investigate tour companies with foreign shareholders
PHUKET: Officials launched an island-wide inspection of tour companies with foreign shareholders yesterday in an attempt to root out the practice of using Thai nominee shareholders to maintain control over a company. More than 3,700 ‘foreign-owned’ businesses are registered in Phuket, explained Department of Business Development Phuket Office Chief Nimit Kangkajit back in 2013 when a similar investigation was backed…
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Marine Department to review life-jacket policy
PHUKET: The Marine Department is looking to review its strict policy for life-jacket use on tour boats, which requires all passengers to don the vests before the boat departs, confirmed Chula Sukmanop, director-general of the Marine Department. The tough enforcement of safety measures was put into effect in November last year (story here), after a speedboat driver crashed into a…
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Kuwaiti tourist dies in Phuket bungy-jump accident
PHUKET: Police are investigating the death of a Kuwaiti tourist who was fatally injured in a bungy-jumping incident last night in Phuket. Abdullah Adel Kadhmbadman, 25, was rushed to Patong Hospital by a World Bungy Jump Patong employee. He was pronounced dead shortly after he arrived at the hospital. “The man who brought Mr Kadhmnbadman to the hospital first told…
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Pebbles at Phuket skate park cause a stir
PHUKET: The X-treme skate park in Phuket Town was sabotaged with pebbles, creating a dangerous situation for skaters last week. Phuket resident Phakhawat Jret Na Nakon made the discovery when he and his friends went there, according to his Facebook post. “There are pebbles all over the skate zone. We also found the plastic bag used to carry the pebbles.…
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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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