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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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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Rotary Club of Patong Beach wins top award for service
PHUKET: The Rotary Club of Patong Beach (RcoPB) has won Rotary Thailand’s highest service award, the HRH Crown Prince Maha Vajiralongkorn Trophy, for its involvement in three projects to help the children of Burmese migrant workers and sea gypsies. Youthlinc, the main project undertaken by RCoPB for which it received the award, focused on improving facilities at the Burmese Learning…
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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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Ghost riding motorist killed by pick-up in Phuket
PHUKET: A ghost-rider making a u-turn on Phuket’s busy Thepkrasattri Road was killed after being hit by a pick-up truck in Koh Kaew last night. Rescue workers arrived at the scent to find the body of Ittawa Promrang, 42, laying in the road, against the curb. The 34-year-old driver of the pick-up truck, Nuntawat Suwansang, was still at the scene,…
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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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Article 44 tabled to return ‘stolen’ Phuket park land
PHUKET: Officials have requested the use of Article 44 of the interim Charter to reclaim national park land that was illegally commandeered by investors, the Sirinath National Park chief told the Phuket Gazette. The news follows a meeting on Thursday at the Sirinath National Park Office, during which both Phuket and national officials discussed the progress of an ongoing investigation…
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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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Illegal Thai tour guides busted in Phuket
PHUKET: Three illegal Thai tour guides were arrested in front of their tour groups in Phuket yesterday. Thanachai Sae-yang, 29, was the first of the three swept up in the raid as he lead a group of Chinese tourists through the Kathu Temple grounds. Though Mr Thanachai is a registered tour guide – he was working outside of Chachoengsao Province,…
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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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Family of heat-stroke victim donates B200k to Vachira Phuket Hospital
PHUKET: The family of a senior Bangkok official who died from severe heat stroke after leaping into a Krabi hot spring in April has donated 200,000 baht to Vachira Phuket Hospital in honor of their loved one. Somkiat Phatkhun, the deputy director of the Training and Development Institute at the Office of the Attorney General in Bangkok, was on vacation…
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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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Headless turtle found on Mai Khao Beach
PHUKET: Experts at the Phuket Marine Biological Center (PMBC) in Cape Panwa are investigating the cause of death of a headless turtle that washed up on Mai Khao Beach this morning. Kusoldham Foundation rescue workers arrived at about 10:20am after receiving a call from a local villager who found the turtle and initially tried to bury it. “We believe the…
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Petrol tanker driver escapes death in crash with power pole
PHUKET: A man escaped almost certain death early this morning after his petrol tanker crashed into a car and then slammed into a high-voltage power pole, causing a fire and cutting the electricity supply for all of Phang Nga Town. “At Fai Tha junction in Phang Nga Town we found a six-wheeled petrol tanker on its side. It had slammed…
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Two men on motorbike killed in collision with Phuket tour bus
PHUKET: Two men on a motorbike were killed when they were hit and dragged by a tour bus on Thepkrasattri Road early this morning. The bodies of Thai national Somwang Chuaykamchu, 31, and Myanmar national Aung Myint, 32, were underneath the bus when police and Kusoldharm Foundation rescue workers arrived at the scene near the entrance of Thai Watsadu in…
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Thalang trounce Patong in Phuket cricket championship cup final
PHUKET: The Phuket Cricket Group Championship Cup Final was played on Sunday May 17 at the Alan Cooke Ground with the Thalang Cricket Team (TCT) taking their second consecutive title with a comprehensive 157 run win over the Patong Cricket Club. Both teams were boasting strong line-ups for the 100 over grand final, with David Thomas and Jean Matthee the…
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Phuket reporter dies in Surat Thani car crash
PHUKET: A local reporter for the Phuket Daily News and Siengtai newspaper was killed in a car crash in Surat Thani on Tuesday night. Amnuay Korbkum, 46, a well-known member of the Phuket Reporters Club, was travelling from Phuket to Surat Thani to visit his father in hospital when the accident occurred at about 9:50pm. “Panupong Sukaoon, Mr Amnuay’s brother-in-law,…
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Video Report: Suspects arrested for murder of Kalim man over alleged land dispute
PHUKET: Police have arrested three men for the murder of a 72-year-old Kalim resident on April 24. Eet Chaisit was shot multiple times while driving back from prayer at the local mosque to his home in Kalim, and later died in Patong Hospital (story here). Police first identified the driver of the motorcycle carrying Mr Eet’s shooter from CCTV footage…
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Two arrested for “mistaken identity’ attempted murder
PHUKET: Two men have been arrested for their roles in the attempted murder of a man in Thalang on May 13. Kordetch Sinto, 38, was shot in the back while he was sitting in front of his house (story here). Police originally thought that four suspects were involved but, following their investigation, they learned that only two men on one…
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BISP/JSA swim academy team racks up records, two members qualify for Olympic games
PHUKET: When the BISP / JSA Swim Academy at British International School Phuket first took to the pool in August 2013, the team had five international swimmers on scholarship, four swimmers from the school’s Flying Fish club team and high hopes. During the August to December 2014 swim season, the team’s nine swimmers (five girls and four boys) competed in…
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Woman charged for Phuket airport bomb threat
PHUKET: The woman who threatened a bomb attack on departing flight Thai AirAsia FD 3002 from Phuket International Airport this morning has been charged for her actions – despite not having any explosive devices on her person. “Phanarat Nopphakhun, 37, is being charged for the fake bomb scare at the airport. She faces a maximum fine of 200,000 baht, five…
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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