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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A Decade Ago: The wheels on the bus go round and round
PHUKET: Much like 2015, the island was battling a flagging tourism industry and scrambling for solutions in 2005. Though Airports of Thailand (AoT) said it couldn’t bring tourists back ‘alone’, it was looking to slash landing fees for both domestic and international flights to woo crowds to the island – little did they know that the time would come… and…
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Meth smuggler packs vagina
PHUKET: A woman was arrested in Phang Nga, north of Phuket, following the discovery of 760 pills of ya bah (methamphetamine) hidden inside her vagina. “The pills were packed into three plastic bags before being nestled into two condoms and inserted into the suspect’s vagina,” Takua Pa Police Deputy Superintendent Worawit Yamaree revealed today. The 33-year-old Laos national named by…
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Phuket police arrest member of Navy for drug running
PHUKET: Police arrested a member of the Royal Thai Navy and his companion after the two allegedly attempted to smuggle 120 kilograms of kratom leaves into Patong early this morning. Petty Officer First Class Jamnian Samorhom, 33, and Noppadol Wisetrat, 21, were moving the drugs into Phuket’s party town by using a ‘well-known’ convenience store truck, confirmed Lt Col Sutthichai…
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Maimed sea turtle treated in Phuket
PHUKET: A maimed female sea turtle was taken to the Phuket Marine Biological Center (PMBC) after it was washed ashore on an island off Ranong yesterday morning. The turtle, still too young to have laid her first eggs, was suffering from infections and exhaustion, Patcharaporn Kaewmong, a veterinarian at the PMBC explained. “We believe that the turtle lost its limbs…
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Lay Pang Beach getting bike lane, sidewalk
PHUKET: An ocean-view sidewalk and cycling path have been tabled to run along the once encroached-upon Lay Pang Beach, it was announced yesterday by Somchai Chanrod, chief inspector-general of the Ministry of Transport. The paths will run about three kilometers, with the bike lane being three meters wide and the sidewalk four meters wide. “If we receive positive feedback about…
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Rescued boatman rushed to hospital
PHUKET: The fourth survivor of a barge that sank between Koh Racha Yai and Koh Phi Phi on Tuesday is being transferred from Koh Ngai, where he was found this morning in weak condition, to Koh Lanta Hospital. Myanmar national Thar Hlaing, 46, was plucked from the sea and brought to Koh Ngai, southeast of Phuket, by a transport ship…
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Ace condo developers face more charges
PHUKET: The developers behind the unfinished Ace 1 condominium project in Phuket are facing multiple charges after dozens of buyers filed complaints seeking compensation for down payments on the project, which was scheduled to be complete in April this year. The company behind the project, Nine Property (Patong), was given two weeks from June 15 to address compensation to pre-build…
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Special Delivery: Drug network uses social media, post office
PHUKET: Enormous quantities of drugs are being shipped to Phuket through the Thai Postal system as island dealers buy in bulk through online social media platforms. “It has become more difficult catching drug dealers after they started using social media applications such as LINE and Facebook to buy and sell their products,” Director of the Narcotics Control Board (NCB) Sithisak…
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Silent alleged killer out on 500k baht bail
PHUKET: A second man wanted for the murder of a SuperCheap store manager turned himself in to Phuket City Police on Wednesday. Nattapong Thongsirthong, 24, arrived at the station with his lawyer after a warrant for his arrest was issued. “Mr Nattapong refused to answer any of our questions, saying that he would make his statements in front of the…
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Breaking News: Fourth survivor of sunken barge rescued
PHUKET: A fourth survivor from a barge that sank between Koh Racha Yai and Koh Phi Phi on Tuesday was found this morning by locals on Koh Ngai, southeast of Phuket. A naval rescue team is en route to the island in Trang province. The survivor, Myanmar national named only as Thar Hliang, 46,* is said by locals at the…
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Marine Office on lookout for boats defying warning
PHUKET: The local Marine Office chief has confirmed that captains taking boats under 12-meters long out from Phuket will be charged for disobeying the small-boat warning issued this week. The order is now for boats of 12 meters or less, down from the 24-meter-long boat order issued earlier this week (story here). However, Phuket Marine Office Chief Phuripat Theerakulpisut said…
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Body washes up on Patong beach
PHUKET: Police found the body of a man who had been reported missing by relatives on Sunday washed up on Patong Beach yesterday. Police told the Phuket Gazette yesterday that Suriya Rattanajan, 20, had been fishing on the rocks near Tri Trang Beach on Sunday when he was knocked into the water and dragged out to sea. “Mr Suriya’s relatives…
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Bungy-jump firm keeps quiet on compensation
PHUKET: World Bungy Jump in Patong has declined to confirm rumors that it has offered the family of a Kuwaiti tourist, who recently plunged to his death during a jump, compensation of up to 300,000 baht. However, the company’s representative Kullanan Samnuk revealed yesterday that negotiations are in fact being held with the family of the victim, 25-year-old Abdullah Adel…
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Three of six missing crew found alive
PHUKET: Three crew members of a barge that sank between Koh Racha Yai and Koh Phi Phi on Tuesday were found by locals and rescued from the sea off Koh Lanta yesterday and early this morning. The 30-meter barge Sintu Phuket 1 was transporting construction materials and a backhoe from Ao Makham to Koh Racha Yai when it sank in…
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Schools of Phuket fishermen scramble to get legal
PHUKET: The flood gates opened yesterday as hundreds of employers and migrant workers in the fishing industry queued up at Phuket’s newly-opened one-stop service center designed to get fishing boats and their crews legal. “I couldn’t believe there were that many people who needed to be taken care of,” said Capt Preecha Tuntiruk of the Third Naval Area Command, who…
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Video Report: Boat crews saved from sinking vessels
PHUKET: Crew members of the two boats which sank this morning off Koh Racha and Koh Hei (Coral Island) have been safely rescued by Marine Police. Meanwhile, search and rescue teams are still looking for the barge Sintu Phuket 1, which sank early yesterday morning, and its six crew members (story here). There were six people on the fishing trawler,…
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Three in Phuket arrested for involvement in UFUN pyramid scheme
PHUKET: Three suspects have been apprehended in Phuket for their alleged involvement in the international 10-billion-baht UFUN pyramid-scheme. Police first arrested Natthinont Puttathammarong, 42, yesterday afternoon at his car shop, NN Used Car, in front of the new bus terminal in Rassada. During the raid police seized a Mercedes-Benz E 250 8 and an Audi A7, together worth more than…
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Breaking News: One more boat sinks, one wrecked off Phuket
PHUKET: One boat sank and another was beached this morning off Phuket in the rough southwest monsoon seas, confirmed Phuket Marine Police Chief Panya Chaichana. “There were six people on the fishing trawler that sank at about 8:15am. There are 10 people on the other boat, which is currently wrecked on Koh Hei [Coral Island] and taking in water,” Mr…
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Phuket allocated B3.5bn for infrastructure upgrades
PHUKET: Road projects will make up half of the 3.5 billion baht worth of projects approved to make much-needed changes on the island, said Phuket Governor Nisit Jansomwong last week. The Highways Department has been awarded 1.75bn baht to improve the island’s infrastructure through four projects, confirmed Samak Luedwonghad, director of the Phuket Highways Office. First is a 550-million-baht underpass…
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Search for missing crew to halt at dark, says Navy
PHUKET: The search for the six crew members of the 30-meter barge Sintu Phuket 1 will carry on until dark, with stormy conditions continuing over the seas where the boat was lost early this morning, about 25 kilometers south of Phuket (story here). “We suspect that the ship sank northeast of Koh Racha Yai, and have been focusing our search…
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Two meth dealers busted in Phuket
PHUKET: Police arrested two dealers and seized more than 2 million baht in assets over the weekend. Police first apprehended 41-year-old Jaruek Sittisak, also known as ‘Bang Dam Koh Kaew’, in Soi Koh Kaew 24 on Friday in possession of 200 pills of ya bah (methamphetamine). “After we arrested him, we accompanied him to a shack where he kept his…
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Cash out Phuket: Kbank to close services for 48 hours
PHUKET: Kasikorn Bank (Kbank) has advised all bank customers on Phuket to plan ahead as it will be closing all banking services, including ATMs, for 48 hours next week. Customers will be unable to use Kbank services from 10pm on Friday, July 17 to 10pm on Sunday, July 19. “We are aware that this will affect a lot of our…
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Six missing as ship sinks between Koh Racha and Phi Phi
PHUKET: Six people remain missing after a boat sank between Koh Racha Yai and Koh Phi Phi at about 3:55am today. The Navy was informed of the sinking and immediately dispatched a search team for those on board the vessel, which was carrying construction materials and a backhoe from Ao Makham to Koh Racha Yai. “We were first alerted by…
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Myanmar workers protest foreman assault
PHUKET: More than 100 Myanmar laborers from Care Con Co Ltd gathered to protest the assault of a coworker at the company’s construction site in Thalang on Saturday. Police spent 30 minutes talking to protesters before taking the suspect and victim to the police station for questioning. “Foreman Atipong Saenboon, 28, confessed to threatening Sai Min Lin, 22, with a…
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Phuket native headed to Miss Universe Thailand 2015 final
PHUKET: Phuket native Chavika Watsang, 19, is asking island residents to vote for her as ‘Miss Popular 2015’ as she awaits the final round of the Miss Universe Thailand competition. Ms Chavika attended Plukpanya School before graduating and going to Srinagarindra the Princess Mother School in Phuket, her father, Chairat Watsang, told the Phuket Gazette today. “Now she is in…
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Alleged robbery victim found dead next day
PHUKET: The alleged victim of a robbery on Friday evening was found dead, hanging from the door to the rooftop terrace of her apartment building yesterday morning. Jantana Seangdee, 37, filed a report with Phuket City Police that two thieves robbed her of her brother’s 400,000 baht in cash after kicking her off her motorbike and stealing her bag (story…
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Kenyan arrested with allegedly fake passport, pharmaceuticals
PHUKET: A Kenyan national was arrested at Phuket International Airport on Saturday night for carrying an extensive amount of pharmaceuticals and an allegedly fake passport. Josphat Gikundi Gichunuku, 35, entered Thailand via a flight from Dubai, confirmed Phuket Tourist Police Chief Urumporn Koondejsumrit. “As Mr Gichunuku proceeded through the immigration queue, the officer checking his passport noticed several suspicious aspects…
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Small boats ordered to stay ashore, day trips cancelled
PHUKET: Day-trip tourists are to remain ashore today after Phuket officials ordered that all boats less than nine meters remain on the island until further notice. “The order became effective today. We’ll see what the weather does and make adjustments accordingly. I’m expecting to have to order boats smaller than 12 meters to keep ashore soon,” Phuket Marine Office Chief…
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Iranian tourist drowns at Patong Beach
PHUKET: An Iranian tourist drowned at Patong Beach Saturday night after getting dragged out to sea by a strong current. Hasan Fhakhr, 30, was pulled out of the water near the Patong Police box at about 6:30pm by lifeguards. They immediately administered cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) for about 15 minutes, until an ambulance arrived to transfer him to Patong Hospital. Mr…
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Spike in Phuket seafood prices blamed on monsoon weather
PHUKET: An island official is attributing local fishermen’s unwillingness to go offshore and a resulting spike in seafood prices to monsoon-season sea conditions, rather than a reaction to recent, strict regulation changes to combat Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing practices. “This is not purely a protest. I have spoken to a lot of fishermen, and they have told me…
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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