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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Human trafficking charges dropped against three suspects
PHUKET: Human trafficking charges were dropped against three men who confessed to illegally smuggling 53 people from Myanmar to Thailand. The Takuapa Provincial Court judge said that the prosecution lacked sufficient evidence to prove that Phoowarin Boonlieng, 18, Prakob Mard-Ardum, 43, and Songphol Klaimee, 20, had used ‘means of the threat or use of force, abduction, fraud, deception, abuse of…
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Phuket tour company employing Nepalis shut down
PHUKET: A local tour company was shut down Wednesday night for hiring Nepali agents to sell tour packages at the company’s counter in Patong. Santi Pawai, director of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports (MOTS) Phuket office, told the Phuket Gazette that the company had ignored several warnings from the MOTS about their staff. “It had come to the point…
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Phuket Gazette re-designs to go national
PHUKET: The Phuket Gazette hard-copy newspaper that hits the streets today is truly national in circulation and boasts a re-design to the ‘compact’ format that’s set to be the wave of the future. By joining the compacts of such esteemed publications as the The Wall Street Journal, The Telegraph, the Times of London, the Daily Mail, Bild and scores of…
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Superyacht crew visas slated for November
PHUKET: Special visas for foreign-flagged superyacht crew is expected to be rolled out by November, confirmed the Tourism and Sports Minister Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul. The ‘new package’ for superyachts will include changes in law for visas, as well as tax exemptions, all timed to line up with an international superyacht show organized by the Ministry of Transport, explained Ms Kobkarn. “The…
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GM takes wheel at Cassia Phuket
PHUKET: Banyan Tree has appointed a new General Manager for the company’s most recent hotel residences, Cassia Phuket. Ilias Vamvakas will be taking the reins at this the third property in the company’s portfolio after having worked and led teams in various hotels around the world, including: Sandals Grande St Lucia Spa & Beach Resort and The Sealine Beach Resort…
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PM Prayut invokes Article 44 to sack PPAO President
PHUKET: Prime Minister Gen Prayut Chan-o-cha wielded Article 44 of the interim charter to temporarily suspend Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (PPAO) President Paiboon Upatising from his post without pay. The order signed today names a number of government officials throughout Thailand. Mr Paiboon was the only Phuket official on the list. “The reason the government has temporarily removed me from…
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Phuket Tourist Police expect new facility to boost performance
PHUKET: The Phuket Tourist Police have opened up three new facilities for officers in hopes of boosting their performance. “We have a new meeting room for training officers, a Command and Control Operations Center [CCOC] for information gathering and a new gym to keep the officers healthy,” said Tourist Police Commander Apichai Ti-amataya. “Our policy is to create a professional…
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Injured turtle found tangled in fishing net at Phuket beach
PHUKET: An injured sea turtle found trapped in a fishing net in front of JW Marriott Phuket Resort and Spa in Mai Khao was rescued Tuesday morning. Kusoldharm Foundation rescue workers were called to the scene by hotel security at about 7:30am. Hotel employees had already helped free the turtle from the net by the time rescue workers arrived. “The…
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Police crack drug-dealing network, seize war weapon
PHUKET: Police have cracked open a drug and weapons network after arresting two methamphetamine dealers in possession of a weapon of war and other guns in Phuket on Monday. Thammanoon Kaewsirnuon, 31, and Khlongsiri Rorngsakul, 24, were caught at their rental house in Thalang on Monday, after police were tipped off by a man named by officers only as ‘Pop’,…
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World Bungy Jump closes doors, tower demolished
PHUKET: World Bungy Jump in Patong closed its doors for good and demolished its bungy-jump tower on Monday after a tourist suffered fatal injuries during a jump last month. “The owner, Vinat Chanthornwiboonkul, decided on his own to close the business. We don’t want to put anyone at risk at our bungy jump, and we are very sorry about the…
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Colombians arrested for Phuket car robbery
PHUKET: Police have arrested two Colombian suspects for the professional-style robbery of a car in the parking lot of Tesco Lotus Thalang on Sunday (story here). Daniel Guerrero Ariza, 28, and Jean Ortega Duarte, 21, were arrested on Monday when they went to return a car they had rented from a shop in Ao Nang, Krabi. Both men have denied…
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Eviction notice posted at Nui Beach establishments
PHUKET: Karon Municipality and Naval officers have issued a 30-day eviction notice for several establishments on Nui Beach after the court confirmed that the owner unlawfully possesses the land. The news follows a raid of the beach in February that investigated complaints by locals that mafia thugs were charging people a fee to use the public beach (story here). Last…
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Hong Kong tourist caught reporting false robbery in Chalong
PHUKET: A Hong Kong tourist has been arrested in Chalong for making a false police report on Sunday morning. At about 1:30am Chalong Police called the Tourist Police hotline to assist them with a robbery complaint. When Phuket Tourist Police arrived they found 22-year-old Wong Wai Ki Warwick Taboctabo – who told police he is from Hong Kong, but holds…
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Girl shocked by exposed wire in Phuket
PHUKET: A 10-year-old girl survived an electric shock after she accidentally stepped on an exposed wire on Khao Rang yesterday. Nisreen Klongsamuth was rushed to Vachira Phuket Hospital after the accident, but was released today after doctors confirmed she was in good health. “She is safe. She does not have inflammatory cardiomyopathy [inflammation of the heart muscle] following the incident.…
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Phuket officials netted in gambling raid
PHUKET: A couple of local officials were among those arrested during the raid of an illegal gambling den near Khao Naka in Phuket on Sunday night. Kamala Tambon Administration Organization (OrBorTor) council member Sommai Kritsan and the village headman for Chalong Moo 1, Pradit Ongsantipap, were among the 26 arrested during the joint-police operation. “We received a tip-off that there…
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Sea gypsies beg for protection after “gun threats’
PHUKET: About 200 Rawai sea gypsies yesterday begged Phuket authorities for protection after a group of men allegedly threatened to shoot them if they moved concrete blocks that had been placed on the public access road to their village. “Last month, a group of men put concrete barriers on the path between the beach and our village, which we have…
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Myanmar national found dead in workers’ camp
PHUKET: A Myanmar national found dead in a workers’ camp is thought to have died by electrocution, reported Chalong Police. Police and Ruamjai Foundation rescue workers were called to the scene in Soi Luang Phu Supha off Chao Fa West Road at about 5:30pm, where they found the body of Myint Myint Win, 31, lying on a wet floor near…
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Foreigners suspected in Tesco carpark robbery
PHUKET: Police are looking for at least three men, thought to be foreigners, who robbed a car in broad daylight at Tesco Lotus Thalang. “When we arrived, Pasuk Ohara, 43, was standing with her son and his friend near the car. The right side back window had been removed,” said Lt Wichote Meepop of Thalang Police. “Mrs Pasuk told us…
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Motorists escape serious injury in chain-reaction crash
PHUKET: Three motorists narrowly escaped serious injury in Phuket when a motorbike driver fell off her bike and caused a chain-reaction accident on Thepkrasattri Road yesterday. Thalang Police arrived at the scene to find major traffic tailbacks in the southbound lane, a totalled Toyota sedan wrapped around a utility pole, a badly damaged pick-up truck and motorbike in the middle…
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Owners deny sending ‘muscle’ to threaten Phuket squatters
PHUKET: Chalong landowners have asked island officials for justice and transparency in an investigation into a complaint filed by locals earlier this month claiming that the landowners had sent ‘men in black’ to threaten them for encroaching on the land. Samran Sanyanuphap and Sulak Kunarak, two of the landowners listed on the Chanote for the disputed 70 rai of land…
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Governor checks Phuket Airport’s MERS control efforts
PHUKET: Island officials gave Phuket International Airport’s MERS prevention efforts a check-up on Friday to ensure the airport was able to identify passengers from South Korea and the Middle East who may be carrying the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome-Coronavirus (Mers-CoV). No passengers from these risk countries have been suspected of carrying MERS, said Phuket Provincial Health Organization (PPHO) Chief Kajohnsak…
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One killed, two seriously injured in Phuket motorcycle crash
PHUKET: One Phuket resident was killed and three others injured early this morning, when three men on a motorbike ran a red light in Thalang and collided with another man on a motorcycle. Police arrived at the Khao Lan junction on Thepkrasattri Road, just south of Tesco Thalang, at about 1:30am and found the body of Suriya Chaikul, 34. “On…
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Phuket villagers switch off EGAT’s power-line plan
PHUKET: The Electricity Generating Authority of Thailand (EGAT) has changed its plan to run a 500-kilovolt power-line through Thalang after local villagers filed a complaint about the project last month. EGAT decided to use one of the suggestions put forth by the protestors in their first complaint (story here) and install the new 500KV line along the same path as…
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Foreign-flagged superyacht charter licence defined
PHUKET: The final regulations and requirements for a one-year permit that will allow foreign-flagged superyachts to charter in Thailand were announced at a public meeting in Phuket today. The chartering licence is expected to be signed off by the Ministry of Transport next month, confirmed Marine Department Director-General Chula Sukmanop today (story here). “We are confident that licence registration will…
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Police insist on safe driving in monsoon weather
PHUKET: The head of Phuket traffic police has urged motorists to proceed with caution in their daily journeys during the heavy rains this weekend. “People should be very cautious during this rainy weather, especially motorcycle drivers and passengers. The roads will be slippery, so people should drive with care and make sure they are wearing helmets,” Phuket Provincial Police Deputy…
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Phuket police not worried about checkpoint warnings on social media
PHUKET: Phuket police are not worried about social media users posting warnings for motorists about standard checkpoints on the island, but will consider pressing charges if a post helps street-racing youths avoid authorities. The news follows a report by The Nation this week that police in Bangkok are considering taking legal action against those who post locations of checkpoints online…
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Inaugural Laguna Phuket Junior Golf Tournament tees off this weekend
PHUKET: The newly upgraded Laguna Phuket Golf Club will host the very first Laguna Phuket Junior Golf Tournament on Sunday. Working in partnership with British International School, Phuket (BISP), the event is aimed at growing the game of golf with tomorrow’s future champions. “Both Laguna Phuket Golf Club and BISP are committed to growing the game of golf in Phuket.…
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Video Report: Le Meridien lifeguard training to boost island safety
PHUKET: Lifeguard training recently took place on Le Meridien Phuket Beach Resort’s secluded beach to train guards from 11 different properties in Phuket. The day was split into four sections with practical training at the beginning and end, and theory and first-aid training sandwiched in the middle, explained Surf Life Saving Australia Trainer and Assessor David Field, who has been…
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Rawai Mayor looks to ban pets in work camps
PHUKET: Rawai Mayor Aroon Solos revealed plans yesterday to prohibit those living in worker camps from owning pets as part of a new strategy to control dogs in the southern part of the island. “We have no issues with people raising pets. However, when workers leave the camps the dogs are usually left behind, which has turned into a serious…
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Dengue fever spreads in Krabi, Phuket safe
PHUKET: More than 400 people have been diagnosed with dengue fever in Krabi since January as the mosquito-borne disease spreads in the coastal province east of Phuket. “There has been one fatal case in Krabi so far,” confirmed Phuket Provinical Health Office (PPHO) Chief Kajohnsak Kaewjarus. “However, everything is under control in Phuket.” Krabi is currently ranked among the top…
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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