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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Dear Mr Vard, file a complaint – we’ll take it from there, says Navy
PHUKET: The leading representative in Phuket for the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) has called on Colin Vard to file a formal complaint so that the Royal Thai Navy can launch an investigation into allegations of inaction by police into death threats, kidnapping and property fraud. The call follows Mr Vard’s 15-year-old daughter Jessie posting a video on…
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Phuket Air Show & Fly’n to go ‘extreme circus’ tomorrow
PHUKET: The Phuket Aviation Club will host its first ‘Air Show & Fly’n’ event from 8am until sunset at Phuket Airpark in Pa Khlok tomorrow. Entry to the event is free of charge and the show will feature a wide variety of aviation activities and competitions. “For anyone who joins us tomorrow, a fun-filled day is guaranteed,” Show Director Pat…
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Video Report: NCPO hotline chief investigator ditches Phuket call to prayer complaint
PHUKET: The chief investigator from the Prime Minister’s Office today confirmed that the national complaint center will not be taking any further action against a mosque at Cape Panwa for allegedly disturbing its neighbors by playing their daily calls to prayer too loudly. Phuket Governor Nisit Jansomwong last Thursday was forced to disband a mob of more than 100 local…
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Teen nabbed for selling illegally imported power tools in Phuket Town
PHUKET: Police arrested a teenager yesterday for illegally importing and attempting to sell power tools worth more than 50,000 baht. Sarawut Boonlai, from Nakhon Phanom, was arrested in possession of 65 different power tools – including planers, grinders, circular saws, and orbital sanders – after police received a tip-off that he had been selling the tools on the sidewalk of…
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Scores of athletes join Run for Health charity event
PHUKET: More than 100 athletes turned out for the Phuket International Hospital’s annual “Run for Health, Run for Charity Mini Marathon” on February 22, with the winners receiving trophies granted by HRH Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn. “This is the third year that Phuket International Hospital has organized this event. It will be a great honor to have HRH Princess Maha…
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Mystery briefcase causes bomb scare in Phuket
PHUKET: A frightened supermarket worker urgently called police after discovering an unattended briefcase on a table in front of the store, only meters from Cherng Talay Police Station, last night. “The member of staff from Big One supermarket on Srisoonthorn Road called 191 at about 8pm because they suspected that the briefcase might contain a bomb,” said Lt Chanasin Prateepnathalang…
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Unidentified body found under bridge in northern Phuket
PHUKET: Police are attempting to identify the body of a possible murder victim found under a bridge in northern Phuket this morning. Officers from the Tah Chat Chai Police arrived at the scene, under a bridge on the road leading to the now closed Imperial Adamas Beach Resort in Nai Yang, at about 10am. “We believe that the man, who…
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New 100-baht banknote honors King Taksin “The Great’
PHUKET: New 100-baht banknotes are available at commercial banks in Phuket and elsewhere throughout the country starting today, staff at the Bank of Thailand confirmed to the Phuket Gazette this morning. Bank of Thailand Deputy Governor Paiboon Kittisrikangwan unveiled the new “Series 16” banknote on Tuesday. “The design is to honor King Taksin ‘The Great’ for his contributions to the…
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Cricket: Thalang rue wrath of Khan as Laguna top table
PHUKET: Laguna opening batsman Ali Khan smashed seven 4s and eight 6s – including three in a row from Thalang bowler Gary Lane – to take Laguna to the top of the Phuket Cricket Group’s (PCG) senior league at the Alan Cooke Ground (ACG) in Thalang last Sunday. Khan smashed balls back out of the ground as quickly as they…
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Man dies after slamming motorbike into parked trailer
PHUKET: A unidentified man died after he slammed his motorbike into the back of a parked 10-wheeled trailer in central Phuket last night. Police arrived at the scene on Srisoonthorn Road heading toward Cherng Talay, about 350 meters from the Heroines’ Monument, at about 11:15pm to find the man dead at the scene. “The man had sustained fatal injuries to…
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Swedes continue to dominate Kamala Bowls Majors
PHUKET: Swedes continued to dominate the ongoing series of major competitions at the Kamala Lawn Bowl Club last Saturday as Uffe Egerstaad saw off late challenge from South African Garry Anderson to win the Phuket Open Singles Championships. Bowlers from seven countries competed in the tourney, and the high caliber of this year’s field saw no clear favorite. This was…
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Old Town Festival returns to the heart of Phuket
PHUKET: The 16th annual Phuket Old Town Festival begins today and will continue through Saturday to celebrate Phuket’s unique culture and traditions. The festival will get underway from 4pm, on four roads in the heart of Phuket Town: Thalang Road, Soi Rommanee, Krabi Road and Phang Nga Road. “This is the 16th year we have held the festival. We always…
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Irish teen pleads for justice over alleged Phuket corruption, death threats, kidnapping
PHUKET: A video posted on the Facebook page “Justice for Jessie” has gone viral as 15-year-old Irish girl Jessie Vard pleads for justice for her family, who have allegedly suffered from years of police corruption, death threats, property fraud and kidnapping. Jessie posted the video denouncing the Thai police and justice system ahead of her 61-year-old father, Colin Vard, appearing…
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Funeral services for Phuket expat, developer Stephen Paine announced
PHUKET: Viewing and prayers for well-known property developer and long-time Phuket resident Stephen Paine will begin tomorrow at Wat Thep Vanaram in Baan Manik, Thalang. Mr Paine passed away at his villa in Phuket on Saturday (story here). Services will be held daily from 6:30pm to 7:30pm, and will conclude on Friday. Final funeral rites and the cremation will be…
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Video Report: Illegal tuk-tuk drivers urge Phuket Gov to expedite registration
PHUKET: A group of illegal tuk-tuk drivers drove to Phuket Provincial Hall today to request the governor’s help, as their application process has dragged on for months following the crackdown on illegal drivers last year. “The National Council for Peace and Order’s crackdown on illegal taxis has put us out of work for months,” Anan Plermjit, a representative of the…
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Jomhod wins MMA debut at Full Metal Dojo 4 (video)
PHUKET: Muaythai legend Jomhod Kiatadisak won his first foray into mixed martial arts (MMA) by defeating Cambodian Vorn “Kun Khmer” Viva at the Full Metal Dojo 4 fight event in Bangkok on Saturday. Jomhod, a former Lumpinee and Rajadamnern muaythai champion who now trains at Tiger Muay Thai in Phuket, defeated Vorn by unanimous decision after three rounds. The fight…
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Phi Phi boat owner charged for “aquarium in the wild’
PHUKET: An “aquarium in the wild” boat owner was fined 10,000 baht for improper use of his boat after a Facebook post criticized the operation of breaking the law. The large fish hold of Lok Tai Taley (World Under the Water) had been converted to allow fish to swim freely into it and guests to walk among them, Maj Anurak…
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Brit found dead after night of drinking
PHUKET: The body of a 32-year-old British national was found floating off Coral Island today. The man, whose name is being withheld until next of kin are notified, was last seen drinking at the bar at Coral Island Resort last night. “The tourist checked into the resort on Saturday and was staying alone. He was last seen drinking heavily at…
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Phuket FC squander chance to go top
PHUKET: The island’s premier football club, Phuket FC, threw away their chance to climb to the top of the Yamaha League One division with a 1-1 draw against top side BBCU at Surakul Stadium last night. BBCU almost had a dream start to the match. In the third minute of play, Nakul Pinthong fired in a free kick from the…
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Motorcyclist dies in collision on “shortcut’ to Phuket Airport
PHUKET: A woman remains in hospital after a fatal car accident left one motorbike rider dead on the road running parallel to the runway at Phuket International Airport yesterday afternoon. Officers were called to the scene at 5:15pm, confirmed Lt Col Sarit Butnongsang of the Tah Chat Chai Police. “We arrived at the scene to find a Honda Wave motorcycle…
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Phuket airport taxi flips, Chinese tourist family escape serious injury
PHUKET: A family of three Chinese tourists, including a 5-year-old boy, escaped serious injury on Saturday when the taxi they were in flipped and hit a power pole on Thepkrasattri Road while they were heading to Phuket International Airport. Officers from the Thalang Police were called to the scene of the crash, near Muang Thalang School, at about 11am. The…
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Phuket beach ban rules in handouts, on signs within weeks
PHUKET: In a move to inform Phuket tourists of the latest beach bans and what rules are in force on the sands, Phuket Governor Nisit Jansomwong has ordered that leaflets be handed out at the beaches in four languages. Artwork for the leaflets in English, Thai, Chinese and Russian have been issued to all local administrations, Governor Nisit told the…
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Long-time Phuket resident, developer Stephen Paine passes away
PHUKET: Well-known property developer and long-time Phuket resident Stephen Paine suddenly passed away peacefully this morning. For nearly two decades, Mr Paine was a respected and admired member of the Phuket community. His property development achievements included Surin Heights and the Malaiwana Estate. “Stephen was a generous, compassionate and loyal friend to many on the island and will be greatly…
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No ban on chartered flights, confirms AoT Phuket official
PHUKET: Phuket International Airport has no plans to ban chartered flights, despite a Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) directive ordering the airport to give priority to commercial passenger flights, an AoT Phuket official confirmed today. “Chartered flights have not been banned from landing at Phuket Airport. However, we must follow the DCA’s directive, which states that commercial passenger airlines with…
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Phuket Chinese New Year tour bus slams into motorcyclists, houses
PHUKET: A bus hired by a tour company to take Chinese tourists on a four-day excursion from Krabi to Phuket slammed into two motorcyclists last night, before careening into five shophouses. One of the motorbike riders remains in hospital with head injuries. The 13 Chinese tourists on the bus were unscathed, receiving only minor cuts and bruises. “We received a…
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Chinese New Year pushes Phuket occupancy to 99%
PHUKET: Chinese New Year festivities saw occupancy at registered Phuket hotels hit 99%, despite a projected overall year-on-year decrease in occupancy in the first quarter, said Krisada Tansakul, vice president of Phuket Tourist Association (PTA). In anticipation of a slight downturn in traditional Western markets, many hotels on the island set aside rooms at prices designed to target the Chinese…
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Phuket sports office appeals to Tourism Minister for better facilities
PHUKET: Saroj Angkanapilas, president of the Sport Association of Thailand Phuket office, recently made a special appeal to Tourism and Sports Minister Kobkarn Wattanavrangkul to help develop the island’s sports facilities. “Phuket has held many sports tournaments, both national and international, some of which were very important,” Mr Saroj told the minister. “But as people can see, although we do…
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VIDEO REPORT: Muaythai champ heads to Bangkok for MMA showdown
FORMER Lumpinee and Rajadamnern muaythai champion Jomhod Kiatadisak will make his transition to pro MMA complete today, when he takes on top Cambodian fighter Vorn Viva at Full Metal Dojo 4 in Bangkok. Keeping the fight even, Vorn Viva will also be competing in his first MMA fight, to be held at Live House, located near Bangkok’s famed Chatuchak Market.…
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Police nail Phuket drug dealer with weapons of war (video)
PHUKET: The arrest of a petty drug user on Wednesday led to police busting a major drug dealer who was found in possession of an M16 assault rifle yesterday. Surasak Rabeabdee, 32, was arrested in a raid on a house in Kuku, north of Phuket Town, Phuket Provincial Police Deputy Commander Peerayuth Karajedee said today. “In the house, officers found…
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Police shoot out drug dealer’s tyres in high-speed chase
PHUKET: Phuket police involved in a high-speed car chase with a drug dealer on Tuesday were forced to shoot out the front tyres of the suspect’s vehicle to stop her escape. Roh Kaewdam, 49, fled the scene of a drug bust near Gems Gallery on the bypass road and headed north toward Bang Ku intersection in a pick-up truck with…
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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