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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Legendary Thai rocker Carabao in Phuket for New Year countdown concert
PHUKET: Legendary Thai folk-rock artist Yuenyong Opakul, better known by his stage name Ad Carabao, is set to headline three-days of entertainment in Phuket Town to count down to the New Year. The “Colorful Countdown Phuket 2015” will usher in the New Year with light shows and live concerts at Sanam Chai Park, across the road from Phuket Provincial Hall,…
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Cricket: Island CC wrestles victory from jaws of defeat in Phuket
PHUKET: Fiery old rivalries were reignited on Sunday when Patong CC faced Island CC in the second fixture of the 2014/2015 Senior League season at the Alan Cooke Ground. In a match that saw the T20 finalists face Patong’s players hoping to exact retribution after their defeat in September, it was the Islanders who claimed victory by a solitary run…
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Phuket police investigate apparent murder-suicide
PHUKET: Police have yet to rule out foul play in what appears to be a murder-suicide by a Trang official at a Patong hotel yesterday. Officers were called to Baan Ton Sai Garden Resort Hotel at 4pm, said Lt Col Pratuang Polmana of the Patong Police. The body of Yuwadee Sriket, 29, was naked on the bed, covered by a…
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Phuket beach vendors return for trial run
PHUKET: Vendors renting out umbrellas, offering massages or selling food and drinks are allowed to return to Phuket’s beaches – but not vendors who rent out sun-loungers or beach chairs. Governor Nisit Jansomwong delivered the news at a meeting at Provincial Hall yesterday, when he laid down a stringent list of conditions under which beach vendors will be permitted to…
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Phuket takes to water for New Year “Seven days of Danger’ campaign
PHUKET: Safety measures to reduce and prevent accidents on Phuket’s roads, as well as the surrounding sea, will be rolled out on December 30. The Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) will be heading the annual Seven Days of Danger safety campaign for the New Year holidays. The campaign will run from December 30 through January 5. On the…
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Phuket underpass to partially close
PHUKET: The southbound lane of the underpass adjacent to Central Festival Phuket will be closed Friday and Saturday nights, from 9pm to 6am, the Phuket Gazette confirmed today. “We have to close the southbound lane so that we can work on the roof,” said project manager Narong Horee. “Motorists heading north can use the underpass as normal.” Wichit Police Deputy…
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Phi Phi resort partner, dive boat captain arrested
PHUKET: Police arrested a dive boat captain who is also a co-owner of a bungalow resort on Phi Phi Island for possession of methamphetamine and drug paraphernalia yesterday. Acting on a tip-off, officers arrived at the house of 45-year-old Preecha Riabrieng, in Rassada, at about 6:30pm. “We received information from a source about a suspected drug dealer operating on Phi…
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Phuket 7-Elevens to join crime-fighting campaign in New Year
PHUKET: All Phuket 7-Eleven convenience stores are set to join a campaign to improve police response times by early next year, it was announced this week. The campaign, taking advantage of the number of 7-Eleven stores on the island and their visibility, will see staffers trained to receive crime reports and contact police on the behalf of victims. Representatives from…
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Illuzion offers sneak peek in Phuket tonight
PHUKET: Illuzion, an interactive show and discotheque, will offer a sneak preview tonight of the dazzling grand-opening show on Soi Bangla tomorrow. In the center of Jungceylon, near the water fountain, a Rihanna tribute band will kick off the pre-opening show at 6pm. Following Rihanna on stage will be a Lady Gaga tribute, with what organizers are calling a “Paparazzi…
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Phuket’s We Freedive Suunto Series finish with breath-holding trinity Sunday
PHUKET: The We Freedive Suunto Series 2014 comes to a close this Sunday with competitors taking deep breaths before launching into a trinity of events: Static Apnea, Dynamic No Fins (DNF) and Dynamic with Fins (DYN). It will be a tight race for overall winner of the series with American Walter Johnson leading Melanie Long from the UK with just…
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Australian Embassy to hold consular outreach in Phuket
PHUKET: The Consular Section of the Australian Embassy in Bangkok will visit Phuket on January 21 in order to offer consular, passport and notarial services to Australians in Phuket. The outreach visit will be held from 9am to 3pm at the offices of Hawryluk Legal Advisors on the bypass road (map here). During this visit, the consular staff will provide…
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Body found in pond behind Phuket temple
PHUKET: Police are attempting to identify the body of a man found floating in a pond behind Wat Saensuk, in Phuket Town, on Tuesday. The body was spotted floating on the water’s surface by the owner of the nearby Soi Thong restaurant. “I was at my restaurant feeding the fish in the pond when I saw what looked like a…
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Italy-Brazil duo win ITF beach tennis tourney in Phuket
PHUKET: Alessandro Calbucci of Italy and his partner Vinicius Font of Brazil have been crowned champions of the inaugural Phuket Beach Tennis Tournament. Calbucci and Font outplayed runners-up Nikita Burmakin and Sergey Kuptsov of Russia to win the ITF-sanctioned event, which was held over three days at the Outrigger Laguna Phuket Beach Resort at Bang Tao, culminating with the final…
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Monster Phuket python caught, decade record set
PHUKET: Rescue workers wrangled a six-meter-long python out from under a Phuket home owner’s house early this morning. “It took us about two hours to remove the snake. It was absolutely huge. Weighing about 80kg, it was by far the biggest snake we’ve caught in the past 10 years,” said Sayan Thammapan, Ruamjai Rescue Foundation team leader. “When we received…
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Thais score Suzuki Cup first-leg win over Malaysia
PHUKET: Thailand struck two late goals, including a penalty, to snatch a 2-0 first-leg home win over Malaysia in the Suzuki Cup final last night which was just reward for their relentless pressure in an action-packed game. They broke the deadlock with 18 minutes remaining when Charyl Chappuis converted a spot kick before Kroekrit Taweekarn sealed the victory with a…
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Phuket’s Chinese, Ukrainian visa-runners allowed unlimited re-entries
PHUKET: Phuket’s Chinese and Ukrainian tourists are now allowed an unlimited number of re-entries through the popular visa-run checkpoint at Khuan Don in Satun, on the Malaysian border. However, the same privilege has not been extended to foreigners who enter Thailand on “visa-exemption” status, the same form of entry that sparked the visa-run crackdown earlier this year, confirmed Col Peemadej…
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Frenchman uses Phuket Facebook group to sell chop-shop rebuild
PHUKET: Police arrested a Frenchman in Patong today for the theft of a motorcycle that he stripped to re-build his own bike, which he then sold through a Phuket Facebook group. Mathieu Alfano, 28, was arrested at his rental room on Phra Barami Road in Patong for the theft of a PCX150 Honda from Nanai Road on December 3. “We…
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Phuket young sailors to vie for SEA Games selection
PHUKET: Two exceptional young Phuket sailors – Nattapong “Max” Yuang-ngam, 13, and Cartoon “Toon” Jundet, 12 – have received personal invitations to attend the National Optimist qualifiers for selection to represent Thailand at the 28th Southeast Asian Games in Singapore next year. Max and Toon, both from the Phuket Youth Sailing Club (PYSC) based at Cape Panwa, will travel to…
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Phuket officials postpone Christmas Day tsunami drill
PHUKET: Phuket officials have postponed a full-scale tsunami drill that was planned for Christmas Day, following a number of complaints from victims’ families who are preparing for the 10th anniversary of the tragedy on Boxing Day. “We have cancelled plans to hold the full-scale drill on Christmas Day after receiving feedback from the victims’ families, who feel that the drill…
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We’re ready for next Phuket tsunami, says expert
PHUKET: Phuket hosted “The Next Tsunami Zero Lost” conference last week, during which more than 100 experts from about 12 countries reviewed emergency medical procedures to ensure the recovery, safety and survival of tsunami victims. “We are prepared for the next natural disaster, and have continued to work closely with Japan International Cooperation Agency [JICA] to stay abreast of developments,”…
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Phuket Town Post Office opens Drive-Thru service
PHUKET: The main post office in Phuket Town has launched a new drive-through service so that customers no longer need to leave the comfort of their cars to pay bills or send mail. “Our new Drive-Thru Post service is more convenient, and there is no need for us to provide more parking spaces,” said Sukrit Phayu, acting director of the…
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Phuket Poll: Do you trust the Thai police?
PHUKET: The Royal Thai Police force is fighting off a barrage of slurs to its reputation to the extent that even the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) has recognized the problem as its top “Health & Safety” concern for tourists (here). The recognition comes amid headlines of the ongoing corruption investigation centered on former Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) chief Pongpat…
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Tourist hit by parasailing boat at Phuket beach
PHUKET: A Russian tourist is still in hospital after being hit by a speedboat while swimming at a Phuket beach on Wednesday. Sergey Kuzennyy, 55, was swimming outside of a swimming zone when he was struck by the blades of a parasailing speedboat’s propeller, said Phuket Marine Office Chief Phuripat Theerakulpisut. Mr Kuzennyy suffered five deep lacerations to his leg…
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Phuket tour bus crashes, 10 injured
PHUKET: Six tourists remain in hospital after their Phuket tour bus crashed on a sharp turn in adverse weather conditions in Phang Nga yesterday. Rescue workers were forced to use the “jaws of life” tool to cut free one of the 11 injured people travelling in the An Xin Tour Phuket bus, explained Lt Col Sanea Ukot of the Phang…
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Phuket sinkhole accident victim, Molly, 7, dies
PHUKET: Molly Anne Bailey, the 7-year-old girl who was critically injured when the pick-up truck she was travelling in plunged into a sinkhole in central Phuket last week, has died. “Her parents decided to let Molly go by taking her off her life-support on Saturday night after doctors said she had no chance of recovering,” Lt Col Yongyuth Kongmala of…
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Phuket official denies B5k fine for beachside parking ‘on sidewalk’
PHUKET: A Karon official has warned island-residents to obey the law or face the consequences, after a Phuket Gazette reader wrote in today about an alleged 5,000-baht fine for parking on a sidewalk. “On Friday, I parked my motorbike near the big statue of a snake [naga] at Karon Beach, like I’ve done for the past 11 years, but this…
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Patong bag-snatchers nabbed “within minutes’
PHUKET: Police arrested two men on the streets of Patong early this morning after a spate of bag-snatch thefts were reported within minutes of each other. Theerayut Dalem, 22, and Sarawut Apichai, 19, both from Kantang, Trang, were arrested shortly after 3am, explained Col Jirapat Phochanaphan of the Patong Police. Mr Theerayut was arrested on the beach road at about…
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NFL Week 15: Cardinals grind out win over Chiefs
PHUKET: The Arizona Cardinals won their second straight game on Thursday night football by grinding out a 12-7 home win over a lackluster Kansas City Chiefs (7-6), but the win saw their quarterback Drew Stanton leave the game with a worrisome right knee injury. The injury came as a big setback for the Cardinals, now 11-3, who had the best…
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Girl remains in ICU after truck crashes into Phuket sinkhole
PHUKET: A 7-year-old girl remains in Vachira Phuket Hospital’s Intensive Care Unit (ICU) after the pick-up truck she was riding in crashed into a massive sinkhole in a road in northern Phuket on Thursday. The sinkhole first started to form last month when heavy rains washed away part of Rural Road 4008 off Thepkrasattri Road, near Bang Jo Prison in…
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Phuket jet-skis get green light
PHUKET: Governor Nisit Jansomwong has revealed a raft of new rules for jet-ski operators to abide by when renting their jet-skis out to tourists at Phuket beaches. “Jet-ski operators who do not follow the rules will be punished,” Governor Nisit assured the media at a press conference held at Phuket Provincial Hall yesterday. “The new rules will first be enforced…
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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