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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We all have the swing in us
PHUKET: Gilles Duboueix, a professional golf coach and mental trainer, claims that we all have the swing in us, we just need to discover it, and he’s here to help. Having spent the past seven years working both with amateurs and professionals, he shares the secrets of his technique with the Gazette, proving that the most important part of a…
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Phuket woman impaled by her mattress
PHUKET: Rescue workers from the Kusoldharm Foundation responded to an unusual plea for help yesterday afternoon: a woman had been impaled by her mattress. The rescue team arrived at an unnamed apartment building opposite the Bangkok Bank branch on Thepkrasattri Road, south of Satree Phuket School in Phuket Town, at about 5:30pm. “When we arrived, we heard a woman howling…
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Phuket ice truck flips, causes massive tailback
PHUKET: An ice truck flipped at the busy Bangkhu Intersection, at the north end of the bypass road, during rush hour this morning, causing massive tailbacks on Phuket’s critical Thepkrasattri Road. The Gazette has not received any reports of injuries in the accident. Traffic remains blocked across both lanes southbound as far back as the Baan Keha public housing estate…
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Light-fingered Phuket woman undone by iPhone app
PHUKET: Phuket Police used a location app today to track down within 10 minutes a woman who had stolen a Danish tourist’s iPhone. Michael Dybdahl, 51, from Denmark, reported that his iPhone was missing to the Patong Police at 11:30am. “He said a woman visited his room at Bangla House last night, but he could not find his phone after…
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Chinese tourists, skipper injured in speedboat collision off Phuket
PHUKET: Four Chinese tourists and one Thai national were injured yesterday after two speedboats collided at the docks on Koh Khai Nok, off the east coast of Phuket. “The Nontasak was heading toward the pier at about 3pm and crashed into the Star Andaman, which was carrying 32 Chinese tourists, as it was reversing from the pier,” said Lt Col…
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Local sailors head to the Top of the Gulf Regatta
Leading Phuket yachtsmen Scott Duncanson and Alfie Rowson are travelling to Pattaya this week to compete in the 2014 running of the prestigious Coronation Cup. The royally affiliated regatta is held annually at Ocean Marina, Jomtien, in celebration of His Majesty the King’s accession to the throne. Now in its 19th year, the event is unique in that competitors race…
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Short-term solutions underway for perilous Phuket curve
PHUKET: Short-term safety measures are now being implemented to slow down motorists approaching the dangerous “100 bodies curve” and should be completed within a week, confirmed officials. The construction follows a blockade of Chao Fa West Road between Wang Talang Jewelry and Rolly Tasker Sails that was staged on Sunday by villagers, angry about the conditions of the road and…
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PACC anti-graft squad begins investigation of Phuket police extortion allegations
PHUKET: More than 10 officers from the Public-sector Anti Corruption Commission (PACC) are on the island investigating allegations that Chalong Police officers extorted money from the Phuket dive community. The team arrived in Phuket yesterday and have yet to set a date for their departure, the team’s lead investigator, who asked not to be named, told the Phuket Gazette. “We…
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Lifeguards walk off Phuket beaches as PPAO drops ball on contract
PHUKET: Lifeguards abandoned the island’s tourist beaches today after the Phuket Provincial Administration Office (PPAO) failed to break the deadlock surrounding a 22-million-baht lifeguard contract that expired yesterday. “Since the contract has ended, it is no longer our responsibility to patrol the beaches. All 108 lifeguards have quit their jobs,” Phuket Lifeguard Club President Prathaiyut Chuayuan told the Phuket Gazette…
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Phuket blockade over “100 bodies curve’
PHUKET: A blockade on Chao Fa West Road, lasting nearly three hours, was lifted yesterday afternoon after Phuket Governor Maitri Inthusut agreed to have short-term safety measures installed at the dangerous “100 bodies curve” within five days. A temporary barrier, warning lights and safety signs will be erected at the curve, Governor Maitri told the press. “As a long-term solution,…
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Pian ousted as Chalermluck voted Patong Mayor
PHUKET: Unofficial results are in and Phuket Democrat Chalermluck Kebsab has won the race for the coveted position of Patong Mayor. Ms Chalermluck received a total of 4,390 votes, defeating former Patong Mayor Pian Keesin, who garnered 3,330 votes. Kittisan Kuru of the Patong Gao Na (Patong Progress) Party scored a total of 580 votes. Ms Chalermluck, a Phuket native,…
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Phuket’s black wastewater oozes toward tourists
PHUKET: Alarmed officials are concerned how the weather has turned the flow of black wastewater from a canal at Bang Tao toward a beach area where tourists swim. “All tourists are afraid to swim here. They are going to Layan Beach instead,” said local resident Jumnong Korkaew. When Governor Maitri Inthusut inspected the site on April 12 (story here), the…
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Phuket faces no lifeguards on beaches as contract debacle ebbs on
PHUKET: There may be no lifeguards patrolling Phuket beaches on Monday if compromise is not reached between the island’s lifeguard club and Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (PPAO) over the new, hotly-debated 22-million-baht club budget. Though the current contract expires today (April 27), Phuket Lifeguard Club President Prathaiyut Chuayuan is holding firm to his desire to increase salaries for his staff…
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Road-raged Russian attacks Australian tourist, knocking his teeth out
PHUKET: A Russian national has been charged with attacking an Australian tourist walking down the street with his family on Wednesday night. Police were called to the scene by customers at the nearby Spice House Restaurant on Karon Beach at about 9:30pm, said Maj Theeradech Jiruksa of the Karon Police. The Russian, 27-year-old Evgenii Baturin, had already fled the scene…
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Police arrest suspect for French tourist murder
PHUKET: Chalong Police have arrested at least one Myanmar national in connection with the killing of French tourist Fabrice Boigeol, 37, who was found slain in his rented Phuket bungalow on April 18. Police have yet to release more details, but the Phuket Gazette has been informed that officers conducting the investigation are searching for at least one other murder…
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QSI Kid Expo kicks off this Sunday
PHUKET: Prep the kids for this Sunday because QSI International School Phuket will hold its first-ever “Kid Expo” from 1-5pm. Dozens of local business will be on-site offering services and activities for children, aiming to provide “everything a family needs” in one place. The expo will see companies offering an enormous range of activities aimed at young children and teens,…
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“She begged for her life’: Phuket mother tells of pregnant daughter’s rape ordeal
PHUKET: The mother of the pregnant woman raped by twin teenage brothers in Phuket last Sunday night has told the Phuket Gazette how the men ignored her daughter’s pleas for mercy. “She begged them not to do it, but they didn’t listen,” the mother told the Gazette. “They didn’t only rape and rob her. They choked her very hard as…
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Traditional cures on offer at Phuket Expo
PHUKET: The 6th Thai Traditional Medicine Expo started Wednesday at Jungceylon and will continue through Sunday, showcasing Thai herbs, therapeutic reflexology and acupuncture. A cooking contest with Thai herbs and demonstrations of massage with shells, wooden hammers and coconut husks will be among the attractions offered free of charge. Diagnostic exams using Thai traditional medical techniques will also be complimentary,…
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Phuket to launch trash separation project for World Environment Day
PHUKET: Municipalities across Phuket will launch a project to ensure the separation of hazardous materials from public trash on June 5 in a united effort to prevent dangerous materials from contaminating the island’s beaches, canals and the ocean. The project was agreed to at a meeting on Wednesday held by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MNRE) Phuket office.…
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Patong alcohol ban as Pian guns for mayor
PHUKET: The sale of alcohol will be banned throughout Patong tonight and tomorrow (including tomorrow night) as residents go to the polls to elect a Patong Mayor and several new councilors. Former Patong Mayor Pian Keesin will run for re-election. He will face two candidates in the race: Phuket Democrat Chalermluck Kebsab and former councilor Kittisan Kuru of the Patong…
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Phuket’s one-stop yacht center trial period hits first software snag
PHUKET: The long-awaited, 70-million-baht one-stop yacht center at Chalong Pier opened on Monday only to see system bugs force officers to register all inbound yachts and crews by hand. “Monday was our first trial day for the center, and we had a lot of tourists come to Chalong Pier,” explained Phuket Provincial Administration Office Transportation Division Chief Prasit Yotharak. “We…
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Phuket Police brutality at heart of mega-blockade
PHUKET: Four police officers were removed from active duty last night to bring an eight-hour blockade of Phuket’s critical Thepkrasattri Road to an end at about 11:30pm. The officers – Lt Akarapol Siwilai, Sub Lt Manus Faipetch, Sgt Maj Sansak Choti and Sgt Yongyuth Ritplud, all of the Tah Chat Chai Police Station – were transferred to Phuket Provincial Hall…
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Fire-preventing pump bursts into flames on old Phuket ferry
PHUKET: A pump meant to reduce the risk of fire by sucking up old oil short-circuited and burst into flames on a ferry in Ao Por on Tuesday afternoon. All three men working on the ferry when the flames broke out jumped overboard and were rescued by a nearby boat. “The ferry was old and the men were cutting up…
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Angry Phuket mob stages blockade over twin teen rape suspects
PHUKET: A mob of angry residents this afternoon blockaded Phuket’s critical main artery, Thepkrasattri Road, amid outrage over the twin teenagers who raped a pregnant woman in the area on Sunday night. The blockade, just north of the turnoff to Phuket International Airport, formed at about 2pm after villagers realized that police would not be bringing the twin brothers to…
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Phuket airport health officials ramp up MERS surveillance
PHUKET: Health officials at Phuket International Airport have ramped up efforts to identify any travellers arriving in Phuket who are suspected of carrying the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome-Coronavirus (Mers-CoV). The news follows the death of a Malaysian man from complications caused by MERS after returning from Saudi Arabia, in what appears to be the first fatal case of the disease…
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Teens confess to rape of pregnant Phuket woman
PHUKET: Twin brothers confessed yesterday to the rape, sexual assault, assault and robbery of a 25-year-old pregnant woman along a dark stretch of road in northern Phuket on Sunday. “The suspects face all four charges, including ‘use of a vehicle, in a robbery and evasion of police,'” Phuket Provincial Police Deputy Commander Peerayut Karajedee told the Phuket Gazette. “They claim…
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Manchester United’s manager canned
PHUKET: David Moyes’s troubled reign at Old Trafford came to an abrupt end on Tuesday when the Scot was sacked after a hugely disappointing 10-month spell as manager after replacing Alex Ferguson last July. Announcing his departure in a terse, two line statement, United thanked Moyes for, “the hard work, honesty and integrity he brought to the role”. Veteran midfielder…
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Blackout in parts of northern Phuket tomorrow
PHUKET: Thalang District Electricity Authority (TDEA) has announced a major blackout scheduled to affect residents in Thalang tomorrow from 9am to 5pm. The scheduled blackout will affect areas along the southbound lane of Thepkrasattri Road, from the Bank for Agriculture and Agricultural Cooperatives Thalang branch to the LPG gas station in Baan Li Porn. Thalang Hospital will be affected, but…
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Twin brothers arrested for rape of pregnant Phuket woman
PHUKET: Police are questioning 17-year-old twin brothers suspected of raping a pregnant woman along a dark stretch of road in northern Phuket on Sunday night. Tah Chat Chai Police have the pair in custody and are currently questioning them over the incident. The brothers are suspected of kicking a 25-year-old woman who is five months pregnant off her motorcycle, causing…
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Kuwait’s MG7 Cricket Club take out Cup Final; CBBs win Plate Final
The 11th Annual Phuket International Cricket Sixes Tournament 2014 wrapped up on Sunday after eleven hard-fought matches. Match oneThe final play-off match one saw Wild Men From Borneo (WMFB) against the Southern Stars. The Wild Men went out and scored 33 runs with Scarface retiring hurt on 11. The Southern Stars won. Match twoThe first semi-final in the Plate division…
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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