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.
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DNA results confirm body of missing Russian kidnap victim
PHUKET: Unofficial DNA results and dental records confirm that the decapitated body found in Cherng Talay on March 29 is that of missing Russian Alexey Slabinskiy, Phuket Provincial Police Deputy Commander Arun Kaewvatee announced on Saturday. “We’ve heard unofficially from the Forensic Office in Surat Thani that the remains are those of Mr Slabinskiy, and the teeth found in the…
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B320mn wastewater plant project at Bang Tao Beach stalls
PHUKET: As black water continues to spill over Bang Tao Beach in Cherng Talay, local officials report that the 320-million-baht wastewater-treatment project scheduled for completion next year has stalled. “Our big wastewater treatment project is only 30 per cent complete, but construction has now stopped,” Ma-ann Samran, president of the Cherng Talay Tambon Administration Organization (OrBorTor), said on Saturday. “The…
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Search begins for missing Phuket toddler
PHUKET: Police have launched a search for a missing three-year-old boy last seen near the family home in a construction camp in Rawai late Thursday afternoon. Kongpob Chuerket, nicknamed “Nong Gorya”, was wearing a blue singlet emblazoned with an Angry Birds motif and light blue shorts when he disappeared, said Lt Kraisorn Boonprasop of the Chalong Police told the Phuket…
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Phuket police praised as excellent, inspiring
PHUKET: In Phuket to review safety measures for the Songkran holidays, deputy national police chief Gen Aek Angsananont has praised the Phuket Police as “excellent” and “inspiring” in preserving the safety of tourists. Gen Aek explained that Royal Thai Police Commissioner-General Adul Saengsingkaew had issued a special directive for officers across the country to boost their efforts to eradicate crime…
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Speed, seats and safety targeted in Songkran bus blitz
PHUKET: Extra buses, drug and alcohol tests for drivers and GPS to monitor speeds have been ordered to ensure that holiday travelers make it home safely for the Songkran holidays. Ten extra buses were on standby at Phuket’s Bus Terminal 2 yesterday to cope with the 50 per cent increase in travelers as officials rolled out new disciplinary regulations for…
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Phuket maintains zero road fatalities in Seven Days of Danger
PHUKET: As of 9am today, no deaths had been reported in Phuket during the Songkran holiday Seven Days of Danger safety campaign. Two motorcycle accidents were reported yesterday, but neither involved serious injuries. At 6:21pm, Ampan Jansanoi, 35, lost control of her motorbike while riding in Phuket Town. Three hours later, at 9:25pm, Pongsakorn Sangkasee, 21, was involved in an…
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Phuket rental shops send passport pictures to Bangkok via smartphone application
PHUKET: Nearly one-third of rental shops in Patong have started to send photos of renters’ faces and passports to the Interpol branch in Bangkok via the messaging application Line in an effort to identify stolen passports and protect against passport theft on the island. The push for tighter security follows the news that two passports stolen in Phuket had been…
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Financial distress prime suspect in Phuket man’s suicide plunge
PHUKET: Police investigating the death of a man whose body was found in the carpark of a public housing estate in Rassada this morning have determined the man leapt to his demise. Officers were called to the Karn Keha estate near Soi Kingkaew at about 9am. “We found the body of Pongsak Pitchapan, 47, on the ground in front of…
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Another Phuket beach befouled by wastewater, again
PHUKET: Dirty, smelly water is flowing across a Phuket beach again, not in the south this time, but in Bang Tao in the north, causing health and economic problems for local boat operators. The source of the problem, say the boatmen, is local hotels dumping untreated wastewater into the Bang Tao Canal, which spills it onto the beach and into…
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Safe start to Songkran Seven Days of Danger
PHUKET: The nationwide Seven Days of Danger road-safety campaign for the Songkran holiday came into effect at midnight last night, and the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Phuket office (DDPM-Phuket) has confirmed there have been no deaths reported in the first 12 hours of the campaign. “The Seven Days of Danger campaign started at midnight and will run from…
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Phuket Governor offers safe Songkran blessings
PHUKET: Governor Maitri Inthusut hosted more than 300 people, including the island’s three vice governors, at his official residence in Phuket Town this morning for a traditional Songkran water blessing to start off the Thai New Year holiday. Vice Governor Sommai Prijasilpa led the first blessing of Governor Maitri. “Thank you for your support and for helping us develop our…
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Phuket Police under fire: Chalong Police face cleanup under new station chief
PHUKET: Officers of the Chalong Police have found themselves under tight scrutiny from their new chief, the recently reinstated superintendent Col Sirisak Wasasiri, following a blockade of the police station on Monday. All officers must now provide daily reports of their activities, inform Col Sirisak each time they leave the station on police work and provide the results of their…
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Phuket doesn’t need more tuk-tuks, says tuk-tuk chief
PHUKET: Seven months after his last appeal to legalize tuk-tuk drivers on the island, Sakol Srisompoch filed yet another complaint yesterday, but this time it was against legalizing them. In September, Mr Sakol led a group of legal tuk-tuk drivers to file a third formal complaint in their campaign to stamp out the illegal tuk-tuk trade in Patong (story here).…
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Phuket banker dies after car crashes into pond
PHUKET: A Phuket banker died yesterday morning after he lost control of his car on the old airport road in Baan Nai Mon and flipped it into a small pond. A local farmer, who asked not to be named, said that residents were unable to save Phubadee Marasa, 26. Additionally, the first two rescue workers who arrived on the scene…
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Wastewater could lead to shutdown of Karon hotels
PHUKET: The president of the Karon Hotels Association agreed on Wednesday that hotels should be shut down for releasing untreated wastewater into the beach town’s canal. Angkana Tanetvisetkul voiced her support for drastic action at a public meeting led by Phuket Governor Maitri Inthusut aimed at improving the wastewater and garbage problems in Karon. The meeting was held to address…
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The new generation of F1
PHUKET: Far from the boiling heart of Malaysia’s Kuala Lumpur, wrapped in the steamy green of endless palm oil plantations, lies another heart. It doesn’t beat all the time like the city, but when it does, it pounds hard and loud and forces adrenaline to course through the veins. Sepang International Circuit, found 13 kilometers from Kuala Lumpur International Airport…
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Phuket hunter shot dead, police probing gun misfire claims
PHUKET: Police are not yet convinced that a man shot dead while hunting with friends in central Phuket last night died from his .22 rifle accidentally discharging while the men were climbing a hill in the dark. Maj Kittipoom Tinthalang of the Thalang Police was called to a small village in the foothills of the protected forest area near Bang…
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Krabi resort fraud case goes nationwide, hundreds file complaints
PHUKET: At least 231 victims have stepped up to file police complaints against the Phu Pranang Resort in Krabi, across Phang Nga Bay from Phuket. The flood of complaints comes after 50 tourists were turned away by the resort earlier this month. The travellers bought low-cost package tours, but were left stranded after they were refused check-in by resort staff,…
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PDRC allows Phuket Provincial Hall to re-open
PHUKET: Phuket Provincial Hall officially re-opened yesterday after being closed by anti-government protests for four and a half months. The opening followed an order from People’s Democratic Reform Committee (PDRC) leader Suthep Thaugsuban. Mr Suthep called protest co-ordinators from every province to a meeting in Bangkok on Saturday, Phuket protest co-ordinator Amnuay Kumban explained to the Phuket Gazette today. “Mr…
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Naked Canadian arrested after putting on a show for shoppers
PHUKET: As women screamed and shouted, a man identified by police only as “David” walked, danced and jumped on a wall next to Jungceylon last night – buck naked. When police arrived, Mr David was scaling a wall next to the mall. He resisted arrest, leading officers to handcuff him. His evening ended soberly. “We smelled alcohol on him, so…
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Phuket officials prepare for Songkran with alcohol-free play zones
PHUKET: With Phuket Governor Maitri Inthusut’s announcement today of designated water-play zones for this year’s Songkran celebrations, Phuket water-players may start making plans to party. The announcement made it clear that the sale, purchase and consumption of alcohol will be banned within the Phuket water play zones and there will be no exception for any famous area, including, of course,…
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10-year-old taken off life support after Phuket motorbike accident
PHUKET: The 10-year-old girl critically injured in a motorbike accident with her older sister last week died on Monday at Vachira Phuket Hospital after being taken off life support. “Rattanawadee Tukthin was taken off life support because her brain had been so severely damaged in the crash. Our medical team did their best to save her life, but she remained…
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Phuket FC look to hold their place in the Thaicom FA Cup
PHUKET: Tonight, Phuket FC look to hold their place in the Thaicom FA Cup 2014 as they travel to Khao Plong Stadium in Chainat. They will kickoff at 6pm against the Wang Mun Tambon Administration Office. Organized by the Football Association of Thailand, The Thaicom FA Cup is a knockout football tournament now into its 19th year. The cup winner…
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Six dodge jail terms for Phuket beach land encroachment
PHUKET: Six people have received suspended jail sentences and immediate fines for building and operating small beachside shops on protected land at Nai Yang Beach, revealed the Chief Administrative Officer of Sakoo Tambon Administrative Organization (OrBorTor) today. Of the six, two are still operating their shops, three have had their shops demolished and one has closed shop, but the building…
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Sting operation nets Nigerian for dealing cocaine
PHUKET: A series of small drug busts led to a sting operation last night that concluded with the arrest of a Nigerian man for dealing cocaine. “Last night, we were informed that Somkid ‘Waew’ Kwanngern, 30, was in possession of cocaine so we went to her apartment behind Patong Municipality Fire Department,” said Lt Col Sutthichai Thianpho of the Patong…
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Video Report: Phuket’s Suunto Series – seeing in red and white
PHUKET: The first two white cards handed out for “points” in the Phuket We Free Dive Suunto Series have highlighted the unique format of the competition, which ranks the control, safety and beauty of the dive above time and distance. “I value any clean dive far above a longer or deeper one that ends with a barely conscious diver,” explained…
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Motorbike rental passport leads to Phuket arrest of Spanish nunchuk mugger
PHUKET: A passport left as collateral for a motorbike rental has led to the arrest of a Spaniard for the nunchuk mugging of a Russian in Kata early yesterday morning. Karon Police arrested Spanish tourist Mario Arturo Tovar Ferras, 23, at the Bonus Bungalow resort in Soi Ta-iad, Chalong, at about 7:30pm last night. “Police seized a motorbike, a seven-inch…
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Phuket police station blockade yields B900k cash compensation
PHUKET: An angry family ransomed the Chalong Police Station for 900,000 baht in compensation for failure to apprehend the suspect of deadly hit-and-run nine months ago. The three vehicles blocking anyone from entering the police station were not moved until the owner of the pickup truck that struck the man dead offered cash compensation (story here). “I want to end…
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Video Report: Airport Customs snare Phuket drug mule with B7mn of crystal meth
PHUKET: A Thai woman was arrested at Phuket International Airport yesterday after she tried to smuggle 2.5kg of ya ice (crystal methamphetamine) from China into Phuket. Customs officers valued the drugs at about 7 million baht. “Buachompoo Pattanapiyawach, 39, was caught with drugs in her luggage after it was scanned by an x-ray machine,” Phuket Airport Customs Director Montira Cherdchoo…
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Phuket official loses B4mn Benz in chicken run wipeout
PHUKET: A six-wheeled truck hauling a battery of chickens bound for Krabi crushed a brand-new, 4-million-baht Mercedes-Benz belonging to a local official in Mai Khao, in the north of Phuket, on Saturday. The accident took place at 11am on Thepkrassatri Road northbound, about 300 meters from the entrance to Sai Kaew Beach. “I came to check on a construction site,”…
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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