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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Taiwanese tuna boat captain breathes easy after Phuket rescue
PHUKET: Phuket Marine Police responded to a distress call from a Taiwanese tuna-fishing boat early this morning. The Dong Cheng 988 contacted Marine Police for assistance after Captain Shang-Chih Hsu, 61, suffered a severe asthma attack. The boat was about 37 nautical miles southwest of Phuket. “Mr Shang-Chih had his inhaler, but it wasn’t working,” Lt Col Panya Chaichana of…
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No money to fix caved-in road in Koh Kaew, say officials
PHUKET: A section of a busy road in Koh Kaew has collapsed, but despite a circle of finger-pointing by local officials, no repairs are likely until next year, due to lack of funds. The road, Soi Koh Kaew 33, behind the Isuzu dealership on Thepkrasattri Road, leads to local villages and housing developments and is used as a shortcut to…
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Thailand Tourism President calls for curfew to be lifted in Phuket
PHUKET: The president of the Tourism Council of Thailand (TCT), Piyaman Tejapaibul, has petitioned the ruling junta to lift the nightly curfew in Phuket and other tourist hotspots throughout the country. Ms Piyaman told the Phuket Gazette today that she filed her request with the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) at a meeting yesterday. “I asked for General…
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Swedish cyclists bound for Phuket push through Turkey on epic journey to help island orphans
PHUKET: The four intrepid men biking their way from Sweden to Phuket to raise funds for the Barnhem Muang Mai orphanage in Phuket found themselves in a small Turkish village called Kandira yesterday. With about 3,600 kilometers under their belts, and thousands more to tackle before crossing Sarasin Bridge, morale is still high for Calle Wollgard, Fredrik Jessen, Tomi Blumen…
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See you tomorrow, vow beach lifeguards
PHUKET: Lifeguards are gearing up to return to Phuket’s beaches tomorrow after signing their new 22-million-baht contract on Friday. “We’ve signed a contract that will pay for 88 guards to man 38 stations throughout the island,” confirmed Phuket Lifeguard Club President Prathaiyut Chuayuan. “We are all set and ready to work tomorrow.” Kata-Karon chief lifeguard Uten Singsom confirmed that his…
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Phuket reporter and former official summoned by army
PHUKET: A Phuket reporter and a former provincial official have been summoned to the Royal Thai Army base in Nakhon Sri Thammarat. The two men ordered to report to the base are Watchara Malikaew, a journalist with the Inside Phuket magazine, and Wisut Santikul, a former deputy vice-president of the Phuket Provincial Administrative Organization (PPAO). Mr Watchara said soldiers appeared…
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Video Report: Phuket officials angered by illegal fishing at King’s Park
Those found illegally fishing in the park can be fined up to 1,000 baht. Video: Drummer.kong PHUKET: Phuket City officials are calling on the public to notify officers immediately of any illegal fishing carried out at Suan Luang Park (also called Chalermprakiat Ror IX Park or King’s Park) in Phuket Town. The call for public assistance follows a video posted…
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Phuket students back in class today
PHUKET: Students in Phuket and nationwide went back to class today, despite rumors online stating that schools would remain closed. “I can confirm that all schools, both public and private, are open as usual today,” Chalam Attatham, director of the Phuket Primary Educational Service Area Office, told the Phuket Gazette. “False information was spread throughout social networks yesterday claiming that…
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Snake causes blackout near Phuket Town
PHUKET: Electrical engineers called to a neighborhood on the north side of Phuket Town late last night found that a small tree snake had caused a blackout at several houses and an apartment block. “We were called to Pimpraprai Place apartments on Rassada Anuson Road [in Baan Kuku, Rassada] at about 10pm,” said Pichai Rattanamunee, an electrical engineer with the…
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Phuket radio stations fall silent
PHUKET: Commercial radio stations throughout Phuket fell silent today after receiving requests from the army to comply with an order issued by the National Council for Peace and Order (NCPO) this morning. The ban on broadcasting includes local satellite television networks (story here). Staff at 107.7FM Open Mind received a call this morning from an army officer ordering the station…
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Police recruit translators to help Phuket tourists
PHUKET: Police stations throughout Phuket will have video conference capabilities installed so that tourists can communicate with translators in Bangkok at any time, one of the country’s top-ranking policeman announced in Phuket yesterday. The initiative is to prevent misunderstandings between tourists filing complaints and police, said Assistant National Police Chief ML Pansak Kasemsant, speaking at Phuket Provincial Police Station. The…
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Phuket battered by coastal erosion
PHUKET: Officials yesterday expressed deep concern about the rate of coastal erosion, especially at Bang Tao Beach and coastal areas inside Sirinath National Park on Phuket’s west coast. The issue was raised at a meeting chaired by Phuket Vice Governor Sommai Prijasilpa yesterday at The Metropole Phuket hotel in Phuket Town. Coastal erosion has ravaged areas in all six provinces…
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Governor asks coup leaders for flexibility in Phuket curfew
PHUKET: Governor Maitri Inthusut requested that Phuket be given a flexible curfew as it is a tourist destination, he told a meeting of more than 100 high-ranking government officers today. He made the request at yesterday’s briefing of governors and police chiefs at the Royal Thai Army Fourth Area Command in Nakhon Sri Thammarat (story here). While he did not…
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Patong facing ruin if curfew continues, says entertainment boss
PHUKET: Patong, known throughout the world for its throbbing nightlife, now faces its second night under the military curfew imposed by coup leader Army Chief Prayuth Chan-ocha. The curfew bans all unsanctioned travel on the streets from 10pm to 5am (story here). Phuket Provincial Police Commander Ong-art Phiewruangnont at 5pm today confirmed that the curfew will remain in effect throughout…
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Hospital presents B100k compensation for childbirth deaths
PHUKET: The man who lost his wife and son to complications of childbirth has received 100,000 baht in compensation from Vachira Phuket Hospital. Hospital Director Jessada Chungpaibulpatana expressed sorrow on behalf of the hospital, and presented the check to grieving father Numporn Intawong. “We would like to express our deepest condolences for this tragic loss of lives. We hope that…
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Phuket Police seek naughty Patong maid
PHUKET: Patong Police are calling for any information that might lead to the arrest of a woman who applies for work as a maid, then literally cleans the place out, absconding with valuables. “We’ve received many complaints about this woman,” said Lt Col Sutthichai Thianpho of the Patong Police. “Today we received another complaint, this time from Karlsson’s Hotel,” he…
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Canadian chosen as Aussie honorary consul “designate’
PHUKET: Canadian national Michelle Hawryluk, a partner in the Phuket-based law firm Haris & Hawryluk, has been chosen by the Australian Embassy as the designate candidate for the post of Australian Honorary Consul for Phuket. Mrs Hawryluk attended Bond University in Australia. She is a member of the American Bar Association, New York State Bar Association, New York County Lawyers…
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Patong tunnel plans eyed for potential traffic jam woes
PHUKET: Officials in charge of the Patong tunnel project are reviewing strategies they can use to avoid creating bottleneck traffic jams at the Thung Thong Intersection in Kathu. The tunnel project, budgeted to cost 9.57 billion baht – 6.80bn for materials, 2.56bn for land expropriation and 200mn baht for salaries – aims to provide a safe alternative to the notoriously…
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Navy deploys security personnel to patrol Phuket
PHUKET: Navy security personnel have been ordered to accompany police patrols in Phuket to ensure peace is maintained. “You may see officers at some locations, for example, at the airport,” Capt Petcharat Teanjan, Deputy Director of the Civil Affairs Division at the Third Naval Area Command, told the Phuket Gazette this morning. “There’s no reason to be concerned,” Capt Petcharat…
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Dive instructors not restricted to Phuket, says employment office
PHUKET: Local dive instructors do not need to obtain work permits for every neighboring province they visit with students, dive professionals learned yesterday at a day-long seminar organized by the Phuket Provincial Employment Office (PPEO). The purpose of the seminar was to clarify work permits and related legalities of working in Thailand, specifically for professionals in the dive industry (story…
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Phuket schools closed due to coup
PHUKET: All schools, public and private, in Phuket and nationwide are closed starting tomorrow, Army chief Prayuth Chan-ocha announced tonight. The schools are set to re-open on May 26. Gen Prayuth also announced four groups of people who are exempt from the curfew, which prohibits people from being outside their residence or hotel between 10pm and 5am (story here). The…
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Phuket leaders not available for comments on coup
PHUKET: The Commander of the Royal Thai Navy’s Third Area Command based in Phuket, Vice Admiral Taratorn Kajitsuwan, this afternoon was not available for comment on Thailand being placed under a coup by Army chief Prayuth Chan-ocha earlier today. Gen Prayuth, along with the national police chief and the heads of other national armed forces, publicly declared a coup over…
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Army announces Phuket curfew
PHUKET: Army chief Prayuth Chan-ocha today announced a nationwide curfew that will come into effect at 10pm tonight. The curfew, from 10pm to 5am, will affect Phuket and all other tourist destinations in Thailand. No people, including tourists, are allowed to leave their residence or hotel unless given specific permission by government officers. This order will remain in place until…
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Phuket to get wet this weekend, ships to proceed with caution, say meteorologists
PHUKET: Ships have been warned to proceed with caution this weekend as the Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) issues a weather warning for some provinces, including Phuket, in Southern Thailand. “Ships in the Andaman Sea have been warned to proceed with caution,” Lt Col Panya Chaichana of the Phuket Marine Police told the Phuket Gazette this afternoon. “Small boats have yet…
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Asia’s best skippers to compete at this year’s Samui Regatta
PHUKET: The Samui Regatta, which gets underway this weekend, heralds a big gun showdown between Foxy Lady VI and Red Kite II for the right to be crowned champions in the Asia Yachting Grand Prix (AYGP) 2014. Foxy Lady is unbeaten this year and hot on a six-regatta streak after winning the IRC2 class at Top of the Gulf earlier…
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Illegal wedding photographers snapped up in Phuket Town
PHUKET: Two wedding photographers were caught working without work permits yesterday after police were tipped off by a pair of Thai wedding photographers. Chinese photographers Bolin Zhu and Jing Wang, both 27, were taking pre-wedding photographs of a couple on Soi Romanee in Phuket Town when police arrived at the scene. “We asked them to show us their work permits,…
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Firefighters prevent inferno at workers’ camp
PHUKET: Quick action by Kathu firefighters prevented an inferno from engulfing a workers’ camp near the Loch Palm Golf Course yesterday morning. Three fire trucks were called to the packed camp of about 130 abodes at about 10am. “Firefighters took about an hour to put out the fire,” Yongyoth Cheswichean of the Kathu Municipality told the Phuket Gazette. Eight homes…
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Swedish man dies in fall from Phuket hotel room
PHUKET: A Swedish man died early yesterday morning when he jumped from his hotel room in Patong in an attempt to stop his girlfriend from leaving. “Witnesses said they heard a loud argument at about 2am,” said Maj Weerapong Rakito of the Patong Police. Then they saw the man on the balcony of his second floor room at the Absolute…
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Phuket officers continue to wage war against animal touts
PHUKET: Three animal touts were arrested yesterday, as Phuket police continue to crackdown on anyone offering tourists photo opportunities with animals, endangered or not, on Soi Bangla. Lt Col Sutthichai Thianpho of the Patong Police, nabbed two animal touts on Sunday while out cycling when he was off-duty (story here). This led to the arrest yesterday of three men who…
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Tourist killed in motorbike accident on Big Buddha Hill
PHUKET: A holidaymaker died after careening off the road leading to Big Buddha Hill yesterday afternoon. He had gone to the iconic Phuket destination to make merit with his girlfriend. Chaiya Teetuan, 37, died at the scene of the accident, at the curve near At Hill Adventure Tour Elephant Camp Phuket*, at about 4:30pm. He was wearing a helmet at…
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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