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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Sponsored Infinito helps hotels in Thailand with revenue management
Maximising revenue and profit–isn’t that the ultimate goal for every business in the hospitality industry? If you run a hotel, you might have heard that revenue management is an effective way to boost your top-line revenue. It involves using data...
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Shortcut road between Kathu and Thalang in the works
Phuket authorities are planning to construct a shortcut road between Kathu and Sri Soonthorn in Thalang. The road is being built in hopes of easing traffic congestion in Koh Kaew. The move was announced by Phuket Provincial Administration Organisation (PPAO) President, Rewat Areerob, who revealed that three prominent families in the region have donated land for public use to enable…
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Officials raid counterfeit brand name shirt factory in Phuket
Officials raided a counterfeit brand name shirt factory in Phuket‘s Kathu district yesterday. The team of officials from the Intellectual Property Department said they found machines and equipment used for shirt production at a house in a housing district near Kathu Waterfall. The officials also raided two nearby houses where they found thousands of counterfeit brand name shirts, The Phuket…
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Indian and Russian busted without permits at Phuket Airport
Immigration officers this week busted an Indian man and a Russian man, who entered and stayed in Thailand without permits, at Phuket International Airport. Phuket Immigration Checkpoint reported on Facebook that both men were arrested on the same day, February 28. The page said that officers arrested the Indian man, 28 year old Chaudhary Shubham, at the immigration checkpoint in…
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Aussie man apprehended in Phuket after taking erratic joy ride in stolen car
Thai police apprehended an Aussie man after he was found to have stolen a car at the Phuket International Airport and proceeded to take an erratic joy ride. The man reportedly stole the car at the airport’s car park, hit a parked vehicle and fled the scene. He then ran through two police checkpoints before he was apprehended. According to…
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Ladyboy steals English tourist’s gold necklace in Phuket
Police managed to reunite an English tourist with his gold necklace after it was snatched by a ladyboy in the Patong area of Phuket, southern Thailand, in the early hours of this morning. At 4.30am, officers at Patong Police Station were informed that a tourist’s gold necklace was stolen in front of the Central Department Store in Patong. Police rushed…
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Motorbike crash kills Phuket man
A motorbike crash killed a Phuket man in the early hours of this morning, while another two people were left injured. The fatal crash happened at 3am on Sri Soonthorn Road, in the Cherng Talay area of the Thalang district. Rescuers arrived on the scene to find the body of 51 year old motorbike rider Pomngnara. His female passenger had…
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Frenchman pays the price for revving noisy motorbike in Phuket
Police tracked down and fined a Frenchman yesterday for annoying residents by revving his loud rented motorbike along the Bangla Road in Phuket, southern Thailand, in the early hours of Monday morning. At 5am on Monday, Phuket traffic police were tipped off that a group of four to five ‘dek waen’ (motorbike racers) were causing a ruckus outside a convenience…
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Phuket immigration launches ‘red card’ system for wayward foreigners
Phuket immigration is launching a ‘red card’ system for wayward foreigners which will see them deported after two offences. Praphansak Prasansuk, Commander of the Immigration Region 6 office, announced the system yesterday. “Under the system, a foreigner will be designated a ‘yellow card’ for a first offence. The foreigner will be issued a formal warning and the relevant embassy will…
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Patong Police swoop on street racers
Patong Police swooped on street racers on Monday night, following the area’s numerous problems with foreign motorbike racers. Officers were stationed across Patong after 10pm. Meanwhile, Patong Traffic Police set up a checkpoint at the bottom of Patong Hill. Patong Police did not specify how many people were caught dangerously speeding, The Phuket News reported. Last week, the Thai government…
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Phuket police arrest Swedish man on drug production charges
Police arrested a Swedish man in Phuket, southern Thailand, on drug charges today and are preparing to revoke his permission to stay in the kingdom, reports Matichon. On December 15 last year, police initiated the project, “White Residence for Foreigners (Free From Crime and Drugs) Project” in Phuket province. The ongoing project aims to weed out drug crimes and criminal behaviour among…
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Man accuses Ukrainian in Phuket of working illegally as taxi driver
A man accused a Ukrainian national in Phuket of working illegally as a taxi driver. The accuser recorded a video of a Ukrainian man, 35 year old Andril Mindalin, parking a passenger van on a side street in Patong. Four people were in the back of the van, The Phuket News reported. The man who recorded the video accused Mindalin…
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Russians own 40% of foreign-owned condos in Phuket
Thailand’s Real Estate Information Centre (REIC) reported that Russian citizens own nearly 40% of foreign-owned condominiums in Phuket, worth a collective 880 million baht (US$25). In Phuket, Russians have overtaken the Chinese as the No.1 condo buyer. Since Russia invaded Ukraine on February 24 last year, Thailand has become a refuge for Russian citizens, as reported by Al Jazeera. The…
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Phuket police bust another bar over legal closing time
Phuket police busted another bar over the legal closing time. Officers from Mueang Phuket District and Wichit Police raided Phuket a bar in the Wichit sub-district of the main city district in the early hours of Friday morning. This was after concerned citizens complained that the bar was opened past the legal closing time. The cops arrested the bar’s manager,…
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10,000 baht offered for missing stray dog in Kathu
While Thailand is riddled with stray dogs roaming the street, one lost dog could net you 10,000 baht. That’s the reward a devoted pet owner has offered in Phuket for the safe return of a dog that has gone missing. Residents of Kathu in Phuket are being asked to help find an ex-stray dog that has been missing for three…
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Officials warn against Phuket flight price gouging
If you are frustrated at the rising costs of airfare to Phuket, you’re not the only one. The popular resort island has been facing complaints from tourists regarding rising airfare prices during the high season. In response, the Provincial Public-Private Joint Economic Development Committee has warned airlines against overcharging customers for flights to Phuket, especially during long holidays. The warning…
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Drunk Saudi tourist steals jet ski on Patong Beach
A drunk foreign tourist caused a commotion on Patong Beach in Phuket yesterday after he was caught trying to steal a jet ski. The tourist, who was described as anxious and intoxicated, also attacked a jet-ski caretaker and tried to escape. The incident was reported to the Patong Police at noon yesterday, and when they arrived at the scene, they…
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Cops raid Phuket bar operating past closing time
Cops raided a Phuket bar that was reportedly opening and selling alcohol past the legal closing time. A team from Mueang Phuket District and Phuket City Police raided the bar at 1.09am on Wednesday, 77 Kaoded reported. The bar is located on Chana Jaroen Road in the Talad Yai sub-district of the main city district. The team found over 200…
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Aeroplane makes emergency landing in Phuket
An aeroplane made an emergency landing in Phuket yesterday. The Thai Smile Airways Airbus A320 made the landing at Phuket International Airport at 1pm due to engine problems. The Phuket Info Center, which operates under the Phuket Provincial Office, confirmed the incident today. According to the centre’s report, the A320 made a “hard landing” with a tailstrike on the runway.…
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Phuket vice governor reports over 500 motorbike accidents in 2 months involving tourists
Phuket’s vice governor reported that over 500 motorbike accidents have occurred in the area involving foreign tourists in the past two months. Phuket Vice Governor Anuphap led a meeting on the increasingly pressing issue yesterday. Anuphap said many of the accidents involved foreign tourists who had rented motorbikes. He said… “Eighty percent of them do not have driving licenses, some…
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Phuket officials say dry season won’t see water shortage this year
Phuket officials are confident that the dry season won’t see a water shortage this year. The predictions came after the Phuket Water Resources Sub-Committee met yesterday over the impact of water shortages in previous years. According to The Phuket News, Vice Governor Amnuay says that since Phuket had a lot of rain during last year’s wet season, the water reservoirs…
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Russian invasion spreads to Thailand’s paradise islands
Ukraine isn’t the only nation suffering from a Russian invasion, Thailand is facing it too. Since Russia took exception to Ukraine’s aspirations to join NATO and the European Union thousands of Russian citizens have fled to avoid conscription to set up camp in Thailand. Russian roubles may have been welcomed by Thai businesses as the Covid-19 ravaged kingdom looks to…
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New bridge will connect 2 sub-districts in Phuket
A new bridge will connect two sub-districts in Phuket‘s main city district. The bridge will connect the Wichit and Chalong sub-districts. On a visit to Phuket last week, Tourism and Sports Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn stopped by Mudong Canal, where the bridge is set to be built. Phiphat said the bridge will be 8 metres wide, and 280 metres long. Phiphat…
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Properties in Phuket offering the biggest price reductions in Feb-March 2023
Looking for a new property to call your own or perhaps seeking to invest in a slice of paradise? Well, we’ve got some exciting news for you. If you’re on the hunt for property for sale in Phuket, you might want to pay close attention to what we have to share. We’ve done some extensive research and have uncovered the…
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Patong Police catch 3 Mongolian credit card thieves
Patong Police caught three Mongolian credit card thieves yesterday. This was after a Malaysian man, Choi Mei Choo, and a Singaporean woman, Ho See Ling, filed police reports on February 11. The two said their wallet was stolen at a pier in Patong, and that they later received SMS messages about expensive products being bought with their credit card. Patong…
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Russian woman rushed to hospital after Patong hotel fire
Rescuers rushed a Russian woman to a hospital after a fire broke out at a Patong hotel kitchen on Saturday. The woman, Svetlana Stashko, suffered from smoke inhalation after the blaze broke out on the hotel’s first floor. The hotel is located on Phang Mueang Sai Kor Road. Firefighters arrived on the scene and were able to put out the…
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Russian brotherhood stealing Phuket jobs
Hotels are unwelcoming. In the massage parlours, everyone is tense. Down Walking Street, in the girly bars, excitement is high and the air is filled with fearful chatter. The girls are aquiver in anticipation. The Russian ‘brotherhood’ (bratva) stealing Phuket jobs is bringing a whole new style of beatings and rapes to Thailand’s peaceful brothels. How will the new regime…
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Minister Pipat gets earful about Phuket tourism issues
Minister of Tourism and Sports Pipat Ratchakitprakarn visited Phuket yesterday to listen to the range of critical infrastructure issues harming the local tourism industry. These issues include mafia-run hotels, problematic taxi drivers, heavy traffic, and a shortage of tap water. The meeting was held at the Andaman Health Promotion Coordination Center Conference Room at the Prince of Songkhla University Phuket…
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Russian man rushed to hospital after being found in stolen pickup truck in Phuket
A Russian man was rushed to a hospital after police found him in a stolen pickup truck parked at a Phuket beach. Sakhu police found the man, 27 year old Egor Andriesh, in the truck parked on Nai Thon Beach, The Phuket News reported. The doors of the pickup were locked, and officers had to call a locksmith to open…
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Phuket beaches issue jellyfish warning after increase in stings
Phuket beaches now have signs warning swimmers of jellyfish after an increase in the number of beachgoers being stung by the marine creatures. According to the Phuket News, officers from the Phuket Marine Resources Conservation Centre and local administrative organisations have been stocking lifeguard stations with extra bottles of vinegar and other medical supplies to help treat stings. The west…
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Big Joke says Canadian businessman didn’t murder Thai girlfriend in Phuket
UPDATE 2 Deputy national police chief “Big Joke,” says that a Canadian businessman did not murder his Thai girlfriend who was found hanged in her nail salon in Phuket, southern Thailand, on February 8. Landy came into the spotlight when the deceased’s elder brother Kriengsak accused him of murdering his younger sister Wanvisa Riewklang. Surachat “Big Joke” Hakparn said that…
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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