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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Basic training tips for Phuket’s athletes
PHUKET: As we all know, Phuket is a world renowned holiday destination for thousands of people from around the globe. But did you also know it is one of the ultimate training and competition destinations in the eyes of international athletes? The island has mountains, hill trails, sandy beaches, beautiful coastlines and hosts many local and international sporting events –…
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US Navy transport contractor reaches agreement with Phuket taxis
PHUKET: Following a breakdown in land transportation services yesterday that left sailors from the USS Nimitz waiting hours to enjoy their shore leave, the Phuket Marine Chief organized a meeting last night and negotiated a settlement between the transportation company contracted by the US Navy and local taxis. Although 37 buses are needed, 28 are now available to transport sailors;…
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SPECIAL REPORT: Fears of Phuket abductions
Special Report: It is a typical story in Phuket: a taxi or van picks up passengers and on the way to their destination gets them to stop at a jewelry store, souvenir shop or travel agency. A familiar experience, considered no more than an irritation or a waste of time by some. But is it more serious than this? PHUKET:…
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Five fugitives in Phuket to face Kedah royal guard probe
PHUKET: All five suspects accused of carrying out an attack on a Kedah royal family bodyguard at a high-end resort in Patong just after midnight on Tuesday (story here) arrived at Patong Police Station for questioning this morning. Being escorted into the compound at 8:30am were three Thais: Prakong Seesopha, 32; Sakorn Seesopha, 34; and Thanyaporn Toh-in. Joining them were…
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Phuket driver escapes injury as car flips, plunges into canal
PHUKET: A woman was run off the road by speeding drivers as she pulled out of the Esso gasoline station on the northbound lane of the bypass road (map here) this morning. Frightened by the oncoming traffic, the woman missed her brake pedal and accidentally hit the accelerator, propelling her car over the curb, across a patch of grass and…
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Australian world triathalon champs to go head-to-head at Challenge Laguna Phuket
PHUKET: Reigning World Champion Pete ‘PJ’ Jacobs has confirmed he will race the inaugural Challenge Laguna Phuket half distance triathlon on December 1 – setting up an intriguing contest with fellow Australian Chris ‘Macca’ McCormack, the defending title-holder and two-time World Champion, for a slice of the race’s 25,000 euro prize purse. The elite pair will compete at Challenge Laguna…
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The rise of ASEAN football
PHUKET: The sport of football is considered by many to be the most popular game on the planet. While it has been a mainstay in the European and South American nations for decades, increased access to matches and a youthful fan base have now allowed this exciting sport to reach the far corners of the globe. A notable example of…
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Phuket motorbike taxi driver found dead in canal
PHUKET: Police are investigating the death of man whose body was found in a canal in central Phuket late yesterday afternoon with a deep cut under his chin. Thalang Police led by Duty Officer Kitthiphum Thinthalang arrived at the scene, a canal behind the Thalang Victory Memorial Field (map here), at 6:15pm. Local residents identified the man as 53-year-old local…
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Five arrested over attack on Kedah royal family bodyguard
PHUKET: Police today arrested five men for the attack on a Kedah royal family bodyguard at a high-end resort in Patong just after midnight on Tuesday. Four of the men, including three Malaysians, were arrested while trying to exit Thailand at the busy Sadao checkpoint in Songkhla province. The first arrest was made at a rented house in Sikao District…
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![No blockade: Phuket taxis called to the rescue [Video Report] | Thaiger](data:image/svg+xml;base64,PHN2ZyB4bWxucz0naHR0cDovL3d3dy53My5vcmcvMjAwMC9zdmcnIHZpZXdCb3g9JzAgMCAyNDEgMjIwJz48L3N2Zz4=)
No blockade: Phuket taxis called to the rescue [Video Report]
PHUKET: Following the confusion at Phuket’s Deep Sea Port this morning (story here), it has come to light that the hundreds of taxis, tour vans and tuk-tuks at the gate to Phuket’s key port facility were called to the rescue of the thousands of US Navy servicemen and women looking to enjoy shore leave on the island. The armada of…
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Phuket murder trail leads to Hungary
PHUKET: Royal Thai Police investigating the murder of 39-year-old Hungarian businessman Laszlo Csapai may travel to Hungary to question a key witness, the Phuket Gazette has confirmed. The witness, currently jailed in Hungary, claims he saw prime suspect Moshe David murder Mr Csapai and bury the body, Surat Thani Provincial Police Commander Kiattipong Khaosum-ang explained. Following the witness’ testimony, Thai…
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US Navy sailors caught in Phuket taxi blockade
UPDATE: This story has since been updated through the stories ‘No blockade: Phuket taxis called to the rescue [Video Report]’ (click here) and ‘US Navy transport contractor reaches agreement with Phuket taxis’ (click here). PHUKET: Taxi drivers have set up a blockade at Phuket’s Deep Sea Port, where the USS Nimitz and the USS Princeton are anchored. According to reports,…
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Phuket hosts full-scale tsunami drill
PHUKET: A total of about 300 emergency-response officers from Phuket and Phang Nga joined forces to stage a full-scale tsunami evacuation and sea rescue drill off the northern tip of Phuket yesterday.The drill started with the sounding of the tsunami warning alarm, prompting the officers from the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) in Phuket and Phang Nga to…
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Swedish Muay Thai fighter found dead on Koh Lanta
PHUKET: The body of a Swedish Muay Thai fighter was found yesterday at the popular tourist island Koh Lanta, across the bay from Phuket.Police and rescue workers arrived at a rental room at the Otto Bar after receiving a report of a dead foreigner. Police named the man as “Kasper Pobias Byreborg”, 29.“We believe he had been dead for about…
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Damaged Phuket tourist ferry to be recovered
PHUKET: Efforts are underway to recover the ferry Puean Foong II, which started taking on water in heavy seas yesterday afternoon with more than 100 tourists on board (story here). The boat was returning from Phi Phi Island to Phuket when strong waves punctured the hull, explained Samphan Aiyara, managing director of Friendship Sea Tour Co Ltd, which owns the…
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Australian ‘Couple on the Run’ to tackle Laguna Marathon
PHUKET: Australian ‘Couple on the Run’ Andrew and Sue O’Brien will take on the Laguna Phuket International Marathon on June 9 in the latest step of their worldwide running mission to promote shared exercise as a means of achieving personal goals.Melbourne based Sue and Andrew became known as the Couple on the Run in 2008 when they ran eight marathons…
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Women’s beach volleyball tournament to hit Karon Beach
PHUKET: The FIVB Beach Volleyball World Tour is to return to Karon Beach this year after an agreement to continue staging the annual event was recently signed by Pentangle Promotions Co Ltd and the Thailand Volleyball Association with the Federation Internationale de Volleyball (FIVB). Several changes to the competition format have been made by the FIVB; the qualifying round is…
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Phuket motorbike thief blames island’s lack of public transport
PHUKET: A 24-year-old local handyman says Phuket’s lack of public transport is the reason he stole a motorbike to go visit a friend. Phuket City Police arrested Koson Hongthong yesterday morning at the old weekend market on Phang Nga Road in Phuket Town (map here). Mr Koson was found in possession of a Yamaha Fino that was reported stolen by…
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Phuket on alert for German fugitive
PHUKET: Police across Phuket are on alert for a German fugitive who managed to escape Australian police officers guarding him as they waited for a connecting flight at Suvarnabhumi International Airport.Carlo Konstantin Kohl, a 25-year-old burglary suspect, escaped from the airport’s “day room” – a waiting room for transit passengers who do not need to go through immigration formalities –…
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Phuket Video Report: More than 100 tourists rescued from sinking ferry
PHUKET: More than 100 people were rescued from a tourist boat that started sinking while returning from Phi Phi Island to Phuket this afternoon after being damaged by big waves.No injuries were reported.The ferry, Puean Foong II, was near Chicken Island (Koh Kai), about 15 nautical miles from Phuket, when it took on water, said Phuket Marine Police Inspector Chatchai…
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Phuket Immigration: Deporting, blacklisting foreigners for drug charges since 1979
PHUKET: Following the recent spate of foreigners being charged with minor drug offenses, the chief of Phuket Immigration today confirmed that all foreigners arrested for drug use, or any drug-related offense, are transferred to Bangkok and deported – following the Immigration Act BE 2522.“The law is not new. It has been in use since 1979. Any foreigners found guilty in…
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Phuket tourist safety, security tops Chinese ambassador’s agenda
PHUKET: The Chinese Ambassador to Thailand has placed tourists’ safety and security at the top of his agenda for his visit to Phuket tomorrow, the Phuket Gazette has learned.Ambassador Guan Mu will meet with Phuket Vice Governor Sommai Prijasilpa to discuss a range of issues affecting tourists and expats.“The Chinese Ambassador and his team are going to discuss Chinese tourists’…
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Longtail boats resume island tours after Krabi storm
PHUKET: Krabi longtail boat operators have resumed tourist services to outlying islands following storm seas capsizing much of the local fleet on Saturday. The move to resume tours to the islands in Thailand’s iconic boats comes despite warnings by the Thai Meteorological Department for small boats to stay on shore. The decision follows damage to 77 longtail boats on Saturday,…
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Gas tanker leaks 2.5km trail of fuel through Phuket Town
PHUKET: A six-wheeled gasoline tanker truck leaked a trail of fuel 2.5 kilometers long through Phuket Town yesterday, causing motorbikes to skid and fall, resulting in at least one hospitalization. Police responded to a report at 11am that a gas tanker had leaked “gasoline” along Yaowarat Road, from the intersection with Mae Luan Road (map here) all the way to…
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Phuket Brake Failure: 10-wheeler flies off Patong Hill
PHUKET: The brakes on a 10-wheeled truck failed as it descended into Patong this morning, sending the heavy vehicle careening off the road and into a roadside ditch.No injuries were reported from the accident, Lt Col Nikorn Chuthong of the Patong Police said.Truck driver Somneuk Cherngthorn, 41, was delivering a small load of merchandise from Phuket Town at about 9:30am…
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Thai Football: Phuket Islanders halted by Trat Elephants
PHUKET: Picking up their seventh draw in 12 matches, Phuket FC let a two goal lead slip in their away match to Trat FC on Saturday night, which ended with a final score of 3-3. It was a roller coaster ride for the hundreds of fans across the island – tuned in to the live Football Siam TV broadcast –…
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Burmese man slashed in Phuket gas pump fracas
PHUKET: A Burmese man working as a pump attendant at a Phuket gas station was slashed yesterday after he punched one of five Burmese customers who did not have the money to pay for the gas they had just received. Patong Police inspector Pratuang Polmana arrived at Patong’s only gas station, the Esso gas station on Phra Barami Road (map…
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Phuket’s fans given football treat as Munich crowned Euro champs
Ribery and Robben combine to give Bayern victory Reuters / Phuket Gazette PHUKET: A brilliant Franco-Dutch move involving Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben in the final minutes settled a memorable all-German Champions League final as Bayern Munich beat Borussia Dortmund 2-1 at Wembley. Watched by many avid football fans across Phuket who saw Frenchman Ribery’s backheel allow Dutchman Robben to…
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Islamic Festival kicks off, expects to draw record numbers in Phuket
PHUKET: The Alhamdulillah Talk-show Festival, expected to draw over 20,000 participants, is underway in Cherng Talay and will be running until midnight Sunday – rain or shine. “There will be talk shows about Islamic teachings and philosophy at the festival. We want to introduce Islam to the world, not just as a religion but also as a way of life,”…
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Steep road construction investigated, locals fear landslides across the bay from Phuket
PHUKET: Business owners’ fears of landslides that could be caused by a recently constructed road on a steep hill in the Ao Nang area across the bay from Phuket, led to an investigation on Thursday of the construction site.Locals also claimed that the road had been developed on Hat Noppharat Thara – Mu Koh Phi Phi National Park land. However,…
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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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