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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Phuket Sports: Honors even with Anaz champs
PHUKET: This past weekend the Phuket Cricket Group (PCG) had the opportunity to play two games against another touring team from Singapore, the ANZA Champs. The PCG were victorious on Saturday in the 30-over game, while the more social T20 game on Sunday was won by the ANZA team. After winning the toss, the visitors strode out to face the…
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Phuket van crash driver to face vehicular manslaughter charge
PHUKET: Police today confirmed they will charge the driver of the Phuket tour van involved in the accident yesterday morning that claimed the life of a 9-year-old schoolgirl with reckless driving causing death. Sub Lt Kraisorn Boonprasop told the Phuket Gazette this morning that Chalong Police officers were preparing their case against Tuan Russala Samae. However, Lt Kraisorn added,”We have…
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Phuket Airport bus forced off the road by repairs
PHUKET: Concerns about whether or not the Airport Bus, which shuttles passengers to and from Phuket Town and Phuket International Airport, had shut down its services this week were answered today with the simplest of answers: one of the buses is off the road for repairs. “We normally have two buses serving the route between Phuket Airport and Phuket Town,”…
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Osotspa clan member alleges B293mn land swindle off Phuket
PHUKET: Saowanee Osathanugrah, a member of the famous Thai “Osotspa” family, has filed a complaint against her husband for allegedly trying to swindle her out of land on Koh Yao Yai, an island off Phuket, valued at 293 million baht. Osotspa Co Ltd, known worldwide for its M-150 and Shark energy drinks, last year reported a total operating income of…
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Phuket Sports: PIST hooks all as Sunshine Village cleans up
PHUKET: THE eighth Phuket International Sportfishing Tournament, held last weekend, produced a thrilling end to three great days, particularly for two teams. The Danish ‘Clean Team’ trailed by a minnow, which was required to catch ‘Team Captain Hook’ as the boats headed out under gray skies for the final day of competition. Ian Tubby, captain of Thai Two On, implemented…
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Phuket’s postponed “Andaman World Experience’ raises concerns
PHUKET: Uncertainty clouds the announcement of a firm date for the Andaman World Experience, postponed from November 9, as officials scramble to identify dates when Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra will be available to attend. Chanchai Doungjit, Director of Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Phuket office, told the Phuket Gazette that the festival would go ahead and that the schedule would…
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International Cricket: Ricky Ponting to end career
PHUKET: Australia’s Ricky Ponting announced his retirement from international cricket today, telling a stunned news conference he would be calling time on his glittering 17-year career after this week’s third test against South Africa. The former Australia captain has scored 13,366 runs in 167 tests – the second highest haul in the long history of the game – and stands…
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Girl, 9, confirmed dead in Phuket tour van crash
PHUKET: Phuket police have named the schoolgirl who died in the tour van crash this morning as Kulnaree Lattuada Lancini, 9 years old, a student at British International School (BIS). Chalong Police Sub Lt Kraisorn Boonprasop told the Phuket Gazette that Kulnaree died at the scene of head trauma. Kulnaree was in the rear seat of a pickup truck that…
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Phuket girl, 12, feared dead in tour van crash
PHUKET: A 12-year-old girl is feared dead after a Phuket tour van reportedly collided with a pickup truck near Chalong Temple on Chao Fa West Road in Chalong this morning. According to initial reports, two others were injured in the accident, which occurred at about 7 am. It is not known at this point whether the driver fled the scene…
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Phuket axe murderer out on bail until next year
PHUKET: The 15-year-old boy who confessed to killing his sleeping stepfather with an axe in August will appear before the Phuket Family and Juvenile Court on the morning of February 4 next year. A court official told the Phuket Gazette today that after his confession to Chalong Police on August 22, the youth was remanded in the custody of the…
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Deadline for listings in Phuket’s yellow pages
PHUKET: Businesses wishing to appear in the 2013 Gazette Guide Business Directory, Phuket’s ‘yellow pages’, have until 12 noon on Thursday, December 6, to enter (or update) their listings – that’s eight (8) days from now. Businesses not listed by that date will not appear in the directory until 2014. The 350-page book, with details of about 2,500 businesses serving…
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Thailand Futsal Premier League: Phuket United eye Colombian star
PHUKET: The island’s pro futsal club, Phuket United, are looking to sign Andres Reyes, one of the up and coming stars showcased at the FIFA Futsal World Cup 2012, held in Thailand earlier this month. Phuket United Assistant Coach Patt Srivijit told the Phuket Gazette that the team is planning to get in contact with Andres Reyes about a possible…
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Loy Krathong Festival honors “Phuket yesteryear’
PHUKET: As communities across Phuket celebrate the Loy Krathong Festival tonight, residents in Srisoonthorn, Thalang, will be drawing to a close their three-day version of the festival. Phuket Governor Maitri Inthusut officiated at the opening of the Srisoonthorn festival, which this year also honors the area’s tin-mining history, at the Bang Maruan Lagoon – located next to the site of…
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Unbranded drugs suspected in British tourist death at Phuket resort
PHUKET: Police suspect unbranded drugs may have contributed to the death of a British tourist whose body was discovered in his resort guest room this morning in Phuket.The man, a 64-year-old British national, was found dead by his female companion in the couple’s room at a resort at Nai Thon Beach at about 9am, said Capt Prakorp Boonkwan of the…
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Live Wire: Drilling down on landlines
PHUKET: Last week I talked about the general state of internet connections in Phuket. This week I want to drill down on landlines. I wish I could just point you to a web page that has all of the information about the various internet lines available on Phuket, and let you make a choice. Life isn’t that simple. You would…
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Murder fugitive Aldhouse to arrive in Phuket on Saturday
PHUKET: British national Lee Aldhouse, wanted in Phuket for the stabbing murder of former US Marine Dashawn Longfellow in August 2010, will be extradited from the UK and will arrive in Phuket on Saturday. Aldhouse, also known by his kickboxing nickname “The Pitbull”, will arrive at about 7pm, Chalong Police Superintendent Sirisak Wasasiri told the Phuket Gazette today. Chalong Police…
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Phuket Poll: Bringing illegal taxis in from the cold
PHUKET: The Phuket authorities over the past year have taken a combination of measures to bring illegal taxis on the island under regulation. The latest move brought 50 airport taxis into the fold from a “co-operative” that was openly and illegally serving passengers at the airport. However, that move followed a mini-blitz in which 194 drivers were fined for being…
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Phuket Sports: Racing for Rich
PHUKET: They say tragedy brings people together in a meaningful way. This is the case with triathlete Richard Holland and his supportive friends. In the early hours of the morning on Thursday October 11, 2012, Rich (as he’s known to his friends) set out cycling in Dubai to train for the upcoming Laguna Phuket Ironman 70.3. What was supposed to…
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Phuket Prosecutor prepares to file charges against Tiger Disco
PHUKET: The Phuket Public Prosecutor’s Office is in the final stage of preparing its case against the operators of Tiger Discotheque over the fire that broke out at the Patong nightclub on August 17. The popular night venue erupted into flames just before 4am, while hundreds of patrons were still inside. Four people died in the inferno, including two tourists.…
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Phuket Customs raid seizes B1.5mn of pirated goods
PHUKET: Phuket Customs officers today presented to the press almost 2,000 counterfeit items, with an estimated street value of over 1.5 million baht, that were seized in a raid last week. Officers from the Royal Thai Customs Investigation and Suppression Bureau (ISB) raided a transportation company depot on the bypass road after receiving a report that a consignment of counterfeit…
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Australian fall survivor out of Phuket intensive care unit
PHUKET: Two weeks after falling from the 18th floor of a Patong hotel, a 39-year-old Australian tourist has been moved from the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) to an orthopedic ward at Vachira Phuket Hospital. The man, originally from Sydney, suffered broken ribs, a punctured lung and serious injuries to his left leg when he fell from the balcony adjoining his…
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Police not to post any response to “Evil man from Krabi’ YouTube video
PHUKET: Krabi Provincial Police have confirmed that they will not post any further video response to the “Evil man from Krabi” YouTube music video, which accused them of dereliction of duty in the case of the rape of a Dutch tourist. The original video response posted by the police was in Thai only and has subsequently been taken down. “I…
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Phuket cat burglar fails as roof caves in
PHUKET: A would-be cat burglar bungled his attempt to rob a Phuket minimart after falling through the roof into the store’s stockroom below, leaving him trapped until he was found by staff this morning.Arriving at the scene, a minimart in Pa Klok, police found 38-year-old Thepmongkol Thongsri lying injured in the stockroom.“He gained access to the store by climbing onto…
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Phuket protesters back home after rally in Bangkok
PHUKET: The hundreds of Phuket protesters who joined the Pitak Siam anti-government rally in Bangkok over the weekend have arrived home safe in Phuket. Concerns were raised on Saturday when police officers with riot shields enforcing a cordon around the protest site at the Royal Plaza started firing tear gas into the crowd and clashes between the protesters and police…
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Phuket protesters home safe after Pitak Siam rally in Bangkok
PHUKET: The hundreds of Phuket protesters who joined the Pitak Siam anti-government rally in Bangkok over the weekend have arrived home safe in Phuket. Concerns were raised on Saturday when police officers with riot shields enforcing a cordon around the protest site at the Royal Plaza started firing tear gas into the crowd and clashes between protesters and police ensued.…
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Phuket Big Buddha pickup truck flips in Karon, 8 injured
PHUKET: Eight people were injured this morning when a pickup truck converted into a small bus flipped onto its side while descending Karon Hill.Phuket City Police Capt Thada Sodarak told the Phuket Gazette that the accident occurred at about 10 am near the sharp “Sator Curve” while the vehicle was descending the hill heading towards Chalong Circle.Officers arrived at the…
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Wild marks Laguna Phuket debut with title win
PHUKET: Swiss Olympian Ruedi Wild produced a clockwork performance in his debut at today’s Laguna Phuket Triathlon to snatch the title from a top-class field of fellow pros in just under two and a half hours. He become his country’s first-ever winner of the iconic endurance event, now in its 19th year. In the women’s field it was another Olympian,…
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Thailand Futsal: Phuket United fall to Bangkok in home opener
PHUKET: The island’s professional five-a-side soccer club, Phuket United fell 3-5 to the Bangkok Futsal Club, in an exciting and intense match-up in Phuket Town last night.Played in front of nearly 1,000 spectators at Phuket’s new 4,000-seat Indoor Sports Complex in Saphan Hin, the match was both sides’ third match of the 30-fixture, GMM Sport Thailand Futsal Premier League (TFPL)…
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Phuket underpass roadwork sparks fears over ambulance access to hospitals
PHUKET: Staff at Phuket International Hospital and officers from the Phuket City Police Traffic Division are working together to come up with viable routes for ambulances to make sure they can get patients to the facility in an emergency during rush hour. The news follows project contractor Italian-Thai Development Co’s placement on Friday night of concrete blocks on the inside…
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Pressure builds on organizer over Paris Hilton New Year beach party
PHUKET: Pressure is building on event organizer Sydictive Element to win over local authorities in order to gain approval for the three-day New Year Phuket beach party announced by Paris Hilton in Bangkok last month. Speaking with the Phuket Gazette on Thursday, Governor Maitri said he had reservations about the depth of the effort and resources being committed to make…
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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