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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Sponsored Travel insurance vs digital nomad insurance: What’s the difference?
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Phuket sports: Yes, it’s a game
PHUKET: AT LAST, the 28th National Youth Games has finally arrived. Never before has Phuket been privileged to host such a large and significant sporting event. Hundreds of athletes will compete in 40 sports and games, with thousands more coming to cheer them on. Apart from the usual sports spectators expect to see there will also be a number of…
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Phuket sports: Boxing battle on Patong Beach
PHUKET: WBC Asia Continental Super Flyweight (115 pounds) champion Petchbangborn Sor Tanapinyo will defend his title in the main bout of a major fighting event to be held at Patong Beach tomorrow (May 29). The Thai champ takes on Indonesian challenger Alwi Alhabsyi at the peak of the Boxing and Muay Thai event dubbed “Suk Poon Insee Sataan Lok“, or…
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Phuket AMCHAM highlights Sports Tourism
PHUKET: A collection of industry experts who drive Phuket’s top international sporting events painted a bright outlook for Phuket’s future in the international sporting arena on Thursday. Attendees were told that Phuket is already on the map for major sporting events and that key officials are recognizing the economic benefits. Titled “Identifying and Marketing Brand Phuket – Sports Tourism”, the…
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Wet monsoon blast warning for Phuket, Andaman coast
PHUKET: The 24-hour forecast, issued by the Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) issued at noon today, predicts waves as high as four meters along Phuket beaches, as well as strong winds. The southwesterly monsoon winds are expected to reach speeds of up to 45 kilometers per hour. The TMD also issued a flash-flood warning at 4am today and advises all small…
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Phuket worker hurt as tree crashes onto moving vehicle
PHUKET: A Phuket construction worker was injured late yesterday morning when a tree crashed down onto the cab of the pickup truck he was riding in on the coastal road from Patong to Kamala. Kamala Police were notified of the accident, near the access road to the Thavorn Beach Village Spa at 11:15am. Arriving at the scene with Ruamjai Katanyu…
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Poll: English in the Phuket tourism industry
Phuket is among the best-known international tourist destinations in Asia. As such, the new Phuket Gazette polls asks readers to assess the overall English-language ability of local people working in the tourism industry here. To have your say in Phuket’s most popular poll click here. If you have already voted and want to view the latest results click here. If…
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Phuket pickup crashes into Thalang home
PHUKET: A man who crashed his pickup though a guard rail and into a home on Thepkrasattri Road early this morning crawled from the wreckage completely unharmed. Thalang Police were notified at 2:30am of a crash on Thepkrasattri Road southbound near the Tah Reua Chinese Shrine in Srisoonthorn, Thalang.Arriving at the scene with rescue workers, police found a modified black…
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Update: Phuket resort worker denies rape of German tourist
PHUKET: All official sources in Phuket involved in the case of an alleged rape of a German tourist by a Thai resort worker have unequivocally stated that the accused has not confessed to the charge. Sakchai Thongseedam, charged with raping the unnamed German tourist on May 17 at the Centara Karon Resort Phuket resort, has denied the police allegation. The…
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Phuket defense volunteer injured in hit-and-run
PHUKET: A young woman was badly injured in a hit-and-run collision with a passenger van near Phuket’s Heroines’ Monument late last night. The victim, 23-year-old Somying Samart, was riding home from her job as a civil defense volunteer in Muang District at about 11:30pm when the accident occurred, on Srisoonthorn Road westbound in Srisoonthorn subdistrict. As Acting Sub Lt Somying…
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Phuket Police warn of counterfeit Thai banknotes
PHUKET: Police in Phuket are urging the public to check carefully any banknotes they receive, as there have been reports of counterfeit bills being passed across the south of Thailand. The first reported case took place on Tuesday when a fried chicken vendor used a bogus 1,000 baht note to purchase items at a 7-Eleven convenience store in Haad Yai,…
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Phuket Sports: Let the games begin
PHUKET: Starting this weekend, Phuket will host the 28th Thailand National Youth Games, an event expected to bring more than 2,000 student-athletes to the island along with an estimated 14,000 people including coaches, parents, supporters and fans of over 30 different sports and pastimes. Gracious hosting of these games should be a point of pride among all islanders, Thais and…
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Phuket Games 2012 prepared to open as monsoon winds blow
PHUKET: It’s all systems go for the Thailand National Youth Games 2012, which will officially open with an extravaganza today at Surakul Stadium in Phuket Town. The Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (OrBorJor) held its final rehearsal for the opening ceremony at the stadium, which underwent a major renovation including new spotlights for the event. OrBorJor President Paiboon Upatising, who attended…
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Prompong suspects “foreigners’ in Phuket illegal land grab
PHUKET: Government Spokesman Prompong Nopparit today announced that he believes foreigners were involved in the illegal acquisition of protected forest land on the headland south of Patong Beach, on Phuket’s west coast. Leading an entourage of about 20 people, Mr Prompong this morning inspected the 20-rai plot of land in question, located near Freedom Beach. He also led the questioning…
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Phuket Governor expects light-rail investor named by August
PHUKET: Assuring the public that a light-rail project for the island will go ahead, Phuket Governor Tri Augkardacha said he expects the engineering firm to build the project to be named by the government by August. “We have an official committee to oversee the light-rail project in Phuket. The committee comprises local officials and businessmen, as well as representatives from…
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Phuket Island Union takes Evason dispute to Governor
PHUKET: Phuket Island Union members filed a petition with the Phuket Governor’s Office yesterday, requesting that Governor Tri Augkaradacha endorse their plea for a better severance package. The petition was the latest move by the union following an impromptu strike and subsequent sacking of more than 400 staff at the Evason Phuket & Bon Island resort on Tuesday. Union vice…
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Man dies after Thalang car crash
PHUKET: A Phuket Town man died after his pickup slammed into a power pole in Thalang district last night. Thalang Police were informed of the accident, opposite Srisoonthorn Municipality offices on Thepkrasattri Road northbound, at 10:30pm. Rushing to the scene with Phuket Kusoldharm Foundation rescue workers, they found a badly-damaged Ford pickup off the road a few meters down an…
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Phuket sports: F1 – Gladiators, Glamour and Glitz at Monaco
PHUKET: The Monaco GP is one of the most prestigious races in the world, alongside the Indianapolis 500 and Le Mans 24 Hours. These three races form a Triple Crown which only Graham Hill has won. In an irony devised by some god of madness, the Monaco GP and the Indy are to run on the same day this year!…
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Phuket Live Wire: Don’t be evil, AIS
PHUKET: A friend of mine – one of the Sunday morning computer clinic crowd – sends an interesting tale about his pre-paid AIS account: “I recently went through 300 baht of phone service in 10 days. 300 baht usually takes me over a month. Couldn’t figure out why. I routinely receive a ‘News Plus’ SMS message, in Thai, from AIS.…
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Burmese maid cleans house, gets nabbed by Phuket police
PHUKET: A Burmese maid in Phuket who stole about two million baht in cash, diamonds and jewelry from an ex-employer’s house on Monday was captured by the Phuket Provincial Police early this week. The maid, 32-year-old Sandar Win Wan Dee, was tracked down to room number “666” of an unnamed guest house on Soi Patong Whiskey on Monday afternoon. She…
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Phuket Town ultimate hotel guest Hans Maeter recovering well
PHUKET: Hans Maeter, the 88-year-old German expat who was moved from Phuket’s famed On On Hotel to Patong Hospital on May 8, is reportedly doing well. Mr Maeter had been a permanent resident at the On On Hotel in Phuket Town for the past 20 years. The hotel is famed as the Phuket hotel featured in the Leonardo DiCaprio film…
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Phuket expat restaurateur dies in motorbike crash
PHUKET: Long-term Phuket expat Pascal Gradolato, 54, owner of La Chaumiere restaurant on Saiyuan Road in Rawai, has died following a fatal head injury sustained in a motorcycle accident.An officer at the Phuket Tourist Rescue Center who responded to the emergency call told the Phuket Gazette he was notified of the accident at 5:30am yesterday.Mr Gradolato suffered a serious head…
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Phuket youth snatch gang targeted holiday tourists
PHUKET: Police have arrested a juvenile gang of bag-snatchers responsible for at least 17 thefts targeting tourists on holiday in Phuket.Chaiprasit ‘Jew’ Boonyok, 20, was identified as the leader of the seven-strong gang by Phuket Provincial Police Deputy Commander Pirayut Karajadi at a press conference held at Patong Police Station on Tuesday.The gang members arrested comprised two 15-year-olds, two 16-year-olds,…
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Phuket stages earthquake drill to calm fears
PHUKET: Emergency personnel from across Phuket joined local officials in Thalang District yesterday to conduct an earthquake rescue exercise. The drill was based on possible damages from a hypothetical 5.0 magnitude earthquake centered in the area of Srisoonthorn subdistrict, which sustained the greatest damage on April 16, when a 4.3 Richter quake shook Phuket. “Thalang is in an earthquake-risk zone,…
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Phuket gets a new “Yellow Bus’
PHUKET: A new luxury bus service to Hua Hin, called the “Yellow Bus”, has been launched, departing Phuket daily at 7am.The Roong Reuang Coach (Mukdahan) Company, also known as the “Yellow Bus”, has been in operation since 2005 and has maintained four routes stretching the length and breadth of Thailand.“We launched the first bus on the Phuket to Hua Hin…
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Home invasion: Phuket florist stabbed, robbed
PHUKET: A local flower shop owner early yesterday morning survived a brutal home invasion by three men who left him wounded after stealing his safe containing all his valuables. The victim, Sommart Chokekuea, reported the incident to police after receiving medical treatment at Mission Hospital in Rassada. A police check of the victim’s two-storey home in Chalong showed evidence that…
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Phuket live wire: Beware the SCB phishermen
PHUKET: I have been saving up accounts of online fraud directed at people in Phuket, and my inbox is groaning under the weight! Here’s my latest crop of scams you should know about. Hopefully, if you realize other people are getting hit, there’s less of a chance that you’ll lose your shirt to one of these charlatans. The most convincing…
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Phuket Live Wire: How to handle the next disaster
PHUKET: The “tsunami” scare has come and gone, and I’m still livid. Many news organizations spread enormous layers of misinformation and scared the living daylights out of people worldwide, without the slightest regard for the facts. All they cared about was selling more newspapers or gathering more clicks. At 5:23pm on April 11 – an hour before the “tsunami” was…
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Drinking water system heads to northern Phuket
PHUKET: The Phuket Waterworks Authority has revealed a plan to provide public water fountains throughout Mai Khao as a pilot project in rolling out potable water supply to the northern parts of the island. Pichai Wetchrungsri, Deputy Director of the Phuket Waterworks Authority, announced the news earlier this month at a meeting at Provincial Hall, where he explained that the…
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Phuket strike action sees 400 workers laid off
PHUKET: More than 400 employees of the formerly named Evason Phuket & Bon Island resort today staged a protest in front of the hotel in Rawai after learning that they had all been sacked – with immediate effect.Warin Sungkong, who presented himself as vice president of the Phuket Island Union, told the Gazette that the employees first noticed that the…
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Lifeguards back on Phuket beaches on Monday
PHUKET: Phuket’s lifeguards will be back on the beaches on Monday, an officer at the Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (OrBorJor) confirmed to the Phuket Gazette this afternoon. Kanyarat Senrung, an officer at the Phuket OrBorJor Tourism Department, today said the contract between the OrBorJor and the Phuket Lifeguard Club was signed this morning. “The only delay now is that we…
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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