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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Starting a career in Thailand can be an exciting chapter, but it also brings unique challenges, especially when it comes to health and wellness. For expats, navigating Thailand’s healthcare system and meeting work permit requirements can be difficult. And while...
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Phuket Projects: ‘Benefits’ at odds with people’s choice
PHUKET: The results of the most recent Phuket Gazette readers’ poll reveal that a clear majority want “airport bus” services to Phuket’s west coast resort towns as the tourism development project to move ahead above all others this year. [See page 11, current issue of the Gazette. Digital subscribers click here to download the full newspaper.] The results indicate that…
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Phuket Police name “mastermind’ suspect behind “Ae Inside’ murder
PHUKET: Police today announced the name of the man they believe masterminded the assassination of Wisut “Ae Inside” Tangwitthayaporn, who was shot dead in rush-hour traffic while driving to Phuket Town on January 12. Maj Gen Chonasit Wattanavrangku, superintendent of Phuket Provincial Police, this morning confirmed that arrest warrants had been issued for Atsadakorn “Pod” Seedokbuab (pictured above), 48, and…
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Phuket’s Luangpor Daeng passes away, age 79
PHUKET: More than 1,000 people, including the Phuket Governor, attended a memorial service for Luangpor Daeng, the revered abbot of Mai Khao Temple since 1978. Originally from Nakhon Sri Thammarat, Luangpor Daeng was ordained at Wat Khunapanangtun Temple in Phattalung in 1967. He was appointed abbot at Mai Khao Temple in 1978, serving as a teaching abbot there until his…
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Phuket tourism: China lifts travel warning
PHUKET: Good news for the Phuket tourism industry came yesterday when China removed its travel advisory for Thailand. Thai Foreign Affairs Minister Surapong Tovichakchaikul immediately expressed his appreciation for the move. Mr Surapong attributed China’s decision to Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra’s recent participation in a New Year celebration at the Chinese Embassy in Bangkok, during which the issue was discussed…
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Kamala Festival 2012 underway in Phuket
PHUKET: Kamala Festival 2012 got underway this morning with a fishing competition on Kamala Beach. A wide variety of fun activities throughout the weekend are expected to draw tourists and residents from across Phuket. Organized and funded by the Kamala Tambon Administration Organization (Kamala OrBorTor), the center of activities is Chalermprakiat 100 Pee Park on Kamala Beach, where staged events…
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Flirting with the Blues
PHUKET: ‘It’s like flirting with a girl. Perhaps she will resist you at first, but if you continue to ask her out, it always ends well. Never give up.” Zhu Jun describes negotiations with Chelsea to sign striker Didier Drogba for his side, Shanghai Shenhua. Drogba could be joining forces with former team-mate Nicolas Anelka as the Chinese club moves…
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“Safety boost’ at death bend not working: Village chief
PHUKET: The village headman of Baan Kho En has called for officials to install more safety features at the notorious “death bend” on Thepkrasattri Road where the small community resides in the north of Phuket. Somnuek Patee made his plea on Thursday at a high-powered meeting held to review the slew of safety measures put in place on the lethal…
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Phuket villagers protest land claim via dubious title deed
PHUKET: In the latest land dispute in Phuket, more than 100 residents of the Soi Kingkaew Community in Rassada have protested to the governor over alleged attempts by a private investor to get a Chanote land title deed for a 300-rai plot in the area. Led by 41-year-old Thongchai Kaewthong, the residents of Rassada Village 3 went to see Phuket…
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Phuket dive crew rescues seven from blazing catamaran
PHUKET: Quick action by the crews of a Phuket dive-boat and another vessel saved the lives of seven foreigners when their chartered catamaran caught fire and sunk in the waters off Koh Rok last night. The crew of the Sailing Yacht (SY) Diva Andaman were interrupted during their beach barbecue on Koh Rok, an island about 30 kilometers southwest of…
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Phuket Sports: Patong lead the field
PHUKET: Patong CC top the Island Furniture cricket league after a comfortable win over Phuket’s youth development team, the Leopards, played at the ACG last Sunday. With all seven teams in the competition moving into the third round of matches, a victory and taking every available bonus point was a must for Patong while the Leopards were on the prowl…
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Phuket Events: New vehicle for tickets in Phuket
PHUKET: With more and more events gracing Phuket every year, and with the vast majority of them sponsored by the Phuket Gazette, the newspaper’s events promotion team thought it time to do something special for event organizers and attendees alike. Phuket Tickets is now in “business” and doing all it can to help promote the next two ‘tickets required’ events…
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Nong Pin’s mom asks Phuket Governor for help
PHUKET: The desperate mother of Samudchaya “Nong Pin” Yanpunya yesterday met with the Phuket governor to seek high-tech help in tracking down her missing 12-year-old, who vanished without a trace over six weeks Nong Pin’s mom Samruay Saenthaweesuk asked Phuket Governor Tri Augkaradacha yesterday for help from the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology in tracing the origin of her…
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Terror warning does not apply to Phuket: US Embassy
PHUKET: Tourism operators yesterday threatened to march on the US Embassy if the United States refused to withdraw its terrorism warning for Bangkok within two days. However, local tourism operators can rest easy, as the embassy has reiterated that the warning does not apply to Phuket. “Those concerned operators will join forces to submit their demand to US Ambassador Kristie…
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Countdown to ‘Phuket Life & Style’: Launch issue hits the streets today
PHUKET: Enclosed in your Phuket Gazette due out this afternoon, you’ll find our all-new magazine, ‘Phuket Life & Style’. This 32-page launch issue is packed full of features dedicated to Asia’s Favorite Island. We’ve cobbled together interviews with Allan Zeman, Gulu Lalvani, Bill Heinecke and more. Golf, fashion, yachting, spas, property, tourism and aviation will also vie for your attention…
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Red Shirt leader hails Phuket’s ‘Ae Inside’ as ‘brave, fearless’
PHUKET: Friends, family and colleagues paid their final respects to slain reporter Wisut “Ae Inside” Tangwitthayaporn during an emotional cremation ceremony at Wat Kosit in Phuket Town this afternoon. Mr Wisut, an investigative reporter and head of the “red shirt” political movement in Phuket, was ambushed and shot dead by two assailants near his Rassada home last Thursday. Mr Wisut’s…
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“Get the gunmen off our streets’: Phuket Governor
PHUKET: Phuket Governor Tri Augkaradacha has told Phuket’s top police officers that he wants a concerted effort by police to arrest the gunmen in recent murder cases in order to restore people’s faith in public safety on the island. The order came at a meeting at Phuket Provincial Police Station yesterday, in the wake of two assassinations on the streets…
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Italian man “stabbed by mistake’ in Phuket
PHUKET: The Italian man who was stabbed at Nai Harn Beach on Monday night has told the Phuket Gazette that he was probably “stabbed by mistake”. Giovanni, 33, who asked for his family name not to be published, is recovering at Bangkok Hospital Phuket, in Phuket Town, where he was released from the hospital’s intensive-care unit (ICU) yesterday. He was…
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Phuket update: US embassy maintains terror threat warning
PHUKET: The US Embassy in Bangkok sees American citizens in Thailand as still facing the threat of terrorism and will thus keep a controversial warning on its website, despite the Thai government’s insistence that Thailand is not a target for international terrorists, a senior embassy official said yesterday. “Nothing changes” when it comes to the perceived threats and America’s need…
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Wiki blackout hits Phuket at high noon
PHUKET: The Phuket Gazette would like to inform its readers that English Wikipedia will be shutting down at noon today (Phuket time) to protest proposed legislation in the United States. The proposed Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) in the US House of Representatives and PROTECT IP Act (PIPA) in the US senate “if passed, would seriously damage the free and…
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Phuket ‘Ae Inside’ murder: Thai media reports police closing in on killers
PHUKET: Phuket Police appear to be closing in on the person who ordered the killing of Phuket investigative reporter Wisut “Ae Inside” Tangwitthayaporn, according to reports in the Thai-language media. Following yesterday’s re-enactment of the crime with the confessed driver of the gunman, police say they have gathered enough evidence to apply for arrest warrants for alleged gunman Sanya Klinchum,…
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Phuket Video Report: ‘Ae Inside’ murder re-enacted by suspect
PHUKET: Police today staged a re-enactment of the assassination of Phuket reporter Wisut “Ae Inside” Tangwitthayaporn, who was shot dead amid rush-hour morning traffic last Thursday. Heavily-armed members of the Phuket City Police and the Phuket Special Operations Unit escorted the alleged driver in the attack, 43-year-old Noppadol “Pae” Praisri, through the events that led to the ambush of Mr…
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Phuket Simon Cabaret stars spread their wings
PHUKET: The Simon Star Cabaret show, Phuket’s third ladyboy extravaganza, opens on Thursday with a special discount available for Thai nationals only, through February. Executives of Simon Cabaret held a press conference at The Metropole hotel in Phuket Town today to announce the opening, which is the culmination of a 130-million-baht investment. The venue is located on the grounds of…
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Fire contained in densely populated area of Phuket Town
PHUKET: Three homes in a public housing community in Phuket Town were damaged last night in a fire that took firefighters about one hour to extinguish. The fire broke out at about 9pm in a home on Soi 9 of the Saphan Ruam 2 Community, on the east side of Phuket Town near the Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (PPAO) Hospital.…
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Phuket top sailing destination in Asia: Survey
PHUKET: Phuket was voted as top in Thailand, while Thailand as a nation was voted the favorite sailing venue and best regatta location in Asia, according to a survey of international sailors from around the world conducted at the 2011 Phuket King’s Cup Regatta. The survey was undertaken by the Top of the Gulf Regatta in co-operation with the Phuket…
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French cinema fete coming to Phuket
PHUKET: French film enthusiasts will be in for a treat next month, when the French Thai Cultural Festival “La Fête” hits Phuket with free showings of five acclaimed movies at the Prince of Songkla University Phuket Campus. The five films, all with subtitles in English, will be: In Mom’s Head (Comedy / 2007 / Directed by Carine Tardieu) Me and…
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Phuket Video Report: Suspect denies any role in murder of journalist
PHUKET: The man who Phuket Police have arrested for conspiracy to commit murder in the case of Wisut “Ae Inside” Tangwitthayaporn, today publicly denied any involvement in the killing. Noppadol “Pae” Praisri, 43, this afternoon told the press gathered at Phuket City Police Station that he used to come down to Phuket to sell fruit, but that that was years…
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Phuket Live Wire: So what’s all this about a 3G auction?
PHUKET: Continuing my series of articles answering questions that I hear most often… the next question is one I expect to hear a thousand times in the next few months. It’s a little complicated, but you’re going to get confused anyway, so let me try to simplify things as best I can. “Woody, I hear that Thailand is finally going…
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Phuket Police arrest alleged gunman in “Ae Inside’ murder
PHUKET: The first suspect wanted in connection with the shooting murder of Phuket reporter Wisut “Ae Inside” Tangwitthayaporn last Thursday has been arrested and is set to appear at a police press conference today. An arrest warrant for the suspect, 43-year-old Petchburi native Noppadon “Pae” Praisri, was approved by Phuket Provincial Court on Saturday. The exact time and details of…
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FC Phuket trashed by Hornbills in season closer
PHUKET: Despite determination for a strong finish and a surprise substitution late in the game, FC Phuket were no match for the Chainat FC “Hornbills” in the two sides’ final game of the season.The Southern Sea Kirin went down 3-0 on Saturday afternoon in Chainat.Two of Chainat’s goals came in the first half, from an 18th minute goal by Suradet…
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Phuket update: Warrant issued for ‘Ae Inside’ murder suspect
PHUKET: Phuket Police have issued an arrest warrant for one of two men wanted for the assassination of investigative reporter Wisut ‘Ae Inside’ Tangwitthayaporn on Thursday. The police name the suspect as Noppadon “Pae” Praisri, 43, from Phetchburi province. The arrest warrant names Mr Noppadon as wanted for conspiracy to commit premeditated murder. The warrant was issued after witnesses were…
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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