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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Moving to Thailand offers plenty of excitement and adventure, but the local healthcare system can be complex to navigate as an expat. From unique health risks to high costs at private hospitals, having a comprehensive health insurance plan is essential....
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Phuket using street art to draw tourists to historic Old Town
Phuket is using street art to draw tourists to its historic Phuket Old Town. The colourful, vibrant mural art is a painting of a cute character and a Chinese-style dragon, as well as a painting of a boat and a sea turtle amidst Phuket’s buildings. Phuket City Mayor Saroj Angkanapilart stated that the local government is prepared to welcome Chinese…
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Patong Police bust Frenchman for hit-and-run that seriously injured woman
Patong police busted a Frenchman for a hit and run after a Thai pedestrian was seriously injured last week. The culprit, Naji Sami Bouakkz, hit a woman, 54 year old Maliwan Sarnrat, with his motorbike on Friday, February 10. The incident happened on Soi Sai Namyen. Bouakkz did not stop his motorbike after hitting Maliwan. Officers and rescuers rushed Maliwan…
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Phuket health spa slams travel agency for ripping off foreigners
A Phuket health spa announced that it will no longer accept reservations from travel agencies after one agency ripped off its foreign customers. The decision was made after the agency in question overcharged foreign customers, causing them to file complaints about the high prices of the spa services. Phumontra Cafe & Massage is one of the most popular spa spots in Phuket…
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Mosquito bite in Thailand causes Dutchman to lose both legs
A Dutchman living in Nakhon Rathasima in Thailand is on a mission to spread awareness about “flesh-eating bacteria” (necrotising fasciitis) after a mosquito bite led to the amputation of his left leg and lower right leg. Long-term expat, 62 year old Ed Olieslagers from the Netherlands, went to the hospital in April last year after a mosquito bite became inflamed and…
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Over 100 Phuket couples tie the knot on Valentine’s Day
Over 100 happy Phuket couples officially tied the knot on Valentine’s Day yesterday. The couples registered their marriages at the Mueang Phuket District Office. To congratulate the newlyweds, District Chief Pairoj Srilamoon gave the couples souvenirs, including hotel vouchers for the first 20 couples. All couples were presented with special frames for their marriage certificates. The couples also had a…
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Canadian placed on ‘watchlist’ over Thai girlfriend’s death in Phuket
UPDATE Deputy national police chief Surachate “Big Joke” Hakparn said the Canadian man whose girlfriend was found hanged in Phuket, southern Thailand, last week has been placed on a “watchlist” and will be investigated. The deceased, 31 year old Wanvisa Riewklang, reported her boyfriend, 51 year old “Landy” to the police for alleged assault just days before her death. Wanvisa’s…
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Phuket taxi busted gambling online while driving
In a tough economy, it’s not unusual for people to work two jobs to make ends meet, sometimes even overlapping and working both at the same time. But a van driver in Phuket learned that the two jobs that don’t mix are driving a taxi while gambling online. The Phuket van driver received a 2,000 baht fine and had his…
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Earthquake hits Phang Nga
Although Thailand doesn’t experience catastrophic earthquakes like those that have hit Turkey and Syria, there are occasional tremours in the region. Yesterday afternoon, the southern province of Phang Nga was rocked by a 3.7 magnitude earthquake, following two others around the country in the wee hours. The earthquake shook the Thana subdistrict in Kapong district, Phang Nga province. The trembler was…
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Phuket fishing crew rescued after almost one month at sea
A Phuket fishing crew survived for nearly one month at sea after their boat, the Soi Sakul Petch, suffered engine failure a week after it departed from the island in southern Thailand on January 19. The Royal Thai Navy (RTN) launched a huge search operation after losing contact with the boat, combining marine and air searches, and reached out to…
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Phuket police can’t catch foreigner stealing tourists’ credit cards for shopping sprees
A foreign man has made a habit of stealing credit cards from tourists in Phuket, southern Thailand, to go on expensive shopping sprees. He has managed to avoid arrest so far. The same foreign man of unknown nationality is pickpocketing tourists in the Patong area of Phuket and using fake passports to make purchases of expensive items in bulk like…
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Phuket officials warn tourists to beware of jellyfish
Phuket officials are warning tourists to beware of potentially dangerous jellyfish while enjoying the island’s beaches. The warning issued today comes after more than 30 visitors reported being stung by jellyfish at Kata Beach last week, with most experiencing mild symptoms. In response to this, signs have been placed at over 20 popular tourist destinations around Phuket, including Patong, Nai…
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Phuket rescuers bring French tourists lost in forest to safety
Phuket rescuers brought two French tourists lost in a forest to safety between last night and this morning. The tourists, a man identified only as Victor, and his girlfriend, had arrived in Phuket earlier yesterday and decided to go for a walk on a local beach. The couple followed a trail up the Nai Thon mountain but found themselves lost and…
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Patong police officer reportedly refused to help Canadian tourist violently mugged
A Patong police officer reportedly refused to help a Canadian tourist who was violently mugged. The victim, 28 year old William Lamarche Saint Louis, said five men violently mugged him near Patong Beach on Friday. Saint Louis told Patong Police he had been drinking at a bar before going for a walk at night. He said five men approached him…
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Blaze severely damages Phuket luxury villa
A massive blaze severely damaged a luxury villa in the Cherng Talay neighbourhood of Phuket‘s Thalang district on Saturday morning. Four fire trucks were deployed to the scene to find the fire rapidly spreading. It took firefighters around two hours to fully put out the flames at the villa on Soi Pasak 1. Fortunately, no injuries were reported. However, several…
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PLTO meets with taxis from outside Phuket over crackdown
The Phuket Land Transport Office (PLTO) and the Phuket Provincial Police have recently held discussions with a group of taxi drivers and tour operators from outside of Phuket who have been banned from working on the island. The talks were focused on finding a solution to the continual problem of green plate taxi operators facing difficulties, including arrests and bans…
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Russian arrested acting illegally as tour guide
In Thailand, many jobs are earmarked as being only for Thai people. Even if a foreigner or expat had a business visa and a work permit, they are barred from certain fields. But in Phuket this week, a Russian man was arrested working as a tour guide which is forbidden for foreigners without any visas or permits. Pavel Maslennikov, a…
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Police bust foreign drivers, motorbike rentals
After a recent disturbance involving a group of unruly French motorbike drivers, Police in Patong are taking steps to curb irresponsible driving by foreigners. They are going after the drivers themselves as well as the rental companies that allow foreigners to hire motorbikes without properly vetting them. The crackdown is part of an ongoing effort to improve road safety in…
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Graffitist spray paints anti-Putin slogan in Phuket
A graffitist spray painted an anti-Putin slogan on a large rock on a Phuket beach. The Phuket News reported that the slogan criticising Russia’s president on the rock at Nai Thon Beach was first spotted by a foreigner yesterday morning. Lifeguards confirmed that the graffiti had not been on the rock at 7pm the night before it was found. Lifeguard…
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Phuket gunman with mental health illness commits suicide
The gunman who shot two passengers on a Phuket-Phattalung minibus this morning left a suicide note before taking his own life inside the vehicle. Reports indicate that the gunman was a former soldier with a mental health issue. The gunman was identified as a 30 year old former conscript soldier Nawin. He was reported to have a mental illness, but…
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Suspected Jimi Sandhu hitman in Canadian jail wants to face trial in Thailand
A Canadian man accused of being a hitman in the murder of Indian gangster Jimi Sandhu in Phuket last year said he wants to face trial in Thailand despite having to potentially face the death penalty. Canadian Forces veteran Matthew Dupre is one suspect accused of murdering Sandu in February last year on behalf of a Canadian-based gang. Sandu did not…
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BREAKING: 2 victims shot on a Phuket minibus, gunman refuses to surrender
A deranged gunman shot a male and female passenger on a Phuket-Phattalung minibus at 6.49am today. The assailant remains inside the minibus, currently surrounded by police officers attempting to negotiate a peaceful surrender. According to a report on Channel 3, the incident happened just after the Phuket-Phattalung minibus departed from the bus terminal. The bus travelled about 1 kilometre when…
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Cops bust large group of French motorbike racers in Patong
Motorbike racing tourists are once again causing a public nuisance in Thailand, this time in Patong. Cops busted a large group of French motorbike racers in Patong on Wednesday night. Footage of the racers went viral on local social media platforms, causing outrage among residents. The residents complained that the racers were disturbing them when they were trying to relax,…
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PLTO focuses on foreigners using rental cars as illegal taxis
The crackdown on illegal taxis – those operating outside their jurisdiction or without proper licenses or permissions – continues in Phuket. Authorities have turned their attention to a new target: foreigners using personal rental cars as taxis. In response to numerous complaints, Phuket officials launched an investigation into reports of foreign tourists acting as illegal taxi drivers. A joint team…
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500k baht stolen from Singaporean family in Phuket villa
A Singaporean family’s vacation in Phuket was spoiled after their villa was burgled of over 485,000 baht worth of valuables, including two Louis Vuitton crossbody bags. The family of eight were visiting the beach destination from January 22 to 29 and were robbed at the tail end of their holiday. They had moved into a private seven-bedroom villa they booked…
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High Stakes: Police shut down Phuket cannabis store for 30 days due to gambling
Police ordered the closure of ‘Hi Kush’ cannabis store in Phuket, southern Thailand, for 30 days, from yesterday February 7 to March 8, after finding evidence of gambling at the establishment. Officers from Phuket City Police Station arrested a man named Ratchakrit and 13 others for, “organising gambling (poker), gambling at a property without permission and conspiracy to gamble.” The…
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Phuket Police help Russian woman get her pricey diamond earrings back
Phuket Police helped a Russian woman get her pricey diamond earrings back yesterday after she accidentally left them at a guesthouse at Nai Yang Beach last month. The woman, 42 year old Elena Zholobetskaia, realised that her 70,000 baht earrings were missing while she was travelling in Koh Samui, after she had already checked out of the guesthouse, The Phuket…
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Phuket fishing crew missing since last month
Crew members of a fishing boat in Phuket have been missing since last month. The boat, named Soi Sakun Petch, was captained by Roong Luekamwong and had three other crew members on board, including one Thai national and two Myanmar nationals. According to the Royal Thai Navy Third Area Command, the boat had set out to fish in the Southwest…
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Thai woman slashes Chinese tourist in row over Phuket tour package (video)
An angry Thai tour company owner slashed a Chinese tourist’s arm after a row over a tour package in Phuket. As a result, the woman’s tourism license has been suspended for six months from today and she faces imprisonment and a fine. The Chinese victim revealed the story of her horrific trip to Phuket on TikTok. In the victim’s video…
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Foreigners, particularly Russians, accused of working illegally in Phuket
The Phuket Information Centre (ศูนย์ข้อมูลภูเก็ต) Facebook page accused foreigners, particularly Russians, of operating illegal businesses and working illegally in Phuket. Phuket Information Centre Facebook page shared with its followers last Sunday, February 5, that… “A lot of foreigners stay and work in Phuket, both legally and illegally. Recently, a group of foreigners started a car rental business. They offered both…
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Thailand’s tourism industry struggles to deal with chronic labour shortage
Thailand is facing a major crisis: the Land of Smiles’ tourism industry is struggling to deal with its chronic labour shortage. With over 11 million foreign tourists visiting Thailand since the country’s reopening in July 2022, the country is facing a major shortage of workers. According to data from the Labour Ministry, popular tourist destinations such as Phuket, Chiang Mai,…
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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