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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Sponsored Infinito helps hotels in Thailand with revenue management
Maximising revenue and profit–isn’t that the ultimate goal for every business in the hospitality industry? If you run a hotel, you might have heard that revenue management is an effective way to boost your top-line revenue. It involves using data...
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Phuket dinghy found adrift, deckhand missing
PHUKET: A crew member of a Phuket fishing boat charter company was reported missing this morning in Chalong Bay. Nati Tavorn, a deckhand for Phuket Fish Boat, failed to arrive at the company offices after spending the night aboard one of the company’s boats in Chalong Bay. A search of the pier and beach by company staff, where the boat…
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FC Phuket’s darling Diarra Ali returns
PHUKET: Former FC Phuket player Diarra Ali will once again call Surakul Stadium his home, the Phuket Gazette learned today. The star striker was a key player in FC Phuket’s promotion to the Football Association of Thailand’s Division 1 last December. FC Phuket Secretary Sorranan Sanae said, “Diarra will play his last game for Muangthong United at the end of…
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Burden chalks up opening win at Phuket Snooker Cup
PHUKET SNOOKER: Alfred Burden of the UK began the Sangsom Phuket Snooker Cup in fine style this afternoon with a 4-1 victory over Thailand’s Thanawat Thirapongpaiboon in the opening match. Burden is ranked 57th in the world, while Thanawat trails in 82nd place. Match two, an all-Thailand affair, started at 4pm, between Nakorn Chapon and Ratchapol Pu-Ob-Orm, better known to…
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Phuket Election: Suniran re-elected Cherng Talay Mayor
PHUKET: Suniran Rachatapreuk secured enough votes in a local Phuket election on Saturday to retain his position as Mayor of Cherng Talay. “The election results were sent to the Election Commission of Thailand [in Bangkok] yesterday [June 5],” Kitipong Thiengkunakrit, Director of the Phuket Election Commission, today confirmed to the Phuket Gazette. “If there are no complaints filed with us…
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When I was a lad…
PHUKET: “It’s something that will be a great story when I’m an old man telling my grandkids that I was once the best player in the world at golf. It’s a little surreal.” Luke Donald already relishing the opportunity to have yawning kids listen to his golfing war stories. Thirty three year old Donald becomes the third Englishman after Sir…
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Lucky FC Phuket scrape a draw
PHUKET: FC Phuket continued their poor performance away from home yesterday with a 1-1 draw against Air Force United (AF Utd). The draw leaves FC Phuket in ninth place in Thai Premier League (TPL) division one. The seven yellow cards issued were not indicative of a bad-tempered encounter, but reflected the game’s tempo and spirited challenges from both teams, aware…
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Phuket Police to lead the way to free, fair election
PHUKET: Following reports of vote buying in the run-up to the general election, Phuket’s top cop is calling for stepped-up security that could include arrest of anyone found in public without a national ID card, from June 15 onward, according to local news reports. Phuket Provincial Police Commander Pekad Tantipong said today the only complaints related to the election thus…
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Phuket gold heist: Arrest warrant issued
PHUKET: Police have issued an arrest warrant for the man who held up a Phuket Town gold shop on Saturday. “We have issued the arrest warrant for a ‘Mr Ake’. We don’t know his full name, but we know he is from Surat Thani. He is a big, dark-skinned man who wore a wig and used a fake gun, as…
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Nadal clinical on clay
PHUKET: The “King of Clay” Rafael Nadal Parera turned in a majestic performance on Sunday to defeat world number three Roger Federer and win a record equaling sixth French Open tennis title. Nadal won the Coup des Mousquetaires [name of the French Open trophy] at his first attempt in 2005 aged 19 and made the grand slam event his own…
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Asia gets first grand slam victory
PHUKET: Li Na stamped her name on sports history on Saturday by winning the French Open at Roland Garros, becoming the first tennis player from China to win a Grand Slam singles final. A straight sets victory 6-4, 7-6 over defending champion Francesca Schiavone from Italy was completed in less than two hours by the world number seven. Li was…
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Manhunt launched after man steals B4mn from Phuket gold shop
PHUKET: Police have launched a manhunt after a lone robber made off with 4 million baht in jewelry from a gold shop in Phuket Town earlier today. Chantana Thanetthanasombut, owner of the Thong Thanet gold shop at the Yee Teng complex at the Slaughterhouse Intersection, told the Phuket Gazette that a man entered her shop about midday today posing as…
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F1 back in Bahrain
PHUKET – Quote of the day: “The Bahrain Grand Prix has always been a source of national pride and it is an event that transcends politics.” – Zayed Rashid Alzayani, chairman of the Bahrain International Circuit gushes over the reinstatement of the Bahrain Grand Prix. Yesterday’s unanimous decision by Federation Internationale de l’Automobile (FIA) means October 30 will see the…
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Phuket politician arrested on drugs, weapons charges
PHUKET: A local politician and two other men have been arrested and charged with possession and sale of narcotics after a raid on their jungle hangout in Phuket yesterday. At a police press conference at Phuket City Police Station this morning, Phuket Provincial Police Superintendent Pekad Tantipong identified the suspects as Cherng Talay subdistrict councilor Nakhin “Poo” Wisuttharom, 36, and…
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Phuket pips Bangkok for inaugural Legends Tour match
PHUKET: The Phuket Gazette this morning confirmed that the inaugural match of the Football Legends Tour – in which the Liverpool Legends squad will take on the Legends of Thailand team – will be held in Phuket. Phuket will now host the inaugural Prime Minister’s Football Legends Charity Cup match on Sunday, October 2 at Thanyapura Sports and Leisure Club…
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Phuket tour van crushed by overturned 10-wheeler
PHUKET: A 10-wheeled truck bound for Bangkok caused misery for Phuket commuters last night when it crashed into a tour van at the Heroines’ Monument in Thalang. Thalang Police were notified of the crash at 6:40pm. At the scene they found the truck on its side, pinning a crumpled van, operated by the Phuket Adventures tour company, against a traffic…
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Phuket double murder was drug deal gone sour
PHUKET: Police have arrested two men for their part in the murders of a man and a woman whose bodies were dumped over a beachfront cliff in Nai Thon before dawn on Tuesday morning. Sittipong Chareonrak and Ammarin Pantip were presented to the media today at a press conference at Tah Chat Chai Checkpoint. The men were identified by Sanit…
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FC Phuket accept 5-2 loss
PHUKET – Quote of the day: “If we have to travel [to Bangkok FC] to play a mere six minutes, I think it will be an non beneficial waste of expense…and so we’ve made an official report stating this reason as why we won’t travel to play the rest of the game…and are ready to accept the loss with the…
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Phuket braces for more heavy rain
PHUKET: June has started out as a very rainy month in Phuket, with sustained rainfall and thunderstorms covering the island. The Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) website reports rainfall reached a high of 100.2mm over the 24-hour period of June 1 with winds topping 64 kilometers per hour (kmh) at Phuket International Airport. Phuket’s Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation this…
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Portrait FC sitting pretty atop Phuket’s AFL
PHUKET: Round six of the 2011 Five-a-side Adult Futsal League season seven took place last evening at Thanyapura Sports and Leisure Club (TSLC) in Thalang, Phuket. A mid-table battle between Jitjongrut FC and Thalang Tigers was first on the card. Both teams created plenty of chances, but were met with stubborn defense and goalkeeping. The match finished in a 1-1…
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No more Glory for Robbie Fowler
PHUKET SPORTS: Former Liverpool FC star Robbie Fowler is in Bangkok this weekend playing in the Tesco Lotus Masters football sevens tournament, which includes teams from Asia, Europe and a selection from Phuket. Known as “God” to the Liverpool faithful, Fowler joins other ex-professionals such as Lee Sharpe and Ian Rush at Patana International School in Bangkok for the annual…
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Phuket Live Wire: Still dreaming about 3G
PHUKET: The easiest way to get 3G service in Phuket involves a trek to the True office in Phuket Town, in the little building in front of Robinson’s department store. There you will find several people who understand 3G (believe me, that’s quite an accomplishment), and they’ll set you up with 3G service. If you already have a True SIM…
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Phuket expats urged to ask visiting friends to insure themselves
PHUKET: The British Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) has called on British expats on the island to remind their visitors to take out a comprehensive travel insurance policy before heading to Phuket. The request comes as new research reveals that young people are more likely to buy a present for their host than take out a travel insurance policy. The…
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‘Streets of Phuket’ maps added to Gazette web news
PHUKET: By popular demand, Phuket Gazette online readers can now view accurate pop-up maps embedded in news stories with the single click of a mouse, thanks to a new partnership with IMAGE Asia and their best-selling Streets Of Phuket atlas. For example, see our news about the recently opened Phuket Provincial Administration Organization Hospital on Srisena Road. Click on the…
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Phuket sailing legends line up for Raceweek
PHUKET SPORTS: The Six Senses Phuket Raceweek, winner of the Asia Boating Award for “Best Asian Regatta of the Year 2011”, returns with four days of international-standard yacht racing, from July 20 to 24. Now in its eighth year, the event attracts a host of yachts with a range of competitive standards across several classes. Critical to being voted best…
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Showtime: Phuket candidates to do TV, radio spots
PHUKET: Phuket candidates in the upcoming July 3 general election are permitted to campaign through local TV and radio from June 13 to July 1. The Phuket Election Commission (PEC) discussed the regulation of campaigning through local broadcast media yesterday morning. Phuket Governor Tri Augkaradacha, who chaired the meeting, concluded that campaign advertising through local cable TV and radio would…
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Opening of new Phuket bridge postponed
PHUKET: The unofficial opening Phuket’s new bridge, the Srisoontorn Bridge, originally scheduled for this week, has been postponed, officials say. Arun Sa-nae, director of the Provincial Highways Office in Phuket, said some last-minute changes in the work plan meant that the new span would probably open to off-island traffic around mid-June. The final work by project contractor Italian-Thai Development involved…
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Phuket night clubber escapes disaster
PHUKET: A Thai man whose surname translates to “likely to escape disaster” was walking home from a Phuket karaoke bar last night when he was assaulted and left for dead by the side of the the road in Thalang. When Kusoldharm Foundation rescue workers arrived at the scene just after midnight, they found 33-year-old Wiwat Khongrodpai lying on the road…
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Fifa’s one horse race
PHUKET SPORTS – Quote of the day: “We will put Fifa’s ship back on the right course in clear, transparent waters.” Sepp Blatter, again re-elected as president of FIFA, hopes to prevent his “family’s” vessel from being dashed on the reef of corruption. — Neil Quail
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Phuket private aviation in rapid growth mode
PHUKET: With the recent surge in interest in general aviation kindled by the opening of Phuket Airpark and its airshows [see video], the Phuket Gazette has added to its classified advertising pages a new page dedicated exclusively to the world of private flying in Thailand. The new page contains listings in six categories: Aircraft for Sale, Aircraft Wanted, Aircraft Sharing,…
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Crackdown ordered on religious tattoos in Phuket
PHUKET: The Culture Ministry has attacked the growing trend for tourists in Phuket and other parts of Thailand to have religious images tattooed on their bodies. It has ordered provincial governors across the country, including Phuket, to crack down on such tattoos, igniting a debate on the human rights implications of forbidding the practice. Culture Minister Niphit Intharasombat told reporters…
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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