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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Abandoned baby rescued in Phuket
PHUKET: Kamala Police are searching for the parents of an infant found abandoned in Phuket last night. Neighbors who heard the relentless crying of an infant found the boy, age estimated at about two months, in an unnumbered home in Kamala Village 5 at about 9pm. They contacted local tambon chief Santi Saraya, who in turn notified Kamala Police and…
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Phuket drug tip-offs lead to four arrests, 6,000 pills seized
PHUKET: An anti-drug squad in Thalang District, which covers most of the north of Phuket, last night nabbed four people for drugs, culminating with the arrest of an alleged dealer with more than 5,000 pills early this morning. The squad, comprising four Thalang Police officers and officials from the Thalang District Office, began the night’s work with the arrest of…
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FC Phuket bag first road win
PHUKET: After a series of ten consecutive losses and draws, FC Phuket won their first road game against a luckless RBAC side in Bangkok yesterday afternoon. FC Phuket scored the only goal of the match just two minutes into play, when a long pass from Nittiroj Sukuma was chested down inside the penalty area by Watcharapong Jun-ngam, then deftly passed…
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No drama for Phuket pilots in Taiwan
PHUKET: A website report this morning of a “dramatic near miss” involving two aircraft on the ground at Taiwan’s Taoyuan International Airport has come as a surprise to at least two of the pilots. Contacted by telephone in Taiwan early this afternoon, South African pilot James Pitman was clearly astounded by the report, saying that at no time was his…
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Phuket hosting regional Scrabble competition in bid to boost students’ vocabulary
PHUKET: Some 700 young Scrabble enthusiasts are in Phuket this weekend to compete in the southern regionals of the 5th annual CyberDict Crossword competition. Grouped into three age categories (primary, lower secondary, upper secondary), the students are vying for places in the national finals to be held in Bangkok at the end of the year. Techus Pogool, a 16-year-old from…
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Phuket pineapple goes on show
PHUKET: The annual Phuket Pineapple and Flower Fair is now underway at Saphan Hin Park in Phuket Town. Organized by the Phuket Provincial Agricultural Office, Phuket City Municipality and the Phuket Provincial Administration Organization, this year’s fair will feature exhibitions of Phuket Pineapple (called yanat in the local southern Thai dialect), pineapple peeling and processing competitions, and flower decoration contests.…
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Phuket Airport taxi worker killed in motorbike crash
PHUKET: An employee of the Phuket Airport taxi cooperative was killed instantly yesterday when her motorcycle was hit head-on by a pickup truck cutting across traffic at a U-turn on Thepkrasattri Road in Thalang. Thalang Police were notified of the accident at 3:30pm. At the scene, the turn-off to Baan Pa Krong Cheep off Thepkrasattri Rd southbound in Thepkrasattri subdistrict,…
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Phuket Yachting: Krabi Marina to open in November
PHUKET: The development firm behind Phuket’s Boat Lagoon will open their second marina across the bay in neighboring Krabi province in November. Approved by Thailand’s Board of Investment (BoI), the Krabi Boat Lagoon project occupies 110 rai in Taling Chan. The first phase, covering 42 rai, will include 90 berths, 70 hardstands, workshops and commercial facilities and undercover quays for…
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Phuket mass Thai massage sets unofficial record
PHUKET: Hundreds of Phuket massage therapists lined Kata Beach this morning ready to play their part in a mass Thai massage session that unofficially broke the standing world record. A total of 584 pairs of hands worked in unison to rub and relax, surpassing the current official record of 232 pairs of hands set by “Tourism Victoria Australia”. An officer…
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Welcome to Phuket: Swede robbed of B1 million on Day One
PHUKET: A couple who moved into their new Phuket home in a quiet neighborhood yesterday have already reported their house being burgled – and losing valuables totaling about one million baht in the process. They had not spent a single night in their new home before they were robbed. Lars Gustav Torsten Lindgren, 57, told the Phuket Gazette today that…
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Poles apart
PHUKET: “This morning I watched the two sides warming up. I saw India, and they looked like they’d got their kit out of the garage! They were all in different gear. England looked really professional next to them. They just looked poles apart.” Andrew ‘Freddie’ Flintoff expressed his disappointment yesterday with the Indian side’s preparations for the fourth and final…
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One dead, two injured at Phuket’s ‘Pigpen Curve’
PHUKET: One man died and his two passengers were injured when a pickup slammed into a tree at a notorious blackspot in Phuket’s Thalang district early this morning. Thalang Police identified the deceased as 35-year-old Prakit Ploonang. The late Mr Prakit, listed as a resident of Khlong Thom District in Krabi, was driving two female friends home from their work…
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Phuket expat deported over fraud charges
PHUKET: American Roger Miller today pleaded to the press that he himself was a victim of fraud as he faces immediate extradition to Florida for allegedly defrauding investors of US$1.2 million. “Between 2006 and 2009, Mr Miller operated a real estate business named Rama Lama Mortgage that dealt with property transactions including estate mortgages,” Phuket Immigration Superintendent Panuwat Ruamrak explained…
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Red turtles rise in Phuket Town
PHUKET: Phuket’s ethnic Chinese community is in the midst of celebrating its annual Por Tor festival to honor their ancestors. The annual festival is held on the first day of the waxing moon in the seventh Chinese calendar month. This year, the festivities began on Tuesday with a ceremony at the Fresh Market on Ranong Rd in Phuket Town after…
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Phuket hosts Indonesian tourism push to revive Aceh
PHUKET: A delegation from the Indonesian Ministry of Culture and Tourism will host a reception for about 200 Phuket residents at Ao Chalong Yacht Club (ACYC) tomorrow. The event is part of the ministry’s strategy to revive and promote tourism to Aceh Province, the hardest hit landfall of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. The ministry has identified yachting as a…
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Toyota League Cup result: Phattalung 1 – 0 FC Phuket
PHUKET: FC Phuket lost 1-0 at Phattalung FC in the first leg of their quarterfinal pairing with the Division Two side last night. The two teams appeared to be headed for a scoreless draw until Phattalung scored in the 80th minute on a long shot by Anukon Sangrum that was deflected into the net by FC Phuket keeper Jonathan Matijas.…
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Phuket and Pattalung football battle in the south
PHUKET: FC Phuket take on Pattalung FC this evening in a highly anticipated first-leg quarter final for the 2011 Toyota League Cup football tournament. Kick off is scheduled for 6pm. The purple and white shirted Pattalung “Swiftlets”, also known as the “Swallows”, will be the hosts of tonight’s game at Pattalung Provincial stadium in Pattalung town. The second leg will…
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Aldhouse extradition for Phuket murder ‘not decided’
PHUKET: Despite local reports to the contrary, the British Home Office today confirmed to the Phuket Gazette that no decision has been made regarding the extradition of murder suspect Lee Aldhouse, wanted in Thailand for the stabbing death of American Dashawn Longfellow last August. Mr Longfellow died on August 14 last year after allegedly being stabbed multiple times by Aldhouse.…
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Phuket Live Wire: More players in the island’s new internet game
PHUKET: Two weeks ago Live Wire covered the current state of the Internet in Phuket. At the time, evaluating TOT Fiber 2U and AIS GHSPA services was not touched upon because there was not enough data on the Phuket Internet Speed Reporting site. The numbers are pouring in now thanks to those of you who take a minute to report…
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Tuk-tuks: no more beatings, blockades – warns Phuket police chief
PHUKET: The commander of the Phuket Provincial Police yesterday ordered the tuk-tuk drivers responsible for beating two Dutch tourists in Patong earlier this month to turn themselves in or face stiffer punishment. Commander Pekad Tantipong and Kathu Police Superintendent Arayapan Pukbuakao chaired a meeting with representatives of tuk-tuk co-operatives at Patong Police station to discuss the beating of Unobovd Alcawbimel,…
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Phuket ready to launch online check-in for yachts
PHUKET: The long-awaited “one-stop shop” online check-in system for yachts arriving in Phuket will launch on September 1. Vice Governor Weerawat Janpen announced the news today at Provincial Hall at a meeting to discuss the final details for the new service. The Software Industry Promotion Agency (SIPA) have been working on the project since last year. “We have finished developing…
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Patong’s “middle road’ to get facelift before Christmas
PHUKET: Work on surfacing Phang Muang Sai Kor Road in Patong, which runs behind the Jungceylon shopping complex, will begin before the end of the year, the Phuket Gazette was told today. “The construction contract was signed in Bangkok and work on the road will start by the end of this year,” Teeraporn Jirarattanakorn, director of the Department of Rural…
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Phuket’s Swedish murder suspects may not do ‘hard’ time
PHUKET: The Swedish duo charged with the August 1 murder of Maksim Schantz would likely serve out their sentences in Sweden, a consular official told the Phuket Gazette. Johan Sebastian Ljung, 25, and Tommy Viktor Söderlund, 26, confessed on August 2 to attacking and stabbing to death the Russian-born Swedish national Mr Schantz, police said. The pair allegedly were angered…
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Phuket airport lands record meth bust
PHUKET: A Thai woman was caught trying to smuggle a record 3.2 kilograms of ya ice (crystal methamphetamine) into Thailand at Phuket International Airport last night. The haul, valued at 10.5 million baht, was touted to be the biggest meth bust in the airport’s history. The suspect, 39-year-old Ratchanee Chidnaporn, from Khon Kaen Province in Northeast Thailand (Isarn), arrived from…
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Phuket Sports: FC Phuket draw 1-1 at JW Rangsit
PHUKET: FC Phuket again failed to achieve their first win in an away match this season, though came from behind to grab a point against JW Rangsit with a 1-1 draw yesterday . Phuket went into the match ninth on the table and had a solid 3-1 home win over 11th-place Rangsit under their belt. The Phuket squad came out…
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Thousands turn out for Phuket Seafood fiesta
PHUKET: Thousands of people turned out yesterday for the Seafood Fair at Rawai Beach to celebrate HM Queen Sirikit’s 79th birthday, also marked as Mother’s Day in Thailand. The seafood fair also marked the beginning of “Lobster Week” as part of the month-long Phuket Seafood Fiesta being held by the Phuket office of the Tourism Authority of Thailand. Charawat Chanaprach,…
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FC Phuket face JW Rangsit FC today
PHUKET: Having defeated JW Rangsit in the Thai Premier League (TPL) Division One earlier this season at Surakul Stadium, a second victory for FC Phuket over their Pathum Thani rivals is expected today. However, it is an away fixture, and Phuket’s miserable away record continues to weigh on the minds of players, management, the media and faithful supporters. A commanding…
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Phuket Gov first to be drug tested
PHUKET: Phuket Governor Tri Augkaradacha today passed a drug test as part of the grand opening ceremony for the new drug testing center in Phuket. The governor officiated at the the event at the Regional Medical Sciences Center in Thalang this morning and offered a urine sample which was then screened for all five classes of illegal narcotics. After a…
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Well known Phuket resident Ken Brookes passes away in UK
PHUKET: Canadian Barrister and long-term Phuket resident Ken Brookes died in hospital in London last night. He was 67. His wife Lori Ashton was with him on a holiday when Ken fell ill. Both Ken and Lori are best known for the successful ‘Art and Culture’ publishing business and lived in Rawai for a number of years. Born Kenneth JA…
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Barman turns pro
PHUKET: “Six months ago I was a full-time gardener and playing six leagues down from the Premier League back home.” Jason Mooney from Northern Ireland has been signed to play for Wycombe Wanderers in England’s Football League One. The 22-year-old, 6 foot 9 inch goalkeeper was cutting hedges until he landed a barman’s job at Wycombes ground, Adams Park. Now…
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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