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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Phuket landslide kills Burmese migrant worker
PHUKET: A Burmese migrant worker was buried alive at a Phuket construction site this morning when a large pile of dirt slid into the trench he was working in. Min Hla Thein, 45, was working on a large drainage system at the Phuket Villa 5 project in Wichit when the landslide filled the 2.5-meter ditch, police said. Phuket City Police…
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Dane’s death accidental: Phuket police
PHUKET: The Danish man found dead at a Phuket hotel last Tuesday likely died as a result of diabetes and heavy drinking and smoking, police said. The body of 62-year-old Preben Thamsen Schmidt was found in the gardens of the Print Kamala Resort early in the morning. He had wounds to his face and arms and was last seen drinking…
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Japanese to power up Phuket offshore students
PHUKET: Koh Lone School will receive their first free wind turbine in August following a joint initiative by a Japanese manufacturer and the Phuket Provincial Energy Office (PPEO). PPEO Chief Jirasak Tummawetch along with representatives from A-Wing Co Ltd, the Thai affiliate of the Japanese small wind turbine manufacturer, made the announcement at a meeting with Phuket Vice Governor Somkiet…
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Driver “not drinking’ in fatal Phuket crash
PHUKET: Police have confirmed that alcohol was not a factor in a fatal car accident in central Phuket on Friday. The driver of the car, Lithuanian Tamara Latvijas Rabo, 31, died instantly in the crash and Kuwaiti Waleed MHH Alostad, 37, the front-seat passenger, later died at Phuket International Hospital (PIH), Police Duty Officer Kittiphum Tinthalang told the Phuket Gazette.…
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Murder the ultimate risk in Phuket land. Did it trigger the temple murders?
PHUKET: Murder the ultimate risk in Phuket land deals. Did it trigger the temple murders? The significance of the armed attack by six gunmen at Suwanpadit temple in Surat Thani last Sunday is not lost on Phuket people. The men, armed with pistols, entered the temple and opened fire on Songwut Noppakhun, an official serving with the Surat Thani Provincial…
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Storming last day ahead for Phuket Six Senses Raceweek
PHUKET: An eight point gap keeps Neil Pryde’s Team Premiere in pole position of the 2011 Raceweek regatta’s Racing class heading in to the final day of competition. A resurgent Katsu skippered by Ben Copley on 13 points has laid down a late challenge by taking over at second place from KukuKERChu with David Ross, while Ricky Pointon’s Jing Jing…
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Phuket pirates plea for sympathy, assert right to sell illegal goods
PHUKET: A group of pirates from Kata and Karon staged a protest in Phuket Town on Wednesday to fight rising opposition to the sale of illegal wares. The protest leaders first arrived at Phuket Police Station, where their letter of complaint was received on behalf of Phuket Police Commander Pekad Tantipong. The crowd of about 60 vendors then moved on…
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Oil rigs off Phuket may become ‘national issue’
PHUKET: A top official at PTT Exploration and Production Public Co Ltd (PTTEP) on Tuesday expressed his worry that tapping any oil reserves in the Andaman Sea off Phuket will become a “national issue”. PTTEP Vice President Visit Coothongkul voiced his concern at a meeting to update Vice Governor Somkiet Sangkaosutthirak and other local authorities on the status of oil…
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Pryde extends lead at Phuket Raceweek
PHUKET: Neil Pryde and his Team Premier crew today extended their lead in the Racing class of this year’s Phuket Raceweek regatta with two wins from two races. Team Premier now lead the class with just four points, leaving their nearest rivals in their wake. David Ross of KukuKERChu is in second place with 12 points and Rick Pointon’s Jing…
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Foul weather stalls search for missing Phuket tourist
PHUKET: Bad weather today hampered the search for a Chinese tourist who disappeared under large waves at Karon Beach yesterday evening. Rescue parties, including lifeguards from Karon Beach and the Royal Thai Navy, could only safely search for the 27-year-old tourist, named as ‘Mr Ruging Lin’, from 3pm to 5pm today, said Karon Municipality Sea Rescue Center Chief Supachai Junphet.…
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Phuket Amateur Golf Week tees off
PHUKET: Twenty-two amateur golfers from all over the world descend on Phuket this weekend to compete in the Golfasian Phuket Amateur Golf Week which runs from July 24 to July 28. Players of all abilities and handicaps, both ladies and gentleman from countries including New Zealand, India, Australia and Abu Dhabi will test their abilities on Phuket’s best golf courses.…
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Foreigners die in Phuket car crash
PHUKET: Two foreigners died this morning and two more suffered serious injuries after the Toyota Vios they were travelling in slammed into a roadside power pole in central Phuket. A rescue worker at the scene told the Phuket Gazette that the accident happened at about 5am at the U-turn on Wichit Songkhram Road near Thai Naan Restaurant. “One of the…
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Phuket hotelier dies in sidewalk crash
PHUKET: A 54-year-old Swedish hotelier died after sustaining injuries in a motorcycle accident early Tuesday morning in Patong. Vachira Phuket Hospital identified the victim as Lars-Goran Salomonsson, who owned the Lars-Lita guest-house and restaurant in Patong with his wife, Lita. After hearing the sound of a loud crash around dawn, witnesses found Mr Salmonsson lying in a pool of blood…
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Double victories for Team Premier and Voodoo at Phuket’s Raceweek
PHUKET: Six Senses Phuket Raceweek faced unusually calm conditions on day one and kept crews in eager anticipation for the start of Asia best regatta. The Answering Pennant (AP) had been raised by Principal Race Officer (PRO) Simon James to signal that racing was postponed, but winds soon picked up to a worthy 13 knots and jockeying for the start…
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Plans unveiled for Phuket’s long-awaited Patong tunnel
PHUKET: Research consultants conducting the feasibility study for Phuket’s controversial Kathu-Patong tunnel project yesterday announced the route they plan to propose to the government. The proposed route would start from Soi Bang Thong on Phra Barami Rd near the Go-Kart Speedway in Kathu, tunnel through the hills and connect with Phang Muang Sai Kor Rd in Patong, explained Anurak Srisawaeng,…
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Phuket authorities to tackle illegal Russian, Korean tour agents
PHUKET: Vice Governor Nivit Aroonrat yesterday ordered that a multi-agency provincial task force be set up to tackle the rising number of Russian and Korean tour agents operating illegally in Phuket. V/Gov Nivit revealed the news at a joint meeting at the Tourist Police headquarters in Phuket Town. “There are more than 100 Korean and about 20 to 30 Russian…
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Phuket police have doubts over mum’s suicide
PHUKET: Cherng Talay Police are investigating the death of a mother who was found hanged from a beam in the family’s Phuket home yesterday. When officers arrived at the house in Bang Tao, her 13-year-old son was crying nearby and her husband was sitting in front of the house drunk and incoherent. Duty Officer Lt Col Yodpat Suwannasit told the…
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ASEAN steps up to support Korean tourism to Phuket
PHUKET: A three-day intensive training course attended by about 50 staff from Phuket tourism businesses concludes today, with the aim of providing better services to inbound Korean tourists. The course, being held at the Hilton Phuket Arcadia Resort & Spa, is part of the “ASEAN Tourism Human Resources Development Program” organized by ASEAN-Korea Center (AKC) in cooperation with Tourism Authority…
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Phuket land issues to be reported “direct to PM’
PHUKET: Encroachment on protected forest land and illegal land ownership were the top two issues identified by a panel of specialists who recently conducted a fact-finding tour of Phuket, Phang Nga and Krabi. The panel of five from the National Coordinating Center for Special Security reports to the Internal Security Operations Command (ISOC), which will report its findings directly to…
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Mystery death likely a suicide: Phuket Police
PHUKET: Phuket Police say suicide was the likely cause of death of a woman whose body was discovered in her rented home in Chalong earlier this month. Although initial investigation suggested the possibility of murder, subsequent questioning of family members indicates that 41-year-old Chamaiporn Chuaykham probably took her own life, police said. Chalong Police duty officer Chianchai Duangsuwan said the…
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Phuket’s Six Senses Raceweek under starters orders
PHUKET: SIX Senses Phuket Raceweek began last night with their themed Carribean launch party. The eagerly awaited race schedule begins today at 10am on the waters off the Evason Phuket. The regatta, recently bestowed the honor of Best Asian Regatta 2011, is the first event on the Asian Yachting Grand Prix (AYGP) circuit and the first opportunity for serious contenders…
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FC Phuket take on TOT SC in FA Cup third round today
PHUKET: FC Phuket clash with TOT SC in the third round of the FA Cup today in Nonthaburi. Phuket dispatched Sponsor Thai Premiere League (TPL) side Sri Racha in the Toyota Cup last week, and now face another Sponsor TPL team in the form of 15th position TOT SC. TOT SC manager, Somchai Subpherm, who is considered to be “Thailand’s…
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Canadian Women Olympians grace Phuket
PHUKET: SYNCHRONIZED swimming combines the highest level of core strength, balance, flexibility, artistry and grace – a rare combination on the international stage. Speaking to the Phuket Gazette and PGtv (see video interview here), Canada’s Olympic coach Julie Sauvé and team captain Marie-Pier Boudreau-Gagnon explained the challenges of their chosen sport and future hopes of success. The Canadian team, known…
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US Embassy calls for Americans to STEP up
PHUKET: The US embassy in Bangkok is calling for all Americans in Thailand to register with its Consular Section so it can better provide assistance to US citizens. Tim Swanson, Chief of US Embassy Bangkok’s American Citizen Services (ACS) Unit, told the Phuket Gazette, “If you are an American citizen in Thailand – either as a long-term resident or a…
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Phuket holiday: Dane found dead in Kamala
PHUKET: A 62-year-old Danish man was found dead in a resort garden near his Phuket hotel room this morning. Lt Col Anek Mongkol, duty officer at Kamala Police Station, told the Phuket Gazette that staff at the Print Kamala Resort discovered the man’s body at about 6:30am and called the police immediately. “His body was found in gardens beside a…
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Voodoo and Miss Saigon win Phuket’s 2011 Multihull championships
PHUKET: The fourth SEA Property International Phuket Multihull Championship reached an exiting conclusion on Sunday with David Liddell’s Miss Saigon winning the inaugural Corsair Cup and Voodoo skippered by Ian Coulson taking the Firefly 850 One Design Class. Performance Multihull Class (PMC) was an extremely tight contest over the three days. On the first day Paul Larsen skippering the Andaman…
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AIS rolls out 3G coverage for Phuket
PHUKET: AIS is currently rolling out Phuket’s first island-wide full 3G service with a target launch date slated for the end of the month, the Phuket Gazette has learned. The news follows a ground-breaking demonstration of the service by Paiboon Rinsakul, AIS Marketing and Sales Manager for Upper Southern Thailand, at the Woody Leonhard Computer Clinic held in Chalong on…
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Phuket Live Wire: 3G wars start heating up
PHUKET: BANGKOK’S two big English-language newspapers have different takes on the topic, but it’s clear at this point that the 1-2-Call mobile phone company Advanced Information Systems (AIS) and Thai telecommunications services and hardware giant Samart are both going to try to match up with TOT to deliver High Speed Packet Access (HSPA) “3G” service to Thailand, and possibly Phuket.…
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Phuket hospitals join fight against breast, cervical cancer
PHUKET: Two of Phuket’s major international hospitals will be providing discount breast and cervical cancer screening packages throughout August. Urairat Atiset, president of the Phuket chapter of the Business and Professional Women’s Association (BPW) of Thailand, today announced that Bangkok Hospital Phuket (BHP) and Phuket International Hospital (PIH) will be offering the breast and cervical cancer examinations for 3,000 baht.…
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Six Senses Phuket Raceweek off to record start, before the first gun
PHUKET: A record more than 40 yachts are expected to cross the starting line for the eighth Six Senses Phuket Raceweek starting on July 21 in the waters off the Evason Phuket and Koh Bon in Rawai. The regatta, recently bestowed the honor of Best Asian Regatta 2011, is the first event on the Asian Yachting Grand Prix (AYGP) circuit…
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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