Phuket News
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Readers’ Poll: Will plastic bag scheme help Phuket?
PHUKET CITY: Some said it could never happen, but starting on December 4 most of the island’s major retailers will begin charging customers for plastic bags. Already on board with the project are Central, Big C, Tesco-Lotus, Makro, Supercheap and Jungceylon. Do you think this initiative will cut down significantly on the approximately 500 tonnes of garbage sent to the…
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Race against time on Phuket’s Thalang Road
PHUKET CITY: Work to bury power cables along Thalang Rd is nearing completion and the city is hoping to have the project completely finished in time for the fourth Old Phuket Town Festival next month. Aekapop Patpathom, project engineer with the Provincial Electrical Authority (PEA) office in Phuket, said all of the underground conduits have been installed. He initially expected…
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Phuket land dispute heats up
PHUKET CITY: The tense standoff at the Panason City construction site heated up this morning when landless villagers set fires to prevent backhoes from covering their modest homes with dirt and warning gunshots were fired by workers. The fires were set at about 10am today and warning shots were fired into the air by backhoe operators around noon, one of…
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Phuket Veg Fest out of control: Readers’ Poll
PHUKET CITY: Almost half of Phuket Gazette readers think the annual Phuket Vegetarian Festival is ‘getting out of hand’ in terms of firecrackers and self-mutilation, and that the authorities should step in and impose some order. Of the 330 readers who took part in the poll, 48.8% overall agreed with the statement that: ‘The fireworks and self-mutilation are out of…
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One-Two-Go to launch new Phuket flight
PHUKET CITY: Low-cost carrier One-Two-Go will launch a second daily round-trip flight between Bangkok and Phuket starting on December 3. One-Two-Go Public Relations and Marketing Communications Officer Namon Patisang said fares for the flights begin at 1,750 baht, all inclusive. The new flight will depart Phuket at 1:40pm daily and make the return from Don Meuang at 3:30pm. One-Two-Go already…
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MNRE orders halt to Phuket mangrove destruction
THEPKRASATTRI, PHUKET: After receiving a deluge of complaints, Minister of Natural Resources and Environment (MNRE) Suwit Khunkitti has ordered his department to put a stop to the continuing destruction of Phuket’s dwindling mangrove forest reserves. On Wednesday morning, Mr Suwit sent high-ranking officials to a site at Thamaphrao Village in Tambon Thepkrasattri, where more than 50 rai of forest have…
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Award winning DJ makes Phuket debut
PATONG, PHUKET: US DJ and remix artist extraordinaire David Morales will make his long-awaited Phuket debut this Friday at Seduction Beach Club and Disco at Patong Beach.The multi-award winning producer and artist is probably most famous for his 1998 hit single Needin’ U, which was released under the alias The Face.The American ‘superstar DJ’ will bring his own blend of…
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Michael Jackson’s This Is It arrives in Phuket
PHUKET: The Michael Jackson documentary This Is It is now showing at the SFX Coliseum cinema in Central Festival Phuket, an SFX spokesperson has confirmed.The announcement follows news last month that Phuket cinemas could not show the digital version of the movie upon its worldwide release on October 28 as none of the theaters had the digital projection equipment required.However,…
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New coral reef found near Phuket
PHUKET CITY: A new coral reef covering an area almost the size of two soccer fields has been discovered off the coast of Phang Nga. The reef was discovered by fishermen around five nautical miles west of Kho Khao Island in Phang Nga’s Takuapa District. The reef lies at a depth of about 21 meters. Mr Chaimongkol Yaemarunpattana, a coral…
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Phuket reds, yellows ready to roll
PHUKET: Phuket’s yellow-shirted People’s Alliance for Democracy (PAD) supporters and their red-shirted opponents, the United Front for Democracy Against Dictatorship (UDD), will both be traveling to large gatherings in the near future.The Phuket PAD will be heading to Bangkok to protest former Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra’s appointment to a high-level advisory position by Cambodian premier Hun Sen.The protest will…
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Phuket child protection agency seeks donations
PHUKET CITY: The Phuket Juvenile Observation and Protection Center is accepting donations of second-hand goods to sell as part of its ‘Share our love with Children’ charity project set to take place at the annual Red Cross Fair over the New Year’s holiday period this year. The 2009 Red Cross Fair will take place at Saphan Hin for 10 days,…
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Belgian beauties bound for Phuket
PHUKET CITY: Twenty Belgian beauties will touch down in Phuket on Monday as part of eight days of activities in the run up to the 2010 Miss Belgium pageant. Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) South Region 4 office director Bangornrat Shinaprayoon said the activities will include beach tours, photo and video shoots, kayaking in Phang Nga Bay, Thai cooking classes,…
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British man dies in Rawai
PHUKET CITY: A 52-year-old British man was found dead in his rented home in Rawai earlier today.Chalong Police Duty Officer Tienchai Duangsuwan was informed of the death by the man’s Thai girlfriend at 3:30am.The couple shared a rented home on Soi Kok Mar in Rawai.They moved into the dwelling about one week ago.The woman told police the man had earlier…
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Phuket blackout schedule announced
PHUKET CITY: The Phuket office of the Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA) has announced the following scheduled power cuts to carry out maintenance on high voltage wires, starting with parts of Chalong on Thursday.November 12 (9am to 4pm): ChalongAffected areas include parts of Patak Rd, south side, from Chalong Circle to the Phuket Shooting Range. Patak Villa is among the affected…
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Phuket FC tryout rescheduled
AO MAKHAM, PHUKET: Open trials for Phuket FC soccer team have been postponed two days until November 14. The trial will now take place at the FIFA Tsunami Memorial Center at Ao Makham this Saturday from 4pm to 6pm. Phuket FC are looking to bolster the squad ahead of the 2010 season. Several players, including Thai premiership veterans, have contacted…
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Hainan delegation tours Phuket
PHUKET CITY: Representatives from the Chinese province of Hainan paid a visit to Phuket as part of a three-day study tour examining tourism management and development strategies. The Hainanese delegation held talks with Phuket Governor Wichai Phraisa-ngop, Vice Governor Smith Palawatwichai and other officials at Provincial Hall yesterday afternoon. It was the final day of their three-day stay in Phuket,…
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Pa Khlok man named Phuket’s ‘Outstanding Citizen’
PA KHLOK, PHUKET: A 47-year-old Muslim man with no education past high school has won top honors for Phuket in a nationwide search for the most outstanding citizen in each Thai province. Jeerasak Torthip was named an ‘Outstanding Citizen’ for his work in securing a simple, sustainable way of life for the people of Bang Rong Village, a coastal community…
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Chinese takes top honors in Phuket programming meet
PHUKET CITY: IT whizzes from universities across Asia convened in Phuket last week to compete in an international computer programming contest. The Association for Computing Machinery International Collegiate Programming Contest (ACM-ICPC) took place at Prince of Songkla University on Tuesday and Wednesday. Sixty teams of three students each from universities in Thailand, China, Vietnam, Japan, Taiwan, Indonesia, Singapore, Philippines, South…
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Road to encroachment divides Phuket
MAI KHAO, PHUKET: Villagers and local officials are at odds over whether a new road in Mai Khao caused the destruction of 25 rai of peat swamp forest – or stopped the encroachment from being much worse. Mai Khao Tambon Administration Organization built the 28-million-baht road, which is 3.5 kilometers long and skirts the boundary of Jik Forest. Mai Khao…
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Americans cash in on Phuket volleyball win
KARON, PHUKET: With a masterful performance, the American pair of Jen Kessy and April Ross captured their second-straight Phuket Thailand Open title on Karon Beach yesterday, walking off the sand with the winners’ check of US$30,000.The top-seeded Kessy and Ross finished their four days of competition by downing compatriots Angie Akers and Tyra Turner with clinical precision in the 37-minute…
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Phuket convention center “a certainty’: DPM Korbsak
MAI KHAO, PHUKET: Phuket’s decades-old dream of having an international-class convention and exhibition center took another turn yesterday, when Deputy Prime Minister Korbsak Sabhavasu toured the proposed project site in Mai Khao and suggested a number of changes to the latest plan. Mr Korbsak, Deputy Prime Minister in charge of economic affairs, reaffirmed that Cabinet has approved 2.6 billion baht…
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Phuket Thailand Open: World’s largest women’s beach volleyball event!
KARON, PHUKET: Top seeds powered their way into the semi-finals of the US$190,000 Phuket Thailand Open on Karon Beach yesterday, with April Ross and Jen Kessy-Boss of the US surviving a sturdy challenge from the Netherlands. The FIVB announced yesterday that the Phuket Thailand Open was officially the largest event in women’s beach volleyball, having attracted a record-breaking 66 teams…
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Shooting murder in Phuket flower shop
CHALONG, PHUKET: A middle-aged man found shot to death in a Chalong flower shop early this morning is thought to be the victim of a jealousy-inspired murder. Police identified the victim as 38-year-old Surat Thani resident Weerathep Kamchan. Chalong Police received a report of the shooting at about 4:30am from the victim’s alleged mistress, 36-year-old Boonruen Buasi. Investigators including Chalong…
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MV Doulos Phuket visit cancelled
PHUKET: It has been announced that the ‘library ship’ MV Doulos has cancelled her visit to Phuket. MV Doulos was due to port in Phuket from November 19 to 26. However, planned maintenance and repairs on the ship, currently berthed in Singapore, have run into unexpected delays. The advance preparation team regret the delay and apologizes for any inconveniences caused.…
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New Phuket TAT office chief to sell Phuket’s international side
PHUKET: With the possible exception of Bangkok, Phuket is the most ‘international’ of Thailand’s 76 provinces. A ride past the bustling eateries that line Patong’s Rat-U-Thit 200 Pi Road will confirm it: there are people from every corner of the globe living and working here. It’s this angle that new Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) South Region 4 Office chief…
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Phuket punters sit for cops of coffee
PHUKET CITY: Phuket City Police Station’s very own coffee shop, The Seat, opened its doors on Monday, selling hot beverages, cakes – and earning extra cash for the city’s underpaid cops. The enterprise is a ‘police welfare project’ organized by station superintendent, Col Wanchai Ekpornpit. All profits from the shop will be shared by Phuket City Police officers, supplementing their…
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Phuket Open: All Thai teams out
KARON, PHUKET: All five Thai teams in the FIVB Phuket Thailand Open volleyball tournament have been eliminated from competition. Defending Phuket Thailand Open champions Jen Kessy-Boss and April Ross of the US opened defense of their title by defeating 32nd seeds Julaluk Radarong and Manerat Udomchavee of Thailand 21-15 and 21-13 today. More bad news for the Thais came when…
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Woman arrested for Phuket FantaSea jewel heist
PHUKET CITY: After analyzing DNA evidence, police on Monday arrested a cashier at Phuket FantaSea for the theft of more than two million baht’s worth of diamond jewelry from the souvenir shop safe in May. Police said a sample of 26-year-old Khuanrue-thai Chartnarong’s hair matched those found near the safe shortly after the robbery, which took place at Phuket FantaSea…
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Patong nightspots under curfew scrutiny
PATONG, PHUKET: Following many reports that certain nightlife establishments in Patong are not closing by the mandatory 2am curfew, the Phuket’s governor and the island’s top police officer say the situation is being closely monitored. This follows a report in a local Thai language newspaper that three unspecified nightclubs were habitually operating until 6am. At a meeting at Phuket Provincial…
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New Swedish Honorary Consul for Phuket
PHUKET CITY: A doctor at Bangkok Hospital Phuket is the new go-to man in times of trouble for the Andaman region’s sizable Swedish community. Dr Sompoch Nipakanont, assistant director of Bangkok Hospital Phuket, was formally appointed as the new Swedish honorary consul on Monday. Swedish Ambassador to Thailand Lennard Linner presented a letter of appointment to Dr Sompoch from HM…
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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