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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Giant Clam population in danger
CAPE PANWA, PHUKET: With the colorful shell of the giant clam highly prized by aquarium owners, the lucrative but illegal trade in the species is causing the population of this marine mollusk to decrease dramatically and experts fear it may become extinct in its natural habitat. Out of the eight known species of giant clam in the world, five species…
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Gazette Online smashes visitor records
PHUKET: With 82,882 visitors to its news pages in the 24 hours ending at midnight yesterday, the Gazette Online set a record for single-day traffic since the site was launched in September 1997. The statistics are prepared independently and published daily on the home page of the newspaper’s website. In yesterday’s record-breaking log, the leading contributors to the site’s traffic…
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Light-fingered Aussie couple nabbed in Patong
PATONG, PHUKET: An Australian man and his wife were arrested yesterday afternoon for shoplifting gold and diamond jewelry from shops in Patong and other parts of the island. Pol Lt Col Sakhon Bandisak of the Kathu Police identified the couple as 32-year-old Kimberley Clintjames and his wife Tran Anhchi Thi, age 34. The pair were arrested at 4 pm as…
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Phuket man confesses to Koh Pha Ngan tourist murder
PHUKET: A Phuket man has confessed to the strangling murder of a female German tourist on Koh Phangan on the night of the island’s famous Full Moon Party, local police said. Tattoo artist Tiwat “Ood” Kasemchoke, 29, yesterday confessed that he strangled Astrid Al-Assaad Schachmer on Koh Phangan and disposed of her body in the water at Baan Naiwok Beach,…
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Tourist found dead after island rave party
KOH SAMUI / KOH PHA-NGAN (The Nation): Police are hunting for the person believed responsible for the death of a German woman at the full-moon party on Ko Pha-ngan, a satellite island off Samui Island, at the weekend. “An investigation suggests she might have been raped and killed,” Maj Pissanu Bia-kaew, a Tourist Police inspector, said. The tourist, in her…
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Cement spill threatens Racha reef
RACHA YAI, PHUKET: A barge loaded with building materials almost capsized in Phlap Phla Bay off Racha Yai island early Thursday afternoon, causing the captain to offload 30 sacks of cement into the sea over an artificial coral reef. Paitoon Praechaiyaphum of the Marine and Coastal Resources Department Region 5 office, who has visited the site, said that officials were mounting…
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The Times: realistic or romantic about Phuket?
PHUKET: In a world-beating feature in the travel section of the New York Times this weekend, Phuket makes the grade as one of the world’s 44 “most compelling” destinations to visit in 2009. See the rankings here. Interesting and encouraging indeed. But local residents may find an agent provocateur lurking just below the surface in an editorial sub-ranking where it’s…
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Phuket’s kids enjoy Children’s Day
PHUKET: Youngsters are today enjoying free games, activities, stage performances and food and drink around the island for Thailand’s annual Children’s Day. Events dedicated to giving kids a good time are taking place at shopping malls, military installations, government offices, schools, hospitals and public areas all over the island.
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Children’s day activities round-up
PHUKET CITY: This year’s Children’s Day falls on January 10 – tomorrow – with activities for the whole family all around the island. The Phuket City municipality has arranged a host of events to take place at the Municipal Youth Health Center at Saphan Hin. Local schools and parents’ associations will have their own tents, where presents, sweets, ice cream…
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One man, one game, two holes-in-one in Phuket
PHUKET: Long-term Phuket resident John Connelly, 58, smashed all records Saturday morning when he carded two holes-in-one in a single round of golf at Phuket’s Blue Canyon Country Club. According to an estimate published in Golf Digest magazine, the odds of such an occurrence are about one in 67 million! Connelly, with a handicap of 13, achieved the feat while…
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Golf: Two holes-in-one, one man, one game in Phuket
PHUKET: Long-term Phuket resident John Connelly, 58, smashed all records Saturday morning when he carded two holes-in-one in a single round of golf at Phuket’s Blue Canyon Country Club. According to an estimate published in Golf Digest magazine, the odds of such an occurrence are about one in 67 million! Connelly, with a handicap of 13, achieved the feat while…
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Sports Complex design complete, but still no building budget
MAI KHAO, PHUKET: Design work on a long-awaited sports complex on 240 rai of state land in Mai Khao is now complete, but the project remains without funding. Promchote Traivate, head of the Phuket Office of Sports and Recreation Development, said the latest design consists of a 4,000-seat multi-purpose hall, a 15,000-seat football stadium with retractable roof, an “extreme sports”…
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PM says ‘no’ to bullet-proof car
BANGKOK / PHUKET: Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva yesterday declined an official offer to use a state-owned bullet-proof car, despite having received many death threats in recent days. He refused to change to the bullet-proof model offered by his security team and said that the offer had nothing to do with the assassination threats. The team told him that they did…
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Vigo top prize in Red Cross raffle
SAPHAN HIN: The exciting draw for top prizes in the 2009 Phuket Red Cross Fair at Saphan Hin will be held at 10 pm on January 9, the penultimate day of the event. Those buying 100-baht raffle tickets will have a chance of winning the following prizes: First prize: Toyota Vigo extended cab pickup (1 prize); Second prize: Motorbikes (3);…
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Road accident update: Day 6
PHUKET: The death toll over the first six days of this year’s “7 Days of Danger” road safety campaign is now up to three, following the death early Sunday morning of a worker in the back of a pick-up in Koh Kaew. The Road Safety Center, set up by the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM-Phuket), identified the deceased…
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Man arrested for KorTorMor shooting
PHUKET CITY: The son of the owners of a popular car repair chain has been arrested for allegedly shooting another man in the back inside the KorTorMor nightclub at 1 am on January 1, bringing New Year’s festivities there to an abrupt end.Phuket City Police Superintendent Wanchai Ekpornpit, who is personally overseeing the investigation, said fighting broke out between Sombat…
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Swede dies in Kata guesthouse
KARON, PHUKET: A young Swedish man was found dead in his room at the Kata View Guesthouse Sunday morning, according to a report in a local Thai-language newspaper. Police at 9 am on Sunday responded to a report of a death in the Kata View Guesthouse on Soi Koktanode in tambon Karon. Arriving at the scene with rescue workers from…
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Red Cross Fair starts today
PHUKET CITY: The annual Red Cross Fair kicks off at Saphan Hin tonight and runs until January 10. As in past years, the fair will be a fun time for the entire family, with OTOP products for sale, food and beverages, stage shows, exhibitions and a wide variety of entertainment. There will also be some real bargains available, with handcrafted furniture…
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Countdown to 2009 underway
PHUKET CITY: Watch out Times Square, tropical Phuket has launched its most impressive New Year’s Countdown activity ever at Surin Circle, in the heart of Phuket City. Organized jointly by the Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (OrBorJor) and Phuket City Municipality, the “Colorful Phuket Countdown 2009” activities kicked off with a special opening ceremony on Christmas night with opening speeches by…
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Teen survives shooting
KOH KAEW, PHUKET: A 16-year-old boy being treated at Vachira Phuket Hospital for gunshot wounds was shot in the chest and right arm early on the morning of December 28, a local Thai-language newspaper has reported. Phuket City Police received a 191 report of the shooting at about 2 am. By the time police arrived at the scene, at the…
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Day of danger on Phuket roads
WICHIT, PHUKET: In a chilling reminder about the need to drive safely during the current holiday season, a man on a motorcycle was killed instantly when he was hit by a six-wheeled truck and then pulled under its wheels yesterday afternoon. The accident occurred at about 1:30 pm near the entrance to Sukko Spa in Tambon Wichit, about 300 meters…
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New Government to continue free water project
PHUKET CITY: Consumers will be glad to know that a nationwide project that exempts most homeowners from having to pay water bills will continue under the new Government. The exemption, part of a six-month economic stimulus package introduced by ex-prime minister Samak Sundaravej, started in October. Sawong Sri-in, Director of the Phuket Municipality Water Supply Division, told the Gazette that…
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Two foreign tourists die in Rawai in two days
RAWAI, PHUKET: Two foreign tourists were found dead in their rooms in Rawai early this week. The first was identified by Chalong Police as American Martin Howard Schechter. Mr Schechter, 67, was found in the bed of his rented bungalow in Rawai Village 4. At about 11 am on Monday morning, the staff grew concerned because Mr Schechter, who they…
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Phuket remembers the tsunami
PHUKET: Today marks the fourth anniversary of the Indian Ocean tsunami, which was triggered by an earthquake that measured close to nine on the Richter scale. The tsunami hit Phuket on the morning of December 26, 2004. More than 5,000 people, mostly international tourists, were killed in Thailand’s six Andaman coastal provinces when the killer waves struck. Indonesia, India and…
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Komkai’s killer apprehended, but mastermind still at-large
PHUKET: After almost six months of investigation, police have arrested a hired gunman who confessed to the shooting murder of well-known Patong businesswoman Komkai Kositkoon on July 18. After his arrest at a construction site in Krabi on Saturday morning, 39-year-old Arun Chanma was brought in for a re-enactment of the crime, which took place on Wichit Songkraam Rd. He…
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Holiday road safety measures set
PHUKET: Nine major road checkpoints and 18 smaller “mobile units” will be in operation around Phuket from December 30 to January 5, 2009. The checkpoints form the final phase of a three-pronged effort to combat road accidents over the holiday period. This year’s strategy, coordinated by the Phuket office of the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM), started with…
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Pair nabbed for passing bogus bills
PHUKET / SRISOONTHORN: Thalang Police on Wednesday night arrested two men for passing counterfeit banknotes at local shops and restaurants. Thalang Police Duty Inspector Anukul Nuket identified the suspects as 24-year-old Nikorn Raksapol from Nakhon Sri Thammarat and Pattipong Nuea-nan, 31, from Chiang Rai. The pair were arrested at about 11 pm in the Fah Sai Restaurant in tambon Srisoonthorn…
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Crime crackdown hits city streets
PHUKET CITY: Phuket City Police have deployed 180 police officers to man six checkpoints around the city as part of a crime crackdown that began on December 17 and will end at 6 am on the morning of December 20. Phuket City Police Superintendent Wanchai Ekpornpit told the Gazette police have already opened 10 new cases as a result of…
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Students, teachers and heroines: all survive smash
THALANG: Fourteen tired students and staff of Kajonkietsuksa School returning home from Haad Yai had a rude awakening Tuesday night, when the bus they were traveling on crashed into the Heroines Monument at about 10 pm. The bus, nearing the end of an eight-hour journey, was carrying seven of the school’s top students, seven teachers plus the driver. The clever…
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Kids lifesaving carnival on Saturday
KAMALA: A “Nippers Mini Surf Lifesaving Carnival” will be held on Saturday morning, December 20, at Kamala Beach, near Kamala Park and Kamala Police Station. The competition, open to kids five to 15 years of age, is organized and conducted by the Phuket Lifeguard Club. Children from local schools and swim clubs are invited to attend the carnival, which is…
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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