Phuket News
Phuket news, politics, business, tourism, and nightlife—stay updated with breaking stories, events, and expat updates from Thailand’s top island destination. Get the latest from The Thaiger, your trusted Phuket news source.
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Blaze guts foreigner’s car in Phuket
A blaze gutted a foreigner’s car in Phuket’s main city district on Tuesday night. Koh Kaew firefighters rushed to the scene on Number 3013 Road to find the car engulfed in flames. It took the firefighters about 10 minutes to bring the blaze under control. The car was destroyed, but luckily the driver escaped uninjured. The cause of the fire…
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CCTV across Phuket to be integrated as part of “Phuket Crime-Free”
Phuket Governor Narong launched a new initiative earlier this week called “Phuket Crime-Free.” As part of the initiative, Phuket officials are making some innovations on the island province’s CCTV networks. CCTV networks across Phuket will now be integrated into one system. On Tuesday, there was a mass signing of an MoU between agencies and government offices involved. This included 12…
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Singapore cruise ship arrives to sample Patong’s delights
A cruise ship from Singapore anchored off Patong yesterday morning, bringing 3,000 passengers for a brief visit to the jewel in Phuket’s crown of insalubrity. The Genting Dream, owned by Resorts World Cruises, arrived around dawn. The ship is on a five-day cruise out of Singapore and had stopped at Penang in Malaysia before arriving in Phuket, so passengers obviously…
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Patong business operators want transgender sex workers “cleaned up”
Patong business operators on Bangla Road want transgender sex workers to be “cleaned up,” in addition to food and drink vendors. The president of the Patong Entertainment Business Association, Weerawit Kreuasombat, said… “While Patong officials are now increasing safety management measures on Bangla Road, transgender prostitutes should be cleaned up too. We consistently get complaints that they are annoying and…
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Rawai expat arrested for owning whale bones
Bart Simpson famously used to say, “Don’t have a cow, man!” But maybe, also don’t have a whale! In Rawai, a Frenchmen was arrested after he was discovered in possession of part of a whale skeleton. It turns out that owning whale bones violates the Wild Animal Protection Act. The Phuket Express reports that the man was nabbed when officials…
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Charter flights to Phuket and Pattaya filled with Russian tourists
Charter flights to Thailand’s hotspots of Phuket and Pattaya are being filled with Russian tourists. The chairman of the Chonburi Council of Tourism Industry, Thanet Suparashasrangsi, said… “The Azur Airline will start bringing in charter flights from November 26 on B757 carriers, which can hold about 202 passengers and will improve the number of tourists in Pattaya significantly.” Russia’s Ikar…
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Son slits father’s throat in Phuket, allegedly in self defence
A man in Phuket allegedly killed his father in a violent incident over cigarette money. The man, 26 year old Arnon Kammanochart, slit the throat of his father, 51 year old Uthai Kammanochart, in Thalang district yesterday evening. Arnon said that he was defending himself. Arnon told Thalang Police that his father asked him to buy cigarettes. Arnon said he…
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Rowdy monkeys moved on Phuket island
Two rowdy monkeys on an island off Phuket have been moved to the far side of the island after bothering residents. The two macaques had been disturbing locals and causing trouble, according to the head of Khao Phra Thaeo Nature and Wildlife Education Center Pongchart Chuahom. Officers from a rescue foundation of the Khao Phra Thaeo Non-hunting Area arrived on…
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Turtle lays over 100 eggs in Phang Nga, marking the start of nesting season
A sea turtle marked the start of nesting season by laying over 100 eggs in Phang Nga yesterday. Officials from the Khok Kloi area found the nest of 118 eggs, with track marks from the turtle, a Bang Khwan Beach. The officials confirmed that a leatherback sea turtle had laid the eggs. Out of the 118 eggs, 106 were fertile…
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Phuket expects 1 billion baht revenue boost from yacht tourism
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) hosted the Thailand Charter Week 2022 at Phuket Yacht Haven Marina on Wednesday in a bid to boost nautical tourism. The TAT believes accommodating the sailing community in Phuket will generate 1 billion baht in revenue. The Deputy Governor of the Domestic Marketing Department of TAT, Thapanee Kiatpaiboon, revealed that the Thailand Charter Week…
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Phuket restaurant managers arrested for selling parrotfish
There’s been another parrotfish incident in Thailand, this time in Phuket. Three restaurant managers on the island province have been busted for selling parrotfish, a protected animal in Thailand. Officers inspected restaurants in Karon on Tuesday and Wednesday. The three restaurants inspected were Chic Restaurant, found with nine parrotfish, Bounty Seafood, found with five parrotfish, and Ton Tan Seafood, found…
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New direct flight from Oman makes its way to Phuket
A new direct flight from Oman made its way to Phuket International Airport on Monday. The Oman Air flight arrived in Phuket from Muscat, Oman’s capital. The flight carried a total of 162 passengers, who received HKT souvenirs upon arrival, The Phuket Express reported. Phuket has seen a number of new direct flights arrive recently. The flagship airline of Russia…
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After heavy floods, Patong Hill road reopens to some traffic
While officials now believe it will take months to fully repair the storm-damaged motorway over Patong Hill, the road has been partially reopened to limited traffic this morning. The reopening comes after a night of heavy rain caused flash flooding all around the island. Kathu and Phuket Town were particularly hard-hit by the torrential downpours. Amid the heavy rains in…
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Free concert with renowned Russian Jazz artist coming to Phuket
Jazz lovers in Phuket will soon have an opportunity to attend a free concert with a renowned Russian jazz artist, Igor Butman. Butman is known as a virtuoso saxophonist. The concert, titled “Igor Butman and Friends,” will be held at Karon Beach on Friday, December 13, at 6.45pm. The concert is being held as part of the 125th anniversary of…
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Patong Police set up checkpoints on Bangla Road
Patong Police are on the lookout for drugs and weapons, and they’re taking action. On Monday night, police set up two checkpoints at both ends of Bangla Road, a known party hotspot, from 8pm to 10pm. The police checked people for weapons and illegal drugs. They also checked whether people were wanted suspects. The Phuket Express reported that it was…
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PHUKET TASTIVAL festival coming up
Another one of Phuket’s food festivals is coming up this week. The festival, titled PHUKET TASTIVAL Seafood & Gastronomy: Dive Thru Seafood, will be held from November 17-21. The festival will be held at Patong Beach at the Dolphin Public Park (Loma Park) from 11am to 8pm each day. Locals and tourists alike can taste fresh seafood, and there will…
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Road repair on Patong Hill may take more than 2 months
The extensive road damage due to landslides on Patong Hill is now expected to take longer to repair than the original 45-day prediction. Pounding rains and land erosion have severely damaged the road which has been closed and opened several times to varying degrees in an attempt to allow people to pass between Patong and Kathu. After heavy rains caused…
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Phuket pickup truck racers fined
UPDATE Pickup truck drivers who went viral in a video for racing on a Phuket road last week have been fined. Three racers presented themselves at Phuket City Police Station on Friday and admitted that they were the drivers in the viral clips. The three men have now been fined 2,000 baht each. They are facing charges of causing loud…
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Russian tourist drowns in Phuket, Thailand
A Russian tourist drowned yesterday morning while swimming at Karon Beach on the west coast of Phuket island in southern Thailand. At 9.20am, lifeguards at Karon Beach called the Karon Municipality Rescue Foundation and informed them that a tourist had lost consciousness and did not have a pulse. The rescue team arrived and gave him CPR but it was not…
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Aeroflot adds 14 more weekly Russian flights to Phuket
Less than two weeks after Russian airlines made their triumphant return to Phuket, Aeroflot has announced an increase in direct flights to the island. The flagship airline of Russia announced yesterday that it would be adding 14 new flights a week from Russia to Phuket. The exact start date of these new flights has not yet been confirmed, but the…
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Patong Hill road closed to cars just 2 days after reopening
Heavy rains have continuously closed down the road between Patong and Kathu in Phuket. The road had opened to pedestrians for a while, and then motorbikes only, before reopening to cars. But now, the road over Patong Hill has been closed to cars again, starting early this morning due to road repairs and soil shifting. The announcement was made late…
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Russians the biggest tourist group in Phuket in November so far
Russians have made up Phuket’s biggest group of tourists so far in November. From November 1-10, Phuket saw 18,370 Russian tourists. The total number of foreign tourists was 75,247, The Phuket Express reported. The next top four countries for tourism in Phuket were: India with 8,939 tourists, Australia with 5,275 tourists, the UK with 4,511 tourists, and Germany with 4,152…
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Video of pickup trucks racing in Phuket goes viral
A video of pickup trucks racing on a road in Phuket last night has gone viral. The video shows at least three trucks driving at a lightning fast speed, racing from an intersection near the Saphan Hin Public Park in the main city district. The Phuket Provincial Police commander said that officers caught five of the drivers. Commander Major General…
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Officials plan to step up Phuket’s education standards
Phuket officials are planning to step up the island province’s education standards. Phuket Governor Narong led a meeting on the issue yesterday. Officials discussed using Big Data to develop Phuket’s entire education system. The aim would be to ensure that all students have an equal education, with no students left disadvantaged. Narong said that this would make Phuket an “international…
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First LOT Polish Airlines flight arrives in Phuket
Phuket International airport welcomed its first LOT Polish Airlines flight yesterday. The flight carried 252 passengers from Warsaw to Phuket. Officials and staff greeted the passengers and handed them HKT We Care souvenirs upon arrival, The Phuket Express reported. This news comes after an inaugural flight from Uzbekistan arrived in Phuket on Sharq Airlines just last week. The flight carried…
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New Zealand expat arrested in Phuket over weapons, including explosives
A New Zealand expat has been arrested in Phuket for possessing several weapons, including 11 explosives. The man, 63 year old Gareth Alan Davies, was also found to have 19 guns and ammunition in his house in the Kathu district. Region 8 Police Commander Surapong Thanomjit said that Davies had claimed that the weapons were just collectables. But Commander Surapong…
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Today’s tourists can hit Thailand’s island-hopping heights
When it comes to Thailand’s southern beaches, island-hopping on the less well-known east coast appeals to more adventurous tourists. Three main islands – Koh Samui, Koh Tao, and Koh Pha Ngan –surrounded by many smaller islands still offer surprises to even the most jaded of beach bums. Overnight it for a day or two on the big names, and make…
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Police remove illegal food and drink venues at Phuket beach
Police have on Wednesday removed illegal food and drink venues from a beach in Phuket‘s Thalang district. The police found three venues on Layan Beach that were providing food and drinks, as well as beach chairs, sunbeds, and umbrellas. Two people who said they were owners of two of the outlets were arrested for seeling alcohol without permission, and violating…
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Singaporean dies in Kamala motorcycle crash
A Singaporean man died when he lost control of his motorbike on the coast road south of Kamala and crashed head-on into an oncoming truck yesterday. This follows this week’s death of an Australian resident, the death of a police officer in Bangkok, and the death of a passenger in a car driver by a Danish man last night in…
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Inaugural flight from Uzbekistan arrives in Phuket
An inaugural flight from Uzbekistan arrived in Phuket this morning. Sharq Airlines flight HH2203 arrived at Phuket International Airport from Uzbekistan’s capital city of Tashkent. The flight carried 238 passengers, who received HKT We Care waterproof bags from the airport, The Phuket Express reported. This news comes after Thai tourism officials announced last month that they were seeking more tourists…
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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