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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Sponsored Infinito helps hotels in Thailand with revenue management
Maximising revenue and profit–isn’t that the ultimate goal for every business in the hospitality industry? If you run a hotel, you might have heard that revenue management is an effective way to boost your top-line revenue. It involves using data...
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Great gobbler hunt now closed
(PHUKET): The Disaster Prevention departments of the following Phuket restaurants have now stepped in to announce traditional turkey feasts for Thanksgiving 2007 – Thursday, November 22. (See our earlier story here.) BYD LoftsPatong Beachfrom 8pm850 bahtReservations requiredTel: 076-343024/7 Don’sRawaifrom 5 pm320 bahtReservations recommended076-289314 Les AngesRoyal Phuket Marinafrom 12 noon til 9:30 pm1,500 baht076-360803 Tavern on the HillPatong Beachfrom 7:30 pm475…
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Australia wins Rugby 80-80 opener
PHUKET CITY: Australia converted a last-minute penalty to beat Thailand 34-24 yesterday in a quality opening match at the international Rugby 80 tourney being played at Sanaam Chai in Phuket City. The Thai national squad opened the scoring with a penalty in the 11th minute. Australia then rallied to lead 17-16 until the 42nd minute, when Thailand converted another penalty…
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Turkey emergency prompts appeal for help
(PHUKET): American pilgrims on Phuket are up in arms at what appears to be a conspiracy by the island’s restaurateurs and F&B managers to deprive them of a basic gastronomic right: their annual indulgence in a feast of turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes with gravy, cranberry sauce….Wesley Gobbler, head of the Special Investigations Unit of the U.S. Embassy in Bangkok, told…
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Bars closed in Rawai, Wichit and Rassada
PHUKET: Municipal elections underway in Rawai, Wichit, and Rassada today have resulted in a closure of all entertainment venues selling alcohol, according to Election Commission law.Initial reports reveal that turnout has been strong at Rassada’s seven polling stations, two of which are located near Supercheap on Thepkrasattri Rd.“It has been very busy and we expect [voter] turnout to exceed 70%…
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Man drowns at Kata Beach
KATA: An elderly German tourist on holiday with his wife drowned at Kata Beach late Thursday afternoon.Chalong Police duty officer Capt Parichat Jaturonpan identified the deceased as Rudolf Breidach, 67, a guest at the Thavorn Palm Beach Hotel in Karon.Mr Breidach, his wife and a female friend, also German, went swimming about 5 pm. There were no Phuket Provincial Administration…
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Seized Buddha images donated to Thalang museum
MAI KHAO: In a small ceremony at Phuket International Airport, Airport Customs officials yesterday handed over to the Thalang National Museum 93 Buddha images seized from departing tourists over the past year.Phuket Airport Customs Director Ruthai Lertkietdamrong told the Gazette most of the images were seized from tourists who bought them from shops unaware that they needed permission from the…
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Teenage ladyboy slain in Patong
PATONG: Kathu Police are investigating the grisly murder of a teenage ladyboy whose strangled and beaten body was discovered near the road to Tri Trang Beach on Monday morning.Kathu Police Superintendent Pol Col Grissak Songmoonnark identified the victim as 19-year-old Thanawoot Wiriyananon. A native of Phatthalung province, K. Thanawoot worked in the Patong nightlife industry, he said.“About 11:30 am, we…
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Knife-wielding burglar arrested
PHUKET: Police have arrested a burglar who broke into a home near Tesco-Lotus Sunday night and repeatedly slashed its female occupant with a knife before fleeing.Pol Capt Supachai Petchsakul of Phuket City Police said that the attack happened about 11 pm in a residential area off Songkhla Rd in Tambon Rassada, near the Tesco-Lotus intersection.The attacker, later identified as Rawai…
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Former Phuket Governor jailed for 36 years on child-sex charges
BANGKOK (Nation, Kom Chad Luek, TNA): Chalerm Phromlert, who was Phuket Governor from 1987 to 1991, was sent to Pathum Thani Prison yesterday after the Supreme Court upheld his 36-year jail sentence for multiple counts of statutory rape.Judge Samart Ardnarong handed down the verdict against Chalerm, who was accused of having sex with four schoolgirls aged between 13 and 16…
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Phuket prepares for national elections
PHUKET CITY: Crowds of supporters turned out to cheer Phuket’s national political party representatives as they registered their candidacies and drew lots to be assigned their ballot numbers at Phuket Community Hall on Monday.Eight candidates representing four of the five political parties running in the December 23 national election turned out on the first day of registration.Registration closes on Friday.The…
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International rugby returns to Phuket
PHUKET CITY: Back after a one-year hiatus because of the 2006 coup, 80-80 rugby returns to Phuket November 16 – albeit downsized from what organizers had hoped would be a large-scale, international tournament. The King’s Cup Rugby-80 tournament, ro be played at Sanaam Chai in Phuket City, will run until November 23. Although teams from nations including Wales, England…
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Case closed on Korean’s death plunge
PHUKET CITY: Police investigations following the death of Korean tour guide Kim Kyoung Hoon, 39, who fell to his death from the roof of The Metropole hotel in downtown Phuket City on November 2, have concluded that Mr Kim’s death was a suicide.Phuket City Police Capt Krerkrit Ritnuang told the Gazette that Korean embassy officials initially suspected that Mr Kim’s death…
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Tour agent’s throat slashed
KATHU: Tung Tong Police are investigating the death of Sommai Chumee, 37, a travel agency representative found with his throat slashed in his home at the Irawadee Ketho residential development on Friday afternoon.Tung Tong Police Inspector Lt Col Kittipong Klaikaew confirmed reports in the local and national press that the victim had been stabbed repeatedly in the neck but had…
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New Chalong Police chief announces robbery arrests
CHALONG: The new Superintendent of Chalong Police Station, Col Samarn Chainarong, yesterday announced that Chalong Police officers on Thursday arrested two of four people involved in a series of robberies and had recovered 67 stolen items.Col Samarn said in a press release that Chalong Police had been monitoring the gang and pulled over Kaewjai Sooksabai, 35, as she was driving…
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Customs seize B5m of fake goods
PHUKET CITY: Thai Regional Customs Bureau 4 and the Phuket Customs Office at 10 am yesterday held a press conference at the Phuket Customs House on Phuket Rd to announce the seizure of counterfeit goods worth 5 million baht from a wholesaler in Patong.Regional Customs Bureau 4 Director Rakop Srisuppa-at and Phuket Customs chief Jakson Kitarmorn showed the media the…
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Patong porn director caught red-handed
PATONG: A Kathu Police investigations unit early yesterday morning arrested an Indonesian adult-film producer in his hotel room after he was caught conducting a photo shoot with one of his starlets – a Thai ladyboy.Pol Sub Lt Nitikorn Rawang, duty officer of Kathu Police Station, said the bust took place at 4:20 am.After receiving a tip-off that a video shoot…
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Man stabbed in karaoke brawl
TALAD YAI: A 25-year-old man was stabbed at a karaoke bar early Monday morning after an argument broke out over which song to sing, said Pol Sub Lt Jakkrapon Suchon of Phuket City Police.Komson Kampan, 25, was drinking with four friends at Phaithong Karaoke on the road to Koh Sireh when three younger men entered the bar, said Lt Jakkrapon.“The…
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Woman arrested, 2,550 pills seized in ya bah bust
THALANG: A 33-year-old woman was arrested early Tuesday morning for possession of 2,550 ya bah (methamphetamine) pills, according to a press release read by Phuket Governor Niran Kalayanamit at Phuket Provincial Hall on Tuesday.A team from the Phuket Provincial Police drug suppression unit and Border Patrol Police 425, who are based in Takuapa, Phang Nga, set up a sting operation.Undercover…
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Deadline for local ‘yellow pages’
PHUKET: Businesses wishing to appear in the 2008 Gazette Guide, Phuket’s ‘yellow pages’, have until 6pm on Monday, 12 November, to enter (or update) their listings. New listings and updates received before the deadline will appear online within 48 hours and will be included in the hard-copy book for 2008, due out mid-January. New listings or updates received after the…
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Prominent architect Tucker Bishop passes away
PHUKET: One of the island’s most prolific architects, Tucker Bishop, passed away last night at the age of 57 at Bangkok Hospital Phuket.Although he had been suffering from long-term kidney complications, Mr Bishop continued to work on many high-profile jobs up until his death.Bill Barnett of C9 Hotelworks, who had worked with Mr Bishop on several projects, said, “With a…
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Global pub crawl to tour Phuket
PHUKET: A group of fun-seeking Australians will be quenching their thirst on the island next year as part of the first Round-the-World Pub Crawl organized by Australian tour company Thirsty Swagman. The group of 25 drinking travelers will enjoy a month-long party, traveling “Around the World in 60 Pubs”, starting from London on March 24, 2008. They will be draining…
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Thalang woman hangs herself
THALANG: Police discovered the body of Benjawan Rakkarndee, 30, at her home in Village 1 Srisoonthorn, near Soi Bangkham, on November 1 after she hanged herself, police said.Maj Prakorb Boonkwan of Thalang Police said, “I was informed about the body by the village chief at 10 am. I then called the Kusoldharm Foundation and a doctor from Thalang Hospital to…
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Cherng Talay Tesco saga continues
PHUKET: As construction of the controversial Tesco-Lotus Express store in Cherng Talay reaches its final stage, the legality of an alleged ban on its construction remains unclear and local authorities admit they are unsure which authority is responsible for approving – or halting – the store’s construction.On October 31, Samarn Krohlek and Apisit Ngarnpresertkit, leaders of a local protest against…
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Spa tax to be scrapped
PHUKET CITY: The controversial 10% tax on spa services will soon be scrapped, a member of the National Legislative Assembly (NLA) has said during a recent visit to the Phuket Provincial Health Office. Sangsit Piriyarangsan, head of the NLA’s finance committee and chair of a special panel set up to review the spa tax, said his members heard from representatives…
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Major fire drills to be held in Phuket City
PHUKET CITY: Aroon Kerdsom, chief of the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM-Phuket) office, has announced that fire-evacuation drills will be held in Phuket City tomorrow in order to improve emergency-response plans.A fire drill will be held at the Government Housing Bank, on Bangkok Rd, at 7 am, followed by another drill at The Metropole hotel at 9:30am.A meeting…
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FIVB: favorites win all-US final
KARON: Tournament favorites Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh from the US were pushed to their limits, but maintained their composure to walk away with the title and $32,000 first-prize money in the Second Phuket Thailand Open of the Swatch FIVB Beach Volley World Tour 2007 held on Karn Beach from October 31 to November 4.The pair overcame stiff opposition from…
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Two billion baht slated for Layan condo-marina project
PHUKET: Phuket Governor Niran Kalayanamit on Wednesday met with Korean investor Wang Il Lee to discuss a planned 2 billion baht investment in a condominium, villa and marina project to be built at Layan Beach.The project, at the north end of Bang Tao Beach in Cherng Talay, would contain the first marina on Phuket’s west coast.The Korean initiative, by the Puvana…
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Don’s Mall robbed
RAWAI: A gang of seven teenagers, six of them masked, tore off the doors to Don’s Mall Minimart at 4 am yesterday, making off with computers and money from cash registers.Don Battles, founder of the Rawai landmark mall, told the Gazette, “This was a well-planned teenage gang. Six broke into the minimart while one was the lookout. They then broke…
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Americans, Chinese make FIVB semi-finals
KARON: Number-one seeds Misty May-Treanor and Kerri Walsh from the US almost suffered a shock defeat at the hands of number 32 seeds Galyna Osheyko and Svitlana Baburina from the Ukraine, but recovered to make the semi-finals of the Swatch FIVB Beach Volley World Tour 2007 being played on Karon Beach.Yesterday was the second day of play of the tourney.…
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Mystery surrounds Korean’s death plunge
PHUKET CITY (Nation, Gazette): South Korean tour guide Kim Kyoung Hoon, 39, fell to his death from the rooftop of The Metropole hotel in downtown Phuket City early this morning.Capt Krerkrit Ritnuang, of Phuket City Police Station, said that a hotel security officer found the body of Mr Kim, who was not a guest at the hotel, lying in the…
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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