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.
-
Sponsored Which is the best copy trading platform?
Copy trading has become increasingly popular with investors around the globe over the past decade. It's considered a simple way to capitalise on market opportunities with little effort. But is it really a shortcut to making big bucks in the...
-
Cost of Phuket living rises 4.9%
PHUKET: The consumer price index in Phuket increased 4.9% in 2006, comprising sharp increases in several food categories, the Phuket Commercial Affairs Office has reported.Food and beverage prices increased 6% overall, led by sharp increases in fruits and vegetables (12.9%); basic ingredients (17%); and meat, poultry and seafood (8.6%).The combined increases in all non-food-and-beverage categories was 4%, led by the…
-
Doubt lingers over Legionnaire’s “outbreak’ claims
PATONG: Reports in the Finnish press of Legionnaire’s Disease being contracted by a group of tourists staying at a hotel in Patong have yet to be confirmed, as tests are still being conducted by the Phuket Provincial Health Office (PPHO), Ministry of Public Health and the World Health Organization.As of press time, no proof of the bacteria Legionella has been…
-
Former Sheriff robbed en route from Bangkok
MAI KHAO: A former Sheriff in San Bernadino County, California, had valuables stolen from his luggage while it was on an Orient Thai Airlines One-Two-Go flight from Bangkok to Phuket on January 10.Californian Larry Morgan, who is in Thailand on a month-long trip, said that he checked his bag in with One-Two-Go staff at Suvarnabhumi Airport about 7 pm on January…
-
Traffic jams mar Patong one-way system launch
PATONG: The introduction of the new one-way traffic system in Patong passed without accident on its first day, January 15, but was marred by early evening traffic jams along Thaweewong Rd (beach road). Kathu District Police, determined to make the day a success, stationed a total of 75 officers on rotation from 3 am until midnight to direct traffic flow.Pol…
-
Desalination plant finally comes onstream
KARON: The new desalination plant capable of producing up to 12,000 cubic meters of potable water a day is in its final testing stages and will begin full production by the end of this month, says the head of the island’s largest water supply system.Phuket Provincial Water Supply (PPWS) Manager Sayan Wareearoonroj told the Gazette that the plant, which uses…
-
Property expo expected to set record
PHUKET CITY: The Property Investment Exhibition 2007 (PIE), the annual property show staged by the Phuket Provincial Land Office and Phuket Real Estate Club, is expected to set a record 500 million baht in sales and reservations, Thanet Traiwut, Managing Director of exhibition organizer Delice Thai, told the Gazette.Most of the properties sold or reserved were valued at five to…
-
Jungceylon borrows B2.6 billion for expansion
PATONG: Jungceylon’s parent company, Phuket Square Co Ltd, has borrowed an additional 2.6 billion baht to further expand the Patong shopping complex.The money will be spent on the plaza area, building decorations, a road expansion and to finish construction of the on-site hotel. Last week Suchad Chiaranussati, President of Phuket Square Co Ltd, signed a six-year loan with the Bank…
-
Tsunami buoy warning would be “too late’ – Smith
PHUKET: Because of its location, the lone tsunami direct detection buoy deployed last month in the middle of the Indian Ocean would offer little advance warning to Phuket in the event of another tsunami generated off the Indonesian Coast, Dr Smith Dharmasaroja, head of the National Disaster Warning Center (NDWC) in Nonthaburi, has told the Gazette.Dr Smith said that the…
-
Patong to set new parking zones
PATONG: New parking zones will go into effect in Patong on January 15, when a one-way traffic system will begin operating along three major roads in the central tourist district. Starting at 6 am on January 15, all southbound traffic will be routed along Rat-U-Thit 200 Pi Rd, which will become one-way. Northbound traffic will be routed along the beach road.All connecting…
-
US experts lead counter-terrorism workshop
PATONG: Some 30 Thai police and military personnel are undergoing a two-week “Military Law Enforcement/Boarding Officer” course conducted by US military experts at the Patong Resort Hotel.The training, which began Monday, is the latest of many ventures funded by the US Defense Department’s Counter Terrorism Fellowship Program (CTFP) for Thailand. The program, which in 2006 had a budget of about…
-
Island CCTV “ready next month’
PHUKET CITY Phuket Provincial Police Commander Pol Maj Gen Decha Budnampeth on Monday announced that the island-wide 16-million-baht closed-circuit television (CCTV) surveillance system will be operational in three popular tourist districts by mid-February.Work on the project, begun last August, was funded under former Phuket Governor Udomsak Uswarangkura’s discretionary budget for provincial development.The network, being installed by telecommunications provider CAT Telecom Public Company…
-
Tourism Minister affirms tourism targets
PHUKET CITY: Tourism and Sports Minister Dr Suwit Yodmanee yesterday affirmed the government’s national targets for 2007 of 14.8 million foreign tourists and 82 million Thai tourists, with earnings of 547,500 million baht and 377,800 million baht respectively.Dr Suwit announced the targets at a meeting of about 280 government and private sector representatives from the 14 southern provinces at The…
-
New Year road toll hits targets
PHUKET: Three people died and 32 people were injured in 35 reported accidents from December 28 to January 3, nearly matching the government’s target road toll for the “seven days of danger” holiday period.The Phuket Provincial Road Safety Center for New Year’s 2007 had set a target of three dead and 39 injured in 35 accidents.The figures were released this…
-
Sithi Tandavanitj passes away
PHUKET CITY: Sithi Tandavanitj, President of the Thai Hotels Association, Southern Chapter, died after suffering a heart attack on December 30. He was 79.A sociable Phuket native, K. Sithi was on the management committee of The Metropole hotel and also served as President of the Parent-Teacher Association at Phuket Vocational College.He was also a former President of the Thai Hotels…
-
British boy, 7, electrocuted in Patong
PATONG: A seven-year-old British boy was electrocuted while playing a video game in his hotel room at the Sunset Beach Resort, police have confirmed.Pol Lt Col Sopol Borirak, of Kathu Police Station, identified the victim as Connor Dean O’Keeffe, son of David Skinner, 49, and Kathleen Patricia Curry, 45.Police were notified of the death about 8 pm on December 30…
-
Alleged rapist dies in death plunge
THALANG: An alleged rapist died after being pushed off a second-story balcony in Cherng Talay by the boyfriend of the alleged victim.Pol Lt Col Jessada Sangsuree, Inspector for Investigations at Cherng Talay Police Station, identified the deceased as Echa Bumrung, 31, a resident of Cherng Talay.Echa celebrated New Year’s Eve by drinking beer with a group of four or five…
-
Bangkok bombs spark security boost
PHUKET: Police Region 8 put 50 extra officers on standby in Phuket over the holiday period, to be bolstered by about 100 more officers on standby from Friday, following the bomb blasts in Bangkok on New Year’s Eve.Phuket Provincial Police Commander Pol Maj Gen Decha Budnampeth today told the Gazette that the extra officers, to remain in Phuket until the…
-
Three die in New Year’s Day road accidents
PHUKET: Between the end of the new year countdown and sunrise on New Year’s Day, three people were killed on Phuket roads.The first fatality of the year on the island’s roads came at 2:30 am when Suripong Jitsamut, 30, was killed when his motorbike crashed into an electricity pylon.At 3:35 am, Prakarn Keawdee, 20, and Thanachart Rungsrisuk, 18, were killed…
-
B10,000 reward for escaped convict
PHUKET CITY: The Director of Phuket Provincial Prison is offering a 10,000-baht reward for information leading to the arrest of a convict who broke out of Phuket Provincial Prison earlier this month and remains at-large.Phuket Provincial Prison Director Paisal Suwanraksa identified the fugitive as Thiwa Wahji, 20. In his successful bid for freedom on February 18, Thiwa scaled the facility’s…
-
Young man executed at Layan
THALANG: A young angler was found shot in the back of the head on a bridge at Layan Beach on December 28.Pol Lt Col Jessada Sangsuree, Investigating Inspector at Cherng Talay Police Station, told the Gazette that Suthin Srisamut, 40, about 10:30 pm that night reported that the body of his son, Worayuth Srisamut, 25, had been discovered on the…
-
Thai Princesses to visit Phuket
PHUKET: HRH Princess Chulabhorn Mahidol and HRH Princess Bajrakitiyabha will visit Phuket this month.Princess Chulabhorn will arrive at Phuket International Airport January 8 and will stay at the Similan Islands off Phang Nga until January 14.Princess Bajrakitiyabha will arrive in Phuket January 18. As part of her work with the Justice Ministry, she will visit the Phuket State Attorney’s Office…
-
Two more bombs explode at Central World, Pratunam
BANGKOK (The Nation): Two more bombs exploded in the heart of Bangkok once the new year started, severely injuring many foreign tourists and some Thais.The two bombs exploded nearly at the same time seconds after the new year started.The first bomb exploded at the Best Sea Foods restaurant on the Saen Saeb Canal near the Pratunam Pier just seconds after…
-
7 bomb blasts in Bangkok – 3 dead, 20 injured
BANGKOK (The Nation): Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont has asked people to refrain from joining crowded new year parties following at least seven bomb attacks in Bangkok.The premier has ordered all security officers – police and soldiers – to reinforce security in many areas in the capital. He ordered crime scene inspectors to collect all evidence from the bomb sites in…
-
“Chalong bomber’ still at large
PHUKET CITY A high-level provincial panel investigating last month’s bomb attacks on three new homes off Chao Fa East Rd and a land dispute in the area has made little progress, despite the Governor’s insistence that those responsible be brought to justice as soon as possible.Meanwhile, home construction continues in the area, part of which may be protected mangrove forest.Chalong…
-
Patong aglow with thoughts of remembrance
PATONG: More than 1,000 people amassed at Loma Park last night for the “Light Up Phuket 2006” ceremony to commemorate two years since the Indian Ocean tsunami.Tourism and Sports Minister Suwit Yodmanee opened the evening ceremony with a speech, during which he commended Phuket’s recovery and suggested that a remembrance ceremony be held in Patong every year.Phuket children sang about…
-
Impact of investment crash “too early to tell’
PHUKET: While the stock market took the brunt of the “Black Tuesday” sell-off triggered by the capital controls put in place to stem speculation against the rising Thai baht, experts say that it is still too early to gauge the long-term impact on Phuket’s property market.Although the 30% withholding requirement on foreign capital inflows was quickly rescinded for certain transactions,…
-
Hundreds turn out for tsunami memorial service
PATONG: More than 700 mourners joined local dignitaries for the tsunami memorial ceremony held at Loma Park this morning, two years after the tsunami struck the beach there.The ceremony, led by 99 monks from nearby Laem Petch Temple, was mostly conducted in silence, with only the sounds of the monks praying and the waves on the beach to be heard.Many…
-
Leatherback lays eggs at Karon Beach
KARON: A giant leatherback turtle laid a nest of 103 eggs yesterday on Karon Beach, where a sea turtle has not been sighted laying eggs for more than 10 years.Karon Municipality officials had the task of recovering the eggs as local villagers had taken them all in hopes of selling them as a delicacy. All but two broken eggs were…
-
Tsunami memorial services at Kamala announced
KAMALA: Tsunami memorial services will be held at the Andaman Tsunami Victims Monument at Kamala Beach on Tuesday, from 12:40 pm to 4 pm. Formal dress is requested for attendees.The ceremony schedule is as follows:12:40 pm-1:20 pm: Guest registration.1:20 pm: Mourning ceremony, a minute of silence for the victims.1:35 pm: Speech by Kazushi Miyashita, President of the Phuket Japanese Association.1:40…
-
Jungceylon opens
PATONG: The Jungceylon mega-complex officially kicked its doors open last night with the grand opening of That’s Siam, the largest of the shopping zones in the complex.In addition to the opening ceremony, early-bird shoppers were treated to performances by traditional Thai dancers, street performers, a giant indoor Christmas display and a light and water show.That’s Siam comprises 10,000 square meters…
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.
Don't forget to check out some other things to do in Thailand - get help starting a business or finding a job in Thailand, buy Thailand property, rent a yacht or book a medical procedure worldwide.