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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World Tourism Organization to meet in Kata
KATA: The World Tourism Organization (WTO) Executive Council will hold an emergency meeting at the Kata Beach Resort on January 31 and February 1, to draw up plans to accelerate the recovery of tourism industries affected by the December 26 tsunami.Kata Group President and Phuket Chamber of Commerce Chairman Pamuke Achariyachai said today, “The WTO has invited national and international…
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Mystery over Kamala body
KAMALA: Police have so far been unable to identify an apparent murder victim whose body was discovered by villagers in Kamala last weekend.The body was discovered by residents of Kamala village 6 on the sands of Nai Yea Beach, at the south end of Kamala Bay, at about 6 pm on Saturday night. A worker with the Kusoldharm Rescue Foundation,…
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Speedboat sinks, 7 dead, others missing
KOH SAMUI: Seven people have drowned and another six or seven are still missing after a speedboat returning to Koh Samui after a full moon party on Koh Pha-ngan abruptly capsized and sank early this morningSpeaking with the Gazette at midday today, Pol Col Arkom Saisamai, Superintendent of Samui Police Station, told the Gazette that about 35 passengers were aboard…
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Wreath-laying ceremony for victims
PHANG NGA: Thais and foreigners, residents and visitors alike, are invited to join the Royal Thai Navy in laying wreaths for tsunami victims at Khao Lak on Friday morning.The memorial service will be led by Defense Minister General Sumpun Boonyanun, who will place a wreath on the sea about three miles from shore.The navy will provide nine ships to take…
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Govt help needed fast – tourism bodies
KARON: “We’re trying to help ourselves, but we can’t do it on our own.” That was the message sent out to the government by representatives of the six tsunami-hit provinces of Thailand after they met in Phuket.Delegates from tourist associations in all six provinces told the Andaman Tourism Restoration Committee meeting at the Hilton Phuket Arcadia Resort & Spa how…
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“Mick the Pom” murder case adjourned
PHUIKET CITY: Briton Michael John Taylor – known as “Mick the Pom” – appeared before Phuket Provincial Court this morning in the first hearing in his trial for the stabbing murder of his girlfriend, 28-year-old Jantra Weangta, on August 17 last year.The judge was told that both prosecution and defense lawyers needed more time to interview witnesses in the case.Prosecution…
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Prison governor dies in road accident
KRABI: The man appointed Chief of Phuket Prison just two months ago has been killed in a road accident.Saree Udom died when his car collided with a motorcycle then hit a tree, on Kho-Tor Rd in Krabi on January 22.K. Saree was on his way from Phuket to his house in Surat Thani. It is thought he died instantly, although…
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Seafood, water are safe – Health Ministry
PATONG: An investigation by the Ministry of Public Health has found that seafood and water in Phuket – including drinking, well and sea water – is free of contamination following the tsunami.The announcement was made by the Permanent Secretary for Public Health, Dr Wanchai Thienthaworn, during a visit to Patong Hospital.The Director General of the Department of Medical Science (DMC),…
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Patong remembers victims
PATONG: About 500 people attended an interdenominational memorial service held at Loma Park this morning for the victims of the tsunami. The ceremony, organized by The Patong Business Operators’ Club, Patong Hospital and Patong Municipality, was to remember those who perished in the tsunami and to help bring peace of mind to those still suffering from its after-effects. Clerics from…
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Search for missing Austrian child
PHUKET: The International Victim Coordination Center (IVCC) has appealed for help in tracing a three-year-old girl from Austria who is believed to have surivived the tsunami but been mistaken for a Thai child.MR Supinda Chakraband, of the IVCC, told the Gazette, “It is thought the little girl, who calls herself “Anita” and “Alexandra”, survived the tsunami but she is now…
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Singapore President honors tsunami dead
PHUKET: The President of Singapore, S R Nathan, yesterday visited Phuket and took part in a Buddhist ceremony for the victims of the tsunami.Pres Nathan was accompanied to the ceremony, at Wat Srisunthon in Thalang, by Thai Foreign Affairs Minister Surakiart Sathirathai.The merit-making was also attended by Phuket Governor Udomsak Usawarangkura and Phuket Provincial Administration Organization President Anchalee Vanich-Thepabutr.Pres Nathan…
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THAI adjusts flights, Tiger Airways slashes fares
PHUKET: Thai national carrier THAI has denied claims that it has axed international flights to Phuket, although a spokesman has confirmed that two flights that previously stopped in Phuket now go to Bangkok instead.THAI’s District Sales Manager for Upper-Southern Thailand, Kalayapha Panich, told the Gazette, “Around 20 daily charter flights have been canceled, but THAI hasn’t canceled any [scheduled] flights.“THAI…
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Phuket moved, or maybe it didn’t
PHUKET: There is no proof that Phuket has shifted 15 centimeters to the southwest following the December 26 earthquake, according to Dr Adichart Surinkum of the Geotechnic Division of the Department of Mineral Resources (DMR).“Evidence is still being collected and displacement modeling is continuing to determine if movement took place,” he told the Gazette today. “Surveying all the areas involved…
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Relief coordination group launched
THALANG: Some 85 people attended the first meeting of the Thailand Tsunami Recovery Group (TTRG) at Blue Canyon Golf Club, and three sub-groups were set up to help coordinate various aspects of the volunteer relief operation. Mark Weingard, who convened the meeting, explained that the TTRG would not be a charity itself, would not raise funds, and would not direct…
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Global IT leaders expected to attend Phuket conference
KARON: About 1,000 leaders in the global information technology (IT) industry, including Microsoft Senior Vice President Craig Mundie, are expected to attend a three-day conference in Phuket next month in order to restore international confidence in Phuket’s IT infrastructure after the December 26 tsunami.Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Minister Dr Surapong Suebwonglee was quoted on the Software Industry Promotion Agency…
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South Korean forensics team arrives
PHUKET: South Korea has sent 11 forensic scientists to Phuket to help with the mammoth task of identifying tsunami victims.South Korea’s Ambassador to Thailand, Yoon Jee Joon, told Phuket Governor Udomsak Usawarangkura yesterday that the 11 experts would be working with the forensic team of Pol Gen Noppadol Somboonsap.Mr Yoon added that his government hoped to establish a permanent consulate…
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Family fears for “missing’ survivor’s safety
PHUKET: The family of Isabell Eriksson, a 24-year-old Swedish woman, have made a plea for information regarding her whereabouts, after receiving reports from two sources that she survived the tsunami.Ms Eriksson was, according to her family, staying with three friends at a hotel in the Khao Lak area when the tsunami struck. The family told the Gazette that the friends…
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FantaSea to close again until February
KAMALA: Phuket FantaSea opened its doors today for a special booking, but will close again from tomorrow until February 1, and possibly beyond that.The prominent tourist attraction closed on January 8, after the number of bookings plummeted following the tsunami.At that time, Managing Director Pin Kewkacha said that FantaSea had sustained damage totaling 60 to 70 million baht, and that,…
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TAT woos HK tour firms and media
KATA: Representatives from 50 media organizations and tour agencies in Hong Kong are in Phuket on a post-tsunami inspection tour intended to restore faith in Phuket’s tourism industry.The visit was organized by the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) in conjunction with Katathani Phuket Beach Resort and Evergloss Tours of Hong Kong.At a press conference, TAT Region 4 Director Suwalai Pinpradab…
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Tsunami-hit residents “must pay rent’
KAMALA: More than 300 residents gathered yesterday evening to hear Phuket Governor Udomsak Usawarangkura explain why they must start paying rent on land where they have lived for many years rent-free.Addressing the meeting at Kamala Police Station, Gov Udomsak said, “Government policy is to bring back tourists by reorganizing beaches and public places. If the places are restored and improved…
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Meeting to organize long-term aid
PHUKET: A meeting is to be held on Thursday evening (January 20) in an attempt to bring together the dozens – if not hundreds – of volunteer groups currently providing aid to tsunami victims. The convener of the meeting, Mark Weingard, explained that the meeting will focus on long-term help for the victims, with all parties working together “to ensure…
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TAT planning “Tsunami Trail’ tours
ANDAMAN: The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is hoping to launch a “Tsunami Trail” tour in March, in collaboration with private tour companies.Sethapon Chindanon, the TAT’s Regional Director for the Americas, told the Gazette this morning that the tours would be aimed initially at the Thai market.“We are discussing the idea with tour companies, low-cost airlines and hotels, and are…
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Call for skilled volunteers
BANGKOK (The Nation): Officials in charge of the tsunami disaster clean-up in Khao Lak are seeking volunteers to handle duties seen as part of the next step, as the region moves beyond basic search-and-rescue operations.They said it is now the turn of web designers, translators, typists, community assistance officers, radio disc jockeys and call center staff.More than 100 such people…
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Five homes broken into
CHALONG: Five foreigners’ homes in Rawai were broken into on the night of January 16. Cash and mobile phones were stolen.Three of the houses are in Palm Garden Home, near Phuket Sea Shell on Wiset Rd, while the other two are in Bang Khontee, on Saiyuan Rd.The thief or thieves forced open burglar bars covering windows before climbing in.“We are…
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Confusion over tsunami corpses
PHUKET CITY: Within two weeks, corpses of all tsunami victims currently being stored at Wat Yan Yao and Wat Bang Muang in Takua Pa will be transferred to the Sea Gypsy cemetery in Mai Khao, where they will be kept in cold storage containers pending identification by relatives, Phuket Police said yesterday.Speaking at Phuket Provincial Hall yesterday, Phuket Provincial Police…
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Central bank ready to launch soft loans
PHUKET: The Bank of Thailand (BoT) – the country’s central bank – decided yeterday to establish a system allowing tsunami-affected businesses to get soft loans at interest rates of no more than 2% a year. These loans would be channeled through the country’s commercial banks, which would repay the BoT at a rate of just 0.01% a year, Prasuksup Puangsokorn,…
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FantaSea to re-open on Wednesday
KAMALA: Phuket FantaSea is due to re-open on Wednesday (January 19), after closing for 10 days because of a fall in business caused by the tsunami.The theme park’s public relations director Sirikul Amaramorn told the Gazette today, “We have about 100 visitors booked to watch the opening show, and most of them are foreigners.”Before the tsunami, FantaSea had between 3,000…
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Planeload of Saudi aid arrives
PHUKET CITY: Medical supplies, tents, sleeping mats, blankets and 75 tons of food donated by the government of Saudi Arabia arrived in Phuket yesterday.The aid items, flown to Phuket on a special relief flight, were handed over to Interior Minister Bhokin Bhalakula at Phuket Provincial Hall.Saudi government officers visited the tsunami-stricken areas of southern Thailand last week.Hani A Mominah, Chargé…
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Rugby 10s to raise funds for tsunami orphans
PHUKET: The 7th AirAsia International Phuket Rugby 10s will be held at the Karon Municipal Stadium on May 28 and 29, with the profits going to an scholarship fund for orphans. Patrick Cotter, Chairman of the Phuket Vagabonds RFC, said, “We plan to set up a scholarship fund for children orphaned [by the tsunami] to ensure that they can at…
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Beach chair operators oppose recovery plan
PATONG: Operators of umbrella and beach chair rental businesses on Patong Beach are to ask the government to reconsider its plans for rebuilding the municipality after the December 26 tsunami.According to the plan, the number of beach umbrealls for rent on the beach would be reduced from 7,000 pre-tsunami to 1,500, and beach chairs and beds would be banned, replaced…
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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