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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Dog pound strays to wrong site
THALANG: Completion of Phuket’s first large pound for stray dogs will be delayed for at least a month – and the chief of the Phuket Livestock Department plans to lodge a complaint with the Phuket Provincial Public Works Department for not building the facility to his specifications. Sunart Wongchawalit, Chief of the Phuket Provincial Livestock Office (PPLO), told the Gazette…
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Island “has water for a year’
PHUKET: Huge amounts of rain in October and a freshly-filled Bangwad reservoir mean that Phuket should have no water shortage problems for at least a year, says Sayan Wareearoonroj, Manager of Phuket Provincial Water Supply. A total of 735.6 millimeters of rain fell as recorded at Phuket International Airport – up from 286.7 mm last October and the heaviest monthly…
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Arms cache seized in Trang
CAPE PANWA: Third Naval Area Command recovered a small cache of assault weapons and ammunition from a small island in Trang’s Kantang district yesterday, and an investigation is now underway to determine if the weapons were intended for insurgents in Sri Lanka or Indonesia. V/Adm Pairoj Theerachai, Commander of Third Naval Area Command, said today that a seven-man navy unit…
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PSU joins French tourism project
KATHU: The Prince of Songkla University (PSU) Phuket Campus has joined a 5.4-million-baht project aimed at developing better ways of catering for tourists visiting France and Thailand. The aim is to improve standards and promote education about tourism, and to exchange knowledge about the cultures of the two countries. PSU will work on the program with the Université de Perpignan…
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Island developers ready for Bangkok
In hopes of re-visiting the hearty welcome and strong sales enjoyed at their 2002 and 2003 exhibitions in Hong Kong, Phuket and Samui property developers will test the appetite for their products in Bangkok over the next three days. About 40 exhibitors will open their booths at Bangkok’s first “Phuket & Samui Property Exhibition” at noon tomorrow. The event takes…
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“Disgraceful’ swindler jailed
PHUKET TOWN: A Phuket man who swindled tourists from nine countries out of a total of two million baht was a disgrace to Thailand, Pol Col Paween Pongsirin, Superintendent of Phuket Town Police Station, said yesterday. Phuket Provincial Court sentenced Saratthawat Tangsathaporn, 31, who once ran the Rose Diamond jewelry story in Patong, to 81 months in jail after he…
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Pet owners moving out of Kamala
KAMALA: Pet owners have begun moving out of Kamala as poisonings of dogs and cats continue. One refugee is Andrew Scatter, whose 100,000-baht Weimaraner hunting dog, Gendolf, has been poisoned twice. Luckily, on each occasion Gendolf was taken to a vet in time for him to be treated, and he survived. But Mr Scatter says he has had enough and…
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Weapons amnesty until December 15
PHUKET TOWN: Phuket residents in possession of unregistered firearms or explosives have until December 15 to turn them in without risk of prosecution. The amnesty, which actually went into effect two weeks ago, on October 17, was announced today by Phuket Provincial Chief Administrative Assistant Visasva Sasismit through a press release. It is not clear whether the amnesty is an…
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“Most wanted’ gang leader arrested
PHUKET TOWN: After a two-month manhunt, Phuket Town police have arrested fugitive gang leader Noparat “Ae BorKorSor” Boonyong and an accomplice. The arrest of the notorious 24-year-old, at the top of the police most-wanted list, follows a shootout outside the Lucky Complex in Saphan Hin in August, in which police killed two members of Noparat’s gang but were unable to…
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Bus passes to be launched in December
PHUKET TOWN: In an effort to increase the number of passengers using the Phuket Town Bus service and reduce traffic congestion, the Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (OrBorJor) will begin sale of monthly bus passes starting in December. The passes will allow riders unlimited use of the bus system’s two routes for a month and will be available to Thais and…
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Phuket draft plan completed
PHUKET TOWN: Governor Udomsak Usawarangura held a conference with 100 of the island’s top officials and business leaders yesterday at the Royal Phuket City Hotel to finalize the draft strategic plan for Phuket’s development. The draft plan, which emphasizes tourism development, will be presented to Deputy Prime Minister Somkid Jatusripitak this week, following a meeting of all 75 provincial governors…
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More gamblers nabbed in Phuket
PHUKET: A total of 134 people were arrested between October 1 and 25 for gambling, including betting on soccer and selling illegal lottery tickets – up from 46 in the equivalent period in September, according to the latest statistics from the Phuket Provincial Police. Another 154 people were arrested in Phuket as illegal immigrants, one less than in September. There…
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Phuket to declare itself “drug-free’
PHUKET TOWN: After less than a month in office, Phuket Governor Udomsak Usawarangkura has announced that Phuket is ready to declare itself a “drug-free” province. The official announcement will be made at Saphan Hin on the evening of November 8, just before the traditional Loy Kratong Festival ceremony, and a long way ahead of the government’s target date of December…
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Anti-smoking “cops’ to get tough
PHUKET: To mark the first anniversary of the ban on smoking in public venues, officials from the Phuket Provincial Health Office (PPHO) will scour the island from November 8 to purge Phuket of persistent puffers. Acting Chief PPHO Somboon Aiyarak today said that from midnight on November 7, PPHO officers will enforce the ban more stringently than they have during…
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Governor rejects casino idea
PHUKET TOWN: Phuket does not need a legal casino, Governor Udomsak Usawarangkura said today. He told a meeting of officers at Phuket Provincial Hall that it would not deliver benefits to the island but would only create more problems. “Even if we have a legal casino in Phuket, it doesn’t mean that illegal casinos will disappear,” he said. Crime, especially…
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Police return after Bush security detail
PHUKET TOWN: Phuket-based police officials who made up the core of the security detail for US President George Bush during the recent Apec summit in Bangkok are now back on the island. Phuket Provincial Police Deputy Commander Pol Col Decha Butnampetch, who was appointed chief of the “front line command center” to secure the US President, told the Gazette that…
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Hijacked jumbo joins the party
CHALONG: The elephants partied big on Friday, and it was the kind of celebration that none of them will ever forget – especially Boonma, the hijacked jumbo. Chokchai Sertpradit, General Manager of Island Safari on Chao Fa Rd West, told the Gazette that Boonma, an adult female, had just returned home after being stolen late one night last month. “We…
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New party to contest mayoral poll
PHUKET TOWN: About 500 people turned out for the launch of a new political party this week – the Sangsan Party (Creative Party – CP). The new party will field candidates in Phuket Town municipal elections and seek to topple the Khon Num (Young Turks) Party from the mayoral seat. The new party was officially launched at Phuket Polytechnic College…
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THAI launches Sydney-Phuket service
PHUKET TOWN: Thai Airways International (THAI) will launch thrice-weekly direct flights to Phuket from Sydney via Melbourne on October 27, it was announced yesterday. Viset Sontichai, Upper-Southern Thailand District Sales Manager for THAI, told a press conference that the service, TG-980, will use Boeing 737or 747 aircraft, and will land in Phuket on Mondays, Thursdays and Sundays at 5:55 am.…
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Rawai villages pronounced drug-free
RAWAI: In the countdown to declare Phuket a drug-free province by November 30, seven villages in Rawai and Nai Harn have been pronounced free of illegal drugs. At a ceremony at Muang Phuket School on October 24, Vice-Governor Pongpow Ketthong asked more than 400 locals to pledge in front of a picture of HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej not to become…
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Local developers target Bangkok
BANGKOK: Property developers from Phuket and Koh Samui will head for the capital at the beginning of next month in a bid to capture a bigger slice of the Bangkok market for high-end homes. In a unique twist for a property show, the organizers of the Phuket & Samui Property Exhibition in Bangkok, to take place November 6-8, have arranged…
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Rescuers lose fight to save dolphin
PANWA CAPE: A rare Risso dolphin, at first thought to be a melon-headed whale, has died at Phuket Marine Biological Center (PMBC) after rescuers fought to save the life of the beached creature. Kongkiat Kittiwattawong, a biologist at the center, told the Gazette that the 2.6-meter adult female died about 5 am on Thursday. She was in a pool meant…
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Tourist dies in motorbike smash
KATHU: A British tourist riding a rented motorcycle died in hospital after his head struck the side-mirror of a truck traveling in the opposite direction. Officers named the man as Craig Curry, 32. At the wheel of the truck was Wiwat Padungpol, 26, who has been charged with careless driving. Mr Curry, who had been vacationing in Phuket Town, was…
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Strategic cluster’ plan for three provinces
PHUKET TOWN : Phuket, Phang Nga and Krabi represent a strategic “cluster” for economic development and water-related tourism, a conference heard today. Phuket Vice-Governor Winai Buapradit told representatives from business, government and academic groups, and other interested parties that more planning was needed to make the most of the “cluster.” About 150 people gathered at the Royal Phuket City Hotel…
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Auction of car numbers planned
PHUKET: Phuket will be the first province outside Bangkok to stage an auction of desirable car registration numbers. A total of 301 numbers will go on the block at the auction at the end of next month at the Royal Phuket City Hotel. Prasit Amarapan, Chief of the Phuket Provincial Transportation Office (PPTO), said that the auction follows two similar,…
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Tourist arrivals up 30pc despite rains
PHUKET: While heavy rains and flooding have stopped many Thai tourists from visiting Phuket and the Andaman region, the number of foreigners arriving on the island is up by 30% compared with the same time last year. Napasorn Kakai, the Deputy Director of the local Tourism Authority of Thailand office, today told the Gazette, “We expected to have more Thai…
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Officials sing Phummisak’s praises
PHUKET TOWN: All the officers of Phuket Town Municipality – about 1,000 of them – turned out to say farewell to Phuket Town Mayor Phummisak Hongsyok at an outdoor buffet at the Phuket Incinerator on Wednesday night. Groups of officers sang K. Phummisak’s praises – literally – in tributes to the man who leaves office on December 24, when he…
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Putin takes a break in Phuket
PHUKET: The President of the Russian Federation, Vladimir Putin, is making a private visit to Phuket in advance of the start of the regional summit of leaders of Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation economies in Bangkok on Sunday. Phuket Governor Udomsak Usawarangkura confirmed that President Putin arrived at Phuket International Airport at 2:40 pm today. The Governor added that he was…
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Robber’s golden luck runs out
PHUKET TOWN: If you bought a fortune-telling ticket that said, “You will have luck in everything you wish to do,” what would you do? According to police, if you were Arthit Srithep, you’d rob a gold shop. Arthit, 24, a native of Nakhon Sri Thammarat, robbed a gold shop in Phuket Town on Tuesday, walking out with bracelets worth 328,500…
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Purachai launches “Happy Families’ project
PHUKET TOWN: Visiting Deputy Prime Minister Purachai Piemsomboon today announced that Phuket will be one of two pilot provinces in the Government’s new “Happy Family Skills Training Project”. The project is intended to provide useful skills to couples who wish to raise happy and healthy families. The other province chosen was Prachin Buri. K. Purachai, formerly Thailand’s second most powerful…
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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