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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Boost for Phuket’s environment
PATONG: Community environmental projects should get a boost following a three-day seminar at the Royal Paradise Hotel organized by the Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (OrBorJor). The seminar reviewed Phuket’s environmental plans, providing impetus for local officials and groups. Somchai Duangkae, Chairman of the Provincial Council, told the Gazette that Tambon Pa Khlok has been chosen as a pilot community because…
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Belgian found hanging from tree
CHALONG: A Belgian businessman was found hanging from a tamarind tree at his home in Chalong on Thursday. His younger brother told police that Georges (Jo) Billiet, 43, had recently broken up with his girlfriend and that this had coincided with a downturn in his business. Pol Maj Sanae Panmee, of Chalong Police Station, said Mr Billiet’s body was found…
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Investigators swoop on Land Reform Office
PHUKET TOWN: Crime Suppression officers and Forestry Police today descended on the Phuket Provincial Agriculture Land Reform Office (ALRO) as part of investigations into the SorPorKor land use scandal. During the afternoon investigators also visited five pieces of land that are among those pinpointed in the massive land probe launched by the government. During a tense two-hour visit in the…
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Gov targets influential people
PHUKET: Governor CEO Pongpayome Vasaputi has fired a shot across the bows of “influential people” in Phuket, vowing to act against them and against local officials who help them. He told the Gazette that he plans to target two groups of influential people – those who infringe on government land, and those who run the sunbed and umbrella businesses that…
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Phuket to get B20 million facelift
PHUKET: Phuket will have a 20-million-baht facelift before the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) conference in September. Seven central government organizations will provide the bulk of the funding for the makeover but the island’s 13 OrBorTors will also contribute 200,000 baht apiece. Vice-Governor Winai Buapradit, who heads the project, said work had been underway since last month. The budget covers…
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Second land probe launched
PHUKET: A senior police officer from Bangkok arrived in Phuket today to head up a second investigation into land registration abuses. Pol Maj Gen Pansiri Prapawat, Deputy Commissioner for General Investigation, has been ordered by Deputy Prime Minister General Chavalit Yongchaiyudh to look into cases of encroachment onto government land in Phuket. Gen Pansiri said today, “I’ve come to Phuket…
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Mega-dog-pound plan criticized
PHUKET: A plan to house all of Phuket’s estimated 11,500 stray dogs in a huge central pound until they die has been criticized by the leader of a group that is attempting to control the animal population with sterilization. Phuket Governor CEO Pongpayome Vasaputi says the proposal, costing 2 million baht, would solve the problem of “soi” dogs and would,…
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Curbside garbage bins banned
PHUKET TOWN: In a bid to keep Phuket Town streets clean, from July 1 residents living along four main roads in town will no longer be allowed to leave their garbage bins on the street. Phuket Town Councilor Somjai Suwansupana announced today, “Thepkrasattri Rd [from the City Hotel to Wat Kosit], Rassada Rd, Phang Nga Rd and Thalang Rd will…
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Influential people “definitely in Phuket’ – Gov
PHUKET: Governor CEO Pongpayome Vasaputi has slammed newspaper reports that Phuket has no “influential people” of the kind currently being targeted by the government of PM Thaksin Shinawatra. Several newspapers had reported that Phuket was among some 30 provinces that had stated they had no influential people. “I read these reports,” Gov Pongpayome said, “and I didn’t understand why they…
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Security fears as police nab aliens
THALANG: Phuket police have nabbed 37 men as they tried to enter the country on fake visas in a breach that has ramifications for national security and posts a question mark over the effectiveness of the Immigration Department. The men, in two large groups, had already passed through airport immigration counters by presenting Bangladeshi passports when police, acting on information…
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Phuket “facing foreign labor shortage’
PHUKET TOWN: Although the number of unemployed people has risen dramatically as a result of the tourism downturn, local Thai Rak Thai party leader Dr Yada Palimapan believes Phuket’s industries now need an extra 5,000 more laborers from other countries to kick-start the local economy. Dr Yada told a media conference at the Royal Phuket City Hotel on Sunday that…
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Scramble to find more water
PHUKET: If you don’t already have an auxiliary water storage tank for your home now might be a good time to buy one: visiting Royal Irrigation Department Director General Samart Chockkanapitak confirmed yesterday that Phuket’s water supplies are running dangerously low. K. Samart urged all Phuket residents connected to municipal supplies to strictly conserve water. He estimated that under current…
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Traffic campaign aims to “end the pain’
PHUKET TOWN: Some 900 people attended a Traffic Accident Prevention Fair in Saphan Hin yesterday, marking the start of a province-wide effort to improve road safety through education and law enforcement. Vice-Governor Winai Buapradit, who is leading the campaign, said at the opening ceremony at the Phuket Provincial Transportation Office, “Phuket has the highest rate of death from traffic accidents…
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Land officials to be transferred
PHUKET: The Director-General of the Land Department, Banyat Jantasena, has ordered two senior Land Office officials in Phuket to be transferred to other provinces. Phuket Governor CEO Pongpayome Vasaputi told the Gazette today that the orders have already been signed for the transfers of the Chief of the Phuket Provincial Land Office (PPLO), Boonsong Namnapol, and the Chief of the…
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Cook’s killing baffles police
CHERNG TALAY: Days have passed but police admit they are still baffled by the murder of a young cook from a stylish new upmarket restaurant in Cherng Talay. A fellow worker from the new Red Room restaurant found the body of 23-year-old Amporn Changthong lying beside Sri Soonthorn Rd, some 200 meters from the venue, about 3:30 am last Friday.…
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Nai Yang vendors told to move
NAI YANG: Vendors on Nai Yang Beach have been ordered by Governor CEO Pongpayome Vasaputi to move from public land. The 47 vendors have been offered alternative accommodation about 600 meters away but at least 22 are resisting the move and are fighting it through the courts. Tanapong Apaiso, Chief of Sirinat Marine National Park, said that 14 tricycle vendors…
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Boat driver caught for robbing HK tourists
PHUKET: Six Hong Kong tourists had over 32,000 baht stolen as they were snorkelling near Phi Phi Island yesterday, but police managed to arrest the thief yesterday morning and recover the money. The thief, 22-year-old Wachira Thongsarng, is an employee of PP Adventure, which runs speedboat day-trips out of the Boat Lagoon. Wachira was taken into custody by Phuket Tourist…
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Singapore Sars alert ends
PHUKET: Tourists from Singapore are now able to enter Phuket and Thailand generally without a Sars health check. The World Health Organization has removed the island nation from its list of Sars-alert countries. Weerasit Raden, Chief of Port Health, Phuket International Airport, told the Gazette that travelers arriving from Hong Kong, Taiwan and China still require a medical check at…
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Rawai beach stalls to be moved
RAWAI: About 40 stall vendors selling food along the Rawai seafront have been ordered to vacate by the end of June in preparation for developments at the resort beach. Sixteen of the vendors will move to a new site as part of a 600,000-baht building project that will house them about 500 meters from the old location, near the Rawai…
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Municipality appeals for water conservation
PHUKET TOWN: Acting Phuket Town Mayor Pairoj Kaykina today asked Phuket Town residents to use water sparingly in the hope of avoiding water supply rationing. The appeal comes after a Phuket Town Waterworks Authority (PTWA) report confirmed that water supply from dwindling tin mine reserves will need to be restricted unless there is a sharp increase in rainfall soon. “If…
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Man drowns at Nai Harn
NAI HARN: Beach vendors yesterday discovered the body of a 19-year-old man who was swept off the rocks by a large wave at Nai Harn Beach on Sunday. Suriya Lannoi, a gas station attendant in Rawai, was standing on rocks with five friends at about 4 pm when they were all knocked into the sea by a large wave, Pol…
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Missing man’s body found at beach
CHERNG TALAY: Staff from the Laguna Beach Resort found the body of a missing Hong Kong tourist on Bang Tao Beach at 7 pm yesterday. Law Chun Lung, 30, and three friends ignored red flags and warnings about the rough surf and the likelihood of an undertow to go swimming at the beach on Sunday. His body is now at…
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New crackdown on traffic offenses
PHUKET: Police began a crackdown on traffic offenders from yesterday, as part of a fresh offensive aimed at reducing road deaths and injuries. Announcing the crackdown, which he said will continue indefinitely, Metha Mekarath of the Provincial Defense Office said that government employees caught breaking the rules of the road will face special punishment and could even lose their jobs.…
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Tourist vanishes at Bang Tao Beach
CHERNG TALAY: A 30-year-old Hong Kong man is missing, believed drowned, after he and his friends ignored advice and went swimming at Bang Tao Beach yesterday. Police named the man as Law Chun Lung. He disappeared while swimming with three companions at about 6 pm. Pol Lt Prakob Boonsan of Cherng Talay Police Station said that staff at the Laguna…
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Garbage power boost on the cards
PHUKET TOWN: The Phuket Town Municipality and the Department of Alternative Energy are investigating ways to boost the amount of electricity produced by the Saphan Hin garbage incinerator. Energy Minister Dr Prommin Lertsuridej has asked for a report within two months on the possibilities. Dr Prommin and his team toured the incinerator when the Cabinet visited Phuket this week. The…
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Security tightened at Land Office
PHUKET TOWN: Security has been beefed up at the Phuket Provincial Land Office amid fears that those involved in the recent murder of a Land Office official may try to burn the building down or otherwise destroy land documents linking them to the killing. The security alert comes on the direct orders of Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. He instructed the…
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Road accidents claim 18 lives
PHUKET: Eighteen people died in traffic accidents between March 20 and April 20, according to the latest statistics from the Wachira, Thalang and Patong government hospitals. All the victims were on motorcycles, Ampaipan Pawawattananusorn of the Phuket Provincial Health Office reported. In the same period, 821 were hurt in crashes involving motorbikes, while 35 people were injured in car accidents.…
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Cyber Paradise gets B30m boost
PHUKET: The central government will spend about 30 million baht to open an office to help give birth to “Cyber Paradise”, Dr Surapong Suebwonglee, Minister of Information and Communication Technology (ICT), has announced. The office, which is expected to be open within three months, will be in a currently vacant building belonging to the Prince of Songkla University, Phuket Campus,…
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OrBorJor chief to run for Parliament
PHUKET TOWN: Dr Prasit Koeysiripong, President of the Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (OrBorJor), is expected to stand at the next parliamentary election as a Thai Rak Thai (TRT) government candidate in Phuket, a province traditionally regarded as a stronghold for the opposition Democrat Party. While his declaration at this stage is still not official, it was confirmed by Dr Yada…
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Police raid fakes warehouses
PATONG: Police raided two buildings in Rajpatanusorn Rd last night and seized imitation goods with a street value of about 5 million baht. One of the buildings was fitted with a closed-circuit security camera to check on visitors. Police from the Economic Crime Investigations Division in Bangkok, accompanied by representatives from Rolex, Gucci and Chanel, seized about 1,000 items, including…
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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