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 This Christmas, give the gift of health: essential options for expats in Thailand
The holiday season is here, bringing warmth, joy, and a chance to reflect on the year gone by. As an expat in Thailand, this Christmas is a great time to invest in something that truly matters: health. Whether for you...
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Swiss score two firsts at the Laguna Phuket Triathlon
PHOTO: Ruedi Wild crossing the finish line in yesterday’s men’s triathlon event Strong performances by Swiss’ athletes Ruedi Wild and Imogen Simmonds game them firsts at the 26th Laguna Phuket Triathlon yesterday (November 24). Finishing first to claim his third Phuket Triathlon championship, Wild crossed the finish line at 02:21:07, just two minutes before his toughest contender, Michael Raelert of…
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All passengers rescued after cruise incident off Koh Phi Phi
PHOTOS: Phuket Hotnews At about 10am this morning (November 25), the passengers and crew of La Belle Des Ocean, a cruise that crashed into a submerged reef near Bida Nok, 3 nautical miles off Koh Phi Phi Ley, have arrived back at the Phuket Deep Sea Port. There were 150 passengers on board and the cruise was on its way…
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Representative of the owner of collapsed building visits the victims in Phuket
PHOTOS: Phuket Hotnews On November 23, the owner of the petrol station project, where the concrete structure collapsed on Thursday, killing 7 people and injuring two, sent a representative of the project to visit the injured and the families of the deceased. The incident occurred on November 21 at about 1pm. The victims were the contractors and workers of the…
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Motorcycle thieves arrested in Patong
PHOTOS: Newshawk Phuket Patong Police arrested three men in the seaside city with motorbikes that had been stolen. It appears the group has been stealing motorcycles around Patong since November 20. The group was spotted stealing a motorcycle on Phra Metta Road in Patong. After further investigation and inspection of CCTV it was discovered that the gang conducted their thefts…
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German tourist dies after being hit by parasail speedboat off Phuket
PHOTO: Achadtaya Chuenniran Police are investigating the circumstances of an incident on Kamala Beach on Friday afternoon where a swimmer was killed after being struck by a speedboat used to tow paying parasail passengers into the sky. A German tourist has died after being seriously injured by a speedboat propellor while swimming off Phuket’s Kamala beach. The victim was a 63…
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UPDATE: Police investigate building collapse in Phuket, killing seven
PHOTOS: Phuket Hotnews UPDATE: Kritsana Pattanachareon, deputy spokesperson for the Royal Thai Police, says that an initial investigation into the collapse of a petrol station being built in Thalang, Phuket on Thepkasattri Road, resulting in seven deaths, indicated that poor construction standards were to blame. “We were informed by police from the Thalang district station that a concrete slab being…
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Laguna Phuket Triathlon returns to the island November 23 & 24
PHOTO: lagunaphukettri.com The Laguna Phuket Triathlon returns next week with a strong pro athlete line up vying for US$20,000 (605,500 baht) prize money on Sunday, November 24. The 26th Laguna Phuket Triathlon, will comprise a 1.8 kilometre swim, a 50 kilometre bike event and a 12 kilometre run in Asia’s Laguna Phuket resort area as well as various scenic locations in…
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Five Chinese awaiting deportation after being arrested in Phuket over illegal FOREX trading
PHOTO: SCMP Five Chinese are now in custody after being arrested over the running of an illegal online foreign-exchange. They were running the business from a residential housing estate in Chalong, Phuket. Phuket Immigration officers raided the rented property in the Baan Maneekram-Jomthong Thani estate in Chalong at the end of October. The five were arrested and taken to the…
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10+ Blacktip reef sharks flock to Maya Bay for breeding season – VIDEO
PHOTO: The Nation Worapoj Lomlim, chief of Noppara Tara-Koh Phi Phi National Park in Krabi, says that more than 10 Blacktip reef sharks had been spotted hunting near Koh Phi Phi Ley’s famous Maya Bay, some of them more than 2 metres in length. The sightings were made yesterday at the closed beach. He noted that the presence of the…
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More than 30 dolphins spotted off Phang Nga coast – VIDEO
More than 30 dolphins were spotted around Phang Nga yesterday. Yesterday morning (November 17), Dive Master Nattapong Ninsawit from Sea Bees Diving Khao Lak revealed that he and his customers spotted a number of dolphins on the way back from their diving trip to Similan Islands. The group were travelling back, and while the boat was passing Similan Islands and…
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Karon residents receive financial assistance for last month’s floods in Phuket
PHOTO: siangtai.com Following the unexpected localised floods around Phuket on October 31, particularly around the Karon area, affecting 400 houses, a group of government officials, local businesses and monks pooled their resources to help the victims. The organising group consisted of the village chief, sub-district chief, Karon business owners and hotel entrepreneurs, the Abbot of Suwan Kirikhet Temple (Karon Temple)…
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Two Thai restaurants grab their second Michelin star – new guide 2019
Traditional Thai restaurants ‘R-Haan’ and southern-style ‘Sorn’ have each scored two Michelin Stars for 2020, while ‘Le Normandie’, ‘Mezzaluna’, and ‘Sühring’ held onto their two stars. Another 24 restaurants in Thailand received their first Michelin gongs. The awards were announced at the launch of the 2020 Michelin Guide for Thailand, featuring award winning restaurants in Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Phuket and…
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85 year old Swiss man drowns off Mai Khao Beach, Phuket
An elderly Swiss man drowned yesterday at a beach in Thalang district of Phuket on Thursday afternoon. Paul Brunner, who would have turned 86 next month, was found dead at Mai Khao beach in the northern section of the island around 5.30pm, according to Tha Chatchai police. Police report that he was wearing black swimming shorts. His body was discovered…
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Inaugural Thailand Charter Week in Phuket opens tomorrow
PHOTO: Phuket Yacht Haven, ready for the inaugural Thailand Charter Week – asia-marine.net The Tourism Authority of Thailand has signed up as a Supporting Sponsor of the first Thailand Charter Week in a huge boost for the inaugural six-day event, held at Phuket Yacht Haven from tomorrow to November 21. Organisers were also facing the ‘good problem’ of over demand for berths,…
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Utopia Music Festival: Dare to Dream!
On November 11, 2019, Utopia Corporation arranged the Utopia Music Festival at their condominiums in Nai Harn Beach, using a theme of superhero. The concept of ‘Dare to Dream’ showcases the outstanding and unique properties under Utopia Corporation. The music festival started with a speech from Utopia CEO Hachi Yin and Vice President Leo Li, who explained their various…
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‘Coconut Water Gang’ arrested for trafficking children in Phuket
PHOTO: mgronline.com “The child told him that a gang gathered some kids and forced them to sell coconut water and would beat them up sometimes.” Patong police have announced the arrest of the ‘Coconut Water Gang’. There were four suspects from Nakohn Si Thammarat. The gang was accused of trafficking children by forcing them to roam the streets of Patong…
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Rare giant manta ray sighted off Phang Nga
“We rarely see manta rays of this size around here, and I’m so glad to have seen one.” A rare five metres wide giant manta ray has been spotted near Koh Ta Chai, north of the Similan Islands group, off Phang Nga province. The photos came from Somporn Kaewmaneechote, a diving instructor with Sea Turtle Diver Company. Somporn said the…
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Kata Group launches new 512-room Phuket family resort – Pamookkoo Resort
Kata Group, Phuket’s oldest hotel group, is launching its eighth resort, the Pamookkoo Resort. The cost of the investment is 1.75 billion baht. The new resort is in the heart of Kata. Kata Group opened its first hotel on Phuket 40 years ago and was a pioneer in attracting the early tourists to the island’s southwest coast. The new hotel…
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New eyesight for the Thaiger – modern lens exchange surgery in Thailand
Tim Newton is the lead writer and editor of The Thaiger English. Healthy, happy, busy and no feeling that I’m actually 61 years old. But there I was, about to undergo eye surgery that would rid me of my annoying reading glasses and give me an equivalent of the vision I had when I was a lot younger. Luckily there…
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Phuket’s water supply running on empty
PHOTO: No, it’s not the moon, it’s Bang Neow Dam this week Phuket shuffles into the high season with meagre water reserves and no concrete, sustainable plans to meet the upcoming seasonal water demands. In April this year the local water authority shuffled uncomfortably about the crisis at the end of the 2018/2019 dry season, denying there was a problem…
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Foreign woman saved from drowning at Patong Beach, Phuket
PHOTO: Achadtaya Chuenniran A foreigner, either Swiss or Russian, has been plucked out of the water at Patong Beach, early this morning morning, before sunrise. The incident occurred opposite the beach road post office, according to tourist police. An Ethiopian, named as ‘Ephrem’, told police that he found the woman lying face down and unconscious in the shallows just metres from…
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Russian swimmer drowns at Karon Beach
A 61 year old Russian tourist has died after getting caught in a rip at Phuket’s Karon Beach. Police say the man, whose name was withheld pending family and Embassy notification, was swimming alone at the northern end of the beach, just a few hundred metres from the “Tourist Service Centre”. He was seen struggling after currents dragged him out…
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Police arrest dangerous Phuket robber
PHOTO: Patong Police A 24 year old, wanted for a theft and robbery, including robbing hotel staff in Phuket Town at knifepoint, is now in custody following a Wednesday night arrest. Phuket News reports that Provincial and Phuket City Police arrested Chanchai Chaona at a motorbike repair shop in Patong on Wednesday. He was wanted for two separate charges of…
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Phuket Airport officials warn about sky lanterns during Loy Krathong
Phuket airport officials are urging people not to release sky lantern (khom fai)on Loy Krathong as well as the forthcoming New Year. Vijit Keawsaitiam, the Deputy Director of Phuket International Airport, held a meeting about safety measures and discussed about banning lanterns and firework activities during Loy Krathong festival and the New Year celebrations. The Deputy Director said that releasing…
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Sea turtles saved at Phuket’s Naithon Beach
PHOTOS: Newshawk Phuket Two sea turtles have been saved at Naithon Beach on Phuket’s west coast. Today (November 2), at 8am, the Chief of Sirinath National Park, Nathawat Nuisiram, along with research officials, rescued two sea turtles at Naithon Beach. The team received a report from local villagers and headed to the beach to investigate the reports and check out…
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Top 10 must-see things to do in Phuket
Phuket is now a sophisticated tourist destination with so much to see and enjoy on just about any budget. Despite its reputation as a tropical paradise or the infamous Patong nightlife, there is a lot more to enjoy in Phuket these days. The popular Patong Beach is just a tiny proportion of the island’s landmass (about 80% the size of…
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Tourist missing, presumed drowned, off Nai Thon Beach, Phuket
PHOTOS: Phuket Hotnews A 29 year old tourist is still missing after going swimming off Nai Thon Beach in northern Phuket on Wednesday night, (October 30). Local Saku police received a report about the tourist who disappeared whilst swimming off the southern end of Nai Thon Beach, in Thalang District, around 7pm. At the beach, police found distraught 29 year…
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Possessed Krabi drug dealer leads police to his drugs
PHOTO: khaosod.com A drug dealer became ‘possessed’ before leading police to his drugs in Krabi. On October 29, Krabi police arrested two drug dealers, before one of them acted like he was possessed by a spirit and led the police to check his friend’s car to discover even more drugs. Initially, police arrested 31 year old Ekkachai Petchsong when he…
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Phuket to get new tourist attraction theme park – Carnival Magic
From next year, Phuket will have a new tourist attraction, in the form of a theme park called Carnival Magic. The forthcoming attraction, which will be located in Kamala (where Phuket FantaSea has been operating for 21 years), has been confirmed by Phuket FantaSea’s chairman Pin Kewkacha. “Carnival Magic is a theme park that showcases Thai culture through technology and lighting.…
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Phuket hosts massive “Kao Kon La Kao” charity run featuring Toon
PHOTO: Mega beach party held out the front of XANA Beach Club along Layan Beach last Sunday – Laguna Phuket 13,000 people flocked to Layan Beach last Sunday for the “Kao Kon La Kao – Southern Series”. Led by the Kao Foundation’s Founder, marathon runner and hugely popular Tha rock star, Artiwara (Toon) Kongmalai, crowds of runners flocked to 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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