Phuket News
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Austrian man dies in Phuket hotel, police rule out foul play
An Austrian man died in his hotel room in Kata, Phuket, yesterday morning, December 2. Police confirmed there were no signs of foul play. At around 7am yesterday, hotel staff contacted Karon Police Station about their discovery. Officers arrived and identified the deceased man as 62 year old Andreas Nemec. The tourist’s wife, 62 year old Hildegard Unterwieser, who is…
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Phuket villa scam leaves Thais and foreigners with over 100 million baht loss
Thai and foreign buyers lost more than 100 million baht to a Phuket property agent who duped them into purchasing luxury pool villas that were never completed. The victims claim their cases stalled because a well-known local politician is linked to the land involved. A group of victims travelled from Phuket to Nonthaburi on Monday, December 1, to seek help…
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Foreigner accused of taking over Phuket viewpoint for paragliding business
A foreigner and his Thai wife allegedly took over a public viewpoint in Phuket for their paragliding business and chased away Thai tourists who were visiting the popular attraction. A Thai tourist posted a video on social media exposing the pair, claiming the foreign man ordered him to leave the Windmill Viewpoint, located near Phromthep Cape. In the video, the…
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British tourist drowns at Phuket’s Freedom Beach
A 37 year old British tourist tragically drowned while swimming at Freedom Beach in Phuket late yesterday morning, November 29, as confirmed by Patong Police. The incident was reported at approximately 12.30pm, after beach guards were unable to revive the victim, identified as Jason Mark Lambert. Lambert had been visiting Phuket on holiday with his family since November 19 and…
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3 foreign motorcyclists fined for running red light in Phuket after viral video
Phuket police fined three foreign motorcyclists for running a red light at Si Kor Intersection in the Kathu district on Tuesday, November 26. A Thai motorist recorded the moment the three foreigners violated the traffic signal and later shared the footage with the Newshawk Phuket Facebook page. The page then published the video to highlight their behaviour. In the clip,…
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Phuket joins rescue push as floods devastate southern Thailand
Widespread flooding in southern Thailand has triggered a major relief effort, with Phuket organisations rallying to support affected communities across the region. The floods, some of the worst seen in decades, have hit provinces including Hat Yai in Songkhla, Mueang Songkhla, Phatthalung, Trang, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Satun, Surat Thani, Pattani and Yala. Water levels continue to rise, overwhelming low-lying communities…
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Phuket drug suspect escapes in cuffs during police transfer
A drug suspect escaped in handcuffs while being transferred by police in Phuket, prompting an ongoing manhunt and a review of CCTV footage across the area. Police in Phuket are scrambling to locate a drug suspect who escaped while being transported by Thalang district officers to Wichit Police Station late Friday night, November 21. The suspect, identified in police reports…
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US man indicted for alleged sex crimes involving minors in Phuket
A grand jury in North Dakota, United States, has indicted a man on multiple charges related to alleged sexual offences involving minors during trips to Thailand. KYFT TV reported that Sean D. Snyder is facing seven federal charges, including allegations that he travelled to Phuket to engage in illegal sexual conduct with two underage individuals. According to court documents, four…
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Patong rips up roads to bury cables in 224m baht revamp
Patong has begun a major infrastructure project to move power and telecom lines underground along five roads, aiming to improve safety and enhance the streetscape. The massive project, backed by a 224 million baht budget, will see power and telecom lines buried along five key roads: Bangla Road, Thaweewong Road, Sawatdirak Road, Ruam Jai Road, and Prachanukroh Road, covering a…
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Phuket to fast-track 21m baht tourism and infrastructure push
The government has approved four priority projects in Phuket to boost tourism, improve infrastructure and enhance local livelihoods, officials confirmed during a site visit. Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister’s Office Aree Krainara visited Phuket yesterday, November 21, to accelerate progress on the initiatives, which will be funded through central government reserves and agency budgets. His visit was part of…
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Phuket preps for global art splash at Thailand Biennale
Phuket is making final preparations for a major international art festival set to boost tourism, as culture officials inspect venues and installation progress. Culture Minister Sabida Thaiseth arrived on the island yesterday, November 21, to oversee preparations for the international contemporary art festival. She was joined by top Ministry of Culture officials, including Permanent Secretary Prasop Riangngen, Office of Contemporary…
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Wanted fraud suspect arrested on Bangkok–Phuket bus
Police arrested a wanted fraud suspect after tracking him to a Bangkok–Phuket bus, where the man was travelling under multiple outstanding warrants. The Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) confirmed the arrest of a 27 year old man identified only as Patinya, who was wanted for multiple charges, including online fraud, computer crime offences, and assault. Marine Police Division officers tracked him down…
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Phuket shop caught selling hookahs and booze near school
A food and drink shop in Kathu was raided after it was found illegally selling hookahs and alcohol near a school, prompting action from provincial officials. The food and beverage shop, operating near an unnamed educational institution in Kathu, was shut down during a surprise raid shortly after 8pm on Wednesday, November 19. The operation was led by Phuket Provincial…
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Former shipping company worker arrested for selling client data to scammers
Police in Phuket arrested a former shipping company employee yesterday, November 19, for allegedly stealing customer data and providing it to a scam operator involved in fraudulent parcel deliveries. Officers from Mueang Phuket Police Station raided a warehouse in the Ratsada sub-district on November 16 and arrested a 31 year old suspect, Khanapa “Mook” Mengsan, for her suspected involvement in…
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Foreign man caught stealing shoes and umbrella outside Phuket salon
A foreign man was caught on CCTV footage stealing shoes and an umbrella left outside a salon in Phuket yesterday, November 19. The owner of a salon in the Ratsada sub-district of Phuket shared the security camera footage of the theft with the Newshawk Phuket Facebook page. The salon owner had temporarily closed the shop to run a personal errand…
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Second body found in Phuket’s Sarasin bridge suicide identified
A woman from Surat Thani died alongside her partner after their pickup plunged off Sarasin Bridge in Phuket, prompting an urgent recovery and investigation. The woman, identified as 39 year old Kan from Surat Thani province, South Thailand, has become the focus of a heartbreaking case after she and her partner were found dead when their pickup truck plunged off…
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Phuket tattoo artist says Australian client skipped 15,000 baht bill
A tattoo artist in Patong, Phuket, has accused an Australian man of failing to pay for a completed tattoo session worth 15,000 baht, after making an initial deposit. The incident occurred on November 18 at Dragon Ink Patong Phuket tattoo studio. The artist shared photos of the man across multiple Facebook groups to warn other businesses in the area. In…
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Nigerian man arrested for selling cocaine at Patong Hospital
A Nigerian man was arrested in Patong after undercover police caught him selling cocaine during a sting operation in a hospital car park at night. Patong Police have arrested a 31 year old man following a sting operation that caught him red-handed selling cocaine in the parking lot of Patong Hospital yesterday, November 18. The operation was launched at 6.55pm…
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Flash floods swamp Patong again, traffic brought to standstill
Patong was flooded again after sudden downpours caused severe traffic disruption, prompting police to respond and issue warnings across the tourist hotspot. Yesterday, November 18 at 4.30pm, Patong Police released a statement warning motorists to steer clear of several waterlogged zones. Officers were dispatched to monitor flood levels and assist in managing traffic as major intersections became submerged. The operation…
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Volunteer divers stunned to find second body in pickup driven off Phuket bridge
Volunteer divers searching for a pickup truck in a suspected suicide of a Thai man at the Sarasin Bridge in Phuket today, November 18, found two bodies inside the vehicle, not just one as was initially anticipated. Officers from Tha Chatchai Police Station, together with rescuers from the Kusol Dham Foundation, were called to Sarasin Bridge in Thalang, Phuket, after…
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Austrian man arrested at Phuket airport over fake stamps
A foreign national was arrested at Phuket Airport after immigration officers discovered forged passport stamps and a visa overstay during a departure check. A 41 year old Austrian man was arrested at Phuket International Airport after immigration officers discovered forged entry and exit stamps in his passport, and found he had overstayed his visa by a staggering 578 days. The…
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4 foreigners at large after stealing at Phuket shopping mall
A group of foreigners remain at large after allegedly stealing wallets and cardholders from a leather goods store in a shopping mall in Patong, Phuket. The owner of a leather goods store in The Botanica shopping mall in Patong shared CCTV footage of the theft with the Newshawk Phuket Facebook page yesterday, November 17, to warn other business operators in…
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Thai man dies in suspected suicide after driving pickup off bridge in Phuket
A Thai man died after driving his pickup off the Sarasin Bridge into the sea in Phuket early this morning, November 18, in what police believe was a suicide. At around 3am, 30 year old fisherman Nattawut Wongnui called officers at Tha Chatchai Police Station to report that a pickup travelling at high speed had crashed through the bridge barrier…
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Phuket knife threat ends with man shot in leg during clash
A man was shot in the knee after allegedly threatening residents with a knife outside a home in Phuket, prompting a police response and investigation. The incident began around 5.10pm on Sunday, November 16, in front of a house in Thepkrasattri subdistrict, Phuket. Thalang Police received a report of the shooting at 5.40pm and rushed to the scene. Officers found…
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Foreign man caught stealing 199-baht sunglasses in Phuket
A security camera footage capturing a foreign man stealing sunglasses from a shop in Phuket yesterday, November 16, was shared across social media. The employee of an accessory shop in Phuket shared the CCTV footage with the Newshawk Phuket Facebook page in an attempt to identify and locate the foreign thief. According to the worker, the man tried on several…
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Phuket warehouse raid uncovers scam with 20,000 items seized
Police in Phuket have dismantled a large-scale fraudulent parcel operation, seizing more than 20,000 items believed to be used in a nationwide cash-on-delivery (COD) scam. Yesterday, November 16, Police Major General Sinlert Sukhum, commander of Phuket Provincial Police, led a team including officers from Mueang Phuket Police Station to inspect a commercial unit in Boat Plaza, Rassada subdistrict. The raid…
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Second Russian man arrested over drug sale QR code stickers in Phuket
Police arrested another Russian drug dealer on Friday, November 14, following an extended investigation into drug sale QR code stickers placed on utility poles across Phuket. The investigation was expanded after a Russian man was arrested on Koh Samui in Surat Thani province earlier in November for promoting drug sales via QR codes. The suspect was found placing QR code…
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Phuket gets new governor after record-short term ends
Phuket will welcome a new governor after the sudden departure of the former officeholder, marking a swift change in provincial leadership. Nirat Pongsitthaworn, the current Director-General of the Department of Provincial Administration (DOPA), is scheduled to arrive in Phuket tomorrow, November 17, to take over as the new Governor of Phuket. His appointment was confirmed earlier this week through an…
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Drunk driver arrested after gun scare outside Patong Hospital
A man was arrested in Patong after allegedly using a blank gun to threaten two people while driving under the influence near a busy intersection. The incident unfolded near the Nam Sia Intersection on Phra Metta Road, when Patong Police were alerted around 10pm yesterday, November 13, to a suspicious pickup truck with obscured number plates threatening passers-by with what…
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Foreign motorcyclist flees after crashing into 3 vehicles in Phuket
A foreign motorcyclist fled the scene after colliding with a baht bus and two parked vehicles on a road in Phuket yesterday, November 13. The baht bus driver released CCTV footage of the incident to local news agency Newshawk Phuket in an effort to identify and locate the suspect. Neither the exact location nor the specific time of the crash…
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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