Phuket News

  • Phuket NewsThailand’s biggest light festival is headed to Phuket

    Thailand’s biggest light festival is headed to Phuket

    After it began last week in Krabi, Thailand’s biggest light festival, known as the Aqua Lumina Illumination Festival, is headed towards Phuket. The festival will dazzle the shores of Nai Harn Beach from this coming Friday until May 31. The festival in Phuket will display lit up sculptures and multimedia shows, as well as projection mapping with 3D images with…

  • Environment NewsBlack water still flowing into ocean at Phuket’s Kamala Beach

    Black water still flowing into ocean at Phuket’s Kamala Beach

    A popular Facebook page has posted a video and photos this week of black, dirty water flowing into Phuket’s Kamala Beach on the island’s west coast. The page, titled Monsoon Garbage Thailand, claims that the dirty black water was released from nearby businesses without any treatment. The Phuket Express reports that local business owners and government representatives have not yet responded…

  • Phuket NewsUPDATE: Phuket’s Narong visits recovering German tourist in hospital

    UPDATE: Phuket’s Narong visits recovering German tourist in hospital

    UPDATE As Barbara Lange recovers in Bangkok Hospital Phuket after she went missing for a week, Phuket’s Governor Narong has paid Barbara and her family a visit yesterday. The governor reportedly went to the hospital with other officials, and the group presented Barbara and her family with flowers. The 76 year old woman first went missing from a hotel in…

  • Phuket NewsPhuket tourism hopes for cash flow from the long weekend

    Phuket tourism hopes for cash flow from the long weekend

    The Tourism Authority of Thailand, Phuket office, is hoping for cash to flow over this 4 day weekend (Friday was a public service holiday for Ploughing Day and tomorrow is the substitute holiday for today’s Visaka Bucha Day). TAT Phuket’s director, Nanthasiri Ronnasiri, said yesterday that the average hotel room occupancy rate is 44.5%, and it’s expected to jump to…

  • Phuket NewsBig storm plunders homes in Patong

    Big storm plunders homes in Patong

    A storm of fierce rain and wind caused several large trees to fall down and plunder 3 houses in Patong on Phuket’s west coast yesterday. No injuries were reported, and staff from the local Disaster Prevention and Mitigation office arrived to cut and remove the trees from the area. But photos by The Phuket Express revealed that the houses were…

  • Phuket NewsUPDATE: New details emerge on missing German tourist in Phuket

    UPDATE: New details emerge on missing German tourist in Phuket

    THE LATEST Phuket police are still on the lookout for the German tourist who reportedly went missing from a hotel in Thalang district on Monday (May 9). The 76 year old woman was originally only identified as Ms. Barbara, however the Thalang district police chief has now told The Phuket Express that her full name is Barbara Elisabeth Monika Glag…

  • Phuket NewsUPDATE: Excavation banned on hill in Phuket, further investigation

    UPDATE: Excavation banned on hill in Phuket, further investigation

    THE LATEST After Thai media reported construction tools and trucks digging soil on a hill in Kamala, a town in Phuket, officials have banned any further excavation on the site. Kathu District Chief Siwat Rawangkul confirmed the ban when he and other officials revisited the site on Tuesday. He said that no government office has issued a building permit for…

  • Phuket NewsGerman tourist missing in Phuket

    German tourist missing in Phuket

    After a German tourist in Phuket was rescued after getting stuck between rocks last week, another German tourist in the island province is also in a tricky situation. The 76 year old woman, who so far has only been identified as Ms. Barbara, reportedly went missing from a hotel in Thalang district on Monday (May 9). This is reportedly the…

  • Phuket NewsPhuket prepares reforestation activity for National Tree Day

    Phuket prepares reforestation activity for National Tree Day

    National Tree Day is coming up next Friday, May 13, and Phuket is getting ready to celebrate! Phuket authorities plan to host a public event where people can come and plant trees. The event will start at Wat Kosit Viharn Temple, off Thepkrasattri Road in Rassada, and move to Toh Sae National Forest reserve, which is behind the temple off…

  • Pattaya NewsMajor Thai police leader to discuss closing times in Pattaya, Phuket and elsewhere

    Major Thai police leader to discuss closing times in Pattaya, Phuket and elsewhere

    Thailand’s most famous policeman, ‘Big Joke’, aka. Surachate Hakparn, has plans to discuss legal closing times for ‘restaurants’ in Pattaya, Phuket and other renowned tourist hotspots where the closing time issue continues to be a hot topic. Bars and clubs in Thailand, under official laws, are still only allowed to reopen as ‘restaurants’, and only until midnight at the moment.…

  • Phuket NewsPhuket officials investigate land excavation in Kamala hills

    Phuket officials investigate land excavation in Kamala hills

    After news broke on Thai media that a backhoe was seen digging soil and loading it onto trucks in Kamala, a town on the central west coast of Phuket, officials are now investigating what is suspected of being an illegal land excavation. Isra News Agency, the Thai media platform that first reported the incident, published photos on Thursday of what…

  • Phuket NewsPhuket Covid-19 clinic to close down this month

    Phuket Covid-19 clinic to close down this month

    One Covid-19 clinic in Phuket is preparing to shut down on May 16, even though it only opened eight months ago in September last year. The Phuket Provincial Public Health Office announced the upcoming closure of Aunjai Clinic yesterday in a briefing, and on Facebook. The clinic was established to provide locals who tested positive for Covid-19 with advice, medicines,…

  • Thailand TravelThailand’s deputy commerce minister praises tourism policies

    Thailand’s deputy commerce minister praises tourism policies

    After Covid-19 restrictions have ripped apart Thailand’s tourism economy throughout the past 2 years, the country’s deputy commerce minister is praising the government for relaxing policies this year. The deputy commerce minister, Sinit Lertkrai, said the policies are responsible for Phuket having a boom in new business registrations, according to a new report. The report was conducted by the Department…

  • Phuket NewsAfter child suffers animal bite, Phuket beach cleared for patrols

    After child suffers animal bite, Phuket beach cleared for patrols

    After an 8 year old Thai-Ukrainian boy was injured in a suspected shark attack on Tuesday, Phuket’s Kamala Beach was cleared of swimmers for lifeguards, police and officials to patrol. The chief of Kathu district told The Phuket News that there were still beachgoers, and the patrol was meant to warn tourists to be careful of ‘aquatic animals’. But photos showed that…

  • Phuket NewsAnother Phuket festival showcases the island’s traditional clothing

    Another Phuket festival showcases the island’s traditional clothing

    Another Phuket seafood festival, but this time, there’s a unique new feature! From Friday until Saturday night, officials in Kathu district Phuket organised the ‘Suk Jai Naithu’ festival. The festival included a parade of people dressed in colourful, elaborate costumes. These costumes are the traditional clothing of Phuket. ‘Suk Jai Nathu’ means ‘Happy Naithu’. Phuket Vice Governor Amnuay Pitsuwan and…

  • Phuket NewsPhuket driver filmed obstructing ambulance claims he didn’t hear it

    Phuket driver filmed obstructing ambulance claims he didn’t hear it

    A Phuket driver, who was caught on film driving slowly and erratically braking, obstructing an ambulance that was taking a seriously injured woman to a hospital, has now presented himself to police. A video clip was posted online on Thursday, causing outrage among Thai netizens. The driver presented himself at Phuket City Police Station yesterday (Saturday). He claims he didn’t…

  • Phuket NewsOfficial promises to give Phuket’s sea gypsies housing

    Official promises to give Phuket’s sea gypsies housing

    As part of a larger effort to provide housing for the Andaman region’s indigenous people, an official is promising to provide sea gypsies with housing in Phuket and other Andaman areas. The official, Deputy PM and Minister of Commerce Jurin Laksanawisit, made the announcement yesterday while visiting a sea gypsy village. Jurin has been in the news recently, as leader…

  • Phuket NewsPhuket police and park officers rescue American lost in jungle

    Phuket police and park officers rescue American lost in jungle

    Phuket Tourist Police and national park officers have rescued an American tourist who got lost in a jungle in Thalang district yesterday in central Phuket. The tourist, an unnamed 68 year old man, had become lost in the afternoon, but the team luckily found him in the early evening. He reportedly had some scratches on his leg, and was dehydrated,…

  • Phuket NewsOfficials inspect Phuket airport ahead of entry restriction ease

    Officials inspect Phuket airport ahead of entry restriction ease

    Ahead of Thailand’s plan to ease entry restrictions starting May 1, officials have inspected a Phuket airport yesterday to inspect how ready it was for an expected rise in tourist numbers. The secretary-general of Thailand’s National Security Council went to make sure Phuket International Airport was ready to welcome tourists back to the island province. Among the officials joining the…

  • Phuket NewsPhuket officials announce electric scooters to be used for security operations

    Phuket officials announce electric scooters to be used for security operations

    Even though Phuket officials banned electric scooters from all public roads in February, they have now approved their use for security operations around Phuket Provincial Hall Complex. Yesterday, officials announced at Provincial Hall they have approved the use of electric scooters as a test phase to determine how safe they are. Representatives from Beam Mobility Team Co Ltd handed two…

  • Environment NewsWildlife workers rescue injured dolphin in Phuket

    Wildlife workers rescue injured dolphin in Phuket

    Tourists and locals at Phuket’s Nai Yang beach, near the Phuket International Airport, spotted a dolphin stranded and grounded in shallow waters this morning. The dolphin had 3 key injuries, one on its tail, one on its side, and one near its mouth. Thalang officials notified the head of Sirinath National Park about the dolphin after the tourists and locals…

  • Phuket NewsPhuket Yacht destroyed in fire, damage valued around 16 million baht

    Phuket Yacht destroyed in fire, damage valued around 16 million baht

    A massive on-board fire has destroyed and sank a yacht at the Yacht Haven Marina in Phuket’s Thalang province yesterday. Officials who inspected the 12 metre catamaran believe the fire may have been caused by an electrical short-circuit, however a further investigation is still underway. No passengers were on the vessel when it was scorched, and no injuries were reported.…

  • Phuket NewsGunman intimidates at least one tourist in Patong

    Gunman intimidates at least one tourist in Patong

    A gunman has intimidated at least one tourist in Patong in Phuket yesterday. Local CCTV footage and eyewitness statements helped police officers at Patong Police Station track down the gunman, 25 year old Kittipong Chanthawong, nicknamed ‘Bank’. Bank had allegedly accosted the unnamed tourist on Bangla Road. Bank surrendered to police near a water shop next to a university. Police…

  • Phuket NewsFormer Phuket prison to transform into spooky tourist attraction

    Former Phuket prison to transform into spooky tourist attraction

    An old Phuket prison no longer housing inmates is now set to become a spooky tourist attraction, providing visitors with a “Twilight Zone” experience. Phuket Prison was built in Phuket Town about 120 years ago, and Phuket officials now plan to turn it into a ‘live museum’ to teach both tourists and locals about its history. In addition to the…

  • Phuket NewsAnother Phuket event to draw tourists will have mini hot air balloons

    Another Phuket event to draw tourists will have mini hot air balloons

    Phuket officials plan yet ANOTHER event to draw in tourists and rake in cash for locals devastated by the government’s reaction to Covid-19. This upcoming event, called “Phi Muang Nong’s House” will be held Friday through Sunday, April 22-24, from 5pm onwards, at Sarasin Bridge… the 300 metre bridge which connects mainland Phuket and Phang Nga. What’s the event’s main…

  • Thailand video newsWhy is Phuket Ignoring its Taxi Problem? | GMT

    Why is Phuket Ignoring its Taxi Problem? | GMT

    Celebrating Bangkok’s 240th birthday today! Why does Phuket not tackle its issues with Taxi’s and seem to ignore the issue? Ten more women have come forward to accuse former politician Prinn Panitchpakdi and the International Jazz & Blues Festival 2022. All this and more on todays Good Morning Thailand.

  • Thailand video newsThailand endemic on track | Good Morning Thailand

    Thailand endemic on track | Good Morning Thailand

    The Public Health Ministry is reportedly stockpiling medical supplies to ensure the country’s readiness to handle rising Covid-19 cases after the Songkran festival. It is also however keeping to its original schedule of declaring Covid-19 as endemic on July 1. Mango sticky rice as a cultural heritage item, Minister in a lot of trouble with allegations from several women and…

  • World NewsAirlines launching direct flights from Phuket to northeast Thailand, and Singapore

    Airlines launching direct flights from Phuket to northeast Thailand, and Singapore

    Slowly, gradually, but palpably, airlines are starting to increase their frequency and routes again. Not Air is launching direct flights to Phuket from Northeastern Thailand (and visa versa), and Air Asia is adding flight from Phuket to Singapore, starting next Tuesday. Yesterday morning, a Nok Air flight landed in Phuket, marking the new plan for one direct flight per week…

  • Phuket NewsPhuket man confesses to spying on female hotel guest, still ‘temporarily released’

    Phuket man confesses to spying on female hotel guest, still ‘temporarily released’

    A Phuket hotel employee has confessed this morning to spying on a hotel guest last night while she was showering. Phuket police have already released the man, Noppadon, even though he admitted his crime and had been charged by police. The guest, Tong, posted on Facebook last night about the man, saying she spotted him staring at her through the…

  • Phuket NewsPhuket hospital and resort launch ‘Prestige Wellness’ tourism campaign

    Phuket hospital and resort launch ‘Prestige Wellness’ tourism campaign

    A Phuket hospital and a local resort are teaming up to launch a new campaign called “Prestige Wellness” — offering tourists ‘reboot’ wellness programs, in addition to Phuket’s natural beauty, local cuisine and cultural activities. Now tourists won’t even have to leave the comfort of their hotel to benefit from some of the wellness programmes available under the government’s plan for…