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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Wanted Swiss expat dodges jail in shocking legal blunder
A Swiss man sentenced to jail for assaulting a Thai doctor has vanished without a trace – and officials are refusing to say what went wrong. Phuket authorities are facing mounting criticism after Swiss national Urs Fehr, dubbed “Swiss David” by local media, fled Thailand following a court-ordered jail sentence – and no one seems to know where he is.…
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Phuket youths arrested for reckless beach gunfire (video)
Phuket’s pristine beaches were rocked by outrage after a video showing youths recklessly firing guns at Surin Beach went viral, stirring fears over tourist safety and law enforcement lapses on the island. The explosive 21-second clip, shared by the Facebook page Phuket Exposed (แฉยับ ภูเก็ต) yesterday, May 29 just after midnight under the hashtag #ThisIsPhuket, showed several young men discharging…
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Waterspout hits near Phuket and Phang Nga, officials warn tourists
A rare waterspout was spotted this morning near Koh Khai Nok and Koh Khai Nai, right on the border between Phuket and Phang Nga provinces. The swirling vortex, whipped up by a severe thunderstorm, lasted 10 to 15 minutes and was visible from the shore, leaving many stunned by nature’s raw power. Fishermen and holidaymakers in the area reported the…
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Austrian man arrested for cannabis theft in Phuket
Police arrested an Austrian man for stealing cannabis from a shop in Phuket on Sunday, May 26, after the shop owner took to social media to report the incident. The shop owner, Chatchai Tanamas, posted pictures and CCTV footage of the theft on his Facebook account on Monday, May 27, one day after the incident. He urged netizens to help…
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Thalang cops crack down on student bikers in safety blitz
Motorbikes without mirrors, deafening exhausts, and teens riding without licences — Thalang Police are cracking down on underage and unsafe student bikers in a renewed push for road safety. Officers at Thalang Police Station are stepping up efforts to educate and enforce traffic discipline among school-age motorcyclists, especially during term time when many rely on bikes to commute. The latest…
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Phuket man dies after slamming into parked tuk tuk
A routine ride ended in tragedy yesterday afternoon when a 61 year old motorcyclist fatally crashed into a parked tuk tuk in Kathu, Phuket. The incident unfolded around 4.40pm, yesterday, May 28, on Phra Phuket Kaew Road, in front of the Khum Nam restaurant in Village 1, Kathu. Emergency services rushed to the scene after police received reports of the…
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Crystal-clear police drug raids in Phuket leave dealers on ice
A series of drug raids in Phuket has resulted in five suspects being nicked and over a kilo of crystal meth, also known as ya ice, scooped off the streets in a blitz that’s left local dealers shaking. Phuket City Police launched multiple operations targeting suspected drug dens, netting a haul of hard drugs, digital scales, motorbikes and mobiles, all…
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Foreign thieves steal cannabis in Phuket while friends distract staff
A Phuket cannabis shop owner is hunting for foreign thieves who were caught on CCTV stealing products from his store. The theft did not cause much loss, but the owner wanted to teach the thieves a lesson. The owner of the Shweed Panwa store in the Wichit area of Phuket, Chatchai Tanamas, shared details of the incident on his Facebook…
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Phuket boosts tourism with 7 new developments
Phuket’s booming tourism industry is set for a fresh injection of new developments as four hotels and three condominiums received approval from the Expert Committee on Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) during a recent meeting. The third EIA committee gathering of the year took place at the Phuket Provincial Natural Resources and Environment Office, chaired by Vice Governor Samawit Suphanphai. The…
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Mud and done it! Phuket villa project sinks after landslide scandal
A swanky Phuket villa project has been slapped with a construction ban after furious locals complained it was turning their neighbourhood into a mudbath. The VIP Galaxy Villa development in Rawai was ordered to down tools earlier this month after a series of alleged planning breaches, including triggering mudslides onto public land. The two-storey luxury pad project, built from reinforced…
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2 meth dealers arrested in police bust in Phuket
Phuket’s drug suppression unit struck a significant blow against the local narcotics trade on Monday, arresting two suspects and seizing methamphetamine and related paraphernalia in a crackdown led by top provincial police officials. Under the command of Police Major General Sinlert Sukhum, Phuket Provincial Police deployed a focused operation headed by Police Lieutenant Colonel Phichit Thongto, head of the Narcotics…
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Phuket transwoman arrested for pickpocketing Turkish tourist
Police arrested a Thai transwoman for pickpocketing a Turkish tourist in the Patong neighbourhood of Phuket in the early hours of this morning. Stolen cash amounting to 4,000 baht was recovered. The 38 year old Turkish tourist filed a complaint with officers at Patong Police Station at 4am today, May 27. He suspected a transwoman of stealing 4,000 baht in cash…
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Major power outage hits Cherng Talay in Phuket May 29
Residents and businesses in Cherng Talay are bracing for a major power outage this Thursday, May 29, as the Provincial Electricity Authority’s Thalang branch (PEA Thalang) undertakes essential upgrades to the high-voltage distribution system. The electricity cut will last from 9am to 4.30pm, affecting a wide area stretching from Blue Tree Water Park to the entrance of Wat Thepwanaram. This…
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Foreign woman arrested for failing to pay bill at Phuket bar
Police arrested a foreign woman at the weekend after she failed to pay a bill at a bar in Phuket and allegedly insulted Thai people. A Thai TikTok user, @tunroychannel, shared a video of the incident on on Sunday, May 25, with a caption that read, “Free visa tourist insults Thai people. She came to travel but did not have…
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Teen gun and firecracker attacks spark Phuket crackdown
Seven people have been arrested for the gun attack on Saturday. Last weekend, a group of teenagers unleashed gunfire and massive firecrackers in Phuket, injuring two people. The trouble began late on Saturday night, May 24, in Soi Bang Thong 3, Kathu, when a gang of teenagers opened fire and hurled explosives. A 15 year old boy, Athinan Ruangsantidamrong, was…
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Pakistan’s top envoy brings friendship mission to Phuket
In a warm show of diplomacy and island hospitality, Pakistan’s Ambassador to Thailand Rukhsana Afzal paid a high-profile visit to Phuket Governor Sophon Suwannarat yesterday, reaffirming her country’s commitment to deepening ties with the popular tourist province. The meeting, held at Phuket Provincial Hall, was more than just a polite exchange of pleasantries. According to an official report, it marked a…
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Myanmar man’s body found after tragic Phuket fishing accident
The body of a 26 year old Myanmar man, who was swept into the sea while fishing with friends near Paradise Beach, Phuket, has been recovered, as confirmed by the police. The incident occurred on May 24. Wasana Khamchomphu reported the disappearance of her employee, Lone Lone, to Patong Police at 5.53pm on the same day. Lone Lone and two…
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Thailand integrates AI to transform tourism sector
Assistant Minister Supachai Jaismut from the Ministry of Higher Education, Science, Research and Innovation attended a national seminar in Phuket to promote the integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into Thailand’s tourism sector. The event, AI for Next Gen – Transforming New Era Tourism with AI, took place at the Blockchain Technology Centre in Chalong from May 24 to May 25.…
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Phuket violence: teens clash with guns and explosives
In Phuket, an altercation between rival groups of young people escalated into a violent incident involving firearms and explosives. Today, May 25, at 12.35am, Police Lieutenant Sumet Phetruenthong received reports of teenagers using vehicles to pursue and shoot at each other, including throwing large firecrackers, along a road near Chamcha Market in the Talat Nuea subdistrict. Upon arriving at the…
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Phuket man found dead in suspected suicide, police investigate
In Phuket, a 29 year old man was discovered deceased in his bedroom early yesterday, May 24, with police suspecting suicide as the cause. Police and emergency services were summoned to a residence in Moo Baan Phra Pin, off Luang Por Chaem Road, located in Moo 4, Chalong, at approximately 1.17am. The deceased was identified as Kittisak Mawan. Chalong Police,…
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Bomb threat panic on Phuket flight sparks emergency evacuation
Chaos broke out yesterday at Phuket International Airport when a passenger on an AirAsia flight caused panic by jokingly warning of a bomb in his bag — triggering a full-scale emergency response and a police investigation. At 3.50pm yesterday, May 23, officials were alerted after 62 year old Thanawut Wichaidit reportedly told a flight attendant, “Watch out for the bomb…
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Swiss man on the run from jail sentence for assaulting Thai doctor
A Swiss man who attacked a Thai doctor at a luxury villa in Phuket has been sentenced to one month in prison — but has already fled the country, defying an arrest warrant. The dramatic case stems from an incident on February 24, 2024, when Dr Tharadao Chandam, widely known as Dr Pai, accused David, real name Urs Fehr, a…
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Foreign tourists caught defecating outside restuarant in Phuket
A Thai restaurant owner in Phuket urged the government to consider increasing the number of public bathrooms after foreign tourists defecated outside his business on two separate occasions. The owner of Salaloy Restaurant, Pananut Asawapitakchon, shared details of the unpleasant incidents on his Facebook account yesterday, May 22. He explained that the incidents occurred twice beforehand, last week and this week,…
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Parcel firm under fire for blocking traffic in Wichit, Phuket
A parcel delivery company on Chao Fa East Road in Wichit town, Phuket, is under fire for allegedly encroaching on public land and causing serious traffic disruptions, sparking outrage among locals. After a flood of complaints, a joint government inspection took place yesterday, May 22, probing the firm’s use of public space to park large delivery vehicles, which residents say…
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Patong card game bust: 4 arrested in secret gambling raid
A not-so-secret card game ended in handcuffs when police raided a small shop in Patong, arresting four people allegedly caught gambling illegally. The dramatic bust took place in Soi Kebsup, at the southern end of the island’s party capital, following an investigation into what officers described as a “covert gambling network” operating under the radar of Patong’s bustling nightlife scene. Patong…
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‘Little Moscow’ boom: Russians fuel Phuket property frenzy
Phuket’s luxury property scene is getting a flashy new address—“Little Moscow.” Tucked in the serene north of the island, Nai Thon Beach is rapidly transforming into Thailand’s next ultra-luxe real estate hotspot, fuelled by foreign money, especially from Russian buyers escaping war and winter. The sleepy seaside village, nestled within Sirinat National Park and just minutes from Phuket International Airport, is…
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Body of foreign man found floating near Nui Beach, Phuket
The body of a tattooed foreign man has been found floating in the sea off Phuket’s Nui Beach, marking yet another tragic case of tourists meeting their end in the island’s waters. Karon Police were alerted to the grim discovery at around 3.20pm yesterday, May 21, after beachgoers spotted a body drifting offshore. Lifeguards responded quickly, using a speedboat to…
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Drunk motorcyclist goes against traffic flow and kills female rider
A drunk Thai man rode his motorcycle against the flow of traffic and collided with a female rider, resulting in her death, on Number 4027 Road in Phuket on Tuesday night. The accident was reported to officers at Thalang Police Station and Thalang Hospital at approximately 11.45pm, May 20. It occurred near the PTT petrol station at the Paklok branch in…
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Royal Thai Navy seizes illegal Indonesian fishing boats off Phuket
A dramatic high-seas sting netted two Indonesian fishing boats and 18 crew members, all caught red-handed illegally operating in Thai waters — and the Royal Thai Navy wasn’t letting them get away. The bust took place on Monday, May 19, when the HTMS Longlom intercepted the foreign boats about 80 nautical miles southwest of Phuket, within Thailand’s Exclusive Economic Zone…
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Dozing driver ploughs into truck at Phuket intersection
An early morning delivery turned into a nightmare for two young men after a delivery truck driver nodded off at the wheel and crashed into the back of another truck waiting at a red light in northern Phuket. The high-impact collision took place around 5am today, May 21, at the Old Airport Intersection in Village 1, Mai Khao, Thalang district,…
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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