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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Crab army marches on Phuket streets
PHUKET: Phuket Town residents received a shock yesterday as they witnessed an invading army of crabs marching through the streets in the direction of the nearby mangrove forest and sea. Fortunately, the rare phenomenon was not an alien invasion by the crab-men from outer space. The totally natural event, which occurred at about 7pm, involved thousands of mangrove crabs making…
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Phuket Poll uncovers “isle of infidelity’
PHUKET: More than half the respondents in a Phuket Gazette survey have admitted they have cheated on their partners, with more than 40% saying they are willing to do it again. The Gazette launched the month-long survey after the results of the annual international sex survey by condom-manufacturing firm Durex revealed Thai couples to be among the most promiscuous on…
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Phuket Sports: Marlins reel in the Islanders
PHUKET: The Islanders fell back into into the five-team relegation zone following a 1-0 loss last night to 3rd place Sri Racha Suzuki FC. Despite a wide margin in league points, the competition, played in front of 3,100 fans, was evenly matched with the Sri Racha “Blue Marlins” enjoying only slightly more possession than Phuket. Indeed, it was looking as…
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“I have no doubt in my mind….”
“I have no doubt in my mind that he was with me today all day,” Sergio Garcia said of Ballesteros.PHUKET: Europe claimed the Ryder Cup after staging an amazing fightback on the last day.The American Team went into the tournament yesterday leading 10-6 and only requiring four points from a possible 12 on offer to win the cup. Europe won…
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New Phuket Police chief honors the Heroines
PHUKET: Phuket’s incoming Phuket Provincial Police Commander, Maj Gen Chote Chawanwiwat, stopped off at the Heroines Monument last night to pay homage to the island’s guardian spirits.Gen Chote arrives in Phuket after serving as the Commander of the Narathiwat Provincial Police in Thailand’s troubled Deep South.He will be installed as Phuket’s top-ranking police officer tomorrow, replacing Maj Gen Chonasit Wattanavrangkul,…
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Gov Tri names infrastructure, environment Phuket’s greatest challenges
PHUKET: Speaking at a farewell function at Provincial Hall yesterday, outgoing Phuket Governor Tri Augkaradacha told the Phuket Gazette that the greatest challenges facing Phuket were preserving the island’s natural environment and meeting growing infrastructure needs.“Phuket is considered a world-famous tourist destination. The important thing that will continue to attract tourists is the island’s beautiful scenery and environment.“The development of…
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Car cut in half on impact with Phuket power pole
PHUKET: Police are investigating what prompted a 57-year-old driver to accelerate to such a speed in the early hours of this morning that when his car flew off the road it was cut in half by a roadside power pole.Thalang Police duty officer Patiwat Yodkwan was notified of the high-speed accident at at 2:45am.Due to severity of the initial reports,…
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Korean tourist to Phuket found dead snorkeling off Phi Phi Island
PHUKET: A 29-year-old Korean tourist on holiday in Phuket has died while snorkeling off Phi Phi Island during a day trip to the popular beach resort. The man, named by Tourist Police as Jury Kuk Kim, was on a Korean package tour and staying at a hotel in Patong. The tour group, comprising about 40 tourists from South Korea, arrived…
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Parliament joins Phuket national park fray
PHUKET: Narit Khamnurak, Chairman of the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Land, Natural Resources and Environment (CNRE), this week led a parliamentary inquiry to follow up the investigation into resorts accused of encroaching on national park land on Phuket’s west coast. At Sirinath Marine National Park headquarters, Mr Narit together with nine officers on Friday reviewed the investigation reports…
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Phuket Town basks in the glow of the Moon Festival
PHUKET: Phuket City Municipality together with the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Phuket Office, Old Phuket Cultural Foundation, Phuket Peranakan Association and the Old Phuket Town Community, yesterday held the opening ceremony of Phuket Moon Festival 2012. The Moon Festival, also known in China as the Mid-Autumn Festival, started yesterday at Queen Sirikit Park in Phuket Town will run until…
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Work begins on repairing Patong Hill road landslide site
PHUKET: Phuket Highways Office Director Samak Luadwonghat kept his promise made yesterday that as soon as the rains stopped today, his workers were out in force making temporary repairs to the Patong Hill road. The section of road, just west of the Chinese shrine at the top of the hill, first collapsed during heavy rains last October, then again in…
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Lucky escape for Phuket driver as police hunt 18-wheeler
PHUKET: A 19-year-old man escaped serious injury when the Isuzu pickup he was driving slammed into an 18-wheeled truck and trailer on Thepkrasattri Road in the north of Phuket this afternoon. Thalang Police duty officer Patiwat Yodkwan arrived at the scene, near the Baan Muang Mai market in Thalang, at about 1:30pm to find Mr Ken Patan still pinned inside…
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AirAsia move to axe Phuket-Bali, Ubon flights sparks ire from ‘stranded’ travellers
PHUKET: Low cost carrier AirAsia’s decision to cease operations from Phuket to Bali and to Ubon Ratchthani has sparked a storm of angry comments directed at AirAsia’s call center by passengers feeling that they have been left stranded. Staff at the AirAsia office in Phuket told the Phuket Gazette that they had fielded many queries, mainly asking what travellers can…
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Phuket Sports: Pride, punishment and pain
PHUKET: Singapore was a tragedy for Lewis Hamilton and McLaren. Hamilton would have been the clear winner, until his gearbox disintegrated and catapulted Vettel into first place, Button to second, and most importantly, Alonso into third place. That changed what might have been. A resurgent Vettel is now hunting down Alonso, and Hamilton has dropped to the back of the…
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Carnage to Phuket’s marine life continues
PHUKET: In just one day, half a dozen Olive Ridley sea turtles were rescued in Phuket, all suffering lacerations caused by fishing nets, and a young dolphin was stranded on Mai Khao Beach.Kongkiat Kittiwattanawong, head of the Endangered Species Unit (ESU) at the Phuket Marine Biological Center (PMBC), revealed yesterday that ESU officers received a report from lifeguards at Karon…
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Work on Phuket’s B600mn underpass to begin after October 9
PHUKET: Construction of the underpass at the Darasamuth Intersection, in front of the Central Festival Phuket shopping mall, will not commence until at least October 9, the director of the Highways Department’s Phuket office confirmed today. The government tender for Italian-Thai Co Ltd, Thailand’s largest construction contractor, to formally take on the project was supposed to be signed today, Phuket…
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Go Eco Phuket record reef cleanup will go on, say organizers
PHUKET: Organizers of the Go Eco Phuket dive reef cleanup project this Sunday, which is on target to set a new world record for the number of people taking part in a single underwater cleanup operation, say the event will go ahead. “There is no chance we are canceling,” Tony Andrews, Thailand’s West Coast PADI Regional Manager and Go Eco…
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June warms up Phuket FC for September showdown with Sri Racha
PHUKET: The Islander’s newly appointed head coach, Anuruck “June” Srikerd got his first chance to see his new side in action during a friendly match against a mixed Southern B-side last night. Played on Thanyapura Sports & Leisure Club’s artificial-grass pitch, the friendly proved to be a much needed confidence boost for Phuket, who scored 5 unanswered goals against their…
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Rain causes Patong Hill road landslide – again
PHUKET: The section of road on Patong Hill that was washed away by heavy rain last year has suffered another landslide, in the same place, after days of heavy rain soaking Phuket this week. The section of road, just west of the Chinese shrine at the top of the hill, first collapsed during heavy rains last October, then again in…
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It would be a challenging task for Thailand…
“It would be a challenging task for Thailand. It may not be easy for Thailand to host a race. There may be several problems to solve before Thailand hosts a race such as noise pollution,” PHUKET: Suwat Sidthilaw, permanent secretary to the Tourism and Sports Ministry talks about the possibility of Bangkok hosting a night time Formula One race in…
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Thai Navy in Phuket does it “Gangnam Style’
PHUKET: Thai Sailors at the Navy Third Area Command, based at Cape Panwa on Phuket’s east coast, have broken their stoic mold and posted a video on YouTube showing that they can have fun too, by dancing in the now-globally infectious Korean “Gangnam Style”. Click here to see the video. “The video was created for the farewell party last night…
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Waves continue to sweep injured turtles onto Phuket
PHUKET: Officers at the Phuket Marine Biological Center (PMBC) recovered a juvenile Olive Ridley sea turtle suffering from lacerations, and its front left flipper amputated entirely, from Mai Khao Beach yesterday. “We received a report from The Mai Khao Marine Turtle Foundation that the turtle had washed ashore in front of Renaissance Phuket Resort & Spa – Marriott at Mai…
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Missing Phuket student, 17, found drowned
PHUKET: Rescue workers have recovered the body of the missing 17-year-old student who was swept away by strong waves when he entered the surf while with friends at Nai Yang Beach on Tuesday.Nithipol Lorlaem’s body was found this morning, about 500 meters from the police box near the beach, where he was last seen in the strong surf.“Six lifeguards, Mr…
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Travel Malaysia Consumer Fair starts tomorrow
PHUKET: Starting tomorrow the Tourism Malaysia Phuket Office for Southern Thailand, will once again be staging the Travel Malaysia Consumer Fair at Central Festival Phuket. This will be the second series of road shows and consumer fairs held in selected areas in Southern Thailand, includ ing Trang, Koh Samui and now Phuket. Selected outbound tour operators in Phuket will be…
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Roads reopen as floods recede, but residents still on high alert
PHUKET: Police today reopened roads in Phuket’s busiest tourist town of Patong after heavy rain there yesterday delivered floodwaters reaching depths of up to a meter deep, cutting off roads and access throughout the resort town. The worst affected area was Phang Muang Sai Kor Road in front of the Patong Hospital. Thaweewong Road, including near Loma Park on the…
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Health officials call for a ‘safer’ Phuket Vegetarian Festival
PHUKET: With 70 people injured and one person dying from complications brought on by smoke inhalation during the Vegetarian Festival last year, the Phuket Health Office is calling for more stringent measures to protect celebrants from harm this year. Phuket Provincial Health Office (PPHO) chief Dr Sak Tanchaikul called the heads of Chinese shrines taking part in the this year’s…
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Phuket Vice Governor to take the big chair on October 1
PHUKET: Phuket Vice Governor Sommai Prijasilpa will take on the responsibility of Acting Governor from October 1 following the Thai Cabinet failing to name a successor to Tri Augkardacha, who will retire this Sunday, September 30.The news follows a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday not including the annual reshuffle of provincial governors on its agenda as Deputy Prime Minister Yongyuth Wichaidit…
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Patong police defer action in Tiger Disco investigation
PHUKET: Police yesterday declined to commit to pressing any charges against the operators of the Tiger Discotheque over the fire that destroyed the venue and killed four people, including two tourists in Phuket’s main tourism town, Patong. Provincial Police Commander Chonasit Wattanavrangkul chaired a meeting with Patong Police to review the forensics report into the cause of the fire and…
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Update: Jellyfish attack not anywhere near Phuket
PHUKET: Following the confusing report by the Daily Mail of a British mum on holiday suffering severe injuries in a jellyfish attack “somewhere near Phuket”, the Phuket Gazette has since discovered that the woman was first treated at a hospital near Hua Hin, on the Gulf of Thailand, about 600 kilometers away from Phuket. Contrary to our earlier report, Bangkok…
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Weather warning issued as rain soaks Phuket traffic
PHUKET: Heavy rain across Phuket this morning has caused minor flooding in some areas and severely hampered traffic flow during the morning rush hour.The Phuket Gazette has received reports of minor flooding in Phuket Town, as well as some parts of Chalong and Patong.The news comes as the Thai Meteorological Department (MD) at 5am today issued its eighth consecutive “heavy…
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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