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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Patong Bay “cleaner’ after tsunami
PATONG: When people noticed that, right after the tsunami, the water in Patong Bay seemed to be the clearest it had been in years, they were not imagining things.Levels of harmful bacteria in the bay were reduced to nearly zero right after the tsunami, researchers from the Pollution Control Department (PCD) learned when sampling the water on January 20.The announcement…
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Roads claim 11 lives in June
PHUKET: Official figures obtained from Wachira, Thalang and Patong hospitals, as well as Phuket International and Ruampaet private hospitals show that 11 people died in motorcycle accidents on Phuket’s roads during June.In addition, one person was killed in a car accident.The hospital records also show that, during June, 1,134 people were injured in road accidents. Of these, 1,056 were on…
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“Hilal Town’ attracts big crowds
KAMALA: Thousands attended the grand opening of the “Halal Food Hilal Town” Muslim festival at Kamala Beach last night.Organized by the Phuket Provincial Administration Organization and the Tourism Authority of Thailand, the event is scheduled to run until Monday (August 1).Privy Councilor Gen Surayud Chulanont declared the festival open in a ceremony followed by the presentation of a play about…
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Gov under siege from limo drivers
PHUKET CITY: Some 100 furious limousine drivers today blocked Phuket Governor Udomsak Uswarangkura’s car, preventing the Governor from leaving Provincial Hall for lunch.The drivers arrived at Provincial Hall at 7:30 this morning, angered by a report in the local newspaper Siang Tai, in which the Governor was quoted as threatening to use the army to bring order to the increasingly…
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La Samudra takes the lead
PHUKET: Scott Duncanson and the crew aboard Securicor Som Tam Express were first across the finish line again today in both races on the second day of the Evason Phuket Race Week – but not by a large enough margin to repeat yesterday’s outright win.On corrected time, Som Tam was overtaken in Race 2 in the IRC 1 class by…
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Man found murdered in Pa Khlok
PA KHLOK: A Thai man was found battered and dead this morning on the shore near Bangpae Seafood restaurant. Pol Maj Chamroon Plaiduang, inspector of Thalang Police Station, told the Gazette that the discovery of the body by local people was reported at about 8 am. An ID card found on the corpse identified him as Prasit Laowongsa, aged 27,…
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Sinking brings drama to Race Week
PHUKET: Westerly winds of eight knots provided exciting sailing on the first dayof the 2005 Evason Phuket Race Week, producing some thrills and spills among the fleet of 29 boats competing – and even a sinking.Ava, in the IRC 2 Class, was trying to get out of dirty air from La Samudra when she hit a rock, holing the hull…
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Nightclub clampdown resumes
PHUKET CITY: The province is resuming its late-night inspection tours of entertainment venues and will order 30-day closures for any nightclubs that fail to comply with the government’s Better Social Order Policy, Governor Udomsak Uswarangkura announced yesterday at the weekly Governor’s meeting.Since the beginning of June, nine venues on the island have been shut down for 30 days for staying…
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Missing Italian found dead
PHUKET: The body of an Italian tourist who disappeared while snorkeling at Laem Ka Yai on Friday was found the following day on the beach at Khao Khad.Pol Lt Thivakorn Kongpeth of Phuket City Police Station told the Gazette that Gianluigi Peria had been staying at Ya Nui Resort in Chalong with his companion, Silvia Rota.When he failed to return…
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Tsunami alarm “a success’
PHUKET: A tsunami warning has been declared a “90% success” after the alert went out late last night from the National Disaster Warning Center (NDWC).The alert, urging evacuation of the Andaman coast, came after an earthquake measuring 7.3 on the Richter scale struck the Nicobar Islands, only 664 kilometers from Phuket.At 11 pm, Plodprasop Suraswadi, Director of the NDWC in…
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Phuket flight services picking up
PHUKET: In moves that appear to signal a revival of tourist confidence in Phuket, several airlines have begun boosting their regional services to Phuket or have announced plans to do so soon.Orient Thai resumed its daily Phuket-Hong Kong-Phuket service on July 15, and has announced that it will operate chartered flights between Phuket and the South Korean cities of Inchon…
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Premier League workshop a success
PHUKET CITY: A soccer workshop hosted by players and managers from English Premier League teams Bolton Wanderers, Everton and Manchester City at Surukal Stadium today attracted about 50 youngsters keen to have a kickabout with their idols.Unfortunately, word had spread about the initial cancellation of the workshop, with the result that number fell far short of the 400 expected to…
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Ya bah arrests “on the increase’
PHUKET CITY: The number of arrests for possession or use of ya bah (methamphetamine) has doubled since April, the Gazette has learned. Pol Capt Aikanit Danpitaksart of the Phuket City Police told the Gazette that he believes the number of people using the drug is increasing, despite Thailand being in the third phase of the government’s “war on drugs”.He said…
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Wat Kamala “beautifully blitzed’
KAMALA: True to their promise, the folks from the popular Australian TV gardening design program Backyard Blitz, have completed their 48-hour makeover of the gardens at Wat Kamala, which were washed away by the tsunami.The program, which airs on Australian TV Channel 9, specializes in renovating people’s gardens along themed lines, and doing it in record time. This is the…
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Premiership teams head for Phuket
PHUKET: First they were coming, then there was not enough money and they were not coming. But now they will definitely be here tomorrow – representatives of the English Premier League teams Everton, Bolton Wanderers and Manchester City.The three teams will host a one-day kid’s soccer camp at Surakul Stadium, from 10 am to 5:30 pm, open to all-comers.Eam Thavornvongwongse, President…
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Rains to continue
PHUKET: The island can expect one or two more days of occasional heavy rain due to “rather strong” monsoonal conditions along Thailand’s entire Andaman coast, government weathermen have predicted.According to a forecast issued at 11 am this morning, about 80% of the southwest coast will experience thundershowers over the 24-hour period starting at noon today, with heavy rainfall in some…
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Phuket to host first 80-80 international rugby tournament
PHUKET: Dr Marut Muangkeo, President of the Thai Rugby Union (TRU), has announced that the world’s first international 80-80 rugby tournament, in which all players each must not weigh more than 85 kilograms, will be held in Phuket from August 6 to 14.Apart from the weight restriction, 80-80 rugby is full 15-a-side contact rugby played under the existing International Rugby…
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Hotel occupancy rates rise 15pc
PHUKET: Hotel occupancy rates on the island for July are expected to be up 15% when compared with June, thanks mainly to Tourism Authority of Thailand marketing, Pattanapong Aikwanich, President of the Phuket Tourist Association, predicted today. “There have been many Thai groups who bought the ‘Beach basking, bargain shopping’ packages, as well as tourists from Australia, the Middle East,…
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Wat Kamala to be “blitzed’
KAMALA: Popular Australian TV gardening program Backyard Blitz is to spring a Buddhist Lent surprise on tsunami-hit Wat Kamala – in the shape of a newly-landscaped garden.The program specializes in renovating viewers’ gardens along themed lines and is a popular Sunday evening show. This is the first time an episode has been recorded overseas. Jacq Brophy, Head of Production, told…
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Gazette appointed agent for major magazines
PHUKET: The Phuket Gazette Co Ltd has been awarded the local agency appointment for a number of major international publications which have expressed interest in expanding their business here. Readers wishing to subscribe to Business Week, Business Traveller, Time, Forbes, Fortune, or Reader’s Digest (English and Chinese editions) are invited to contact the Gazette to make the necessary arrangements. The magazines will be delivered by…
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Police appeal for new wheels
PHUKET CITY: Phuket City Police Superintendent Col Paween Pongsirin is appealing for public donations to help buy badly-needed police vehicles for his cash-strapped department. Col Paween told the Gazette last week that although cars and motorcycles are essential for police work, seven of the department’s 14 squad cars are no longer roadworthy or are currently being repaired. He added that…
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December quake moved Phuket 27cm
LONDON: Scientists say that Phuket moved 27 centimeters to the southwest when the massive tsunami-generating quake erupted near Sumatra on December 26 last year, and moved a further 7cm in the 50 days following the quake.Writing in the latest issue of the respected Nature magazine, published yesterday, scientists say that the quake ripped a gash in the Earth’s crust more…
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Scottish girl, 15, dies in crash
PATONG: A 15-year-old Scottish schoolgirl, Alexandra Stark, died early yesterday morning when the motorcycle on which she was riding pillion was hit by another bike.Pol Maj Sophol Borrirak, of Kathu Police Station, said that the accident happened at about 2 am at Tanut Corner on Nanai Rd. Miss Stark was riding behind the family babysitter, Tientong Kanson, when they were…
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Tsunami alarm system online in August
PHUKET: The island’s tsunami warning system will be linked in August via satellite to the Nonthaburi-based National Disaster Warning Center (NDWC).Patong, which has been chosen for the pilot project of the NDWC’s tsunami warning system for the entire Andaman coast, is home to three NDWC warning towers and there are plans to increase the number of towers to cover 24…
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Businesswoman gunned down in Patong
PATONG: A 27-year-old woman from Udon Thani, Nilasnuch Tongnun, was shot dead by hitmen on Friday evening while chatting with her uncle and neighbors at Ericsson Guest House on Nanai Rd.Pol Lt Col Boonlert Onklang, of Kathu Police Station, said, “She was shot four times: once in the chest, once in the left shoulder and twice in the back.”Col Boonlert…
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Rice praises Thai tsunami recovery
CHERNG TALAY: US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice yesterday praised Thailand, which she described as “a close ally of the United States”, on its recovery from the tsunami.Dr Rice made her comments following a meeting with Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and other ministers at the Sheraton Grande Laguna Phuket.At the press conference, she called on Thailand and other Southeast Asian…
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Fortune magazine hails Phuket as “Paradise found’
PHUKET: The island has been named by one of the world’s top business magazines, Fortune, among the top five “idyllic places … where you can still live like a king on what you’ve saved”.For a feature in Issue 1, Volume 25, titled “Paradise found: where to retire abroad”, the magazine chose Phuket – along with San Carlos de Bariloche in…
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Early rise in minimum wage expected
PHUKET CITY: Phuket’s current minimum wage of 173 baht a day could increase earlier than usual to offset inflation and the rising price of gas.At a seminar on wages organized by the Ministry of Labour on July 8 and 9, Charupong Ruangsuwan, the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, said that employees have been requesting that the minimum wage be raised earlier in the…
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ADB earmarks US$1.7m for tsunami aid plan
MANILA: The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has set aside US$1.7 million (about 75 million baht) for Thailand, to help Bangkok develop long-term solutions for tsunami-affected areas, especially Krabi, Phang Nga, and Phuket, an ADB report announced on July 7. The funds will come from the Asian Tsunami Fund, which was set up by the ADB in February 2005 with an…
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Two slain at upmarket development
PHUKET: An army sergeant and a security guard were murdered on Wednesday night (July 6) at the upmarket Phuket Pavilions project in Cherng Talay.Pol Lt Col Siriwat In-yim of Cherng Talay Police Station told the Gazette that the victims were found the following morning under one of the villas at The Pavilions.They were identified as Royal Thai Army Sgt Buntoon…
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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