Phuket News
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Phuket nightlife venues to push ministry for 4am close
PHUKET: Patong nightlife operators will send a letter to the Ministry of Interior asking for opening times in the party town to be extended to 4am, revealed Weerawit Kurasombat, head of the Patong Entertainment Business Association. The announcement comes after a meeting yesterday that reiterated the rules and regulations of the current ‘nightlife zone management plan’ for Patong. “We talked…
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National Police Chief tempers rumors about bomb suspects’ whereabouts
PHUKET: National Police Chief Gen Somyos Pumpanmuang today asked that the public cease publishing unfounded speculations about where the Bangkok bomb suspects might possibly be hiding. “There are a lot of rumors spreading about where the suspects might be. We have increased security at all borders and exit points in the country, including Phuket. However, there is nothing to be…
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Power to the guards
PHUKET: Following an effort to stomp out life-threatening recklessness on Phuket’s beaches, lifeguards and Karon Police have joined forces to help prevent beachgoers from entering dangerous waters. With the new initiative, lifeguards will now inform police officers of any unruly or disobedient swimmers or visitors. “If lifeguards can’t stop tourists from swimming, we are ready for them. We can be…
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Rescue helicopter to join Region 8 Headquarters in Phuket
PHUKET: A Royal Thai Police rescue helicopter will be stationed on Phuket to help boost tourists’ confidence in their safety while visiting Phuket, Phang Nga and Krabi, it was announced at the grand opening of the Region 8 Headquarters this morning. “With the Region 8 Headquarters now based in Phuket, residents and tourists can be confident in their safety, as…
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Thailand’s first Thai, female marina manager takes reins at RPM
PHUKET: Royal Phuket Marina confirmed the appointment of Thailand’s first Thai, female marina manager, Woranart Wongvanich. Ms Woranart has worked in Thailand’s marine industry for more than 20 years, more than 10 of those at Royal Phuket Marina, where she has worked her way through the ranks to her current management position. “Joining Royal Phuket Marina at the beginning, I…
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Phuket light rail modifications announced
PHUKET: A number of adjustments to the greatly-anticipated Phuket light rail project, including the scheming in of a flyover station at the airport, was announced by officials from the Office of Transport and Traffic Policy and Planning (OTP) during site inspections this morning. The changes include modifications of the light rail route from Phuket International Airport to Phuket Town due…
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Local buses move to safeguard business
PHUKET: A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Chinese tour businesses and local bus companies is underway in order to decrease the number of outsourced buses used on Phuket, confirmed Santi Pawai, the Phuket office director for the Ministry of Tourism and Sports. Local bus companies pushed for the MoU due to the alleged negative impact the outsourced buses have had…
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Navy levels illegal rubber, oil palm plantations
PHUKET: Chainsaws were roaring in Phuket as the Royal Thai Navy led an about 300-person task force in removing illegal rubber and oil palm trees from more than 82 rai of public land yesterday. “Officers filed a complaint about the illegal plantations in Suan Pa Bang Kanun in March. However, no owner has stepped forward to account for the trees…
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Australian Boarding and Day School Fair to be held at RPM
PHUKET: More than one million baht worth of scholarships, study trials and fee reductions are being offered by various schools at the CETA Worldwide Education’s inaugural Australian Boarding and Day School Fair on October 4 from 1pm to 5pm at the Royal Phuket Marina. The exhibition is organized in conjunction with the Australian Education Assessment Services and supported by the…
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British national found dead in Chalong condo
PHUKET: A British national was found dead in his Chalong condo on Tuesday after the housekeeper alerted the owner to a foul smell coming from the hallway. Stephen Prespon, 53, was found lying face down behind the sofa after the owner used a spare key to enter the room. Chalong police believe that Mr Prespon had been dead for five…
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Seized toothfish ship flees Phuket with illegal cargo
PHUKET: An illegal, unreported, unregulated (IUU) toothfishing vessel that was seized in Phuket in March slipped through officials fingers this week. “The ship is gone,” said Charoen Chamniklang, the Thai Customs Investigation and Suppression Bureau (ISB) team leader. “It just disappeared in the blink of an eye.” The Royal Thai Navy held an emergency meeting yesterday to determine what action…
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Storm-sunk ship salvaged for dive site
PHUKET: A large section of the Cambodian-flagged cargo vessel that sank near Coral Island has been moved to Koh Racha Yai in the government’s effort to support the scuba diving industry in Phuket and Krabi. The piece of Sinaran Andaman was placed on sand at a depth of about 30 meters, far from where it could impact coral reefs in…
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Thailand visa fees hiked in Malaysia
PHUKET: The Royal Thai embassy in Kuala Lumpur, as well as consulates in Penang and Kota Bharu, raised visa fees starting on September 1. The move follows the weakening exchange rate of the Malaysian ringgit (MYR). According to the Royal Thai Embassy letter signed in July, fees for all types of visas have been increased as follows: Transit visa, single…
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Brazilian Tour Operators Association meets Phuket
PHUKET: Members of the Brazilian Tour Operators Association (Braztoa), as well as members of the Brazilian media, visited Phuket this past weekend as part of a ‘Discover Thainess’ familiarization trip organized by the TAT’s LA office. The Brazilian tour operators had already discovered Bangkok and were on their way to discovering Chiang Mai, but took some time out to discover…
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BISP student wins Malaysia’s first Commonwealth gold
PHUKET: Year 12 British International School Phuket (BISP) student Wong FuKang became the first Malaysian to ever win a gold medal at the Commonwealth Youth Games, currently being held in the Pacific nation of Samoa. On September 8, as he raced to beat some tough competition from England and South Africa in the Men’s 100m Breaststroke, Wong led from start…
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Phuket Governor transferred, beach chairs left adrift
PHUKET: The Ministry of Interior has transferred Phuket Governor Nisit Jansomwong to Nonthaburi, effective next month. As is standard, the transfer comes at the beginning of a new fiscal year for the government. “I will make no further changes to the current situation with regards to beach management,” Governor Nisit told the Phuket Gazette today. The lack of a firm,…
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Student shot at Phuket school
PHUKET: A 12-year-old boy is safe after getting shot in the leg at school yesterday evening. ‘Daeng’, a P6 student at Baan Manik School, and his friends were about to go home for the day when he felt something hit his leg. “I felt pain and looked down and saw that I was bleeding. My friends called the teachers over…
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Thalang Police hunt temple thief
PHUKET: Police are hunting a man who was caught on CCTV stealing more than 10,000 baht worth of property from Srisoonthorn Temple on Saturday. Thalang Police were notified of the incident at about 2:30pm after the temple’s Supervisor of Cultural Tourism, Somchai Saethan, discovered that his office had been broken into while he was attending morning meditation. “The suspect used…
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Phuket underpass construction site gobbles up taxi
PHUKET: A Phuket International Airport taxi driver took his car for a swim after ignoring warning signs and plunging his vehicle into a large hole at the Samkong Underpass construction site on Saturday night. “Cars are only allowed to make left-hand turns onto the bypass road as they approach from Kathu. Despite the lights, signs and traffic control personnel, the…
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Prosecutor might not charge mayor for billion-baht beach scandal, taxi mafia
PHUKET: Prosecutors have yet to decided if evidence provided by police against the mayor of Karon is strong enough for them to press charges for his alleged involvement in a billion-baht-beach scheme and the ‘taxi mafia’. Karon Mayor Thawee Thongcham, who has ruled the popular beach area of Kata-Karon for more than a decade, was arrested on June 4, 2014…
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Draft charter rejection meaningless to Phuket tourism, says official
PHUKET: The rejection of the draft charter voted on by the National Reform Council (NRC) will not have any impact on the tourism industry in Phuket, confirmed Phuket Tourism Association (PTA) Vice President Bhuritt Maswongssa. “Tourists simply don’t care about Thai politics,” Mr Bhuritt said. A majority of the NRC – 135 members – voted against the draft, compared to…
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A Decade Ago: Buses zoom around, as do katoeys
PHUKET: When was public transport not an issue on the island? It seems to sneak into headlines week in and week out with the occasional big splash when authorities attempt to launch a new initiative. This week, it’s the 50-baht Phuket Town to Patong van service – which deserves the butts and bahts of those going from the island’s cultural…
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Airport extension to finish on time
PHUKET: The Phuket Airport Authority has confirmed that the 5.7-billion-baht expansion of the international terminal will be completed by its February 14, 2016 deadline, as promised. “The latest update from the contractor states that the building is almost 80 per cent finished and that construction is flowing steadily as the rainy season clears up,” said Amnuay Sarachart, executive vice president…
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Phuket drug fugitive nabbed in Songkhla
PHUKET: A fugitive wanted for possession of more than 5 million baht’s worth of drugs and related assets was arrested in Songkhla on Thursday. Anuwat ‘Obie’ Thongtan, 31, escaped from his Phuket home last month just before police arrived (story here). “On August 5, the Phuket Provincial Police went to search Mr Anuwat’s house at Si Suchat Grand View 5…
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Asian Weightlifting Championships start tomorrow
PHUKET: Due to the devastating earthquake in Nepal, the 26th Senior Women’s and 45th Senior Men’s Asian Weightlifting Championships are now taking place in Phuket starting tomorrow. Between September 6 and 11, almost 400 athletes from 38 countries will be flexing their muscles as they battle against gravity at Saphan Hin’s 4,000-seat Indoor Sports Complex. The event’s opening ceremony, chaired…
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Phuket Yacht Show dates confirmed
PHUKET: Dates for the first edition of the Phuket Yacht Show, now known as the Thailand Yacht Show, have finally been confirmed by organizers Singapore Yacht Events Pte Ltd (SYE) following a partnership agreement signed recently with the Marine Department of Thailand’s Ministry of Transport. The event is destined to become the focal point of the luxury charter yacht business…
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Vegetarian Festival dates announced
PHUKET: Governor Nisit Jansomwong has announced the dates for this year’s Vegetarian Festival with the new addition of a parade in honor of HM King Bhumibol Adulyadej. The nine-day festival is slated to take place from October 13 to 21. “The parade to honor HM the King will take place on Wednesday, October 14 at Chai Field. There will also…
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Phuket shark bite confirmed
PHUKET: The animal that bit a pregnant Australian at Karon Beach on Tuesday is a shark, confirmed shark expert David Martin, who has more than 25 years of experience filming sharks for BBC, the National Geographic and a number of other publications. “In this kind of case, it is very important to look at all the facts before making any…
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Bargains galore at Boat Arcade Garage Sale this weekend
PHUKET: Bargain hunters can rummage through a treasure trove of used and second-hand items at the first East Meets West Weekend Garage Sale to be held at the new Boat Arcade community mall this weekend from 10:00am to 4:00pm. About 100 stalls will be popping up to offer everything from household items and furniture to boat parts, books, toys and,…
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Frenchman busted for passing counterfeit euros
PHUKET: A French national was arrested while attempting to exchange a counterfeit 100 euro banknote on Soi Bangla yesterday. Rene Louis Regrault, 59, was apprehended by Tourist Police after the bill he went to exchange at the Shino Money Exchange counter was flagged by an employee. “After confirming that the banknote was fake, we accompanied Mr Regrault back to his…
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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