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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Sponsored How to reduce out-of-pocket medical expenses in Thailand?
Managing medical expenses in Thailand is important as healthcare costs continue to rise. The country’s healthcare system includes both public and private options, but even with the Universal Coverage Scheme (UCS) for citizens, many still face high out-of-pocket medical expenses....
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Phuket’s Young throttles up for GP3
PHUKET: Prospects of Phuket-based Dylan Young reaching Formula 1 accelerated with news of an offer for the 22-year old to drive in the 2012 GP3 Series. Potential savior of Young’s career ambitions is the Marussia Manor team, junior squad of the Marussia Virgin Formula 1 team, who have handed Young a lifeline which could also see the Australian achieve a…
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Phuket Sports: Phang Nga Bay regatta beckons
PHUKET: Phang Nga Bay’s dramatic scenery will provide the spectacular setting for The 2012 Bay Regatta which is scheduled to run from February 1 to 5. Limestone karsts, cliffs, sandy beaches and tropical vegetation offer a superlative visual tour for sailors as well as natural objects to navigate around, but it is the parties and companionship and the down-to-earth nature…
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Phuket celebrates National Teachers Day
PHUKET: Commuters who experienced an unexpected lull in the Phuket traffic chaos this morning can thank the fact that government schools across the island are closed for National Teachers Day today. National Teachers Day falls on January 16 every year and is a day off for all teachers as well as their pupils. It is not to be confused with…
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Phuket Roads: Swiss man, 56, killed in Phuket motorbike crash
PHUKET: In our third story on Phuket road carnage today, a Swiss man was killed instantly when his motorcycle was hit by a passenger car on Thepkrasattri Road in Thalang early this afternoon. According to Phuket Kusoldharm Foundation rescue workers at the scene, the Swiss man was traveling southbound on Thepkrasattri Road when he was hit full force by a…
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Phuket reacts to Bangkok terror warnings
PHUKET: Phuket Governor Tri Augkaradacha has asked police to step up security at hotels with foreign guests throughout the island in the wake of the US embassy’s issuance of a terror warning to American citizens on Friday. The British embassy in Bangkok followed on Saturday by stepping up its terror warning for certain areas in Thailand. “Phuket has thankfully not…
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Phuket Roads: Napping driver crushed by 18-wheeler
PHUKET: A truck driver taking a nap beneath his 18-wheeler was run over and killed when the rig’s brake system failed at a hillside construction site in Phuket yesterday. Kamala Police identified the deceased as 31-year-old Boonruam Lekyai, a resident of Thonburi district, Bangkok. At about 12:30pm Kamala Police and rescue workers from the Kamala Ruam Katanyu Foundation were called…
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Phuket Roads: Another biker critically injured in hit-and-run
PHUKET: Phuket Police are seeking the driver of a white sedan involved in a hit-and-run accident that left a motorbike driver critically injured on Thepkrasattri Rd in Thalang last night. The accident happened at about 9:30pm on Thepkrasattri Rd southbound, opposite the new PTT service station in Srisoonthorn Village 1. Thalang Police and Kusoldharm Foundation workers rushed to the scene…
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Gov calls for gun security after man shot dead in Kalim
PHUKET: Phuket Governor Tri Augkaradacha has called for police to boost gun security after a man was gunned down while riding home along the Kalim beach road last night. Jakkrit Nutad, 45, from Nakhon Sri Thammarat, was riding home when two men following him pulled alongside and opened fire at about 9pm, said Patong Police Superintendent Col Arayapan Pukbuakao. “Both…
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Chinese New Year to bring B900mn boost to Phuket
PHUKET: The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Phuket office expects Phuket to rake in up to 900 million baht during the upcoming Chinese New Year festivities. The annual event, this year welcoming in the Year of the Dragon, is to be celebrated in Phuket from January 23-25. “The TAT expects 60,000 tourists, to arrive in Phuket to celebrate Chinese New…
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Ae Inside’ murder: Phuket reporters call for PM Yingluck to appoint chief investigator
PHUKET: The President of the Phuket Reporters Club, on January 11, filed a formal request for Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra to personally appoint the chief police officer who will lead the investigation into the murder of Wisut “Ae Inside” Tangwitthayaporn. Mr Wisut was shot dead in peak hour traffic on Thursday morning while driving to Phuket Provincial Hall in Phuket…
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Phuket Sports: Chelsea favorite for FA Cup
PHUKET: Chelsea have been made favorites by bookmakers to secure their seventh FA Cup title following their victory over Portsmouth. The scoreline flattered the Blues who struggled in a dour first half to breakdown determined defensive play by the visitors. Just after the break however, Juan Mata received a low cross from Florent Malouda and swept the ball past Stephen…
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Phuket police ordered to “hunt down’ “Ae Inside’ killers
PHUKET: Regional Provincial Police commanders have ordered Phuket police to “hunt down” the men who gunned down reporter Wisut “Ae Inside” Tangwitthayaporn in broad daylight yesterday. The deputy commander of Police Region 8 arrived in Phuket to personally handle the investigation into the assassination of reporter Mr Wisut yesterday morning. Police Region 8 Deputy Commander Maj Gen Pisan Chuldilok held…
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Great day to be a kid in Phuket
PHUKET: National Children’s Day will be celebrated across Thailand tomorrow and there are many fun activities planned all over Phuket for children to enjoy and learn from. Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra has dedicated the slogan “Unity, Knowledge, Wisdom, Preserving Thai Identity, and Learning Technology” as the theme for this year’s Children’s Day. Here in Phuket, many organizations will get into…
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Phuket Police investigate electrician beaten, strangled
PHUKET: Phuket Police are investigating the apparent strangling murder of an electrician whose decomposing body was discovered in his rented room this morning. Thalang Police at 8am were informed by a landlord of a foul odor emanating from one of his rental homes opposite the TOT offices on Dom Chom Tao Road (Route 4030). At the scene, one unit in…
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FC Phuket names Suphat “James’ as player-coach for season closer
PHUKET: FC PHUKET have named defender Suphat “James” Aonthong as player-coach for their last Division 1 league match on Saturday, an away fixture against Chainat FC. Traveling by road, the team left Phuket yesterday at 4pm and arrived in Chainat at 6am today and are scheduled for a 5pm training session at Khao Plong Stadium. Without a dedicated coach to…
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UPDATE: Phuket Police suspect land issues in murder of local journalist
PHUKET: Police suspect reporting on illegal issuance of titles for prime Phuket land as a possible motive for the assassination of Wisut “Ae Inside” Tangwitthayaporn in broad daylight during rush hour on a major Phuket thoroughfare today. The news was announced at a meeting of some of Phuket’s top police officers this morning. “We held the meeting to discuss how…
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Czech beauties arrive in Phuket
PHUKET: The final 14 candidates for the Miss Czech Republic Beauty Pageant 2012 landed in Phuket yesterday ahead of a weekend of public activities and photo shoots. On clearing Customs, the 14 “beauties” were given flowers and welcomed to Phuket by Wannaprapa Suksomboon, deputy director of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) office in Phuket, and Phuket International Airport Director…
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Phuket Police step up staff drug testing at late night venues
PHUKET: Phuket City Police yesterday drug tested 47 staff, including the general manager, at the Sure Garden restaurant in Phuket Town. The mass drug testing comes amid the ongoing furore over the axe attack on Vorasit “Pla-wan” Issara, the general manager at the Sri panwa resort and son of Thai construction magnate Songkran Issara. Mr Vorasit suffered many serious wounds…
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Phuket newsman killed in gun attack
PHUKET: A Phuket newsman was shot dead by a man riding pillion on a motorbike this morning. Wisut “Ae Inside” Tangwitthayaporn, 40, was driving with his wife to Provincial Hall in Phuket Town when the ambush was sprung. He had just pulled out of the entrance of Srisuchart Grandview onto Thepkrasattri Road and was intending to make a U-turn on…
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Phuket Police armed standoff ends on a high
PHUKET: A two-hour standoff between Phuket police and an armed man ended without bloodshed last night after officers finally persuaded him to stand down. Police arrived at a home along a soi opposite Chalong Temple at about 6pm after Sawai Thongyod called them, saying her 26-year-old son was armed, acting dangerously and she feared for her safety. Her son, Sukan…
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Phuket safe and sound after tsunami scare
PHUKET: The National Disaster Warning Center (NDWC), at 3am this morning, canceled the tsunami alert (not ‘warning’) that had been put in place as a result of an undersea earthquake off the west coast of Sumatra at 12:37am. Director Somsak Khaosuwan told the Phuket Gazette this morning, “The warning was canceled at about 3am as the predicted time for a…
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Phuket Red Cross Fair winner hands prize to his wife
PHUKET: The lucky man who won the grand prize of the Phuket Red Cross Fair lucky draw, a brand-new Honda City car worth 590,000 baht, today gave the vehicle to his wife for her 57th birthday. Phuket Governor Tri Augkaradacha handed the keys to 58-year-old Prasut Ruengjiradthien yesterday. Mr Prasut is a Level 9 officer at the Phuket Provincial Electricity…
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One dead, four injured in latest Phuket horror crash
PHUKET: A fatal motorbike accident in Phuket last night was compounded when a car that slowed to survey the carnage was hit from behind and launched into a crowd of onlookers. A pregnant woman was killed and four others were injured, one critically. Thalang Police were notified at 6:45pm of an accident involving two motorbikes on Srisoonthorn Road (Route 4027),…
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Phuket petrol prices take a jump
PHUKET: The Phuket Gazette has confirmed with PTT gas stations in Phuket that the price rises on petrol and gasohol will be in effect on the island from 5am tomorrow. The prices of all benzine petrol and most forms of gasohol will increase by 40 satang (0.4 baht) per liter. The E85 form of “Gasohol 95” will increase by 20…
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Phuket Prison ‘kingpin’ suspected in huge meth bust
PHUKET: Police have arrested three members of a major methamphetamine trafficking ring operating throughout Phuket that is allegedly masterminded by a ‘kingpin’ resident behind the walls of Phuket Provincial Prison, officials said today. Seized as evidence in the case was the biggest drug haul in Phuket in recent memory: 20,200 ya bah (methamphetamine) pills and 718 grams of ya ice…
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Phuket student killed as motorbike and truck collide
PHUKET: A student from Phuket Technical College is dead and one of his classmates is injured after the motorbike they were riding on collided with a six-wheeled truck this morning. Capt Somchai Nuboon of Phuket City Police rushed to the accident scene, near the Rassada Municipality offices on Rassadanusorn Road, after receiving a report at 8:20am. Already at the scene…
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Phuket Live Wire: Recovering after New Year
PHUKET: Continuing my series where I try to answer the computer questions I hear most frequently here in Phuket, this week I’ll tackle a question I hear over and over again around Christmas and New Year: “How do I recover photos or video I’ve deleted?” People tend to take a lot of pictures around the end of the year, and…
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Seventh arrest made over Phuket “Pla-wan’ stabbing
PHUKET: Phuket Police have arrested another suspect in connection with the assault of Sri panwa resort general manager Vorasit ‘Pla-wan’ Issara and an arrest warrant has been issued for an eighth suspect in the case. Phuket Provincial Police Commander Chonasit Wattanavrangku yesterday updated the media about progress in the investigation, which must be concluded and forwarded to the court within…
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Former Phuket-based home vendors wanted by Aussie authorities
PHUKET: Australian authorities are investigating the ongoing practices of a Gold Coast man who allegedly fled to Phuket in 2010 and set up an office so he could continue to sell “kit homes” in Australia. The news comes after Nick Nichols, business editor at the news website GoldCoast.com.au, posted a story today highlighting the recent launch of US-based business Nair…
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Truck driver charged over Phuket horror crash
PHUKET: The driver of the truck involved in the horrific road accident that claimed the life of an Indonesian woman and her unborn son in Patong yesterday has been charged, police told the Phuket Gazette today. Lt Col Chaowalit Neamwadee of Patong Police told the Gazette that truck driver Aroon Bunnaburi was held at Patong Police Station overnight and released…
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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