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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Windmills planned for Phuket
PHUKET: The Energy Ministry is moving forward with plans to build more wind turbines in Phuket. Mr Wichai Limsawad, head of the Renewable Energy Department’s wind power section, told the Gazette that Laem Phromthep is a good spot to erect more windmills. “We have collected wind energy data at the Phromthep Alternative Energy Station windmill since 1983. The turbine there…
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Blackout in Thalang
THALANG: The Thalang office of the Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA) has announced power cuts to carry out maintenance on high voltage wires from 9am to 5pm on Saturday. Affected areas are along the west side of Thepkrasattri Road, from the offices of the Kata Thai Company (near the old Siam City Cement plant) all the way to the Muang Thalang…
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Crucial Phuket road deteriorating
PHUKET: The state of the Patong-Karon road has gotten worse over the years and accidents are now an everyday occurrence, local residents say.The name of the winding road, dubbed Route 4233, changes from Sirirat Road on the Patong side to Patak Road after passing into tambon Karon near Le Meridien Phuket Beach Resort.Three sections are particularly hazardous due to poor…
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Phuket bids to save the dog conch
PA KHLOK, PHUKET: In a bid to increase depleted stocks, fisheries workers released 12,000 cultured dog conch shells into the sea off Pa Khlok in Phuket earlier this month.The operation was conducted jointly by the Marine and Coastal Resources Conservation Center 5 in Phuket and the Phang Nga Coastal Fishery Research and Development Center, where the dog conches (hawy chak…
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Banyan Tree banks on Phuket
Phuket NEWS Hound – A daily digest of news from around the world compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community PHUKET: The political turmoil in Thailand is hurting Phuket icon the Banyan Tree Group as guests cancel room reservations in the strife-torn nation. The hospitality group said it had lost about $1.2 million in cancellations by May 7, or…
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Summary / Update on Thai crisis
PHUKET: Thailand is tense this morning after clashes between “Red Shirt” anti-government protesters and troops left one dead and eight wounded, including a renegade general allied with some factions among the demonstrators. The fresh violence in Bangkok last night came after Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva shelved a plan to hold early elections in November and hopes faded for resolution of…
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Thailand, but not Phuket, in lockdown
PHUKET: The Centre for the Resolution of the Emergency Situation (CRES) has imposed emergency law in 15 more provinces in the central, northern and northeastern parts of Thailand, CRES spokesman Sansern Kaewkamnerd said. Phuket, however, is not on the list of affected provinces and remains calm, as it has been since the red-shirt demonstrations began two months ago. The 2nd…
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Patong tuk-tuk drivers get driving lessons
PATONG: Yes, the headline is correct. In hopes of boosting the image of public transport in Patong, the newly-launched Patong Taxi Federation (PTF) saw its first 80 members complete a driver’s training course on May 8 at the Phuket Land Transport Office. Preechavude Keesin, president of the PTF and son of Patong Mayor Pian Keesin, oversaw the training, which consisted…
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Thai FA Cup: FC Phuket downs Samut Prakarn, 2-1
PHUKET: FC Phuket advanced to the third round of the Thai FA Cup thanks to a 2-1 victory away at Samut Prakarn yesterday. The Southern Sea Kirin qualified for the second round match after beating Nakhon Ratchasima 2-1 at home in the opening round. Prolific teenager Adisak Kraisorn, who was named ‘man of the match’, opened the scoring in the…
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New marketing director at Laguna Phuket
Phuket NEWS Hound – A daily digest of news from around the world compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community PHUKET: The Sheraton Grande Laguna Phuket has announced the appointment of Ms Erica Robinson as Director of Marketing Communications. She will lead the marketing and communication strategies for the resort, which is based in the Laguna Phuket complex. With ten…
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Phuket shunned by travellers
PHUKET: In poll results sure to shock many in Phuket, Thailand’s Koh Lanta, Khao Lak, Koh Pha-Ngan and Koh Samui have won 4 out of 10 honors for the Top Ten beach destinations in Asia. Phuket did not rank among them. The poll, conducted by TripAdvisor and titled ‘Traveler’s Choice Awards for 2010’, closed yesterday. The Thai beach resorts were…
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Hot, humid conditions in Phuket
PHUKET: Thai authorities issued a public health warning earlier this week after nationwide temperatures soared to their highest in 20 years. With temperatures across the country hitting 40 degrees Celsius, the Public Health Ministry advised people to stay indoors to avoid getting heat stroke. Public Health Minister Jurin Laksanawisit said exposure to heat could result in abnormally high body temperature,…
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Expo 2020 in Phuket?
Phuket NEWS Hound – A daily digest of news from around the world compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community PHUKET: The Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau (TCEB) will work with the Ministry of Interior to canvas provinces in Thailand, including Phuket, to present their credentials to participate in the bid to a host Expo 2020. According to TTR…
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Frank Visakay dies in Phuket, age 71
PHUKET: Long-term Phuket expat Frank Visakay of the USA died in his rented home in Rawai today of apparent heart failure. He was 71. Neighbors discovered his body in his home on Soi Pattana after becoming concerned because he had not left the house for a few days. Friends close to Mr Visakay said he had been suffering from a…
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Phuket police nab serial thief
PHUKET: Chalong Police are seeking a foreign tourist whose credit card and Norwegian driving license were recovered during the arrest of an alleged serial thief over the weekend. Chalong Police Inspector Sutham Rattanasawangwongse received a tipoff at 5:30pm on Sunday that 40-year-old Sombat Supprasit was spotted riding a motorbike without a license plate near Nong Harn Lake in Karon. Mr…
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Riddle in THAI’s Phuket policy
Phuket NEWS Hound – A daily digest of news from around the world compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community PHUKET: Cancellations and a shortfall in advance bookings are forcing THAI Airways to revise its route network, capacity and fleet use to curb losses. Phuket continues to be a riddle in the plans. According to TTR Weekly, adjustments are…
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Cable TV Internet in Phuket
PHUKET: Cable TV users in Phuket can now take advantage of fast broadband Internet after a number of local cable companies signed MOUs with communications provider CAT Telecom. On Friday, Rawai Cable became the latest company to sign the agreement, which allows CAT to provide 4MB Internet through existing cable connections. The other companies are Phuket Cable, PA Business Phuket,…
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Firefighting blunder leaves Phuket lumberyard in cinders
PHUKET: A lumberyard in Thalang sustained hundreds of thousands of baht in damages yesterday after firefighters from Thepkrasattri Municipality rushed to fight the blaze with an empty water tank. Local residents reported a fire at Ta Wood Trading on Thepkrasattri northbound at about 2pm yesterday. The fire was still small when the firefighters arrived, but after realizing their fire truck’s…
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FC Phuket down Surat Thani, 2-0
PHUKET: FC Phuket went into the mid-season break on a high note, defeating the Surat Thani Roosters 2-0 at Surakul Stadium on Saturday. Despite the absence of influential Ivory Coast midfielder Diarra Ali, the Southern Sea Kirin put on another solid performance. Both sides struggled to find rhythm early in the game, but FC Phuket eventually took the lead in…
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Phuket car sales on the rise
PHUKET: Car dealerships in Phuket are reporting that first quarter sales are up about 40 percent year-on-year, with sales to foreigners accounting for as much as half of sales at some showrooms. Buyer preference is shifting from pick-ups and SUVs to passengers cars, which are easier to park on the island’s increasingly congested streets, several dealerships report. Among dealerships the…
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Phuket hit by coral bleaching
Phuket NEWS Hound – A daily digest of news from around the world compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community PHUKET: Marine scientists have been closely watching massive coral bleaching in the Andaman Sea around Phuket, believed to be the worst case in Thai waters for 20 years. According to the Bangkok Post, coral reefs off Phuket, Krabi and…
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TAT bike tour of Old Phuket Town
PHUKET: The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) office in Phuket is inviting people to take part in an educational bike ride around Phuket Old Town on May 23. The four-hour ride, which starts at 7am, will be a cultural tour of the town with stops at historically important sites and explanations about the local way of life. The event is…
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Phuket jabs ‘Swine Flu’
Phuket NEWS Hound – A daily digest of news from around the world compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community PHUKET: Around 700 service people in Phuket, comprising drivers of taxis, tuk tuks, motorbike taxis, and other vehicles for hire, along with their family members, were vaccinated against the A H1N1 virus earlier this week. The free inoculations were…
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Score one for Phuket football
PHUKET: Officials from the newly-formed Phuket Football Association (PFA) have committed themselves to develop football in the province following an AFC Vision Asia team’s assessment visit to initiate their Vision Thailand Project in Phuket. Football officials in Phuket have high hopes that the island will become the next haven for the Asian Football Confederation’s (AFC’s) Vision Asia program. The AFC,…
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Thai, Korean to be charged in Phuket horror smash
PHUKET: The driver of an 18-wheel truck who may have caused the death of a young Thai couple on Tuesday is expected to surrender himself to Phuket City Police next week. Thirty-year-old Faosi Samakij and Korean national Lee Joong Park, 40, will both face charges for their part in the accident. Mr Faosi was allegedly reversing the truck at night…
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New EMS service launched in Phuket
PHUKET: Delivering pianos to Chiang Mai and letters to mom in New York got easier on April 30 when Thailand Post opened a new service center in Koh Kaew. ‘Phuket EMS World and Logispost’ is the only facility in the region dedicated to international deliveries and shipments of large items. EMS World and Logispost chief Narat Sangarkas said service standards…
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Backhoe saved from Phuket mire
RASSADA, PHUKET: A machine operator is crediting divine intervention for the safe recovery of his backhoe, which was successfully pulled from a saltwater mud flat after a 15-hour operation yesterday. Backhoe owner-operator Prasert Nakhaphan was contracted by Rassada Municipality to dredge a drainage ditch from a tin mining pond into Phuket Bay in Rassada Village 7. Access to the work…
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FCO softens travel advice
PHUKET: The UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office is no longer advising against travel to Phuket after changing its travel advice for Thailand. A message on the Foreign and Commonwealth Office’s travel advice page for Thailand reads: “The overall level of the advice has changed; we no longer advise against all but essential travel to the whole country. We advise against…
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New flights for Phuket
Phuket NEWS Hound – A daily digest of news from around the world compiled by Gazette editors for Phuket’s international community PHUKET: Opodo Travel News announced yesterday that Air Berlin will add an extra weekly flight into Phuket toward the end of this year. A new Airbus A330-200 aircraft will be stationed at Berlin-Tegel airport to fly the sector. The…
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Monsoon rains hit Phuket
PHUKET: Thunder and heavy rain across Phuket yesterday morning indicate that the monsoon season is settling in. Sorot Sawatdiraksa, a meteorologist with the Southern Meteorological Center at Phuket Airport, said the rains were the first heavy morning rains this year. “The rain is a sign of change. Before yesterday there were no morning rains, only hot-season evening rains related to…
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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