Phuket

  • Phuket News

    Thai police arrest four after ambush knife attack in Phuket

    Thalang police apprehended four individuals in connection with a knife attack on a teenager in an ambush at the Heroines Monument in Phuket last Thursday. A resident of Cherng Talay, Natthakorn Kantaphong, recounted the events leading up to the attack. According to his statement, he was at the Saphan Hin gymnasium with his friends when he noticed his nemesis, Kandit…

  • Phuket News

    Phuket boosts tourism safety with new lifeguard training initiative

    Phuket’s Ministry of Tourism and Sports (MoTS Phuket) is spearheading a workshop to bolster water tourism safety in the Andaman Tourism Development Zone. The Generation 1 project commenced on June 14 and continues through today at the Nai Yang Beach Resort & Spa and Sirinat National Park. Key attendees include Panlop Prajong, a policy and planning analyst at MoTS Phuket,…

  • Phuket News

    Andaman Hotelier 2024 showcases South Thailand hospitality

    The Andaman Hotelier 2024 event kicked off at Robinson Lifestyle shopping mall in Chalong yesterday, showcasing the excellence of hotel and tourism service personnel in southern Thailand. Phuket Governor Sophon Suwannarat inaugurated the event with a press conference, joined by Rewat Areerob, President of the Phuket Provincial Administrative Organisation (PPAO), Thianprasit Chaiyaphattranan, President of the Thai Hotel Association, and Suksit…

  • Thailand News

    Knife attack on Myanmar nationals leads to crash in Phuket

    Two Myanmar nationals were attacked and chased by an unknown assailant wielding a knife, leading to a crash with a food delivery driver in Srisoonthorn, Phuket, late yesterday. The incident occurred at the three-way intersection outside Phuket Provincial Prison in Moo 4 at approximately 9.15pm. Thalang Police and rescue workers from Srisoonthorn Municipality responded to the scene, finding two motorbikes…

  • Phuket News

    Phuket launches workshops to curb rising motorcycle fatalities

    Phuket authorities initiated a series of workshops yesterday to address the increasing number of fatalities and injuries caused by road accidents, particularly focusing on motorcycle riders. The launch event took place at a hotel in Ratsada, with a significant turnout of district and community leaders. Phuket Vice Governor Sattha Thongkam introduced the initiative, part of the District Drive Project, aimed…

  • Thailand News

    Third sea turtle rescued from fishing nets in Phuket this week

    Another sea turtle, entangled in discarded fishing nets, washed ashore in Phuket yesterday. The young turtle was found by lifeguards on Kalim Beach, north of Patong, amidst a mix of debris. Patong Surf Life Saving Club lifeguards successfully freed the turtle by cutting away the netting before notifying officials from the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR). DMCR officials…

  • Thailand News

    Hook, line, and sinker: Two men nabbed for illegal fishing

    Two men have been apprehended for illegal fishing within a restricted zone off Cape Panwa, an area designated as a sanctuary for aquatic animals and plants. Officials from the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) stationed at the Phuket Marine Resources Conservation Center spotted the men fishing in the protected waters on Wednesday afternoon, June 12. According to a…

  • Phuket News

    Phuket ramps up flood prevention as rainy season nears

    Phuket City Municipality is ramping up flood prevention efforts as the rainy season approaches, deploying a comprehensive strategy to protect residents and maintain city infrastructure from imminent rain damage. Preparations include mobilising manpower to combat incoming floods, deploying machinery, and distributing sandbags across vulnerable areas to minimise damages, according to Phuket Town Mayor Saroj Angkhanapilas. The municipality aims to ensure both…

  • Phuket News

    Shell shock: Hawksbill turtle rescued near Patong Beach

    A young hawksbill turtle, found washed ashore south of Patong Beach, is now under care after suffering significant injuries due to entanglement in a discarded fishing net. Hotel staff at Phuket Marriott Resort & Spa, Merlin Beach, discovered the turtle yesterday and promptly notified officers at the Marine and Coastal Resources Research Center (Upper Andaman Sea). The marine officers confirmed…

  • Phuket News

    Gun-brandishing pickup driver threatens couple during road rage

    A road rage incident saw a white pickup driver allegedly brandishing a gun and threatening a truck driver and his wife in Phuket yesterday. Wichit Police are currently searching for the suspect involved in this alarming incident. According to Kwannapa Patjirang, she and her husband were travelling northbound on Chao Fa West Road when they noticed a white Toyota Revo…

  • Thailand News

    Spitting mad: Russian tourist’s traffic light tantrum in Phuket

    A Russian man spat on a Thai woman and tried to slap her at Wat Naka Intersection in Phuket on May 29 in anger over a traffic light misunderstanding. The 46 year old Thai woman, Phatchareeya Rattanatorrakarn, accompanied by her husband, Boonyong Burirak, filed a complaint against the Russian at Vichit Police Station at 2pm on May 29. Phatchareeya said…

  • Thailand News

    Phuket raids uncover multi-million baht foreign business schemes

    In a crackdown on illicit foreign enterprises, the Department of Special Investigation (DSI), in collaboration with the Immigration Police, Tourist Police, and other authorities, stormed three businesses in Phuket. These companies, ostensibly legitimate, are suspected of being fronts for illegal activities. Thaveewat Surasit, Director of the DSI’s Security Cases Division, revealed that the coordinated raids, backed by search warrants, aimed…

  • Road deaths

    Teen killed by speeding BMW in Phuket hit-and-run tragedy

    A tragic accident occurred when a 14 year old boy riding a motorcycle was hit and dragged to his death by a speeding BMW. The driver fled the scene but later turned himself in to the police. At 11.30pm yesterday, Thanom Thongpan, an investigator at Thalang Police Station in Phuket, received a report of the incident on Thepkrasattri Road, outbound…

  • Thailand News

    British man revived in Thailand, giving back in Africa

    A British man, revived after dying in an ambulance in Thailand last year, wants to repay the fundraisers who saved his life by helping those less fortunate in Africa. Liam Kilby was clinically dead for eight minutes following a motorcycle accident in Phuket on May 1 last year, which caused more life-threatening injuries. The 26 year old from Moreton collided…

  • Thailand News

    Thai lifeguards nab American phone thief at Kata Beach (video)

    Thai lifeguards helped a foreign woman catch an American man who stole her mobile phone while she was swimming at Kata Beach in Phuket. The theft took place at Kata Beach on Saturday, June 1. The foreign woman reportedly left her mobile phone on the beach while she was swimming, giving the American man a chance to steal the phone.…

  • Tourism News

    British mum’s dengue fever warning after son’s Thai holiday tragedy

    A crestfallen British mother urged travellers ahead of the holiday season to be wary of dengue fever after losing her son to the disease while he was on holiday in Thailand. The heartbroken mother, Jayne Toulson-Burke, recalled the last devastating phone call from her son, Bob, just before he died from the disease several years ago. The 59 year old…

  • Thailand News

    Intoxicated Thai man arrested after rampage in Wichit

    A Wichit man was arrested following a seven-hour siege at his father’s car shop, with police seizing a small arsenal of firearms. The standoff, which saw residents gripped in fear, finally ended peacefully as the suspect tried to make a getaway in a luxury car that wouldn’t start. The ordeal began late Friday night when a distressed woman in Phuket…

  • Thailand News

    Phuket beautician shot by van driver after DNA test dispute

    A grey van driver in Phuket shot a slingshot at a beautician, causing her to bleed, due to anger over his wife refusing a DNA test for their child. Social Hunter 2022 posted an image and a warning, alerting Phuket residents about a grey van with the licence plate number 30-9306 Phuket. The van nearly collided with a motorbike, driven…

  • Thailand News

    Russian nominee business bust exposes 1.5 billion baht scandal

    In a dramatic crackdown on illegal businesses in Phuket, 231 suspects, including 98 foreign nationals, mostly Russians, have been arrested, revealing a scandal worth over 1.5 billion baht. The Economic Crime Suppression Division (ECSD), under the directive of the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) commissioner Police General Jirabhop Bhuridej, raided several accounting and real estate firms on the island. The operation…

  • Thailand News

    Russian ruse: Massive Thai visa scam exposed

    Thai police dismantled a sprawling network that illegally enabled foreigners, predominantly Russians, to secure long-term stays in Thailand through deceptive company setups. This elaborate scheme, orchestrated by a 45 year old Russian woman and her Thai accomplice, has rocked the idyllic province of Phuket. Police revealed that the Russian mastermind arrived in Thailand in 2012 and, alongside a Thai woman,…

  • Thailand News

    American man with depression commits suicide at Phuket hotel

    A Thai maid discovered the dead body of a 63 year old American man in his Phuket hotel room after he committed suicide yesterday, May 29. His Thai ex-girlfriend reported that the foreign man suffered from depression but did not seek treatment. Hotel staff reported the death of the 63 year old foreign man, Michael Thomas, to Thalang Police Station…

  • Thailand News

    Staffer pays the price for dine-and-dash at Phuket cafe

    A staffer at the Cafe Dim Sum Phuket took to social media to warn fellow service workers about a crafty scam that left her out of pocket. The alarming incident occurred on May 23 at the bustling eatery near the iconic Clocktower Circle in Phuket Town. Nong Lin, an employee at the popular restaurant, recounted her experience with a group…

  • Thailand News

    Phuket dreams of a Vietnamese tourist boom

    Tourism operators in Phuket, the jewel of Thailand’s southern resort islands, are optimistic about a significant influx of Vietnamese tourists following a high-impact promotional campaign in Vietnam’s two largest cities. Thanet Tantipiriyakit, President of the Phuket Tourist Association stated that the island aims to welcome at least 120,000 visitors from Vietnam this year, marking a 50% increase from last year’s…

  • Thailand News

    Thai teenager with ADHD stabs uncle to death in Phuket

    A 15 year old Thai boy stabbed his 60 year old uncle to death last night in a rented room in the Thalang district of Phuket. Officers from Thalang Police Station were alerted to the fatal stabbing incident at a rented room in the Thalang district of Phuket at about 7pm yesterday, May 27. The victim, 60 year old Somkiat…

  • Thailand News

    Phuket: Belgian expat’s secret stash of illegal pawn busted

    Phuket unveiled a clandestine operation hidden within the opulent residence of a Belgian national. Motorcycles, an array of national IDs, and a single mobile phone were found in the expat’s possession. Police Lieutenant Colonel Thepnom Suwannarat, Superintendent of Investigation Division 3, Provincial Police Region 8, bore fruit as he apprehended a 63 year old Belgian, known only as Philippe. His…

  • Thailand News

    Phuket’s tourism boom: Is the island ready for the rush?

    The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is confident that tourism revenue in Phuket this year will skyrocket to a staggering 400 billion baht. In a surprising revelation, the provincial TAT office reported that more than 3.6 million tourists graced the resort island in the first quarter alone. Lerdchai Wangtrakoondee, director of the provincial TAT office, announced yesterday that tourist numbers…

  • Thailand News

    High-speed motorcycle crash kills 2 Frenchmen in Phuket

    Two Frenchmen tragically lost their lives in a motorcycle accident in the early hours of this morning on Anusawari-Ban Pa Khlok Road in the Thalang district of Phuket. Officers from the Thalang Police Station and rescuers from the Kusol Dham Phuket Foundation responded to the scene after receiving a notification from a local motorist at 4.40am today, May 24. The…

  • Thailand News

    Deranged expat threatens murder in Phuket over rental dispute

    A Phuket neighbourhood was rocked by a chilling threat when a disgruntled Swedish expat promised to return and kill a local homeowner after being barred from his rental house. The shocking incident was brought to light on the Phuket Residents Seek Help Facebook page, prompting immediate action from the authorities. Immigration officers, accompanied by the Tourist Police, set up surveillance…

  • Thailand News

    Thai man and Frenchman duel in knife fight, both wounded

    A knife fight erupted between a Thai man and a Frenchman in the middle of the road in the Karon sub-district of Phuket last night, May 20, resulting in injuries of both parties. Officers from Karon Police Station received a notification from a Thai man who discovered an injured individual, later identified as Jirasak Thonghor, outside his apartment building at…

  • Phuket News

    Cash clash: Temple abbot stabbed over 20-baht in Phuket

    A suspected drug addict stabbed an abbot from the Phra Thong Temple in Phuket after the monk delayed giving the attacker 20 baht in cash. Officers from Thalang Police Station investigated Phra Thong Temple after being notified of the stabbing at around 11pm on May 19. The temple’s abbot, Phra Kru Suwan Phuttapiban, was the victim. He sustained a stab…