Phuket

  • Thailand NewsCriminals pretend to be police, scam Swiss man in Phuket

    Criminals pretend to be police, scam Swiss man in Phuket

    Scammers went after a Swiss national living in Phuket when they pretended to be police, and told him he had to pay a fine for receiving funds through illegal activities. The “police” contacted the man, Alain, saying a FedEx package couldn’t be delivered. Since Alain was expecting a FedEx package, he listened. The story then changed to say Bangkok police…

  • Crime NewsPhuket police have CCTV footage of fatal gangster shooting

    Phuket police have CCTV footage of fatal gangster shooting

    Police investigating the murder of an Indian gangster shot dead in Phuket on Friday night say they have security camera footage of the incident. According to a Bangkok Post report, officers are reviewing CCTV footage of the moment 32-year-old Jimi Sandhu was gunned down outside his villa in Rawai, in the south of the island. His body was found in…

  • Phuket NewsNational police chief arrives on Phuket as officers investigate Jimi Sandhu murder

    National police chief arrives on Phuket as officers investigate Jimi Sandhu murder

    National police chief Suwat Jangyodsuk has arrived on the southern island of Phuket as investigating officers step up the hunt for those behind the murder of an Indian national on Friday night. The man, named by various sources as Jimi Singh Sandhu, was shot dead outside his Rawai villa in the south of the island. According to a Bangkok Post…

  • Thailand video newsThailand News Today | Officials to discuss more easing of Covid restrictions

    Thailand News Today | Officials to discuss more easing of Covid restrictions

    Thailand’s health officials plan to propose the easing of some Covid-19 restrictions in a bid to move away from imposing lockdowns when outbreaks are reported. Opas Karnkawinpong from the Department of Disease Control says other countries are relaxing some curbs and Thailand is ready to follow suit. However, he did not specify what restrictions might be eased. It’s understood the…

  • Phuket NewsFire breaks out by Phuket viewpoint, 16 Thai and foreign visitors rescued

    Fire breaks out by Phuket viewpoint, 16 Thai and foreign visitors rescued

    Around 16 locals and Thais were evacuated from a forest in Phuket after a fire broke out and spread quickly by the Laem Krating viewpoint by the Krating Cape. The flames blocked the exit and authorities had to send a boat to pick the tourists and others up at the bottom of the hill in Phuket’s Rawai district. Phuket authorities…

  • Phuket NewsCash, safes, passports seized from Phuket villa in “gangster” murder investigation

    Cash, safes, passports seized from Phuket villa in “gangster” murder investigation

    Following the murder of an alleged gangster in Phuket, police have seized a number of items from the Indian man’s rented villa. According to a Bangkok Post report, investigating officers have removed 2 safes, 2 passports, and 700,000 baht in cash from the villa in Rawai, in the south of the island. The 32-year-old victim, named locally as Mandeep Singh,…

  • Phuket NewsPhang Nga village hit by 2004 tsunami opens museum

    Phang Nga village hit by 2004 tsunami opens museum

    One Phang Nga village community that was hit hard by the 2004 tsunami, Baan Nam Khem, has officially opened a museum about the tsunami, known as the Asian Tsunami (which was commemorated again recently). Thailand’s Minister of Culture, who attended the opening, says the museum will educate people about the history of how the tsunami devastated the Baan Nam Khem…

  • Thailand NewsMan flies out of speeding car in Phuket, 3 injured

    Man flies out of speeding car in Phuket, 3 injured

    Three people in a speeding car in Phuket were injured early this morning, and one man even flew out of the car when it crashed into a guardrail. The man’s head hit a potted plant on the pavement, and the car kept spinning until it hit a power pole. The man who flew out of the car, a passenger, was…

  • Crime NewsUPDATE: Gunmen shoot dead a deported Canadian ‘gangster’ in Rawai, Phuket

    UPDATE: Gunmen shoot dead a deported Canadian ‘gangster’ in Rawai, Phuket

    A former British Columbia “gangster”, who was deported from Canada 6 years ago for “serious criminality”, has been shot to death in Rawai, Phuket. 32 year old Jimi “Slice” Sandhu, was gunned down while getting out of his car around 10pm last night. Sandhu, who the Vancouver Sun report was affiliated with the ‘United Nations’ gang, was the alleged owner…

  • Thailand NewsDeported Canadian gangster shot and killed in Phuket

    Deported Canadian gangster shot and killed in Phuket

    UPDATED STORY HERE Two gunmen jumped out from bushes and shot and killed a Canadian man at The Beachfront Hotel Phuket in Rawai, a seaside resort town in the far south of Phuket, last night. Chalong police arrived on the scene at 6.30am this morning and found the victim lying face-down in a pool of blood next to a red…

  • Thailand NewsThailand wins “most popular destination” and other awards from Chinese travel magazines

    Thailand wins “most popular destination” and other awards from Chinese travel magazines

    Many Chinese travel magazines are calling Thailand a top tourist destination, even if it’s very difficult for the Chinese to travel at this time. The Travel Weekly China Award called Thailand “The most anticipated destination- short haul.” WITrip Magazine called it “2021 most popular overseas travel destination.” Online Travel Agent Thong Cheng called it “the most popular destination.” The Tourism…

  • Thailand NewsForeigner steals 3,600 baht from Phuket cab driver

    Foreigner steals 3,600 baht from Phuket cab driver

    A Phuket cab driver caught a foreigner stealing 3,600 baht from his cab on camera last Sunday, January 30. The driver works for the inDriver app. He had stopped to get out of the car for a bathroom break when the foreign man snatched the cash into his pocket from the centre console between the two front seats. The driver…

  • Covid-19 NewsPhuket officials alarmed by number of tourists testing positive on arrival

    Phuket officials alarmed by number of tourists testing positive on arrival

    Officials on the holiday island of Phuket have expressed alarm at the number of foreign tourists testing positive on arrival and are pointing the finger at allegedly fake results from pre-departure PCR tests. Deputy governor Pichet Panapong raised the issue during a call with the CCSA, in which he urged the government’s Covid-19 task force to improve screening measures for…

  • Phuket NewsGreek tourists robbed in Phuket get 51,000 baht gift from anonymous donor

    Greek tourists robbed in Phuket get 51,000 baht gift from anonymous donor

    The Greek family who claims 200,000 baht was stolen from their car in Phuket have received a gift of 51,000 baht from an anonymous donor to help them continue their travels. The Facebook page named KNIGHTS BORDER made a post saying an “anonymous kind and beloved brother” donated the money to the family after hearing that hundreds of thousands of baht…

  • Thailand NewsMost Phuket tourists infected with Covid travelled from Russia and Kazakhstan

    Most Phuket tourists infected with Covid travelled from Russia and Kazakhstan

    Most tourists who tested positive for Covid-19 when they arrived in Phuket travelled from Russia and Kazakhstan, but particularly Russia, the Phuket provincial governor told the Bangkok Post. The governor says there will be an investigation of why a significant number of infections involved travellers from those countries. Governor Narong Woonciew says that out of about 300 daily diagnoses in Phuket,…

  • Phuket NewsPhuket reports higher infection rate in second Covid tests for Test & Go travellers

    Phuket reports higher infection rate in second Covid tests for Test & Go travellers

    With two RT-PCR tests now required for Test & Go travellers, one of Thailand’s most popular tourist destinations, Phuket, is reporting a higher infection rate for the second test. Following the emergence of the Omicron variant in Thailand, with many travellers testing positive for the mutated strain, the Thai government decided to require two RT-PCR tests instead of the initial…

  • Thailand video newsThailand News Today | Thai government approves 10 year visa program

    Thailand News Today | Thai government approves 10 year visa program

    The 10-year visa scheme for wealthy foreigners and skilled professionals was approved in principle by the Thai Cabinet, targeting foreign investors, highly-skilled professionals and wealthy retirees. Experts say the 10-year visa scheme for wealthy foreigners and skilled professionals should help fill the country’s anticipated shortage of digital workforce talent and boost the Thai economy. Chairman of the Federation of Thai…

  • Phuket NewsGreek travellers in Phuket claim 200,000 baht in cash was stolen from their car

    Greek travellers in Phuket claim 200,000 baht in cash was stolen from their car

    A Greek family on a trip to Phuket claims around 200,000 baht in cash was stolen. Thai media reports that the family of five is asking for the money to be returned and are even promising to give the thief 500 euros if they return the cash. The family filed a report with the police and asked the hotel to…

  • Phuket NewsPhuket taxi driver fined 2,000 baht, to do etiquette training after overcharging incident

    Phuket taxi driver fined 2,000 baht, to do etiquette training after overcharging incident

    Authorities have slapped the Phuket taxi driver, who is accused of overcharging a passenger, with a 2,000 baht fine and have ordered him to go through etiquette training. The driver charged a Thai traveller 600 baht for a roughly 20-minute drive from the Kamala Beach area to a hotel Patong Beach. The traveller had tried to book a ride through…

  • Phuket NewsPhuket Lantern Festival 2022 runs now until February 20

    Phuket Lantern Festival 2022 runs now until February 20

    The Phuket Lantern Festival 2022, also known as Yaun Xiao which is a traditional celebration following the Chinese New Year, will be running in Phuket Old Town from now until February 20. The festival was hosted to preserve the traditional culture of the Thai-Chinese people in the province and boost the economic situation. Phuket mayor of Phuket, Saroj Angkanapilas, kicked…

  • Thailand NewsSneak peek into MONOPOLY: Phuket Edition coming in March

    Sneak peek into MONOPOLY: Phuket Edition coming in March

    A new version of MONOPOLY heads to shelves this March, this time it’s Phuket edition. The game will include sights like Sarasin Beach, Kata Beach, Central Phuket and Karon Viewpoint. All these sites are well know to both locals and tourist. Sarasin Bridge was the first bridge that linked Phuket to mainland Thailand (a mere 300 metres). Kata Beach is…

  • Thailand NewsDeputy PM Prawit Wongsuwon discusses Phuket pedestrian safety

    Deputy PM Prawit Wongsuwon discusses Phuket pedestrian safety

    Deputy PM Prawit Wongsuwon brought up pedestrian safety crossings yesterday at an online meeting with a road safety policy committee, and the interior minister. Phuket officials have now been told to paint warning lines ahead of pedestrian crossings, letting drivers know they will have to slow down soon. The group also talked about the new points system that started in…

  • Phuket NewsPhuket gov calls for investigation, charm offensive after report on hospitel parties

    Phuket gov calls for investigation, charm offensive after report on hospitel parties

    Following British journalist Jonathan Miller’s harsh and lengthy report of his stay at a Phuket quarantine hospitel, Governor Narong Woonciew called for an investigation into the reporter’s claims. The reporter documented the impromptu parties with Covid-infected travellers during his two-week stay at the “hospitel.” In the Sunday Times, Miller who was classified as high risk of contracting Covid-19, was ordered…

  • Phuket NewsBritish journalist documents beer-fuelled parties with Covid patients at Phuket quarantine hotel

    British journalist documents beer-fuelled parties with Covid patients at Phuket quarantine hotel

    British journalist Jonathan Miller was declared to be at high risk of Covid-19 after entering Thailand and ended up in a quarantine hotel in Phuket… which he says was more like an “Asian Hotel California” with “late-night discos fuelled by local beer.” Miller, known in Thailand as the first foreign reporter to interview King Vajiralongkorn after his coronation, wrote a…

  • Phuket NewsVenues in Phuket selling alcohol must apply for new permit

    Venues in Phuket selling alcohol must apply for new permit

    First, they shut all the bars and entertainment venues selling alcohol in Thailand. Then they said those venues could reopen, but not as a boozy bar, rather as restaurants, who eventually were allowed to sell a bit of alcohol again, now until 11 pm. But now in Phuket, entertainment venues that were originally licenced to sell alcohol but then got…

  • Thailand NewsWoman puts up billboard in Phuket to find missing cats, 30,000 baht reward for each

    Woman puts up billboard in Phuket to find missing cats, 30,000 baht reward for each

    A Japanese woman paid over 300,000 baht to put up billboards in Phuket in other to find her two cats which have both been missing since last November. She says she’ll pay a 30,000 baht reward for each cat Her Thai employee shared with Thai media that her Japanese employer brought four cats from Japan. One day, the delivery staff…

  • Thailand NewsAlcohol until 11 pm at food venues in 8 Blue provinces from tomorrow

    Alcohol until 11 pm at food venues in 8 Blue provinces from tomorrow

    Put on your party boots; tomorrow it’s time to go out late for drinks on a Monday! The easing of the alcohol ban for 8 Blue Zone provinces goes into effect tomorrow with restaurants and similar venues allowed to sell drinks until 11 pm now. Bars, pubs, karaoke, nightclubs, and other nightlife and entertainment venues will not be legally allowed…

  • Phuket NewsPhuket Immigration visiting those in Hotel Isolation to extend visas

    Phuket Immigration visiting those in Hotel Isolation to extend visas

    After the story went viral of a man being charged for an overstay because he was locked in Hotel Isolation after testing positive for Covid-19, Phuket is taking action. The Immigration Chief of Phuket is sending staff around to local hotels to make sure that people caught in a 10-day Hotel Isolation do not have their visas expire. If a…

  • Crime NewsPolice sting nabs trans woman for alleged child sex trafficking

    Police sting nabs trans woman for alleged child sex trafficking

    A transgender woman accused of human trafficking and child exploitation was arrested in Phuket yesterday in a police sting. The 37 year old trans woman allegedly arranged for prostitution of children under the age of 18 online via Twitter. Local police have been searching for her after catching wind of her exploitation from her Twitter account where she went by…

  • Phuket NewsMore lost tourists with Covid break Phuket quarantine for Samui

    More lost tourists with Covid break Phuket quarantine for Samui

    Police have yet to confirm whether they found several missing Russians – a single man and a separate couple – who left hotels in Phuket before finishing mandatory hotel quarantine periods only to be found to be positive for Covid-19. But the hunt for Covid-19 infected tourists is on yet again, as Phuket Tourist Police are looking for any information…