Phuket

  • Phuket News

    Phuket Covid-19 passes 5,000 infections, bed occupancy up 5%

    Covid-19 data for Phuket was fairly stable yesterday with no new deaths, no new international Sandbox travellers infected, and the total daily cases today were 242, just 7 more than yesterday. Those new infections pushed Phuket’s total number of infections since the start of the third wave of Covid-19 to surpass 5,000 today. Statistically, the most drastic Covid-19 figure was…

  • Covid-19 News

    Covid UPDATE Saturday: 257 deaths, news briefs

    The dramatic drop in new infections over the past week has levelled off a bit with 15,942 new infections being reported across Thailand in the past24 hours, a rise from yesterday’s reported 14,653 cases. 277 of today’s new cases come from the Thai prison system. There’s also been 257 deaths, the numbers remaining high whilst other trends are more positive.…

  • Thailand video newsThailand News Today | Phuket eases domestic entry, Thitisan transferred to BKK prison | Sept 3 | Thaiger

    Thailand News Today | Phuket eases domestic entry, Thitisan transferred to BKK prison | Sept 3

    The deputy head of the national police has briefed a House Committee on the legal case against former cop Thitisan Utthanaphon. As Phuket prepares to carefully allow domestic tourists back onto the island, new Covid-19 infection number remain relatively stable. The Baiya vaccine, a plant-based Covid-19 vaccine being developed in Thailand, is ready to begin phase 1 clinical trials this…

  • Phuket News

    Phuket daily Covid-19: 235 infections, no death, no Sandboxers

    As Phuket prepares to carefully allow domestic tourists back onto the island, Covid-19 numbers remain relatively stable. Daily infections were 235 today, with 6 of the last 7 days reaching above 200. No new deaths were reported and no new Sandbox infections were identified. With the influx of new hospital beds yesterday, the bed occupancy rate remained around 70% though…

  • Covid-19 News

    Friday Covid Update: 271 deaths and 14,653 new cases

    271 coronavirus-related deaths and 14,653 new Covid-19 infections were reported today by Thailand’s Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration. The infection rate has declined over the past week, but the daily fatality count remains high. In the 24-hour period since the last count, the CCSA recorded 18,262 recoveries from the coronavirus. There are now 159,800 people receiving treatment for Covid-19. The…

  • Phuket News

    Phuket entry rules relaxed to allow residents to exit and return

    A slight modification to the rules for entering and exiting Phuket will now allow people who live or work in Phuket to exit and re-enter the island more freely. Phuket Vice Governor Pichet Panapong explained that a special permission letter that was previously required in order to leave Phuket and gain re-entry after would no longer be needed. With strict…

  • Bangkok News

    Bangkok ranked #1 best “workation” city in the world, Phuket #10

    Bangkok has been ranked as the number one city in the world for a ‘workation’ – a portmanteau combining work and vacation – with Phuket also ranking in the top 10. The two Thai destinations ranked among the top cities in the world where people can get a break from their office life and have a holiday while still actively…

  • Phuket News

    No deaths, 2 Sandboxers with Covid-19 in Phuket

    While Thailand has begun to see a downward trend in daily infections that is hoped to continue, Phuket’s infection trend has been rising over recent weeks. A few days this week have dropped to below 200 Covid-19 but today there’s been 238 new infections reported over the past 24 hours. The province extended strict entry requirements in hopes of curbing Covid-19…

  • Phuket News

    1 new death, another daily Covid-19 record in Phuket

    With one new death and one new Phuket Sandbox traveller infected, Phuket continues its upward climb in Covid-19 infection rates. Yesterday saw a record 257 Covid-19 infections in one day (Monday), one more than the last new record high in Phuket the day before. For Tuesday Phuket has reported 119 new infections. The death from Monday’s totals brought the total…

  • Phuket News

    Phuket officials look to vaccinated domestic visitors for tourism lifeline

    Officials on the southern island of Phuket are pinning their hopes on vaccinated domestic tourists to revive the flagging economy. A proposal to attract vaccinated local tourists is being submitted for approval and if granted, would replace current restrictions, says deputy governor, Pichet Panapong. According to a Bangkok Post report, Pichet says the current measures on Phuket are damaging the…

  • Covid-19 News

    Phuket tourism operators call for curbs to be eased despite surge in infections

    Tourism operators on the southern island of Phuket say Covid-19 restrictions must be eased to help the sector recover, even with a surge in infections. The island has been recording around 200 daily new cases in recent days. However, Thanet Tantipiriyakit from the Phuket Tourism Council points out that the infections are mostly caused by local activities as opposed to…

  • Covid-19 News

    Covid UPDATE: 264 deaths, provincial totals

    16,536 new infections over the past 24 hours across Thailand. New infections in Bangkokl continue to drop although other provinces are still worrisome for officials, including Samut Prakan, Chon Buri and Rayong, to the east of the city. In the southern region, Phuket features with the province having the most new infections, over 200 new cases for the first time…

  • Phuket News

    Bangkok Hospital Phuket offers expats vaccines including Pfizer

    Another round of free Covid-19 vaccinations for expats was announced yesterday, this time with the option of receiving the Pfizer vaccine. Bangkok Hospital in Phuket made the announcement stating that they would be providing expats the free vaccines in partnership with the Department of Disease Control, but they would only be offering inoculation for those who have never received any…

  • Phuket News

    1 new death as daily Covid-19 infections in Phuket top 200

    Just 16 days after Phuket saw domestic Covid-19 infections surpass 100 cases in a day, the island has now passed the 200 mark with 209 new Covid-19 infections reported yesterday. The Phuket Provincial Public Health Office also released data confirming 1 more Phuket Sandbox international traveller infection and 1 death from Covid-19. The surge in cases has now pushed the…

  • Phuket News

    Phuket Covid-19 numbers drop slightly to 169, no new deaths

    Though today’s Covid-19 numbers in Phuket are lower than yesterday, they do push the rolling weekly total above 900, 10 times the original threshold for reevaluating the Phuket Sandbox. One new Sandbox infection was identified, along with 169 domestic infections yesterday. Now, new deaths have been reported. The Phuket Provincial Public Health Office report confirmed the new infections and no…

  • Phuket News

    Officials inspect Phuket and consider Covid-19 lockdown extension

    As Covid cases surge and weekly infections rates are now over 10 times the original threshold of 90 infections that would prompt a reconsidering of the Phuket Sandbox, officials in Phuket are now discussing an extension of lockdown measures on the island. Pol Maj-General Surachet Hakparn (yes, Big Joke is back!) and his team inspected the Phuket Sandbox and the…

  • Thailand video news

    Thailand News Today | 7 policemen arrested over killing of drug dealer | August 25

    Thailand’s PM has ordered a full investigation into the apparent police killing of a drug suspect in Nakhon Sawan. Flights between Phuket and Koh Samui, that had originally been cancelled until the end of August, have now resumed. A 38 year old man was killed in a fire that broke out in his home in Pathum Thani, just north of…

  • Covid-19 News

    Record 156 Covid-19 infections as Phuket edges near 800 a week

    The number of weekly rolling Covid-19 infections in Phuket is poised to pass 800, as 5 of the last 7 days have seen infections of over 100 people and the 7-day total now stands at 798 new local Covid-19 infections. According to the Phuket Provincial Public Health Office, yesterday marked a new daily high of 156 new infections and one…

  • Transport News

    Phuket-Samui flights on Bangkok Airways resume from today

    Flights between Phuket and Koh Samui that had originally been cancelled until the end of the month have now resumed nearly a week early as Bangkok Airways relaunched the flight route with limited service. From today, the Phuket Sandbox and Samui Plus schemes will be reconnected as part of the Sandbox 7+7 Extension, allowing people to arrive in Phuket, spend…

  • Tourism News

    Phuket tourists rescued after being caught 3 kilometres off-shore while kayaking

    Phuket Tourist Police have rescued a Dutch couple who became trapped 3 kilometres off-shore while kayaking. The Pattaya News reports that strong waves meant the couple, who are on the island as part of the sandbox scheme, were unable to paddle back to shore. The incident happened around 1.30pm yesterday, with police responding to a report of the couple’s plight.…

  • Phuket News

    Phuket sees third consecutive day over 100 Covid-19 infections

    For the third day in a row, new Covid-19 infections in Phuket had topped 100 people as 126 new local infections were identified in the province yesterday. 2 new infections were found in Phuket Sandbox travellers as well. There were no new deaths reported yesterday, and the total remains at 17 fatalities from Covid-19’s third wave. The rolling weekly total…

  • Phuket News

    Phuket Sandbox order revises rules to cancel or modify

    A new updated Phuket Provincial Order revises the international reopening scheme to include the new Sandbox 7+7 program but also slips in a revision to the parameters for cancellation or modification of the Phuket Sandbox. The order issued yesterday mostly revises the rules to include conditions for travelling to other destinations in Thailand after the first 7 days in Phuket.…

  • Phuket News

    Phuket government warn businesses against price gouging

    The Phuket Vice Governor Pichet Panapong has reinforced the warning for vendors in Phuket to avoid price gouging or overcharging customers. He requested officials in Phuket to be vigilant in checking stores and vendors to make sure their pricing is reasonable and not artificially inflated. With the economic pummeling Thailand, and Phuket in particular, have taken with the loss of international…

  • Bangkok News

    Flights from Phuket to Bangkok to resume for sandbox tourists next month

    Domestic flights from Phuket to Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi and Don Mueang airports are set to resume next month, according to the Transport Ministry. The Bangkok Post reports that the flights are being given the green light to facilitate the travel needs of tourists in Phuket as part of the island’s sandbox re-opening scheme. On July 21, the Civil Aviation Authority of…

  • Thailand video news

    Thailand News Today | PM ponders restriction relaxation, no bail for Penguin | August 19

    A 7 year old is living by himself after his 8 family members who also lived with him tested positive for Covid. Thailand’s PM says some Covid-19 restrictions may be relaxed from next month, IF the infection rate starts to come down. Phuket officials have amended the requirements for domestic travel to the island’s Sandbox experiment, allowing some domestic categories…

  • Phuket News

    Happy Paradise plan to welcome tourists, encourage spending

    In an attempt to boost revenues and welcome more tourists to the Phuket Sandbox and beyond, the Tourism Authority of Thailand has launched a “Happy Paradise” programme. The plan aims at creating activities and excitement for Sandbox travellers and has kicked off with 1,000 Happy Paradise Welcome Kits. The program helps to invigorate not just Phuket arrivals, but also travellers…

  • Phuket News

    Phuket entry requirements updated to admit some domestic travellers

    Phuket officials have amended the requirements for domestic travel to the island, allowing some categories to enter. The measures are in place until at least the end of the month. According to TTR Weekly, domestic arrivals who meet the criteria below can enter Phuket via land, sea, or air. – Anyone returning to Phuket who can produce a house registration…

  • Phuket News

    Phuket Town lockdown lifted except Downtown Market, Market 2

    After active Covid-19 testing revealed a reasonably low number of infections, the majority of last week’s lockdown in the centre of Phuket Town has now been lifted, aside from the market. The municipality fresh market at the heart of the lockdown will still remain closed for several more days. Several other market areas will remain shuttered for the duration of…

  • Thailand video news

    Thailand News Today | 7+7 approved for Phuket, new record Covid deaths | August 17

    Police deny claims that live ammunition was shot at protesters on Sunday night outside Bangkok’s Din Daeng police station. The government is seeking to press charges against red-shirt leader Nattawut Saikuar over protests in Bangkok on Sunday. Phuket is instituting new measures as ordered by the provincial communicable disease committee. 239 coronavirus-related deaths, a new record high, and 20,128 new…

  • Phuket News

    I Am Strong Fundraiser by The Thaiger – Report #1, Phuket

    The I Am Strong campaign was a Thaiger-supported fundraiser to reach generous viewers who got behind a critical need to find funds to feed communities-under-threat. In Phuket these communities and families range from island workers who have been unemployed for an extended amount of time, to migrant workers locked up in construction camps as part of the official restrictions imposed…