Phuket News
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Children’s day on Phuket
PHUKET: Children’s Day activities kicked off in Phuket today with addresses to the island’s next generation by the Phuket Governor and head of the provincial council. Phuket Governor Tri Augkaradacha and Phuket Provincial Administration Organization (OrBorJor) president Paiboon Ubatising both addressed a crowd of youths and civil servants at Phuket Provincial Hall, one of the many places staging special events…
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Investors target Phuket as tuna-industry hub
PHUKET: In a move that would more than double Phuket’s tuna-fishing fleet – already the third largest in Asia – a delegation of Taiwanese investors are looking to set up an operations center in Phuket to take advantage of increased tuna stocks in the Andaman Sea. The delegation of executives from Singapore-based Seaspire International floated the idea yesterday at a…
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New Phuket school library opens
PHUKET: Baan Tungkha School in Rassada has opened a library on its grounds for students and locals alike. Vice Governor Weerawat Janpen presided over the opening ceremony of the 600,000-baht facility, one of the few of its kind on the island. School director Wilas Parinyaniyom explained, “Our school committee wanted to gather secondhand books and computers and make them available…
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Chinese dive tourist recovering in Phuket hospital
PHUKET: The young Chinese diver airlifted from the Surin Islands to Phuket yesterday is conscious, speaking and able to eat, doctors said today. Zouxin Jie, 26, was early yesterday afternoon airlifted from the Surin Island National Park by a Thai Navy helicopter to Phuket, where she was transferred to Vachira Phuket Hospital. Dr Weerawat Yorsaengrat, deputy director of Vachira Phuket…
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Burmese man murdered in Phuket
PHUKET: Police are investigating the murder of a Burmese man found lying dead in shallow water off Kata Beach in Phuket yesterday. Chalong Police were informed by local residents that a body was discovered in the water at the south end of Kata Beach at about 8am yesterday. Arriving at the scene, they found the body of an Asian man…
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Phuket holiday death toll halved
PHUKET: The death toll in Phuket during the new year ‘Seven Days of Danger’ national road safety campaign, which ended on January 4, remained at four – half of last year’s figure. The number is well under this year’s theoretical “target toll” of 7.6, which the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM) bases on a 5% reduction in fatalities…
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“Phuket proud to host PIMEX’: V/Gov
PHUKET: Phuket Vice Governor Somkiet Sangkaosutthirak today officially opened PIMEX 2011 with resounding praise. “Phuket is very proud to host such an international event. It is the only event of its kind in Thailand,” he told the crowd gathered at Royal Phuket Marina. “Phuket is becoming Southeast Asia’s focal point for international-standard tourism and the marine industry. International investment in…
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Chinese tourist airlifted to Phuket
PHUKET: A Chinese woman is fighting for her life at Vachira Phuket Hospital after a dramatic airlift rescue from Surin Island National Park this afternoon. Lt Cdr Somsak Boonkam of the Naval Air Section, Third Area Command (NASTAC), told the Phuket Gazette that he was among the five rescuers dispatched on the mission. “At about noon we received radio orders…
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Phuket set for heavy rains
PHUKET: The Meteorological Department is warning of possible heavy rains and rough seas along the Andaman coast over the next 24 hours, as unusually strong monsoonal conditions prevail in what is normally Phuket’s driest month. In a report issued at 11am today, the Southern Meteorological Center (West Coast) read that a “rather strong” northeasterly monsoon prevails over the southern Thailand’s…
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Wanted: Phuket scam artists impersonating Governor
PHUKET: Police are hunting for a group of scam artists wanted for impersonating the Phuket governor to solicit donations for an imaginary provincial development campaign. In a meeting yesterday afternoon, Gov Tri Augkaradacha warned people not to fall victim to the scam. The scammers have been calling both government offices and private businesses asking for donations, typically from 30,000 to…
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Phuket landmark Mom Tri’s Boathouse sold
PHUKET: The owners of the Trisara resort have announced an agreement to buy Mom Tri’s Boathouse, the long-established resort and restaurant complex on the beach in Kata. The Boathouse issued a statement yesterday that Narong Pattamasaevi, Executive Chairman of the Three Dolphins group that owns and operates Trisara, has signed contracts to acquire 100% of shares in The Boathouse Inn…
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Phuket foreign property sales to grow 25% this year
PHUKET: Real estate sales to foreigners in Phuket are expected to grow 25 per cent this year to 5 billion baht, according to property development firm Seacon. Nevertheless, sales are likely to remain at least 50 per cent lower than during the boom years of 2006 and 2007, when foreign sales came in at 10 to 12bn baht each year.…
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Phuket police warn over “royal souvenirs’
PHUKET: Phuket police are warning residents to beware of men approaching their homes calling for donations, for which, in return, donors receive souvenir plaques bearing images of His Majesty Bhumibol Adulyadej and the Queen Mother. The warning comes after a group of about 10 men in a Nissan Navara arrived in a neighborhood near the Tha Reua Shrine late yesterday…
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All change at FC Phuket
PHUKET: The dust may have barely settled on FC Phuket’s dramatic promotion to Thai League Division 1 last month, but it appears the honeymoon may well be over. It will be all change at Sarakul Stadium when the new season kicks off on February 12 as it has been confirmed that last season’s manager Arjan Songsamssub will not take charge…
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Tourists get more Phuket beachfront parking
PHUKET: The new parking zones along Thaweewong Road (the beach road) in Patong have finally been unveiled, allowing more room for tourists to park along the beachfront. Phuket Governor Tri Augkaradacha on Thursday officially opened the new zones, heralded as the first in a series of steps to solve the tourist town’s traffic and parking woes. The changes make about…
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Phuket holiday death toll reaches four
PHUKET: A young man killed in a hit-and-run accident is the fourth road fatality recorded in Phuket during the ‘Seven Days of Danger’ road safety campaign, now in its final day throughout Thailand. The victim, 21-year-old Chalong resident Anek Karnchonchai, died after his motorbike crashed near Baan Kata School on Patak Road in Karon at about 6am today. According to…
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Canadian tourists killed in Phuket New Year smash
PHUKET: A Canadian couple, killed in a pickup truck bus (songtaew) smash just fifteen minutes into the New Year, were the second and third road accident fatalities in Phuket in the new year. Cherngtalay Police duty officer Tatchagrit Ritnuang identified the victims as Aryporn Sunthorn, 50, and Kongseng Sunthorn, 61. Both were Canadian nationals of ethnic Chinese descent. Four others…
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Rino makes speedy recovery
PHUKET: Rino Mangon Vogt, a 10-year-old boy who has undergone life-saving surgery, is recovering well, the Phuket Gazette confirmed today. Rino, who suffered from the rare congenital heart condition Ebstein’s anomaly, underwent corrective surgery on November 21. However, when the external pacemaker was switched off days later, young Rino fell asleep, indicating that his heart could not cope unassisted. Quick…
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Cooking oil rations hit Phuket
PHUKET: Retailers throughout Thailand have begun rationing the sale of bottled palm oil in a move to curb seasonal shortages. Big C, on the bypass road, is limiting bottles of cooking oil to two per customer, while The Nation reports that Tesco Lotus is limiting sales to one bottle of palm oil per customer nationwide. Mr Pramarn Urawan, a researcher…
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First Phuket road fatality for the year
PHUKET: A motorbike rider without a helmet has been reported as the first Phuket road fatality of the New Year. The body of Uthai Maikhong, 33, was found beside his bike in a three-meter-deep roadside drainage ditch in front of Wat Muang Mai in Thalang about 8am yesterday. Local residents heard an accident about 7pm the night before, but in…
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Phuket Person of the Year Award a triumph for charity
PHUKET: The Phuket Gazette is delighted to announce that our ‘Person of the Year’ Award for 2010 goes to Khun Wipa Tanmanatragul of the Phuket International Women’s Club (PIWC). Khun Wipa, elected this year as the PIWC’s first Thai President, has been selected for her embodiment of “charity for charity’s sake” and her 15 years of quiet, low-profile dedication to…
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BREAKING NEWS: Phuket to pull new year all-nighter
PHUKET: Revellers in Phuket’s party capital of Patong are allowed to party all night tonight to usher in the new year, Deputy Mayor Chairat Sukhaban confirmed today. Two areas on Patong Beach have been cordoned off for people who can party until sunrise, he told the Gazette. One area is at the beach road end of Bangla Road and the…
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Phuket Red Cross Fair underway
PHUKET: The renowned annual Phuket Red Cross Fair began yesterday in Saphan Hin. At the opening ceremony, Phuket Governor Tri Augkaradacha, with his wife Nalinee, who is President of the Phuket Red Cross, wished the fair to bring joy and happiness to one and all. One of the most popular activities at the 11 day-and-night event is the lucky draw.…
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Deadly “Seven Days’ – Phuket toll: 17 accidents, no deaths
PHUKET: After two days of the annual ‘Seven Days of Danger’ national road safety campaign, the Phuket toll has climbed to 17 accidents, but still no deaths reported. The statistics, compiled by the Phuket office of the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM), list four accidents yesterday in Phuket Town, three in Kathu and two in Thalang. Eleven people…
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Phuket’s Yamu gets new lease of life
PHUKET: Campbell Kane, the luxury hotel developers of The Yamu on Phuket’s east coast, have secured backing by an investment team comprised of Singapore tycoon Ong Beng Seng’s Hotel Properties Limited (HPL) and Thailand’s KS Group. The Jones Lang LaSalle Hotels office in Singapore acted as an advisor for the transaction. While construction of the hotel was suspended due to…
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Phuket New Year celebrations take to the sky
PHUKET: Residents in the south of the island have started their Phuket New Year celebrations a little early this year, with the opening of the Rawai Sky Night Festival 2010 at Nai Harn Beach. The festival continues tonight, with stage and live music performances from 6pm. In addition to the live performances and contests, local vendors are selling food, drink,…
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Phuket Person of the Year Award to be announced today
PHUKET: Sixteen nominations from readers, four finalists, one winner. The Phuket Gazette‘s ‘Person of the Year’ Award goes to that person who in the opinion of Gazette editors stands out most for good deeds or excellence as a role model in activating people to work together toward a better Phuket. Who won the Award for 2010? What were the key…
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Deadly “Seven Days’ begin: Eight accidents, no deaths in Phuket
PHUKET: Phuket’s holiday road toll stands at eight accidents with no deaths reported after Day One of the Seven Days of Danger national road safety campaign, which began yesterday. The statistics, being compiled by the Phuket office of the Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM), list four accidents occurring in Phuket Town, two in Kathu and two in Thalang.…
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Honest Phuket tuk-tuk driver returns camcorder
PHUKET: A Phuket tuk-tuk driver tracked down a Swedish couple who left their camcorder in his vehicle on Christmas Day and returned it to them free of charge on Boxing Day. Cathanna, 48, and her husband hired Thongchai Permpoon to take them on a five-hour tour of Phuket Town. After dropping the Swedes off at their hotel, the Diamond Cottage…
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Phuket pirates unperturbed by arrest
PHUKET: Five people were arrested on Tuesday for selling counterfeit handbags in Patong, but at least one of them swore she would be right back in business after paying a fine. Patong police and representatives of high-end handbag companies led the raid on five shop operators, all working inside the tourist-oriented Sainamyen Plaza on Rat-U-Thit 200 Pee Road. Chananan Hatthapradit,…
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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