Phuket News
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Thai government tightens regulations to restrict cannabis for medical uses
The Thai government launched a crackdown on illegal cannabis stores in Phuket, finding 533 stores failing to renew their permits while 12 others had their permission suspended. Deputy Government Spokesperson Ploythalay Lucksameesaengchan announced yesterday, July 19, that authorities are increasing inspections of businesses involved in the production and sale of cannabis flowers as part of efforts to prevent misuse and…
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Phuket chef assaults intern, forces her to eat undercooked rice
A university student filed a police complaint after she was physically assaulted by a chef during an internship at a hotel in Phuket. The complainant, a 20 year old student identified only as Bee, reported the assault to Patong Police Station. She also shared CCTV footage with several news outlets, and the video has since circulated on Thai social media.…
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Phuket student shines at Coding Olympiad Grand Final in Italy
A nine year old student from Phuket has won two first-place awards at the International STEM Olympiad & Coding Olympiad – Grand Final 2026 in Rome, Italy, earning praise from his school, the Thai public and Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul. Pavin “Pace” Pattanavekin, a Grade 3 student at True Coding School Phuket, was recognised for his achievement in a Facebook…
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Australian man flees after assaulting another foreigner in Phuket
An Australian man allegedly assaulted another foreigner following a motorcycle collision and compensation dispute in Phuket yesterday, July 14. The incident was reported by the Phuket Times Facebook page, which published photographs of the aftermath and the injured man. The report said the altercation took place in the Rawai area, although the exact time of the incident was not disclosed. According…
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Phuket orders safety crackdown on venues across the island after Bangkok fire
Phuket is tightening safety inspections at businesses across the island, following the deadly fire at a Bangkok restaurant and entertainment venue that killed dozens of people. Phuket Governor Chotnarin Kerdsom said on 13 July that, although the fire on Soi Lat Phrao 1 in Bangkok on the night of 12 July did not happen in Phuket, every agency must treat…
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Two Phuket cannabis shops caught operating despite suspension
Officials arrested operators of two cannabis shops in Phuket yesterday, July 11, after they were allegedly caught continuing to sell cannabis despite having their licences suspended. Officials from the Department of Provincial Administration, Phuket Provincial Administration, the Phuket Provincial Public Health Office, Thalang district authorities and other relevant agencies carried out the operation. The inspections targeted cannabis shops in Thalang…
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Phuket lifeguards save two British tourists from drowning
Two British tourists are recovering after lifeguards rescued them from the sea at Nai Thon Beach yesterday, July 11, in Phuket’s Thalang district, where they were found unconscious following a drowning incident. Police were notified of the incident by lifeguards at Nai Thon Beach after the two men were pulled from the water. Lifeguards brought the pair ashore before alerting…
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Two illegal Phuket hotels found, 360 firms face nominee probe
Two hotels in Phuket’s Patong area have been found operating without licences, while officials have ordered further investigations into 360 companies suspected of using foreign nominee shareholders. Deputy Interior Minister Polapee Suwannachawi led officials from the Interior Ministry, Department of Provincial Administration, Land Department, Phuket Provincial Office and other agencies on an inspection of hotels and businesses in Patong, Kathu…
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Thai, Filipina women arrested with cannabis at Phuket airport
A Thai woman and a Filipina were arrested at Phuket International Airport yesterday, July 9, after customs officers allegedly found 32.1 kilogrammes of cannabis flower concealed in their luggage as they attempted to leave Thailand. The two arrests took place separately in the international departures terminal in Mai Khao subdistrict, Thalang district, Phuket. At around 11am, customs officers inspected a…
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Nene Royal goes from Phuket night market to America’s Got Talent
A 16 year old girl from Phuket earned four yeses from the judges on America’s Got Talent (AGT), taking another step towards her dream of becoming a world-class artist. Rattikarn “Praew” Amloy, better known by her stage name Nene Royal, has built a reputation as a street performer in Phuket. She regularly performs with her band, Ozone, at Naka Night…
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2 Russians held with over 5.4m baht from mule accounts
Police arrested two Russian nationals during raids at three locations in Phuket on Tuesday, July 8, seizing more than 5.4 million baht as part of an investigation into mule accounts linked to call centre scams. The operation followed information from the Anti-Cyber Scam Centre, which alerted officers from Provincial Police Region 8 and Phuket Provincial Police to suspicious activity involving…
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5 Thai police officers guilty in extortion of 6m baht from British fugitive
Thailand’s National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) resolved that there are sufficient grounds to pursue criminal and disciplinary action against six people, including five police officers, over the extortion of 6 million baht from a British drug kingpin, Ritesh Patel. Patel, who was wanted in the UK over alleged drug trafficking offences, fled to Dubai before travelling to Thailand in June 2022.…
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Russian arrested over 17kg cannabis haul at Phuket airport
Customs officers arrested a Russian man at Phuket International Airport yesterday, July 8, after allegedly finding more than 17 kilogrammes of cannabis flowers and cannabis resin in his luggage as he prepared to leave Thailand. A customs officer at Phuket International Airport inspected two blue wheeled suitcases belonging to 30 year old Russian national Sergey Sharabari after suspicious items were…
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American nabbed at Suvarnabhumi for assaulting Phuket jet ski operator
Police arrested an American man at Suvarnabhumi International Airport yesterday, July 8, after he physically assaulted a Thai jet ski operator in Phuket following a dispute over damage to two rental watercrafts. The victim, Nattawut Date-iam, filed a complaint with Patong Police Station after the incident, which took place in Soi Sea Dragon on Bangla Road on Tuesday, July 7.…
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Foreign family assaults Phuket man after jet ski compensation row
A foreign man reportedly refused to pay compensation after a jet ski crash and physically assaulted a jet ski operator in Phuket yesterday, July 8. The jet ski operator on Patong Beach, Nattawut Date-iam, reported the incident to Patong Police Station, claiming he sustained serious injuries during the alleged assault. He also submitted video footage, photographs and other evidence identifying…
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Phuket restaurant owner accuses foreigner of planting hair in soup for free meal
A restaurant owner in Phuket alleged that a foreign customer deliberately placed a strand of hair in his tom yum soup before complaining about food hygiene in an attempt to avoid paying for his meal. The owner of the restaurant in Rawai subdistrict shared her account with the Phuket Times Facebook page and urged other business operators to remain cautious…
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Phuket car fire destroys Ford sedan, foreign driver escapes
A fire damaged a foreigner’s car in Phuket yesterday, July 4, after flames spread from the engine compartment of a black Ford sedan at a U-turn on Phra Phuket Kaew Road in Kathu. The driver escaped safely. Kathu Police Station was notified of the incident at about 5.50pm by the station’s radio centre. The report said a car had caught…
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Russian woman dies after fall from eighth-floor condo in Phuket
A 31 year old Russian woman died after falling from the eighth floor of a condominium in Kathu district, Phuket, yesterday, July 2. Police are still investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident. Officers from Kathu Police Station responded to the scene at around 1.35pm after receiving reports of a foreign woman who had fallen from a condominium building in Kathu…
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Phuket immigration revokes visa of foreigner who assaults tuk tuk driver
Police arrested a foreign man, reportedly a British national, for evading a tuk tuk fare and physically assaulting the driver in Phuket yesterday, July 2. The incident took place at around 5am in Soi Na Nai and gained widespread attention after video footage of the confrontation circulated on Thai social media. The footage showed a tuk tuk driver arguing with a…
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Foreigner attacks Phuket tuk tuk driver after fare dispute
A foreign man refused to pay a 300 baht tuk tuk fare in Phuket and attacked the Thai driver earlier today, July 2, leaving the victim requiring ten stitches for a wound to the mouth. The incident reportedly took place at around 5am and was captured on video by a witness. The footage was later shared on the Phuket Times…
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Phuket taxi driver praised for offering free ride to tourists
A Phuket taxi driver has won praise online after offering three foreign tourists a free ride to Wat Chalong on June 29 when they told him they had no money to pay the fare. The heartwarming moment was shared on Facebook by user Pichaiphorn Chanproong, who posted a video showing the encounter near the Pearl Circle roundabout in Patong. In…
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Motorcycle crash in Phuket leaves foreigner, Thai woman critically injured
A foreign motorcyclist raised safety concerns in Phuket after crashing his motorcycle into a female Thai rider on a road in Patong area on Sunday, June. Both riders are reportedly in a critical condition. The crash occurred on Sai Kor Road, a two-way road without a central divider in Patong, Phuket. Video footage showed a Thai woman riding a white…
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Drunk British driver raises road safety concerns in Phuket
A British man was charged with drunk driving after crashing into a traffic barrier at an intersection in Chalong, Phuket, in front of the traffic police officers stationed there. This particular drunk driving case in Phuket was captured on video and widely shared on social media this week. Footage showed a white Toyota Fortuner travelling at speed before hitting multiple…
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Icelandic man held in Phuket after snatching taxi driver’s bag
An Icelandic tourist was arrested in Phuket after allegedly snatching a female taxi driver’s bag during a ride in Patong, with police bringing him in for questioning the same evening. The victim, 39 year old Phitchapa, filed a complaint with Patong Police Station at 7pm that evening. The taxi driver told investigators she had picked up a male European passenger…
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Foreign driver flees after stopping SUV in Phuket intersection
Police are searching for a foreign woman, accusing her of dangerous driving after she circled roads repeatedly and stopped her vehicle in the middle of Phuket intersections. The incident gained attention after a Thai motorist shared video footage on Facebook yesterday, June 21, in the group Khap Rot Baep Nee Tong Prachan Phuket (ขับรถแบบนี้ต้องประจาน ภูเก็ต), which translates as Drivers like…
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Academic warns Phuket nominee issue risks damage to global reputation
A police policy adviser has urged the Thai government to “reset Phuket” to tackle nominee networks, warning that the island’s challenges now extend beyond crime and could damage Thailand’s global reputation. Assistant Professor Nopadol Kannika, a member of the National Police Policy Committee and civilian representative, proposed an integrated plan to reset Phuket as authorities intensify action against suspected nominee…
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Thai woman found alive in Phuket sea after suicide attempt
A Thai woman was rescued after she reportedly jumped into the sea from Sarasin Bridge in Phuket in a suicide attempt and remained in the water for several hours before being found alive. Officers from Thachatchai Police Station were called to Sarasin Bridge yesterday, June 18, after a black Honda was found abandoned at the scene. Witnesses told police that…
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Undefeated Stirling boxer dies after Phuket tuk-tuk accident
A 22 year old Scottish boxer has died in Thailand after sustaining a severe head injury in an accident in Phuket in the early hours of June 14. Colin Cairney, an undefeated professional welterweight from Stirling, had been on holiday when the incident occurred. The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office confirmed his death, with a spokesperson stating: “We are…
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Phuket tuk tuk fall leaves British boxer in critical condition
Police are searching for a tuk tuk driver after a British professional boxer was found critically injured on Phuket road, with CCTV footage reportedly showing him falling from a vehicle before the driver sped away. Colin Kearney, a well-known British boxer, was discovered injured on Phra Baramee Road on June 14. Officers from Patong Police Station and rescue workers responded…
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Phuket rider allegedly demands 5,000 baht to return tourist’s lost phone
A rider in Phuket came under fire online after allegedly asking a foreign tourist for 5,000 baht to return a lost mobile phone, with an audio clip of the conversation spreading across social media. According to a story shared by Phuket Times yesterday, June 13, the tourist reportedly lost the phone before a rider found it. When a Thai representative…
