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A 57-year-old Filipino man died after a lorry struck his motorcycle from behind while he was stopped to let pedestrians cross at a zebra crossing on Thep Krasattri Road in Phuket on October 7. Thalang Police received a report of the accident at around 5pm. Officers arrived at the scene outside a Shell petrol station and found a damaged black-and-red Honda Click 125 motorcycle. The rider, identified as Filipino national Oscar Deladia, was lying beside the motorcycle and was st

Phuket has launched the Phuket Licence Lab, a new initiative designed to help small and medium-sized accommodation businesses address building and regulatory issues that have prevented them from obtaining the licences required to operate legally. Five organisations from the professional, academic and tourism sectors signed a memorandum of understanding for the project on October 5 at Phuket City Development Company (PKCD) in Mueang Phuket district. The initiative was created

A 17-year-old Russian tourist who was reported missing has been found in critical condition in a Phuket hospital after reportedly being involved in a road accident. The teenager’s family lost contact with him at around 3am on October 4 and began searching for him. He had reportedly been staying in Bang Tao and was planning to meet friends on Bangla Road in Patong. According to information provided by people involved in the search, the teenager left his accommodation but never

A British man has alleged that he was seriously assaulted, restrained and forced to transfer cryptocurrency during an incident involving two Polish men and a close friend at a condominium in Phuket. The incident reportedly took place at around 11pm on September 29 at a condominium in the Chalong area. The man later shared his account publicly, and the case was reported on October 6. According to his account, the British man drove from Kamala to Chalong to meet a childhood fri

A 50-year-old Vietnamese national wanted under an INTERPOL Red Notice over an alleged property sales scheme has been detained in Phuket. Tang Ngoc Nho was detained on October 6 during a joint operation involving Phuket Immigration, Tourist Police, Special Branch Police and INTERPOL. Vietnamese authorities allege that Tang was entrusted with selling land and other property connected to 10 projects with a combined value of about 80 billion Vietnamese dong, equivalent to around

A 32-year-old Russian national was arrested off Phuket on October 4 after Marine Police allegedly found him working as a tour guide on a tourist boat without a work permit. The case began after a tourist filed a complaint alleging that the Russian man, identified as Konstantin, was working illegally as a guide. According to the complaint, he had been providing information about tourist attractions to a group of passengers aboard the boat. The tourist also told police that Kon

A 35-year-old American tourist was found dead in a hotel room in Patong on October 4, the day he was due to check out. Police found no visible injuries at the scene, while the cause of death remains pending an autopsy. Patong Police officers were called to the hotel on Ratsada Uthit 200 Pi Road at around 2pm after the man was discovered unresponsive inside his room. He was later identified as American national Smith Gray Allen. According to police, Allen was found lying on th

Two US Navy vessels carrying a combined 5,109 personnel have arrived in Phuket for a six-day visit from October 4 to October 9, with security and transport arrangements in place around Phuket Deep Sea Port. The visiting ships are the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77), carrying about 4,820 personnel, and the destroyer USS Delbert D. Black (DDG-119), with approximately 289 personnel on board. During the visit, US Navy personnel are expected to come ashore for rest

A 23-year-old delivery rider and amateur footballer has been arrested in connection with the alleged theft of more than 3.69 million baht in cash and valuables from the homes of two foreign residents in Phuket. The suspect, identified by police only as “A”, was detained at a checkpoint in Mai Khao, Thalang district, on October 2 as he was returning to Phuket. Police said the two theft cases were reported in Chalong on September 30. In the first case, 12 items, including a cam

Phuket authorities have extended heightened readiness for heavy rain, flash floods, landslides and rough sea conditions from October 4 through October 7, following a new forecast from Thailand’s Meteorological Department (TMD). The latest order covers another period of unsettled weather expected across Thailand from October 4 to 7, with thunderstorms, strong winds and locally heavy to very heavy rainfall. The southwest monsoon is also expected to continue affecting the Andama

Major General Surachai Suksai officially took over as commander of the Phuket Provincial Police on October 1, outlining public and tourist safety, the fight against drugs, transnational and cybercrime, and road safety among his main priorities. The formal handover took place at the Phuket Provincial Police headquarters. Former commander Major General Sinlert Sukhum handed the police flag to his successor, followed by a ceremony involving an honour guard. Sinlert was transferr

Three foreign nationals were arrested on October 1 after allegedly starting a fire on a public road and holding a party in the Bang Thao area of Thalang district, Phuket. The incident was recorded and shared on social media, drawing criticism over the potential risks to motorists, pedestrians and nearby properties. A video posted on social media on September 27 showed three or four foreigners gathered around a fire burning directly on the road. A woman in a revealing dress wa

An investigation into Chabad House Phuket in Patong has so far found no irregularities in the financial transactions examined, while authorities continue to review possible nominee shareholding, imported products and building-use issues at the premises. The investigation is part of a wider examination of the centre’s business structure, permits and activities. Phuket authorities were previously instructed to look into the property following concerns related to building use, f

A foreign man has allegedly assaulted a Phuket tuk tuk driver with a beer bottle after refusing to pay the fare following a ride from Patong to a hotel in Kathu district. The alleged incident was reported on October 1, although initial reports did not specify when the assault took place. According to the driver's account, he picked up the foreign man and a woman on Bangla Road and drove them to a nearby hotel. After arriving, the man reportedly said he did not have any cash t

A Saudi Arabian tourist and his 14-year-old daughter were hospitalised after the jet ski they were riding collided with another watercraft near Naka Island off Phuket’s east coast on September 29. The incident took place at around 5:50pm in the waters off Naka Island in Paklok subdistrict, Thalang district. The injured tourists were identified as 35-year-old Saeed Abdullah S. Al-Sadiq and his 14-year-old daughter, Arij Faisal A. Al-Deifi. According to the reported account, th

Phuket recorded more than 9.2 million visitors during the first eight months of 2026, although total arrivals were 1.76% lower than during the same period last year. At the same time, the island is preparing to add four new direct international routes before the start of the peak tourism season. Figures from the Tourism Authority of Thailand, presented at a Phuket provincial administration meeting on September 28, showed that 9,200,166 people visited the island between Januar

Two US Navy warships are scheduled to visit Phuket in early October, with the aircraft carrier USS George H.W. Bush (CVN-77) and destroyer USS Delbert D. Black (DDG-119) expected to arrive at the deep-sea port at Cape Panwa on October 5. The visit is scheduled to continue through October 10. Patong Police confirmed the planned port call in a September 29 update following a meeting at the police station with representatives of the US Embassy in Thailand, including Lou Pham and

A 28-year-old French national was critically injured in a shooting incident at a range in Kathu, Phuket, on September 28. Police are investigating the circumstances and have not yet confirmed exactly how the shooting occurred. Kathu Police were alerted at around 2:30pm and sent officers to the shooting range, where they found the injured man, identified as William Gill. Rescue workers provided first aid before taking him to Vachira Phuket Hospital. He reportedly suffered a se

A Thai woman in Phuket has reportedly lost more than 140,000 baht in gold and cash after a Moroccan man she met through a dating application allegedly stole valuables from her accommodation. The incident was brought to public attention by a friend of the woman, who contacted a local media page and asked for the story to be shared as a warning. The report was published on September 28, although the exact date and time of the alleged theft were not disclosed. According to the w

Phuket officially welcomed home America’s Got Talent 2026 champion Rattikarn “Nene Royal” Amloy and her family on September 27, following her victory in the international talent show. The official reception was held at the Khaw Sim Bee Meeting Hall of the Phuket Provincial Administrative Organization (PPAO). Phuket Governor Chotnarin Kerdsom led the ceremony, which was also attended by PPAO President Rewat Areerob. During the event, the Governor presented a royal portrait of