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A suspected burglar in Rawai, Phuket, was captured on CCTV after allegedly breaking into a home, searching through the property, taking valuables and behaving unusually before leaving the scene. The incident reportedly took place at around 3:04am on September 3. CCTV images were not published until September 15, when the Phuket Times Facebook page shared four still photographs in an apparent effort to warn local residents and help identify the man. According to the report, th

An Australian tourist has received a refund after a Phuket taxi driver reportedly charged him 3,500 baht for a journey that should have cost around 800 baht. The case has sparked criticism from Thai residents, who questioned whether returning the excess fare should be enough to resolve a possible legal violation. The incident was reported by several local news outlets over the weekend. The 26-year-old Australian was visiting Phuket for the first time and arrived through Phuke

A female ride-hailing driver in Phuket was taken to hospital after suddenly developing dizziness, weakness and breathing difficulties while transporting four foreign passengers in Patong on September 12. The woman said she believed the group may have sprayed an unidentified substance on her and suspected an attempt to drug her. The incident was reported by the Phuket Times Facebook page on September 13. According to the report, it happened at around 9pm while the driver was t

Thai police have arrested a 52-year-old Chinese national wanted by authorities in China after he overstayed his permitted stay in Thailand by 2,823 days — nearly eight years. The suspect, identified as Mr. Yong, was apprehended at around 7:30 p.m. on Sunday, September 13, near a residence on Chao Fah Road in Phuket Town. Officers from the Technology Crime Suppression Division (TCSD) and Phuket Provincial Police acted on information provided by the Chinese Embassy in Bangkok,

Provincial authorities in Phuket conducted a late-night inspection of the “Sod” entertainment venue in Talad Nuea, Muang District, following complaints about loud music and alleged drug use. The operation began at around 11:30 p.m. over the weekend and was led by Apichat Chantrawong, Chief of the Muang District Security Division. During the inspection, officials conducted narcotics tests on employees and randomly selected patrons. A total of 54 people were screened, and all t

A video circulating on Thai social media shows a foreign tourist sticking out his tongue at a motorcycle rider during a dispute over a 40-baht fare for a ride booked through a ride-hailing app. According to the Facebook post that shared the footage, the rider completed the trip and took the passenger to his destination as usual. However, when it was time to pay, the tourist allegedly refused to hand over the fare. The post claims that the rider spent about an hour trying to p

Phuket Immigration police have arrested a 48-year-old American man wanted in Texas after US authorities alerted Thai officials to his presence in Thailand. The man, identified only as Brad, was arrested outside his residence in Talad Nuea, Phuket, by a special operations team led by Acting Police Major Adisorn Boonchum of Phuket Immigration. His permission to remain in Thailand had already been revoked under the country’s Immigration Act following a formal request from the US

An American tourist was found dead inside his hotel room in Patong after staff had not seen him for around five days and he failed to check out as scheduled. Police have launched an investigation to determine the cause of death. Patong Police in Kathu district were notified at around 1:50pm on September 7 after the Patong police radio centre received a report about a hotel guest who had not left his room for approximately five days and had missed his scheduled checkout by one

An eight-year-old girl was killed and her uncle injured in a collision involving a motorcycle and a six-wheel truck in Chalong, Phuket, on the evening of September 4. The accident happened at around 5:10pm on Chao Fah East Road near a section of the road where construction work was underway. Deputy Inspector Pol. Lt. Phubodi Narinrat of Chalong Police Station received a report of the serious crash, prompting rescue teams from the Ruamjai Phuket Foundation to be sent to the sc

Two diving boat operators were arrested at Racha Yai Island in Phuket on September 4 after marine officials found their vessels tied to mooring bases in a way that could damage nearby coral reefs. The inspection was carried out by the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) at Ao Tue on Racha Yai following a complaint from a local resident. The complainant reported that diving boats had been left moored in the area for several days, with their sterns attached direct

A foreign man is suspected of spraying an unknown substance on a Thai pharmacist in Patong, Phuket, in what the victim believes may have been an attempted robbery. The incident happened at around 12:22am on September 2 at Mookda Pharmacy in the Patong area. The pharmacist, Pijet Intarakaset, who runs the store, later described the incident on Facebook and shared screenshots from the pharmacy’s CCTV system. According to the footage, the man arrived at the pharmacy on a motorcy

Four foreign tourists have drawn criticism after riding jet skis dangerously close to a large passenger boat near Ao Por Pier in Phuket, forcing the vessel to slow down and leaving people on board alarmed. The incident happened on September 3 in the sea between Ao Por Pier and Koh Naka Yai at around 11am. A video showing the incident was later shared widely on Thai social media. The footage shows four jet skis travelling at high speed and approaching the passenger boat. The r

A dispute over a barber shop bill turned into a physical confrontation in Patong, Phuket, on August 31 after a Jordanian tourist allegedly refused to pay an additional charge for hair services. The incident attracted attention on social media after a Facebook post claimed that a foreign tourist had refused to pay for a haircut and then punched a barber. The man was initially described online as Israeli. Patong Police later responded to a report of a fight near the end of Soi

A 19-year-old food delivery rider died in Phuket after his motorcycle crashed into an exposed drainage pipe at a road construction site in Wichit. Police are investigating whether negligence by the contractor responsible for the work contributed to the fatal accident. Wichit Police Station received a report of the crash at around 5pm on September 1. The victim, identified as Teeraphat, was reportedly a university student who worked as a food delivery rider during his free tim

A Russian man was found dead inside his condominium room in Kathu district, Phuket, on August 30. Police are investigating the circumstances and cause of his death. Officers from Kathu Police Station received a report concerning the death of Russian national Maksim Tarasov at around 9pm on August 30. According to Amarin TV, Tarasov was found lying face down beside the bed in room 24/89. Police found no apparent signs of a struggle or other unusual circumstances inside the roo

A drug investigation in Phuket expanded after the arrest of three teenagers led police to another suspect and resulted in the seizure of more than five kilogrammes of crystal methamphetamine on August 30. Border Patrol Police arrested three suspects aged between 17 and 19 after finding approximately 2.68 kilogrammes of crystal methamphetamine and 131.9 grammes of ketamine in their possession. Officers also confiscated drug paraphernalia, a digital weighing scale and four mobi

Six people were taken to hospital after an interprovincial bus travelling from Hat Yai to Phuket crashed in Phang Nga early on August 29. The bus struck a power pole near the final section of its journey, shortly before reaching Phuket. Emergency responders received a report of the accident at around 4:42am. The crash occurred at a traffic-light intersection in Khok Kloi, opposite the new bus terminal. According to Kusoldharm Loma rescue workers, 22 people were on board the b

Thai authorities have detained an American national in Phuket who is wanted by US authorities under eight arrest warrants related to alleged sexual offences against children. Lance Beck, 48, was located at a hotel in Phuket on August 29 following a request from the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). Thai police said the American is accused of sexually abusing children under the age of 14 and recording the alleged abuse on video before fleeing to Thailand. The allegatio

Police in Thailand’s Region 8 have arrested a Phuket-based woman suspected of defrauding tourists through a fake luxury villa rental scheme. The investigation began after Russian visitors reported transferring money for accommodation only to discover upon arrival that no reservations had been made in their names. The suspect, identified as Thanaporn and also known as Yu, was arrested at around 6:00 a.m. on August 26 at a house in Thalang. Police have not released her surname.

Phuket Immigration police have arrested a 24-year-old Vietnamese national who was wanted internationally under an Interpol Red Notice in connection with allegations of fraud and embezzlement involving millions of baht. The suspect, identified only as Mr Nguyen, had reportedly been living and working in Patong after Vietnamese authorities issued an international arrest warrant. Phuket Immigration officers launched surveillance after receiving information about his whereabouts