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Thailand's Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, Sukhumbhand Chomklin, has instructed the Department of Forestry to continue taking firm action against illegal occupation of protected forest land in Phuket after rejecting an appeal submitted by investors accused of encroachment. The dispute involves an area within the Naka Kerd mountain range, close to Nui Beach, where authorities say private investors built 39 structures inside a national reserved forest. Earlier, t

Authorities in Phuket have intensified inspections of jet ski operators, resulting in action against 23 illegally operated watercraft as part of a campaign to improve safety standards in the island's marine tourism sector. The enforcement operation was carried out by the Phuket Regional Marine Office following instructions from Deputy Transport Minister Sornphet Boonyamanee, who recently visited the province and called for stricter supervision of maritime tourism businesses.

A nine-year-old student from Phuket has earned international recognition after winning two first-place awards at the International STEM Olympiad & Coding Olympiad – Grand Final 2026 in Rome, Italy. Pavin "Pace" Pattanavekin, a Grade 3 student at True Coding School Phuket, achieved the outstanding result while competing against students significantly older than himself. The school announced his success on July 12, and the achievement has since attracted widespread attention ac

A two-day auction of Phuket’s special “lucky” vehicle registration plates has generated 45,018,586 baht for Thailand’s Road Safety Fund, with overall proceeds surpassing last year’s total despite lower sales for the newest plate series. The auction was held on July 11–12 at Royal Phuket City Hotel in Phuket Town, with bidders able to participate both in person and online. The Phuket Office of the Department of Land Transport (DLT Phuket) confirmed the final revenue down to th

Thailand's Cabinet has approved a revised framework for the country's visa-free entry programme, paving the way for a return to the standard 30-day visa exemption instead of the current 60-day stay. However, the new rules have not yet entered into force, and no implementation date has been announced. The decision was approved on July 14, nearly two months after the Cabinet endorsed the initial proposal. During that period, a government committee refined the draft before prese

The Phuket Parkland & MusicFest will return to Mai Khao later this month, bringing three days of live music, local food, shopping and family-friendly entertainment to the island’s northern district. The festival will take place from July 24 to 26 at Phuket Gateway, also known as Phuket City Gate, one of the island’s newest event venues. Plans for this year’s event were officially unveiled on July 5 during a press conference at Limelight Phuket, attended by Phuket Provincial A

Phuket authorities have intensified inspections of hotels applying to renew their operating licences as part of a broader effort to improve safety, service quality and legal compliance across the island's hospitality sector. Governor Chotnarin Kerdsom has instructed Deputy Governor Romdon Hayiawa and inspection teams to begin reviewing hotels undergoing the licence renewal process. The latest inspections covered six hotels in Karon. According to Deputy Governor Romdon, the pr

Teenage musician Rattikan "Nene Royal" Amlai from Phuket has received official recognition from the Thai government as she prepares to compete in the next round of America's Got Talent (AGT). On the morning of July 14, Thailand's Minister of Tourism and Sports, Surasak Phancharoenworakul, introduced the young performer to Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul during a meeting at Government House in Bangkok. The gathering highlighted the government's intention to support talented

Thailand's Deputy Interior Minister Polapi Suwanachawi has continued a high-profile inspection tour of Phuket, focusing on disputed land use and illegal business operations as part of the government's ongoing campaign to restore order in the province. The visit marks the second inspection by senior officials from Bangkok in less than a month. Accompanying the deputy minister were Ronnarong Thepsiri, Deputy Director-General of the Department of Provincial Administration (DOPA)

Phuket's long-awaited Kathu–Patong tunnel remains one of the island's highest-priority transport projects, but revised plans have pushed it back to an earlier stage of the approval process, requiring a new review by Thailand's Cabinet. The change became public during a recent visit to Phuket by Deputy Transport Minister Sapphasit Boonyamanee, who confirmed that the project had been modified and must now be resubmitted to the Cabinet. If approved, officials expect the proposal

Phuket will host another auction of Thailand’s highly sought-after special vehicle registration plates this weekend, giving motorists the opportunity to bid on lucky number combinations while supporting road safety initiatives across the country. Unlike in many countries, the sale of premium license plates in Thailand is conducted through an official government auction. The proceeds are directed to the Road Safety Fund, which finances traffic safety projects and provides assi

Authorities in Phuket have begun enforcing a Supreme Court ruling ordering the demolition of a hotel development found to have illegally occupied protected land within Sirinat National Park. According to the Phuket Provincial Public Relations Office, the action forms part of the government's "Phuket Model", a province-wide initiative aimed at reclaiming protected land, accelerating legal proceedings involving encroachment, and revoking unlawfully issued land documents. Offici

A 16-year-old musician from Phuket has captured international attention after earning unanimous approval from the judges during her audition on America’s Got Talent, moving one step closer to her ambition of becoming a globally recognized artist. Rattikarn "Praew" Amloy, who performs under the stage name Nene Royal, is well known to visitors of Naka Night Market, where she regularly plays with her rock band, Ozone. The group has become a familiar attraction for both Thai resi

Phuket authorities have formally launched the nationwide anti-drug campaign “Operation 90 Days,” although enforcement activities and the first arrests under the initiative had already begun on the island last week. The official opening ceremony took place on July 7 in front of Phuket Provincial Hall, where provincial agencies held a briefing followed by a symbolic deployment of officers assigned to the operation. The event was led by Governor Chotnarin Kerdsom, who recently a

Emirates has expanded its Thailand network by introducing a third daily service between Dubai and Phuket, increasing its schedule on the route to 21 flights per week. According to the airline's announcement on July 6, the additional service operates under flight numbers EK390 and EK391. The Dubai–Phuket route is now served by a combination of Boeing 777 and Airbus A350 aircraft. The new EK390 flight departs Dubai at 10:40 p.m. and arrives in Phuket at 8:10 a.m. the following

Phuket authorities have ordered the removal of illegal structures at Freedom Beach, giving occupants until August 5 to vacate the area and demolish 22 unauthorized buildings. The official notices and enforcement order from Thailand’s Royal Forest Department (RFD) were posted at the beach and in the surrounding forest on July 6. A similar order, with a July 9 deadline, was previously issued for Nui Beach. According to the Phuket office of the Public Relations Department (PR Ph

Primary school students at Kajonkiet Thalang School in Phuket took part in a safety training exercise focused on emergency response procedures, including how to react if an armed attacker enters the school. The exercise was organized by the school, with support from officers of the Cherng Talay Police Station, who also shared information about the event on social media. According to the school, the training was designed to help students understand the basic steps they should

Vietnam Airlines has officially launched direct flights between Ho Chi Minh City and Phuket, marking the airline's debut on the route. The inaugural flight, VN621, landed at Phuket International Airport on the evening of July 2 with 152 passengers on board, according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT). The aircraft arrived at 5:50 p.m., where passengers were welcomed with a ceremonial reception attended by senior representatives from TAT, Vietnam Airlines, Phuket Inte

Residents of Phuket are being encouraged to donate blood throughout July as the Phuket Regional Blood Center (Phuket RBC) and the Blood Bank of Vachira Phuket Hospital continue efforts to maintain adequate blood supplies for hospitals across the province. In addition to regular donation opportunities at their permanent facilities, both organizations have scheduled numerous mobile blood collection events at shopping malls, hotels, businesses, government offices, and other loca

Phuket authorities have issued a final appeal to hotel and entertainment venue operators who are still operating without licenses or have not yet completed the licensing process, urging them to seek assistance and submit applications by July 2, 2026. Governor Chotinarin Kerdsom said the initiative follows policies introduced by the Ministry of Interior and the Department of Provincial Administration to help businesses comply with legal requirements while promoting transparent