The following is our weekly feature in which we highlight the top local stories in our area of Phuket from the past week. The number of stories differs from week to week.

These are chosen and curated by our editorial team and are designed for our readers to get a quick “catch-up” of important stories they may have missed. We publish many stories daily and it is easy to lose track of important events or changes in our area. We do national recaps in a separate article, this is only the top local stories in Phuket and nearby provinces.

They are in no particular order of importance but roughly in order of publishing. These are from Monday, December 25th to Sunday December 31st 2023.

1. A Russian man was arrested at the Phuket International Airport after he has allegedly been involved in the attempted murder of a foreign man.

Phuket Immigration has confirmed that a Russian man who was arrested at the Phuket International Airport had allegedly hired a gunman to shoot another Russian man at Boat Avenue in Cherng Talay.

The case has captivated many on social media.

2. Annual religious ceremonies were held at the Tsunami Memorial Wall in Maikhao for the 19^th year of remembrance for the victims of the 2004 Boxing Day Tsunami in Phuket.

We here at The Phuket Express give condolences to the survivors and family members of the victims.

3. Twenty-eight Chinese nationals who entered the country with tourist visas were arrested after they were found illegally working at a construction site in Cherng Talay.

They were found doing construction and interior decoration work. They received 3,000 baht per day but were told they would only be paid after working for two months.

4. Phuket has announced in total four road accidents with four injuries on the first day (December 29^th) of the New Year Seven Day Road Safety campaign.

Phuket has announced in total 12 road accidents with 12 injuries in two days (December 29th – December 30th) of the New Year Seven Day Road Safety campaign (December 29^th, 2023 to January 4th, 2024).

No deaths were reported.

5. A Russian teen was arrested after he allegedly tried using a knife to slash his own mother’s neck in Thalang.

The young Russian man had arrived at the Phuket Tourist Police Station in distress and might be the suspect.

That’s it for this week, Happy New Year !