Phuket’s Biggest Stories From the Past Week: Syrians Arrested with Fake UAE passports, and More 

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.

They are in no particular order of importance but roughly in order of publishing. These are from Monday, April 22nd to Sunday April 28th, 2024.

1. A 41-year-old Canadian man was arrested in Patong, Phuket, for possessing ecstasy and cocaine and working without a work permit.

During the arrest, police seized from the suspect two ecstasy pills, and 0.30 grams of cocaine.

2. Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin recently convened discussions with Phuket officials, consuls, and honorary consuls. As one of the world’s most sought-after paradises for visitors, Phuket recognizes the need to prioritize safety and maintain a secure environment.

The island has had a number of incidents that have gone viral, many involving foreigners, that have driven attention to it in recent months.

3. A Syrian man was arrested at Phuket International Airport after he was found to be using a fake UAE passport.

Two more Syrian Men were arrested in Phuket after they were found with fake UAE passports.

Please use your real passport, say authorities.

4. Authorities apprehended a suspect identified only as Mr. Z, a 61-year-old Israeli national, at his residence. They discovered three macaques, appearing to be in poor health, confined within a cage.

He admitted to the police that he lacked the necessary legal documentation for the monkeys.

5. An unidentified male foreign motorcyclist was caught on camera cutting a police chain used to immobilize his motorbike, which was parked in a no-parking zone in Phuket Old Town.

The act of cutting the police chain constitutes damage to government property, an offense that carries legal consequences far above any fine for unauthorized parking.

That’s it for this week. Be safe!