Phuket’s Biggest Stories From the Past Week: Phuket Voted World’s Best Tourist Destination, 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, May 6th to Sunday May 12th, 2024

1. A Russian man was arrested on Monday (May 6^th) in Phuket after he was found allegedly illegally working online.

Officers were notified by a concerned good citizen that a foreigner was working providing massages illegally via Instagram and Whatsapp.

2. A man was shot dead while he was hunting with his friend at a forest in Karon. He claimed that he mistook his friend for a mouse-deer.

He was on a hill when he saw red eyes above the hill which he thought were that of a mouse-deer.

3. The Sirinat National Park has announced the temporary closure of an island in Thalang after sea water temperatures have increased which has caused coral bleaching.

High water temperature causes coral to expel their algae and lose their colors then turn white.

4. Minister Attached to the Prime Minister’s Office, has reported that international media have named Phuket the best tourist destination in the world for 2024.

Phuket serves as an exemplary model of tourism that not only enhances the nation’s wealth but also generates community income and increases state revenue through taxes, which can be reinvested in the country’s further development, said the Thai Government.

5. A half British, half Thai man was arrested in Bangkok after he allegedly posted a defamatory review online to an Italian restaurant in Thalang after an entrance dispute.

The restaurant later found that their Google restaurant review stars had significantly decreased. The man allegedly posted multiple negative fake reviews under different accounts and encouraged friends to “review bomb” the restaurant.

6. During a recent inspection in Patong, Phuket, led by Deputy Interior Minister Chada Thaiset, it was discovered that 19 hotels were allegedly operating illegally without the necessary permits.

Mr. Chada urged anyone facing issues to report them to the appropriate government authorities, affirming the commitment to safeguarding Thai occupations from foreign takeover.

That’s it for this week. Be safe!