Phuket’s Biggest Stories From the Past Week: Thai Prime Minister Visited Phuket, 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 15th to Sunday April 21st, 2024.

1. Thai social media posted a viral video of two foreigners having a dispute after one became upset after being sprayed with a water gun on Thaweewong Road, Patong Beach, Phuket.

Police stated the incident was considered closed and neither man had filed legal charges or police reports.

2. Phuket has announced a total of one death with 49 road accidents and 48 injuries in the seven days (April 11^th, 2024 to April 17th, 2024) of the ‘Songkran Road Safety Campaign 2024′.

One death was recorded for Mueang Phuket District as seen below.

An intoxicated Russian rider was pronounced dead at the scene while his Russian passenger, his wife, sustained injuries after a motorbike crash in Karon on Wednesday morning (April 17^th) which marked the first death of the Songkran Seven Days Road Safety Campaign.

3. Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin has directed the Provincial Police Region 8 Commander in Phuket Province to intensify efforts in apprehending individuals with bad influence who continuously violate the law.

The Prime Minister delivered policy directives, stating that over the past six months, there have been numerous arrests related to drug offenses.

4. Thai Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin conducted an on-site inspection to monitor the progress of infrastructure construction and address issues in the area of Phuket province.

The Prime Minister is confident that everyone is a professional and emphasizes the importance of agencies ensuring public safety in traffic matters, and caring for the people in terms of electricity, water supply, and bridges.

5. A transgender woman has been pronounced dead after being hit by a wave while standing on a rock and taking a selfie at Patong Beach.

Chananchida’s unidentified friend told police that they were taking selfie photos on a rock. Chananchida was suddenly hit by a wave before being dragged down into the sea.

Three Thai tourists have been rescued from drowning at the Nai Harn Beach in Rawai.

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

The suspect, whose name has been withheld, faced charges for working without a work permit and possession of illegal drugs for personal use.

That’s it for this week. Be safe!

The original version of this article appeared on our sister website, The Phuket Express, owned by our parent company TPN media.