Phuket’s Biggest Stories From the Past Week: Saudi Arabian Tourists and Taxi Driver Fined after Brawl, 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 and nearby provinces.

They are in no particular order of importance but roughly in order of publishing. These are from Monday, December 30th to Sunday January 5th, 2024.

  1. A young Thai man has been charged with attempted murder after he allegedly stabbed a Danish man at a hotel in Patong following an altercation.

Thai Man Charged with Attempted Murder after Stabbing Danish Man in Patong

His Thai girlfriend told the police that they had stopped to use a public toilet at the hotel in Patong. In the toilet, they encountered the Thai man who got into a verbal and then physical altercation with the Danish man, although the exact nature of the argument was unclear.

2. The body of a missing South Korean Man was found off Pha Ngan Island in Surat Thani.

UPDATE: Body of Missing South Korean Found off Pha Ngan Island

Phangan have charged a 46-year-old boat driver, Mr. Phatthapong, with negligence causing death, and illegal use of methamphetamine.

Update: Boat Driver Charged with Negligence and Drug Use Following Koh Phangan Tragedy

3. A Saudi Arabian tourist and a taxi driver were fined 500 Baht each after fighting in Thalang.

Saudi Arabian Tourists and Taxi Driver Fined after Brawl in Thalang – VIDEO

Both tourists and the taxi driver have been charged with committing a forcible attack against another party. Both parties have admitted to the charge. They were fined 500 Baht each before they apologized to each other.

4. An alarming incident took place on Patong Hill, where a tour bus collided with two taxi cars on Phra Baramee Road, resulting in injuries to three foreign tourists.

Foreign Tourists Injured after Bus Crash on Patong Hill

Phra Baramee Road, which connects Kathu to Patong, has been the site of several notable accidents over the years, often attributed to its challenging topography.

5. A tragic accident occurred on Saturday, January 4th, resulting in the death of an unidentified foreign rider after his motorbike crashed at the infamous Limsan Curve on Wichit Songkram Road.

Unidentified Foreign Rider Dies after Motorbike Crash in Kathu

The rider, who was not wearing a helmet, was thrown onto the road.

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.

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Goongnang Suksawat
Goong Nang is a News Translator who has worked professionally for multiple news organizations in Thailand for many years and has worked with The Pattaya News for five years. Specializes primarily in local news for Phuket, Pattaya, and also some national news, with emphasis on translation between Thai to English and working as an intermediary between reporters and English-speaking writers. Originally from Nakhon Si Thammarat, but lives in Phuket and Krabi except when commuting between the three.