Phuket’s Biggest Stories From the Past Week: Karon Bus Crash, 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, January 27th to Sunday February 2nd, 2024.

1. A 65-year-old Korean man reported to the Thalang Police on January 25th, after discovering his luggage was unusually heavy, leading to the discovery of five kilograms of an illegal substance at a hotel in Thalang, Phuket.

Korean National Involved in Drug Smuggling Incident in Phuket

Police have not yet disclosed whether the Korean man provided any further details about the circumstances under which he accepted the luggage from the foreigner.

2. The Kamala Police are actively searching for a group of foreign riders who broke through a checkpoint.

Kamala Police Search for Foreign Riders Who Broke Through Checkpoint – VIDEO

Phuket police set up a checkpoint in Kamala early on January 26th when a group of foreign tourists on motorcycles evaded inspection, nearly allegedly hitting an officer before fleeing toward Patong Beach. 

Foreign Tourists Caught Fleeing Phuket Police Checkpoint Face Legal Consequences

3. Phuket International Airport clarified an incident involving a foreign passenger urinating in the international arrivals hall on January 30th, after footage circulated on social media.

Phuket Airport Responds to Viral Video of Passenger Urinating in Terminal

The passenger, a Saudi Arabian national on Indigo Air flight 6E1072 to Mumbai, was reportedly intoxicated and unable to control himself. Airline staff deemed him unfit to fly and denied him boarding for safety reasons.

4. A tour bus carrying passengers, including foreign Chinese tourists, veered off a main road in Karon, plunging down a hill.

Nine People, Including Chinese Tourists, Injured after Tour Bus Crash in Karon

A tour bus driver claimed that the road was slippery causing the crash that left nine people injured, including foreign tourists, in Karon, Phuket.

UPDATE: Driver Blames Slippery Road Following Tour Bus Crash in Phuket That Injured Multiple Foreign Tourists

There were four Chinese tourists in a family, a Russian couple, a German tourist, and a female Thai tourist on the bus. 

5. A man was taken into custody after firing gunshots during a noise dispute with his neighbor at a housing estate in Rassada, Phuket City.

Man Arrested After Firing Gunshots Over Noise Dispute in Rassada

The suspect was taken into custody but was later released, although it wasn’t clear immediately why.

6. Mr. Raywat Areerob has once again been elected as the President of the Phuket Provincial Administration Organisation (OrBorJor), securing his position for another term.

Raywat to Continue PAO Position after Winning Phuket Provincial Administration Organisation Election

His political career is extensive, having served as a Phuket Democrat Member of Parliament and previously holding the position of assistant secretary to the Deputy Minister of Public Health. His involvement in politics spans over 35 years.

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.