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Sawadee krap/ka, Phuket people! 🌊
The governor reissued a weather warning this week, and the PM’s office sent an inspector to review flood-prevention efforts. Green season is here, Phuket’s wet-season infrastructure is under scrutiny, and ideal beach weekends may need a Plan B, we’ve got some suggestions below.
On the coast, the PM personally pledged to resolve the long-running Freedom Beach access dispute, signaling how similar cases might be handled across the island.
On the upside: Nui Beach is accessible to the public again after an encroachment order, and on Tuesday, the Thai Cabinet confirmed it: visa-free stays for tourists from over 90 countries are being cut from 60 days to 30, effective once the paperwork moves.
This Week:
Freedom Beach: The PM vows to end the encroachment dispute once and for all.
Wet-season warning: Governor reissues flood alert - Plan B is a smart move this weekend.
Immigration fee shock: Address letters now cost THB 1,000. Budget accordingly.
Visa-free watch: Thailand cabinet agreed to cut from 60 to 30 days.
SLS Residences: 13 ultra-luxury villas just signed for Millionaire's Mile, Kamala.
Tonight: Joint Chambers Sundowners at SAii Laguna, DJ Nights at HALO Rooftop Karon.
Let's get into it. 👇
Governor reissued a formal wet-season warning this week. Expect heavy afternoon downpours, building west-coast swell, and drainage-prone roads in a mood. Pack a rain layer and treat beach plans as aspirational rather than scheduled.
The PM's office sent an inspector to push Phuket flood-action follow-through. Four provincial projects worth B21.7 million are moving - including a B9.9 million Highway 3033 upgrade in Mai Khao. Residents near drainage-prone roads should see long-term improvements, just not this weekend.
Joint Chambers Sundowners at SAii Laguna (THB 750 members / 1,400 non-members). Free DJ Nights at HALO Rooftop Bar, Karon from 7pm. Club night at BOA, Bangla Road from 9pm - free entry.
HKT airport immigration was recently inspected after congestion complaints. If you're doing a regional run or meeting arrivals, build in extra time at the gate. Improvements have been promised but aren't live yet.
Rain's Coming. You Know Where to Go.
The governor's weather warning is live and the afternoon sky is doing its best impression of a pressure washer. When the west-coast beaches are not cooperating, Wilson's Cafe has one reliable fix: proper coffee, a real burger, and no pretension on the menu or from the staff.
The Rawai location is a neighbourhood anchor - pet-friendly terrace, all-day breakfast from 7am, and a kitchen that keeps going into the evening. Wilson's Phuket Town runs 7am to 6pm if you're based in the old-town corridor. Both spots do real food at a fair price. No tourist markup, no soundtrack of other people's bucket lists.
Not leaving the house today? Wilson's is on GrabFood. Order in, let the rain handle itself, and call it a productive afternoon. 🍔
Go on. It's Friday.
Find Wilson's and order here ->
PM Vows to End the Freedom Beach Dispute - and What That Actually Means
Freedom Beach, a beautiful spot on Phuket's southwest coast, has long been caught between resort interests and public beach access. This week, Thailand's Prime Minister personally vowed to end the encroachment dispute, a notable escalation that signals the issue has moved beyond local administration to national priority.
The core tension: Thai beaches are legally public up to the high-tide line, but enforcement has historically been lax. A PM-level promise suggests real political will, high visibility, or both.
The stakes extend beyond one beach. Phuket has several similar coastal access disputes, and how this plays out could set a precedent and send a clear message to developers that public beach rights will be enforced from the top down.
That said, a vow isn't a decree. The real test will be whether concrete orders or deadlines follow from the Phuket Provincial Office in the coming weeks.
Short term: Nothing changes on the ground immediately. The beach remains accessible by longtail only and the current practical situation stays the same until enforcement actions are announced.
Medium term: If the PM's vow has teeth, expect formal encroachment removal orders and possible legal proceedings against the parties responsible for access restrictions. That process can move slowly but is harder to reverse once started at this level.
Bigger picture: This is a test case for coastal governance. If it succeeds, other beach-access disputes on the island become harder to defend. That is good news for residents who value public beach access as a baseline right.
The cabinet decision goes further than just cutting 60-day stays to 30 - it also caps visa-exempt entries at twice per calendar year. A third entry within the same year will be denied outright, unless you hold a passport from Malaysia, Brunei, Indonesia, or Singapore. India loses visa exemption entirely and reverts to visa-on-arrival. The Tourism Council of Thailand welcomed the crackdown in principle but called on the government to also simplify the legal pathway for foreign investors - pointing out that opaque registration processes are quietly pushing money into nominee structures and unlicensed hotel operations. The DTV remains the cleanest exit ramp for anyone who needs more than two visits a year.
A PM's office inspector arrived in Phuket this week to push flood-action implementation - a sign that the wet-season drainage problem has been escalated beyond the provincial level. Four public works projects worth a combined B21.7 million are now active, including a B9.9 million upgrade to Highway 3033 in Mai Khao. If you're near flood-prone roads - anywhere in Thalang, Cherng Talay, or lower-lying Patong side roads - this is the year's most practical infrastructure news.
Raimon Land and Ennismore signed the SLS Residences Phuket Kamala in May 2026 - 13 branded villas starting around THB 220 million each on Kamala's Millionaire's Mile. If that price tag feels abstract, the relevant signal is that Kamala's luxury positioning is hardening, not softening. The west coast just got more expensive to live near.
Airports of Thailand's Phase 2 expansion plan includes roughly THB 10 billion for Phuket Airport upgrades to push annual passenger capacity from 12.5 million to 18 million by 2029. More routes, less congestion on arrival - eventually. In the short term, expect the usual construction-era chaos around the Mai Khao access roads.
We reach thousands of focused readers every Friday. If it's happening on the island, we want to know about it.
Submit here ->Swap, Recycle, and Actually Meet People: Junkyard Theatre's Swap Connect Event Is Tomorrow
If you have been meaning to clear out some clothes, meet people who don't revolve around beach clubs, and maybe leave with something useful, Saturday's Swap Connect Event at Junkyard Theatre (11am-3pm, Sat 23 May) is the most community-minded thing on the island this weekend.
The concept is simple: bring your preloved clothes, swap them for something you actually want. But Junkyard Theatre layers on hard-to-recycle drop-off collection, a DIY workshop, aerial performances, and live music - which turns a clothes swap into a proper social afternoon. This is the kind of grassroots event that Phuket's expat community is genuinely good at organising when it decides to show up for each other.
For newer arrivals, this is also one of the fastest ways to meet people outside the usual resort-restaurant-beach-club loop. The crowd at Junkyard Theatre events tends to be more interested in actual island life than in performing it for Instagram. Sort your closet, pick up something new, and make a Saturday of it. ♻
Full event details ->Bundle Your Immigration Admin in One Trip - and Budget More Than You Used To
Three things changed at Phuket Immigration in quick succession this year and they all point in the same direction: your trip is going to take longer and cost more than it did six months ago. Here is the current state of play.
The hack: If you have multiple immigration tasks coming up - 90-day report, address letter, any certificate - batch them into one dedicated morning trip rather than making separate runs. The time cost per visit has gone up even before you factor in the queue.
The Phuket Town Comfort-Food Circuit Under ฿300
Nam Yoi - Phuket Town
There's a category of Phuket Town eating that doesn't photograph well, never shows up in resort concierge guides, and is entirely run by local families who have been doing the same dish for thirty years. When the afternoon rain hits and the beach clubs lose their appeal, this is where you go.
Nam Yoi Restaurant (Ratsada side, Phuket Town) goes deeper into Southern Thai. The Tom Som Pla is a sharp, tamarind-sour fish soup that tastes nothing like what tourist menus describe as "southern curry." Budget THB 100-250. If you haven't crossed into the more aggressively regional end of Phuket cooking, this is a good entry point without the food-hall chaos.
After: Walk or ride to Nam Yoi for the main Southern Thai spread. If it's raining when you leave, cut across to Chillva Market for a cold drink and live music under the container canopies.
THB 194 Billion in Unsold Stock and an Ultra-Luxury Wave Coming Ashore
The oversupply problem. Nation Thailand puts Phuket as Thailand's second-largest real-estate market by unsold value at THB 194.545 billion. Average unsold unit price: THB 12.921 million. Residential investment is expected to cool further in 2026 after peaking at THB 190 billion in 2024. That is a lot of supply chasing demand that is real but not unlimited.
The high end keeps climbing. CBRE says resort-home villa sales rose 23% in 2024, driven by foreign buyers, remote workers, and long-stay families. SLS Residences Kamala - 13 villas from THB 220 million each - just signed this month. The luxury segment is not cooling. Everything below it is more complicated.
Strongest residential zones. Bang Tao, Cherng Talay, Rawai, Kata, Karon, and Phuket Town remain the standout areas by demand. If you are renting or buying, the story in these zones is still competition rather than vacancy - which is a different story from the headline unsold-inventory number.
What's listed right now. Recent Hawook listings include a 2-bed condo at CANVAS Cherngtalay at THB 12.5 million, Surfhouse Residences Bang Tao at THB 15.9 million, and a 3-bed villa near UWC (Alinda) at THB 27.82 million. The mid-market villa corridor around Thalang and Thep Krasattri is showing more inventory than a year ago.
Foreigners can own condo units within the 49% foreign floor-area quota. Land ownership remains heavily restricted. Claims of "0% tax" or "unlimited stay rights" through luxury purchases are misleading - authorities have issued formal warnings. The reduced transfer and mortgage registration fee of 0.01% on properties up to THB 7 million remains in force until June 30, 2026.
Things Worth Knowing This Week
The Phuket Immigration Volunteer group has about 20 active members across four service points including Phuket Town, Patong, and Blue Tree - and they are struggling to find suitable recruits. If you speak Thai and English and want to help long-stayers navigate the immigration system, this is a direct practical contribution to the community. Find out how to get involved ->
Phuket Pride is shaping up to be its largest edition yet across Patong and surrounding areas. The full programme runs from 29 May to 7 June. We'll have a proper feature next edition - if you or your business are involved, now is the time to get in touch.
Thai Seaplane plans to launch Phuket's first commercial seaplane service in September, connecting Phuket with Krabi, Phi Phi, the Similan Islands, and Koh Lipe. The Phuket-Krabi leg takes around 20 minutes - versus three hours by road - with one-way fares capped at around THB 4,850. The fleet starts at one aircraft and is expected to grow to five within three years, with docking facilities already completed in Krabi. Seventy percent of passengers are expected to be foreign luxury travellers. It is not cheap and it is not for everyone, but if it runs on schedule it quietly solves one of the more tedious regional day-trip logistics problems on the Andaman coast. Full details ->
| Date | Event | Venue | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wed-Fri 20-22 May | Phuket Indy Market | Limelight Avenue, Phuket Town | Free entry |
| Thu 21 May | Skål Phuket May Dinner | Sipping Tiger, InterContinental Phuket, Kamala | THB 1,300 members / 1,700 non |
| Thu 21 May | Reggae Rumble - Julian Marley | Lotus Arena, Cherng Talay | THB 2,950 |
| Thu-Sat 21-23 May | Chillva Market | Yaowarat Road, Phuket Town | Free entry |
| Fri 22 May | Joint Chambers Briefing - Hotel Market Outlook | SAii Laguna Phuket, Cherngtalay | Free (with Sundowners) |
| Fri 22 May | Joint Chambers Sundowners | SAii Laguna Phuket, Cherngtalay | THB 750 members / 1,400 non |
| Fri 22 May | DJ Nights at HALO Rooftop Bar | GLOW Mira Karon Beach, Karon | Free entry |
| Fri 22 May | Regency Grill Night | Hyatt Regency Phuket, Kamala | THB 999+++ (incl. soft drinks) |
| Fri 22 May | The House Party at BOA Club | BOA Club, Bangla Road, Patong | Free entry |
| Sat 23 May | Swap Connect Event | Junkyard Theatre Phuket | Free entry |
| Sat 23 May | Azzurra Saturday Italian Feast | Angsana Laguna Phuket, Thalang | THB 1,690++ / THB 845++ |
| Sat 23 May | KEE TIKI'S Pool Party | The KEE Resort, Patong | THB 450 (combo incl.) |
| Sat 23 May | Mixology Unleashed - Native x Analogue | InterContinental Phuket, Kamala | Free entry |
| Sat 23 May | Noizu at Illuzion Phuket | Illuzion, Bangla Road, Patong | THB 500 |
| Sat-Sun 23-24 May | Naka Weekend Night Market | Naka Market, Phuket Town area | Free entry |
| Sun 24 May | Sunday Fun Day Race | Phuket Yacht Club, Chalong | Free entry |
| Sun 24 May | Sunday Walking Street (Lard Yai) | Thalang Road, Old Town | Free entry |
Full calendar: phuketcommunity.com/events - Submit your event: Submit here
We are opening a limited number of featured spots per edition for local businesses that genuinely serve the island. Thousands of focused readers every Friday. If that sounds like a fit, hit reply.
Thailand cuts the visa-free window to 30 days. What's your move?
A) Already on a proper visa - this changes nothing for me
B) Time to apply for the DTV or LTR - been putting it off long enough
C) More frequent border runs - annoying but manageable
D) Reconsidering whether Phuket is the right long-term base
Reply to this email with your letter. Results next week.
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That's your week wrapped. The PM is finally taking a swing at Freedom Beach, the governor wants you to respect the weather, and your weekend has more going on than you'll manage to fit in. Sabai sabai. 🌊
See you next Friday - The Phuket Community Team 🇹🇭
