Sawadee krap/ka, island family! 🌴⚔️

This Friday we do things a little differently. Today we hand the spotlight over to two women who - 240 years ago - pulled off the greatest military bluff in Thai history, saved an entire island, and somehow never made it onto the global history curriculum. Chan and Mook, we see you. 💚

This week: the Heroines Festival kicks off tonight (go north, trust us), 130,000 workers are caught in a work permit logjam, Phuket just shook a little, Bangkok Hospital goes full sci-fi with cancer screening, and BISP is adding a whole new diploma track. Oh, and Carlita, Dixon and a snow crab buffet are all competing for your Saturday night. Good luck choosing.

Grab your coconut water. It's Heroines Week. 🥥🗡️

Sun, heat, and a few rumbling night storms ahead. Phuket stays hot all week. 🌞🌩️

• Weather: Peak dry season in full effect. Temps sitting at 32-34C, brilliant skies, low humidity in the mornings. The kind of weather that makes March your favourite month - until noon. SPF 50 is not optional. ☀️🌩️
• Tonight: The Phuket Heroines Monument Festival opens at the Victory Field in Thalang - FREE entry, 5pm start, main show at 8pm. This runs all weekend. Don't sleep on it. Full breakdown below. ⚔️
• Tremor check: Residents may have felt mild shaking March 8-9 from a cluster of 12 small earthquakes (magnitudes 1.7-3.5) centered in Surat Thani. No damage, no panic, just a gentle reminder we're in Southeast Asia. 🌍
• Patong Beach Run: Happening this Sunday, March 15. If your trainers are dusty, now is the time. 🏃Festival kicks off in just one week. Scroll for the full lineup 👇

Relax and rejuvenate in our beautiful oasis.

Seven years ago, the land where Ton Mai Spa now sits was nearly turned into a condominium project. At the heart of the property stood a 150-year-old tamarind tree. The developers planned to cut it down, but the landowner hesitated. In Buddhist belief, harming such a tree carries heavy karma.

That’s when Herbe stepped in with a different idea.

Instead of concrete and cranes, he proposed creating a Zen sanctuary built around the tree itself. The vision was simple: a place where people could slow down, stay a while, and truly relax. Not a quick one-hour massage before rushing back into traffic, but two or three hours of real reset.

Today, that old tamarind tree still stands proudly at the center of Ton Mai Spa and even inspired the spa’s logo. It’s more than decoration. It’s the reason the spa exists at all.

Approximately 130,000 foreign workers across Phuket are currently caught in a significant work permit processing backlog. The delay is the result of a system transition within the government processing infrastructure, and it is affecting businesses across the island - hospitality, construction, services, and more.

Vice Governor Teeraphong Chuaychoo held an emergency meeting on March 4 calling for immediate resolution to protect local businesses from the downstream effects. If you or your employer is caught in this backlog, document everything and keep communication with your employer in writing. Authorities are aware this is a systemic issue, not individual non-compliance.

Next step: Contact the Phuket Employment Office directly and ask for confirmation that your case is on record. Provincial immigration officials have been instructed to exercise discretion during this transition period.

If you've got an event, opening, beach party, workshop, open mic, community jam, or a Phuket story that deserves more attention — we want to know about it, fill out this quick form and we'll spread the word to 4,000+ readers every Friday. .

We feature community submissions every week. Make yours count.

Every year Phuket does something genuinely extraordinary that the majority of visitors never see. Tonight, that thing begins. The Phuket Heroines Monument Festival 2026 opens at the Victory Field in Thalang, and it runs through Sunday March 15 - free entry, 5pm start, main show at 8pm each night.

Here's the history that makes it mean something. In 1785, the Burmese army invaded Phuket. The governor had recently died, leaving his widow Chan and her sister Mook to lead the defence. No formal military. No obvious options. So they got creative. They dressed 500 women as soldiers, used burning coconut husks to mimic musket smoke, and bluffed one of the most powerful armies in the region into turning around and leaving. The Burmese retreated. Phuket survived. King Rama I later honoured both sisters with royal titles: Thao Thep Krasattri and Thao Sri Sunthorn. You have passed their statues - swords raised - every single time you drove in from the airport.

This year's production, "Light and Sound Historical Drama: The Legend of Thao Thep Krasattri and Thao Si Sunthon," features 300 costumed performers, professional lighting and sound, Muay Thai wai kru ceremonies, shadow puppetry, OTOP craft stalls and local food vendors. It has been running in some form since 1980.

If you do one non-beach thing this March, make it this. Go north. Find the battle. Bring the whole family. 🏯✨

Want to go deeper into the history behind this weekend's festival? We published an excellent breakdown of the Phuket Heroines Festival that covers everything from the 1785 battle tactics to the evolution of the annual commemoration. It's one of those reads that makes you appreciate the island on a completely different level.

Read the full Heroines Festival story here →

🔋 Power Bank Protocol: March dry season means peak electricity demand (every AC is maxed out) and occasional transformer failures. Keep a 20,000+ mAh power bank charged at all times. It'll run your phone, hotspot, and small fan for hours if the grid drops. Pro tip: charge it overnight when demand is lower. ⚡

💧 Water Storage Smart Move: Fill a few large bottles with drinking water each morning. If power goes out during the day, your water pump might not work (especially on higher floors). Having 5-10 liters stored means you can stay hydrated, cook, and clean without scrambling. Simple but effective. 🚰

🧊 Ice Pack Strategy: Keep 2-3 reusable ice packs in your freezer. When power cuts happen, they help preserve fridge/freezer temps for a few extra hours AND can be used to cool down in the heat. Double duty FTW. ❄️

📱 Report Outages Fast: Save PEA (Provincial Electricity Authority) Phuket's number: 076-212-763. Reporting outages via their app or hotline gets crews dispatched faster. The more people report, the higher the priority. Community effort matters. 🏘️

🕯️ Old School Backup: Keep a headlamp or small LED lantern charged. Phone flashlights drain batteries fast. A $10 headlamp gives you hands-free light for hours and makes power outages way less stressful. Trust the process. 💡

Join a sunrise beach swim followed by a community beach clean-up with The CULT and Bad Guy Coffee at Nai Harn.
📍 Sunday, 15 March • 7AM meetup at Bad Guy Coffee Truck. Details→

The new British-curriculum school is currently under construction at the Thanyapura Sports & Health Resort area in Thalang. A major new addition to Phuket’s growing international education scene. More info→

Celebrate the CrossFit Open 2026 with an after-workout party at Lucha Cantina 💪🎉 Join Unit 27 athletes and friends on Fri, Mar 13 from 8PM at Lucha Cantina Chalong (Soi Ta-Ied). Expect Mexican food, good vibes, 99฿ margaritas, and 15% off food all night. More info→

📍 Porto de Phuket • Sat, 14 Mar • 12PM–3PM with live band, tapas, and free-flow drinks. Family fun included: kids corner, face painting, cotton candy, and part of proceeds supporting Soi Dog Foundation. More info→

Enjoy their exclusive menu at the newly opened space, with the second floor coming soon. 🕗 Soft opening hours: 8:00AM–7:00PM (last call 6:30PM). More info→

Some meals in Phuket feel fancy. Others feel like the island itself. Hokkien noodles fall firmly into the second category.

At Mee Ton Poe, a Phuket Town institution since 1946, this humble plate still does exactly what it was meant to do. Thick yellow noodles hit the wok with pork, seafood, greens and a rich brown gravy, finished with a soft egg on top. It’s smoky, savoury and deeply comforting. The kind of dish locals grow up with and keep coming back to.

The best part? A plate still lands around 70–90 baht, making it one of Phuket’s great food bargains.

Tables turn quickly, fans spin overhead, and someone nearby will almost certainly be dipping satay into peanut sauce while waiting for their noodles. Order the same if you know what you’re doing.

Before: Wander the colourful streets of Phuket Old Town or grab a coffee at Wilson's.
After: Walk it off with dessert at Torry’s Ice Cream or a sunset stroll around Saphan Hin.

Find Mee Ton Poe here: →

Full events calendar: phuketcommunity.com/events

This Week's Question: Have you ever attended the Heroines Monument Festival? What was your experience like? 🏯⚔️

First-timer? Festival veteran? Hit reply with your thoughts and we'll feature the best responses next week. Help newcomers know what to expect! 💚