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From the Island πThe monsoon arrived last weekend and it did not ease in gently. Flash floods on Chao Fa East Road, 2-3 metre waves on the west coast, and Governor Nirat extending weather alerts through this week. This is the new normal until October - time to adjust accordingly. Here's what's in this edition: Flood season is here: What the June flooding actually means for you - and our full guide to riding out the monsoon without losing your scooter or your mind. E-gates at HKT: Phuket Airport opens automated e-passport gates on 13 June. Biometric passport holders, this one's for you. Buy booze until midnight: Thailand just permanently changed its alcohol retail hours. The afternoon dry spell is gone for good. Pride weekend: Two parades, Village People, and Bangla Road closed 4-8pm Sunday. Plan accordingly. Below Deck is back: Phuket and the Andaman Sea are filming a new season. You will spot the yacht before you see it on Netflix. Let's get into it. |
β‘ Quick Island Pulse
π§ Weather & Sea π Traffic Alert - Sunday π’ Government Offices π This Weekend β
New This Week |
Wilson's Cafe - Where Phuket Residents Actually Eat Breakfast
You know the problem. It's 8am, it's already 30 degrees, and you want a proper coffee and something that isn't pad kra pao. Again.
Wilson's Cafe has been feeding residents - not tourists - for years. Real eggs, real coffee, real portions. The kind of place where the staff know your order before you sit down.
During monsoon season, when the beach isn't an option and the road is half underwater, Wilson's is the move. Air-conditioned, reliable, and open when you need it.
Fresh food. Honest prices. And free fries every Friday from 1pm with you burger purchase
π° The Week In Storiesβ Story of the Week The Monsoon Is Here. Are You Ready?
Last Sunday's flooding wasn't a freak event - it was the opening statement of the 2026 monsoon season. Flash floods hit Chao Fa East Road and other areas of Phuket Town, Governor Nirat extended weather alerts through 4 June, and forecasters say the pattern continues. Waves of 2-3 metres are hitting the Andaman coast, which means red and purple flags at most west-coast beaches. Landslide risk is elevated in hilly interior areas. This is June doing what June does. But here's the thing most new residents don't know: flooding on this island is localised and fast. A road that was clear at 2pm can be knee-deep by 3pm and passable again by 5pm. The trick isn't avoiding Phuket in June - it's knowing how to move around it. Our full guide on what the June flooding means and how to navigate it is live now on phuketcommunity.com. What This Means for Residents - If you ride a scooter: avoid flooded sections after dark. Drains are invisible, potholes multiply, and you cannot see what's in the water. Take a taxi. - If family is visiting from abroad: set expectations early. Afternoons can be very wet. Morning activities, covered venues for afternoons, flexible plans overall. - If you live near a hillside or a known flood-prone road: download the Thai Disaster Warning app and turn on location alerts. It's free and it works. |
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π§Ύ Also This Week βοΈ Aviation E-Passport Gates Open at HKT on 13 June Automated e-passport lanes are arriving at Phuket International Airport on 13 June. If you have a biometric passport, you'll be able to skip the queue at immigration on departure. Remove hats and glasses for the scanner. β Consumer Watch Midnight Drinks: Thailand Makes the Change Permanent From 27 May, Thailand permanently extended alcohol retail hours to 11am-midnight daily. The hated 2-5pm gap is gone. Note: mandatory bans on Buddhist holy days still apply - and Bangla Road venues may self-impose quiet periods on royal holidays out of respect. π Community Pride Weekend: Two Parades, One Big Finale Sunday 7 June brings two simultaneous parades: the Patong Beachfront Parade at 4pm and the Phuket Old Town procession at 5pm. The evening caps with Village People headlining the Rock The Rainbow finale at Thailand Mountain in Patong (tickets from ΰΈΏ1,800). This is also part of Thailand's WorldPride 2030 bid - big picture stuff. π Marine Mystery Carcass at Layan Beach - Now Removed A large decomposed carcass - likely a whale - washed ashore at Layan Beach on 29 May. Cleanup crews have removed the remains; authorities say no ongoing health risk. These deep-sea strandings tend to increase at the start of monsoon when wave patterns shift. π¬ Community Below Deck Is Back in the Andaman Below Deck is filming a new season using Phuket and the Andaman Sea as its base. If you see a conspicuously glamorous superyacht crew behaving badly near the marina, that's probably why. The previous Phuket season put the island on screens in 140 countries. π¨ Public Safety Wichit House Fire: Five Injured, Two Seriously A kitchen fire tore through a wooden home in Wichit on 2 June, injuring five residents - two critically. It took 15 fire trucks to contain it. If you live in older wooden housing, this is your reminder to check your smoke alarm and know your exit. |
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π¬ Got an event, opening, or tip? We reach thousands of residents every Friday morning. If it's happening in Phuket and our readers should know about it, send it in. |
π΄ Community FeaturePhuket Rainy Season 2026: What You Actually Need to Know
The internet is full of tropical paradise photos and very few honest answers about what Phuket flooding actually looks like, how long it lasts, and what you should do when it hits your road. Our team put together a practical, no-fluff guide covering: which areas flood first and drain fastest, how to read the conditions before you leave the house, what to do if your vehicle stalls in standing water, and the apps worth having on your phone right now. This isn't a "monsoon is beautiful" piece. It's written for people who live here and need to get places. |
π‘ Island Life HackHow to Move Around Phuket in Monsoon Season Check before you leave. The Phuket News posts flood alerts quickly, and the Thai Disaster Warning app (free, iOS and Android) sends push notifications for flash flood zones by area. Stash a dry bag in your bike. Keep a small waterproof bag (or just a sealed bin liner) in your scooter box. Phone, keys, wallet - they all survive a downpour when you can't pull over fast enough. Know your detours in advance. Chao Fa East, Wichit areas, and sections of the bypass near Tha Chat Chai flood quickly. Map an alternate route now, not when you're already knee-deep and panicking. Never ride through water you can't see the bottom of. Open drains, sunken curbs, and potholes are invisible when a road floods. The drainage system moves fast but so does a washed-out tyre. Stop, wait ten minutes, and let the water drop. Time your shopping runs. Rains tend to peak between 2-4pm and again around 9-10pm. If you need to do a Makro run or cross the island, mornings and early evenings are your window. |
π Visa & Expat CornerβοΈ HKT E-Gates: 13 June Launch Phuket Airport opens automated e-passport immigration gates from 13 June. Biometric passport holders can self-process on departure - no queue, no officer. Register your passport before travel. Hats off, glasses off for the scan. π WorldPride 2030 - Phuket Is in the Running Thailand is officially bidding to host WorldPride 2030 - which would be its first time in Asia. Phuket is a key part of the pitch. The InterPride World Conference comes to Phuket in October 2026, bringing 1,000 international delegates. Relevant if you're in hospitality, events, or accommodation. |
π Out & AboutLa Cantina Steak House & Pizzeria - Naiharn
Sunday night all-you-can-eat meat. Grass-fed Australian ribeye, tenderloin, lamb chops, salmon sashimi. This is a serious eat - not a themed buffet where everything is the same thing in three shapes. Naiharn is the right neighbourhood for this: southern, local, no Bangla Road energy. The crowd is residents, not tourists. They enforce a strict no-waste policy - 100g of leftovers and you'll see a surcharge on the bill. Respect the food, basically. Price: ΰΈΏ999 net (food only) / ΰΈΏ1,399 with wine. Sundays only. Before: Sunset walk at Nai Harn Lake - free, 15 minutes, genuinely beautiful at 5pm. |
ποΈ Property & Development CornerA quiet week on the construction news front, but the listings market gives a useful snapshot of where values sit right now. North (Thalang/Layan): Kiara Reserve at Layan is under construction with 3-bed villas listed at ~ΰΈΏ44.5M. Ayara Surin remains one of the island's elite listings at ΰΈΏ88M for a 5-bed, 1,036 sqm property. Anchan Tropicana in Thep Krasattri - 4-bed on 1,000 sqm - is asking ΰΈΏ56M. South/East (Ko Kaeo, Karon): Crown Estate Dulwich Road in Ko Kaeo has a 4-bed detached house from ΰΈΏ11.29M - practical, near-town pricing. VIP Venus in Karon lists a 1-bed at ΰΈΏ4.41M. Market conditions: Rental demand is ticking up as post-holiday visitor numbers stay strong. No new foreign ownership legislation has been finalised - the 99-year lease discussion continues in Bangkok but nothing is law yet. βοΈ Legal Watch The proposed 99-year leasehold legislation for foreign buyers is still in discussion at the national level. No Phuket-specific changes this week. If someone is selling you on "new laws just passed" - ask for the Government Gazette reference. It won't exist. |
πΈ Resident Deals & SpecialsVerified this week. No fluff, just the actual offer. Cassia Phuket - Pasta Party (Bang Tao) All-you-can-eat pasta buffet (six dishes) every Tuesday for ΰΈΏ399 per person. Honest mid-week food pricing by the lagoon. Book via Cassia. Wilson's Cafe - Free Fries Friday (Rawai & Phuket Town) Free fries every Friday with every burger purchase from 1pm. Location here. Joya Restaurant - BOGO Cocktails (Cherng Talay) Buy-one-get-one-free on all signature cocktails every Friday at Joya in Boat Avenue, Cherng Talay. Free entry, DJ from the evening. Good pre-dinner spot if you're heading north. |
π Events Snapshot
Full calendar: phuketcommunity.com/events Submit your event: Google Form |
π€ Community & PartnersWant to reach this community? Thousands Phuket residents and long-stay expats read this every Friday morning. If your business, event, or service is relevant to this audience, reply to this email and let's talk. Just hit reply - no forms, no funnels. π This Week's Poll How do you actually handle monsoon season in Phuket? A) I stay home until it clears - the island can wait Reply with your letter. We'll share results next Friday. |
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That's the week. The rain will come, the roads will flood briefly, and the island will carry on doing what it does. If you're prepared, June is actually a great time to be here - fewer crowds, green hills, dramatic skies. Embrace it. Sabai sabai - see you next Friday, 12 June. The Phuket Community Newsletter Team |
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Forwarded this email? Subscribe at phuketcommunity.beehiiv.com/subscribe The island moves on regardless. Best to move with it. Sabai sabai. πΊ See you next Friday - The Phuket Community Team πΉπ Next edition drops Friday, 12 June 2026. Β© 2026 Phuket Community Newsletter. 23/7 Moo 5, Cherng Talay, Thalang, Phuket 83110, Thailand. Made with βοΈ and β€οΈ in Phuket |
