Final week: Phuket's Best Burger vote closes June 1
Phuket's Best Burger contest is a reader vote to find the island's best burger shops across north, south, west, and central Phuket.
683 votes have been cast so far. Voting closes on June 1. We will announce the winners on the Phuket Intel Facebook page and in the June 2 newsletter.
1. Phuket's Best Burger contest favors specialty shops this year
The current zone leaders are Millionaire Burger in the north, Pan Burger in the south, EAT. Burgers & Beers in the west, and NumNum Old Town in central Phuket.
Prime Burger dominated previous Best Burger conversations in Phuket. It is not leading this year's vote. Global chains did not drive the bracket either. Shake Shack Patong, for example, was not nominated.
Why it matters: this contest helps readers find Phuket burger shops they may have missed. It also tests the big names against the places locals and regular visitors actively recommend.
What to do next: vote before June 1. Follow Phuket Intel on Facebook for the winner announcement. Read the full results in the June 2 newsletter.
Cast your final-week vote here.
2. Reported crime and uneven enforcement hurt Phuket's reputation
Several Phuket stories this week raise the same question: when does Thailand act more forcefully to protect the tourism industry, tourists, and long-term expats?
- Phuket immigration moved to deport an Austrian man after disturbance reports in Rawai. Some locals may have seen the same man walking aggressively near the road, shirtless in extreme heat, before the official report appeared.
- Police named Phuket as one intended destination in a B200 million heroin trafficking network.
- Investigators handled the death of a young Australian man in a Karon condominium.
- Five Phuket officials were put on restricted duty while Patong extortion claims are investigated.
The issue is trust. If residents, visitors, and business owners believe rules depend on status, connections, or informal settlement, confidence falls. Whether every story is true is not the point. The perception alone damages Phuket.
Thailand does not need to punish ordinary tourists more harshly. It needs predictable enforcement, transparent investigations, and clear consequences for visitors, residents, businesses, police, and officials who break the rules.
Why it matters: Phuket sells freedom, safety, and escape. That promise breaks when criminal visitors, reported extortion, and selective enforcement become part of the island's reputation.
What to do next: reduce your own risk. Carry a valid driving licence. Wear a helmet. Keep visa and hotel paperwork current. Keep rental agreements and passport copies accessible. If you run a villa, hotel, bar, tour, or event, document incidents and make staff escalation rules clear.
Sources: Rawai deportation report, heroin network report, Karon investigation, officials put on restricted duty.
3. Check Phuket This Week before crossing the island
Phuket This Week has 46 current listings across family activities, community stops, nightlife, fitness, landmarks, music, and beach-club options.
Why it matters: rain, traffic, checkpoints, and roadworks can turn a simple plan into a long drive. Use the map to find a good option on your side of the island before you commit to crossing Phuket.
4. Laguna Marathon will change Bang Tao and Laguna traffic
The Phuket Laguna Marathon is set for June 13 and 14. Even non-runners should plan around busier hotels, restaurants, parking, early breakfasts, and road delays around Bang Tao, Laguna, and Cherngtalay.
What to do next: runners should confirm entry, transport, and pre-race meals. Everyone else should avoid treating the area like a normal weekend morning. Event details are here.
5. Test property in the rain before you rent or buy
Rain exposes property problems that sales photos hide: flooded access roads, poor drainage, leaking lower rooms, slippery parking areas, blocked gutters, hill runoff, and longer travel times to schools, shops, and beaches.
What to do next: visit the building during or after heavy rain. Check the road entrance, car park, ground-floor walls, stairwells, drains, and nearby low points. Ask the owner or agent for records of past flood damage, roof repairs, drainage work, and mould treatment.
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