Phuket census records 507,657 usual residents, below governor’s estimate

The National Statistical Office says Phuket had 507,657 usual residents when the 2025 Population and Housing Census was conducted, but the figure has failed to settle questions about how many people actually live in the province.

The census took place in April 2025. Foreign residents who had lived in Phuket for at least three months were specifically asked to participate. The exercise was intended to provide a more accurate population count than the province’s registered total, which stood at about 423,600 people.

At a meeting on Phuket’s future on Aug. 5, Phuket Governor Chotinrin Kerdsom said the province had more than 1.25 million residents. He said the difference between that estimate and the registered population included people from other provinces, foreign workers and long-stay visitors.

The census figure is about 743,000 lower than the governor’s estimate and less than half of it, prompting further questions over whether the count reflects Phuket’s actual resident population.