Phuket roundup: 1.8kg drug bust, missing officer found dead, weather alert

Phuket’s May 19 news roundup was led by a drug bust at the Tha Chatchai checkpoint, where a Russian man was arrested with 1.8 kilograms of drugs, alongside the recovery of a missing police investigator’s body at Nai Thon. The Phuket roundup also included an extended weather warning from the governor and several other island incidents and infrastructure updates.

Wider safety and weather developments

The governor extended a weather warning as monsoon conditions continued to affect the island, officials said. Separate reporting tied to the same conditions noted damage to the Hanuman reef statue.

The roundup also cited the death of a Russian woman after a rescue at Nai Yang. That case was listed as a related development alongside the broader weather coverage.

Roadworks, nightlife scrutiny and criminal cases

Highways work is set to affect traffic at Patong Hill and the Bang Khu underpass, according to the roundup. The report did not give further timing or lane details in the summary.

Officials were also reported to be moving against Patong nightlife operators following an extortion protest. The summary did not specify how many operators were involved.

Another police case in the same roundup concerned a man arrested for shooting his neighbor in a drunken dispute. The roundup listed that arrest separately from the checkpoint case and the Nai Thon recovery.

The video bulletin was published by The Phuket News on Tuesday, May 19, 2026, and was presented as a six-item update hosted by JP Mestanza. Its featured items were the 1.8kg checkpoint seizure, the Nai Thon body recovery, the extended weather warning, traffic disruption from highway works, action linked to the Patong extortion protest, and the arrest in the neighbor shooting case.

Source: https://www.thephuketnews.com/phuket-xtra-video-phuket-border-bust-1-8kg-of-drugs-seized-missing-cop-found-dead-weather-warning-may-19-100298.php