Phuket may seem like a small island, but if you spend an extended period of time there, you'll soon realize that lots happens, from muggings and robberies to murders and drive-by shootings. The island also gets some good news, of course. With anything up to one million people living in Phuket, there's an awful lot of news to cover. The English-language media struggles to keep up with the local press, but there are several reliable sources for getting your Phuket news.

The most established source of news in Phuket is the Phuket Gazette, a weekly newspaper that comes out every Saturday. The Gazette's best days are behind it after the departure of talented managing editor Chris Husted, but the current team does a decent job with the resources they have.

The Phuket Gazette covers island news, culture, lifestyle, sport and happenings, as well as news from around the region. There are also a large number of columnists who contribute to the newspaper and cover everything from computers to property. Though editorial standards have slipped in recent months, the paper is still worth a read every week to keep abreast of the island's latest goings-on.

Another contender is the Phuket Post, a more glossy newspaper that comes out every two weeks. The content is thinner than the Phuket Gazette's, but the Phuket Post is a decent read for keeping up to date with events around the island primarily related to the expat scene. Think more lifestyle and soft news than hard-hitting stories. Like the Phuket Gazette, the Phuket Post has also gone through some difficult times recently.

A relative newcomer to the news scene in Phuket a website called Phuket Wan (www.phuketwan.com). Although the people behind the website have yet to start running a print version of Phuket Wan, the website is chock full of all the latest news from the island. The website does a sterling job of covering news that interests its readership.

It's easy enough to keep track of each of the above news services as the cost of newspapers is so cheap. The Phuket Post also has a website (phuket-post.com), although it falls behind in terms of readability compared to the Phuket Gazette's website (phuketgazette.net), which is updated every day or so with at least one news story. The strongest website by far is currently Phuket Wan's, although with the high turnover of staff at the newspapers, it could only be a matter of time before the Gazette and the Post pick their game up again.

The Phuket Post and the Phuket Gazette are available from outlets around the island.

There are lots of websites that offer information about Phuket, including Phuket Vogue, which is home to an active Phuket blog http://phuketvogue.com/phuket/category/phuket-blog/, as well as listings for all sorts of happenings on the island.