Koh Samui News
Stay up to date on the latest happenings in Koh Samui, Koh Phangan, and Koh Tao with The Thaiger. Our team delivers up-to-date news, insightful analysis, and exclusive stories from this popular part of the Surat Thani Province, Thailand. Keep your finger on the pulse of Samui’s ever-evolving tourism, economic, and cultural scene, as well as its thriving beach entertainment and nightlife. Stay informed about local events, transportation updates, and expat experiences in this vibrant collection of Islands.
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“Nong Gee” turns heads at Koh Samui military conscription
Thai media’s fascination with ‘ladyboys’ continues with Daily News reporting about the military conscription event in Koh Samui and, as usual, getting diverted by the one or two “kathoey” who role up, as required by law, to draw lots to see if they will get conscripted into the national Army. “Thai men screamed their appreciation as a very attractive lady…
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Koh Phangan and Koh Tao try to shake off monthly boom and bust
by Bill Barnett Thailand’s idyllic Koh Phangan island is renowned globally for its marque Full Moon parties. On the heels of soaring demand for the big event, visitor numbers surpassed the one million ceiling two years ago and over a five-year period registered compound annual growth rate of 17%. While the numbers are impressive, the reality for resorts on the…
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Russian arrested on Samui for theft, drugs and overstaying visa
A Russian man has been arrested for stealing a digital camera as well as taking drugs and overstaying his visa. The incident happed on Koh Samui yesterday, (Sunday). Police from Bophut station arrested 31 year old Kiirti Svami after a digital camera store in one of the island’s major malls caught him returning to their store after already being caught…
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Government considers blanket alcohol bans on April 13
There’s a 24 hour ban on alcohol on the weekend preceding AND the actual election weekend this month. And next month is Songkran with the Government mooting possible blanket bans on Songkran day, April 13. This year the Government says they want an alcohol ban on the biggest annual holiday for Thais. It’s also part of the week when there…
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Kite protest as Samui airport’s neighbors demand more compensation
Ten neighbours living adjacent to privately owned Koh Samui airport, unhappy with compensation offers over the noise, have sent up a fleet of kites in protest to blockade the end of the runway. Soldiers and police were called to Samui International Airport to sort out today’s protest. Many of the airport’s neighbours have accepted the offer of 50 million baht…
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Enthusiastic Dutch lover gets his marching orders in Koh Samui
SCREENSAVE: Channel Seven News A Dutch man, who fell fell in love with a Thai female staffer at the resort where he was staying in Koh Samui, wouldn’t take no for an answer. The incident is reported to have happened at the Lamai Hill Villa. Channel Seven news says the issue became an obsession for him, convinced his good looks would…
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Bangkok Airways spending 3 billion on new planes, airports
PHOTO: A Bangkok Airways ATR 72-600 dwarfed by a Thai Airways ‘jumbo’ Bangkok Airways is putting aside 3 billion baht to finance two new aircraft to support their growing passenger numbers. The local airline is forecasting a 3% growth in bums-on-seats this year to over 6 million passengers. The airline’s CEO says they hope to purchase two new ATR 72-600…
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The Koh Samui tunnel – “it definitely had all the proper documentation”
The 84 metre tunnel, rediscovered last week by a foreign tourist visiting the north of Koh Samui, is starting to reveal more of its secrets. This week island authorities announced they would prosecute the builders of the tunnel because they were unable to find any supporting documentation or permissions for the construction. The Koh Samui land office could, however, confirm…
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Light at the end of the tunnel – Koh Samui’s mystery mountain tunnel
Officers have closed off access to the ‘mysterious’ tunnel on Koh Samui linking two sides of a small hill. They say they’re waiting for the company which owns the land, linked by the tunnel, to front up with a permit to build it. A tourist trekking in the Ban Tai area last week stumbled on the 84 metre long tunnel.…
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Tourist finds old tunnel on Koh Samui
PHOTOS: Sanook Authorities are investigating a 100 meters long, 3.5 meters wide and 5 meters high tunnel that had been contstructed from one side of Ban Tai hill to the other. The tunnel was found in the Mae Nam area. After local Samui authorities dug into their paperwork they determined that the area was private land bought by a developer from a…
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Luxury hotel raided in Koh Samui over alleged money laundering
PHOTO: Oriental Lodge Koh Samui A luxury hotel in the south of Koh Samui was raided yesterday in an international money laundering probe. The raid was conduced by the Department of Special Investigation officers and Ministry of the Interior officials. The Komchadluek website reports that investigators allege that 100 million baht has been funneled through illegal activities at the Oriental Lodge…
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Koh Samui: “Awash with drugs”, ONB News
ONB News is reporting that Koh Samui is “awash with drugs” and that the local prison was crammed full of prisoners convicted on drugs charges. They were making the assessment following the latest arrest of a Thai woman and her Thai husband on drugs charges on the popular holiday island. ‘Ice’ or crystal methamphetamine was found at her home in…
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Foundation worker, who admits to killing famous singer’s son, taken on reenactment
PHOTO: Sanook Thai police continue to investigate the murder of the son of a well known Koh Samui artist that took place last Monday. Sanook reports that the victim, 26 year old Nappaphorn, son of singer “Maew Bai Jaak Thai” was shot 5 times by a local foundation rescue worker, 20 year old Natdanai, following a long-standing dispute between the two. Natdani has now…
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Alleged ‘sex cult’ yoga retreat on Koh Phangan operating again
PHOTO: Narcis Tarcau, aka. Swami Vivekananda Saraswati – South China Morning Post The world’s “biggest tantric yoga school” has reopened on Koh Phangan with the accused leader back in charge amid accusations that management suppressed an investigation into the alleged abuse. The centre closed last September after 14 women alleged rape and sexual assault and made official complaints. At the…
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Updated marine rules – Koh Tao, Ko Phangan, Koh Samui
PHOTOS: DMCR The Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) has issued updated, published rules for marine activities on the three main islands in Surat Thani province – Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Koh Tao… 1. Boats are strictly prohibited from using anchors in coral reef areas. Existing mooring buoys must be used when accessing the site. 2. The disposal…
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Meth-dealing Koh Samui bar owner attacked in Thai prison
PHOTO: The Mirror A British man says he had three teeth knocked out and that going to a Thai prison for dealing drugs was ‘torture’. Jimmy Kelly was sentenced to 30 years but ended up spending just three behind bars for selling crystal methamphetamine at the bar on Samui he owned. His sentence was dramatically cut because his brother Gary…
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Weather for January 16
Bangkok Morning clouds followed by afternoon sun. High 33ºC. Winds NE at 10 to 15 km/h. Chiang Mai Generally clear. High 30ºC. Winds ESE and variable. Phuket Afternoon showers. High 31ºC. Winds NNE and variable. Chance of rain 40%. Ko Samui Thundershowers. High 25ºC. Winds ENE at 10 to 15 km/h. Chance of rain 40%. Pattaya Partly cloudy. High 32ºC.…
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French woman found floating off Koh Samui beach
Samui police report that the body the body of 42 year old Maud Isabeile Bailley was found floating at sea off Ao Thongket beach around 2.30 pm yesterday (Tuesday). The body was first seen floating by hotel staff who called police and rescue workers. Responders then brought the body back to shore. A friend of the deceased has identified the…
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Foreigners rolling up sleeves to clear rubbish from Samui beaches
by Somkiat Raksaman Foreign tourists are back on Samui’s beaches for the second day to help collect trash and debris swept to the shore by tropical storm Pabuk, which hit the Southern region last Friday. Popular Lamai beach was covered with garbage, plastic bags and other debris in the wake of the storm. A hotel operator, Kornpachara Meedet, says today…
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Pabuk: Floods and blackouts along southern Gulf coast as storm moves away
• Floods and blackouts have left nearly 30,000 people in evacuation shelters across southern Thailand • Relieved tourists stranded on islands further north were spared the worst and are now working on continuing their journeys • Pabuk packed winds of up to 75 kph (45 mph) and brought heavy rains and storm surges as it lashed the much of the southern…
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Pabuk edges closer to southern Thailand
PHOTO: Aljazeera “Officials expect the conditions to persist into Saturday.” Aljazeera is reporting that tropical storm Pabuk is forecast to make landfall on Friday evening in Nakhon Si Thammarat coastal islands bringing torrential downpours and strong winds to more than a dozen other provinces in the south. The region is home to one of the world’s biggest natural rubber plantations…
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Pabuk: Warnings for coastal residents to stay indoors
by Pratch Rujivanarom Strong gale conditions and surging seas are pounding the coastlines of three provinces this afternoon. The Meteorological Department is warning residentsto stay indoors and away from the coast. The provinces affected so far include Surat Thani, Nakhon Si Thammarat and Songkhla. Department director-general Phuwieng Prakhammintara says Tropical Storm Pabuk was expected to have greater affect on southern coastlines as…
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Pabuk: Surging up the coast towards Koh Samui
PHOTO: Vikasa Yoga Retreat The tropical storm ‘Pabuk’ is due to make landfall on the Surat Thani islands of Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Koh Tao later this afternoon, after sweeping up the southern Gulf coast this morning. At this stage authorities report plenty of rain and strong winds but limited damage. When the storm hits Samui later today it…
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Pabuk: Regular updates throughout today following the storm up the coast
Storm Watch – 8.30am Rough seas off the coast of Nakhon Si Thammarat yesterday afternoon as tropical storm Pabuk approached land. Tens of thousands of tourists have been evacuated from local coastal communities and some tourists have evacuated the popular islands of Koh Samui, Koh Tao and Koh Phangan which are in the path of the storm today. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h86FqX2CzBc Storm Watch…
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Precautions taken in the south for Pabuk
FILE PHOTO With the impending arrival of tropical storm ‘Pabuk’, everyone in the coastal regions are bracing for landfall. Koh Samui officials have been ordered to monitor all shipping and tour boats, while all tourists spots and national parks have been told to prepare to close. Phuket airport is already on high alert, urging all passengers to double check their…
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Pabuk: Heading for Koh Samui, Surat Thani
The projections of ventusky.com show ‘Pabuk’ making its way up the Gulf of Thailand in a north-westerly direction. According to the map model, the storm is likely heading for Koh Samui and likely to make mainland landfall further up the coast around Chumpon. But the fallout from the storm will certainly affect the entire southern coastline from Nakhon Si Thammarat,…
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Pabuk: Tourists flee Gulf islands of Koh Phangan, Samui and Koh Tao
“Waves could reach seven meters high in the Gulf of Thailand.” Thousands are departing some of the tourist hot spots including Koh Phangan and Koh Tao as the region’s first tropical storm for January in 30 years heads northwest across the Gulf of Thailand. Tens of thousands of tourists are reported to be fleeing the Thai resort islands of Koh…
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Pabuk: Koh Samui poised for first New Year tropical storm in 68 years
The mirror.co.uk is reporting that there are fears for residents and tourists on Koh Samui as the island braces for the onslaught of tropical storm Pabuk. Pabuk has formed within a mass of thunderstorms and could be the first cyclone to hit Thailand in January in 68 years. Southern Vietnam has already been hit by torrential rain and the cyclone…
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Angthong National Marine Park closed for 3 days due to approaching storm
The Angthong National Marine Park, off the coast of Surat Thani province, is closing for three days from tomorrow (Thursday) as tropical storm ‘Pabuk’ is expected to hit the southern Gulf coast. The decision has been based on weather warnings from the TMD, which says the storm “Pabuk” will bring unseasonal heavy downpours and high waves in the Gulf of…
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“Pabuk” heads towards southern provinces
An unseasonal, and quite unusual, tropical depression is heading towards southern shores including all Thai provinces south of Phetchaburi. The Thai Meteorological Department is issuing regular warnings about the storm’s progress from the South China Sea and into the southern Gulf of Thailand. “On 2 January 2019, tropical storm “PABUK” over the lower South China Sea located at latitude 6.0…
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