South Thailand News
Southern Thailand news, Phuket news, Koh Samui news, and Krabi updates—stay informed on business, tourism, and local events from Trang, Songkhla, Yala, and beyond. Get the latest from The Thaiger, your trusted Southern Thailand news source.
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Yala man’s raised sidecar motorcycle goes viral amid floods
A mechanic in Yala has built a raised sidecar motorcycle designed to travel through floodwater about one metre deep, after repeated flooding made travel difficult for residents in the area. The mechanic, 55 year old Thipakorn, owns the TC Choley shop in Yala and has more than 30 years of experience building motorcycle sidecars. He said the idea came from…
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Phang Nga floods hit about 1,000 households in Takua Pa
Floods have swamped parts of five subdistricts in Takua Pa district, Phang Nga, affecting about 1,000 households, as officials sent rubber boats into the worst hit areas yesterday, September 19. The affected subdistricts are Khok Kian, Bang Sai, Tamtua, Bang Nai Si and Takua Pa. Only parts of each subdistrict are under water, not the whole area. Officials said another…
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Motorcycle bomb blasts police pickup in Pattani, suspect still at large
A motorcycle bomb exploded in Pattani last night, September 10, as a police patrol vehicle passed the scene, damaging the pickup but leaving the officers inside uninjured. Police in Mayo district were alerted to the blast at about 7.43pm on the Narathiwat-Pattani road in Langa subdistrict, near a police post. Officers who arrived at the scene found pieces of a…
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Songkhla woman hands gold and cash to Chinese suspects in ritual scam
Police arrested four Chinese nationals in Songkhla for swindling a Thai woman out of gold and cash worth more than 194,000 baht in a ritual scam. Thung Lung Police Station officers worked with Songkhla Immigration Police to track down the four suspects following a scam complaint filed on September 7. The victim, 66 year old Naruemon Siangjeng, told officers that…
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Songkhla tourism revenue hits 32 billion baht in seven months
Tourism Authority of Thailand now forecasts more than 55,000 million baht in revenue for Songkhla across all of 2026, driven by Malaysian and Singaporean arrivals.
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Seven injured in science experiment explosion at Yala school
Seven people, including five primary school pupils and two teachers, were injured when alcohol exploded during a science experiment at a school in Yala today, August 26. Police in Yaha district received a report of the accident at around 11.30am. The incident occurred during an experiment in a Year 2 classroom at a school in Tachi subdistrict. The five injured…
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Interior Ministry probes 112 firms over Koh Pha Ngan land holdings
The Ministry of Interior ordered a wider investigation into suspected nominee businesses, with 112 juristic persons on Koh Pha Ngan under scrutiny over possible illegal land ownership. Deputy Interior Minister Worawit Liangprasert said today, August 25, that authorities had been ordered to combine information from multiple agencies and investigate land ownership, hotels, businesses and foreign workers, particularly on Koh Samui…
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Bomb blasts, arson attacks rock Narathiwat
Multiple bomb blasts and arson attacks struck Narathiwat and Yala yesterday, August 22, injuring two and prompting a curfew across parts of the southern border provinces. Officials from the Narathiwat Special Task Force said the unrest hit 11 locations across the province, damaging vehicles, telecommunications infrastructure and government property. In Rangae district, an explosion struck a road connecting two villages…
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Israeli fined, sentenced over death threats against Koh Samui zoo owners
Koh Samui Police have prosecuted an Israeli man for threatening to kill and physically harm a Thai zoo owner in Surat Thani, with Koh Samui Provincial Court fining him 5,000 baht and imposing a two-year suspended sentence. The case followed a dispute at Samui Exotic Park in Mae Nam, Koh Samui, where owner Jindarat and her French husband Kevin had…
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Thai man seeks understanding after hotel room mix-up incident in Songkhla
A Thai man defended himself after being charged with allegedly trying to open the door of a female guest’s hotel room in Hat Yai district of Songkhla, saying he had no ill intentions and was heavily intoxicated at the time. He also claimed that the woman’s boyfriend had threatened him. The incident came to light after the woman shared footage…
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Thai woman wakes to stranger trying to open hotel room door in Songkhla
A Thai woman filed a police complaint after a drunk man tried to enter her hotel room in Songkhla at about 4am on Monday, August 17. The hotel’s decision to offer the victim a gift voucher as an apology led to controversy online. The woman shared the footage when the man attempted to enter her room on her TikTok account.…
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Koh Tao nominee crackdown finds 2 tourism businesses in breach
Thailand’s Department of Business Development (DBD) launched a crackdown on nominee businesses in Koh Tao, Surat Thani, inspecting 12 tourism businesses and finding two of them violating laws. DBD Director-General Poonphong Naiyanapakorn stated yesterday, August 18, that the inspection took place on August 17 as part of a joint operation to tackle nominee businesses in Thailand’s tourism sector. The operation…
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Ambassador seeks tighter protection for Israeli nationals in Thailand
Israeli Ambassador met Surat Thani Provincial Police and Tourist Police to tighten safety for Israeli tourists in Thailand and boost cooperation across Koh Samui and nearby islands. Israeli Ambassador to Thailand Dr Alona Fisher-Kamm concluded an official visit to Surat Thani yesterday, August 17. During her visit, she held talks with senior police officials and provincial leadership to strengthen cooperation,…
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Nakhon Si Thammarat electricity worker fights for life after being stabbed on duty
A Thai man stabbed a Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA) official for cutting off power at his home in Nakhon Si Thammarat over an unpaid bill, leaving the victim in critical condition. The attack happened on August 14 outside a residential area in Tha Ruea subdistrict, Mueang district, Nakhon Si Thammarat. The injured victim, 32 year old Chawanit, was reported to be an official…
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Cracks found in Krabi homes after Indonesia earthquake tremors
Tremors from a magnitude 6.8 earthquake in Indonesia were felt in Krabi and other southern Thai provinces yesterday, August 15, with cracks later discovered in several homes. Officials are investigating whether the earthquake caused the damage. The Thai Meteorological Department reported that the magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck near northern Sumatra, Indonesia, at 5.54pm. Residents reported feeling the tremors in Songkhla, Trang,…
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Indian tourists rescued after longtail boat capsizes off Krabi
Twelve people were rescued after a tour boat carrying Indian tourists capsized off Krabi yesterday, August 15. The group was travelling from Ao Nang Beach to Hong Island when a large wave struck the longtail boat. No deaths were reported. Hat Noppharat Thara-Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park received a report of the incident and sent a patrol boat to…
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South African ex-teacher apologises over alleged shooting threats
A former South African teacher at Hatyaiwittayalai School in Songkhla has apologised after allegedly posting messages threatening to shoot teachers and school administrators alongside an image of a firearm. The apology follows allegations that Pieter Johannes Dreyer posted messages and images of a firearm in a Line group chat after his contract as an English Program teacher at Hatyaiwittayalai School…
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South African ex-teacher allegedly posts gun threats against Songkhla school
A South African teacher allegedly posted threatening content and images of a firearm online following the termination of his contract with Hatyaiwittayalai School in Songkhla, prompting the school to switch to online learning on August 10 and 11. The school announced yesterday, August 8, saying the decision was made as a safety precaution while security measures are reviewed and strengthened.…
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Complaint filed against Songkhla officer for alleged sexual blackmail, extortion
A group of women in Songkhla sought assistance, saying a police officer coerced more than 20 women, including a four year old girl, into producing explicit images and videos that were sold online. Five representatives of the victims met Thanakrit Jitareerak, assistant to the deputy prime minister, to request support. They said they feared a complaint previously filed with local police might…
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Lightning strike kills footballer during tournament in Narathiwat
A footballer was killed and eight others injured after lightning struck during the Golok FA Cup 2026 semi-final at the Santipap Stadium in Su-ngai Golok district, Narathiwat, yesterday, August 4. The incident occurred during injury time as heavy rain, thunderstorms and strong winds swept across the area. Lightning struck the pitch while the match was still in progress. One of…
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Children playing hide-and-seek find body in Yala
A building caretaker was found dead at a bungalow in Betong district, Yala, yesterday, July 30, after children playing hide-and-seek discovered him in the building. Police, medical staff and rescuers were called to the four-storey bungalow at around 8.30pm. The man, identified only as 34 year old Natthaworn, was found on the stairway leading to the rooftop. He was wearing…
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Chinese fugitive wanted in Taiwan arrested in Surat Thani
A Chinese national wanted by Taiwanese police was arrested in Surat Thani on July 28 after highway police stopped an SUV carrying an undocumented foreign national. Highway Police officers arrested two Chinese nationals on Highway 41 in Tha Chang district after stopping a grey SUV that was travelling slowly in the right-hand lane and obstructing traffic. Police identified the driver…
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Thai fake police stages quality inspection for free massage service in Songkhla
A Thai man posed as a police officer in order to avoid paying for a massage, claiming that he was conducting an official inspection of the quality of the massage service at the shop in Songkhla. The incident took place at a massage shop in Sadao district on July 27, when the shop owner called police after a customer refused…
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Dead dugong found with both tusks removed in Krabi
Marine officials launched an investigation on July 24 after a dead dugong was found with both tusks removed in Krabi, with the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) preparing legal action against those responsible if identified. The male dugong was reported washed ashore at Laem Son Na in Koh Sriboya subdistrict, Nuea Khlong district. It measured 296 centimetres in…
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New evidence reveals more than 10 attackers in Narathiwat checkpoint attack
Investigators now believe more than 10 attackers were involved in the Narathiwat checkpoint attack that killed five volunteer rangers on July 22, after reviewing CCTV footage and examining forensic evidence from the scene. Forensic officers recovered more than 100 spent shell casings at the scene, including M16, AK-pattern rifle and 11mm pistol ammunition. Investigators also recovered cartridges that had been…
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Malaysian boat caught supplying diesel to Thai fishing boat off Satun
Thai customs officers arrested seven people today, July 23, after intercepting a Malaysian-registered modified fishing vessel allegedly transferring smuggled diesel to a Thai trawler off the coast of Satun. The arrests were made during a maritime patrol by officers from the Customs Department and Satun Customs House aimed at preventing the illegal importation of fuel from Malaysia. While patrolling waters…
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Gunmen kill five volunteer rangers in Narathiwat checkpoint attack
Five volunteer rangers were killed and two civilians, including a 10 year old boy, were injured after armed attackers opened fire and threw pipe bombs at the Bukit Sami checkpoint in Narathiwat yesterday, July 22. The attack took place at about 6.45pm at the Bukit Sami checkpoint in Ra-ngae district. According to initial reports, six attackers carried out the assault…
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Car bomb explodes outside Narathiwat police station, no injuries reported
A car bomb exploded outside Tanyong Police Station in Narathiwat at 7.20pm yesterday, July 21. Police said no injuries or fatalities were reported, although the blast damaged the area. According to the investigation, a suspect drove a car carrying an improvised explosive device (IED) to the station. After reaching the entrance, the suspect parked the car and pushed it into…
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SRT apologises after staff lose passenger’s cat from luggage compartment
A search is ongoing for a disabled pet cat that went missing during a train journey from Yala to Bangkok on June 28 after it was separated from its owner due to railway animal restrictions. The cat’s owner, Wanmareeyanee “Young” Hajimahmud, posted in a Facebook group seeking help to locate her six year old female ginger cat, Sisom, whose name…
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Israeli, Romanian arrested in Koh Pha Ngan childcare centre raid
Police searched an unlicensed childcare centre on Koh Pha Ngan yesterday, July 4, after receiving a tip-off that it was being operated by foreign nationals, finding 42 foreign children on the premises and arresting two foreign nationals. The operation formed part of an ongoing crackdown on foreigners allegedly operating businesses illegally in Surat Thani province. Immigration officers, district officials and…
