South Thailand News

Stay updated with the latest Southern Thailand news at The Thaiger, your ultimate source for regional information. Keep informed on local events, business developments, and lifestyle stories in popular locations beyond Phuket, Koh Samui, and Krabi. We’ve got reports of the latest goings on in Trang, Songkhla, Yala, and more.

Whether you’re a resident or a visitor, The Thaiger’s Southern Thailand news page is your essential guide to exploring this stunning tropical region. Dive into the vibrant community and rich culture with our expertly curated content, designed to keep you connected and well-informed.

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    Chef Fabio Genghini takes over Portofino at Le Meridien Phuket for an Exclusive 2-week residency

    Food lovers, prepare your taste buds for a gourmet Italian feast! From July 2 to 13, acclaimed Chef Fabio Genghini will take over Le Meridien Phuket’s beloved Italian restaurant, Portofino as a guest chef. It’s a chance for you to...

  • New Malaysian mediator appointed for Thai peace talks

    The Malaysian government has appointed a new mediator for the peace process in southern Thailand. This comes amid urgent calls for a reassessment of the peace roadmap following a surge in violence that has shattered public confidence. A devastating car bomb exploded outside a police flat in Yala on June 30, claiming the life of a school teacher and injuring…

  • Sleepy driver kills 3 and injures 2 in Songkhla accident

    A Thai woman, suspected of falling asleep at the wheel, crashed her pickup into another vehicle on the Songkhla-Natawee Road in southern Thailand. The tragic incident resulted in her death, along with two others, while two more sustained serious injuries. Officers from Khuanmeed Police Station and rescuers from the Chanong Sub-district and Nitimittaparb Rescue Foundations arrived at the scene at…

  • Minibus crash in Surat Thani injures ten foreign tourists

    A minibus carrying foreign tourists overturned yesterday, injuring ten passengers. The accident occurred around 6.30am, yesterday, July 7, on Phunphin-Mueang Road in the Tha Lon sub-district, Phunphin district, Surat Thani province. Police and rescue workers promptly arrived at the scene where they found the minibus overturned on the roadside. The ten foreign tourists, who sustained minor injuries, were swiftly transported…

  • Parcel worker shot dead in Ranong over alleged affair

    A shooting incident occurred yesterday evening, July 5, behind a market in Ranong, leaving a private parcel delivery employee dead and his family in mourning. Witnesses reported a physical altercation between the victim and a man in black before shots were fired. Police received the distress call around 6.42pm and immediately dispatched officers and medical personnel to the scene. The…

  • Police reshuffle in Yala after car bomb kills one, injures 34

    A significant reshuffling of police personnel followed a devastating car bomb attack on the Bannang Sata police flats in Yala province, which resulted in one fatality and injured 34 others. This incident occurred yesterday and led to a series of transfers within the police force. Police Colonel Ranon Surawit has been reassigned to the Southern Border Provinces Investigation Division as…

  • Vietnamese trawler detained for illegal fishing in Thai waters

    A Vietnamese trawler with four crewmen was detained yesterday for illegally fishing in Thai territorial waters, according to the Thai navy. The incident took place south of Koh Kra, yesterday, July 4, where the Second Naval Area Command, led by deputy commander Phichit Srirungruang, ordered the HTMS Sattahip to conduct a patrol following intelligence reports of unauthorised fishing activities. The…

  • Ex-husband fires shots at ex-wife’s house in Hat Yai

    A woman’s ex-husband fired shots at her house, forcing her to flee and hide. Enraged by her refusal to provide school fees for their children and jealousy over her new husband, he resorted to violence. Police Lieutenant Wallaop Supachaiyakit, Deputy Inspector (Investigation) at Koh Hong Police Station, Hat Yai district, Songkhla province, received a report yesterday, July 4, of a…

  • Songkhla police arrest illegal workers in Koh Pha Ngan crackdown

    Police in Songkhla launched an operation targeting illegal foreign workers, arresting six Myanmar nationals and one Thai employer for working outside their permitted rights in Koh Pha Ngan. This action follows complaints from local leaders and residents. The operation was ordered by Sak Sira, the Commissioner of Tourist Police, and executed by Winich Boonchit, a senior officer in the Tourist…

  • Blackchin tilapia fish threatens Songkhla Lake

    The Songkhla provincial fisheries office is urging the public to report any sightings of the invasive blackchin tilapia in local waterways. This predatory fish, originally from Africa, poses a severe threat to the delicate balance of Songkhla’s aquatic ecosystems. Sightings of the blackchin tilapia have been confirmed in several canals within the Ranot district, which are directly connected to Songkhla…

  • Woman arrested for selling kratom tea to teens in Songkhla

    Police in Rattaphum, Songkhla, arrested a woman for openly selling kratom leaf tea, with teenagers reportedly becoming addicted. The operation seized 500 bottled kratom teas, sold around the clock. Rattaphum District Chief Wilailak Rueangphon ordered Sub-Lieutenant Surasak Chanakit to lead a team, including local health officers, to apprehend a vendor selling kratom leaf tea from a rented house. The house,…

  • Thai AirAsia operates Bangkok-Hat Yai route

    Thai AirAsia unveiled an exciting new flight route between Suvarnabhumi International Airport (BKK) in Bangkok and Hat Yai (HDY) in southern Thailand, shaking up domestic air travel. Flight FD4304 is set to depart Suvarnabhumi at 10.45am, landing in Hat Yai by 12.10pm. The return journey, flight FD4305, will leave Hat Yai at 12.40pm, arriving back in Bangkok at 2.15pm. This…

  • 26 drug addicts escape Krabi rehab, 11 recaptured by police

    Royal Thai Police (RTP) reported yesterday that 26 recovering drug addicts escaped from a rehabilitation foundation in Mueang, Krabi. The group allegedly stole a long-tail boat to make their way to Mueang Krabi, with some escapees later seen walking along Hemthanon Road. After nearly an hour, police managed to capture 11 of the escapees. The police negotiated with the 11…

  • Python surprise: Slippery situation at Phang Nga Police Station

    A large python was found in the engine compartment of a confiscated pickup truck at the Thap Put Police Station in Phang Nga, causing quite a commotion. Police officers managed to safely extract the snake after a resident discovered it and reported the incident. The discovery of a sizable python in a confiscated Isuzu pickup truck disrupted the routine training…

  • Volcanic durian from southern Thailand creates year-long waitlist

    A surge in demand has led to a year-long waitlist for the unique volcanic durian grown exclusively in southern Thailand, which boasts a GAP certification ensuring its safety and quality. This particular variety is reported to be twice as delicious as the commonly known Monthong durian. At the heart of this phenomenon is Saiyut Jannsawang’s orchard in Na Khao Sia…

  • Fare game: Thai man fights taxi overcharge at Krabi Airport

    A Thai man lodged a complaint at the Ministry of Interior after a taxi driver at Krabi International Airport attempted to overcharge him 2,500 baht for a 12-kilometre trip. The actual taxi fare is 400 baht. The 30 year old man visited Krabi Provincial Damrongtham Centre, under the Ministry of Interior, yesterday, June 25, to report the cheating taxi driver.…

  • Stinging situation as Bluebottles sighted around Racha Islands

    The Thai authorities issued a warning about the presence of Portuguese Man o’ War, also known as bluebottles, at the Racha Islands, located south of Phuket, following an incident where a tour boat staff member was stung yesterday. The Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) has identified bluebottles at Ao La, Ao Tu, and Racha Yai Islands. Tourists and…

  • Minor earthquake in Phang Nga prompts safety inspections

    An earthquake with a magnitude of 2.2 struck the Bang Toei area in Phang Nga Province, prompting officials to inspect for potential damage. It was confirmed that an earthquake occurred in Bang Toei, Mueang District, Phang Nga Province. The incident occurred in the early hours of today, June 26, as reported by the Earthquake Surveillance Division of the Thai Meteorological…

  • Police officer accused of assaulting man in Phatthalung

    A 23 year old man from Khuan Khanun District, Phatthalung Province, filed a complaint against a police officer who allegedly assaulted him in his home. The incident occurred at 6.46pm yesterday while the man was cleaning his dog’s kennel. Yanason (surname withheld) reported that while he was cleaning, Chakraphan (surname withheld), a police sergeant from Raman Police Station in Yala,…

  • Southern Thailand: Family shocked to find body preserved in ice

    Rescue workers were startled to discover a corpse preserved in ice, akin to salted mackerel after being called to inject formalin due to the smell and bloating. The body had been kept in ice for four days. Yesterday, the Facebook page of Oat Chantra, a rescue worker from the Phutthabucha Lansuan Rescue Unit, shared images of the event. The post…

  • Italian arrested for cocaine sales and illegal business on Samui

    Police in Surat Thani arrested an Italian man allegedly involved in selling cocaine and operating a motorbike rental business illegally on Samui Island. The arrest, made on June 18, followed an investigation by Surat Thani Immigration based on tips from concerned locals. Officers identified the suspect as 39 year old Mattio who was apprehended on Lamai Beach Road in the…

  • Missing contraband diesel vessels found near Malaysian waters

    Three vessels carrying 330,000 litres of contraband diesel that vanished from a police pier in Chon Buri have been located near Malaysian waters, police confirmed. Police Major General Charoonkiat Pankaew, Deputy Commissioner of the Central Investigation Bureau, announced that the three boats disappeared from the marine police pier in Sattahip district of Chon Buri last week. After travelling through Cambodian…

  • Koh Samui steals spotlight: Readers rave over four island getaways

    Readers of the popular American travel magazine Travel+Leisure voted four accommodations in Koh Samui as winners in the Beach+Island Resort category. Travel+Leisure released its 2024 Luxury Awards Asia Pacific ranking, allowing readers to nominate and vote for outstanding accommodations in various categories, including five-star urban escapes, private-island beach resorts, innovative spas, Instagram-worthy swimming pools, awesome airlines and airports, cruises, and…

  • Heartless landlord leaves terminally ill man homeless before death

    The owner of a rented house in the southern province of Songkhla refused to allow a terminally ill Thai man to rest in her residence. This forced the man to seek refuge in a temple, where he passed away this morning, June 14. Witnesses took to social media to share the heartbreaking story of 63 year old terminally ill Thai…

  • Twinning triumph: Thailand to launch second border bridge to Malaysia

    Thailand is set to break ground on a monumental project that will transform the region. The Twin Bridge, a massive construction project in Rantau Panjang-Sungai Golok, is expected to begin in April 2025. Narathiwat Province Governor Trakul Thotham announced that before construction starts, an environmental impact assessment (EIA) must be conducted. The EIA survey is scheduled to kick off next…

  • Employee shot dead in Pattani ambush

    A shocking incident occurred in Pattani, where an unidentified assailant ambushed and shot dead an employee of the Kolotanyong Subdistrict Administrative Organisation (SAO) while he was riding his motorcycle to work. The police are urgently investigating the motive behind the attack. Officers yesterday received a report from Nong Chik Police Station’s radio centre about the fatal shooting of an employee…

  • Ruff rescue: Abandoned pit bull in Hat Yai finds new home

    A pit bull was found abandoned in the heart of Hat Yai, dehydrated, weak, and unable to move. Rescuers discovered it infested with ticks and emaciated. Fortunately, a kind-hearted individual has already come forward to offer the dog a new home. Residents found the pit bull, weighing about 50 kilogrammes, left in Soi 6, Rat Uthit area, yesterday, June 11.…

  • Student’s fatal fall in Trang sparks investigation

    Tragedy struck a school in Trang when a 15 year old female student fell to her death from a school building. The governor suspects personal stress might have contributed to the incident, prompting an official investigation by the school. The police received a report from Trang Hospital’s emergency room regarding a fatal fall this morning, June 12. The police, led…

  • South Thailand: Woman evading arrest as a nun caught

    Thai police apprehended a woman who had been evading arrest by becoming a nun in Nakhon Si Thammarat over the past ten months. Believing she had escaped justice, the woman was finally captured following a police investigation. Law enforcement officers from the Anti-Human Trafficking Division, in cooperation with local police units from Damnoen Saduak in Ratchaburi and Tha Sala in…

  • Over 80 patients flee Krabi drug rehab centre over alleged abuses

    More than 80 patients escaped from a drug rehabilitation centre on Koh Sriboya, an island in the southern province of Krabi, over alleged abuses by the Thai authorities. A community leader on Sriboya Island reached out to officers from Khlong Kanan Police Station for assistance, as residents grew concerned about approximately 80 patients who had absconded from a drug rehabilitation…

  • Cyber police nab key administrator of major gambling site in Thailand

    Cyber police apprehended the key administrator of a major gambling site, slotking77, which had a financial turnover exceeding 180 million baht. The arrest occurred after the individual absconded following a bail release at the prosecutor level today. Phumipat Phattharasriwongchai, Commander of the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau 5, along with Ukrit Srinitivorawong, Chief of News Analysis and Special Tools Division, led…