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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German couple seriously injured in crash on Phang Nga zebra crossing
A Thai baht bus driver crashed into a German couple on a zebra crossing in the southern province of Phang Nga, leaving the victims with serious injuries. Fortunately, their one year old child was unharmed. The President of the Phang Nga Tourism Business Association, Lertsak Ponklin, shared dashcam footage of the incident along with a message criticising the driver’s recklessness.…
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Down but not out: 2 year old boy trapped in Trang pit rescued
A toddler in Trang gave rescuers the fright of their lives after plunging into a deep, narrow pit next to a well, with the nail-biting rescue operation lasting several hours. The dramatic ordeal unfolded today, April 16 in Moo 1, Wang Maprang Nuea subdistrict, Wang Wiset district, when residents raised the alarm after hearing cries from beneath the ground. The…
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Tourist boat fire injures two near Koh Kut, southeast Thailand
A tourist boat carrying a family of four caught fire near Koh Kut in Trat province, injuring at least two people yesterday, April 11. Provincial officials were notified to assist at approximately 11.40am, as the Aor Subpiti was engulfed in flames, with initial reports mentioning one injured person on board. The boat held a family of four tourists and a…
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Lost in the woods: Italian tourists rescued on Koh Pha Ngan
Police on Koh Pha Ngan in Surat Thani province successfully located two Italian tourists lost in the forest for over three hours yesterday, April 11. The incident was reported by Police Lieutenant Vinij Bunchit after coordination with the Italian embassy, leading to the activation of local search and rescue teams. The two tourists, Maria Florencia Abaca and Linda Rattero, found…
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Malaysian man wanted for 6.9 million baht gold theft in Songkhla
Police are hunting for a Malaysian man who stole gold accessories worth over 6.9 million baht from a shop in the Hat Yai district of the southern province of Songkhla. The thief arrived at the gold shop on Montri 1 Road in Hat Yai district yesterday, April 8, wearing white trousers, a dark blue-grey polo shirt, and a hat. He…
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Songkhla couple extorted of 8.2m baht for son’s jail release
A couple has engaged a lawyer to report a gang for allegedly extorting 8.2 million baht by claiming connections with ministers, MPs, and senators to secure their son’s release from prison. The accused also falsely claimed a position as an advisor to a parliamentary committee. Yesterday, April 7, lawyer Chatchawan Bamrungwong accompanied 64 year old Sunaiya, a Songkhla resident, to…
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Trat city opposes Koh Chang expressway, fears economic impact
Residents and business owners in Trat city have expressed strong opposition to a proposed 5.9-kilometre expressway connecting Laem Ngob district to Koh Chang. They contend that this new route, which bypasses the city, could adversely affect the local economy. A second public consultation for the expressway project took place at Trat City Hotel in Mueang district on Wednesday, April 2.…
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Chinese construction firm raises safety fears at Songkhla Hospital
Concerns have emerged over the safety of a new outpatient building being constructed at Songkhla Hospital, with fears exacerbated by the involvement of a Chinese company previously linked to a collapsed building. The 426 million baht project, managed by China Railway No. 10, is under scrutiny after the firm’s involvement in a tragic incident at the Office of the Auditor…
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Thai Cabinet approves 721m baht for Islamic teachers’ salary boost
To enhance peace-building efforts in Thailand’s Deep South, the Cabinet has approved a hefty 721 million baht to boost the salaries of Islamic school teachers. The decision aims to support educators in the southernmost provinces of Pattani, Yala, Narathiwat, and Satun, along with specific districts in Songkhla. Deputy Government Spokesperson Anukul Prueksanusak announced the funding allocation yesterday, April 1, revealing…
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Thai man physically assaults mother over inheritance dispute
A Thai man physically assaulted his mother over an inheritance dispute, accusing her of squandering the family’s assets with her new husband following their father’s death. A Thai mother took to social media to share videos showing her son attacking her outside her home in the southern province of Surat Thani. “I have been caring for my children for 34 years,…
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British boxer dies after first Muay Thai fight on Koh Samui
A British boxer died last week after his first Muay Thai fight on Koh Samui, an island in the southern province of Surat Thani. Bor Phut Police Station officers were alerted to the death of the British man, 30 year old Joseph Itai Rinomhota, at 12.03pm on March 29. Rinomhota died at Thai International Hospital on Koh Samui after being…
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2.1 million Yaba pills, 210kg of crystal meth found in crashed car
Police discovered 2.1 million tablets of methamphetamine, also known as Yaba, and 210 kilogrammes of crystal meth in a car involved in an accident on a road in the southern province of Phatthalung. Four suspects who were in the car successfully fled the scene. A motorist and residents near the accident site called officers from Nakhayat Police Station to investigate…
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Funeral woe turns to joy as Thai parents realise ‘dead’ son is alive
Thai parents held a three-day funeral for their son before discovering that he was still alive and undergoing treatment at a hospital in the southern province of Phatthalung. Amarawadee Datekhao shared the case of mistaken identity that her family experienced with ThaiRath yesterday, March 26. She explained that her 17 year old son, Pongsaphak Thaneerat, and his friend were rushed…
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Thai boys post video when killing 33 year old man on social media
Police arrested two Thai boys after they filmed themselves brutally murdering a 33 year old man in a rubber plantation in Trang and posted the shocking footage on social media. Esor News reported the shocking murder by the young offenders in Trang yesterday, March 25. The page stated that the 14 year old boys took revenge by killing a 33…
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Ugandan man caught smuggling 16.5kg of cocaine into Thailand
Immigration Bureau officers yesterday arrested a Ugandan man in the southern province of Songkhla for smuggling 16.5 kilogrammes of cocaine from Malaysia into Thailand. Songkhla Provincial Immigration Bureau officers yesterday, March 25, received a tip-off about a suspicious Ugandan national, 29 year old Kasim, and closely monitored him while he was staying at a hotel in the Hat Yai district of…
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Thai woman dies in car crash after van driver abandons her mid-trip
A drunk Thai woman met a tragic end after being dumped mid-journey by a van driver in Surat Thani. The driver allegedly kicked her out for annoying other passengers—only for her to be killed in a horrific car crash moments later. Officers from Tha Chi Police Station were alerted to the woman’s death on Highway 41 in the Ban Na…
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Thailand plans 1 trillion baht land bridge to boost trade efficiency
The Ministry of Transport has introduced draft legislation for establishing a Southern Economic Zone, facilitating a substantial Land Bridge transport project to connect the Andaman Sea with the Gulf of Thailand. This bill proposes a commission to expedite the Southern Economic Corridor’s development across Chumphon, Ranong, Surat Thani, and Nakhon Si Thammarat. Transport Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit expressed hopes for the…
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Masked killers fatally shoot cattle farmer in Pattani
A chilling murder in the southern province of Pattani has left a community reeling, as four masked assailants ruthlessly gunned down a local cattle farmer in a brutal execution-style shooting. The killers escaped on two motorcycles, leaving the police scrambling to uncover the motive behind the cold-blooded attack. The horrific shooting unfolded in Ban Klang subdistrict, Panare district, Pattani province…
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Loco antics: Drugged-up drama as man halts Hat Yai express
Pandemonium erupted in Hat Yai when a Thai man under the influence of hallucinogenic drugs turned the railway tracks into his personal stage, causing a train to come to a screeching halt. The bizarre incident, captured on video, saw the man standing, lying, and even walking towards the moving train, sparking chaos at the station. It all unfolded yesterday, March…
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Pipe bomb attack injures five at Pattani police checkpoint
Two people disguised as Muslim women threw a pipe bomb at a police checkpoint in Pattani province, injuring five residents, including a family of five. The incident occurred at 5.40pm, yesterday, March 19, when officers from the Sai Buri District Police Station were alerted to the attack at the Wat Lieb checkpoint in Taluban subdistrict. The explosion affected passersby, prompting…
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2 German models steal from Koh Pha Ngan shop twice in one day
The Thai owner of a handcrafted home goods store on Koh Pha Ngan in the southern province of Surat Thani refused to compromise with two German male models who stole products from her store twice on the same day yesterday, March 18. The owner of the Sprout store, Ploy, took to Facebook and Instagram to expose the two German thieves after…
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Irishman killed in high-speed crash in Phang Nga’s Khao Lak
A tragic accident claimed the life of a 54 year old Irishman when he was struck by a speeding car in Khao Lak last night. The victim, identified as Neil Christopher More Oferrall, was killed instantly when a black Ford Everest hit him on Phetkasem Road, in front of the Sangsawan Resort, around 9pm yesterday, March 17. Police quickly arrived…
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Behind the cue: Rayong ‘snooker club’ gambles with the law
A recent operation in Rayong province uncovered a gambling setup disguised as a snooker club, leading to the arrest of 15 gamblers. Despite initial reports of political figures being involved, no evidence of such was found, and local police have not been reassigned. Police Major General Phumint Singhhasut, the commander of Rayong Provincial Police, yesterday, March 17, addressed the incident…
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Landslide at pipe installation site claims 2 lives in South Thailand
A landslide during a pipe installation in the southern province of Nakhon Si Thammarat claimed the lives of two workers and injured another. Officers from Khanom Police Station investigated the fatal accident at 2.30pm yesterday, March 17, at a construction site on Pu Chao Saming Road in the Khanom district of Surat Thani. Upon arrival, officers encountered the landslide at…
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Thai woman loses hand after shirt caught in motorcycle wheel
A Thai woman lost her left hand at the weekend after her shirt was caught by the wheel of a motorcycle while travelling on a road in the southern province of Songkhla. CCTV footage of the motorcycle accident circulated on Thai social media platforms after it occurred on Saturday, March 15. The video showed the victim, 55 year old Sudarat…
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Rubber plantation worker shot dead in Nakhon Si Thammarat
A 52 year old rubber plantation worker was fatally shot while riding his motorcycle to work in Nakhon Si Thammarat province yesterday, March 14. Police are actively investigating the case to determine the motive and apprehend the gunman. Police Lieutenant Hassan Wongmathong, Deputy Inspector at Chulabhorn Police Station, received a report of the shooting incident near a rubber plantation entrance…
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Indian tourists held over alleged assault at Koh Pha Ngan party
Two Indian men have been detained for questioning in connection with the alleged assault of a German woman after CCTV footage implicated them. One suspect gave inconsistent statements, while the other was evasive. Police remain confident in their identification of the suspects. The incident occurred when 24 year old Salah, a German national, reported being assaulted by two men while…
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Narathiwat Court sentences 7 men for assault on 12 year old girl
The Narathiwat Court sentenced seven men involved in the sexual assault of a 12 year old girl in Grade 6, with sentences ranging from two years to 87 years in prison. Kosolwat Inthuchanyong, Director General of the Office of Rights Protection and Legal Aid for the Public (SCP), yesterday, March 13, revealed progress in the case of 16 men, both…
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Tragic crash: Trang train-pickup collision kills 4
A tragic train and pickup truck collision in Kantang district, Trang province, resulted in the deaths of four passengers in the back of the truck. The train driver had sounded the horn but could not stop the train in time, leading to the crash at 2.40pm yesterday, March 13. The incident involved a rapid train number 168 travelling from Kantang…
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Cold feet, hot lawsuit: Jilted Thai bride-to-be sues runaway groom
A Thai bride-to-be sued her future husband for jilting her at the altar in the southern province of Nakhon Si Thammarat and causing her damages over 500,000 baht. The accused groom-to-be denied the allegations and claimed that his girlfriend’s family threatened to kill him. The 34 year old Thai woman, Nack, filed a complaint against her 33 year old boyfriend,…
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