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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3 Thai children rescued after attempting suicide to escape drug-addicted father
Three children were rescued after they attempted to commit suicide by walking into the sea in Nakhon Si Thammarat, telling witnesses that they wanted to escape from drug-addicted father. Witnesses intervened after seeing the three siblings, all under the age of 18, enter the sea together in Khanom district. The children were brought to safety before any injuries were reported.…
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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…
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Thailand, Malaysia plan September southern peace talks
A new round of peace talks on Thailand’s southern border is expected to take place in Malaysia this September, with a joint signing possible if the main committee reaches a consensus, Prime Minister’s adviser Wan Muhamad Noor Matha said today, July 1. Wan Muhamad Noor said two more internal subcommittee meetings remain before the main committee meets in Malaysia. If…
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Narathiwat bomb attack injures 2 Malaysian tourists
Two Malaysian tourists were injured in a bomb attack on a road in Narathiwat province today, June 29, following increased insurgency patterns in southern Thailand. Officers from Tak Bai Police Station were notified of the explosion at around 11.45am on Sai Sapom Road in the Phraiwan subdistrict, Tak Bai district, Narathiwat. Explosive ordnance disposal teams, forensic officers, and military personnel…
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Thai mahout killed and Omani tourist injured in elephant attack in Phang Nga
A Thai mahout was killed and an Omani tourist was injured in an elephant attack during a riding activity in Phang Nga on Saturday, June 27. Officers from Thung Kha Ngok Police Station were alerted to the incident in Song Prak subdistrict at around 2.30pm. Emergency responders arriving at the scene found the body of a 32 year old Thai mahout,…
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Government recruitment exam fraud allegedly leads to shooting in Phatthalung
The house of the president of the subdistrict municipality council in Phattalung was damaged in a shooting, allegedly following a dispute over fraud in the local government recruitment exam. Several news outlets reported the incident, but police have not yet issued an official statement confirming details of the shooting. According to reports, gunfire struck the council president’s house in Srinakarin…
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Thailand awaits UNESCO decision on Nakhon Si Thammarat temple
Thailand is optimistic that Wat Phra Mahathat Woramahawihan in Nakhon Si Thammarat will be added to the UNESCO World Heritage list following consideration next month. Deputy spokesperson of the Prime Minister’s Office Lalida Persvivatana said yesterday, June 22, that the government under Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul continues to prioritise the conservation, restoration and promotion of Thailand’s cultural and natural heritage.…
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Policeman opens fire outside govt office, says he was threatened
A police officer opened fire at a sign outside a Bhumjaithai Party office in Surat Thani, claiming a party-linked politician had threatened a relative. The Surat Thani shooting took place on Saturday, June 20, outside the Bhumjaithai Party office in Tha Chang district. No injuries were reported. Police Captain Ekkachai, 37, was later arrested at an all-you-can-eat restaurant inside a…
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Malaysian woman with large tumour turned away from Thai hospital due to lack of ID
A pharmacist at a Hat Yai pharmacy has shared an account that has moved tens of thousands of people online, describing the moment a woman in her fifties walked in asking to buy painkillers and then lifted her shirt to show what appeared to be a large malignant tumour on her left breast, larger than the pharmacist’s palm. The woman,…
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Koh Samui tourism leaders back ‘mafia crackdown’
Tourism industry representatives from Koh Samui and Koh Phangan have voiced their support behind a government crackdown on “mafia-linked influence networks” in Thailand, warning that extortion, price gouging, and illegal land occupation are damaging the islands’ reputations and undermining fair competition. Ratchaporn Poolsawat, vice president of the Tourism Council of Thailand and former president of the Koh Samui Tourism Promotion…
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Indian tourists asked to leave Songkhla resort after heated dispute
A seaside camper resort in Songkhla shared a Facebook post on June 12 describing what it called the worst experience in its five years of operation after a dispute with a group of Indian tourists. The resort said the group requested to check in at 8am without paying an early check-in fee. They booked three tents, each meant for two…
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Koh Lanta beaches closed over Portuguese man o’ war
A Mu Ko Lanta National Park in Krabi will temporarily close three popular tourist spots after officials found large numbers of highly venomous Portuguese man o’ war washed up along beaches. Mu Ko Lanta National Park chief Pramote Kaewnam said yesterday, June 10, that the affected areas are the national park office area at Laem Tanod, Koh Tung Gulima, also…
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Koh Pha Ngan temple event host says no noise complaint from foreigner
The host of a Thai ordination ceremony on Koh Pha Ngan denied a noise complaint and interference from a foreigner, stating that a viral social media post had caused a misunderstanding. The host described the foreign man as understanding and only inquired about the noise. A Koh Pha Ngan ordination ceremony became the centre of online debate after a social media…
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Bail revoked for Brit in Koh Pha Ngan case after Thai doctor dies
A court in Koh Samui yesterday, June 8, revoked bail for a British man accused in a Koh Pha Ngan motorcycle hit-and-run case after a Thai respiratory specialist died from his injuries. The case concerns the death of Associate Professor Dr Theerasuk Kawamatawong, a respiratory and critical care specialist and medical lecturer at the Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol…
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Foreign woman on Koh Pha Ngan allegedly ignores Thai dog attack victim
A Thai woman is seeking compensation after claiming she was attacked by dogs reportedly owned by a foreign woman on a beach in Koh Pha Ngan, Surat Thani. The woman posted in a local Facebook group, เกาะพะงัน – Koh Phangan, asking for help identifying the foreigner. She shared images of a woman with dogs on the beach and wrote that…
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Relative accused of shooting Phatthalung village headman dead
A village headman was shot dead during a community meeting in Phatthalung today, June 7, with police later arresting a relative accused of carrying out the attack. Police were called at around 2.10pm to a village hall in Chai Buri subdistrict, Mueang Phatthalung district, after receiving a report of a fatal shooting. The victim was identified as 57 year old…
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Thailand mourns doctor killed after Koh Pha Ngan hit-and-run
A respiratory and critical care specialist has died after he was seriously injured in a Koh Pha Ngan hit-and-run involving a British motorcyclist who later tested positive for cocaine. Vimut Hospital Phahonyothin announced the death of Associate Professor Dr Theerasuk Kawamatawong in a Facebook post today, June 7. The hospital said Dr Theerasuk worked as a specialist in respiratory disease…
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Thai woman found dead after missing during trekking trip
A missing woman, who went missing during a trekking trip in the forest on the border between Phatthalung and Trang provinces, was found dead near a waterfall today, June 4, bringing a four-day search operation to a tragic end. The 53 year old Thai woman, Wanthanee, also known as Ae, went missing on June 1 after separating from a group…
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Search continues for Thai woman missing during trekking trip
Search efforts entered a fourth day today, June 4, as more than 100 people continued looking for a missing Thai woman who disappeared while trekking in a forest area on the border of Trang and Phatthalung provinces. The search operation involves local woodsmen, residents, wildlife sanctuary officials, park rangers and administrative officers attempting to locate 53 year old Wantanee, also…
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Spanish nationals linked to Krabi pool villa nominee probe
Krabi officials raided a luxury pool villa in Nong Thale subdistrict, Mueang Krabi district, yesterday, June 2, as part of an investigation into suspected nominee shareholding involving foreign business operators. Krabi Governor Angkoon Silatewakul led the operation after officials obtained a Krabi Provincial Court warrant to search the villa, which sits on more than 1 rai of land. Officials said…
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Thai customs seizes One Piece cards worth 2 million baht
Thai Customs seized 30 boxes of One Piece card game products worth more than 2 million baht at the Sadao border checkpoint in Songkhla on May 31 after officers found the goods near an arrival gate with no owner present. The Customs Department said officers from Sadao Customs House were inspecting and monitoring the checkpoint area for customs offences when…
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Koh Samui taxi mafia crackdown targets illegal turf control
A Koh Samui taxi mafia crackdown in Surat Thani began yesterday, May 28, as officials moved to dismantle taxi queue groups accused of occupying public areas and stopping other legal taxis from picking up passengers. Koh Samui district chief Amorn Chumchuay led the operation with Koh Samui district officials, transport officers, police, tourist police, and municipal officers. The operation targeted…
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Gunmen dressed as Muslim women open fire on officer’s car in Pattani
A shooting in Pattani left a police officer injured and his wife dead yesterday, May 25, after four suspected insurgents opened fire on their sedan near a school in Phong Sata, Yarang, Pattani. Police were alerted at 3.30pm to the shooting, which left one person injured and one dead. Officers found the sedan with multiple bullet marks on the windscreen…
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Gun videos lead police to Indian man with drugs on Koh Pha Ngan
Police arrested an Indian man on Koh Pha Ngan yesterday, May 23, after videos showed a foreigner posing with guns and practising shooting, with officers later finding drugs and drug price lists on his phone. The suspect, identified as 33 year old Shabeelkunnon Valappil, was arrested at a residence in Koh Pha Ngan district, Surat Thani. Police charged him with…
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Russian tour guide arrested for working without licence
Tourist police in Phang Nga arrested a Russian national yesterday, May 21, for working illegally as a tour guide while accompanying a group of foreign tourists. The suspect, whose identity has not been released, was arrested at the car park of the Phang Nga Wildlife Breeding Station after officials earlier observed him guiding tourists at Suwan Kuha Temple. According to…
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Thai police criticised for seeking help from children during arrest
Two high-school students in Nakhon Si Thammarat helped police restrain a suspect on a public road, prompting a debate online about the safety and appropriateness of civilian involvement in police operations. Footage of the incident was shared by TikTok user @jxjxens before being reposted by several news outlets and Facebook pages. It showed two police officers struggling with a man…
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7 year old girl and soldier injured in ambush shooting in Narathiwat
A Thai soldier and a seven year old girl were injured in an ambush shooting in Narathiwat last night, May 20. The attack took place at about 7pm in Sawo subdistrict when unidentified gunmen opened fire on 29 year old Muhammad-Ammudi Waesohoh, a soldier from the 3rd Infantry Battalion, 152nd Infantry Regiment at Sirindhorn Camp in Pattani. According to reports,…
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Three arrested after 10-kilometre drug chase in Chumphon
Highway police arrested three suspects and seized more than 20,000 methamphetamine pills and crystal meth following a 10-kilometre car chase in Chumphon today, May 17. The suspects were identified as 33 year old Teerapong, 25 year old Suwapat, and 25 year old Pongsakorn. Police seized 20,200 methamphetamine pills and 52.13 grammes of crystal meth during the operation in Hat Phan…
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Officials say foreigners own only 6% of Koh Pha Ngan following locals’ concerns
The director of Thailand’s Land Department stated that foreign nationals own only six percent of land on Koh Pha Ngan, following growing concerns among residents about increasing foreign influence on the island. Concerns intensified in recent years as the number of long-stay foreign residents, particularly Israeli nationals, has increased on Koh Pha Ngan. Some locals fear the island could gradually…
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