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.
-
Sponsored How to reduce out-of-pocket medical expenses in Thailand?
Managing medical expenses in Thailand is important as healthcare costs continue to rise. The country’s healthcare system includes both public and private options, but even with the Universal Coverage Scheme (UCS) for citizens, many still face high out-of-pocket medical expenses....
-
Ex-army officer arrested for exploiting underage girls in Thai karaoke bar
A retired military officer has been arrested by Thailand’s Crime Suppression Division (CSD) for running a karaoke bar where he was allegedly exploiting underage girls. The ex-lieutenant, identified only as 59 year old Ratwut, was apprehended earlier today at one of his establishments in the southern province of Chumphon. Ratwut, also known as “Uncle Odd,” is accused of profiting from…
-
Yaba ordeal: Mother seeks aid as son’s dark turn targets family cat
A Thai mother reached out to a non-profit organisation for help after her 10 year old son was exposed to methamphetamine, commonly known as Yaba, and attempted to kill the family’s pet cat. The woman told the Paveena Foundation for Women and Children that her son’s personality had changed for the worse during the past month. The boy is out…
-
ATM theft: Police nab debt-driven man who stole 400,000 baht
Police in Nakhon Si Thammarat successfully apprehended a lone desperate man responsible for the theft of a Krungthai bank ATM. The incident took place in front of the Rajaprajanukroh 8 School, a secluded area in the Ban Na Thap community. The arrest was made following an investigation into the theft from August 16, where the culprit made away with almost 400,000 baht.…
-
Songkhla mother alleges neighbour tricked son into drug use
A mother in the province of Songkhla has filed a complaint with the Paveena Hongsakul Foundation for Women and Children, claiming that her 10 year old son has recently been showing signs of drug abuse. His erratic behaviour included destructiveness, verbal abuse towards family members, and attempting to harm a cat. The distressing behavioural shift came to a head when…
-
Phuket braces for rain havoc: Urgent weather alert signals flood risk
The southern province of Phuket has been included in an urgent weather notification that advocates for all hands on deck amid the risk of flash floods possibly instigated by heavy, persistent rain forecasted to batter the Andaman coast starting from Sunday, August 20. This alert was issued yesterday by Boonsom Cholpitakwong, the Deputy Secretary-General of the Office of National Water…
-
Cash caper: Thieves on the run after snatching 400,000 baht from Krung Thai Bank ATM
Thieves remain at large after stealing about 400,000 baht from a Krung Thai Bank ATM in front of Prachanukroh School in the southern province of Nakhon Si Thammarat. The deputy manager of the Krung Thai Bank, Janjira Saelim, yesterday lodged a complaint at Tha Sala Police Station complaining that thieves had stolen money from the ATM in the early hours…
-
Two wanted insurgents killed in Pattani as Thai military thwarts regional violence
In a clash between the Thai military and militant insurgents today, two suspects were gunned down in Pattani Province. The suspects had been spotted by locals hiding out in a household in Nong Chik District and were subsequently cornered by a joint force of 50 military personnel led by Colonel Sathiraphong Atharn and Lieutenant Colonel Sittisak Chenbanchong. Upon reaching the…
-
Nightclub shooting: Man accidentally fires gun into his own leg
Most nightclub shootings involve some sort of fight or commotion with a melee of people, but not always. A sudden gunshot incident in a popular nightclub in Hat Yai left a man nursing a self-inflicted leg injury, causing considerable alarm among the hundreds of patrons. The nightclub had to cease operations today for immediate investigation. Hat Yai Police were notified…
-
Hospital theft: loot stolen by men posing as relatives recovered from sewer
Two individuals, notorious for their thefts within hospitals, were arrested in a rented room in Trang province after trying to flush the evidence. The suspects are accused of a series of thefts carried out in various hospitals, impersonating patients’ relatives. Upon arrest today by officers from the Thung Song police station in Nakhon Si Thammarat, they were caught with some…
-
Police arrest savage suspect after 17 years on the run
A man known for his ferocity, who had been on the police’s most-wanted list, was arrested yesterday after 17 years on the run from a homicide case in Satun province. The suspect, previously involved in a nasty public brawl, was detained at his residence in the province’s Lang Suan district. Today, Police Colonel Montri Theskan ordered Police Lieutenant Colonel Phongoanot…
-
Road of sorrow: Scottish man becomes latest victim of Thailand’s perilous roads
A sombre chapter was added to the tragic toll of Thailand’s perilous roads today, as a 48 year old Scottish man became yet another victim. The unfortunate incident unfolded when Robert Griffin, a shipping officer from Fife, lost control of his white Honda Click motorbike, resulting in a head-on collision with another motorcyclist in Krabi, a province in southern Thailand.…
-
Malaysian tourist influx remains steady despite uncertainty in Thailand’s south
Malaysians are still streaming into Songkhla, despite safety concerns and uncertainties following the recent fireworks warehouse explosion and a car bombing in Narathiwat. The blasts brought ensuing speculation over safety concerns across Thailand’s southernmost provinces. But an average of 10,000 Malaysian tourists each day are visiting Southern Thailand anyway. Songchai Mungprasithichai, spearheading the Songkhla Tourism Promotion Association, expressed that the…
-
Explosion in Yala and Sungai Kolok districts results in two injuries
In an explosion that shook the districts of Sungai Kolok in Narathiwat and Mueang in Yala on Saturday night, Royal Thai Police (RTP) are currently on the hunt for the individuals behind the incident that left two innocent bystanders injured. The explosion in Sungai Kolok resulted in no causalities, whilst its counterpart in Yala left two innocent bystanders injured, reported…
-
BREAKING: Bombshell details emerge in Koh Pha Ngan murder
BREAKING NEWS: In Koh Pha Ngan, after 29 year old rising star Spanish chef Daniel Sancho Bronchalo brutally murdered and carved up his alleged lover, 44 year old Edwin Arrieta Arteaga, the missing top half of his body has now been recovered. Further details of the motive have been revealed but not confirmed. The torso and head of the murdered…
-
UPDATE: Kayak found as Spanish chef admits disposing body of lover off coast
In an update in the ongoing murder investigation, a kayak, speculated to be used by a Spanish chef to dispose of his former Colombian surgeon lover’s dismembered body parts, was discovered on Saturday off the coast of Koh Pha Ngan, stated the police. The chef, 29 year old Daniel Sancho Bronchalo is the descendant of several prominent Spanish actors, is…
-
Spanish chef brutally murders Colombian partner in Thai island horror
On the island of Koh Pha Ngan, located in the southern province of Surat Thani, a horrifying crime unwrapped as a Spanish chef confessed to the brutal murder and dismemberment of his Colombian partner. The crime was alleged to have taken place before the culprit dumped the body fragments in trash bags discovered in a local landfill and into the…
-
Thai fireworks depot owners surrender following fatal explosion investigation
The owners of a recently annihilated fireworks depo in Narathiwat yesterday handed themselves over to the police. This revelation was announced by an on-scene informant who wished to remain unnamed. The owners, Sompong Napol and Piyanuch Puengwirawat, both 42, made their way back into Thai territory through the Sadao checkpoint connecting Thailand and Malaysia. This development came on the heels of…
-
A young boy’s plea to King for rooftop repairs gets heartwarming response
In Nakhon Si Thammarat, a young boy from a destitute family has successfully received aid to restore the dilapidated rooftop of his home after his plea to His Majesty the King was met with a positive response. Nine-year-old, Thirat Thongphet lives in a modest village within Khuntalay, a section of the Lan Saka district. The youngster penned a plea on…
-
Student abandons newborn after giving birth in petrol station during field trip
A seventh grade student from Narathiwat gave birth in a petrol station toilet during a school outing in the southern province of Pattalung and abandoned her newborn baby girl. Officials were alerted to the case at around 9.30am today. Investigation of CCTV footage from the station led to the student being identified and located. The incident took place at a…
-
Juicy bust: Thai police squeeze illicit kratom factory
A substantial operation by the Royal Thai Police (RTP) yesterday, culminated in the seizure of an illicit factory manufacturing kratom leaf juice. The raid led to the confiscation of around 3000 bottles of cough syrup, three guns, and the arrest of one suspect. The RTP stormed into the clandestine factory situated along Khlong Toei-Khlong Ple Road nearby the Kho Hong…
-
Undercover officer fatally shot in Pattani: Potential drug trafficking link being investigated
A 29 year old undercover law enforcement officer was fatally shot last night following his return from investigating drug trafficking in Mayor district, Pattani Province. Currently, police are conducting an urgent probe into the incident to discern the motive and the assailants. After receiving a report of a fatal shooting incident involving a police officer on Chonlatarn Road in Mayor,…
-
Full Moon Party faces Buddha Days, water shortages this month
Local party and event organisers have scrambled to host the infamous Full Moon Party on Haad Rin Beach in Koh Pha Ngan this week while facing a number of setbacks. The country is seeing a surge in tourism due to the super-extended six-day holiday weekend, but that brings a downside for the partygoers on the island. Normally the week of…
-
Koh Tao sees record-breaking one-day tourist influx
The island of Koh Tao has seen a record-breaking number of tourists reported to have landed on July 28. The Surat Thani Provincial Governor, Wichuwat Jinto, shared the good news earlier today. Koh Tao, the smallest of the three main southern gulf islands, welcomed a staggering 3,106 visitors, all of whom arrived via boat on the same day. This influx…
-
Firework warehouse explosion kills 12, damages 292 homes
In the Sungai Kolok district of the Deep South province of Narathiwat, a devastating explosion in a firework warehouse claimed 12 lives and injured another 121 injuries yesterday. The explosion also resulted in significant damage to the surrounding area with 292 houses reported to be damaged or entirely obliterated, as announced by the provincial public relations office on their Facebook…
-
Ancient mysteries unearthed: Skeletal remains found under South Thailand sports stadium
Three sets of skeletal remains have been discovered underneath Nakhon Si Thammarat’s central sports stadium, believed to be from an ancient cemetery over a century old. The archaeological find was made during construction work for a drainage pipe behind two football fields. An evening inspection, following the report of the discovery, was led by Police Captain Thanathorn Panchu, Investigation Officer…
-
Ex-Hat Yai mayor handed 9-year prison sentence and heft fine over monument funds misuse
In a long-standing case spanning over 18 years, the former mayor of Hat Yai City in Songkhla province has been handed a nine-year prison sentence and a fine of 12.4 million baht by the Supreme Court. The verdict came yesterday, related to accusations dating back to between February 1 and February 4, 2005. Prai Pattano was accused of misspending funds…
-
Herb collector saved in 16-hour daring mountain rescue operation in southern Thailand
A high-intensity rescue operation managed to save the life of a 55 year old man from a precarious mountain fall in the Chao Pra Mountain, located in Trang province in southern Thailand. This formidable rescue mission, which spanned 16 hours, was carried out by more than 30 expert rescue workers who found the injured man within a crevice on the…
-
Massive Hat Yai raid seizes 5,000+ illicit cigarette packs, 2 arrested
A major raid took place today in southern Thailand, where police, Songkhla administrative officials, and officers from the Excise Office raided a large illicit cigarette shop. The officials seized a considerable amount of contraband alongside a hefty sum of cash. The incident took place in the city of Hat Yai in Songkhla province. The operation was headed by Chavakij Suwankiri,…
-
Bhumjaithai Party proposes bill to safeguard Thai hajj pilgrims stranded abroad
A groundbreaking solution is on the horizon as the Bhumjaithai Party‘s Southern working committee strategises a preventative measure; proposing a bill to safeguard Thai hajj pilgrims from potential misery abroad brought about by issues back home. Astoundingly, above 500 pilgrims hailing from Yala, Thailand found themselves in an unfortunate entanglement, trapped and unsupervised on arrival in Saudi Arabia during the…
-
Southern Thailand calamity: Lorry crash kills retired school director, triggers village blackout
A lorry plunged into a house and hit a retired school director who was out for a walk, causing fatal injuries, in a village in southern Thailand. The mishap also caused damage to a residence and a high-voltage power pole and left three motorcycles damaged. Lieutenant Bundit Prasert, deputy investigator of Betong Police Station, today rushed to the scene at…
Don't forget to check out some other things to do in Thailand - get help starting a business or finding a job in Thailand, buy Thailand property, rent a yacht or book a medical procedure worldwide.