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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Thailand’s healthcare system is well-regarded across Southeast Asia, with options ranging from public hospitals to world-class private facilities. But when it comes to foreign residents or tourists, healthcare access isn’t as straightforward. So, do foreigners get free healthcare in Thailand?...
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Southern Thailand popular for Malaysian polygamous marriages
Southern Thailand has emerged as a preferred destination for Malaysian men seeking ceremonial polygamous marriages. Each month, at least 30 couples from Malaysia undergo marriage ceremonies at the Narathiwat Islamic Religious Council, according to a report by the Bernama news agency. These couples primarily hail from the neighbouring states of Kelantan and Terengganu, though some travel from as far as…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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Fake police officer causes uproar in Songkhla snooker hall
A man claiming to be a police officer caused a scene after parking his car in the middle of the road in Songkhla Province, boasting about his rank and causing a disturbance in a snooker hall. The incident led to a formal complaint against him. The incident occurred yesterday when a Facebook user posted about a troubling encounter in the…
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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…
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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.…
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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…
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Reeling trouble: Illegal fishing devices net controversy in Songkhla
Illegal fishing tools continue to cause problems in Songkhla, particularly the use of Pongpang fishing devices in Songkhla Lake. Despite efforts by authorities to enforce the law, the situation remains unresolved as fisherfolk persist in using these prohibited tools. The Pongpang devices are installed in the navigable channel between Hua Phaya Nak and the new fishing pier in Mueang Songkhla…
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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…
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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…
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Thai-Malay twin-city initiative to boost southern economic growth
The Thai government announced a collaboration with Malaysia to promote a twin-city concept in the Deep South, aiming to stimulate economic growth and bring peace to the region. Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Phumtham Wechayachai recently chaired a meeting to review the progress of this initiative, which seeks to transform the longstanding conflict zones into thriving trade hubs through…
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Songkhla pushes for cruise terminal to boost tourism
The Songkhla Tourism Association is calling for government intervention to boost tourism by constructing a cruise ship terminal and introducing direct flights from Chinese cities to Hat Yai. President of the Songkhla Tourism Promotion Association Songchai Mungprasithichai announced plans to seek government support for direct flights to Hat Yai, proposing routes such as Kunming-Hat Yai to attract more Chinese tourists…
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Fugitive caught after 16 years, taunting police on social media
Sixteen years on the run ended abruptly for a fugitive wanted for attempted murder after he taunted police on social media. On June 1, a team led by Montri Teshkan, Police Major General, arrested 35 year old Wuttichai, also known as Kay,in Chumphon’s Lang Suan district. Authorities had been searching for Wuttichai following an incident on April 10, 2008. That…
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Two shot dead while gathering intelligence in Songkhla
Two people were shot dead while gathering information in Thepa, Songkhla yesterday. Ponnchai Kwanpanya, the head of Huai Pling Police Station in Songkhla, received a report of a shooting incident yesterday at 5.30pm. The attack occurred on a road in Ban Huai Pling, Moo 2, Tham Wang Subdistrict, Thepa District, Songkhla Province. Authorities, including military forces from Songkhla Special Task…
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Kazakhstan’s first direct flight lands in Surat Thani
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and Scat Airlines today celebrated the inaugural direct flight from Almaty, Kazakhstan to Surat Thani. The flight carrying 212 passengers, landed at Surat Thani International Airport this morning at 7.30am. The Thai Ambassador to Kazakhstan, Chatchawan Sakornsinsuwan, accompanied the flight, along with Kazakhstani travel operators and media, receiving a warm welcome from local officials.…
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Pattani volunteer shot dead after local football match
A government volunteer in Pattani was shot dead in an ambush by a group of gunmen while returning home on his motorcycle after a football match at 5.45pm yesterday. The District Chief of Sai Buri was informed by the village head of Moo 6, Kadunong subdistrict, Sai Buri district, Pattani, about the tragic event. Athar Hama, a member of the…
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Cabinet’s coastal crusade: 3 notifications to protect Andaman Sea
The Cabinet approved three ministerial notifications aimed at protecting the environment in Phang Nga, Krabi, and Ranong, three coastal provinces along the Andaman Sea. Deputy Prime Minister and Natural Resources and Environment Minister, Police General Phatcharavat Wongsuwan, announced yesterday, May 29, that two notifications from his ministry had received approval during a meeting held yesterday. The approved notifications focus on…
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Record meth seizures in Southeast Asia’s Golden Triangle
In a recent report released yesterday, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) disclosed that East and Southeast Asia are currently grappling with an unprecedented influx of methamphetamine and other synthetic drugs. This surge is largely sourced from the Golden Triangle, an area where the borders of Thailand, Myanmar, and Laos converge. Historically recognised for opium cultivation and…
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Derailed heist: Thieves steal railway crossings equipment in Songkhla
Thieves have stolen signal poles, barrier arms, and other equipment from 17 railway crossings in Songkhla, putting passengers, pedestrians, and motorists at risk. The thefts occurred in the Khuan Niang, Hat Yai, and Sadao districts, focusing primarily on the Hat Yai-Padang Besar route in the Sadao district. Equipment was stolen from nine out of the 10 crossings in this area.…
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Vice mayor gunned down in ambush on Pattani highway
In a brazen attack on the Phet Kasem Road, the vice mayor of a Tambon Administrative Organisation (TAO) in Khok Pho district, Pattani province, was brutally murdered by suspected insurgents on Friday evening. Witnesses reported that 57 year old Nan Kongsomboon was ambushed by two men on a motorcycle as he was returning home after tending to his cattle. The…
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Commerce Ministry investigates oil palm price drop
The Commerce Ministry directed the Internal Trade Department to investigate the recent drop in oil palm prices by visiting provinces known for palm plantations. This initiative follows complaints from growers about reduced purchase prices. Commerce Minister Phumtham Wechayachai instructed Wattanasak Sur-iam, director-general of the Internal Trade Department, to assess the situation in Phang-Nga, Krabi, and Surat Thani provinces. The goal…
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Satun’s Khao Khom cave recognised as new prehistoric site
The Fine Arts Department of Thailand has officially recognised Khao Khom cave in Satun province as a new prehistoric archaeological site, revealing that the cave’s discoveries could date back as far as 6,000 years. Fine Arts Department Director-General Phanombut Chantarachot confirmed that a recent study was conducted on human skeletons and pottery remains found in the cave. This preliminary research…
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Civil war in Myanmar sees increase in drug trafficking into Thailand
In a worrying development, the trafficking of methamphetamine, commonly known as Yaba, from Myanmar into Thailand has witnessed a significant increase in recent weeks. According to Thai military sources, this surge is attributed to the pressing financial requirements of anti-junta ethnic forces in Myanmar. A coordinated effort by Thai military, police, and anti-narcotics officials yesterday resulted in the seizure of…
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Pakistani and Thai wife arrested for murder of Indian in Songkhla
Police arrested a Pakistani man and his Thai wife for the murder of an Indian man in the southern province of Songkhla. The motive is suspected to be a business conflict. The dead body of a foreign man was found on the roadside in Songkhla on May 15 with two stab wounds and a gunshot wound. Police later identified the…
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Policewoman arrested for role in kidnapping of Indonesian man
Police arrested a policewoman on May 19 for her alleged involvement in the kidnapping and ransom of an Indonesian man in the southern province of Phatthalung on May 11. The 29 year old Indonesian victim, Syawana, was rescued from a house in Phatthalung province on May 15 by officers from the Mueang Phatthalung Police Station after he was kidnapped and…
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Southern Thailand: Locals unite to halt Land Bridge project
People’s networks from Ranong and Chumphon provinces rallied yesterday in front of the Lang Suan district office, vehemently opposing the controversial multi-billion baht Land Bridge project planned for their region. Protesters issued a powerful statement demanding the immediate cancellation of the project, arguing it would deplete vital resources better preserved for future generations. “Our children and grandchildren deserve a sustainable…
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Ancient human remains and tools found in Satun’s Khao Khom Cave
Human remains and ancient tools, estimated to date back over 10,000 years, have been unearthed inside Khao Khom Cave in Satun’s Khuan Kalong district. This discovery emerged from a project spearheaded by Kamponsak Sassadee, a renowned cave explorer, who aimed to delve into one of the province’s longest and most ecologically diverse caves. Kamponsak’s team initially discovered signs of ancient…
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Durian scam: Street vendor gets seven years for scale trickery
A woman in Chumphon province has been caught red-handed and faces severe consequences after duping customers with a rigged scale at her roadside durian stall. The scandal unravelled when a suspicious customer, who purchased two durians weighing 16 kilogrammes for 1,640 baht, discovered a significant discrepancy upon shipping the fruits to their mother. The actual weight turned out to be…
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Dead body with stab and gunshot wounds identified as Indian man
Police successfully identified the nationality of a foreign man found dead in the southern province of Phang Nga as an Indian clothes seller. The identity of the murderer remains unknown. A Thai resident found the dead body of a foreign man on the side of Ban Na Road yesterday, May 15 and reported the discovery to Khok Kloi Police Station.…
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