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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    Do foreigners get free healthcare in Thailand?

    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?...

  • Phased withdrawal of Thai soldiers from southern border planned for 2027

    Phased withdrawal of Thai soldiers from southern border planned for 2027

    A phased withdrawal of soldiers on a special security mission is planned for 2027 in the conflict-ridden southern border regions of Thailand, as reported by the 4th Region Army. The special mission involves troops deployed to counter insurgents, who will continuously reduce in number until none remain, leaving only soldiers in routine operations stationed at permanent locations. In the meantime,…

  • Neighbour arrested for murder after 3 year old girl found dead in Narathiwat pond

    Neighbour arrested for murder after 3 year old girl found dead in Narathiwat pond

    A village man has been arrested for allegedly abducting, assaulting, and killing a three year old girl in Narathiwat. The case of a missing three year old girl in Narathiwat province tragically turned into a murder investigation when her body was discovered in a pond 500 metres from her home on May 16. The girl had disappeared from her house on…

  • Southern Thailand youth risk manipulation for political agendas

    Southern Thailand youth risk manipulation for political agendas

    In Southern Thailand, concerns have been raised over the potential manipulation of young people for political purposes by certain groups. This follows a recent event organised by the Pelajar Bangsa “national student movement” where a controversial public vote on a potential separation from Thailand took place. The 4th Army Region has strongly condemned this move, calling it a threat to…

  • Driver asleep at wheel injures 5, including 3 foreigners, in Phatthalung crash

    Driver asleep at wheel injures 5, including 3 foreigners, in Phatthalung crash

    A passenger van en route to Krabi met with an accident in Phatthalung, resulting in injuries to three foreign nationals and two Thai individuals. The incident took place yesterday on Petchkasem Road, with Sri Nakarin Police being notified in the afternoon. Emergency services discovered the damaged minivan on the side of the road, having crashed into a power pole. A…

  • Thailand investigates activists seeking Muslim Patani State referendum

    Thailand investigates activists seeking Muslim Patani State referendum

    Security agencies in Thailand are investigating a group of activists advocating for a public referendum on the creation of an independent Muslim “Patani State” in the country’s southern region. The National Security Council (NSC) stated that the Internal Security Operation Command (Isoc) Region 4 Forward Office and Provincial Police Region 9 are examining the group’s activities and monitoring its social…

  • PM orders action against activists seeking Muslim Pattani State referendum

    PM orders action against activists seeking Muslim Pattani State referendum

    The National Security Council (NSC) of Thailand has been instructed by outgoing Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha to investigate a group of activists who called for a public referendum on the establishment of an independent Muslim ‘Pattani State‘ separate from Thailand. The demand for a referendum was made during a seminar titled “Self-determination,” which introduced the “National Student Movement” or “Pelajar…

  • Yala craft beer uses Betong pomelo peel, garnering nationwide interest

    Yala craft beer uses Betong pomelo peel, garnering nationwide interest

    A local craft beer originating in Yala province has gained popularity across Thailand due to its unique blend, which includes peel from the local Betong orange. The product’s demand consistently increased after being featured at Sol Bar. This bar is located at the headquarters of the Move Forward Party in Bangkok and is discussed heavily on social media platforms. The…

  • Trang warns of severe dengue fever outbreak, 2 deaths and 164 cases reported

    Trang warns of severe dengue fever outbreak, 2 deaths and 164 cases reported

    Trang province‘s public health department urges citizens to be vigilant against dengue fever as outbreaks become more severe, with two deaths and 164 infections reported, mostly among children. Authorities are expediting efforts to eliminate mosquito larvae. The province’s deputy public health director, Wacharananon Tin-naiaython, revealed that dengue fever cases have increased significantly in the past two weeks, with 164 infections…

  • Thai worker falls into cement mixer, saved by off-switch

    Thai worker falls into cement mixer, saved by off-switch

    A 50 year old worker narrowly escaped death after falling into a large cement mixer at the Saeng Charoen Concrete Mix (2022) company in Thailand‘s southern Patthalung province. Quick thinking by a coworker, who switched off the machine, enabled rescuers to extract the man using cutting equipment. At around 10.45am this morning, officers of the Pa Bon police station, with…

  • Cops arrest Lao woman for trafficking teen in Narathiwat karaoke bar

    Cops arrest Lao woman for trafficking teen in Narathiwat karaoke bar

    In a raid last night on a karaoke bar in the main city district of South Thailand’s Narathiwat province, cops arrested a 35 year old Lao woman on charges of allegedly luring a 14 year old girl into the flesh trade. The suspect, known only as Souk, was the owner of the Seechompu karaoke bar in the Bang Nak sub-district,…

  • Roadside bomb injures monks and rangers in South Thailand

    Roadside bomb injures monks and rangers in South Thailand

    A roadside bomb blast in the Rueso district of South Thailand‘s Narathiwat province injured three monks and two volunteer rangers yesterday morning. The explosion took place near an agricultural equipment shop in tambon Rueso Ok at around 6.25am, as a white van carrying the monks from Wat Phairot Pracharam passed by. The monks were in the area to collect alms,…

  • 97 year old Thai grandmother abandoned on road by daughter, found soaking in rain

    97 year old Thai grandmother abandoned on road by daughter, found soaking in rain

    A 97 year old grandmother was abandoned in the middle of a road in the rain by her own daughter in Thailand‘s southern Ranong province. The elderly woman managed to crawl into the grassy area beside the road, where she was eventually found today by her distressed grandchildren. The road was in the middle of a residential area. Security camera…

  • Gunman ambushes villager in South Thailand garden, personal conflict suspected

    Gunman ambushes villager in South Thailand garden, personal conflict suspected

    A 52 year old man was injured in a shooting in South Thailand‘s Pattani province while working near the Saiburi River at Kapho. The incident occurred around 6.30 pm yesterday. It is believed to have resulted from a personal conflict, although the unrest in the region has not been ruled out as a factor. Authorities are investigating and gathering evidence…

  • South Thailand bus crash leaves 10 wounded

    South Thailand bus crash leaves 10 wounded

    A bus crash in South Thailand‘s Songkhla province left 10 people wounded yesterday morning. The bus was carrying 30 passengers from Bangkok to Hat Yai. Rattaphum Police were alerted to the incident on Asia Road in the Kamphaengphet sub-district of Rattaphum district. Emergency responders arrived at the scene and found the bus on the side of the road. Ten injured…

  • Fatal Pattani man shooting prompts urgent probe in Southern Thailand rubber plantation

    Fatal Pattani man shooting prompts urgent probe in Southern Thailand rubber plantation

    Authorities are investigating the shooting of a 34-year-old man from Pattani province who was found dead in a rubber plantation in the sub-district of Saba Yoi, Songkhla province. The victim reportedly had previous gunshot injuries but had not filed a police report due to fear. The police and emergency services arrived to find the victim near a large rubberwood log…

  • Examination indicates that 3 year old Thai murder victim was sexually abused

    Examination indicates that 3 year old Thai murder victim was sexually abused

    A tragic and shocking incident occurred involving the murder of a three year old girl in Thailand’s southern Narathiwat province. The grief-stricken parents suspect foul play and believe someone is responsible for their daughter’s death. The Foundation for Children and Women’s Welfare is assisting the family in their pursuit of justice. Yesterday, Paweena Hongsakul, the president of the Paweena Hongsakul…

  • Suspect says he stabbed Chinese businessman to death in South Thailand

    Suspect says he stabbed Chinese businessman to death in South Thailand

    UPDATE In the latest development on the killing of a Chinese businessman in South Thailand‘s Trang province, police have caught three suspects believed to be involved. One of the suspects says he stabbed the victim to death. Colonel Sakda Jaroenkun, Deputy Commander of the Region 9 Police, told The Phuket Express that police in Satun successfully arrested three suspects identified…

  • Cleaners find Chinese businessman’s body with stab wounds at South Thailand resort

    Cleaners find Chinese businessman’s body with stab wounds at South Thailand resort

    Cleaners at a resort in South Thailand‘s Trang province found a Chinese businessman‘s body with stab and slash wounds yesterday. Police were alerted of the incident in the Tub Tieng sub-district of Trang’s main city district in the afternoon. The victim was 43 year old Zhiru Li, The Phuket Express reported. According to resort staff, a room cleaner attempted to…

  • Stranded in paradise: Viral video shows 85 tourists trapped in water near Thai Cave

    Stranded in paradise: Viral video shows 85 tourists trapped in water near Thai Cave

    A video clip of 85 tourists waiting in the water near a cave in South Thailand after an issue with their boat has gone viral on social media. The video shows the tourists, who are all wearing life jackets, holding on to each other as they wait for their boat to return. The incident, which occurred on Saturday, May 6,…

  • 20,000 tourists flock to Thailand’s Full Moon Party

    20,000 tourists flock to Thailand’s Full Moon Party

    Around 20,000 tourists flocked to Thailand’s Full Moon Party on the island of Koh Pha Ngan last night, located in the southern Surat Thani province. The popular event, held on the full moon night of each month, is known for its lively atmosphere and attracts a significant number of young travellers from around the world. To ensure the safety of…

  • South Thailand shootout ends with 2 dead, 2 injured after wedding party

    South Thailand shootout ends with 2 dead, 2 injured after wedding party

    A shootout at a hotel car park in Surat Thani‘s main city district in South Thailand ended with two dead and two injured. The shootout occurred after those involved attended a wedding party last night. The tragic incident occurred at the Bunjongburi Hotel’s car park on Liang Muang Road in the Makham Tia sub-district. Authorities were alerted to the situation…

  • Trang governor reveals plans to develop Koh Kradan, the ‘best beach on earth’

    Trang governor reveals plans to develop Koh Kradan, the ‘best beach on earth’

    Plans are in the pipeline to develop Thailand’s Koh Kradan. Trang province’s governor, Kajornsak Charoensopha, on Wednesday, revealed plans to develop Koh Kradan into a major tourist spot. The move comes after the island was named the best beach on earth in the Top 100 Beaches on Earth by the UK’s World Beach Guide. The governor announced plans aimed at…

  • Thai man accuses RTA general of drug abuse, sexual sadism, and physical abuse

    Thai man accuses RTA general of drug abuse, sexual sadism, and physical abuse

    A Thai man accused a lieutenant general of the Royal Thai Army (RTA) of using drugs, engaging in sexual sadism, and physically abusing him during their sexual encounter in the southern province of Songkhla. The accuser, a Thai man named Nut, spoke to the media today about his relationship with the aforementioned RTA soldier named Wor. Nut disclosed that he…

  • Bomb attack in southern Thailand injures 8 police officers

    Bomb attack in southern Thailand injures 8 police officers

    Eight police officers from Sai Buri Police Station in Pattani province, southern Thailand, were injured in a bomb attack while on patrol last night. Two police vehicles were damaged. Before the incident, 11 officers went out on patrol in two pick-up trucks in the Sai Buri district. Assailants detonated a hidden bomb as the officers drove along the Ban Pa…

  • 100 police deployed to reservoir in the hunt for killer cop in South Thailand

    100 police deployed to reservoir in the hunt for killer cop in South Thailand

    There’s been a new development in the case around the cop in South Thailand who killed several of his family members, including his wife and son. The killer cop, 46 year old Pol. Snr. Sgt. Maj. Atthaporn Wichian, killed six people in Surat Thani province last week, including his wife, son, and father-in-law. Police have been on the prowl for…

  • Two separate shootings rock South Thailand, claiming 5 victims

    Two separate shootings rock South Thailand, claiming 5 victims

    Two separate shootings rocked South Thailand yesterday, claiming a total of five victims. In Surat Thani province, an unidentified gunman shot four people dead at a house, including two former village heads and his wife. The gunman attacked the victims at a house in Khiri Rat Dikhom district. Police identified three of the victims as former village headman Thammarong Nilniyom,…

  • Police find remains in South Thailand believed to be missing official

    Police find remains in South Thailand believed to be missing official

    Police and paramilitary rangers found human remains in South Thailand yesterday morning, which are believed to be those of a missing local official. The authorities found the bones on a cliff in Moo 6 village of Sri Sakhorn district in Pattani province. Along with the bones, they found the ID card of the chief of the Tambon Don Administrative Organisation,…

  • 18 year old man dies after two hooligans threw stones at him in southern Thailand

    18 year old man dies after two hooligans threw stones at him in southern Thailand

    An 18 year old man died in hospital yesterday after two hooligans threw stones at him while he was riding a motorcycle on a road in the southern province of Satun. The teenage victim, Kullatat “Folk” Tohem, was rushed to hospital on Sunday, April 2 with a serious head injury after two hooligans threw stones at him. The young man…

  • UNESCO recognises performance style from South Thailand

    UNESCO recognises performance style from South Thailand

    UNESCO has recognised a unique performance style from South Thailand. The organisation’s Facebook page posted a cover photo of a Nora performer, with the caption, “We are #LivingHeritage.” Nora has deep cultural and social significance for southern Thais. It is known for its unique style of singing and dancing. Nora performers are known for their signature long, curled metal fingernail…

  • Koh Chang Karp emerges as southern Thailand’s stunning new diving spot

    Koh Chang Karp emerges as southern Thailand’s stunning new diving spot

    Koh Chang Karp has recently emerged as the most stunning scuba diving destination in Trang, in the southern part of Thailand. Local tour boats hailed the island as the most beautiful scuba diving site in the province. Koh Chang Karp, also known as Koh Reur Rop (battleship island), is a hidden gem located between two popular attractions in Trang: Koh…