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....
-
Human skeleton found in a cassava field in Muang district
A human skeleton was found early this morning by a villager in a cassava field in the Muang district of Phitsanulok province in Central Thailand. Police investigators travelled to the field near Rong Wai Fad village in Tambon Don Thong after being informed of the discovery to determine if foul play was involved. 49 year old Lampoey Leepla said she…
-
TripAdvisor slaps warning on Thailand’s ‘Sea View Resort & Spa’ review page
Be careful if you want to trash a Thai hotel in the land of fragile egos who use the handy tools of eager lawyers and draconian libel laws. Now TripAdvisor, the review website everyone loves to hate, is warning potential travellers to a particular Thai hotel that they could face severe consequences for sharing negative opinions about their experience. One visitor,…
-
Man shot and killed, bomb explosion in deep south
A man was fatally shot and later, as rangers were patrolling, a bomb exploded – both incidents were in the Southern province of Narathiwat, an area plagued with violence from the more than two-decade-long insurgency. Around 6am this morning, 48 year old Sorpree Arma was shot dead in the Sri Sakhon district just as he was leaving his home to go…
-
Government to consider rescue packages for tourism businesses in South
The government will hold a mobile Cabinet meeting in Phuket today to consider potential rescue packages for tourism-related businesses that have been ravaged by the closure of international borders. The proposals, which include soft loans for airlines and other businesses, come after PM Prayut Chan-o-cha met with Phuket business representatives and local officials yesterday. The Bangkok Post reports that the…
-
Eerie green glow hovers over Ranong on Halloween
Thai social media is in a meltdown after people shared photos an “eerie green glow” spotted in night sky over Ranong province in southern Thailand (5 hour drive north from Phuket). The pictures of the eerie green glow were snapped by residents living in Muang Ranong district. Of course the theories have been coming thick and fast – it was…
-
Ang Thong National Park – Thailand’s most beautiful islands?
Today Manit takes you to Thailand’s second-largest island Koh Samui and then on to the stunning Ang Thong National Marine Park off the coast of Surat Thani in the Gulf of Thailand to seek the answer to the question… are the Ang Thong National Marine Park islands Thailand’s most beautiful. Then we will explore a magnificent turquoise lagoon, enjoy paddling…
-
Bangkok Airways add 3 new local routes to their schedule
Some domestic routes are being added as local routes continue to expand. This time Bangkok Airways has announced it’s resuming its Samui-Phuket, Phuket-Hat Yai and Phuket-Pattaya/Rayong (U-Tapao) flights. The first additions to the schedule will be the Phuket-Samui flights resuming this Sunday, October 25, and the Phuket-Pattaya flights start again next Tuesday, October 27. The Phuket-Samui flights will be operating…
-
Thailand’s land bridge plan still floating
Deputy government spokeswoman Traisuree Taisaranakul says the government is still mulling the idea of a land bridge between the southern provinces of Ranong and Chumphon. The project’s aim would be to improve the infrastructure in the region by connecting the Gulf of Thailand directly with the Andaman Sea, “thereby making the Kingdom more competitive”. In a report in the Bangkok…
-
Zoos to be investigated for possible involvement in black market animal trade
Zoos across Thailand will be investigated for possible involvement in the black market wildlife trade. The probe follows a case where 2 rare albino barking deer went missing at Songkhla Zoo and a top zoo official investigating the disappearance was shot and killed at the zoo in an apparent murder-suicide. After suspicion that the deer were stolen and sold in…
-
PM orders probe after top zoo official killed while investigating missing rare deer case at Songkhla Zoo
PM Prayut Chan-o-cha has ordered an investigation into the Songkhla Zoo after a top zoo official investigating a missing rare deer case was shot and killed by the zoo’s senior veterinarian in an apparent murder-suicide. After the fatal shooting, some have cited concerns that the 2 rare albino barking deer may have been stolen and sold in the illegal wildlife…
-
Koh Phangan hotel probed after complaints of cultural appropriation for Angkor Wat design
A Koh Phangan hotel is saying sorry for using Cambodia’s culture and famous landmarks, including the popular Angkor Wat, in what looks to be a case of cultural appropriation, misusing or misrepresenting a culture and profiting off it. An investigation into the claims of cultural appropriation has been launched by Surat Thani Culture Office. Cambodia’s Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts is also…
-
Officials threaten Ranong pier with closure over Covid violations
A pier in the southern province of Ranong is being threatened with closure after allowing the crew from a Myanmar fishing trawler to disembark and come ashore. This violates restrictions currently in place to prevent the spread of Covid-19. Myanmar is currently experiencing a surge in virus cases, going from 400 cases on August 20 to 17,794 cases today. The…
-
Songkhla Zoo director to be investigated over missing rare animal
After a rare albino barking deer went missing from the Songkhla Zoo, the zoo director, who claims the animal was eaten by a python, is now being investigated by the Zoological Park Organisation as well as the Natural Resources and Environment Ministry. The 1 year old deer went missing from the zoo in February, but yesterday zoo director Chalermwut Kasetsomboon…
-
The man who wrote the bad reviews for Koh Chang’s Sea View Resort has a criminal record
In the ongoing stoush between the American, Wesley Barnes, and Koh Chang’s Sea View Resort, the story is now reaching way beyond Thailand’s borders, being reported in mainstream media around the world. Much of the media discussion has focused on whether it is appropriate to be able to sue people over a bad review with criminal defamation. Defamation is a…
-
Bride and groom shot in Nakhon Si Thammarat wedding
Four people have been killed during a Nakhon Si Thammarat wedding reception in the Tham Phannara district. One other person was seriously injured in the hail of bullets. Local police report that the incident occurred around 11pm on the road outside the house where the reception was being held in the Dusit tambon village. Two of the dead people were…
-
Koh Chang resort sues American over bad review
A Koh Chang resort is fighting back and, reportedly, suing an American citizen after posting a nasty online review on TripAdvisor. After recently visiting the Sea View Resort on Trat province island in the Gulf of Thailand, American Wesley Barnes wrote an unflattering, almost bitchy, account of his stay prompting the owner to file an official complaint over the ‘unfair’…
-
Phatthalung 20 year old arrested for killing girlfriend and putting body in a cage
A Phatthalung man has been arrested over the killing of his 23 year old girlfriend. He has been identified as 20 year old Natthapol Dumsin. The man allegedly smashed her head repeatedly, killing her because she said she wanted to break up with him. Police say he has now confessed to the crime. Phatthalung Police acted after receiving reports of a…
-
Monkeys castrated after causing chaos in Songkhla
Monkeys have become so much of a problem in Songkhla that officials have decided to castrate them. The monkeys relied on food from tourists visiting Khao Tang Kuan Hill, also known by some as “Monkey Mountain.” But since there have been no tourists for months, the monkeys have made their way into the city looking for food. A similar project…
-
Body found floating by Khanom fishing pier
A man’s body was found floating by a Khanom fishing pier in the southern province of Nakhon Si Thammarat today. Police say the man looked to be about 25 to 30 years old. They say the man was wearing pants, a black T-shirt and shoes. No identification was on the man and police are investigating. No wounds were reported on the…
-
Tuk tuk driver shot multiple times by rival driver in Songkhla
A Songkhla tuk tuk driver is in critical condition after a rival driver allegedly shot the man multiple times for taking his customers. 40 year old Chaowalit Phuthaksin allegedly shot the driver 9 times from behind just as the driver was calling out to potential customers. When police arrived to the scene, they found 40 year old Sao Phuangthong on…
-
Thai Kra Canal – numbers don’t stack up
OPINION The possibility of Thailand being sliced into 2, with a canal running east to west through the middle of the Isthmus of Kra (the Thai section of the Malay Peninsula), is back on the table. There’s a lot of heated response from readers, for and against the plans. Is there an economic model to support the new canal? How…
-
Ships want a shortcut: Studies to start on Thai canal and land bridge
Thailand could actually sliced in half by a canal right across the Malay Peninsula, linking the Andaman Sea and the Gulf of Thailand. Proposals have been in the works for hundreds of years, but now the idea is popping up again, and alternatives, as shipping companies try and find ways to cut their costs. The Thai government plans to hold…
-
Monkeys take over Songkhla home while family away for holiday
Monkeys took over a Songkhla home in Southern Thailand while a family was away during the 4 day long weekend holiday. Monkeys were on the roof, in the trees and on the fence while trash was scattered across the yard and driveway. Luckily, the monkeys couldn’t get inside the home (although we bet they tried). Monkeys frequent the area near the…
-
2 insurgents killed, 4 ranger injured in Songkhla clash
Rangers have shot and killed 2 suspected insurgents in the latest clashes in Thailand’s Deep South, this time in Songkhla’s Chana and Thepha district last night. Police and soldiers headed to the area after receiving reports that 4 insurgents were in the ares and travelling on 2 motorcycles. The suspects dispersed as the police and soldiers arrived. 3 separate clashes followed.…
-
Odd number wins the Thai lotto
It’s enough to send a Thai gambler into a frizz. A rather odd number won the 6 million baht jackpot in Tuesday’s bi-monthly Thai lottery. The ticket ‘999997’ was the prize winning number and Thai netizens are going ballistic! Usually when picking out a lucky number, people would rarely choose a ticket with so many repeating numbers. But 52 year…
-
Songkhla pageant ends in shambles, contestant accuses judges of fixing scores
A beauty pageant came under fire after 10 contestants were all declared the winners, ending the Miss Samila 2020 early after a contestant accused the judges of rigging the scores. The 10 finalists split the 200,000 baht of prize money and the top 5 contestants got an extra 10,000 baht. A good deal for those who would’ve lost, bad for those who…
-
Southern Thailand insurgents ambush police vehicle
A group of insurgents allegedly shot up a police vehicle while it was travelling in the southern province Narathiwat, which borders Malaysia. 50 bullet casings were found on the ground after the ambush. Luckily, the 5 police officers, including the province’s deputy police chief, were not injured. The police vehicle was equipped with bullet proof windows and the body of…
-
Body found with gunshot wound, police open murder investigation
Police have opened a murder investigation after a man’s body was found in a drain in the southern province Nakhon Si Thammarat, southern Thailand. He had a gunshot wound to his head and officers say he was shot from a close range. His hands were found handcuffed behind his back. A local was fishing at the Tha Rua-Hua Trud canal…
-
60 Surat Thani women report their photos posted online soliciting sex
Dozens of women from southern villages in Surat Thani found photos of themselves shared online with messages soliciting prostitution. 1 woman says her Facebook account was hacked and messages offering sexual services were sent from her personal account. Chai Buri district police say 60 women reported their photos being used online with what looked like personal messages from them offering…
-
Songkhla fisherman found murdered in lake house
A man in the southern Songkhla province was shot dead at a house on stilts in the middle of Songkhla Lake in the small hours of this morning. A Singha Nakhon police duty officer says he was informed of the incident at about 3:40am. Officers were sent to the scene to investigate. Police found the body of the man lying…
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.