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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Sponsored Long-term life in Thailand? 5 reasons private health insurance pays off in the long run
Thailand is a great place for expats and retirees, offering a warm climate, affordable living, and rich culture. However, healthcare can be tricky for foreigners since they aren’t eligible for public health coverage, and private care can be expensive. Private...
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PM perfects ‘Salaam’ greeting on helicopter to Muslim south
Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra prepared for a visit to Thailand’s southern Muslim-majority provinces by practising the universal Islamic greeting, “as-salaam alaykum” (peace be upon you), aboard an air force helicopter. Assisted by Justice Minister Tawee Sodsong, the PM repeated the greeting several times to perfect her pronunciation. “I practised this earlier too, but I want to get it just right.”…
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South Thailand unrest: Defence chief demands strategy overhaul
Deputy Prime Minister-cum-Minister of Defence Phumtham Wechayachai called for a bold rethink of Thailand’s southern border strategy following a recent motorcycle bomb attack in Pattani that left defence volunteers and civilians injured. In a scathing critique of current measures, Phumtham urged the National Security Council (NSC) to replace the ineffective cycle of lifting and reinstating emergency decrees with a more…
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Thai man demands 24 million baht from BMW driver who kills his wife and 2 kids
A Thai man is demanding 24 million baht in compensation from a BMW driver who was speeding when she crashed into his family’s motorcycle, killing his wife and two children on a road in the southern province of Chumphon in November last year. The 52 year old Thai mother, Yenjit, and her two children, Boonyanuch and Krittamate, lost their lives…
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PM Paetongtarn to visit southern provinces amid recent bombings
Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra will visit the southern provinces of Pattani, Yala, and Narathiwat tomorrow despite recent bombings in the region, as confirmed by Deputy Prime Minister Phumtham Wechayachai. Phumtham, who is also with the defence ministry, yesterday, January 14, addressed two bomb incidents: one in Ano Ru subdistrict, Mueang district, Pattani, which injured six paramilitary rangers on Monday morning,…
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Forks of fury: Woman seeks justice after nightspot stabbing drama
A Thai woman is seeking justice after being accused by a group of nearly 10 women of pouring water over them before they attacked and stabbed her in the back with a fork at a nightclub in the southern province of Songkhla. The 24 year old victim, Tar, brought the matter to Channel 7 after the police failed to update…
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Hat Yai gears up for Chinese New Year with parades and contests
Hat Yai is pulling out all the stops for a dazzling Chinese New Year celebration, promising a week of vibrant festivities from January 28 to February 2. This iconic festival, a highlight for Thailand’s Chinese community, will take over Srinakorn Foundation School with parades, dragon and lion dances, fireworks, and breathtaking lantern sculptures. The festival is packed with activities to…
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Former Thai inmate jailed for rape arrested for repeated assault
Police arrested a 64 year old former Thai inmate for the rape of a 70 year old woman in the southern province of Trang on Monday, January 6. The victim, 70 year old lady called Iad, filed a complaint with the Bang Khlong Teng Police Station following the assault, which occurred at 2pm on January 6 while she was on…
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Bomb blast near TK Park Pattani injures six officers
A bomb explosion occurred in a side alley near TK Park, central Pattani, injuring six volunteer officers. The incident happened at 8am today, January 13, just 20 metres from the Mueang Pattani Police Station. The assailants had hidden the explosive device in a vehicle parked in front of a row of shophouses, causing damage to nearby buildings. Residents expressed alarm…
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Crash course: Official in hot water over personal joyride in govt car
A provincial administrative organisation officer in Chumphon province is under scrutiny for allegedly using a government vehicle for personal purposes, leading to a car accident. The SUV, a black Nissan Terra, was reportedly regularly used as a personal vehicle by the officer without any official insignia. The incident occurred following a politician’s birthday party in Mueang district, Chumphon around three…
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British tourists’ speedboat crashes into Thai mangrove forest (video)
A holiday speedboat carrying British tourists on an idyllic island-hopping adventure turned into a nightmare when the vessel smashed into trees in southern Thailand, prompting screams from panicked passengers. The incident occurred on Friday, January 3 during a journey between Koh Lipe and Koh Lanta. Shocking footage shows terrified passengers clinging to their seats as the speedboat hurtled off course,…
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Road rage: Trucker clash ignites over middle finger in Songkhla
A roadblock and a rude middle finger gesture led to an altercation between a Thai truck driver and another man on a road in the southern province of Songkhla. Facebook user Ting Chukamnued shared videos of the altercation on the road on January 7, with a caption that read, “Thanks to the owner of the videos. Let him know that this…
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Fake policewoman wanted for swindling 400,000 baht from man
Officers at Mueang Narathiwat Police Station in southern Thailand are searching for a woman who impersonated a policewoman and swindled over 400,000 baht from a Thai man by falsely claiming she was pregnant. The victim revealed to officers at Mueang Narathiwat Police Station that he met the suspect, 21 year old Fatina Nanta-ariyakun, on a dating application at the end…
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BRN operative arrested in Yala for planned January attack
Police apprehended a Barisan Revolusi Nasional (BRN) operative involved in a 2017 bombing incident while he was hiding in Than To district, Yala province. The suspect confessed to entering the village with plans to attack yesterday, January 6. Police received reports from locals about a suspicious man blending in with residents in the Mueang 6 Santi 2 village, Mae Wat…
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Missing Thai woman found after six days following abduction claim
The Be One organisation located a missing 26 year old Thai woman in the southern province of Phetchaburi last night, January 6, after she informed friends that she was abducted by two men and went missing for six days. The public became aware of the disappearance of the 26 year old woman, Arissara “Alice” Srichathum, after Facebook page Tudd Entertain…
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Scrubs to feathers: Retired nurse rakes in a nest egg with ostriches
A retired nurse from Trang’s Mueang district has traded scrubs for feathers, earning a tidy nest egg by raising ostriches and selling their eggs and chicks. Prachuap Singkerk has transformed a two-rai plot of land next to her home into an ostrich haven, where she cares for nine of the towering birds: four males and five females. These industrious ostriches…
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Satun police crack down on illegal street racing, 206 arrested
Police in Satun have launched a major crackdown on illegal street racing, arresting 206 individuals and seizing a significant haul of modified motorcycles, custom exhaust pipes, and firearms. Officers have vowed to destroy the confiscated items, which are valued at over 300,000 baht, and intend to prosecute the guardians of any juvenile offenders involved. At the forefront of this operation…
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7 killed in Surat Thani pickup accident including 2 year old twins
A family of seven, including two year old twins, lost their lives when their pickup crashed into a tree on the side of Asian Highway 41 in the southern province of Surat Thani yesterday, December 2. The crash site was just 4 kilometres from the location of a fatal bus accident the previous day. Rescuers from the Kusol Sattha Surat Thani…
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New year tragedy: Burmese man falls to his death at Songkhla waterfall
A Burmese tourist fell to his death from a cliff at a waterfall in the southern province of Songkhla yesterday, January 1. Rescue efforts spanned over three hours. Rangers overseeing the waterfall at the Ton Nga Chang Wildlife Sanctuary in Songkhla sought assistance from Mittaphap Samakki Foundation rescuers to retrieve the body of the Burmese man, 31 year old Aung…
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Tattoo shop owner arrested for shotgun standoff on Koh Phangan
A tattoo shop owner turned new year celebrations into a nightmare on Koh Phangan, as shocking footage reveals him brandishing a shotgun and terrorising tourists in the early hours of New Year’s Day. The perpetrator, 49 year old Denchai from Phatthalung province, was caught on security cameras at 2.56am yesterday, January 1, outside a massage shop in Krung Thai Soi,…
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5 dead and 33 injured in Surat Thani coach bus accident
A coach bus driver crashed into a tree along the Asian Highway 41 in the southern province of Surat Thani, resulting in the deaths of five passengers and injuries to 33 others. Three of the injured are reported to be in critical condition. The accident occurred in Chaiya district at approximately 7.30pm yesterday, January 1. The severely damaged green coach…
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Military officer killed in Narathiwat shooting and vehicle fire
A shocking and violent incident unfolded yesterday, December 31 in Narathiwat, when armed assailants opened fire on a military officer’s pickup truck, resulting in a tragic loss of life. The incident took place within a palm plantation in the Paluru subdistrict of Su-ngai Padi, leaving the vehicle engulfed in flames. The attack occurred at 6pm when individuals armed with firearms…
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South Korean man missing after boat capsizes near Koh Pha Ngan
A South Korean man remains missing after a long-tail boat capsized at around 3am yesterday, December 29, in the sea near Koh Pha Ngan, an island in the southern province of Surat Thani. A boat driver was tested positive for drugs. The accident occurred on a long-tail boat named Phichitchai, which departed Rin Beach on Koh Pha Ngan and was…
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Yacht fleet breakfast: Thaksin and Thamanat’s island meet-up
Former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and ex-Agriculture Minister Thamanat Prompow made waves yesterday, December 26 as they were spotted enjoying a private breakfast on the picturesque Koh Lipe, Satun province. The political duo arrived in style, leading a fleet of six luxury yachts to the tropical getaway. Landing unannounced at the upscale Bulow Casa Grand View Resort, they dined from…
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Police vehicle attacked in Yala, one officer killed
An armoured police vehicle was severely damaged in an ambush involving a bomb and gunfire in Yala, Thailand, resulting in the death of one officer. In the evening yesterday, December 26, a violent incident occurred in Thanto, a district in Yala province. An explosive device was detonated by unidentified assailants targeting border patrol police officers, followed by gunfire. The officers…
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Bitch leaves behind puppies after fatal shooting in Songkhla
A bitch, believed to have been shot, struggled to return to her puppies to nurse them before succumbing to her injuries while they were still feeding. This tragic incident took place yesterday, December 25, in Songkhla province, adding a sad note to Christmas and prompting immediate action from local officials and animal welfare organisations. A video circulated online showed a…
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South Thailand: Schoolgirl attacks senior with knife at tourist spot
A shocking incident unfolded recently at a popular tourist spot in Nakhon Si Thammarat province when a third-year secondary school girl attacked a fifth-year student with a folding knife. The incident took place at Ban Wang Yao, Thon Hong subdistrict, Phrom Khiri district, on Christmas Eve, leaving the older student injured and raising concerns about youth violence. The head of…
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Suspect’s escape leads to soldier’s death in Pattani crash
A tragic incident unfolded yesterday, December 25, when a suspect involved in a security case seized control of a vehicle’s steering wheel, causing it to veer off the road into a fruit orchard. This action resulted in one soldier’s death and injuries to three others. The suspect managed to escape during the ensuing chaos. Police had been conducting a coordinated…
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Innocent Thai couple killed in shooting by military volunteer
A member of the Volunteer Defence Corps (VDC) opened fire at a restaurant in the southern province of Songkhla, killing an innocent Thai couple who were celebrating their son’s birthday. The shooting occurred at a restaurant on Nuan Kaew Uthit Road in the Hat Yai district of Songkhla on the night of Sunday, December 22. The two victims, 48 year…
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Supermodel recalls surviving 2004 tsunami after 20 years
Twenty years after surviving the devastating 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, supermodel Petra Nemcova revisited her harrowing experience in a recent Good Morning America interview with Diane Sawyer. Nemcova, now 45 years old, was vacationing at Thailand’s Khao Lak resort with her boyfriend, photographer Simon Atlee, when the tsunami struck on December 26, 2004. The massive waves, triggered by an undersea…
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Pipe bomb attack injures four officers at Narathiwat base
A brazen attack occurred yesterday, December 21, as assailants hurled a pipe bomb at the Border Patrol Police base in Narathiwat, leaving four officers with minor injuries. The incident, captured on CCTV, has prompted a manhunt ordered by local police. At approximately 6.37pm, the incident unfolded at the Border Patrol Police Operation Base 934, located in Bura Pue, Kokkien subdistrict,…
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