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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    Planning to extend your Thai visa? Why health insurance is more important than ever

    If you plan to stay longer in Thailand, having health insurance is now more important than ever. Thai immigration often asks for proof of medical coverage when you apply to extend your visa. This applies to many types of visas,...

  • American arrested for alleged sexual assault of Chinese woman | Thaiger

    American arrested for alleged sexual assault of Chinese woman

    Hat Yai police have arrested a 39 year old American man following serious allegations of sexual assault against a 35 year old Chinese woman. The case unfolded after the victim, known publicly as Chang, bravely came forward to report the distressing incident. The drama began on November 2 when Chang and the suspect, identified as Christian, first crossed paths at…

  • 2 students killed, 12 injured in Pattani truck collision | Thaiger

    2 students killed, 12 injured in Pattani truck collision

    Tragedy struck in Pattani’s Sai Buri district when a six-wheel truck collided with a parked pickup truck carrying students, resulting in the deaths of two students and injuries to 12 others. This unfortunate incident occurred on the Pattani-Narathiwat Road at Ban Laharn village, Village 5, and was reported to police at approximately 8.10am yesterday, November 15. Upon arrival, police found…

  • Tourists in Trang thrilled by rare dugong sighting near Koh Libong | Thaiger

    Tourists in Trang thrilled by rare dugong sighting near Koh Libong

    Tourists in Trang were thrilled to encounter a fully grown dugong grazing on seagrass, a sight not witnessed for several months. The boat operator quickly launched a drone to capture the memorable moment, creating a buzz among the visitors. At Ban Phrang Pier in the Koh Libong area of Kantang district, Trang province, Anon Kingkoyao, a tour operator on Koh…

  • Motorbike bomb attack injures five police officers in Pattani | Thaiger

    Motorbike bomb attack injures five police officers in Pattani

    An explosive attack targeted a police truck in Pattani yesterday, injuring five officers when a bomb planted on a motorcycle was detonated remotely. The incident occurred at 2.40pm, yesterday, November 14, near the Tanyong Dalo Bridge in Yaring district. Police Colonel Teerapot Yindi, head of Yaring Police Station in Pattani, was alerted to the attack, which left the police truck…

  • Paramilitary rangers ambushed in Yala rubber plantation attack | Thaiger

    Paramilitary rangers ambushed in Yala rubber plantation attack

    Gunfire erupted in Bannang Sata as armed assailants ambushed paramilitary rangers, leaving one officer injured in a rubber plantation near a local community and school. The incident unfolded in the afternoon, sparking an immediate response from police. The confrontation occurred at 3pm yesterday, November 13, when an unidentified group launched an assault on a unit of paramilitary rangers from Ranger…

  • Amulets save teenagers’ lives in Phatthalung shooting | Thaiger

    Amulets save teenagers’ lives in Phatthalung shooting

    Five teenagers narrowly escaped a terrifying encounter when four men on motorcycles pursued and fired shots at them. Despite the attack, the injuries sustained by two young women, sitting on the back of the motorbike, were minor, attributed to the protection of sacred amulets they wore. The incident unfolded yesterday at approximately 10.30pm yesterday, November 13, in the Na Noth…

  • Thai woman arrested for acid attack on Vietnamese love rival 9 years ago | Thaiger

    Thai woman arrested for acid attack on Vietnamese love rival 9 years ago

    Police arrested a Thai woman in the southern province of Songkhla yesterday for an acid attack on a Vietnamese woman motivated by jealousy after she had evaded arrest for more than nine years. Officers from the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) apprehended the suspect, 59 year old Nitsata, in Hat Yai district, Songkhla, yesterday, November 12, on a charge of attempted…

  • Coconut prices crack open a fortune for farmers in Trang | Thaiger

    Coconut prices crack open a fortune for farmers in Trang

    Coconut farmers in Trang province are celebrating as prices soar, with coconuts now fetching as much as 20 baht each, doubling previous prices. This lucrative market shift promises earnings exceeding 30,000 baht, drawing significant interest from traders eager to purchase entire plantations. At the integrated agricultural garden owned by 64 year old Suthep Wattanavatchara, located in the village of Khao…

  • Lifeless body of Indian man found after Koh Samui waterfall stumble | Thaiger

    Lifeless body of Indian man found after Koh Samui waterfall stumble

    Thai officials discovered the body of a 29 year old Indian man yesterday after he accidentally fell from the cliff at Na Mueang 2 Waterfall on Koh Samui, an island in the southern province of Surat Thani. Over 30 officials from Koh Samui Police Station, rescue teams, the local administrative office, and the Royal Forest Department participated in the search…

  • Cyber police arrest Thai woman for illegal lending in Songkhla | Thaiger

    Cyber police arrest Thai woman for illegal lending in Songkhla

    Cyber police executed a raid on a residence in Songkhla to apprehend a woman involved in illegal money lending with a staggering interest rate of 15%. The operation uncovered weapons, land deeds, and multiple vehicles used as collateral. The investigation revealed a turnover exceeding 1 million baht. A team led by Jirawat Phayungtham, acting commander of the Cyber Crime Investigation…

  • Thai pervert harasses schoolgirl, pretends to trip to kiss victim (video) | Thaiger

    Thai pervert harasses schoolgirl, pretends to trip to kiss victim (video)

    Schoolgirls in the southern province of Nakhon Si Thammarat become the target of a perverted man who pretended to trip and sway to kiss a schoolgirl yesterday, November 7. The male Facebook user, Thanakorn Suthin, shared details of the sexual assault on the Facebook group || ประเทศคอน || (meaning Nakhon country) yesterday, including a video and a picture of the…

  • Narathiwat mayor fatally gunned down at garment factory | Thaiger

    Narathiwat mayor fatally gunned down at garment factory

    In a shocking daylight assassination, the popular two-time mayor of the Rueso subdistrict in the southern province of Narathiwat was brutally shot dead at his garment factory. The 55 year old mayor, Wichet Thaithongnum, known by locals as Mayor Arm, was gunned down by a group of men wielding war weapons in an audacious attack that has left the community…

  • Dugong numbers in Andaman Sea may drop 70% in four years | Thaiger

    Dugong numbers in Andaman Sea may drop 70% in four years

    Dugong populations in the Andaman Sea face a potential 70% decline within the next four years, primarily due to a shrinking supply of seagrass, their main food source. This alarming prediction was made by a marine biologist, emphasising the urgent need for conservation efforts to save this vulnerable marine mammal. Thon Thamrongnawasawat highlighted the crisis in seagrass reserves, stressing the…

  • Fire at Surat Thani car dealership damages five vehicles | Thaiger

    Fire at Surat Thani car dealership damages five vehicles

    The early hours of yesterday saw a fire engulf the Siam Charoen Yont car dealership located in Surat Thani, causing significant damage to five vehicles. The blaze was reported to the police, who promptly responded to the emergency. Police Lieutenant Phumiphat Jaiyen from the Surat Thani City Police Station, in collaboration with Police Colonel Nipon Chatri and local disaster relief…

  • Rare albino fish caught in Satun canal sparks ethical debate | Thaiger

    Rare albino fish caught in Satun canal sparks ethical debate

    A young man fishing along a canal in Satun province caught five fish but it was the last one that left him astonished. The unusual fish had an albino-like body shimmering in the sunlight, prompting questions about whether it should be kept or released into the wild. News emerged yesterday, November 4, of a young man who had set out to…

  • Pattani police officer survives ambush after brave retaliation | Thaiger

    Pattani police officer survives ambush after brave retaliation

    Gunmen ambushed and shot a 52 year old police officer from Mayo Police Station in Pattani while he was riding his motorcycle home after prayers. The attack occurred in the evening but Abdulhadi, despite sustaining injuries, managed to return fire, causing the assailants to flee. The incident unfolded yesterday, November 4 around 8.30pm on a village road in Moo 1,…

  • Thai woman endures 18 years pain after nurse leaves needle in vagina | Thaiger

    Thai woman endures 18 years pain after nurse leaves needle in vagina

    A Thai woman in the southern province of Narathiwat contacted the Paveena Foundation for Children and Women after a nurse accidentally left a needle in her vagina while stitching her up following childbirth. A community leader in the Cho-airong district of Narathiwat brought the case of the 36 year old victim to the foundation yesterday, November 4. The leader explained…

  • Trang Airport terminal to open by late 2025 amid project delays | Thaiger

    Trang Airport terminal to open by late 2025 amid project delays

    The Transport Ministry directed an expedited effort to complete the new passenger terminal at Trang Airport, aiming for its operation by the close of next year. This directive comes from Deputy Transport Minister Manaporn Charoensri, following a petition from a civic group in the southern province urging the government to resume the 1.6-billion-baht project, halted by the contractor about six…

  • Thai man shoots ex-wife and new boyfriend in jealous rage (video) | Thaiger

    Thai man shoots ex-wife and new boyfriend in jealous rage (video)

    A Thai man shot dead his ex-wife and her new boyfriend yesterday at the woman’s rented home in the Thung Song district of the southern province of Nakhon Si Thammarat before he was arrested later that afternoon. Thung Song Police Station officers investigated the deaths of a 33 year old Thai woman, Jariya Tamtoi, at 4.45am yesterday, November 3, at…

  • Hat Yai backpack scare leads to four-hour road closure | Thaiger

    Hat Yai backpack scare leads to four-hour road closure

    A suspicious bag left outside the house of Hat Yai’s mayor prompted a four-hour road closure as police and bomb squads moved to neutralise the potential threat. This incident follows a series of violent events in the southern border provinces, including a recent car bomb attack in Pattani. Security agencies issued warnings to bolster protective measures at government offices and…

  • Phatthalung plans airport to become Thailand’s logistics hub | Thaiger

    Phatthalung plans airport to become Thailand’s logistics hub

    Officials in Phatthalung are gearing up to transform the province into a bustling logistics hub in southern Thailand with plans to construct a new airport. This ambitious initiative, aimed at elevating the province’s economic profile, is anticipated to be presented to the Cabinet soon. A major step forward was taken when the Phatthalung governor submitted a formal request to the…

  • School scandal: Education official in hot water for midday snooze | Thaiger

    School scandal: Education official in hot water for midday snooze

    The Office of the Basic Education Commission is investigating an educational official in the southern province of Prachuap Khiri Khan who was allegedly sleeping at work and finishing her duties early after lunch. The Facebook pages ปฏิบัติการหมาเฝ้าบ้าน (Watchdog Anti-corruption Organisation of Thailand) and ร้ายกาจ (Wicked!) shared pictures and videos of the official, identified only as “Aunty Fon,” sleeping on duty…

  • Former Thai police officer-turned-imam killed in Yala shooting | Thaiger

    Former Thai police officer-turned-imam killed in Yala shooting

    Police recovered over 50 spent bullet casings from the scene of a fatal shooting involving a 54 year old former police officer and current imam, suggesting insurgent groups are behind this attack in Yala province. Phuad Raseming, known as the imam of the Muhayirin Mosque in Ban Nam Yen, was ambushed and killed by three assailants wielding military-grade firearms and…

  • Trang Airport terminal’s delay spikes airfares, tourism at risk | Thaiger

    Trang Airport terminal’s delay spikes airfares, tourism at risk

    Rath Pooklang, head of the Trang People’s Voice Network, met with Deputy Minister of Transport, Manop Charoensri, urging immediate action on the stalled construction of the new passenger terminal at Trang International Airport, alongside addressing exorbitant airfares affecting tourism. Rath and his civic team travelled to Bangkok to present a letter to the deputy minister, highlighting the need for an…

  • Insurgent threats in deep South as Tak Bai massacre case passes | Thaiger

    Insurgent threats in deep South as Tak Bai massacre case passes

    Security measures have been increased in Thailand’s deep South amidst intelligence reports suggesting insurgent groups are planning to instigate violence from today, October 26, until October 28, following the expiration of the statute of limitations for the Tak Bai massacre case. Reports indicate that these groups aim to incite violence across four provinces to mark the 20th anniversary of the…

  • Explosion outside Panare District Office sparks urgent probe | Thaiger

    Explosion outside Panare District Office sparks urgent probe

    An explosion occurred outside the Panare District Office in Pattani, igniting a horrifying fire and prompting an urgent investigation by police. Yesterday, October 23, the อาสาสมัครกู้ชีพสันติ ปัตตานี Facebook page reported a dramatic incident outside the Panare district office in Pattani province. The post detailed that an explosion had taken place just after midnight, causing a fire to break out at…

  • Homemade bomb explodes in Pattani, no casualties reported | Thaiger

    Homemade bomb explodes in Pattani, no casualties reported

    A homemade bomb exploded late last night in Mueang district, Pattani, a southern border province. The incident resulted in no casualties. The explosion occurred at Kalapo intersection in Tambon Chabang Tikor around 10pm, yesterday, October 22. Fifty-minutes later, bomb experts arrived at the scene and discovered remnants of the device, including pieces of a plastic bottle, an electronic circuit, nails,…

  • Thai woman surrenders to police after slitting debtor’s throat | Thaiger

    Thai woman surrenders to police after slitting debtor’s throat

    A Thai woman turned herself in after slitting the throat of a female debtor during a funeral at a temple in the southern province of Songkhla yesterday. The shocking attack occurred in front of many locals attending the funeral at Jating Phra Temple in the Sathing Phra district of Songkhla at about 12.15am on Sunday, October 20. The victim was…

  • Human trafficking in Chumphon leads to three Burmese deaths | Thaiger

    Human trafficking in Chumphon leads to three Burmese deaths

    Police in Lang Suan district, Chumphon province, responded to a distress call from monks at Wat Sek Tharam at 11.30am on October 17, leading them to a tragic scene involving Burmese migrants. Found in a forest approximately 2 kilometres from Phetkasem Road, 12 Burmese migrants were discovered in dire conditions, covered in dirt and visibly weakened. Two men, aged between…

  • Rare Malayan tapir spotted near Thai-Malaysian border | Thaiger

    Rare Malayan tapir spotted near Thai-Malaysian border

    A rare sighting of a Malayan tapir near the Thai-Malaysian border in Narathiwat province has caught the attention of Thai officials from the Hala-Bala Wildlife Sanctuary. Local villagers alerted officials yesterday, October 18, after spotting the tapir on October 16 at around 7pm, feeding on fallen rambutans for about an hour before retreating towards the border. Residents in the Waeng…