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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    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....

  • Foreign diver faces fine for touching whale shark in Thailand (video)

    Foreign diver faces fine for touching whale shark in Thailand (video)

    The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) fined a foreign tourist for touching a whale shark while diving at Mu Koh Surin National Park in the southern province of Phang Nga. Drama erupted among local travel agencies in the southern provinces of Thailand after a video and pictures of a diver touching the tip of a whale…

  • Banyan Group and Urasaya Property launch Nakhon Si Thammarat’s first luxury residence

    Banyan Group and Urasaya Property launch Nakhon Si Thammarat’s first luxury residence

    Nestled directly on Thailand’s Gulf Coast, Banyan Tree Residences Sichon represents a pioneering project by Banyan Group, the independent global hospitality company, in partnership with Urasaya Property Co., Ltd, a pioneering real estate developer. This venture not only promises a unique living experience but also marks a significant step in the expansion and diversification of luxury living options in Thailand.…

  • German and Canadian charged for illegal kung fu course (video)

    German and Canadian charged for illegal kung fu course (video)

    Police arrested a German and a Canadian man for illegally conducting a Shaolin kung fu training course on Koh Pha Ngan, an island in the southern province of Surat Thani. Pha Ngan Tourist Police and Immigration Police arrested 37 year old German man Somphet Daoheuang and a 34 year old Canadian man Arbely Natalie Rubalcava Rojo at a yoga training…

  • DSI: International scammers caught in massive call-centre bust

    DSI: International scammers caught in massive call-centre bust

    The Department of Special Investigation (DSI) has dismantled a notorious call-centre syndicate operating from Nakhon Si Thammarat province. Led by DSI’s acting director-general Police Major Yutthana Praedam, the crackdown unveiled a web of deceit spanning across Thailand, China, and Russia. A total of 71 suspects, comprising 52 Chinese nationals and 19 Thai accomplices, were arrested during the raid orchestrated by…

  • Worker fatally crushed by garbage truck in Nakhon Si Thammarat

    Worker fatally crushed by garbage truck in Nakhon Si Thammarat

    A tragic incident unfolded yesterday when a refuse collection worker, was fatally crushed by a garbage truck operated by the subdistrict administrative organisation (SAO) of Kamlon in Nakhon Si Thammarat. The accident occurred in the area of Moo 1, Kamlon subdistrict, Lansaka district, Nakhon Si Thammarat province. Despite desperate shouts for the driver to stop, visibility issues led to the…

  • Surat Thani police arrest duo for village headman’s murder

    Surat Thani police arrest duo for village headman’s murder

    Two suspects were apprehended in connection with the fatal shooting of a village headman who was killed outside his home in Surat Thani province. The assailants, apprehended along with firearms and clothing worn during the incident, are thought to have had a personal dispute with the victim. In the early hours of February 13, 36 year old Mae Mok village…

  • Aussie arrested in Koh Pha Ngan after joyride on stolen motorcycle

    Aussie arrested in Koh Pha Ngan after joyride on stolen motorcycle

    Police arrested an Australian man for allegedly stealing a motorcycle from a rental shop in Koh Samui and taking it on a joyride to Koh Pha Ngan in the southern province of Surat Thani. The manager of the Fanta Group Car Rental Shop in Koh Samui, Jurairat Janrung, filed a complaint with Bor Phut Police Station on March 3, reporting…

  • Thai government promises aid following 44 insurgent fires in South

    Thai government promises aid following 44 insurgent fires in South

    Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin declared on Saturday that the government is stepping in to offer aid and reparation to the victims of the 44 incendiary incidents that swept through Yala, Pattani, Narathiwat, and Songkhla the previous day. In the quest for justice, Srettha has assigned the task of investigating this string of fires to the acting national police chief, Kittirat…

  • Thailand police arrest woman tied to 50 million baht fraud case

    Thailand police arrest woman tied to 50 million baht fraud case

    Royal Thai Police swooped to arrest a 55 year old woman implicated in a public fraud case involving over 50 million baht in damages, in Songkhla, a southern province in Thailand. Tawanna Tarawasant is implicated in a public fraud case involving over 50 million baht in damages. The arrest took place in the district of Rattaphum, specifically in the Khuan…

  • Suspected insurgents ignite fires in southern Thailand

    Suspected insurgents ignite fires in southern Thailand

    Suspected insurgents ignited fires overnight at various locations in Pattani, Yala, and Narathiwat in southern Thailand, according to police reports. In Pattani, four separate convenience stores located in Mueang, Yaring, Yarang, and Khok Pho districts experienced arson. Additionally, car tyres were set on fire at three sites, two in Khok Pho and another in Panare. Pattani’s Mueang district police chief, Police…

  • Rouble trouble: Russian woman fined for assaulting pregnant Thai

    Rouble trouble: Russian woman fined for assaulting pregnant Thai

    The violent Russian woman who blamed her period for assaulting a pregnant Thai woman in Koh Pha Ngan has been fined 500 baht and handed a suspended 15-day jail sentence. Immigration authorities in Surat Thani are deliberating whether to revoke her visa due to the criminal offence. Alena Kupriyanova, the Russian woman in question, confessed to kicking the shop owner,…

  • Scientists spooked by ghost shark sighting off Thailand coast (video)

    Scientists spooked by ghost shark sighting off Thailand coast (video)

    Scientists have been spooked by the ghoulish discovery of a ghost shark swimming off the Andaman coast of Thailand. Researchers revealed the ghost shark is a new species named Chimaera supapae. It boasts a formidable head, oversized eyes, and delicate, feather-like fins. Chimaeras, commonly known as ghost sharks, belong to the family of cartilaginous fish, sharing kinship with sharks and…

  • Thai woman abandons 7 year old daughter at Krabi bus terminal

    Thai woman abandons 7 year old daughter at Krabi bus terminal

    A Thai woman abandoned her seven year old daughter at a bus terminal in the southern province of Krabi on March 18. The girl is now safe in the care of her father. Vendors by the Transport Company Limited bus terminal in Krabi sought help from Mueang Krabi Police Station after they found the girl, Nam, wandering around the place…

  • Q-Con’s land acquisition set to boost southern Thailand’s economy

    Q-Con’s land acquisition set to boost southern Thailand’s economy

    The Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand (IEAT) anticipates its recent land sale to Quality Construction Products Plc (Q-Con), a lightweight brick manufacturer, to bolster the increasing demand for bricks and endorse the government’s economic upliftment plan for the southern region. Situated in the Southern Region Industrial Estate, the 35-rai land was acquired by Q-Con, which had committed to a purchase…

  • Russian woman blames period for assault on pregnant Thai shopkeeper

    Russian woman blames period for assault on pregnant Thai shopkeeper

    A Russian woman accused of assaulting a pregnant Thai shopkeeper on the island of Koh Pha Ngan, located in the province of Surat Thani, claimed that she did it because she was on her period. The woman, identified as Alena, was escorted to court today, March 20, by local Thai police. The authorities are considering requesting the immigration bureau to revoke…

  • Pregnant Thai woman seeks justice after Russian assault in Koh Pha Ngan

    Pregnant Thai woman seeks justice after Russian assault in Koh Pha Ngan

    A pregnant Thai woman turned to social media for justice after a Russian woman kicked her yesterday at a coffee shop in Koh Pha Ngan, an island in the southern province of Surat Thani. The Thai victim, known only as Ploy, shared pictures of the Russian woman with blonde hair on a Facebook group called Facebook Koh Pha Ngan, yesterday,…

  • Thai gold hunter killed in landslide at mine in southern Thailand

    Thai gold hunter killed in landslide at mine in southern Thailand

    A Thai gold hunter yesterday lost his life in a landslide at a mine in the southern province of Prachup Kiri Khan. Officers from Bang Saphan Police Station and the Sawang Ratsattadham Foundation rushed to the gold mine in the Ron Thong sub-district, Bang Saphan district, Prachub Kiri Khan after receiving a notification about the landslide. Locals informed the police…

  • Thai teacher arrested after blackmailing student with her explicit videos

    Thai teacher arrested after blackmailing student with her explicit videos

    A Thai mother sought help from the Investigation Division of the Metropolitan Police Bureau (IDMB) after her 18 year old daughter attempted to commit suicide, saying her teacher was blackmailing her by posting her explicit videos on several online platforms. The mother told the IDMB that her 18 year old daughter had undergone a change. She appeared distressed and expressed…

  • Nanny-napped: Israeli woman detained in Thailand for unauthorised nursery

    Nanny-napped: Israeli woman detained in Thailand for unauthorised nursery

    An Israeli woman was detained in Surat Thani on accusations of running an unauthorised nursery facility for foreign children on Koh Pha Ngan. Four other international individuals were also apprehended for unlawful employment and associated transgressions. Noppadol Khaomali, the Koh Pha Ngan district leader, guided local authorities, police, immigration officials, and representatives from pertinent agencies to a house inspection in the…

  • Sole searching: Thai man hits Buddha with flipflop after ex-wife return wish fails

    Sole searching: Thai man hits Buddha with flipflop after ex-wife return wish fails

    CCTV footage at a temple in the southern province of Nakhon Si Thammarat showed a Thai man hitting a Buddha statue with a flipflop after a wish for the return of his ex-wife was unfulfilled. A local in the Ron Phibun district of Nakhon Si Thammarat, Piyapong Sutthiphakdee, took to social media to condemn the Thai man for his disrespectful…

  • Goat gala: Trang farmers flock for barnyard costume contest

    Goat gala: Trang farmers flock for barnyard costume contest

    A group of goat farmers gathered in Trang province for a barnyard bash like no other: a goat costume competition. Decked out in dapper cowboy attire and more, these hoofed contenders showcased not only their looks but also their smarts and health. At the Agricultural Productivity Enhancement Learning Center in Kantang District, Trang Province, the inaugural event unfolded with nine…

  • Three million meth pills found in cow pat in Songkhla

    Three million meth pills found in cow pat in Songkhla

    Local authorities were left stunned when they stumbled upon a haul of 2.93 million meth pills worth 58 million baht in some cow pat nestled amidst the forsaken grounds of the derelict station in Songkhla. The discovery marks a significant breakthrough in the relentless battle against narcotics in the southern border province. Prompted by suspicions, vigilant officials and police undertook a…

  • Russian and Burmese arrested for illegal employment

    Russian and Burmese arrested for illegal employment

    In a crackdown on entertainment hotspots, police in Surat Thani Province found a restaurant owned by a Russian national on Koh Pha Ngan which illegally employed three Burmese workers. During a routine inspection, officers stumbled upon the Colorful Hut eatery, owned by a Russian national, known only by the name Boris. The Russian was found guilty of exploiting three Burmese workers.…

  • Russian arrested for illegal vehicle rental business in Thailand

    Russian arrested for illegal vehicle rental business in Thailand

    The Thai authorities’ crackdown on foreigners working illegally in Thailand continued yesterday when a 21 year old Russian national was apprehended on Koh Pha Ngan island in Surat Thani for running an illegal vehicle rental business. The Russian, Danil Kulnevnich, was nabbed yesterday, March 12, by a joint team of tourist police, local police and officials at a pier in…

  • Manhunt for TikTok star’s ex after grim find in Thai temple pond

    Manhunt for TikTok star’s ex after grim find in Thai temple pond

    Authorities launched a manhunt for the ex-partner of a TikTok star after her body was discovered in an abandoned pond at a well-known temple in Nakhon Si Thammarat province. The gruesome discovery was made yesterday, prompting an immediate police investigation into the murder of the 32 year old influencer, Thuzar Aung, known by her nickname, Sa. Residents alerted the police…

  • Pipe bomb attack rocks coffee shop in southern Thailand

    Pipe bomb attack rocks coffee shop in southern Thailand

    A gas station coffee shop in Pattani province, southern Thailand, became the target of a harrowing pipe bomb assault where five individuals were injured including a two year old boy. Upon meticulous scrutiny of CCTV footage, authorities unveiled a disturbing sequence of events. Four assailants, mounted on motorcycles, clandestinely approached the gas station’s rear road. Two of them, riding pillion,…

  • Southern Thailand protests against newly proposed national park

    Southern Thailand protests against newly proposed national park

    Protests have sparked among the residents of Nakhon Si Thammarat and Surat Thani over the proposed creation of Hat Khanom-Mu Koh Thale Tai National Park. Approximately 500 locals from these regions argue that the establishment of the park would directly impede their livelihoods, utilising the land they rely on for subsistence. The public outcry was voiced during a meeting held…

  • European travellers send southern Thailand’s hotel rates soaring

    European travellers send southern Thailand’s hotel rates soaring

    Southern Thailand’s tourism industry is experiencing a seismic shift as European travellers drive hotel performance to unprecedented heights. A recent report by the Bangkok Post reveals that tourists hailing from Russia, Scandinavia, and Germany are flocking to the region, enticed by its breathtaking natural landscapes, and significantly boosting occupancy rates to a staggering 90% or higher. Pongsakorn Ketprapakorn, former president…

  • Drug dealing British backpacker celebrated wedding days before arrest

    Drug dealing British backpacker celebrated wedding days before arrest

    Andrew Brett, the British backpacker arrested for drug dealing in Koh Tao was reported to have just celebrated his wedding to a Thai-born wife just days before he was apprehended. The British man’s distraught parents, John and Ann, expressed profound disbelief as news of their son’s arrest shattered the blissful memories of the recently concluded nuptials. “We haven’t been told…

  • Thai woman arrested for procuring sexual assault of niece

    Thai woman arrested for procuring sexual assault of niece

    Officers from the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Division of the Police arrested a Thai woman in Bangkok yesterday for orchestrating the sexual assault of her 11 year old niece on behalf of her boyfriend, whom she met on a dating app. The report of the sexual assault in the southern province of Chumphon attracted public attention last month after her father…