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 Is private health insurance in Thailand worth it? Real costs vs risks explained
Thailand has a strong healthcare system with both public and private options. Public hospitals offer affordable care, but many people, including expats, choose private health insurance for faster service, modern facilities, and more treatment choices. To decide if private health...
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Volcanic durian from southern Thailand creates year-long waitlist
A surge in demand has led to a year-long waitlist for the unique volcanic durian grown exclusively in southern Thailand, which boasts a GAP certification ensuring its safety and quality. This particular variety is reported to be twice as delicious as the commonly known Monthong durian. At the heart of this phenomenon is Saiyut Jannsawang’s orchard in Na Khao Sia…
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Fare game: Thai man fights taxi overcharge at Krabi Airport
A Thai man lodged a complaint at the Ministry of Interior after a taxi driver at Krabi International Airport attempted to overcharge him 2,500 baht for a 12-kilometre trip. The actual taxi fare is 400 baht. The 30 year old man visited Krabi Provincial Damrongtham Centre, under the Ministry of Interior, yesterday, June 25, to report the cheating taxi driver.…
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Stinging situation as Bluebottles sighted around Racha Islands
The Thai authorities issued a warning about the presence of Portuguese Man o’ War, also known as bluebottles, at the Racha Islands, located south of Phuket, following an incident where a tour boat staff member was stung yesterday. The Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) has identified bluebottles at Ao La, Ao Tu, and Racha Yai Islands. Tourists and…
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Fire at Hat Yai hotel sparks chaos, guests evacuated
A fire erupted in the ventilation shaft of a prominent hotel in downtown Hat Yai, leading to chaotic scenes as staff and guests scrambled to evacuate. Officials are investigating the incident, initially suspected to be caused by an electrical short circuit. At 7.30pm yesterday, emergency services were alerted to a fire at a well-known hotel on Sanehanusorn Road, within the…
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Police officer accused of assaulting man in Phatthalung
A 23 year old man from Khuan Khanun District, Phatthalung Province, filed a complaint against a police officer who allegedly assaulted him in his home. The incident occurred at 6.46pm yesterday while the man was cleaning his dog’s kennel. Yanason (surname withheld) reported that while he was cleaning, Chakraphan (surname withheld), a police sergeant from Raman Police Station in Yala,…
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Southern Thailand: Family shocked to find body preserved in ice
Rescue workers were startled to discover a corpse preserved in ice, akin to salted mackerel after being called to inject formalin due to the smell and bloating. The body had been kept in ice for four days. Yesterday, the Facebook page of Oat Chantra, a rescue worker from the Phutthabucha Lansuan Rescue Unit, shared images of the event. The post…
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Italian arrested for cocaine sales and illegal business on Samui
Police in Surat Thani arrested an Italian man allegedly involved in selling cocaine and operating a motorbike rental business illegally on Samui Island. The arrest, made on June 18, followed an investigation by Surat Thani Immigration based on tips from concerned locals. Officers identified the suspect as 39 year old Mattio who was apprehended on Lamai Beach Road in the…
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Southern Thailand popular for Malaysian polygamous marriages
Southern Thailand has emerged as a preferred destination for Malaysian men seeking ceremonial polygamous marriages. Each month, at least 30 couples from Malaysia undergo marriage ceremonies at the Narathiwat Islamic Religious Council, according to a report by the Bernama news agency. These couples primarily hail from the neighbouring states of Kelantan and Terengganu, though some travel from as far as…
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Koh Samui steals spotlight: Readers rave over four island getaways
Readers of the popular American travel magazine Travel+Leisure voted four accommodations in Koh Samui as winners in the Beach+Island Resort category. Travel+Leisure released its 2024 Luxury Awards Asia Pacific ranking, allowing readers to nominate and vote for outstanding accommodations in various categories, including five-star urban escapes, private-island beach resorts, innovative spas, Instagram-worthy swimming pools, awesome airlines and airports, cruises, and…
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Heartless landlord leaves terminally ill man homeless before death
The owner of a rented house in the southern province of Songkhla refused to allow a terminally ill Thai man to rest in her residence. This forced the man to seek refuge in a temple, where he passed away this morning, June 14. Witnesses took to social media to share the heartbreaking story of 63 year old terminally ill Thai…
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Twinning triumph: Thailand to launch second border bridge to Malaysia
Thailand is set to break ground on a monumental project that will transform the region. The Twin Bridge, a massive construction project in Rantau Panjang-Sungai Golok, is expected to begin in April 2025. Narathiwat Province Governor Trakul Thotham announced that before construction starts, an environmental impact assessment (EIA) must be conducted. The EIA survey is scheduled to kick off next…
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Fake police officer causes uproar in Songkhla snooker hall
A man claiming to be a police officer caused a scene after parking his car in the middle of the road in Songkhla Province, boasting about his rank and causing a disturbance in a snooker hall. The incident led to a formal complaint against him. The incident occurred yesterday when a Facebook user posted about a troubling encounter in the…
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Ruff rescue: Abandoned pit bull in Hat Yai finds new home
A pit bull was found abandoned in the heart of Hat Yai, dehydrated, weak, and unable to move. Rescuers discovered it infested with ticks and emaciated. Fortunately, a kind-hearted individual has already come forward to offer the dog a new home. Residents found the pit bull, weighing about 50 kilogrammes, left in Soi 6, Rat Uthit area, yesterday, June 11.…
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Student’s fatal fall in Trang sparks investigation
Tragedy struck a school in Trang when a 15 year old female student fell to her death from a school building. The governor suspects personal stress might have contributed to the incident, prompting an official investigation by the school. The police received a report from Trang Hospital’s emergency room regarding a fatal fall this morning, June 12. The police, led…
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South Thailand: Woman evading arrest as a nun caught
Thai police apprehended a woman who had been evading arrest by becoming a nun in Nakhon Si Thammarat over the past ten months. Believing she had escaped justice, the woman was finally captured following a police investigation. Law enforcement officers from the Anti-Human Trafficking Division, in cooperation with local police units from Damnoen Saduak in Ratchaburi and Tha Sala in…
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Reeling trouble: Illegal fishing devices net controversy in Songkhla
Illegal fishing tools continue to cause problems in Songkhla, particularly the use of Pongpang fishing devices in Songkhla Lake. Despite efforts by authorities to enforce the law, the situation remains unresolved as fisherfolk persist in using these prohibited tools. The Pongpang devices are installed in the navigable channel between Hua Phaya Nak and the new fishing pier in Mueang Songkhla…
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Cyber police nab key administrator of major gambling site in Thailand
Cyber police apprehended the key administrator of a major gambling site, slotking77, which had a financial turnover exceeding 180 million baht. The arrest occurred after the individual absconded following a bail release at the prosecutor level today. Phumipat Phattharasriwongchai, Commander of the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau 5, along with Ukrit Srinitivorawong, Chief of News Analysis and Special Tools Division, led…
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Thai-Malay twin-city initiative to boost southern economic growth
The Thai government announced a collaboration with Malaysia to promote a twin-city concept in the Deep South, aiming to stimulate economic growth and bring peace to the region. Deputy Prime Minister and Commerce Minister Phumtham Wechayachai recently chaired a meeting to review the progress of this initiative, which seeks to transform the longstanding conflict zones into thriving trade hubs through…
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Cave tragedy: Thai man’s final journey into the depths of despair
A man reportedly committed suicide inside the sacred Khao Khun Panom cave in the southern province of Nakhon Si Thammarat, allegedly motivated by a serious illness. A monk from Khao Khun Panom Temple, where the cave was situated, discovered the lifeless body of a man while entering the cave for his daily meditation. Subsequently, the monk contacted officers from the…
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Songkhla pushes for cruise terminal to boost tourism
The Songkhla Tourism Association is calling for government intervention to boost tourism by constructing a cruise ship terminal and introducing direct flights from Chinese cities to Hat Yai. President of the Songkhla Tourism Promotion Association Songchai Mungprasithichai announced plans to seek government support for direct flights to Hat Yai, proposing routes such as Kunming-Hat Yai to attract more Chinese tourists…
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Two shot dead while gathering intelligence in Songkhla
Two people were shot dead while gathering information in Thepa, Songkhla yesterday. Ponnchai Kwanpanya, the head of Huai Pling Police Station in Songkhla, received a report of a shooting incident yesterday at 5.30pm. The attack occurred on a road in Ban Huai Pling, Moo 2, Tham Wang Subdistrict, Thepa District, Songkhla Province. Authorities, including military forces from Songkhla Special Task…
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Kazakhstan’s first direct flight lands in Surat Thani
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and Scat Airlines today celebrated the inaugural direct flight from Almaty, Kazakhstan to Surat Thani. The flight carrying 212 passengers, landed at Surat Thani International Airport this morning at 7.30am. The Thai Ambassador to Kazakhstan, Chatchawan Sakornsinsuwan, accompanied the flight, along with Kazakhstani travel operators and media, receiving a warm welcome from local officials.…
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Fugitive suspect arrested for killing boyfriend in Nonthaburi condo
Police today arrested a fugitive suspected of killing his boyfriend at a condominium in Nonthaburi province before fleeing to the southern province of Chumphon. Local police officers in Chumphon arrested the 27 year old Thai man, Phurinat, at a house in the Mueang district of the province at about 1pm today, May 31. He is the prime suspect in the…
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Pattani volunteer shot dead after local football match
A government volunteer in Pattani was shot dead in an ambush by a group of gunmen while returning home on his motorcycle after a football match at 5.45pm yesterday. The District Chief of Sai Buri was informed by the village head of Moo 6, Kadunong subdistrict, Sai Buri district, Pattani, about the tragic event. Athar Hama, a member of the…
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Record meth seizures in Southeast Asia’s Golden Triangle
In a recent report released yesterday, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) disclosed that East and Southeast Asia are currently grappling with an unprecedented influx of methamphetamine and other synthetic drugs. This surge is largely sourced from the Golden Triangle, an area where the borders of Thailand, Myanmar, and Laos converge. Historically recognised for opium cultivation and…
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Derailed heist: Thieves steal railway crossings equipment in Songkhla
Thieves have stolen signal poles, barrier arms, and other equipment from 17 railway crossings in Songkhla, putting passengers, pedestrians, and motorists at risk. The thefts occurred in the Khuan Niang, Hat Yai, and Sadao districts, focusing primarily on the Hat Yai-Padang Besar route in the Sadao district. Equipment was stolen from nine out of the 10 crossings in this area.…
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World Otter Day highlights conservation efforts in Thailand
Today marks World Otter Day, an initiative aimed to raise awareness about the protection of otters, classified as endangered wildlife. The International Otter Survival Fund (IOSF) designated the last Wednesday of May each year to highlight the threats facing otters, such as habitat destruction, illegal fur trade, pollution, and poaching. Otters, members of the weasel family, are the largest animals in…
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Vice mayor gunned down in ambush on Pattani highway
In a brazen attack on the Phet Kasem Road, the vice mayor of a Tambon Administrative Organisation (TAO) in Khok Pho district, Pattani province, was brutally murdered by suspected insurgents on Friday evening. Witnesses reported that 57 year old Nan Kongsomboon was ambushed by two men on a motorcycle as he was returning home after tending to his cattle. The…
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Satun’s Khao Khom cave recognised as new prehistoric site
The Fine Arts Department of Thailand has officially recognised Khao Khom cave in Satun province as a new prehistoric archaeological site, revealing that the cave’s discoveries could date back as far as 6,000 years. Fine Arts Department Director-General Phanombut Chantarachot confirmed that a recent study was conducted on human skeletons and pottery remains found in the cave. This preliminary research…
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Civil war in Myanmar sees increase in drug trafficking into Thailand
In a worrying development, the trafficking of methamphetamine, commonly known as Yaba, from Myanmar into Thailand has witnessed a significant increase in recent weeks. According to Thai military sources, this surge is attributed to the pressing financial requirements of anti-junta ethnic forces in Myanmar. A coordinated effort by Thai military, police, and anti-narcotics officials yesterday resulted in the seizure of…
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