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 Do foreigners get free healthcare in Thailand?
Thailand’s healthcare system is well-regarded across Southeast Asia, with options ranging from public hospitals to world-class private facilities. But when it comes to foreign residents or tourists, healthcare access isn’t as straightforward. So, do foreigners get free healthcare in Thailand?...
-
Thai woman loses hand after shirt caught in motorcycle wheel
A Thai woman lost her left hand at the weekend after her shirt was caught by the wheel of a motorcycle while travelling on a road in the southern province of Songkhla. CCTV footage of the motorcycle accident circulated on Thai social media platforms after it occurred on Saturday, March 15. The video showed the victim, 55 year old Sudarat…
-
Rubber plantation worker shot dead in Nakhon Si Thammarat
A 52 year old rubber plantation worker was fatally shot while riding his motorcycle to work in Nakhon Si Thammarat province yesterday, March 14. Police are actively investigating the case to determine the motive and apprehend the gunman. Police Lieutenant Hassan Wongmathong, Deputy Inspector at Chulabhorn Police Station, received a report of the shooting incident near a rubber plantation entrance…
-
Indian tourists held over alleged assault at Koh Pha Ngan party
Two Indian men have been detained for questioning in connection with the alleged assault of a German woman after CCTV footage implicated them. One suspect gave inconsistent statements, while the other was evasive. Police remain confident in their identification of the suspects. The incident occurred when 24 year old Salah, a German national, reported being assaulted by two men while…
-
Narathiwat Court sentences 7 men for assault on 12 year old girl
The Narathiwat Court sentenced seven men involved in the sexual assault of a 12 year old girl in Grade 6, with sentences ranging from two years to 87 years in prison. Kosolwat Inthuchanyong, Director General of the Office of Rights Protection and Legal Aid for the Public (SCP), yesterday, March 13, revealed progress in the case of 16 men, both…
-
Tragic crash: Trang train-pickup collision kills 4
A tragic train and pickup truck collision in Kantang district, Trang province, resulted in the deaths of four passengers in the back of the truck. The train driver had sounded the horn but could not stop the train in time, leading to the crash at 2.40pm yesterday, March 13. The incident involved a rapid train number 168 travelling from Kantang…
-
Cold feet, hot lawsuit: Jilted Thai bride-to-be sues runaway groom
A Thai bride-to-be sued her future husband for jilting her at the altar in the southern province of Nakhon Si Thammarat and causing her damages over 500,000 baht. The accused groom-to-be denied the allegations and claimed that his girlfriend’s family threatened to kill him. The 34 year old Thai woman, Nack, filed a complaint against her 33 year old boyfriend,…
-
Thai man shoots dead Laotian woman at karaoke bar in Phattalung
Police yesterday arrested a 63 year old Thai man after he shot dead a Laotian woman at a karaoke bar in the southern province of Phatthalung. Officers from Khao Chaison Police Station investigated the fatal shooting at the rear of the karaoke bar at around 1am yesterday, March 12. The lifeless body of Pupae was found at the scene with…
-
Bomb explosion narrowly misses vehicle in Narathiwat
A deadly roadside bomb detonated in Narathiwat, narrowly missing a vehicle carrying territorial defence volunteers, in what police suspect was an insurgent attack. The explosion yesterday, March 11, on the Sungai Kolok-Sungai Padi road caused significant damage but miraculously left no casualties. The blast occurred at 1.59pm at a U-turn in Ban Bango Humo, Mueang subdistrict, Sungai Padi district. Police…
-
Pipe bomb attack at Pattani checkpoint during Ramadan (video)
A motorcycle-riding assailant threw a pipe bomb at a checkpoint near the Koh Pho market in Pattani province. Fortunately, no injuries were reported. Police suspect the incident is part of a series of disruptions during Ramadan, following a similar occurrence earlier this month. At 7.10pm yesterday, March 10, police at Koh Pho Police Station received a report of an attack…
-
Thai monk commits suicide after being blackmailed with explicit video
A Thai monk committed suicide at a temple in the southern province of Chum Phon on Friday, after a call centre scam blackmailed him with an explicit video and swindled him out of 30,000 baht. Officers from Lamae Police Station were called to Nong Bua Boat Temple in the Lamae district of Chumphon to investigate the death of the 50…
-
Malaysia urges citizens to postpone travel to southern Thailand
Malaysia has advised its citizens to delay travel plans to southern Thailand following recent incidents of bombings and gunfire in the border city of Sungai Kolok and Pattani, popular destinations for Malaysians. Yesterday, March 9, according to Malaysian media, Police Inspector-General Razarudin Husain urged the public to reconsider visiting southern Thailand. Concurrently, Malaysian security forces have increased patrols and implemented…
-
Surat Thani to welcome new cruise terminal by 2032
Plans are underway to construct a large cruise terminal in Surat Thani, set for completion by 2032 in a move to boost the tourism economy and accommodate increasing international cruise traffic in the southern province. Government spokesperson Jirayu Houngsub announced this during a visit to Surat Thani yesterday, March 9, to assess the port development progress, following the Cabinet’s approval…
-
Man arrested in Nakhon Si Thammarat for machete threats
A notorious machete-wielding troublemaker was arrested while sleeping at his home in Nakhon Si Thammarat province after repeatedly threatening locals and rescue workers while under the influence of drugs. The arrest took place yesterday, March 6, when Police Colonel Sonthaya Panpaen of the Nopphitam Police Station, alongside officers from the Human Trafficking Suppression Division, tracked down 34 year old Sarawut…
-
Thailand’s Lawa Yai island wins top beach award
Lawa Yai, an unspoiled tropical retreat in Ao Phang Nga National Park, has just landed a major international honour, securing ISO 13009:2015 certification for top-tier beach management and sustainable tourism. This recognition puts the island on the map as a world-class destination that blends environmental preservation with visitor-friendly services. Phob Toonsang, chief of the national park’s first conservation unit, hailed…
-
Thai diver stung by sea creatures but online critics take a bigger bite
A Thai woman issued a warning to diving enthusiasts after sustaining injuries from sea anemones and sea urchins while diving in the southern province of Chumphon. The incident occurred due to strong waves, but instead of sympathy, she found herself facing online criticism over her choice of swimsuit. The victim, identified as Fon Nongnaphat, shared a video of the incident…
-
AIS wired to untangle Thailand’s messy power poles
AIS is stepping up its game in supporting the government and public safety by tackling one of Thailand’s most notorious urban eyesores: tangled, overloaded power poles. In a major collaboration with the Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA), AIS dispatched a specialist team of engineers to Ban Chang district in Rayong province to dismantle and organise telecommunications cables and equipment attached to…
-
Koh Pha Ngan police accused of ignoring foreign cannabis thieves
A Thai cannabis shop owner accused police officers on Koh Pha Ngan island, in the southern province of Surat Thani, of inaction after they allegedly ignored a cannabis theft committed by two foreigners on February 26. Jariya Kamonrat, the owner of the cannabis shop, Monkey’s Dispensary, posted in a Facebook group for business operators on Koh Pha Ngan to seek…
-
Nigerian dealer arrested on Koh Pha Ngan with 240,000 baht of cocaine
Police arrested a Nigerian drug dealer on Koh Pha Ngan, an island in the southern province of Surat Thani, at the weekend, and seized 240,000 baht worth of cocaine. Pha Ngan Tourist Police officers received a tip-off that a Nigerian man on the island was offering drugs to other foreign tourists in the area. He personally delivered the drugs to…
-
Potential lucky numbers predicted for March 1 lottery draw
The lottery draw today, March 1, is generating significant interest, with several numbers being highlighted as potentially lucky. The draw, organised by the Government Lottery Office, is set to take place in Phang Nga province at the Le Erawan Hotel in Mueang Phang Nga district. The excitement is further fuelled by recent noteworthy events that have inspired popular number predictions.…
-
Myanmar nationals arrested for illegal business on Koh Phangan
A Myanmar national operating a motorcycle rental business on Koh Phangan, earning 20,000 baht daily, was apprehended for engaging in a profession restricted to Thai citizens. His employee, also from Myanmar, faced arrest. Tourist police, immigration officers, and local officials conducted a raid at a motorcycle repair shop in Ban Hat Rin Village 6, Ban Tai subdistrict. They arrested the…
-
Deadly cobra snagged in Trang, residents eye lottery jackpot
In the sleepy surroundings of Lamor subdistrict, in southern Thailand, a daring snake rescue played out in front of house number 95/2, where a 2-metre-long cobra took unwelcome refuge, throwing the local community into a hiss-terical frenzy. A team led by 20 year old “Benz” Suphat Iadchata from Benz Asorapith Trang, yesterday, February 27, responded to a homeowner’s SOS call:…
-
Top cop gunned down after mosque prayers in Pattani
A senior police officer was shot dead as he returned from prayers at a mosque in Pattani province yesterday, February 27, marking another deadly attack in Thailand’s troubled southern region. The officer, 58 year old Police Lieutenant Muhammad Azan Jamae, Deputy Inspector of the 6th Investigation Division, Natural Resources and Environmental Crime Suppression Division, was ambushed outside his home in Ban…
-
Pregnant Thai teen refuses medical help, leading to baby’s death
A pregnant Thai teenager refused to go to hospital and declined medical help from a rescue team, leading to her baby’s death in a rented room in the southern province of Nakhon Si Thammarat yesterday, February 26. Neighbours called rescuers to a rented room in the Mueang district of Nakhon Si Thammarat at about 10am yesterday to transport the 16 year…
-
Thaksin vows to end Thai unrest, sparking strategy concerns
Former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra’s commitment to ending the unrest in southern Thailand by next year has sparked concerns and led to inquiries regarding the government’s actual strategies to address the situation, according to a political scholar from Thammasat University. As an informal adviser to the ASEAN chair, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, Thaksin made a significant visit to the…
-
Thai van driver fined after schoolboy falls through back door
A Thai schoolboy survived after falling from a school van onto the road when the rear door accidentally opened while the vehicle was in motion in the southern province of Nakhon Si Thammarat. A Thai man, Supachai Saetuang, who was driving behind the school van and witnessed the incident, shared dashcam footage on Facebook to warn other school van drivers and…
-
Fatal nap: Passenger found dead on Rayong-Nakhon Phanom bus
A routine bus journey turned tragic when a passenger was found dead in his seat, having been mistaken for being asleep by fellow travellers. The chilling discovery was made when the bus driver attempted to wake him at his stop, only to find his body cold and unresponsive. The incident occurred on a tour bus travelling from Rayong to Nakhon…
-
Severe floods hit Phatthalung: Homes submerged, school closed
Severe flooding has wreaked havoc across Phatthalung province, leaving hundreds of homes submerged, schools closed, and livestock in danger, despite the rain easing this morning, February 25. The deluge has impacted several districts, including Kong Ra, Srinakarin, Pa Bon, Tamode, and Pa Phayom, with Khuan Khanun among the hardest hit. Key areas such as the Pho Thong intersection and the…
-
Lao woman arrested in Hat Yai prostitution sting
In a dramatic undercover operation, Hat Yai Police busted a Lao woman running a covert prostitution ring through the LINE app, exposing a hidden world of illicit activity in the heart of Hat Yai, Songkhla province. The sting operation, led by Police Colonel Nattapong Koet-iem, Superintendent of the 6th Police Station, uncovered the scheme operating out of a resort on…
-
Thai woman stages fake wedding, refused to reveal her motive (video)
A Thai man took to social media to reveal that a Thai woman faked a wedding with him and tricked her friends into attending the ceremony at a resort in the southern province of Prachuap Khiri Khan. Netizens took to social media saying they were suspicious of both of them, the fake bride and groom. The 34 year old Thai…
-
Bribery scandal sparks crackdown at Laem Chabang Port
Thailand’s busiest deep-sea port, Laem Chabang, is under scrutiny as the Port Authority of Thailand (PAT) launches an urgent investigation into severe traffic congestion and a bribery scandal involving queue-jumping fees. With over 6 million trucks passing through the port annually, the PAT is racing to implement solutions, including a crackdown on corruption, to restore order and efficiency, said PAT…
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.