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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Pattani buffet restaurant slammed over ‘paper-thin’ meat slices
A buffet restaurant in the southern province of Pattani faced severe backlash after images of overly thinly sliced meat, described as “paper-thin,” were shared online, sparking widespread criticism. The incident highlighted significant dissatisfaction among customers who were disappointed by both the quality of the food and the service. A member of a consumer group posted the photos yesterday, showing the…
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Sea surge devastates Trang village, leaving residents homeless
A powerful sea surge devastated the coastal village of Ban Mot Tanoi in Ko Libong, Kantang district, Trang province, rendering residents homeless and their properties in ruins. Waves reaching heights of 3 to 4 metres, combined with strong winds, caused extensive damage to 15 homes, with eight destroyed and seven partially damaged. Residents are now left to pick up the…
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Satun province faces severe flooding amid heavy rainfall
Heavy rainfall caused severe flooding in four districts of Satun province, affecting eight subdistricts and 26 villages. The continuous downpour led officials to establish boats in flood-prone areas and mobilise resources for 24-hour monitoring and assistance. Heavy rain has been battering Satun province since yesterday, September 16, resulting in significant flooding in the districts of Khuan Don, Mueang Satun, Tha…
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Thai doctor faces probe over private practice while on state pay
Thailand’s Public Health Ministry launched an investigation into allegations concerning a doctor at a state-run hospital, who is reportedly practising at multiple private hospitals despite receiving extra pay for signing a non-competition clause in his contract. Dr Sawat Apiwachaneewong, the Public Health Ministry inspector at Participatory Health Region 12, confirmed that the Yala Provincial Public Health Office had set up…
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Cutting corners: Illegal barber snipped by cops on Koh Pha Ngan
Thai police recently apprehended an illegal Burmese national working as a barber in Koh Pha Ngan, earning nearly 50,000 baht monthly. The arrest took place following reports of foreign workers taking jobs from locals. Police Lieutenant Colonel Winij Boonchit received a tip about an unauthorised foreign worker and led a team to arrest 20 year old Wai Yan Kyaw at…
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Insurgents bomb ATM, set fire to Songkhla office, no injuries
Insurgents are believed to be behind the bombing of an ATM booth and a fire at a local government office in Saba Yoi district, Songkhla province, early yesterday. No injuries were reported. The ATM booth, located in front of the Ban Nod Tambon Administration Organisation (TAO) office, was targeted by a bomb around 1.50am, yesterday, September 14, according to Police…
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Three arrested for drug use near monastery in Chumphon
Police in Chumphon province apprehended three individuals for drug use after concerned residents reported their suspicious activities. The trio, living with young children, admitted to drug use and expressed their intention to undergo rehabilitation. The incident took place near a monastery in the Song Phi Nong subdistrict, Tha Sae district. Local police, led by Wisit Samannmuang and supported by a…
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Thai couple loses over 11 million baht to trusted employee
Frustrated by the police’s lack of action, a Thai couple in Bangkok sought assistance from an official at the Ministry of Public Health. They shared their ordeal involving an employee of their dowry rental business and gold shop, who had swindled over 11 million baht from them. The victims, 28 year old Atijittra and 34 year old Piyaphat, yesterday, September…
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Australian man arrested on Koh Pha Ngan for 15 sexual assaults
Immigration Bureau officers arrested an Australian man who had evaded justice for 15 sexual assault cases in his home country. He was found hiding on Koh Pha Ngan, an island in Surat Thani Province. The Commander of the Royal Thai Police (RTP), Torsak Sukvimol, instructed officers, particularly those from the Immigration Bureau, to intensify their efforts in investigating illegal foreigners in…
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Century-old parkia speciosa tree generates 40,000 baht annually
A century-old parkia speciosa tree in Trang province has captivated the market due to its large, long pods and superior taste, generating up to 40,000 baht annually from a single tree. At Suan Ta Chan Tonmai Panpi in Trang’s Na Yong district, 53 year old Satit Ramna hired locals to climb and harvest the pods from his four 100-year-old parkia…
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Gunman fires shots at Yala bank, no injuries reported
A gunman fired five shots at a bank in Bannang Sata, Yala, without causing any injuries. Police are investigating and pursuing the suspect, believing it to be a staged daily situation. Police Lieutenant Anan Suwannachatri from Bannang Sata Police Station in Yala received a report of a shooting at a local bank branch. On arriving at the scene with a…
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Fisherman survives four days at sea off Satun
A fisherman miraculously survived after floating in the sea off Satun in southern Thailand for four days. Despite exhausting his strength, he managed to stay alive by drinking from a floating bottle of sugarcane juice. His incredible ordeal concluded when waves carried him to Bulon Mai Phai Island. News emerged yesterday, September 6, of the incredible survival of Suntorn Khaosom,…
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Man stabs ex-girlfriend in Trat, crashes motorcycle while fleeing
A man was apprehended in Trat province after stabbing his ex-girlfriend and attempting to flee on a motorcycle, only to crash 20 kilometres away. He claimed he intended to end his life to escape his wrongdoing. While receiving medical treatment, the injured woman confronted him. The incident occurred at 7.50pm yesterday, September 4, when a 41 year old man named…
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Thai man arrested for assaulting elderly woman in Phatthalung
A 64 year old Thai man has been arrested for allegedly assaulting a 70 year old woman, sparking controversy due to his poor health and inability to walk unaided. The incident occurred yesterday, September 4, at 5pm, when police from Sri Banphot Police Station in Phatthalung province apprehended Wichian (last name withheld) on charges of rape. Despite his relatives’ efforts…
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Phatthalung man decapitated by train in freak accident
A tragic train accident in the southern province of Phatthalung resulted in the death of a 32 year old man, shocking his wife who discovered the headless body. Villagers recount the incident, which occurred while they were cutting grass and noticed the train stopping unexpectedly. The accident took place at 7.40pm yesterday, September 3, between Khao Chaison and Ban Ton…
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British man arrested for illegal beauty clinic, causing facial paralysis
Koh Pha Ngan Tourist Police in the southern province of Surat Thani raided an illegal beauty clinic and arrested its British owner today after a foreign client received services at the clinic and suffered facial paralysis. The foreign client, whose identity was not disclosed, experienced swelling and red bruises and was unable to control her facial muscles after receiving a…
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Foreign wheeled-dealers busted: Koh Pha Ngan car crackdown
Police in Surat Thani nabbed two foreign nationals on Koh Pha Ngan for illegally renting out vehicles. The crackdown happened yesterday, September 1, with a 60 year old Russian man and an 18 year old Ukrainian man being detained. Tourist police and local officials swooped in on the Russian at an unregistered house in Moo 1 village, where they seized…
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2 Burmese wanted for killing 3, including pregnant woman and child
Police officers in the southern province of Prachuap Khiri Khan are searching for two Burmese men who allegedly killed a fellow countryman, his pregnant wife, and their seven year old daughter for 50,000 baht in cash. A Thai employer revealed how he hired a 40 year old Burmese man named Saw to work on his rubber plantation. However, Saw was…
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Gunfire erupts in Yala market after minor vehicle collision
A confrontation in Yala’s Malayu Bangkok market ended in gunfire as two men, upset after a minor vehicle collision, ambushed a contractor and fired three shots at his vehicle before fleeing the scene. Yesterday, August 31, at 1.50pm, the 191 Emergency Response Centre in Yala received a report of a shooting incident at the Malayu Bangkok market. The caller, who…
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Essex man’s Thai holiday night out ends in tragedy
A dream holiday in Thailand turned into a nightmare for an Essex couple when a 27 year old British national from Romford was tragically found dead in a body of water after a night out. Theo Morgan, a former Met Police officer, had been enjoying a 10-day getaway in Surat Thani with his girlfriend when disaster struck. The couple had…
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Phatthalung village head assaults woman over cattle dispute
A 59 year old woman was brutally assaulted by a local village head in Phatthalung province following a heated argument over grazing cattle. The incident left her severely injured, leading to her hospitalisation. The woman’s 31 year old daughter Wannapa took her mother, Kasem, to Phatthalung Hospital at 5.45pm yesterday, August 27, after she was violently attacked. Kasem suffered severe…
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Cat found abandoned at temple in Songkhla
A CCTV camera captured a man and a woman on a motorcycle with a sidecar abandoning a cat in a sack at a temple in Songkhla. The Hope Songkhla urges the owner to help find it, as abandoning animals is illegal. A report from Songkhla detailed footage from a surveillance camera showing two individuals on a three-wheeled motorcycle, likely scrap…
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Music is the food of love for TAT festival in Hat Yai this weekend
The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is rolling out the red carpet for a spectacular celebration of art, music, and culture in southern Thailand with the HATYAI OUTLOUD festival. Scheduled from August 30 to September 1, this vibrant event will light up the Robinson Department Store parking lot and the Sino-European Building Sai 1 on Niphat Uthit 1 Road in…
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Going bananas: Songkhla’s top fritter vendor in a slippery situation
A well-known banana fritter vendor in Songkhla is facing difficulties due to a sharp increase in the price of bananas and a shortage of supply. Sales have dropped, and profits have dwindled, forcing some vendors to raise their prices. However, one vendor decided to keep her prices the same out of concern for her customers. At the entrance to the…
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Surat Thani police initiate successful Ban Klang rehabilitation
The police in Surat Thani launched a sustainable community rehabilitation project to address drug problems comprehensively, in line with national strategy. Following successful implementation in the Islamic community of Santisuk, the project has now been introduced in another Islamic community, Ban Klang. Yesterday, August 25, a meeting was held at the Raotul Jannah Mosque in Ban Klang, Bang Kung subdistrict,…
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Thai teacher suspected of creating explicit images of schoolgirls
Thai schoolgirls in the southern province of Pattalung suspected their male teacher of creating explicit images of them and sharing them on the Instagram application. A schoolgirl and her parents filed a complaint at Khok Cha-ngai Police Station today, August 23, after she came across nude images of herself on Instagram. She brought the matter to teachers but the school…
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Thai-Myanmar gates reopen after sudden closure
The Burmese border town of Phayathonzu, straddling Thailand and Myanmar, was thrown into chaos when its gates were abruptly shut on August 16. The gates, crucial for the movement of goods and people, left locals in a lurch. However, on August 20, relief came as the gates were reopened, much to the delight of residents and traders, one Phayathonzu local…
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Southern Thailand call centre scam gang jailed for 20 years
A notorious call centre scam operation has been dismantled by Thai police, leading to severe prison sentences for those involved. The criminal court handed a 20-year prison sentence to 14 members of the gang for deceiving a former doctor in Chumphon province, causing financial losses of 101 million baht. Additionally, those who provided mule accounts to the gang received nine-year…
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Koh Pha Ngan shopkeeper’s laughing gas caper goes up in smoke
A Koh Pha Ngan shopkeeper has been caught red-handed peddling balloons stuffed with nitrous oxide, better known as laughing gas, without a licence, and it’s no laughing matter! Rangsiman Jaisamer was busted by police in his Haad Rin shop early today, August 22, where officers discovered two cylinders of the giggly gas and a stash of balloons ready for sale.…
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Forest ranger killed in Phatthalung after motorcycle hits truck
A forest ranger tragically died after his motorcycle collided with the back of a 22-wheel truck loaded with palm oil, dragging him for over 1 kilometre. The incident occurred at approximately 1.30am today, August 21, on a road in Phatthalung province. The accident involved Sumet Khemdam, a 32 year old forest ranger, who was riding a Honda Click motorcycle. His…
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