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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Loco antics: Drugged-up drama as man halts Hat Yai express
Pandemonium erupted in Hat Yai when a Thai man under the influence of hallucinogenic drugs turned the railway tracks into his personal stage, causing a train to come to a screeching halt. The bizarre incident, captured on video, saw the man standing, lying, and even walking towards the moving train, sparking chaos at the station. It all unfolded yesterday, March…
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Pipe bomb attack injures five at Pattani police checkpoint
Two people disguised as Muslim women threw a pipe bomb at a police checkpoint in Pattani province, injuring five residents, including a family of five. The incident occurred at 5.40pm, yesterday, March 19, when officers from the Sai Buri District Police Station were alerted to the attack at the Wat Lieb checkpoint in Taluban subdistrict. The explosion affected passersby, prompting…
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Man arrested for using fake licence plate in Phang Nga
A man has been arrested by the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) and Highway Police after being caught with a fake licence plate in a bizarre case of forgery in Phang Nga. The suspect, identified as Nattawut, was taken into custody for the offence of forgery and use of forged official documents after a swift police operation. The case began in…
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2 German models steal from Koh Pha Ngan shop twice in one day
The Thai owner of a handcrafted home goods store on Koh Pha Ngan in the southern province of Surat Thani refused to compromise with two German male models who stole products from her store twice on the same day yesterday, March 18. The owner of the Sprout store, Ploy, took to Facebook and Instagram to expose the two German thieves after…
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Behind the cue: Rayong ‘snooker club’ gambles with the law
A recent operation in Rayong province uncovered a gambling setup disguised as a snooker club, leading to the arrest of 15 gamblers. Despite initial reports of political figures being involved, no evidence of such was found, and local police have not been reassigned. Police Major General Phumint Singhhasut, the commander of Rayong Provincial Police, yesterday, March 17, addressed the incident…
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Landslide at pipe installation site claims 2 lives in South Thailand
A landslide during a pipe installation in the southern province of Nakhon Si Thammarat claimed the lives of two workers and injured another. Officers from Khanom Police Station investigated the fatal accident at 2.30pm yesterday, March 17, at a construction site on Pu Chao Saming Road in the Khanom district of Surat Thani. Upon arrival, officers encountered the landslide at…
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Volunteer escapes car bomb attack in Pattani, vehicle damaged
A female territorial defence volunteer today narrowly escaped a car bombing in Pattani province. The explosion severely damaged her vehicle, which caught fire. Emergency services responded promptly to assist at the scene. At 10am, today, March 17, the incident occurred in Mueang district’s Moo 2, Ban Cho Kapo, Karubi subdistrict. The volunteer, Suriyanee, was en route to work from her residence…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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Fire at Surat Thani car dealership causes 2 million baht damage
A raging fire tore through a used car dealership near Vibhavadi Camp Hospital in Mueang district, Surat Thani, in the early hours of today, leaving behind a trail of destruction worth over 2 million baht. The dramatic blaze, which erupted at around 3.40am, today, March 14, sent emergency services scrambling to the scene as towering flames engulfed vehicles and the…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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Lottery hiss-teria in Songkhla as king cobra slithers into family car
A routine afternoon turned into a heart-stopping moment for a Songkhla family when a 3-metre-long king cobra slithered into a parked car’s engine, sending locals into a frenzy. While officials rushed to capture the venomous intruder, superstitious residents had their eyes on something else—the car’s registration number for the upcoming lottery draw. The dramatic encounter took place in Ban Khlong…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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Nighttime explosion in Pattani claims three lives, investigation underway (video)
A nighttime explosion in the Sai Buri district, Pattani province, resulted in the immediate deaths of three officials. The incident occurred yesterday, March 8 at approximately 11.20pm, prompting police to await daylight for further investigation due to concerns about additional explosive devices. Residents are urged to report any suspicious person or objects to the police promptly. At around 11.20pm, the…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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Prominent betel garden owner found dead in Phatthalung plantation
A well-known betel garden owner was found dead on his plantation after failing to return home, leaving his devastated family grappling with the shocking loss. The tragic discovery was made yesterday, March 4 at 8pm, when Mueang Phatthalung Police received a report of a body found in a betel plantation in Rom Mueang subdistrict, Phatthalung province. Police Lieutenant Prasert Duang-iad,…
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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…
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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.…
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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…
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18-wheel truck crash in Phatthalung injures 4, damages van
An 18-wheel truck collided with a passenger van, causing the van to crash into a streetlight pole in Phatthalung province. The accident today, February 28, resulted in severe damage to the vehicle and injuries to four people, though fortunately, there were no fatalities. Police Lieutenant Apipat Maisuk from Khuan Khanun Police Station was informed of the accident, which took place…
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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:…
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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…
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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…
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