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 one hospital visit in Thailand could cost more than your whole trip

    Thailand is a favourite spot for travellers who want to enjoy more while spending less. From cheap street food to low-cost hotels and fun attractions, it’s easy to stretch your budget here. But there’s one thing many people don’t think...

  • Sea surge devastates Trang village, leaving residents homeless

    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…

  • Satun province faces severe flooding amid heavy rainfall

    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…

  • Thai doctor faces probe over private practice while on state pay

    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…

  • Phatthalung unveils 71 billion baht airport plan to boost tourism

    Phatthalung unveils 71 billion baht airport plan to boost tourism

    A plot of land spanning 1,496 rai near Songkhla Lake in Phatthalung has been earmarked for constructing a new airport, aimed at boosting tourism and transport in the southern province and its neighbours. Anticipated to become a central hub for Phatthalung, Songkhla, and Nakhon Si Thammarat, the land in Khuan Maphrao subdistrict, Mueang district is owned by the Department of…

  • Insurgents bomb ATM, set fire to Songkhla office, no injuries

    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…

  • Three arrested for drug use near monastery in Chumphon

    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…

  • Thai couple loses over 11 million baht to trusted employee

    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…

  • King cobra causes chaos: Serpent slithers into senior’s home

    King cobra causes chaos: Serpent slithers into senior’s home

    A large king cobra measuring 3.5 metres was found hiding in the kitchen of a 73 year old woman’s house, prompting her to call the Southern Venomous Snake Team for assistance. The incident occurred yesterday, September 12, when Taweesak Boonsed, an official from the Southern Venomous Snake Team, received a distress call from Yingdee Suwannarat, who resides in Moo 8,…

  • Century-old parkia speciosa tree generates 40,000 baht annually

    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…

  • Gunman fires shots at Yala bank, no injuries reported

    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…

  • Fisherman survives four days at sea off Satun

    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,…

  • Canadian arrested for illegal work, ecstasy possession in Koh Pha Ngan

    Canadian arrested for illegal work, ecstasy possession in Koh Pha Ngan

    Police arrested a Canadian man after he was found working illegally as a masseur and in possession of ecstasy for sale on Koh Pha Ngan, an island in the southern province of Surat Thani. Tourist Police and Immigration Police officers arrested the 48 year old Canadian, Ky Uwe Jablonowski, at a Thai traditional massage shop in Koh Pha Ngan yesterday,…

  • Thai man arrested for assaulting elderly woman in Phatthalung

    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…

  • Phatthalung man decapitated by train in freak accident

    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…

  • British man arrested for illegal beauty clinic, causing facial paralysis

    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…

  • Italian illegally detained by Burmese woman after visa dispute

    Italian illegally detained by Burmese woman after visa dispute

    An Italian man sought help from the Thai police after being detained by a Burmese woman following an argument over a visa fee in a company office on Koh Pha Ngan, an island in the southern province of Surat Thani. Officers from Koh Pha Ngan Police Station and the Tourist Police rushed to the company office on the island after…

  • 2 Burmese wanted for killing 3, including pregnant woman and child

    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…

  • Gunfire erupts in Yala market after minor vehicle collision

    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…

  • Essex man’s Thai holiday night out ends in tragedy

    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…

  • Spanish star’s son sentenced to life for murder on Koh Pha Ngan

    Spanish star’s son sentenced to life for murder on Koh Pha Ngan

    In a chilling case that shocked both Spain and Thailand, Daniel Sancho Bronchalo, son of prominent Spanish actors Rodolfo Sancho Aguirre and Silvia Bronchalo, has been sentenced to life in prison for the premeditated murder of Colombian plastic surgeon Edwin Arrieta Arteaga. The gruesome crime took place last August on the idyllic Thai island of Koh Pha Ngan. Originally handed…

  • Cat found abandoned at temple in Songkhla

    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…

  • Music is the food of love for TAT festival in Hat Yai this weekend

    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…

  • Going bananas: Songkhla’s top fritter vendor in a slippery situation

    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…

  • Southern Thailand court to hear Tak Bai massacre case

    Southern Thailand court to hear Tak Bai massacre case

    Narathiwat Provincial Court’s decision to hear a lawsuit against seven officials accused of murder and kidnapping during the 2004 Tak Bai massacre has been welcomed by activists. Srisompob Jitpiromsri, director of Deep South Watch, described the court’s move as a significant step toward justice and peace in the troubled region. He made these comments at a talk in Pattani‘s Mueang…

  • Thai teacher suspected of creating explicit images of schoolgirls

    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…

  • Thai-Myanmar gates reopen after sudden closure

    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…

  • Southern Thailand call centre scam gang jailed for 20 years

    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…

  • Gunmen kill two durian sellers in Yala night attack

    Gunmen kill two durian sellers in Yala night attack

    Gunmen attacked a durian stall in Yala province, killing its two owners. The incident occurred near a cemetery in Ban Saikaew, Taling Chan subdistrict at around 11pm yesterday, August 21. Security officials have begun investigating the crime scene. Two men were found dead near their durian stall after a group of approximately 10 assailants emerged from a mountain path and…

  • Forest ranger killed in Phatthalung after motorcycle hits truck

    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…

  • Trang manhunt after fatal shooting over family dispute

    Trang manhunt after fatal shooting over family dispute

    A tragic shooting incident occurred in Trang, resulting in the death of a 56 year old Thai man. The man was allegedly shot over a perceived insult to the perpetrator’s dignity. Police launched a manhunt for the suspect. Police officers, led by Deputy Inspector Vechan Hiranyasuwan from Mueang Trang Police Station, were alerted to a shooting at house number 21/5…