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 Long-term life in Thailand? 5 reasons private health insurance pays off in the long run
Thailand is a great place for expats and retirees, offering a warm climate, affordable living, and rich culture. However, healthcare can be tricky for foreigners since they aren’t eligible for public health coverage, and private care can be expensive. Private...
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Thai man arrested minutes after stealing 1.3 million baht gold from Songkhla mall
A security guard and patrol police officers swiftly arrested a Thai man who stole five gold necklaces worth approximately 1.3 million baht from a shop inside a shopping mall in Hat Yai district in the southern province of Songkhla yesterday, June 24. The security guard pursued the thief from the mall on Phetchakasem Road to Soi Phetchakasem 41, around 300…
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Old Thai man shoots 2 neighbours over stolen palm trees
A 79 year old Thai man shot two neighbours yesterday, June 22, in the southern province of Surat Thani, allegedly over a long-standing dispute involving stolen palm trees. Police from Kanchanadit Police Station were called to the scene in the Chang Sai subdistrict of Kanchanadit district at 8.46am. Inside one home, officers found 88 year old Angsri critically injured with…
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Border patrol officer kills family of 3 in Songkhla car accident
A border patrol police officer crashed his car into a motorcycle and killed a family of three in the southern province of Songkhla, leaving the couple’s eldest son orphaned. The tragic incident came to light after a Thai man, Chaiwat Meesanthan, sought justice for his late friend via a post on his Facebook account yesterday, June 22. In part of…
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Peacock tree crushes pickup in Surat Thani, driver killed
A horrific accident unfolded in the southern province of Surat Thani when a towering peacock tree unexpectedly toppled onto a moving pickup truck, tragically killing the driver and injuring two passengers. The shocking incident occurred yesterday, June 20, around 4pm, on Soi Koteng Road in Village 8, Wat Pradu subdistrict, Mueang district, Surat Thani province. The Thakub Public Service Unit…
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German man found dead in rented house in Nakhon Si Thammarat
A German man was found dead at a rented house in the southern province of Nakhon Si Thammarat, reportedly due to an ongoing illness. Officers from Thasala Police Station were called to the scene at 6.50am today, June 20, after receiving a report of a foreign man’s death at a house in Tha Kuen sub-district, Tha Sala district. The deceased…
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Dead man with hands cuffed and legs bound found in Nakhon Si Thammarat
The discovery of a dead man with his hands cuffed and legs bound in a palm plantation in the southern province of Nakhon Si Thammarat yesterday, June 19, reminded locals in the area of a similar case that occurred two years prior. Residents of the Tha Rue sub-district in Mueang district detected a foul odour in the area and gathered…
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Frightened Thai man fires at police mistaking raid for threat
A Thai man repeatedly opened fire on a group of police officers during a raid of his neighbour’s home in the southern province of Trang, claiming he was frightened to see so many armed men near his home. Officers from the Drug Suppression and Investigation Divisions of Trang Provincial Police were preparing to raid a house on Na Mueang Phet–Sikao…
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Soldier killed by sniper in Yala raises security concerns
An incident in Bannang Sata district, Yala province, resulted in the death of one soldier, identified as 22 year old Pakom Suden. The soldier was shot in the head by a sniper yesterday, June 17, while on patrol in the village of Wang Hin, revealing the involvement of highly trained perpetrators. Pakom succumbed to his injuries at Bannang Sata Hospital.…
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Narathiwat ex-village head arrested for major drug network involvement
The Crime Suppression Division arrested a 34 year old former village head in Narathiwat province, who is believed to be a key figure in a major drug network. His arrest stemmed from evidence collected after he contacted his subordinate while under police custody to inquire about a drug delivery. Today, June 17, Police Major General Wichaya Sriprasertphap, Police Colonel Anusorn…
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Drunk police officer kills woman in fatal crash in southern Thailand
A drunk police officer is facing four charges after crashing his vehicle and killing a 62 year old woman in the southern province of Nakhon Si Thammarat on Sunday, June 15. Officers from Thung Song Police Station were called to arrest the driver of a grey sedan, Police Senior Sergeant Major Wicharn, on Sai Serm Chart Road in the Thung…
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Nakhon Si Thammarat demands removal of 15-year unused hydropower plant
Residents of Nakhon Si Thammarat are voicing their dissatisfaction with the Keereewong Project, a community hydropower plant that has remained inactive for nearly 15 years despite an initial construction budget of 20 million baht. Locals are now calling for the removal of the unused facility to reclaim the land for community use. The hydropower plant, located in Mueang subdistrict, Lan…
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Bomb explosion in Narathiwat kills ranger, injures five
An explosion in the Si Sakhon district of Narathiwat province resulted in the death of a 27 year old paramilitary ranger, Amru Sama-ae, and injuries to five others. The incident occurred at 8.50pm yesterday, June 14, when unidentified people detonated a bomb targeting the 4916 paramilitary ranger patrol (mobile unit) at the Sri Banphot subdistrict’s bridge area. The fatality was…
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Thai Porsche driver kills motorcyclist and tries to silence victim’s family
A Porsche driver crashed into and killed a female motorcyclist in the southern province of Songkhla, later allegedly threatening the victim’s family to abandon legal proceedings. The 38 year old Thai man, Supachai Suwannarat, appealed to ThaiRath to help him seek justice for his wife, Thong-uraiwan Phramana. Thong-uraiwan was killed in a car accident on Kanchana Wanit Road in Mueang…
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Man dies from electrocution climbing tower in southern Thailand
A 29 year old man died after being electrocuted while climbing a high-voltage power transmission tower in Chaloem Phra Kiat district, Nakhon Si Thammarat, southern Thailand. Emergency services rushed to the scene in Thang Phun subdistrict around midday today, June 10, after receiving reports of a man in distress near a 230,000-volt transmission line. Upon arrival, rescue teams discovered the…
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Pattani police hunt suspects after twin bombings in night market (video)
Security officials are actively searching for two people suspected of orchestrating the bombings in downtown Pattani at the weekend. A device detonated in front of a night market at approximately 8.05pm, Saturday, June 7, followed by another explosion in a nearby alley between the Santisook and Palace hotels around five minutes later, according to Pattani Police Major General Santhas Chueaputtarn.…
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Thai man and son arrested over murder of woman in rubber plantation
Police arrested a Thai man and his son for conspiring in the murder of a woman at a rubber plantation in the southern province of Songkhla today. The 52 year old victim, Prathum, was found dead in the plantation in the Saba Yoi district of Songkhla at approximately 1am yesterday, June 8. She sustained two major cut wounds to the…
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Monster rains, surging seas and storm warnings slam Thailand
Thailand is bracing for more rain and isolated heavy downpours, with the lower central region — including Bangkok — along with the east and south facing the highest risk, according to the Thai Meteorological Department (TMD)’s latest warning. The weather office said a moderate monsoon trough is moving south across the north, northeast, and upper central regions into a low-pressure…
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Local legend and lingerie: Thais honour island goddess with bra offerings
A group of Thai people fulfilled their vows to a goddess on Koh Nom Sao, the colloquial term roughly translating to Young Women’s Breasts Island, in the southern province of Prachuap Khiri Khan by offering bras. Sumate Charoensuk, President of the Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) committee of Sam Roi Yot Sub-district, shared details of the unique offerings with several news…
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Missing Dane found safe with new girlfriend in South Thailand
A 59 year old Danish man, who was feared to be a victim of foul play after losing contact with his family and having his Facebook page mysteriously deleted, has been found safe and happy in Nakhon Si Thammarat province in southern Thailand. It turns out, Brian Dilling Pedersen had simply been living it up with his new girlfriend, completely…
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Bus operators fight back against Phatthalung road ban
Bus operators in Thailand’s southern provinces are fuming over a new ban that restricts them from using the Phatthalung-Trang route, which runs through the Khao Phap Pha mountain. The controversial decision sparked outrage among double-decker bus operators, who are demanding that the Transport Ministry and Land Transport Department review the ban for safety reasons. Around 100 operators took to the…
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Thailand seeks 12m baht over coral reef damage by cargo ship
Thailand is pursuing compensation of at least 12 million baht after a Myanmar cargo ship, the MV Ayar Linn, ran aground on a coral reef in Mu Koh Surin National Park, Phang Nga, causing significant environmental damage. On June 1, the vessel was discovered lodged on a coral reef in Ao Jak Bay, according to Athapol Charoenshunsa, Director General of…
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Danish man’s Thai-mare: Missing dad feared caught in honeytrap
A Danish man has mysteriously vanished in southern Thailand after meeting a much younger woman he’d connected with online, sparking fears he’s fallen victim to an extortion plot. Brian Dilling Pedersen was last heard from on May 28 after a string of increasingly disturbing messages and a chilling final call in which he whispered, “I am afraid; they are many;…
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Over 10 assailants attack Narathiwat Police Station with M60s
Over 10 armed assailants launched an attack on the Chanae Police Station in Narathiwat using two M60 machine guns, as revealed by the Commissioner of Provincial Police Region 9. The violent incident saw 30 year old Sergeant Major Abdullor Makaseng, bravely respond to the attack but was fatally shot. Meanwhile, 33 year old Police Lance Corporal Jesada Promrat, sustained severe…
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Thai police helicopter crash sparks corruption allegations
A friend of a police officer who died in a helicopter crash in the southern province of Prachuap Khiri Khan claimed that a lack of maintenance caused the incident, while a Facebook page raised suspicions of corruption. The Bell 212 Twin Huey helicopter, operated by the Royal Thai Police (RTP), crashed near Nong Phang Phuai Temple in Koh Lak sub-district,…
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Drunk foreign BMW driver crashes in Phang Nga, tries to bribe police
A drunk BMW driver crashed into a road construction vehicle and a local’s car in the southern province of Phang Nga on Sunday, May 26, before attempting to bribe police officers to avoid legal consequences. Phuket Times reported that the accident occurred on the Khok Kloi–Phuket Road, near the Khok Kloi Bus Terminal, at 11.25am yesterday. The foreign couple in…
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Thai man dies in failed bomb attack on ex-girlfriend’s home
A Thai man died in an explosion after attempting to bomb the house of his ex-girlfriend in the southern province of Surat Thani yesterday, May 25. The explosion occurred at a residence in the Tha Chana district of Surat Thani at around 8am. The 34 year old man, Surapong Thongnark, was pronounced dead at the scene, while three others sustained…
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South Thailand gang forced man to swallow bullet over debt
Police in South Thailand have identified a gang responsible for violently forcing a 29 year old man to swallow a bullet in exchange for a reduced gambling debt. The incident took place in Hat Yai, Songkhla province, drawing ire from many online users due to its audacious nature. Yesterday, May 25, in a joint investigation by senior officers from Region…
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Thai government advances peace initiative in deep south
Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Phumtham Wechayachai has concluded the initial stage of the government’s peace initiative, which seeks to balance security, economic, and peace efforts in Thailand’s deep south. Phumtham has conducted several visits, engaging with senior defence and security officials to mediate peace in the region. During these visits, he met frontline workers, including local administrators, police…
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Ranger surrenders after shooting colleague in Pattani
A ranger has surrendered after shooting a colleague from the 4215th Ranger Company, part of the 42nd Ranger Task Force, in Panare district, Pattani province. The incident occurred around 10pm yesterday, May 21, when a water pump malfunction prompted the soldiers to inspect it outside their base. Before leaving the base to inspect the pump, Pongdet Nananuksuk and Sarawut Kaewjanarit…
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New endangered tree species discovered in South Thailand
A rare tree species has been discovered deep in the wetlands of South Thailand, yet it’s already fighting for survival. Thai researchers have uncovered a brand-new species of tree in Surat Thani province, in what’s being hailed as a major botanical breakthrough. Dubbed “Tharathum,” a poetic blend of the Thai words for water (thara) and tree (tham), the plant was discovered growing…
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