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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Koh Samui taxi mafia crackdown targets illegal turf control
A Koh Samui taxi mafia crackdown in Surat Thani began yesterday, May 28, as officials moved to dismantle taxi queue groups accused of occupying public areas and stopping other legal taxis from picking up passengers. Koh Samui district chief Amorn Chumchuay led the operation with Koh Samui district officials, transport officers, police, tourist police, and municipal officers. The operation targeted…
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Gunmen dressed as Muslim women open fire on officer’s car in Pattani
A shooting in Pattani left a police officer injured and his wife dead yesterday, May 25, after four suspected insurgents opened fire on their sedan near a school in Phong Sata, Yarang, Pattani. Police were alerted at 3.30pm to the shooting, which left one person injured and one dead. Officers found the sedan with multiple bullet marks on the windscreen…
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Brit arrested for hit-and-run in Koh Pha Ngan, victim in coma
Police arrested a British motorcyclist for a hit-and-run incident on Koh Pha Ngan on Saturday, May 23, that left a Thai doctor in a coma. Colleagues of the injured doctor, Theerasuk “Ton” Kawamatawong, contacted several media outlets seeking justice after the crash, which occurred at about 8.40pm on a road behind the Koh Pha Ngan District Office. CCTV footage shared…
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Gun videos lead police to Indian man with drugs on Koh Pha Ngan
Police arrested an Indian man on Koh Pha Ngan yesterday, May 23, after videos showed a foreigner posing with guns and practising shooting, with officers later finding drugs and drug price lists on his phone. The suspect, identified as 33 year old Shabeelkunnon Valappil, was arrested at a residence in Koh Pha Ngan district, Surat Thani. Police charged him with…
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Thai police criticised for seeking help from children during arrest
Two high-school students in Nakhon Si Thammarat helped police restrain a suspect on a public road, prompting a debate online about the safety and appropriateness of civilian involvement in police operations. Footage of the incident was shared by TikTok user @jxjxens before being reposted by several news outlets and Facebook pages. It showed two police officers struggling with a man…
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7 year old girl and soldier injured in ambush shooting in Narathiwat
A Thai soldier and a seven year old girl were injured in an ambush shooting in Narathiwat last night, May 20. The attack took place at about 7pm in Sawo subdistrict when unidentified gunmen opened fire on 29 year old Muhammad-Ammudi Waesohoh, a soldier from the 3rd Infantry Battalion, 152nd Infantry Regiment at Sirindhorn Camp in Pattani. According to reports,…
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Songkhla school director killed in hostage incident receives royal honour
Sasiphat Sinsamosorn, the former director of a school in Songkhla, has been posthumously granted the Most Noble Order of the Crown of Thailand after sacrificing herself to protect teachers and students during a school shooting incident that led to a hostage situation. The Royal Gazette published the royal command yesterday, May 19, announcing the royal decoration for the deceased teacher.…
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Three arrested after 10-kilometre drug chase in Chumphon
Highway police arrested three suspects and seized more than 20,000 methamphetamine pills and crystal meth following a 10-kilometre car chase in Chumphon today, May 17. The suspects were identified as 33 year old Teerapong, 25 year old Suwapat, and 25 year old Pongsakorn. Police seized 20,200 methamphetamine pills and 52.13 grammes of crystal meth during the operation in Hat Phan…
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Koh Pha Ngan nominee raids target 32 suspected companies
More than 300 police officers raided 32 companies on Koh Pha Ngan this morning, May 13, as part of a crackdown on suspected foreign nominee businesses allegedly using Thai nationals to hold land on behalf of foreigners. Deputy national police chief Samran Nualma led the operation at 9am alongside officers from multiple police units, including the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau,…
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PM Anutin monitors crackdown on foreign-operated businesses using Thai nominees
Prime Minister Anutin Charnvirakul visited Koh Pha Ngan and Koh Samui in Surat Thani today, May 13, following investigations into more than 10,000 businesses operated by foreigners through Thai nominees. The Department of Business Development (DBD) and the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) recently launched a nationwide crackdown targeting illegal foreign-operated businesses using Thai nationals as nominees, particularly in major tourist…
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Krabi official registers marriage for drug suspect before arrest
A district chief in Krabi allowed a suspected drug dealer to register his marriage before the man was sent to prison following his drug arrest yesterday, May 11. Officials in Mueang Krabi district said the suspect, known as “Dome Koh Klang,” was arrested during an operation targeting small-scale drug dealers in Khlong Prasong subdistrict. Officers allegedly found 399 methamphetamine pills in his…
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Koh Pha Ngan resort crackdown probes nominee ownership claims
Officials inspected four resorts in Sri Thanu on Koh Pha Ngan yesterday, May 9, arresting three hotel operators over alleged unlicensed hotel businesses as part of a wider probe into foreign-linked companies and possible nominee ownership. The operation involved officers from the Department of Provincial Administration, Surat Thani Immigration Bureau, and Koh Pha Ngan police. Sri Thanu, in Koh Pha…
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Malaysian man possible blacklisted for damaging Hat Yai police wheel clamp
A Malaysian man faces a 3,000 baht fine and possible blacklisting from Thailand after damaging a police wheel clamp in Hat Yai district, Songkhla, on May 4. A traffic police officer from Hat Yai Police Station had placed the clamp on a black Mercedes-Benz registered in Malaysia after it was parked in a prohibited area on Prachathipat Road. A traffic…
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Mercedes-Benz driver flees after damaging police car clamp
Police are searching for a Mercedes-Benz driver who damaged a car clamp after parking in a prohibited area in Hat Yai district, Songkhla, and fleeing without paying a fine. Locals reported the incident to Hat Yai Police Station after witnessing the driver forcefully remove the clamp before leaving the scene. The incident occurred at around 10.30am yesterday, May 4, on…
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Koh Pha Ngan raid exposes illegal school, unregistered foreign teachers
A Koh Pha Ngan childcare centre was raided on May 1 after officials found it was allegedly operating outside the scope of its licence with unregistered foreign teachers and 163 children enrolled. Surat Thani Immigration police, Koh Pha Ngan police, district officials, and Internal Security Operations Command Region 4 officers inspected the property. The centre was licensed as a childcare facility operated…
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Phatthalung police accused of deceiving mentally ill man into gambling
Parents accused a police officer in Phatthalung of deceiving their mentally ill son into gambling, leading to losses of around 120,000 baht. The parents, 46 year old Yupaporn and 53 year old Thanasak, sought help from a local journalist, claiming their 20 year old son Peerasak was targeted by a police senior sergeant major identified as Suea, who serves under…
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Shooting at Nakhon Si Thammarat wedding leaves six injured
Six people were injured in a wedding shooting in Nakhon Si Thammarat yesterday, April 28, after a dispute between guests from the bride’s and groom’s sides escalated into gunfire. Police were called to the scene in Tha Sala at around 3.30am following reports of a shooting, with multiple injuries, at the event. Rescue workers had already taken the injured to…
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Four die in Phang Nga well after suspected toxic gas exposure
Four Phang Nga villagers died after entering an old well to clean it and losing consciousness today, April 26, with officials suspecting the deaths were caused by toxic gas or low oxygen. Phang Nga Disaster Prevention and Mitigation officials were alerted at 11.30am after rescuers reported multiple deaths inside a well at an oil palm plantation in Khura subdistrict, Khura…
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Thai woman found dead in Nakhon Si Thammarat hotel after meeting her ex
A Thai woman was found dead in a hotel room in Nakhon Si Thammarat yesterday, April 22, after arriving with her ex-boyfriend, who told staff that the woman had fainted and left the scene. Officers from Mueang Nakhon Si Thammarat Police Station were called to the hotel at around 9pm. The woman, later identified as 31 year old Kimyong, was…
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Family honours man’s final wish with funeral dancers
Three dancers were hired to perform in front of a coffin during a funeral on April 20 in Nakhon Si Thammarat, after the family said they were honouring the deceased man’s final wish. The funeral took place on the final night for 59 year old Winit at his home in Ron Phibun district, Nakhon Si Thammarat. A Facebook page livestreamed…
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Thai man helps thieves steal gold from nephew-in-law
A man in Ranong province admitted to assisting thieves in stealing a gold bar worth more than 2.5 million baht from his nephew-in-law, claiming he acted out of frustration over the victim’s repeated displays of wealth. The theft took place on April 10 at a car garage in Mueang district. The victim later shared CCTV footage of the incident on…
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Yala boy with special needs found dead in scrapyard car after four-day search
A 12 year old Thai boy with special needs was found dead in a scrap car about 800 metres away, four days after he went missing from his home in Yala province. The 38 year old mother, Wanida, reported the disappearance of her son, Yuttasak, also known as Best, to Yarom Police Station on April 12 after the boy went missing…
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British man apologises after drifting car near Songkran event
Police are seeking to revoke the driving licence of a British man who was caught drifting a car during Songkran celebrations in Hat Yai district of Songkhla province on April 12. Viral footage shared on Thai social media showed a red vehicle drifting on a concrete area near the Songkran event site close to Black Bridge in Hat Yai district.…
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More than 80 undocumented Myanmar migrants found in Songkhla
More than 80 Myanmar migrants were found hiding in a forested area at the foot of a hill in Songkhla, yesterday, April 9, as officials investigated a suspected migrant smuggling operation. Officials acted after village and subdistrict leaders reported a large group hiding in the area. District officers, police and Songkhla immigration officers were then sent to inspect the site.…
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US military aircraft presence at Krabi Airport raises questions
Residents in Krabi have raised questions after multiple United States military aircraft were seen operating at Krabi International Airport yesterday, April 7, with frequent take-offs and landings reported throughout the day and night. Videos shared widely on social media showed several aircraft, including C-130, MV-22 Osprey and H-60 Seahawk, flying at low altitude and producing loud noise. Witnesses said the…
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Vendor splashed with hot oil by another worker in Krabi mall
A drink vendor was injured yesterday, April 4, after another worker threw hot cooking oil at her in a shopping mall in Mueang district, Krabi, with police detaining the suspect at the scene. Rescue workers were alerted by mall staff and coordinated with police before arriving at the food court on the first floor, where they found the victim, 19…
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Songkhla orders probe after 100,000 litres of diesel found
Officials in Songkhla found 100,000 litres of diesel stored at a company’s international truck yard in Sadao district yesterday, April 4, after no documents were produced to back earlier claims that the site had a valid fuel storage permit. The case emerged after social media posts alleged that a Malaysian transport operator with a trailer yard for cross-border runs between…
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Yala tightens security after reports of insurgent group movement
Security agencies in Yala raised security measures to the highest level today, April 2, after detecting movement by violent groups believed to be preparing attacks in urban areas and economic zones. Units were told to tighten surveillance in high-risk areas, particularly around town centres and key commercial zones. Officers also stepped up screening at checkpoints, focusing on cars and motorcycles…
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Two killed after attackers open fire on pickup in Narathiwat
Two people, including a district official, were shot dead early this morning, April 1, after attackers opened fire on their pickup in Dusongyo subdistrict, Chanae district, Narathiwat province. Police were alerted at about 1am to an ambush shooting involving a pickup truck. Officers coordinated with relevant units before going to the scene. Upon arrival, police found a black, four-door Toyota…
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Narathiwat bomb attack hits police vehicle, two officers injured
A Narathiwat bomb attack hit a police vehicle in Rangae district today, March 31, seriously injuring two officers as they returned from investigating a theft case, police said. The explosion targeted an investigation team from Rangae Police Station near Mo Ku We Bridge on the Dusongyo–Bongo road in Bongor subdistrict, Rangae district, Narathiwat province. The attackers were not identified. Police…
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