South Thailand News
Stay updated with the latest Southern Thailand news at The Thaiger, your ultimate source for regional information. Keep informed on local events, business developments, and lifestyle stories in popular locations beyond Phuket, Koh Samui, and Krabi. We’ve got reports of the latest goings on in Trang, Songkhla, Yala, and more.
Whether you’re a resident or a visitor, The Thaiger’s Southern Thailand news page is your essential guide to exploring this stunning tropical region. Dive into the vibrant community and rich culture with our expertly curated content, designed to keep you connected and well-informed.
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Sponsored Leap into English mastery with Green Valley's LEAP Programme
For many years, St. Andrews International School, Green Valley’s students who did not speak English as their first language have typically participated in English as an Additional Language (EAL) programmes to build proficiency. However, the school has recently introduced a...
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Heartbroken Thai durian farmer cries after trees poisoned, causing 30 million baht loss
A heartbroken durian farmer in South Thailand cried after he discovered on Wednesday that most of his trees had been poisoned, causing a long-term loss of around 30 million baht (US$936,000). The farmer, 51 year old Charin Phuachai, lives with his family in Chumphon province, in the Hat Phan Kraj sub-district of the main city district. Charin had 25 Mon…
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South Thailand shootout ends with 2 dead, 2 injured after wedding party
A shootout at a hotel car park in Surat Thani‘s main city district in South Thailand ended with two dead and two injured. The shootout occurred after those involved attended a wedding party last night. The tragic incident occurred at the Bunjongburi Hotel’s car park on Liang Muang Road in the Makham Tia sub-district. Authorities were alerted to the situation…
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Trang governor reveals plans to develop Koh Kradan, the ‘best beach on earth’
Plans are in the pipeline to develop Thailand’s Koh Kradan. Trang province’s governor, Kajornsak Charoensopha, on Wednesday, revealed plans to develop Koh Kradan into a major tourist spot. The move comes after the island was named the best beach on earth in the Top 100 Beaches on Earth by the UK’s World Beach Guide. The governor announced plans aimed at…
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Thai man accuses RTA general of drug abuse, sexual sadism, and physical abuse
A Thai man accused a lieutenant general of the Royal Thai Army (RTA) of using drugs, engaging in sexual sadism, and physically abusing him during their sexual encounter in the southern province of Songkhla. The accuser, a Thai man named Nut, spoke to the media today about his relationship with the aforementioned RTA soldier named Wor. Nut disclosed that he…
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Wildlife officials capture photos of rare bird in South Thailand
Thailand has captured another rare and exciting animal on camera less than a week after a similar incident was reported. Wildlife officials in South Thailand’s Nakhon Si Thammarat province have captured photos of a rare bird, the great argus. The officials at Kathun Wildlife Sanctuary captured the images with camera traps, according to the Department of Parks, Wildlife, and Plant…
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100 police deployed to reservoir in the hunt for killer cop in South Thailand
There’s been a new development in the case around the cop in South Thailand who killed several of his family members, including his wife and son. The killer cop, 46 year old Pol. Snr. Sgt. Maj. Atthaporn Wichian, killed six people in Surat Thani province last week, including his wife, son, and father-in-law. Police have been on the prowl for…
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Two separate shootings rock South Thailand, claiming 5 victims
Two separate shootings rocked South Thailand yesterday, claiming a total of five victims. In Surat Thani province, an unidentified gunman shot four people dead at a house, including two former village heads and his wife. The gunman attacked the victims at a house in Khiri Rat Dikhom district. Police identified three of the victims as former village headman Thammarong Nilniyom,…
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Police find remains in South Thailand believed to be missing official
Police and paramilitary rangers found human remains in South Thailand yesterday morning, which are believed to be those of a missing local official. The authorities found the bones on a cliff in Moo 6 village of Sri Sakhorn district in Pattani province. Along with the bones, they found the ID card of the chief of the Tambon Don Administrative Organisation,…
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Thailand’s Surat Thani province expects over 90,000 tourists during Songkran
Get ready for a blast of Songkran tourism coming up in Thailand! Thailand’s Surat Thani province is expecting to welcome more than 90,000 tourists during the upcoming Songkran festival period. According to the Surat Thani Governor, Vichawut Jintoe, over 67,000 foreign tourists and 23,000 Thai tourists are expected to visit the southern province from April 13 to 16. Surat Thani…
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UNESCO recognises performance style from South Thailand
UNESCO has recognised a unique performance style from South Thailand. The organisation’s Facebook page posted a cover photo of a Nora performer, with the caption, “We are #LivingHeritage.” Nora has deep cultural and social significance for southern Thais. It is known for its unique style of singing and dancing. Nora performers are known for their signature long, curled metal fingernail…
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Koh Chang Karp emerges as southern Thailand’s stunning new diving spot
Koh Chang Karp has recently emerged as the most stunning scuba diving destination in Trang, in the southern part of Thailand. Local tour boats hailed the island as the most beautiful scuba diving site in the province. Koh Chang Karp, also known as Koh Reur Rop (battleship island), is a hidden gem located between two popular attractions in Trang: Koh…
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Pervy man caught on CCTV sniffing woman’s underwear and licking her shoes
A Thai woman in the southern province of Songkhla filed a complaint with the police after a CCTV camera captured footage of a perverted man climbing over a wall into her house, sniffing her underwear and licking her shoes before leaving. The 28 year old victim, Raenu, posted videos of the incident on a Facebook group named HATYAIZ to warn residents…
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Russian man arrested in Koh Pha Ngan for overstaying visa 993 days
An unidentified Russian man has reportedly been arrested on the island of Koh Pha Ngan for overstaying his visa by 993 days or over 2.5 years. According to TPN National, the 34 year old man was arrested and taken to the Koh Pha Ngan Police Station to face charges of overstaying and will be deported. The arrest followed the Surat…
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Tourism Ministry sets its sights on developing Songkhla
Songkhla has caught the attention of the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, which has set a 100 billion baht tourism revenue goal over the next decade. The ministry dubbed the Songkhla Lake Basin a Designated Areas for Sustainable Tourism Administration (DASTA) project. As always, the Tourism Ministry came up with a catchy, exciting name: “Amazing Songkhla Lagoon: Moving forward as…
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Sex worker prosecuted after 70 year old man found dead in southern Thailand love hotel
Police prosecuted a Thai sex worker after a 70 year old Thai man was found dead at a love hotel in Nakhon Si Thammarat province in the southern part of Thailand. Officers from Tung Yai Police Station were alerted to the man’s death at around 10pm last night and immediately rushed to investigate the scene along with volunteers from the…
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Man murders cousin after being bullied about his disability
A disabled man murdered his able-bodied cousin after he repeatedly bullied him about his disability. The accused stated that he did not intend to kill his cousin but only wanted him to experience the same pain and suffering that he had been enduring due to his disability. The 62 year old victim, Somjit Wimonmueng, was shot dead in the early hours…
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Investigation reveals Narathiwat police protected weapon and drug suspects
An investigation into the southern Narathiwat provincial police department has revealed its police chief and subordinates protected weapon and drug suspects. According to the Bangkok Post, the commander of police, Waesamae Salae, and his subordinates are accused of taking bribes in exchange for helping drug and weapon suspects. The national police chief, Surachate Hakparn announced the news yesterday. Surachate says…
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Missing woman found buried in southern Thailand forest
Nakhon Si Thammarat Provincial Police Office discovered the dead body of a woman who went missing last month buried in the forest behind Khao Lom Monastery in southern Thailand. Police believe her murder was motivated by a conflict within a drug gang. Officers from the Nakhon Si Thammarat Provincial Police Office discovered the corpse of an unidentified woman buried in…
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Drug addict arrested for murdering employer with chainsaw
A Thai man was arrested at the weekend after he used a chainsaw to murder his employer while they worked together in a rubber plantation in the southern province of Surat Thani. The murderer tested positive for drugs, and police found a chainsaw and a knife covered in blood at the scene. A resident who lived near the murder scene…
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Bomb discovered under resident’s car in southern Thailand
A potentially deadly attack was narrowly averted in southern Thailand on Saturday night after a young woman discovered a bomb attached to her aunt’s car while searching for a missing pet. The improvised explosive device was later safely disposed of by experts, but authorities are still investigating the motive behind the plot. Enaz Haji Taye, the owner of the Bangkok-registered…
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Thai officials arrest overstaying French woman in Koh Pha Ngan
Thai officials arrested an overstaying French woman in Koh Pha Ngan this week. Sura Thani Immigration officers said in a Facebook post that they arrested the woman on Monday in front of the Bounty Resort on 85/1 Moo 8. The woman, 36 year old Myriam Naima Bakhoury, overstayed her visa by six days, the officers said. She was taken to…
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Pervert robs and sexually assaults owner of kratom shop
Police officers in the Tung Song district in the southern province of Nakhon Si Thammarat are on the hunt for a pervert who robbed a local kratom shop and sexually assaulted its female owner by groping her private part before fleeing the scene. The CCTV footage of the incident circulating on Thai social media shows a man wearing a jacket…
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American teacher charged with reckless homicide over 8 year old’s drowning in Chumphon
An American teacher has been charged with reckless homicide after the drowning of an eight year old boy in Chumphon province. The boy’s family, however, says they don’t blame the teacher for his death. According to Khaosod English, the 45 year old teacher was an employee of a local church in Map Ammarit Sub-District, Pathio District. He was on holiday…
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Old woman severely injured after drunk official crashes car into her house
A Pattalung Provincial Council official has been accused of being drunk and disorderly while driving after he crashed his car into a house in the Si Banphot district of Pattalung in the southern province of Thailand, seriously injuring an 83 year old woman. The victim’s family are understandably furious as the suspect is still at large. The Pattalung Provincial Council…
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New Zealand tourist gets lost in forest in Koh Pha Ngan, Thailand
A New Zealand tourist got lost in a forest on Thailand’s Koh Pha Ngan island in the southern Surat Thani province on Sunday. Friends of the man, 56 year old Shaw Mace Bushel, alerted police that he had gone missing from his resort at 4am. Bushel’s friends had searched for him but failed to find him. A team of officers…
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Thailand extends emergency decree in Deep South
Thailand is extending the emergency decree in the Deep South for another three months. The decree applies to the border provinces of Yala, Pattani, and Narathiwat and will run from March 20 to June 19. According to the Bangkok Post, the newest extension of the decree marks the 71st time it has been issued. The Deputy Prime Minister, Prawit Wongsuwon…
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Four suspects arrested over murder of 4 men in southern Thailand
Police arrested four suspects in connection with the murder of four men whose bodies were found in Juerae Lake and the Kolok River in the southern province of Narathiwat two days ago. Residents found three dead bodies with gunshot wounds in a sedan truck submerged in Juerae Lake. Then another lifeless body who was also shot dead was found in…
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Restoration of Maya Bay balances tourism, sustainability
The restoration of Maya Bay, Thailand, balances tourism with sustainability. Phi Phi Islands’ tropical paradise, made famous by Leonardo DiCaprio’s movie The Beach, has drastically reduced visitor numbers, and sea life is flourishing. The beach was closed in 2018 and before the pandemic hit, and in many respects, the past two years without pressure from great numbers of visitors have…
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4 bodies with gunshot wounds found in southern Thailand
Residents in the southern province of Narathiwas found the lifeless bodies of three people with gunshot wounds in a sedan truck submerged in the Juerae Lake yesterday. This morning, another dead body was found near the scene. The authorities have reason to believe that the two incidents are interconnected. Buketa Police Station received distressing reports from residents who had discovered…
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Man runs race in South Thailand wearing Forrest Gump costume
Run Forrest run! One participant in a 160 kilometre race in South Thailand made a splash with his unique attire. The man donned a Forrest Gump costume, complete with a plaid shirt, khaki pants, and a red cap, to the Amazean Jungle Thailand by UTMB 2023. The photo of the runner taken at the starting line in Betong district of…
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