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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Thailand’s healthcare system is well-regarded across Southeast Asia, with options ranging from public hospitals to world-class private facilities. But when it comes to foreign residents or tourists, healthcare access isn’t as straightforward. So, do foreigners get free healthcare in Thailand?...
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Ancient boat unearthed near Krabi’s Khlong Thom District
The discovery of a well-preserved ancient wooden boat found buried along the canal’s banks has captivated the local community in Khlong Thom, Krabi province. The boat is believed to be connected to the same historical period as the famous Khlong Thom beads, dating back some 1,800 years. Villagers stumbled upon the ancient vessel buried in the soil along the canal bank…
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DSI seizes 10 million baht in uncertified goods in southern Thailand
The Department of Special Investigation (DSI) conducted a raid today in the warehouse of a renowned online merchant in Yala province, seizing over 10 million baht worth of uncertified goods. The operation was led by Chayaphon Saitawee, the director of the Special Case Operations Center in the Southern Border Provinces. The DSI, alongside the administrative officials of Mueang Yala District…
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Songkhla sings new tune: Lifting bus restrictions could drive cross-border travel
Songkhla province is considering lifting restrictions on foreign-registered buses, potentially allowing them to cross provincial boundaries. The move aims to attract more visitors, predominantly from Malaysia, to explore other scenic destinations in southern Thailand, reveals a local tourism authority. President of the Phatthalung Tourism Association, Charoon Kaewwaveesub, disclosed today that Songkhla, in collaboration with the local land transport office, has…
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Thailand’s newest UNESCO learning cities revealed, Bangkok on the list
Bangkok, Khon Kaen, and Yala have clinched spots in UNESCO’s 2024 Global Network for Learning Cities (GNLC), heralding a new era of lifelong learning across Thailand. Education Minister Permpoon Chidchob unveiled the exciting news, showcasing Thailand’s commitment to fostering continuous education and development. Joining the ranks of previously listed cities such as Chiang Rai (2019), Chiang Mai, Phuket, and Chachoengsao…
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Activist Surachai declared missing by Thai court after fleeing to exile
A court in Nakhon Si Thammarat officially declared activist Surachai Danwattananusorn missing, igniting concerns over his fate after years of silence since his exile in Laos in 2018. The ruling, delivered on Monday, grants his wife, Pranee Danwattananusorn, the authority to handle his assets, shedding light on the ordeal endured by his family in the absence of any trace of…
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Valentine’s veteran: Krabi man seals 14th marriage, aiming for happy ever after
A 69 year old Thai man in the southern province of Krabi signed a marriage certificate for the 14th time this Valentine’s Day and hoped his current wife would be the final chapter of his love saga after 13 unlucky attempts. Mueang Krabi District Office held a special Valentine’s Day event at the province’s popular tourist attraction Klonh Root, also…
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British tourist’s body found in Cheow Lan Dam after intense search
A British tourist’s body surfaced at Cheow Lan Dam three days after the individual went missing, prompting expressions of gratitude from the British Embassy for the search efforts. The 24 year old, along with friends, had embarked on a kayaking trip from their accommodation at the Kraisorn Resort in Khao Sok National Park‘s protection Unit 7 (Kraisorn) area near the…
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Village leader fatally shot in Surat Thani, community mourns
Tragedy struck a local community in Surat Thani province when a 35 year old village leader was fatally shot in an appalling act of violence. The incident, which occurred shortly after 9pm yesterday, February 13, has left the village in shock and mourning. According to Police Lieutenant Colonel Withoon Sukpradit, the investigative officer from Kanjanadit Police Station, the emergency call came…
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South Thailand: Volunteer killed, four injured in Thai insurgent ambush
In a tragic turn just days after peace negotiations resumed, a roadside explosion in the Janae district of Thailand’s Narathiwat province yesterday killed a defence volunteer and left four others with serious injuries. The volunteers, aboard an armoured pickup truck bound for the Chang Phuek Tambon Administrative Organisation, fell victim to insurgents’ treachery along Road 4217 in Ban Kumoong village.…
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Search continues for British man missing in southern Thailand
A 24 year old British man went missing yesterday while kayaking in a canal near the Rajjaprabha Dam, also known as the Cheow Lan Dam, in the southern province of Surat Thani. Supot Juinark, the director of Khao Sok National Park, reported to officers at Ban Ta Khun Police Station around 12:30pm yesterday, February 11, that 24 year old Englishman…
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Royal Thai Navy busts illegal oil smuggling ring in South Thailand
The Second Naval Area Command of the Royal Thai Navy (RTN) received a report about a boat allegedly involved in illicit oil smuggling to fishing vessels near Songkhla yesterday, February 8. In response, the RTN launched an investigation which uncovered a vessel specifically adapted for clandestine oil transportation, carrying an astonishing 10,000 litres of illicit oil intended for local fishermen…
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Bristol backpacker in bar brawl bloodbath: Brit stabbed in neck in Koh Pha Ngan, Thailand
A horrifying incident unfolded at Bamboo Bar on Koh Pha Ngan, where a British backpacker from Bristol was attacked, leaving him gushing blood after being stabbed in the neck in a Thai bar brawl. Hugo Mooney found himself sprawled on the floor of Bamboo Bar on the infamous Full Moon Party island of Koh Pha Ngan, his life hanging by…
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Thai father shoots dead daughter’s boyfriend
A Thai father shot dead his daughter’s boyfriend whom he disapproved of in the southern province of Krabi yesterday, February 6. Police believe the father objected to their love because the man had a history of drug use. Nua Klong Police Station officers in Krabi province were alerted to the fatal shooting at a house in the Khok Yang sub-district…
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Thai airports set to soar with billion-baht boost
The AOT, eagerly awaiting the green light from the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT), is on the cusp of obtaining public airport certification for Udon Thani, Buriram, and Krabi airports. According to Police General Wisnu Prasatthong-osot, the visionary chairman of the board, the AOT will begin the development of its airports as planned once the certifications have been received.…
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Dugongs’ dinner dilemma: Seagrass vanishing act sparks fears for marine giants
The disappearance of vital seagrass in the southern province of Trang has marine scientists and conservationists on high alert. The dwindling seagrass, a key food source for dugongs, has raised concerns over the fate of these gentle sea mammals. Seagrass, the culinary delight of dugongs, is vanishing at an alarming rate from the pristine seas off Thailand’s southern province of…
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Thai cow-napper foiled: Sedan heist leads to moo-ving mishap
A Thai thief was apprehended by police after he attempted to steal a cow in his sedan. The animal managed to free itself and caused an accident in the southern province of Narathiwas. Su-ngai Padi Police Station officers were alerted to the car accident on the Ban Pawai-Ban Igubu Road in the Su-ngai Padi district of Narathiwas on February 2.…
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Netizens cry foul: Thai govt accused of stealing bridge-building thunder (video)
Thai netizens accused the government under Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin of stealing the spotlight from two foreigners who raised funds to build a bridge for children to cross in Koh Phayam, an island in the southern province of Ranong. A viral image circulating on social media recently captured the attention of many, showing children in school uniforms wading through a…
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Southern Thailand to acquire new Andaman Airport
Envisioned as a direct long-haul flight hub, Airports of Thailand (AOT) is fast-tracking the construction of the much-anticipated Andaman International Airport. In a recent visit, Transport Minister Suriya Juangroongruangkit inspected the airport’s progress in Phang Nga province, initiating transformative steps to bolster local transport infrastructure. The Andaman International Airport, currently in its second stage of development, is strategically crafted to…
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Thai food vendor sparks debate after giving free food to foreign backpacker (video)
A Thai food vendor sparked a debate on social media after giving free food to a foreign backpacker in the southern province of Surat Thani. Many netizens hailed the vendor’s gesture while others said the foreign woman just took advantage of Thais’ kindness. The food vendor shared a video of the foreign backpacker eating food at her restaurant on her…
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Songkhla community faces steep rent hike from temple land
Residents of the community surrounding Wat Khuan Mit in Songkhla raised concerns as the temple, which owns the land they reside on, dramatically increased the rent by twelvefold. The escalation in rental fees has led to severe hardship for the locals, many of whom have lived there since their ancestors’ time. Negotiations with the temple’s caretakers have not yielded any…
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Love across borders: Malaysian women flock to southern Thailand for forbidden unions
In a surprising trend, Malaysian women, primarily from the East Coast states, are crossing borders to tie the knot with foreign nationals in southern Thailand. The Narathiwat Islamic Council revealed that 90% of these brides were widows, seeking love and legality beyond their homeland. Vice-president Abdul Aziz Che Mamat unveiled the reasons behind this cross-border love affair. “The most common…
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Thai father attacks suspect who sexually assaulted his daughter
A Thai father in the southern province of Chumphon tied up and brutally attacked an alleged pedophile who reportedly sexually assaulted his 11 year old daughter. Police said they could not arrest the pervert until they got results from the victim’s medical examination. The physical assault against the 42 year old Thai man was reported to the Phutta Phratheep Lang…
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Tourists survive speedboat crash in Trat
A tourist speedboat crashed into a reef 16 miles off the Laem Thian area on Koh Kut, Trat on January 24. The Trat Coastal Aquaculture Research and Development Center (CARDC) dispatched three marine rescue speedboats at 2.30pm to the island with the aid of 12 tourists and three crew members who were stranded. However, at one point the rescue teams…
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British man with asthma dies on holiday in Koh Chang
A British man with asthma from Newmarket, Suffolk, passed away in hospital in Koh Chang after being admitted for an unknown illness. The 44 year old British man, James Moore, embarked on his Thai adventure just a fortnight prior, with plans to return home on February 7. His sister, Rachel Tate, revealed the details surrounding the tragedy. “My parents, Boots…
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Sea blooms: Underwater magic in Trang Sea as marine Sakura wows tourists
The underwater world of Koh Waen in the Trang Sea has become an awe-inspiring spectacle, drawing tourists to its depths for a glimpse of the marine Sakura blossoms, a phenomenon so unique it’s likened to witnessing cherry blossoms beneath the waves. It’s here that adventurers and romantics alike converge, as the area hosted the world’s first underwater wedding ceremony, cementing its…
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Cyber cops collar loan shark for high-interest loans with sex repayment
Cyber police arrested a Thai man in the southern province of Trang yesterday for offering high-interest loans and allegedly forcing debtors to repay debts with sex. “loan-shark love: Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau officers came across videos posted by the 38 year old loan shark, Thaweesak, on social media where he publicly shamed debtors unable to repay his loans. Further investigation…
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Mobile Cabinet headquarters in Ranong ready for meeting
Prime Minister’s Office Minister Puangpet Chunlaiad and Government Spokesperson Chai Wacharonke took a firsthand look at the cutting-edge Press Centre set to host the inaugural mobile Cabinet meeting of the year in Ranong province. Accompanied by Teerapong Wongsiwawilas, Secretary-General of the Prime Minister’s Office, Sudruetai Lertkasem, acting Director-General of the Public Relations Department (PRD), and Supaphong Chaolaen, Director of PRD…
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Shell shocker: Tragedy strikes leatherback turtle on Phang Nga beach, but record-breaking nest brings hope
A leatherback turtle met its demise on a Phang Nga beach, ensnared in a trap. However, amidst the sorrow, a record-breaking moment unfolded as another of these incredible creatures left a legacy with an astounding 92-egg nest. Attapol Charoenchansa, Director-General of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, unveiled the discovery of a deceased leatherback turtle. This female giant,…
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Rawai rescue team saves lost tourists at Laem Krating
Two female tourists, who had lost their way as darkness fell near Laem Krating, were located and ushered to safety by the Rawai Municipality rescue team last night (January 21). The women had gone for a walk on the popular trail along the cape, well-known for its Black Rock Viewpoint. The trail, which measures just 1.8 kilometres, became a labyrinth…
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2 armed robbers remain at large after stealing 1.2 million baht gold in Surat Thani (video)
Two armed robbers remain at large after stealing gold bracelets worth at least 1.2 million baht from a gold shop in a Lotus’s supermarket on Number 41 Road in the Chaiya district of the southern province of Surat Thani. Chaiya Police Station officers were alerted to the gold robbery at the Yaowarat Krungthep gold shop in the Lotus’s at around…
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