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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Trang hospital sees revival in Thai traditional eye therapy
Patients seeking traditional Thai eye treatments are flocking to the health-promoting hospital in Ban Pru Jood, Trang, creating a buzz for the ancient practice known as Bong Tor Duay Namwai or needle splinting with rattan spines. This surge in demand reflects an increasing interest in the efficacy of traditional medicine, highlighting a blend of heritage and healing that is drawing…
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Immigration officials gear up for Songkran rush at Thai border
The head of the Immigration Police and the chief of Immigration Division 6 recently inspected the Sadao and Padang Besar border checkpoints in Songkhla province. The inspection took place yesterday at 10.30am as part of a drive to ensure the readiness of the immigration facilities in anticipation of the increased flow of tourists during the Songkran festival, which marks the…
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Water crisis hits Koh Pha Ngan and Koh Samui, tap water rationed
On Koh Pha Ngan, a water crisis since late March has led to a stringent rationing of tap water which affected both locals and tourists. The rationing, operating on a rotational basis, leaves some areas parched on certain days while others savour the flow. A meagre 3,500m3 to 4,000m3 of water trickles through the pipes daily, barely meeting the island’s…
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Thai ferry fire: Authorities blaze into action saving all aboard (video)
The Thai authorities successfully rescued 97 passengers and 11 crew members after a fire broke out on an overnight ferry travelling from the mainland in the southern province of Surat Thani to Koh Tao. ThaiRath reported that the fire started in the engine room of the Koh Charoen 2 ferry at around 6.30 am today, April 4, when the boat…
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Banyan Group and Urasaya Property launch Nakhon Si Thammarat’s first luxury residence
Nestled directly on Thailand’s Gulf Coast, Banyan Tree Residences Sichon represents a pioneering project by Banyan Group, the independent global hospitality company, in partnership with Urasaya Property Co., Ltd, a pioneering real estate developer. This venture not only promises a unique living experience but also marks a significant step in the expansion and diversification of luxury living options in Thailand.…
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German and Canadian charged for illegal kung fu course (video)
Police arrested a German and a Canadian man for illegally conducting a Shaolin kung fu training course on Koh Pha Ngan, an island in the southern province of Surat Thani. Pha Ngan Tourist Police and Immigration Police arrested 37 year old German man Somphet Daoheuang and a 34 year old Canadian man Arbely Natalie Rubalcava Rojo at a yoga training…
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DSI: International scammers caught in massive call-centre bust
The Department of Special Investigation (DSI) has dismantled a notorious call-centre syndicate operating from Nakhon Si Thammarat province. Led by DSI’s acting director-general Police Major Yutthana Praedam, the crackdown unveiled a web of deceit spanning across Thailand, China, and Russia. A total of 71 suspects, comprising 52 Chinese nationals and 19 Thai accomplices, were arrested during the raid orchestrated by…
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Female off-duty ranger shot dead in Narathiwat province
Amidst the hustle and bustle of the Dusongyor market in Chanae district, Narathiwat province, southern Thailand, tragedy struck when a lone gunman fatally shot a female para-military ranger. Without warning, the assailant drew a 9mm handgun and fired a fatal shot into the 30 year old off-duty ranger’s head, killing Nurisan Phromsri instantly. The sudden gunfire sent shockwaves throughout the…
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Surat Thani police arrest duo for village headman’s murder
Two suspects were apprehended in connection with the fatal shooting of a village headman who was killed outside his home in Surat Thani province. The assailants, apprehended along with firearms and clothing worn during the incident, are thought to have had a personal dispute with the victim. In the early hours of February 13, 36 year old Mae Mok village…
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Aussie arrested in Koh Pha Ngan after joyride on stolen motorcycle
Police arrested an Australian man for allegedly stealing a motorcycle from a rental shop in Koh Samui and taking it on a joyride to Koh Pha Ngan in the southern province of Surat Thani. The manager of the Fanta Group Car Rental Shop in Koh Samui, Jurairat Janrung, filed a complaint with Bor Phut Police Station on March 3, reporting…
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Thai government promises aid following 44 insurgent fires in South
Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin declared on Saturday that the government is stepping in to offer aid and reparation to the victims of the 44 incendiary incidents that swept through Yala, Pattani, Narathiwat, and Songkhla the previous day. In the quest for justice, Srettha has assigned the task of investigating this string of fires to the acting national police chief, Kittirat…
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Thai police arrest man for selling protected langurs on Facebook
Thai authorities apprehended a 31 year old man in Narathiwat for illegal wildlife trade involving two protected langurs. Basam Saleh, who was caught following an online sting operation, confessed to purchasing the animals from a local and attempting to sell them through a Facebook group. In a significant crackdown on wildlife trafficking, Thai police successfully nabbed Saleh for the possession…
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Suspected insurgents ignite fires in southern Thailand
Suspected insurgents ignited fires overnight at various locations in Pattani, Yala, and Narathiwat in southern Thailand, according to police reports. In Pattani, four separate convenience stores located in Mueang, Yaring, Yarang, and Khok Pho districts experienced arson. Additionally, car tyres were set on fire at three sites, two in Khok Pho and another in Panare. Pattani’s Mueang district police chief, Police…
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Rouble trouble: Russian woman fined for assaulting pregnant Thai
The violent Russian woman who blamed her period for assaulting a pregnant Thai woman in Koh Pha Ngan has been fined 500 baht and handed a suspended 15-day jail sentence. Immigration authorities in Surat Thani are deliberating whether to revoke her visa due to the criminal offence. Alena Kupriyanova, the Russian woman in question, confessed to kicking the shop owner,…
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Scientists spooked by ghost shark sighting off Thailand coast (video)
Scientists have been spooked by the ghoulish discovery of a ghost shark swimming off the Andaman coast of Thailand. Researchers revealed the ghost shark is a new species named Chimaera supapae. It boasts a formidable head, oversized eyes, and delicate, feather-like fins. Chimaeras, commonly known as ghost sharks, belong to the family of cartilaginous fish, sharing kinship with sharks and…
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Thai woman fights for justice after ex-husband’s acid attack
A Thai woman from the southern province of Songkhla sought assistance from multiple news outlets after suffering an acid attack by her ex-husband after the case had been ignored by police for five months. The 28 year old victim, Kritsada Kaewkwan, urged several media outlets to publish her story to draw attention from officers at Sabayoi Police Station in Songkhla. Kritsada…
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Q-Con’s land acquisition set to boost southern Thailand’s economy
The Industrial Estate Authority of Thailand (IEAT) anticipates its recent land sale to Quality Construction Products Plc (Q-Con), a lightweight brick manufacturer, to bolster the increasing demand for bricks and endorse the government’s economic upliftment plan for the southern region. Situated in the Southern Region Industrial Estate, the 35-rai land was acquired by Q-Con, which had committed to a purchase…
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Russian woman blames period for assault on pregnant Thai shopkeeper
A Russian woman accused of assaulting a pregnant Thai shopkeeper on the island of Koh Pha Ngan, located in the province of Surat Thani, claimed that she did it because she was on her period. The woman, identified as Alena, was escorted to court today, March 20, by local Thai police. The authorities are considering requesting the immigration bureau to revoke…
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Pregnant Thai woman seeks justice after Russian assault in Koh Pha Ngan
A pregnant Thai woman turned to social media for justice after a Russian woman kicked her yesterday at a coffee shop in Koh Pha Ngan, an island in the southern province of Surat Thani. The Thai victim, known only as Ploy, shared pictures of the Russian woman with blonde hair on a Facebook group called Facebook Koh Pha Ngan, yesterday,…
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Thai police seize 400,000 litres of smuggled oil in Gulf of Thailand
Coastal vessels carrying a whopping total of 400,000 litres of smuggled oil were apprehended in the Gulf of Thailand. The seizure took place off the coast of Sattahip district in the eastern province of Chon Buri. The interception, which occurred this morning, March 19, was a result of a joint patrol operation by the Marine and Crime Suppression Division police.…
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Thai teacher arrested after blackmailing student with her explicit videos
A Thai mother sought help from the Investigation Division of the Metropolitan Police Bureau (IDMB) after her 18 year old daughter attempted to commit suicide, saying her teacher was blackmailing her by posting her explicit videos on several online platforms. The mother told the IDMB that her 18 year old daughter had undergone a change. She appeared distressed and expressed…
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Nanny-napped: Israeli woman detained in Thailand for unauthorised nursery
An Israeli woman was detained in Surat Thani on accusations of running an unauthorised nursery facility for foreign children on Koh Pha Ngan. Four other international individuals were also apprehended for unlawful employment and associated transgressions. Noppadol Khaomali, the Koh Pha Ngan district leader, guided local authorities, police, immigration officials, and representatives from pertinent agencies to a house inspection in the…
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Sole searching: Thai man hits Buddha with flipflop after ex-wife return wish fails
CCTV footage at a temple in the southern province of Nakhon Si Thammarat showed a Thai man hitting a Buddha statue with a flipflop after a wish for the return of his ex-wife was unfulfilled. A local in the Ron Phibun district of Nakhon Si Thammarat, Piyapong Sutthiphakdee, took to social media to condemn the Thai man for his disrespectful…
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Pattani police thwart potential Ramadan terrorist attack
On a typical early morning, in Sai Buri, Pattani, over 50 members of the Southern Border Provinces Rangers encircled a rented property, following a tip-off about the presence of wanted criminals. The operation kicked off yesterday, March 14 at 5am, with officers taking position around the dwelling and cordoning off the Pattani-Narathiwat Road, to safeguard locals from potential harm during…
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Three million meth pills found in cow pat in Songkhla
Local authorities were left stunned when they stumbled upon a haul of 2.93 million meth pills worth 58 million baht in some cow pat nestled amidst the forsaken grounds of the derelict station in Songkhla. The discovery marks a significant breakthrough in the relentless battle against narcotics in the southern border province. Prompted by suspicions, vigilant officials and police undertook a…
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Russian and Burmese arrested for illegal employment
In a crackdown on entertainment hotspots, police in Surat Thani Province found a restaurant owned by a Russian national on Koh Pha Ngan which illegally employed three Burmese workers. During a routine inspection, officers stumbled upon the Colorful Hut eatery, owned by a Russian national, known only by the name Boris. The Russian was found guilty of exploiting three Burmese workers.…
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Russian arrested for illegal vehicle rental business in Thailand
The Thai authorities’ crackdown on foreigners working illegally in Thailand continued yesterday when a 21 year old Russian national was apprehended on Koh Pha Ngan island in Surat Thani for running an illegal vehicle rental business. The Russian, Danil Kulnevnich, was nabbed yesterday, March 12, by a joint team of tourist police, local police and officials at a pier in…
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Trang couple’s 70-year love story ends in joint funeral
A touching tale of enduring love comes to light as a couple from Trang Province, Thailand, passed away just two days apart after sharing seven decades of life together. The couple’s grand funeral rites, a testament to their inseparable bond, were held yesterday, with generations of family and friends in attendance to bid them farewell. Ninety-two-year old Kleuon Kaewklang, and…
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Pipe bomb attack rocks coffee shop in southern Thailand
A gas station coffee shop in Pattani province, southern Thailand, became the target of a harrowing pipe bomb assault where five individuals were injured including a two year old boy. Upon meticulous scrutiny of CCTV footage, authorities unveiled a disturbing sequence of events. Four assailants, mounted on motorcycles, clandestinely approached the gas station’s rear road. Two of them, riding pillion,…
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Southern Thailand protests against newly proposed national park
Protests have sparked among the residents of Nakhon Si Thammarat and Surat Thani over the proposed creation of Hat Khanom-Mu Koh Thale Tai National Park. Approximately 500 locals from these regions argue that the establishment of the park would directly impede their livelihoods, utilising the land they rely on for subsistence. The public outcry was voiced during a meeting held…
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