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.
-
Sponsored
What is the 5 year visa for the digital nomad in Thailand?
The Destination Thailand Visa (DTV) is a great option for digital nomads, remote workers, and freelancers who want to stay in Thailand for a long time. This multiple-entry visa is valid for five years, allowing stays of up to 180...
-
Pressing matters: News reporter grilled by police over social media scoop on gambling den robbery
Khao Chaison Police Station in the southern province of Phattalung summoned a news reporter for further questioning after he posted a story on social media about a robbery that occurred at a gambling den. On August 15, the unnamed news reporter took to Facebook to share information about a robbery at the gambling den. “Robbery at a gambling den in…
-
Surat Thani tourism rebounds to pre-pandemic levels, Koh Samui flights surge
Thailand’s southern province of Surat Thani is rejoicing at the return of tourism levels reminiscent of the pre-pandemic era, as confirmed by the provincial governor, Wichawut Jinto. The popular holiday island of Koh Samui, arguably the tourism highlight of Surat Thani, has experienced an upsurge in both flight frequencies and tourist footfalls during the month of July, aligning with the…
-
Train drivers prevent disaster, stopping just metres from man on tracks
The near-death experience of an unidentified man was shared by a train driver on the Captain in Train Facebook page. The video showed a mysterious man standing on the train tracks, apparently hoping to be hit. The driver, Choonya Sathiranon and his colleague Thepnurak Choochuai, working in the Hat Yai district, Songkhla, South Thailand were operating express train number 169…
-
Ex-army officer arrested for exploiting underage girls in Thai karaoke bar
A retired military officer has been arrested by Thailand’s Crime Suppression Division (CSD) for running a karaoke bar where he was allegedly exploiting underage girls. The ex-lieutenant, identified only as 59 year old Ratwut, was apprehended earlier today at one of his establishments in the southern province of Chumphon. Ratwut, also known as “Uncle Odd,” is accused of profiting from…
-
ATM theft: Police nab debt-driven man who stole 400,000 baht
Police in Nakhon Si Thammarat successfully apprehended a lone desperate man responsible for the theft of a Krungthai bank ATM. The incident took place in front of the Rajaprajanukroh 8 School, a secluded area in the Ban Na Thap community. The arrest was made following an investigation into the theft from August 16, where the culprit made away with almost 400,000 baht.…
-
Songkhla mother alleges neighbour tricked son into drug use
A mother in the province of Songkhla has filed a complaint with the Paveena Hongsakul Foundation for Women and Children, claiming that her 10 year old son has recently been showing signs of drug abuse. His erratic behaviour included destructiveness, verbal abuse towards family members, and attempting to harm a cat. The distressing behavioural shift came to a head when…
-
Runway cracks resolved: Phuket Airport gets back on smooth flight path
Airports of Thailand’s Phuket branch, responsible for managing Phuket International Airport, confirmed yesterday, that the runway cracks which led to multiple flight delays and one diversion to Krabi have been addressed and rectified. The announcement was initially made via state-run Radio Thailand Phuket last night. It was also announced by the National News Bureau of Thailand’s national platform but it…
-
Phuket braces for rain havoc: Urgent weather alert signals flood risk
The southern province of Phuket has been included in an urgent weather notification that advocates for all hands on deck amid the risk of flash floods possibly instigated by heavy, persistent rain forecasted to batter the Andaman coast starting from Sunday, August 20. This alert was issued yesterday by Boonsom Cholpitakwong, the Deputy Secretary-General of the Office of National Water…
-
Two wanted insurgents killed in Pattani as Thai military thwarts regional violence
In a clash between the Thai military and militant insurgents today, two suspects were gunned down in Pattani Province. The suspects had been spotted by locals hiding out in a household in Nong Chik District and were subsequently cornered by a joint force of 50 military personnel led by Colonel Sathiraphong Atharn and Lieutenant Colonel Sittisak Chenbanchong. Upon reaching the…
-
Nightclub shooting: Man accidentally fires gun into his own leg
Most nightclub shootings involve some sort of fight or commotion with a melee of people, but not always. A sudden gunshot incident in a popular nightclub in Hat Yai left a man nursing a self-inflicted leg injury, causing considerable alarm among the hundreds of patrons. The nightclub had to cease operations today for immediate investigation. Hat Yai Police were notified…
-
Wild elephant captured after 22 days of disruption
Perhaps only in Thailand can an elephant be avoiding a court order for disturbing the peace. After 22 days on the lam, a wild elephant has been successfully captured in the Nop Phi Tham district of the southern province of Nakhon Si Thammarat. The “elephant arrest” was made to comply with a court order issued to relocate it due to…
-
Hospital theft: loot stolen by men posing as relatives recovered from sewer
Two individuals, notorious for their thefts within hospitals, were arrested in a rented room in Trang province after trying to flush the evidence. The suspects are accused of a series of thefts carried out in various hospitals, impersonating patients’ relatives. Upon arrest today by officers from the Thung Song police station in Nakhon Si Thammarat, they were caught with some…
-
Road of sorrow: Scottish man becomes latest victim of Thailand’s perilous roads
A sombre chapter was added to the tragic toll of Thailand’s perilous roads today, as a 48 year old Scottish man became yet another victim. The unfortunate incident unfolded when Robert Griffin, a shipping officer from Fife, lost control of his white Honda Click motorbike, resulting in a head-on collision with another motorcyclist in Krabi, a province in southern Thailand.…
-
Malaysian tourist influx remains steady despite uncertainty in Thailand’s south
Malaysians are still streaming into Songkhla, despite safety concerns and uncertainties following the recent fireworks warehouse explosion and a car bombing in Narathiwat. The blasts brought ensuing speculation over safety concerns across Thailand’s southernmost provinces. But an average of 10,000 Malaysian tourists each day are visiting Southern Thailand anyway. Songchai Mungprasithichai, spearheading the Songkhla Tourism Promotion Association, expressed that the…
-
TikTok ticking bomb: Soldier’s daring disposal and life philosophy go viral
A disarming every-second-counts video of a soldier removing a bomb at the Phra Viharn border became a TikTok sensation after he said, “No expectation of how long I can live but want to make the most of my life.” The high-risk bomb disposal video footage was posted on TikTok by Warongkorn Sringam, an experienced Military K9 official with the Bomb…
-
Explosion in Yala and Sungai Kolok districts results in two injuries
In an explosion that shook the districts of Sungai Kolok in Narathiwat and Mueang in Yala on Saturday night, Royal Thai Police (RTP) are currently on the hunt for the individuals behind the incident that left two innocent bystanders injured. The explosion in Sungai Kolok resulted in no causalities, whilst its counterpart in Yala left two innocent bystanders injured, reported…
-
UPDATE: Kayak found as Spanish chef admits disposing body of lover off coast
In an update in the ongoing murder investigation, a kayak, speculated to be used by a Spanish chef to dispose of his former Colombian surgeon lover’s dismembered body parts, was discovered on Saturday off the coast of Koh Pha Ngan, stated the police. The chef, 29 year old Daniel Sancho Bronchalo is the descendant of several prominent Spanish actors, is…
-
Spanish chef brutally murders Colombian partner in Thai island horror
On the island of Koh Pha Ngan, located in the southern province of Surat Thani, a horrifying crime unwrapped as a Spanish chef confessed to the brutal murder and dismemberment of his Colombian partner. The crime was alleged to have taken place before the culprit dumped the body fragments in trash bags discovered in a local landfill and into the…
-
Car bomb shock in Narathiwat: No casualties as police close district (video)
In Narathiwat, a car bomb detonation led to the temporary closure of a region surrounding the location of a police base situated in Sungai Kolok district. The blast last night fortunately did not result in any injuries or deaths. The incident took place close to Orakan intersection, in proximity to both a rail route and the ad hoc police stronghold…
-
Thai fireworks depot owners surrender following fatal explosion investigation
The owners of a recently annihilated fireworks depo in Narathiwat yesterday handed themselves over to the police. This revelation was announced by an on-scene informant who wished to remain unnamed. The owners, Sompong Napol and Piyanuch Puengwirawat, both 42, made their way back into Thai territory through the Sadao checkpoint connecting Thailand and Malaysia. This development came on the heels of…
-
Student abandons newborn after giving birth in petrol station during field trip
A seventh grade student from Narathiwat gave birth in a petrol station toilet during a school outing in the southern province of Pattalung and abandoned her newborn baby girl. Officials were alerted to the case at around 9.30am today. Investigation of CCTV footage from the station led to the student being identified and located. The incident took place at a…
-
Juicy bust: Thai police squeeze illicit kratom factory
A substantial operation by the Royal Thai Police (RTP) yesterday, culminated in the seizure of an illicit factory manufacturing kratom leaf juice. The raid led to the confiscation of around 3000 bottles of cough syrup, three guns, and the arrest of one suspect. The RTP stormed into the clandestine factory situated along Khlong Toei-Khlong Ple Road nearby the Kho Hong…
-
Southern Thailand police seize 12,000 meth tablets, 2 key figures arrested linked to notorious drug ring
Police officers from the suppression division apprehended two individuals implicated in a notorious drug network known as Jing Kantang, which has been causing alarm throughout the southern region of Thailand. According to reports, these individuals had been evading capture until they were finally caught in the Songkhla today. Police Lieutenant Colonel Montri Theskhan, in command of the Suppression Division, gave orders…
-
Undercover officer fatally shot in Pattani: Potential drug trafficking link being investigated
A 29 year old undercover law enforcement officer was fatally shot last night following his return from investigating drug trafficking in Mayor district, Pattani Province. Currently, police are conducting an urgent probe into the incident to discern the motive and the assailants. After receiving a report of a fatal shooting incident involving a police officer on Chonlatarn Road in Mayor,…
-
Koh Tao sees record-breaking one-day tourist influx
The island of Koh Tao has seen a record-breaking number of tourists reported to have landed on July 28. The Surat Thani Provincial Governor, Wichuwat Jinto, shared the good news earlier today. Koh Tao, the smallest of the three main southern gulf islands, welcomed a staggering 3,106 visitors, all of whom arrived via boat on the same day. This influx…
-
Firework warehouse explosion kills 12, damages 292 homes
In the Sungai Kolok district of the Deep South province of Narathiwat, a devastating explosion in a firework warehouse claimed 12 lives and injured another 121 injuries yesterday. The explosion also resulted in significant damage to the surrounding area with 292 houses reported to be damaged or entirely obliterated, as announced by the provincial public relations office on their Facebook…
-
Radical imagery paraded at school event called child exploitation
In light of a controversial incident at a recent sports day event in the Panare district of the deep south province of Pattani, the Internal Security Operations Command’s (ISOC) Region 4 Forward Command is reportedly preparing to take legal action. This follows the child exploitation allegations as children were paraded holding images of deceased insurgents. The sight has sparked social…
-
Ancient mysteries unearthed: Skeletal remains found under South Thailand sports stadium
Three sets of skeletal remains have been discovered underneath Nakhon Si Thammarat’s central sports stadium, believed to be from an ancient cemetery over a century old. The archaeological find was made during construction work for a drainage pipe behind two football fields. An evening inspection, following the report of the discovery, was led by Police Captain Thanathorn Panchu, Investigation Officer…
-
Herb collector saved in 16-hour daring mountain rescue operation in southern Thailand
A high-intensity rescue operation managed to save the life of a 55 year old man from a precarious mountain fall in the Chao Pra Mountain, located in Trang province in southern Thailand. This formidable rescue mission, which spanned 16 hours, was carried out by more than 30 expert rescue workers who found the injured man within a crevice on the…
-
Massive Hat Yai raid seizes 5,000+ illicit cigarette packs, 2 arrested
A major raid took place today in southern Thailand, where police, Songkhla administrative officials, and officers from the Excise Office raided a large illicit cigarette shop. The officials seized a considerable amount of contraband alongside a hefty sum of cash. The incident took place in the city of Hat Yai in Songkhla province. The operation was headed by Chavakij Suwankiri,…
Don't forget to check out some other things to do in Thailand - get help starting a business or finding a job in Thailand, buy Thailand property, rent a yacht or book a medical procedure worldwide.