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...
-
Tattoo shop owner arrested for shotgun standoff on Koh Phangan
A tattoo shop owner turned new year celebrations into a nightmare on Koh Phangan, as shocking footage reveals him brandishing a shotgun and terrorising tourists in the early hours of New Year’s Day. The perpetrator, 49 year old Denchai from Phatthalung province, was caught on security cameras at 2.56am yesterday, January 1, outside a massage shop in Krung Thai Soi,…
-
5 dead and 33 injured in Surat Thani coach bus accident
A coach bus driver crashed into a tree along the Asian Highway 41 in the southern province of Surat Thani, resulting in the deaths of five passengers and injuries to 33 others. Three of the injured are reported to be in critical condition. The accident occurred in Chaiya district at approximately 7.30pm yesterday, January 1. The severely damaged green coach…
-
Deadly inmate brawl disrupts new year at Pattani Prison
Chaos erupted at Pattani Prison as a brawl among inmates left one dead and 12 injured. The altercation, involving sharp metal weapons, followed a heated dispute during an internal football match yesterday. Pattani’s police force quickly responded to the incident that marred the new year celebrations. Upon receiving reports of a violent clash at the central prison in Pattani, police…
-
Military officer killed in Narathiwat shooting and vehicle fire
A shocking and violent incident unfolded yesterday, December 31 in Narathiwat, when armed assailants opened fire on a military officer’s pickup truck, resulting in a tragic loss of life. The incident took place within a palm plantation in the Paluru subdistrict of Su-ngai Padi, leaving the vehicle engulfed in flames. The attack occurred at 6pm when individuals armed with firearms…
-
Yacht fleet breakfast: Thaksin and Thamanat’s island meet-up
Former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra and ex-Agriculture Minister Thamanat Prompow made waves yesterday, December 26 as they were spotted enjoying a private breakfast on the picturesque Koh Lipe, Satun province. The political duo arrived in style, leading a fleet of six luxury yachts to the tropical getaway. Landing unannounced at the upscale Bulow Casa Grand View Resort, they dined from…
-
Police vehicle attacked in Yala, one officer killed
An armoured police vehicle was severely damaged in an ambush involving a bomb and gunfire in Yala, Thailand, resulting in the death of one officer. In the evening yesterday, December 26, a violent incident occurred in Thanto, a district in Yala province. An explosive device was detonated by unidentified assailants targeting border patrol police officers, followed by gunfire. The officers…
-
Surat Thani resident uncovers 14k meth pills in fertilizer sack
A resident found a mysterious sack placed in front of their home in Surat Thani province, which, upon inspection, revealed 14,000 methamphetamine (meth) pills. The incident prompted immediate action by local police to trace the origins of the drugs. At the office of the Narcotics Control Centre within Phunphin district, Surat Thani province, officials gathered to address a significant drug-related…
-
Bitch leaves behind puppies after fatal shooting in Songkhla
A bitch, believed to have been shot, struggled to return to her puppies to nurse them before succumbing to her injuries while they were still feeding. This tragic incident took place yesterday, December 25, in Songkhla province, adding a sad note to Christmas and prompting immediate action from local officials and animal welfare organisations. A video circulated online showed a…
-
Suspect’s escape leads to soldier’s death in Pattani crash
A tragic incident unfolded yesterday, December 25, when a suspect involved in a security case seized control of a vehicle’s steering wheel, causing it to veer off the road into a fruit orchard. This action resulted in one soldier’s death and injuries to three others. The suspect managed to escape during the ensuing chaos. Police had been conducting a coordinated…
-
Innocent Thai couple killed in shooting by military volunteer
A member of the Volunteer Defence Corps (VDC) opened fire at a restaurant in the southern province of Songkhla, killing an innocent Thai couple who were celebrating their son’s birthday. The shooting occurred at a restaurant on Nuan Kaew Uthit Road in the Hat Yai district of Songkhla on the night of Sunday, December 22. The two victims, 48 year…
-
Tsunami guardian: How one man guards Thailand from the waves (video)
Nearly 20 years after the devastating Boxing Day tsunami, one man in Phang Nga province has become a beacon of hope and safety for his community. Meet 59 year old Banlue Choosin, a former fisherman turned guardian of the Andaman Sea. Ban Nam Khem village, where Banlue lives, was one of the hardest-hit areas in the 2004 disaster, which claimed a…
-
Supermodel recalls surviving 2004 tsunami after 20 years
Twenty years after surviving the devastating 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, supermodel Petra Nemcova revisited her harrowing experience in a recent Good Morning America interview with Diane Sawyer. Nemcova, now 45 years old, was vacationing at Thailand’s Khao Lak resort with her boyfriend, photographer Simon Atlee, when the tsunami struck on December 26, 2004. The massive waves, triggered by an undersea…
-
Thai ONCB busts drug trafficking network in Songkhla waters
A significant drug trafficking network operating via maritime routes has been dismantled by police in Songkhla, following an extensive investigation and operation Swooping the Pirates: Suppressing the Seas EP.3. Eighteen people connected to the network were arrested, and assets valued at over 170 million baht were seized. The operation was initiated after a major bust on December 4, when police…
-
Koh Pha Ngan drug bust: Italian, French, Russian men arrested
Immigration Bureau officers yesterday launched a major operation into foreign drug traffickers on Koh Pha Ngan, an island in the southern province of Surat Thani, resulting in the arrest of Italian, French, and Russian suspects. Officers from the Immigration Bureau yesterday, December 19 arrested Koh Pha Ngan’s leading drug dealer, reported to be a 36 year old Italian man named…
-
Thai party entertainer assault for allegedly sitting on client’s lap
A Thai party entertainer in the southern province of Surat Thani is seeking justice and compensation from a client’s girlfriend who physically assaulted her for allegedly sitting on her boyfriend’s lap. The female party entertainer, Namphung Sumaporn, shared details of the assault on Facebook to seek justice for her colleague, identified only as 27 year old Bee. The incident occurred…
-
Sacks found in Phatthalung canal are decomposed pork, not bodies
The mysterious discovery of two bloated sacks floating in a canal triggered a rapid response from the rescue services in Phatthalung province. Residents reported a strong stench emanating from the canal near Apai Borirak Road, leading to fears that the sacks might contain bodies. Rescue personnel arrived swiftly to investigate, only to find a surprising revelation. “The smell was unbearable,…
-
Severe floods in South Thailand claims 8 lives, impacts thousands
Severe flooding has engulfed five southern provinces of Thailand, devastating 47 districts and affecting more than 128,000 households. The death toll has tragically increased to eight as the region grapples with this natural disaster. The floods hit the Nakhon Si Thammarat and Koh Samui districts in Surat Thani the hardest yesterday, December 16. These areas are at the core of…
-
Australian tourist escapes drowning amid South Thailand flooding
An Australian tourist had a narrow escape from drowning in South Thailand after his car plunged into a flooded ditch amidst severe flooding in Nakhon Si Thammarat. The deluge has affected 21 districts, severing numerous roads and resulting in the tragic loss of four lives. As heavy rainfall continues to worsen the situation, rescue teams are tirelessly working to assist…
-
Dating scam: Thai tomboy arrested for stealing pickup and phone
Police arrested a Thai tomboy in the southern province of Chum Phon for operating a romance scam, stealing a pickup and mobile phone from a woman she met on a dating application. The victim, identified only as Kuy, filed a complaint at the Chulalongkorn Pratunam Police Station on Friday, December 13, after losing her grey Toyota Vigo pickup truck and…
-
Relentless flooding in Nakhon Si Thammarat plunges city
Severe flooding has devastated Nakhon Si Thammarat as relentless rain continues to batter the province, submerging key city areas and causing another fatality, bringing the death toll to four. Residents have been urged to stay alert as the situation worsens. Heavy rain has persistently hit Nakhon Si Thammarat for several days. Although there was a brief reprieve yesterday morning, December…
-
Deadly floods hit Surat Thani and Nakhon Si Thammarat
Surat Thani and Nakhon Si Thammarat have been hit hard by renewed flooding, resulting in the deaths of two individuals. Persistent heavy rain since December 12 has caused significant overflow from canals and other water sources, inundating agricultural areas, roads, and homes across these southern provinces. In Surat Thani, the districts of Mueang, Kanchanadit, and Don Sak experienced severe flooding…
-
Former officer arrested after abducting wife in Surat Thani
A former police officer, under the influence of methamphetamine (meth), was apprehended after abducting his estranged wife in Surat Thani province. The dramatic chase unfolded over more than an hour, following a family dispute and divorce request. Police in Surat Thani arrested 27 year old Phasakorn Kheawphakdee after a tense highway pursuit. The incident began when Sutheemas, his 25 year…
-
Fire at Trat co-op narrowly avoided major disaster
A security guard mistook a fire for burning rubbish, only to discover a forklift engulfed in flames, which spread to a pile of wooden pallets and over 40 trolleys. The blaze narrowly missed the co-op store building, prompting an urgent firefighting effort. Officers from the Mueang Trat Police Station received a report of a fire at the Trat Provincial Cooperative…
-
Father killed in motorbike crash with parked truck in Phatthalung
A devastating accident in Phatthalung province claimed the life of a 47 year old father who was hurrying home on his motorcycle with bread for his children. The incident occurred when he collided with the back of a pickup truck loaded with rubberwood logs. Suphat Khunnui, a deputy inspector at Mueang Phatthalung Police Station, was alerted to a fatal collision…
-
Gunmen attack soldiers aiding flood relief in Narathiwat
A tragic attack unfolded in Narathiwat, Thailand, yesterday, when gunmen ambushed military personnel repairing flood-damaged homes. The assailants, using M16 rifles, left one soldier dead and two others injured before fleeing on motorcycles. Police were alerted when Narawi Binwaearong, a local police officer, received reports of the violent incident involving paramilitary soldiers from the 4908th Ranger Company. The attack occurred…
-
Six arrested in South Thailand for call centre scams and firearms
Police apprehended six people suspected of being involved in call centre scams and the illegal trade of firearms. The Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau (CCIB) announced the arrest on Tuesday, December 10, indicating possible connections between the suspects and insurgency financing in Thailand’s southern regions. The arrests took place on December 10 in Songkhla and Yala provinces following numerous complaints related…
-
Portuguese man missing in Koh Pha Ngan, wife fears suicide
The wife of a Portuguese man, missing from his home in Koh Pha Ngan since November 17, fears he may have taken his own life. The 38 year old half-Thai, half-American woman, Avalon Oneita Juliana, sought help from local police and the Portuguese Embassy in Thailand after her husband, 51 year old Daniel Joao D’Costa Ferreira Dos Santos, disappeared. Santos…
-
Seven arrested in Songkhla for 2 million baht scam and gun trade
Seven young adults were arrested in Songkhla’s Mueang district for orchestrating a complex scam that defrauded victims of nearly 2 million baht (US$59,170) and subsequently funding the illegal production of firearms for sale. The arrests took place following an investigation into fraudulent activities conducted by a gang that targeted individuals through random calls, convincing them to invest in a scheme…
-
Trang Airport project abandoned, contractor loses millions
The Airports Department has terminated its contract with Port and Marine Corporation (PAM) and confiscated a 53 million baht security deposit after the company failed to complete the construction of a new passenger terminal at Trang Airport in southern Thailand. Director General Danai Ruangsorn announced that Deputy Transport Minister Manaporn Charoensri instructed the department to end the agreement and expedite…
-
British man commits suicide, leaving sand messages for Thai wife
A British man left messages in the sand for his wife and children before taking his own life on Cha-am Beach in the southern province of Phetchaburi. He was reportedly distressed over two legal cases and a 400,000-baht loss to a friend. A Thai tourist discovered the lifeless body of the British man, later identified as 42 year old Antony…
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.