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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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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,…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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Yala tackles flood crisis with dam plans and relief efforts
Yala city municipality is taking a proactive approach to combat its persistent flooding woes. The city’s mayor, Pongsak Yingchoncharoen, has put forward guidelines aimed at tackling the long-term flood issues and is revisiting plans for the construction of the Krong Pinang and Kuemeng dams as part of these efforts. Pongsak provided an update on the flood situation yesterday, December 7,…
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Thai woman finds rare Moonrat in southern Thailand canal (video)
A local angler in the southern province of Yala discovered a rare and endangered species known as the moonrat while fishing in a canal. She plans to return it to its natural habitat. The President of the Betong Animal Lover Club, Phatcharin Prathummek, contacted several news agencies to report her rare find. She later guided journalists to her house, where…
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Thai man arrested for driving into wife outside police station (video)
Police in the southern province of Krabi yesterday arrested a Thai man after he drove his pickup into his wife and her family outside a police station in Nakhon Si Thammarat on November 20. The domestic violence case initially went largely unnoticed despite occurring over two weeks ago. However, it gained public attention after officers apprehended the suspect yesterday, December…
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Road collapse in Betong disrupts traffic until December next year
A road collapse in Betong, Yala Province, has caused significant disruption, with officials warning motorists to avoid the area due to safety concerns. The road, which has sunk over 10 metres deep, is closed for repairs from today, December 4 until further notice. A report from locals alerted the acting head of the Betong District Transport Office, Thararath Sangthong, to…
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Severe floods persist in Narathiwat after Kolok River overflows
Floods in Narathiwat remain severe, with the districts of Tak Bai and Sungai Kolok in critical condition as the Kolok River overflows. Long-distance water pumps have been requested from Prachinburi’s Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation due to concerns about further rainfall. The recent weather in Narathiwat has shown signs of improvement with sunshine covering all 13 districts, and rainfall…
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Songkhla flood relief scare debunked amid robbery claims
The chief of Songkhla’s Thepha district has swiftly denied shocking allegations that villagers from the Tha Muang district robbed a team of volunteers delivering flood relief on Sunday, December 1. The accusations, made in a now-deleted social media post, caused widespread panic but officials insisted it was a misunderstanding. Traisulee Taisaranakul, the spokesperson for the Interior Ministry, revealed today that…
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Hat Yai lecturer electrocuted closing gate in floodwater
A shocking accident has left Hat Yai residents reeling as a university lecturer lost his life after being electrocuted while closing his front gate in waist-high floodwater. Police are scrambling to uncover who is to blame for the deadly oversight. Officials from the Provincial Electricity Authority’s (PEA) Hat Yai branch inspected the scene and identified a copper-exposed wire near Narun…
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Floodwaters recede in Narathiwat, trains set to resume
Floodwaters in Narathiwat have receded, returning life to normal and allowing local train services to resume. The border checkpoint between Thailand and Malaysia reopened as of yesterday, December 1, with the railway expected to be operational tomorrow. Heavy flooding in Narathiwat had previously inundated low-lying areas, roads, and railway tracks, leading to the closure of transportation routes and train services.…
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