Koh Samui News
Koh Samui news, tourism, business, and nightlife—stay updated with breaking stories, local events, and expat insights from Koh Samui, Koh Phangan, and Koh Tao. Get the latest from The Thaiger, your trusted island news source.
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‘Death Island’ in the news again after alleged rape of British woman
Koh Tao, off Koh Samui in the Surat Thani province, is in the spotlight again after a British woman claimed a 26 year old French man had raped her in a hotel on the island. The woman, whose name has been withheld, first alerted her mother in the UK to the alleged attack. The British Embassy in Bangkok stepped in…
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Boracay’s closure sparks global travel fallout
By Bill Barnett of c9hotelworks.com The biggest worldwide tourism story going is that of the trending closure of the iconic resort island of Boracay in the Philippines. In a bold move President Rodrigo Duterte who termed the island a “cesspool” is banning tourist visits from April 26 through October 25. For an island that last year hosted over 2 million…
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Nikki Beach to take over management of luxury Chiang Mai hotel
By Bill Barnett from c9hotelworks.com In a somewhat surprise announcement, Nikki Beach Worldwide has signed on as operator of Chiang Mai’s Dhara Dhevi hotel. Nikki has assumed management of the property and the rebranding process reportedly will be done by the middle of the year. Nikki Beach became known to Phuketians when they launched the Nikki Beach Club at the northern end…
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Phuket gets Number Two in list of Top Asian Destinations
The trip advisor list of Asia’s top 25 destinations is in. Good news… Thailand has five locations in the Top 25 reader-voted list. Bad news, Thailand’s not Number One. The Indonesian island of Bali has come in Number One with Phuket in Number Two spot. Hanoi in Vietnam is in Number 3, Cambodia’s Siam Reap Number 5 and the mega-city…
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THAIGER TODAY Tuesday, March 20
MH370 has NOT been found | Bar owner in Pattaya bashed unconscious | 10 million baht worth of marijuana seized in Chumpon | Officials concerned over damage on Koh Samui, Koh Phangan and Koh Tao | Nok Air being asked to ‘please explain’ over poor on-time record | 103 ‘practice bombs’ found near Vachira Hospital Bangkok.
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Naked tourist hugs a rock in Samui. But not just any rock!
Samui residents are calling on police to locate and arrest a naked foreign tourist who was photographed hugging Hin Ta rock, which is regarded by local residents as a symbol of Koh Samui in Surat Thani. The photos show the unidentified woman walking around and hugging the rock, which resembles a phallus, to pose for photos. They were posted on…
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THAIGER TODAY Wednesday, February 28
PM responds to ‘sex tourism’ remarks | Extra long Songkran | Shoot-out on Samui’s Chaweng Beach | Big crackdown on illegal immigrants along Soi Cowboy last night | High-speed rail gets go ahead between Don Mueang and Rayong | PM pushes election date forward to February | Two Americans held in Chiang Mai over fake US bills.
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The legacy lives on – International Gill Dalley’s Remembrance Day
PHOTO: John & Gill Dalley (soidog.org) February 13 is known by Soi Dog Foundation as the International Gill Dalley’s Remembrance Day, in order to honour the kind heart of the co-founder of the foundation, Gill Dalley, who had dedicated her life working on the strays’ issue in Thailand. Gill Dalley founded the Soi Dog Foundation in 2004 with her husband,…
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THAIGER TODAY Friday, January 26
Latest announcements about Smart Visa | Re-enactment of Israeli mob hit in Samui | 3 road deaths on Patak Road, Karon in 24 hours | Police raid illegal hostels in Koh Pha Ngan | Monster drug haul in BKK | Bans on catching and eating seahorses AND official bans on smoking on some Thai beaches starts next week.
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THAIGER TODAY Thursday, January 25
THAIGER TODAY, Thursday, January 25…. The ‘S’ word in Bangkok | Why can’t our taxis work like this? | AIDS levels dropping in ASEAN | PM pleads with media to drop Prawit ‘chatter’ | Charged Israeli mobsters heading to Samui to recreate crime | Philippines volcano sparks evacuations.
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Tight security in Samui for re-enactment of Israeli hit-and-run attack
Two Israelis accused of killing a compatriot on Koh Samui will re-enact the alleged crime on Sunday surrounded by dozens of heavily armed police. 24 year old Dolev Zuarez and 26 year old Eval Bokal were arrested at Bangkok’s Don Mueang Airport about five hours after they allegedly killed 34 year old Maor Mallil and injured his girlfriend, Rashel Oshana,…
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THAIGER TODAY Tuesday, January 23
3 killed and many more injured in latest Yala bombing | Another bus with Chinese tourists ends up in a road ditch in Chiang Mai | Later on the Israeli mob hit on Samui | Central Pattana introduce cashless technology at 4,000 stores | Bullets flying in Hat Yai yesterday | Exports up 9.9% over past 12 months.
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THAIGER TODAY Monday, January 22
Israeli hit squad kills one in Koh Samui | ‘Taxi OK’ App and reforms launched this Thursday | Spot checks at Chalong Pier reveal shortcomings on some boats | Couple arrested at Don Mueang after alleged murder in Pichit | Total of four arrested over Phuket Airport baggage thefts.
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Two Israelis arrested over suspected mob hit in Samui
Two Israeli men were arrested at Don Muang International Airport on Sunday night for allegedly stabbing to death a fellow Israeli and seriously injuring his girlfriend on Koh Samui earlier in the day. Police said 24 year old Dolev Zuarez and 26 year old Eval Bokal were arrested soon after arriving at the airport at 9.30pm. They had flown to…
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Boat Lagoon Yachting announces mega shipment of private yachts
Boat Lagoon Yachting, Thailand’s largest importer and distributor of luxury yachts, has made history in the region’s yachting industry with the importation of the largest single shipment of luxury yachts, worth over 1,400 million baht. The shipment comprises nine luxury yachts manufactured in the UK by Princess Yachts, with sizes ranging from 19 metres to a superyacht of over 30…
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WEDNESDAY NEWS BRIEFING – All your local news in 3 minutes
Sort of back to normal today, whatever that means. The news never stops and there’s plenty of it around today. Let’s see what news stories are in our inbox this morning… PM urges big effort on final day of reporting period PM General Prayut Chan-o-cha is urging officers to strictly enforce traffic laws and provide security for people on the…
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Accolade for Samui resort at the World Luxury Hotel Awards 2017
Thai boutique collection, Manathai Hotels and Resorts proudly announced that its Manathai Koh Samui was voted Best Luxury Island Resort at the World Luxury Hotel Awards 2017. The prestigious accolade was given during a gala dinner event hosted at the Kulm Hotel in St. Moritz, Switzerland. Khun Chatri Rattanarangsri, the resort’s Executive Assistant Manager says, “This recognition confirms what we…
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It’s time for “Upcycling the Oceans”
On January 27 and 28 2018, the PHA and TAT, in association with resources giant PTT and environmental design studio Ecoalf, will launch a new campaign aimed at collecting ocean waste and transforming it into stylish clothing and accessories. Taking place at Patong Beach, the associations will work together with the local community to collect waste and litter from the…
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There’s room for three boat shows in Thailand, but not like it is now…
PHOTO: Marine Scene Asia Opinion by Paul Poole An article in the Phuket Gazette on 30 November 2017 welcomed the annual boat show season in Thailand. It raises the question, “is there room for three boat shows each year?” Original story HERE. The question is worth considering as boat show season kicks off for 2017/2018, with a steady stream of…
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Government crackdown uncovers 100,000 illegal immigrants
The 95 arrested in Phuket last week for overstaying their visas could be just the tip of a 100,000 person iceberg, according to the country’s Deputy PM Prawit Wongsuwan. 62 Indians, 11 Pakistanis, 6 Egyptians and 16 foreigners from other nationalities were rounded up last Friday by immigration police whilst 15 Phuket-based police are being being asked to ‘please explain’ why…
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Solving Samui’s rubbish problem
Opinion by Su Buchanan, Samui Times Fully funded green energy project could solve Samui’s garbage problem but will the Surat Thani Governor allow it? The escalating garbage problem in Koh Samui is no secret. Since the incinerator broke down over 8 years ago the piles of untreated garbage now tops 300,000 tons. The damage to the environment is undeniable yet…
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Alleged US pedo arrested in Samui
Breaking news from The Nation Samui police Saturday arrested an alleged American paedophile while he was buying a ticket for a ferry boat to travel to Bangkok, said Surat Thani Immigration Police Chief Pol Col Wanchana Borwornboon. Wanchana said 28 year old Jackson Mathew Hall was apprehended under US arrest warrants and a letter from the US embassy. He was…
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Samui rubbish problem ‘critical’
Story from Thai PBS English… The warning came from Samui mayor Ramnate Jaikwang earlier this week as the garbage problem is getting worse. Mayor Ramnate said at present the island’s 30-rai landfill already holds mountains of garbage of over 200,000 tons, while 150-200 tons keep coming in every day for disposal. The local administration is calling for a bid to…
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Gang of fake gold peddlers arrested in Phuket, Samui
PHUKET: Four men and three women were arrested this weekend for allegedly selling 4 million baht worth of fake gold in several Phuket gold shops over the period of a month. Two suspects are still on the run. Five of the suspects were nabbed at Tah Chat Chai checkpoint, one in Patong, and one in Koh Samui. The suspects are…
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Samui tour guide found dead after ‘feeling the heat’
SAMUI: A Pathum Thani native was found dead in a rented room on Samui Island yesterday, from what police believe to have been heatstroke. The room is in a restaurant building on Chaweng Beach. Capt Boonnam Srinarat of Bo Phut Police confirmed the death, at about 5:40pm, of Thongchai Sudjaeng, 44, a tour guide who catered to Chinese tourists. “Mr…
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Samui Airport officials discuss noise pollution solution
SAMUI: Bangkok Airways higher-ups and government officials discussed yesterday the environmental impact of Samui Airport’s ever-increasing air traffic. A vice president of the airline, Narongchai Tanadchangsaeng, and his team met at the Samui Palm Beach Resort, during which Rangsan Tongyad, deputy chief administrator of Samui municipality, explained that he will work together with airport staff to figure out a solution.…
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Samui Taxi driver wins 30 million baht lottery
SAMUI: A taxi driver yesterday won 30 million baht in lottery winnings in Koh Samui. Sittichai Samthong, 40, was surrounded by friends and family to celebrate his good fortune. “I was confused at first because I did not expect to win. I have now notified Samui Police,” Mr Sittichai told the Phuket Gazette. “I will continue to drive my taxi…
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Patients treated in hallways at overcrowded Samui Hospital
SAMUI: Locals in Samui have lodged complaints about overcrowding at Samui Hospital leading to makeshift arrangements to accommodate patients in the hospital’s hallways. Patients and their families say that the hallway is hot, uncomfortable and mosquito ridden. “Currently, we only have 133 beds, but about 160 patients to cater to,” said Samui Hospital Director Dr Theerasak Virtanon. “Additionally, we have…
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Samui expats rescue tourists from drowning
SAMUI: Two Russian tourists luckily escaped drowning on New Year’s Day when a group of expats dove in to rescue them from ferocious waves at Chaweng Noi Beach in Koh Samui. Officials had placed red warning flags advising the public not to swim that day due to the rough seas, but the man and woman, both believed to be in…
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Samui local reunites tourist with bag full of cash
SAMUI: A Good Samaritan yesterday returned a Swiss tourist’s lost bag, after it had gone missing on Tuesday. The bag, belonging to Markus Joost, contained 16,000 baht in cash, credit cards, an iPhone and a passport. The 32-year-old Samui resident, Sarawut Somsawat, works as a gardener at the Anantara resort. He reportedly found the bag in front of a picture…
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