Koh Samui News
Stay up to date on the latest happenings in Koh Samui, Koh Phangan, and Koh Tao with The Thaiger. Our team delivers up-to-date news, insightful analysis, and exclusive stories from this popular part of the Surat Thani Province, Thailand. Keep your finger on the pulse of Samui’s ever-evolving tourism, economic, and cultural scene, as well as its thriving beach entertainment and nightlife. Stay informed about local events, transportation updates, and expat experiences in this vibrant collection of Islands.
The Thaiger is your go-to source for all things Koh Samui, Koh Phangan, and Koh Tao. Don’t miss out – subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on social media to stay connected with the city’s most trusted news source.
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The White Lotus effect ignites travel frenzy on Koh Samui
Koh Samui, the idyllic paradise island in the Gulf of Thailand, is basking in a wave of tourism enthusiasm. Recent data from Agoda shows a remarkable spike in interest, with international searches for accommodation soaring by 26% and domestic searches rising by 8% in June compared to the same period last year. The surge in interest coincides with the buzz…
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Controversial sea bridge to Koh Samui stirs debate
The hotly-debated sea bridge connecting the Thai mainland to the paradise island of Koh Samui is one step closer to reality. The second phase of public hearings for this ambitious project kicked off in Surat Thani province yesterday, July 15, setting the stage for a project that promises to revolutionise travel to one of Thailand’s most beloved holiday spots. Set…
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Minor earthquake shakes Koh Samui, residents feel tremors
An earthquake with a magnitude of 2.0 shook Koh Samui in the middle of the night, causing residents in Bo Phut, Koh Samui in Surat Thani to feel the tremors. The Thai Meteorological Department (TMD) reported that the earthquake occurred at 12.14am today, July 10, at a depth of 1 kilometre. Several residents reported feeling the tremors, including those in…
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Koh Samui’s drought nightmare vs Phuket’s flooding chaos
Koh Samui is reeling from an acute water shortage as its reservoirs are drying up amid a prolonged drought. On the neighbouring island of Phuket, residents are battling heavy rainfall and flooding. Koh Samui’s main reservoir, with a capacity of 800,000 cubic metres, is down to a mere 10%, enough to last just two weeks. The Krajood reservoir fares slightly…
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Thailand to host major Pride events in Koh Samui and Bangkok
Thailand is gearing up for two major events to mark the conclusion of Pride Month in 2024. The celebrations will take place on Koh Samui in Surat Thani Province and Bangkok, with Prime Minister Srettha Thavisin set to inaugurate the events. Deputy Government spokesperson Radklao Inthawong Suwannakiri invited both Thai residents and international visitors to join in the grand finale…
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HBO exec hails Koh Samui as paradise as White Lotus filming ends
HBO’s hit series The White Lotus has just wrapped up filming on Koh Samui for its highly anticipated Season 3. Scott Schaeffer, HBO’s Senior Vice President for Production, hailed Thailand as a cinematic paradise, praising its natural splendour and skilled local crews. Schaeffer’s glowing endorsement came during a high-profile meeting with Thailand’s Tourism and Sports Minister Sermsak Pongpanich and Ministry…
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Thailand scoops top honours in travel awards including Koh Samui
Thailand has cemented its status as a premier travel destination, sweeping the Travel + Leisure Luxury Awards Asia Pacific 2024. Koh Samui has been crowned the Best Island in the Asia Pacific, while Samui Airport secured a commendable fourth place among the region’s best airports. Bangkok also emerged victorious, being named the Best City in the Asia Pacific. These accolades…
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London couple ‘blown away’ by resort-like Thai airport (video)
A couple from London were utterly blown away by the stunning design of an airport in Thailand. Their video clip on TikTok via the account @dcandkd took viewers around the airport, amassing an impressive 146,900 views since its debut on March 26. Daniel, a 32 year old content creator and songwriter, and Nakita, a 27 year old content creator and…
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Foreign nationals arrested after bike rampage on Koh Samui (video)
Chaos erupted on the usually serene holiday island of Koh Samui when two foreign nationals turned the tranquil road leading to Choengmon Beach into their personal racetrack. Equipped with roaring big bikes and an audacious attitude, their disruptive antics soon drew the ire of locals. Residents, living in the northeast corner of the island, initially made a complaint to the…
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Koh Samui’s new cruise terminal project anchors big investors
Deputy Transport Minister Manaporn Charoensri announced that Koh Samui’s ambitious new cruise terminal project has drawn substantial interest from investors both locally and internationally. The Ministry of Transport plans to review the outcomes of a feasibility study into the project’s Public-Private Partnership (PPP) investment model before submitting it to the cabinet for approval. Manaporn provided an update on the project’s…
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British tourist left high and dry as hotel vanishes on Koh Samui
An idyllic Thai getaway turned into a financial nightmare for a 30 year old British tourist when he landed on Koh Samui only to discover his booked hotel was nowhere to be found. Glen Parke had his holiday dreams turn into a financial quagmire when he shelled out £282 (approximately 13,000 baht) for a 59-night stay at Lek Lek Residence…
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‘Land of Smiles’ fast becoming ‘Land of Russian Crime’
Maybe Thailand should rebrand its Land of Smiles moniker to the Land of Russian Crime after yet another Russian man was nabbed for criminal activity. Yesterday, a 36 year old Russian national added his name to a catalogue of former Soviet block criminals arrested for reportedly operating illegal activities. Russian Ibragim Gaitukiev was arrested for allegedly running an unauthorised cryptocurrency…
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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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Koh Samui police shut down illegal beauty clinic run by foreigners
Police recently apprehended a female doctor operating an illicit beauty clinic in Koh Samui, offering dangerous treatments including blood platelet injections. The raid, conducted at 10am today, March 13, found unregistered medications and controlled substances on the premises while services were being rendered. The Immigration Bureau, along with police forces, revealed that the clandestine beauty clinic, offering various unauthorised medical…
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Thief nabs 127,000 baht worth of goods from tourists on Koh Samui
A brazen thief from Phuket got more than he bargained for when he attempted a hotel heist on Koh Samui, leaving two foreign tourists in dismay and authorities in hot pursuit. The Bo Phut Police, in a swift operation, apprehended 44 year old Prayat Lisem following reports from a distressed Polish couple, aged 32 and 30. The couple woke to…
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British woman rescued after falling from Koh Samui waterfall
Rescue teams and administrative officers yesterday successfully saved a British woman who fell from the Hin Lad Waterfall on Koh Samui island in the southern province of Surat Thani. The 46 year old British woman, Hema Mantra, sought help from the Koh Samui District Office after slipping and collapsing at the waterfall. She informed officers that she felt pain in…
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Ukrainian found dead on durian plantation in Koh Samui
A 32 year old Ukrainian man was found lifeless, hanging from a durian tree in Koh Samui. Police and forensic officials, led by Police Captain Rawi Na Boonno, arrived at the durian plantation in the remote village of Moo 3 in the Maret subdistrict. The steep terrain required a four-wheel drive pickup truck to transport the investigators to the crime scene.…
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Shocking escape: Aussie woman zaps back to life after electrifying encounter with deadly jellyfish near Koh Pha Ngan
An Aussie woman declared she is thankful to be alive after a bolt of “electricity had shot through her body” following a horrifying attack by some box Jellyfish near Koh Pha Ngan. The 23 year old woman from Queensland in Australia was left hospitalised for over a month after the attack and issued a cautionary message to fellow holidaymakers about the…
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Koh Samui set for tourism boost with influx of cruise liner visits
Surat Thani province’s popular resort island Koh Samui is expecting a significant boost in tourism this year, with 47 cruise liners set to dock and unload around 25,000 international travellers, according to the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT). As stated by Kanokkittika Kritwuthikorn, TAT’s director for Koh Samui, the majority of these tourists will be hailing from the United States, Europe,…
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British tourist’s lost wallet returned by Thai hotel worker
A British holidaymaker on Koh Samui Island in Thailand is set to return home with a pleasant memory following a hotel worker’s return of his lost wallet during the new year celebrations. The wallet was found on Bophut Beach by Pakdee Trirat, an employee at the Holiday Inn Samui, amidst the festivities on the night of December 31. Surat Thani…
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Danish danger on Thai island: Illegal firearms arrest on Koh Samui
Thai police apprehended a Danish man in Koh Samui, an island in the southern province of Surat Thani yesterday, for his illegal possession of firearms. Following the strict measures implemented after the shooting at Siam Paragon mall in Bangkok, Thai police yesterday, October 10, conducted an investigation into owners of firearms both legal and illegal across the country and discovered…
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Thai man denies sexually assaulting 7 year old French boy in Koh Samui
The Thai man accused of sexually assaulting a seven year old French boy in Koh Samui, denied the charge, saying he only slapped the boy’s bottom because he thought he was cute. Police also denied confiscating the French woman’s passport. The boy’s 30 year old French mother, Mina, said on Twitter that her seven year old son was sexually assaulted…
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Wild west drama unfolds at Samui Airport: Minibus driver shoots Grab driver in fiery clash
Samui International Airport in the southern province of Surat Thani turned into a scene from a Western movie after a minibus driver shot a Grab driver following a heated dispute. Bophut Police Station officers rushed to a parking area of the arrival passenger terminal in the airport to investigate the shooting scene. Officers discovered travellers were shocked by the incident…
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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…
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Indulging in Meaningful Wellness experiences in Koh Samui
Koh Samui, Thailand’s second largest island, is not only well-known for turquoise waters, white sand, and tropical rainforests but also for being one of the top wellness destinations in Thailand. What makes the tropical paradise a wellness destination? Well, it’s not merely due to its sandy beaches. The amicable and rich culture, healthy and authentic Southern Thai delicacies, diverse flora,…
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Samui Slam Volleyball tournament coming next month
The Samui Slam Beach Volleyball Tournament & Training Camp will be held next month on the island of Koh Samui in the southern province of Surat Thani. It will run from September 18 to 24 at the stunning SEEN Beach Club on Chaweng Beach. Promising to be a thrilling sporting event, the Samui Slam is originated by organiser Biggs Island…
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PEA apologises for 11.8 million baht electricity bill error
In a surprising turn of events, the Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA) in Koh Samui had to extend an apology to a small hotel proprietor on the island in the southern province of Surat Thani. It seems the PEA’s miscalculated her electricity consumption, leading to them issuing a bill of over 11 million baht last month. The PEA’s Communication Affairs Division’s director-general,…
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Cruise liner with 1,800 tourists makes its way to Koh Samui
A cruise liner embarked from Chon Buri with 1,800 tourists on board and made its way to Cambodia and Vietnam, before finally arriving on the picturesque shores of Koh Samui. Witchawut Jintoe, the governor of Surat Thani, informed The Phuket Express that this week the COSTA SERENA cruise liner docked at the Na Thon Pier, bringing Thai and Asian tourists…
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Body found floating near Koh Samui, Thailand
A dead body was found floating in the sea between Koh Samui on Koh Pha Ngan in Surat Thani province, southern Thailand, yesterday. The deceased appears to be a foreign woman, reports MGR Online. Yesterday, the Facebook page “Chalerm Yord Phongsri” posted photos of a swollen body floating face down in the sea, wearing only underwear/swimwear, with the caption… “I…
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Thailand’s Raja Ferry temporarily suspends Pha Ngan – Sumui route
Raja Ferry Port Company suspended all ferry services between Koh Pha Ngan and Koh Samui in Surat Thani province in southern Thailand from Sunday – Wednesday (April 23-25). The company made an official announcement on Saturday… “Raja Ferry Port will suspend ferry service from Pha Ngan to Samui and Samui to Pha Ngan route from 23-25 April 2023. Customers who…
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