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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Police looking for Thai man who raped Norwegian tourist after Full Moon Party
PHOTO: M-THAI Police on Koh Pha Ngan in the Gulf of Thailand off Koh Samui are launching a manhunt for a Thai man who has allegedly raped a Norwegian tourist. The incident is said to have happened during the monthly Half Moon party late Saturday night. The national police chief had instructed the Surat Thani police head office to speed…
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French man nabbed on suspicion of operating a taxi
PHOTO: Manager Online Koh Samui police interviewed a foreign man who had been accepting money after taking tourists to the port on Koh Samui. The man denied he had been running a taxi service saying he was just helping friends. Thai operators, particularly taxi services on Samui, are claiming that foreigners were increasingly taking jobs reserved for Thais. Locals say Europeans,…
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German hotelier claims he paid 800,000 baht bribe to operate his unlicensed villa on Samui
PHOTOS: Channel 7 A German man has told investigators yesterday that he paid ‘some Thais’ 800,850 baht after they threatened to shut down his luxury villa during construction. 47 year old Ulrich Schmidt claims he was visited during the construction phase of his Best World Vision Villas project and he paid the ‘tea money’ in the belief it would allow…
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Boat carrying a Bangkok school group sinks at Chumpon pier
A boat carrying up to 40 schoolchildren has sunk after hitting underwater rocks next to a pier in Chumpon province last Monday. The vessel “Mattha” was carrying around 50 people, including the group from a school in Bangkok on a snorkelling day trip around the nearby islands. But when the boat returned later in the day, the tide was out…
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Massive fire at Koh Samui incinerator – VIDEO
PHOTOS/VIDEO: The Government Public Relation Department Region 5 An incinerator caught fire on Koh Samui, off the coast of Surat Thani last night. “That’s what incinerators are meant to do,” we hear you cry. But this one was totally out of control destroying the entire structure. The Government Public Relation Department Region 5 reports that the fire started at the…
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The ‘Fun Police’ crackdown on posting ‘lewd’ Songkran pics and video
The Thai police have become Thailand’s fun police today as they warn Songkran revellers against posting photos of scantily clad people, or ‘invitations’ to consume alcohol’… pretty much everything you see during the madness of Songkran festivities in the main tourist hot spots. “No photos, video clips of live broadcasts of nudity, lewd acts or inviting consumption of alcohol should…
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“Nong Gee” turns heads at Koh Samui military conscription
Thai media’s fascination with ‘ladyboys’ continues with Daily News reporting about the military conscription event in Koh Samui and, as usual, getting diverted by the one or two “kathoey” who role up, as required by law, to draw lots to see if they will get conscripted into the national Army. “Thai men screamed their appreciation as a very attractive lady…
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Koh Phangan and Koh Tao try to shake off monthly boom and bust
by Bill Barnett Thailand’s idyllic Koh Phangan island is renowned globally for its marque Full Moon parties. On the heels of soaring demand for the big event, visitor numbers surpassed the one million ceiling two years ago and over a five-year period registered compound annual growth rate of 17%. While the numbers are impressive, the reality for resorts on the…
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Government considers blanket alcohol bans on April 13
There’s a 24 hour ban on alcohol on the weekend preceding AND the actual election weekend this month. And next month is Songkran with the Government mooting possible blanket bans on Songkran day, April 13. This year the Government says they want an alcohol ban on the biggest annual holiday for Thais. It’s also part of the week when there…
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31 year old British man stuck in Koh Samui hospital
by Jane Tyler – Birmingham Mail PHOTOS: Facebook/Liam Workman Liam Workman, who bought a one-way ticket to Thailand to “start a new life” last December is now critically ill in a Samui hospital with brain injuries following an alleged a hit-and-run motorcycle crash. Now relatives of Liam are desperate to raise at least £3,000 (125,000 baht) for medical treatment and fly…
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Kite protest as Samui airport’s neighbors demand more compensation
Ten neighbours living adjacent to privately owned Koh Samui airport, unhappy with compensation offers over the noise, have sent up a fleet of kites in protest to blockade the end of the runway. Soldiers and police were called to Samui International Airport to sort out today’s protest. Many of the airport’s neighbours have accepted the offer of 50 million baht…
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Enthusiastic Dutch lover gets his marching orders in Koh Samui
SCREENSAVE: Channel Seven News A Dutch man, who fell fell in love with a Thai female staffer at the resort where he was staying in Koh Samui, wouldn’t take no for an answer. The incident is reported to have happened at the Lamai Hill Villa. Channel Seven news says the issue became an obsession for him, convinced his good looks would…
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The Koh Samui tunnel – “it definitely had all the proper documentation”
The 84 metre tunnel, rediscovered last week by a foreign tourist visiting the north of Koh Samui, is starting to reveal more of its secrets. This week island authorities announced they would prosecute the builders of the tunnel because they were unable to find any supporting documentation or permissions for the construction. The Koh Samui land office could, however, confirm…
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Landowners could face jail – Koh Samui ‘mystery tunnel’ case
PHOTOS: Manager Online Koh Samui authorities are planning to pursue a case against the landowners on either side of a tunnel that was allegedly constructed without permission. The tunnel connects the beach at Ban Tai with a private road and undeveloped piece of forest land two hundred metres from the island’s main ring road in the Mae Nam district. It was earlier…
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Light at the end of the tunnel – Koh Samui’s mystery mountain tunnel
Officers have closed off access to the ‘mysterious’ tunnel on Koh Samui linking two sides of a small hill. They say they’re waiting for the company which owns the land, linked by the tunnel, to front up with a permit to build it. A tourist trekking in the Ban Tai area last week stumbled on the 84 metre long tunnel.…
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Tourist finds old tunnel on Koh Samui
PHOTOS: Sanook Authorities are investigating a 100 meters long, 3.5 meters wide and 5 meters high tunnel that had been contstructed from one side of Ban Tai hill to the other. The tunnel was found in the Mae Nam area. After local Samui authorities dug into their paperwork they determined that the area was private land bought by a developer from a…
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Koh Samui: “Awash with drugs”, ONB News
ONB News is reporting that Koh Samui is “awash with drugs” and that the local prison was crammed full of prisoners convicted on drugs charges. They were making the assessment following the latest arrest of a Thai woman and her Thai husband on drugs charges on the popular holiday island. ‘Ice’ or crystal methamphetamine was found at her home in…
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Stunning new Lux Neo villas at Chaweng, Koh Samui
Sun, sea, new, views, pool villa, Samui. All the words you want to hear. Lux Neo is now available, combining stunning sea views and outstanding modern design. Lux Neo is the newest award winning project by the “Neo” team with critiqued unique villa design and award winning styling. Click HERE to read more about the Neo design team and some…
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Foundation worker, who admits to killing famous singer’s son, taken on reenactment
PHOTO: Sanook Thai police continue to investigate the murder of the son of a well known Koh Samui artist that took place last Monday. Sanook reports that the victim, 26 year old Nappaphorn, son of singer “Maew Bai Jaak Thai” was shot 5 times by a local foundation rescue worker, 20 year old Natdanai, following a long-standing dispute between the two. Natdani has now…
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Alleged ‘sex cult’ yoga retreat on Koh Phangan operating again
PHOTO: Narcis Tarcau, aka. Swami Vivekananda Saraswati – South China Morning Post The world’s “biggest tantric yoga school” has reopened on Koh Phangan with the accused leader back in charge amid accusations that management suppressed an investigation into the alleged abuse. The centre closed last September after 14 women alleged rape and sexual assault and made official complaints. At the…
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Meth-dealing Koh Samui bar owner attacked in Thai prison
PHOTO: The Mirror A British man says he had three teeth knocked out and that going to a Thai prison for dealing drugs was ‘torture’. Jimmy Kelly was sentenced to 30 years but ended up spending just three behind bars for selling crystal methamphetamine at the bar on Samui he owned. His sentence was dramatically cut because his brother Gary…
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British man pioneers cannabis tom yum, police are not happy
PHOTO: Khaosodenglish A 58 year old real estate developer, living in Koh Samui for 22 years, is facing some trouble with the police for his ‘medicinal’ innovations in the kitchen. Police have arrested and charged Gary Coughlan with drug offenses after they noticed he was acting a little ‘unusual and erratic’ this morning (Wednesday). He later tested positive for drug…
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Weather for January 16
Bangkok Morning clouds followed by afternoon sun. High 33ºC. Winds NE at 10 to 15 km/h. Chiang Mai Generally clear. High 30ºC. Winds ESE and variable. Phuket Afternoon showers. High 31ºC. Winds NNE and variable. Chance of rain 40%. Ko Samui Thundershowers. High 25ºC. Winds ENE at 10 to 15 km/h. Chance of rain 40%. Pattaya Partly cloudy. High 32ºC.…
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French woman found floating off Koh Samui beach
Samui police report that the body the body of 42 year old Maud Isabeile Bailley was found floating at sea off Ao Thongket beach around 2.30 pm yesterday (Tuesday). The body was first seen floating by hotel staff who called police and rescue workers. Responders then brought the body back to shore. A friend of the deceased has identified the…
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Pabuk: Floods and blackouts along southern Gulf coast as storm moves away
• Floods and blackouts have left nearly 30,000 people in evacuation shelters across southern Thailand • Relieved tourists stranded on islands further north were spared the worst and are now working on continuing their journeys • Pabuk packed winds of up to 75 kph (45 mph) and brought heavy rains and storm surges as it lashed the much of the southern…
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Pabuk: The worst is over as southern Thailand mops up
The potential for any further problems associated with Tropical Storm Pabuk are diminished as the remnants of the storm continue to move westward and out to sea away from the Andaman Coast. The general consensus is that, whilst unseasonal and packing high wind speeds (for Thailand), the storm’s impact was less than predicted causing minimal damage to infrastructure in the…
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Pabuk edges closer to southern Thailand
PHOTO: Aljazeera “Officials expect the conditions to persist into Saturday.” Aljazeera is reporting that tropical storm Pabuk is forecast to make landfall on Friday evening in Nakhon Si Thammarat coastal islands bringing torrential downpours and strong winds to more than a dozen other provinces in the south. The region is home to one of the world’s biggest natural rubber plantations…
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Pabuk: Warnings for coastal residents to stay indoors
by Pratch Rujivanarom Strong gale conditions and surging seas are pounding the coastlines of three provinces this afternoon. The Meteorological Department is warning residentsto stay indoors and away from the coast. The provinces affected so far include Surat Thani, Nakhon Si Thammarat and Songkhla. Department director-general Phuwieng Prakhammintara says Tropical Storm Pabuk was expected to have greater affect on southern coastlines as…
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Pabuk: Regular updates throughout today following the storm up the coast
Storm Watch – 8.30am Rough seas off the coast of Nakhon Si Thammarat yesterday afternoon as tropical storm Pabuk approached land. Tens of thousands of tourists have been evacuated from local coastal communities and some tourists have evacuated the popular islands of Koh Samui, Koh Tao and Koh Phangan which are in the path of the storm today. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h86FqX2CzBc Storm Watch…
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Pabuk: Friday awakes with the storm surging up the Gulf coastline
30,000 people are estimated to have been evacuated from coastal districts in Nakhon Si Thammarat whilst some tourists are taking precautions of leaving the Gulf holiday islands, airports close, boats remain at mooring and schools are shut. Thailand’s southern Gulf coast prepares for winds up to 95kph, heavy downpours and floods. From Nakhon Si Thammarat up to Chumpon provinces, emergency…
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