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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  • 800K methamphetamine pills seized in Chumphon

    800K methamphetamine pills seized in Chumphon

    PHOTOS: Region 8 Police 800,000 methamphetamine pills have been seized in Chumphon this week. A staged media scrum was held at Region 8 Police headquarters in Mai Khao yesterday, led by the Region 8 Police Commander Lt Gen Pongwut Pongsri. The arrests came after police and soldiers set up a checkpoint on Bangsaphan – Chumphon Road in Patiw, Chumphon. Following…

  • Sea Turtle found dead on Chumpon beach, choked on plastics

    Sea Turtle found dead on Chumpon beach, choked on plastics

    by Prasit Leehukunakorn A large green turtle has been found dead on Chumphon’s Bang Nam Jeud Beach, believed to have died from plastic waste it ingested. “I found a piece of plastic in its throat, so I think it’s the latest victim of sea-borne plastic waste,” said Amnuaykiat Timnakha, deputy chief of the Tambon Bang Nam Jeud Organisation. He was…

  • Bangkok-Yala Express Train crashes into pickup killing mother and child

    Bangkok-Yala Express Train crashes into pickup killing mother and child

    PHOTO: Coconuts A mother and son have died after a Bangkok-Yala express train hit their pick up this morning on a road between Ban Tham Khao Chawala and Ban Tham Namthip Villages in Surat Thani, southern Thailand. The victims were identified as 39 year old Weerawal Semrod and her 10 year old son Manoonsak. The incident occurred at a level…

  • HM the King expresses concern for people affected by unrest in the Deep South

    HM the King expresses concern for people affected by unrest in the Deep South

    (Quoted directly from the Government’s Public Relations Department) His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn Bodindradebayavarangkun has been deeply concerned about the people and officials affected by unrest in the southern border provinces. His Majesty on January 21, 2019 assigned Privy Councilor General Paiboon Koomchaya to present baskets of various items given by His Majesty to relatives of the monks killed in…

  • Attacks in Thailand’s deep south – International coverage

    Attacks in Thailand’s deep south – International coverage

    Thailand’s southern insurgency, a long, protracted border and religious ‘war’, continues to rage with recent attacks getting more attention. This is partly due to the new targets with local schools getting caught in cross-fire and last Friday night’s killing of a temple abbot and another monk during prayers. The international media is now starting to provide greater coverage of one…

  • Thai PM condemns southern violence. Urges media to be ‘careful’ covering the story.

    Thai PM condemns southern violence. Urges media to be ‘careful’ covering the story.

    PHOTOS: The Nation Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha has responded to escalating violence in the strife-torn South today by saying that the people behind the deadly attack at a temple in Narathiwat province on Friday night were seeking to ramp up attention given to the violence in the South to the international level and lure officials into conducting “forceful suppression”. “Those…

  • UPDATE: 4000 villagers attend funeral rites for slain monks in Narathiwat

    UPDATE: 4000 villagers attend funeral rites for slain monks in Narathiwat

    Over 4,000 villagers, including more than 300 monks from several temples in southern provinces and border provinces of Malaysia, have attended a bathing ritual for the two monks slain by gunmen who stormed Wat Rattananuparb in Narathiwat on Friday night. Read more about the raid HERE. The bathing rites for Phra Khru Prachote Rattananurak, the abbot of Wat Rattananuparb, and…

  • UPDATE: Narathiwat temple murders – Security increased while PM condemns shooting

    UPDATE: Narathiwat temple murders – Security increased while PM condemns shooting

    PHOTO: Slain Abbot Phra Khru Prachote Rattanarak The national police chief is ordering police regional units in Narathiwat to ramp up security in the province to hunt down the culprits behind last night’s deadly attack at a temple. Police spokesman Pol Lt General Piya Uthayoh says the motive behind the attack on monks at Rattananuparb Temple in Sungai Padi district…

  • Two monks killed in temple shooting at Narathiwat

    Two monks killed in temple shooting at Narathiwat

    PHOTO: The Nation “We believe that at least six assailants were involved in the shooting and are at large,” – police spokesman in the Su-ngai Padi district. Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha has condemned the latest violence in southern province Narathiwat where two monks were gunned down and others injured last night (Friday). Narathiwat is Thailand’s southern-most province. Government spokesman Puttipong Bunnakun…

  • Students huddle under desks in Narathiwat as insurgents fight with soldiers

    Students huddle under desks in Narathiwat as insurgents fight with soldiers

    by Narong Nuansakul, Nakarin Chinworakamon Students huddled under desks and screamed in fear as they could hear guns being fired near their school in Narathiwat province, bordering the Malaysian border, yesterday. The gunfight erupted after rangers and police confronted a group of suspected insurgents in a rubber plantation nearby. One suspect was killed in the clash, and authorities believe other…

  • Chumphon woman, working in Phuket, wins first prize in lottery

    Chumphon woman, working in Phuket, wins first prize in lottery

    A woman from Chumphon, who helps out her sister in Phuket, returned to her hometown last week where she bought a lottery ticket. The ticket won her the first prize in the lottery. 38 year old Thai woman Chonrada Laimer from Chumphon went to Chalong Police Station yesterday with the first prize lottery ticket number 197079. The weekly lottery numbers…

  • More dead whales along the southern Gulf coast

    More dead whales along the southern Gulf coast

    Two young Omura whales have been separately found on Songkhla’s beaches. They were probably from the same herd. The bodies had already started decomposing when they were found. Pak Tae Ra villagers in Ranote district alerted a regional maritime research centre that a big whale was found on the beach. The centre’s chief Suthep Juela-ong found the remains of an Omura…

  • Six metre king cobra caught by rescue workers in Trang – VIDEO

    Six metre king cobra caught by rescue workers in Trang – VIDEO

    VIDEO/PHOTOS: หน่วยกู้ภัยบรรเทาวังวิเศษ A 20 kilogram, 6 metres king cobra has been caught in Trang by rescue workers. 77 Kaoded news reports that Sikao Police in Trang were notified of the incident at a house at 4.45pm yesterday. Police decided it wasn’t quite in their work contract and contacted rescue workers who headed to the house. Sawai Kaewjuea, a rescue worker, led his…

  • Driver charged in Chumphon tour bus accident

    Driver charged in Chumphon tour bus accident

    PHOTOS: หน่วยกู้ภัยมูลนิธิชุมพร //บางหมาก 02 / MulnithiChumphrKarKuslSngKheaaH A tour bus driver has been charged for reckless driving after yesterday morning’s tour bus accident in Chumphon. 23 Filipino tourists escaped serious injury in the bus crash. The bus was travelling from Bangkok to Phuket. Read more about yesterday’s crash HERE. Thairath is reporting that the tour bus driver, 36 year old Taweesak Chitchuea from…

  • Couple murdered in Yala. Police believe political motives.

    Couple murdered in Yala. Police believe political motives.

    FILE PHOTO Police are hunting a group of gunmen in Yala after a home invasion and shooting when they shot dead an election candidate and his wife. Investigators suspect political motives at this stage. The couple’s two children narrowly escaped and are the only witnesses to the incident. Warin Saengchan a local politician preparing his campaign to run for office…

  • 23 Filipino tourists escape serious injury in Bangkok – Phuket bus accident in Chumphon

    23 Filipino tourists escape serious injury in Bangkok – Phuket bus accident in Chumphon

    PHOTOS: หน่วยกู้ภัยมูลนิธิชุมพร //บางหมาก 02 / MulnithiChumphrKarKuslSngKheaaH 23 Filipino tourists have escaped serious injury in a tour bus crash in Chumphon early this morning. The bus was travelling from Bangkok to Phuket. Chumphon rescue workers were notified of the incident on Phetkasem Road, southbound, at 4.30am this morning. Rescue workers arrived at the scene to find the Bangkok – Phuket tour bus in…

  • Omura whale found dead on Chumphon beach

    Omura whale found dead on Chumphon beach

    PHOTO: DMCR A young Omura whale has been discovered dead along the Chumpon coastline. Experts believe it died as a result of an infection. The Department of Marine and Coastal Resource (DMCR) was notified about the whale that was found dead near shores Sawee, Chumphon last week. The DMCR is reporting that the female Omura whale was nearly 5 metres…

  • Policeman murdered in brazen Pattani ‘drive by’

    Policeman murdered in brazen Pattani ‘drive by’

    A policeman is dead after being shot outside his precinct station in Pattani’s Khok Pho district yesterday. Security officials believe it might be in possible retaliation for the deaths of two suspected insurgents the day before. The incident caps off a violent week in the deep south provinces. 32 year old Pol Corporal Chalermpol Khomkham was manning the sentry box…

  • Eight days in southern Thailand

    Eight days in southern Thailand

    mtv.co.uk have visited Thailand recently and come up with their own short, cool, stays in the southern region. If you have a spare eight days, here is their guide for a quick southern beach holiday. Phuket: 2 nights How to get there It’s time to switch it up and head to the Southern region of Thailand. The easiest way is…

  • Pabuk: Tax refunds for home and car repairs

    Pabuk: Tax refunds for home and car repairs

    The Thai Cabinet has approved a tax refund for people who need to repair damage to their home or car following tropical storm Pabuk hitting the southern Gulf coastline a week ago. Pinsai Surasawadi, principal adviser on strategic tax administration for Finance and Banking, who is also a spokesman for the Revenue Department, said that home repairs costing less than…

  • UPDATE: Four defence volunteers killed at school by militants

    UPDATE: Four defence volunteers killed at school by militants

    PHOTOS: The Nation | Thai PBS Disguising themselves as army troops, suspected militants surprised a unit of defence volunteers this morning when they opened fire on them at a school in Yarang district, Pattani. They killed four volunteers and taking away their assault rifles. The violent incident occurred in the compound of Ban Pukoh school in Village 5, Tambon Prachan,…

  • Southern insurgents gun down four Pattani defence volunteers

    Southern insurgents gun down four Pattani defence volunteers

    In a worrying upsurge in southern violence, insurgents disguised as army troops have gunned down and killed four tambon defence volunteers in Pattani’s Yarang district. The incident happened around noon and insurgents stole their rifles following the attack. Police say the four defence volunteers from Tambon Prachan were guarding Ban Bukoh School in the tambon when the insurgents arrived in…

  • Suspects are denying involvement in Tuesday’s Songkhla bomb attack

    Suspects are denying involvement in Tuesday’s Songkhla bomb attack

    PHOTOS: The Nation Three suspects, arrested in connection with Tuesday’s murder and car-bomb attack in Songkhla, have denied any involvement in the incidents. Eight border patrol police members, including five women, were injured when a bomb, placed in a pickup truck, exploded at about 5.50am on a rural road near a knockdown structure used by border patrol police. The pickup used…

  • Insurgents murder teacher and use his vehicle as a car bomb

    Insurgents murder teacher and use his vehicle as a car bomb

    by Somchai Samart & Supitcha Rattana A car bomb explosion in Songkhla’s Thepa district yesterday has shocked locals after insurgents are suspected of killing a 62 year old school teacher and stealing his pickup to be used in the the attack. Security officials collecting evidence at the scene of the explosion checked the totally destroyed vehicle and found that it…

  • Bottlenose dolphin found dead on Nakhon Si Thammarat beach

    Bottlenose dolphin found dead on Nakhon Si Thammarat beach

    PHOTO: DMCR Following Sunday’s discovery of a dead porpoise on Sunday, a bottlenose dolphin has been found dead on a beach in Nakhon Si Thammarat as well following last Friday’s storm. The Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) reports that they were informed yesterday by Vachirapong Sakunrat who found the dead dolphin at Nadan Beach in Khanom, Nakhon Si…

  • Pabuk: PM visits Nakhon Si Thammarat to survey damage

    Pabuk: PM visits Nakhon Si Thammarat to survey damage

    Between January 3-6, Pabuk was responsible for the death of four people and has affected the lives of more than 720,000 in 23 southern provinces. The death toll from the storm has now risen to four while three southern provinces are still reeling from its impact yesterday. The Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Department director-general Chayapol Thitisak said that his department…

  • Southern rail services back to normal

    Southern rail services back to normal

    Rail services suspended in the South following after recent flooding in Nakhon Si Thammarat are back in full service again. The good news from the State Railway of Thailand acting governor Worwaut Mala. The rail line to the South was partially flooded and damaged after storm Pabuk unleashed heavy rains in the area last Friday afternoon and evening. Workers had…

  • Finless porpoise found dead in Nakhon Si Thammarat after Pabuk

    Finless porpoise found dead in Nakhon Si Thammarat after Pabuk

    PHOTO: DMCR A Finless porpoise found dead on a beach in Nakhon Si Thammarat over the weekend following last Friday’s storm. The Department of Marine and Coastal Resources (DMCR) is reporting that they were informed by Vachirapong Sakunrat who found the dead dolphin at Nadan Beach in Khanom, Nakhon Si Thammarat. DMCR Officials found that it was a female Finless…

  • Paralyzed American teacher heads home to US after GoFundMe raises ,000

    Paralyzed American teacher heads home to US after GoFundMe raises $76,000

    Guillain-Barre Syndrome affects an estimated one in 100,000 people and can cause widespread paralysis Bradner’s family started a GoFundMe account to raise funds to cover her medical care in Thailand, transportation home and rehabilitation in the US Caroline Bradner woke up on the morning of December 22 in Thailand. She couldn’t move and found herself paralyzed from the neck down.…

  • Pabuk: The worst is over as southern Thailand mops up

    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…