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.

  • Sponsored

    Limited-time deal: Save 20% on Cigna's expat health plans forever

    Starting a new life abroad is exciting—new culture, new lifestyle, and new chances to grow. But living far from home also means taking steps to protect your health in unfamiliar surroundings. Without the right coverage, even small health issues can...

  • Full Moon Party faces Buddha Days, water shortages this month

    Full Moon Party faces Buddha Days, water shortages this month

    Local party and event organisers have scrambled to host the infamous Full Moon Party on Haad Rin Beach in Koh Pha Ngan this week while facing a number of setbacks. The country is seeing a surge in tourism due to the super-extended six-day holiday weekend, but that brings a downside for the partygoers on the island. Normally the week of…

  • Koh Tao sees record-breaking one-day tourist influx

    Koh Tao sees record-breaking one-day tourist influx

    The island of Koh Tao has seen a record-breaking number of tourists reported to have landed on July 28. The Surat Thani Provincial Governor, Wichuwat Jinto, shared the good news earlier today. Koh Tao, the smallest of the three main southern gulf islands, welcomed a staggering 3,106 visitors, all of whom arrived via boat on the same day. This influx…

  • Firework warehouse explosion kills 12, damages 292 homes

    Firework warehouse explosion kills 12, damages 292 homes

    In the Sungai Kolok district of the Deep South province of Narathiwat, a devastating explosion in a firework warehouse claimed 12 lives and injured another 121 injuries yesterday. The explosion also resulted in significant damage to the surrounding area with 292 houses reported to be damaged or entirely obliterated, as announced by the provincial public relations office on their Facebook…

  • Radical imagery paraded at school event called child exploitation

    Radical imagery paraded at school event called child exploitation

    In light of a controversial incident at a recent sports day event in the Panare district of the deep south province of Pattani, the Internal Security Operations Command’s (ISOC) Region 4 Forward Command is reportedly preparing to take legal action. This follows the child exploitation allegations as children were paraded holding images of deceased insurgents. The sight has sparked social…

  • Ex-Hat Yai mayor handed 9-year prison sentence and heft fine over monument funds misuse

    Ex-Hat Yai mayor handed 9-year prison sentence and heft fine over monument funds misuse

    In a long-standing case spanning over 18 years, the former mayor of Hat Yai City in Songkhla province has been handed a nine-year prison sentence and a fine of 12.4 million baht by the Supreme Court. The verdict came yesterday, related to accusations dating back to between February 1 and February 4, 2005. Prai Pattano was accused of misspending funds…

  • Herb collector saved in 16-hour daring mountain rescue operation in southern Thailand

    Herb collector saved in 16-hour daring mountain rescue operation in southern Thailand

    A high-intensity rescue operation managed to save the life of a 55 year old man from a precarious mountain fall in the Chao Pra Mountain, located in Trang province in southern Thailand. This formidable rescue mission, which spanned 16 hours, was carried out by more than 30 expert rescue workers who found the injured man within a crevice on the…

  • Massive Hat Yai raid seizes 5,000+ illicit cigarette packs, 2 arrested

    Massive Hat Yai raid seizes 5,000+ illicit cigarette packs, 2 arrested

    A major raid took place today in southern Thailand, where police, Songkhla administrative officials, and officers from the Excise Office raided a large illicit cigarette shop. The officials seized a considerable amount of contraband alongside a hefty sum of cash. The incident took place in the city of Hat Yai in Songkhla province. The operation was headed by Chavakij Suwankiri,…

  • Chumphon durian farmer fatally shot: Locals feared regular gunfire

    Chumphon durian farmer fatally shot: Locals feared regular gunfire

    Police are on the hunt for a gunman who shot dead a 63 year old durian farm owner in his backyard. Locals reported frequent gunfire from the victim’s farm, causing anxiety amidst fears of stray shots. The incident occurred at around 4.30pm today when the police received a report of a fatal shooting in a durian orchard in southern Thailand.…

  • Southern Thailand calamity: Lorry crash kills retired school director, triggers village blackout

    Southern Thailand calamity: Lorry crash kills retired school director, triggers village blackout

    A lorry plunged into a house and hit a retired school director who was out for a walk, causing fatal injuries, in a village in southern Thailand. The mishap also caused damage to a residence and a high-voltage power pole and left three motorcycles damaged. Lieutenant Bundit Prasert, deputy investigator of Betong Police Station, today rushed to the scene at…

  • Thai woman detained over fraudulent number plates and illegal cigarettes haul

    Thai woman detained over fraudulent number plates and illegal cigarettes haul

    The Highway Police detained a Thai woman over fraudulent number plates attached to her vehicle. This follows a report from a man who received a speeding ticket, despite never having driven in the area where the offence was allegedly committed. After an investigation by the police, the suspect was tracked down. The search also revealed an additional case with numerous…

  • Storm hits Trang, uprooted tree traps bedridden woman in her home

    Storm hits Trang, uprooted tree traps bedridden woman in her home

    As storms lashed the district of Kantang in the southern Trang province last night, emergency services were called to rescue a 78 year old bedridden woman and her family. The disastrous weather resulted in a 100 year old banyan tree falling on their residence and trapping them inside. The rescue operation was coordinated with local authorities under the leadership of…

  • Scorpions found in Longkong fruit: Thai mother stung in southern Thailand

    Scorpions found in Longkong fruit: Thai mother stung in southern Thailand

    A woman needed medical attention after getting stung by a scorpion after the deadly creature made a nest in some Longkong fruit in southern Thailand. A Thai man alerted fellow netizens after finding four of these deadly creatures hiding within 2 kilogrammes of the fruit bought for his mother. The shocking incident led to an outpouring of similar experiences from the…

  • Ex-military man turns himself in for fatal case of mistaken identity in milk trailer shoot-out

    Ex-military man turns himself in for fatal case of mistaken identity in milk trailer shoot-out

    In a shocking turn of events, a woman who drove a milk transport trailer was brutally gunned down in a tragic case of mistaken identity. An ex-military personnel, assigned to the Thung Song area in Nakhon Si Thammarat, turned himself in and confessed to being the gunman, in lieu of a mercenary fee. However, he had targeted the wrong person. The…

  • Songkhla temple encourages solar cell donations, not traditional wax candles, for Lent

    Songkhla temple encourages solar cell donations, not traditional wax candles, for Lent

    A temple in Songkhla province put up a clear sign requesting that instead of offering traditional wax candles for the upcoming Buddhist Lent, supporters should donate solar cells. The use of local language on the signage has added a touch of levity and sparked conversation amongst the community. Lieb Temple has grabbed attention with its unique request showcased on banners…

  • 12-day mystery unfolds as missing Thai woman’s body found near coconut plantation

    12-day mystery unfolds as missing Thai woman’s body found near coconut plantation

    Police are investigating circumstances surrounding the disfigured and naked body of a Thai woman discovered near a coconut plantation in Nakhon Si Thammarat, Thailand. The Thai woman, whose body had been mutilated by animals, had been missing from home for 12 days. The shocking discovery was made close to a creak near the plantation, on the road to a sand…

  • Songkran murder fugitive captured after 18-year hunt

    Songkran murder fugitive captured after 18-year hunt

    In the province of Songkhla, police finally ended a decades-long hunt for a suspect in a Songkran murder case. Police yesterday apprehended a 38 year old native of Klong Hoy Khong, Songkhla, who has been on the run for 18 years. The dramatic events unfolded during the celebrations of Songkran in 2005. Chaitawat, along with his two allies, found themselves…

  • 20 illegal Myanmar migrants captured in Thailand on way to Malaysia

    20 illegal Myanmar migrants captured in Thailand on way to Malaysia

    In a new development on Thailand’s immigration issues, 20 illegal migrants from Myanmar were captured in their pursuit of work in Malaysia. The migrants were hiding at an abandoned property in Sadao, a district forming part of the southern border province Songkhla. Acting on collected intelligence yesterday suggesting the house was sheltering those travelling unlawfully to Malaysia, Immigration and local…

  • Trang unveils Nang Fa Waterfall, capturing the hearts of tourists

    Trang unveils Nang Fa Waterfall, capturing the hearts of tourists

    Trang province boasts a brilliant new tourist attraction that has already grabbed the attention of foreign visitors. Named Nang Fa Waterfall, also known as the slider, offers shimmering water amid a backdrop of stunning nature and enthralling activities. The local community plays a part in preserving and promoting this tourist spot. Residents of Tambon Chong in Trang’s Na Yong district…

  • Roadside rescue turns into drug bust as police uncover meth pills and firearms

    Roadside rescue turns into drug bust as police uncover meth pills and firearms

    A potential roadside rescue incident today remarkably turned into a drug bust. Highway police in Surat Thani province initially responded to what appeared to be a broken-down vehicle but unexpectedly stumbled upon a sizeable drug haul hidden in the car’s compartment. The suspicious behaviour of the driver, a 31 year old man, led the police to undertake a search of…

  • Perplexing plot: Retired cop’s final chapter unfolds mysteriously amid plantation tragedy

    Perplexing plot: Retired cop’s final chapter unfolds mysteriously amid plantation tragedy

    Tragedy struck when a retired police officer was found dead under mysterious circumstances on a road amid a plantation. The deceased, a retired police officer, was reportedly living near the crime scene, about 300 metres away. Around 7.09pm yesterday, officers from the Police Station in Kanchanadit district, Surat Thani province, responded to a report of an assault inflicted in Moo…

  • Taking the insurgency by storm: Southern Thailand’s military withdrawal sets off in full swing

    Taking the insurgency by storm: Southern Thailand’s military withdrawal sets off in full swing

    The forthcoming military withdrawal in the southern region of Thailand, which has seen 19 years of insurgent unrest, is currently in its initial phase, according to Fourth Region Army commander, Lt. Gen. Santi Sakuntanak. The four-year plan aims to gradually decrease military presence and remove the state of emergency that has been prevalent in the area. Since 2004, Yala, Narathiwat,…

  • Sichon set to champion tranquil tourism in Southern Thailand as destination emerges as new travel hot spot

    Sichon set to champion tranquil tourism in Southern Thailand as destination emerges as new travel hot spot

    Seafront enclave in Nakhon Si Thammarat to start welcoming international flights Travellers are able to explore the authentic cultural and natural heritage of the region Former Laguna Phuket CEO, Ravi Chandran, heralds the huge potential of the destination Southern Thailand never fails to wow the world’s travellers with its sandy beaches, spectacular scenery and rich cultural heritage. Now, a new…

  • Pattalung school teacher investigated for alleged child abuse

    Pattalung school teacher investigated for alleged child abuse

    A female teacher is under investigation for alleged child abuse at a school in Pattalung‘s Pa Phayom district. The investigations follow reports that the teacher hit the back of a five year old boy, leaving visible bruises, after he accidentally scratched her car. The incident came to light when the boy’s parents lodged a formal complaint at the local police…

  • Thai father unveils child abuse by nursery teacher over car damage incident

    Thai father unveils child abuse by nursery teacher over car damage incident

    A 38 year old father of a five year old boy reported that his son was physically abused by a female nursery teacher in Pa Phayom district, Phatthalung province, sothern Thailand. The father discovered red and purple bruises on his son’s back during bath time, which his son affirmed, were inflicted by a teacher at the school. Stating the sequence…

  • Teen brutally attacked by former friend at Surat Thani school

    Teen brutally attacked by former friend at Surat Thani school

    A school experience turned traumatic for a 16 year old secondary school girl in Surat Thani province when a former close female friend scarred her face and stabbed her in the stomach with a knife in the middle of school premises. The assault landed her with severe injuries. The school’s principal dismissed the idea that the news was suppressed after…

  • Concern rises over potential human trafficking as 5 women vanish in South Thailand

    Concern rises over potential human trafficking as 5 women vanish in South Thailand

    Concerns of potential human trafficking are rising in South Thailand‘s Nakhon Si Thammarat province after five women mysteriously disappeared from the province three months ago. A distressed relative reached out to an influential social media page for help, claiming that communications were lost after his younger sister’s boyfriend picked them up in a white van from their home. The man,…

  • Decapitated body missing hands found floating off Thai islands

    Decapitated body missing hands found floating off Thai islands

    A man’s decapitated body, which was also missing its hands, was found floating off of Thailand‘s Koh Phi Phi islands. Krabi Marine Police were alerted to the grim discovery by the staff of Hat Nopparat Thara – Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park on Saturday, according to Matichon. Emergency responders arrived at the scene, located approximately 500 metres west of…

  • Fresh complaint to target key players in Thailand’s ‘Patani state’ referendum

    Fresh complaint to target key players in Thailand’s ‘Patani state’ referendum

    Another complaint will be lodged against figures involved in championing a ‘Patani state’ independence referendum. This declaration was made by Lieutenant General Santi Sakuntanak, the commander of the Fourth Region Army and the director of the Internal Security Operations Command (Isoc) Region 4. Lieutenant General Santi yesterday reported that security personnel are in the process of collecting evidence before submitting…

  • Marine police seize Vietnamese fishing vessels in Songkhla crackdown

    Marine police seize Vietnamese fishing vessels in Songkhla crackdown

    Thailand’s southern Songkhla province witnessed a series of Marine Police actions as two Vietnamese fishing vessels were seized and their crew members detained, according to authorities. These events unfolded yesterday in the waters of the southern regions of Pattani and Nakhon Si Thammarat. Pol. Lt. Col. Nathapong Takaew, the deputy head of the Songkhla-based Marine Police Sub-division 7, reported today…

  • Double bereavement: Car collision kills woman days after mother’s funeral

    Double bereavement: Car collision kills woman days after mother’s funeral

    A tragic car accident claimed the life of a 65 year old Thai woman, Sakorn, amid the grieving period for her mother’s funeral. The incident has reportedly piled sorrow on the family who were just recovering from their recent loss. The accident occurred at around 8am today, on the road connecting Nakhon Si Thammarat and Pak Phanang. The investigating officers…