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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Almost 500 teenagers gather nightly for street racing in Pattani
Residents in Pattani asked for urgent action today, March 11, after large groups of teenagers were seen gathering overnight to race motorcycles on a public road, causing noise disruption and raising safety concerns for other road users. The complaints centre on repeated incidents on Road 43. Residents said that nearly 500 people began assembling from about 12am, parking motorcycles along…
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Hungry monkeys swarm Hat Yai park, snatching food from visitors
A group of tourists in Hat Yai complained today, March 9, that hungry monkeys are coming down from a nearby mountain to snatch food and, in some cases, try to bite people at Hat Yai Municipality Public Park in Songkhla province. The complaint was raised after visitors said a large troop of monkeys was targeting people carrying meals inside the…
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Three foreigners arrested on Koh Pha Ngan in drug crackdown
Three foreign nationals were arrested on Koh Pha Ngan, Surat Thani province, yesterday, March 8, after immigration officers expanded an investigation into suspected drug distribution to tourists on the island. The arrests followed an investigation that began after a Brazilian drug delivery suspect identified as Pedro was detained on Koh Pha Ngan on March 5 in a drug trafficking case.…
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Seven earthquakes shake Surat Thani, no damage reported
A series of small earthquakes was recorded in Khao Phang subdistrict, Ban Ta Khun district, Surat Thani province, yesterday, March 8, and into early today, March 9, with residents reporting the tremors were clearly felt near Rajjaprabha Dam. The tremors were recorded seven times in one day, with epicentres about one kilometre underground near Rajjaprabha Dam. Five of the earthquakes…
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Two Ugandan women arrested in Koh Pha Ngan prostitution sting
Tourist Police arrested two Ugandan women on Koh Pha Ngan in Surat Thani yesterday, March 1, after an Israeli tourist reported suspected theft linked to an alleged prostitution service. The arrests followed a complaint from an Israeli tourist, who claimed his property had gone missing after using a service offered by a Ugandan woman allegedly involved in prostitution. Investigators then…
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Speeding stop leads to arrest of Russian man on Koh Pha Ngan
On February 25, tourist police arrested a Russian man with drugs on Koh Pha Ngan, Surat Thani, after stopping a speeding car and later searching his home, where multiple types of narcotics were found. The arrest followed patrols at about 7pm on February 25, where officers followed a car travelling at high speed in a community area. When the vehicle…
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Teenager stabs ex-girlfriend after she refuses to reconcile
A 16 year old Thai boy stabbed his ex-girlfriend in Songkhla province on Saturday, February 21, after she refused to reconcile following a break-up. The victim’s father, 49 year old Udomrat, said the attack happened at about 2.50pm at a teacher welfare residence where his daughter, Fai, was taking extra classes. He shared details of the case with news agencies,…
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South Korean man tragically drowns off Railay Beach, Krabi
A South Korean tourist tragically drowned while swimming with his child off Railay Beach in Krabi on Sunday, February 22. Rangers from Hat Noppharat Thara–Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park were alerted to the incident at about 3pm and recovered the man from the sea. He was later identified as 48 year old South Korean national, Lee Juhyun. Rangers and…
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Similan Islands warns tourists after Blue Button jellyfish spotted
A temporary closure has been imposed at a swimming area in Similan Islands National Park, Phang Nga, after officials warned yesterday, February 22, that blue button jellyfish have been found along the shoreline. The park said on its Facebook page that it detected the jellyfish, also known as Porpita Porpita, and commonly referred to as the Blue Button, in some…
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Thai man arrested for beating and burning Siberian Husky in Songkhla
Police in Songkhla arrested a Thai man for beating and burning a Siberian Husky on February 13. The suspect said he acted in retaliation after the dog attacked his rooster. The two year old female Husky, Molly, escaped from her home in Songkhla on February 12 along with another dog, Betsy. Their owners reviewed security camera footage and said the…
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Siberian Husky abused and burned in Songkhla after escaping home
A Thai man is seeking the attacker who abused and set his Siberian Husky on fire after the dog escaped from his home in Songkhla on February 12. The owner, 52 year old Somchai Chanawanno, shared details of the attack on his two year old female dog, Molly, with several media outlets and the Watchdog Thailand Foundation (WDT) as he…
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Songkhla teacher denies mistreating student as motive for fatal shooting
A male teacher denied claims that he mistreated the younger sister of an 18 year old gunman in a fatal shooting at Phatongprathan Kiriwat School in Hat Yai district, Songkhla, on Wednesday, February 11. The teenage suspect, Khemmanan, also known as Khem, entered the school at about 4pm and held students and teachers hostage before opening the fire. The principal,…
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46 foreign extras arrested in Krabi for working without permits
Police arrested 46 foreign extras yesterday, February 12, after discovering they were working without permits at an abandoned mine in Krabi province while filming a television series reportedly based in Dubai. Officers from the Krabi Provincial Employment Office, Mueang Krabi Police Station, Border Patrol Police, and Immigration Bureau conducted a joint raid at the mine in the Thab Prik sub-district…
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Overlapping score sheets seen again in Trang vote count footage
A viral video recorded in Kantang district, Trang province, appeared to show two election officials marking tallies behind overlapping score sheets, raising eyebrows regarding the transparency of the process. The footage, shared today, February 12, by the Facebook page “อีซ้อขยี้ข่าว อีซ้อ”, shows a similar setup to a previously circulated clip in which score sheets are placed over one another on a…
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Krabi installs heart-shaped traffic lights for Valentine’s Day
Krabi Municipality installed heart-shaped red traffic lights at major intersections in the city yesterday, February 11, to celebrate Valentine’s Day, later sharing photos on its official Facebook page. The unusual traffic lights, shaped like hearts instead of the standard circular red signal, were posted on the official Krabi Municipality Facebook page and quickly drew attention online. The decorative red signals…
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School shooting in Songkhla leaves principal dead, students injured
A young gunman stormed into Phatongprathan Kiriwat School in Hat Yai, Songkhla, yesterday afternoon, February 11, after seizing a police rifle, opening fire on staff and students, and taking hostages before eventually surrendering. Police were first alerted to the incident at 2.54pm after receiving reports of a young man armed with a machete in the Thung Lung area. Officers and…
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Rare dugongs observed in Trang marine habitat survey
Marine researchers in Trang province teamed up with wildlife defenders yesterday, February 4, to survey dugong populations near Libong Island, using drone technology and direct observation to assess the condition of these rare sea mammals. The survey was led by staff from the Marine National Park Research Centre 3 (Trang) in collaboration with the Dugong Conservation Group, and it was…
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German man arrested for political graffiti on Koh Pha Ngan
Police arrested a German man known locally as “Mr Spray” after he spray-painted political graffiti across multiple locations on Koh Pha Ngan in Surat Thani province. The suspect was arrested at a hotel in Bangkok on Tuesday, February 4. Residents and business operators on Koh Pha Ngan turned to social media to seek help identifying the foreign man, after numerous…
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15 year old boy arrested over 2.4 million baht gold theft in Hat Yai
Police arrested a 15 year old boy for a gold shop robbery at a supermarket in Hat Yai district, Songkhla province, in which gold accessories worth more than 2.4 million baht were stolen. The robbery occurred at around 6.30pm inside a gold shop located within Lotus’s supermarket in Hat Yai. CCTV footage showed the suspect dressed entirely in black and…
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Israeli and El Salvadoran men rescued from Koh Pha Ngan forest
Tourist Police officers, together with local administrative officials, successfully rescued two foreign tourists, Israeli and Salvadoran men, who became lost in a forest on Koh Pha Ngan in Surat Thani province last night, February 4. According to authorities, Koh Pha Ngan Tourist Police received an emergency call via the tourist police hotline 1155 from two foreign men who reported that…
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Koh Samui police demolishes 600 illegal exhaust pipes
Police in Koh Samui today, February 3, destroyed more than 600 illegal motorcycle exhaust pipes seized from street racers, as part of an ongoing crackdown on noise pollution and reckless driving in the community. The public destruction took place in front of Koh Samui Police Station, led by Police Colonel Panya Niratimanon, Superintendent of Koh Samui Police Station. He was…
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Thai family welcomes foreigners who mistake funeral feast for restaurant
A Thai family in Nakhon Si Thammarat province warmly welcomed and served food to two groups of foreigners who mistakenly believed that the family’s funeral event was a restaurant. The incident was shared online by a Thai man named Charantorn Chareomkiad, who posted videos from his family’s funeral ceremony held on Saturday, January 31, in Nakhon Si Thammarat province. In…
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‘Mr Spray’ wanted for defacing Koh Pha Ngan with political graffiti
Residents and local business operators on Koh Pha Ngan in Surat Thani province called on police to take action against “Mr Spay“, a foreign man who spray-painted political slogans on public and private property across the island. Residents told reporters that the man spray-painted messages such as “Save Gaza” and “Libre” on traffic signs, electricity poles, and walls belonging to…
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Foreign tourists’ pickup stuck in sand at Phang Nga beach
Two foreign tourists found themselves in a sticky situation yesterday evening, February 2, after their pickup truck became stuck in the sand at Na Tai Beach in Phang Nga province. The incident unfolded around 7pm on February 2 while a local woman, Wilawan, and her friends were camping and fishing along the shoreline in Khok Kloi subdistrict, Takua Thung district.…
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Researchers uncover new ant species in Trang rubber plantation
A team of Thai researchers has discovered a new species of ant in a rubber plantation near a tourist cave in Trang province. The insect has not been seen again since the area underwent development. Yesterday, January 28, Dr Weeyawat Jaitrong, senior entomologist and researcher with the National Science Museum of Thailand, confirmed the identification of a previously unknown ant…
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Stranded whale dies in Satun despite rescue attempts from locals
A young whale over five metres long died yesterday, January 27, after straying into shallow waters near a fishing community in Satun, despite repeated attempts by locals to guide it back to deeper sea. The incident took place in the coastal area of Baan Puyu, where residents discovered the weakened whale struggling near a boat dock in Moo 3 village.…
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Surat Thani nightclub sparks backlash over contemporary nora dance
A nightclub in Surat Thani province sparked online controversy after featuring a contemporary nora folk dance performance during its New Year celebration last year. A video of the performance circulated widely on Thai social media and was later reposted by the popular news Facebook page Jmoi V+. The footage showed three performers dressed in full traditional nora costumes dancing on…
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Nigerian drug dealer arrested on Koh Pha Ngan after skipping court
Police arrested a Nigerian drug dealer on Koh Pha Ngan in Surat Thani on Wednesday, January 14, after he skipped court proceedings following an earlier arrest. Officers from the Koh Pha Ngan Tourist Police received a tip-off that the suspect, 38 year old Nigerian national Ukoma Jefta Nuzbech, who was wanted in a drug case, was travelling along a road…
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Myanmar man goes on car-smashing rampage in Satun
A Myanmar national was arrested yesterday morning, January 13, after allegedly damaging 19 parked vehicles in Satun’s La-ngu district using stones and a digging tool. The incident occurred around 3am in Moo 6, La-ngu subdistrict, where the suspect, a 45 year old man identified only as Saw, was captured on CCTV picking up a stone and smashing two cars parked…
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Truck crash in Phatthalung reveals suspected Rohingya smuggling
A road crash involving two trucks in Phatthalung yesterday, January 12, left multiple people injured and led police to uncover what they believe was the illegal transport of Rohingya migrants. The accident occurred on the southbound lane of the Asia Highway in Moo 1, Chamong subdistrict, Khuan Khanun district. Officers from Khuan Khanun Police Station responded to the scene alongside…
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