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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Sponsored How to reduce out-of-pocket medical expenses in Thailand?
Managing medical expenses in Thailand is important as healthcare costs continue to rise. The country’s healthcare system includes both public and private options, but even with the Universal Coverage Scheme (UCS) for citizens, many still face high out-of-pocket medical expenses....
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Surat Thani to welcome new cruise terminal by 2032
Plans are underway to construct a large cruise terminal in Surat Thani, set for completion by 2032 in a move to boost the tourism economy and accommodate increasing international cruise traffic in the southern province. Government spokesperson Jirayu Houngsub announced this during a visit to Surat Thani yesterday, March 9, to assess the port development progress, following the Cabinet’s approval…
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Nighttime explosion in Pattani claims three lives, investigation underway (video)
A nighttime explosion in the Sai Buri district, Pattani province, resulted in the immediate deaths of three officials. The incident occurred yesterday, March 8 at approximately 11.20pm, prompting police to await daylight for further investigation due to concerns about additional explosive devices. Residents are urged to report any suspicious person or objects to the police promptly. At around 11.20pm, the…
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Man arrested in Nakhon Si Thammarat for machete threats
A notorious machete-wielding troublemaker was arrested while sleeping at his home in Nakhon Si Thammarat province after repeatedly threatening locals and rescue workers while under the influence of drugs. The arrest took place yesterday, March 6, when Police Colonel Sonthaya Panpaen of the Nopphitam Police Station, alongside officers from the Human Trafficking Suppression Division, tracked down 34 year old Sarawut…
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Thailand’s Lawa Yai island wins top beach award
Lawa Yai, an unspoiled tropical retreat in Ao Phang Nga National Park, has just landed a major international honour, securing ISO 13009:2015 certification for top-tier beach management and sustainable tourism. This recognition puts the island on the map as a world-class destination that blends environmental preservation with visitor-friendly services. Phob Toonsang, chief of the national park’s first conservation unit, hailed…
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AIS wired to untangle Thailand’s messy power poles
AIS is stepping up its game in supporting the government and public safety by tackling one of Thailand’s most notorious urban eyesores: tangled, overloaded power poles. In a major collaboration with the Provincial Electricity Authority (PEA), AIS dispatched a specialist team of engineers to Ban Chang district in Rayong province to dismantle and organise telecommunications cables and equipment attached to…
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Prominent betel garden owner found dead in Phatthalung plantation
A well-known betel garden owner was found dead on his plantation after failing to return home, leaving his devastated family grappling with the shocking loss. The tragic discovery was made yesterday, March 4 at 8pm, when Mueang Phatthalung Police received a report of a body found in a betel plantation in Rom Mueang subdistrict, Phatthalung province. Police Lieutenant Prasert Duang-iad,…
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Koh Pha Ngan police accused of ignoring foreign cannabis thieves
A Thai cannabis shop owner accused police officers on Koh Pha Ngan island, in the southern province of Surat Thani, of inaction after they allegedly ignored a cannabis theft committed by two foreigners on February 26. Jariya Kamonrat, the owner of the cannabis shop, Monkey’s Dispensary, posted in a Facebook group for business operators on Koh Pha Ngan to seek…
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Nigerian dealer arrested on Koh Pha Ngan with 240,000 baht of cocaine
Police arrested a Nigerian drug dealer on Koh Pha Ngan, an island in the southern province of Surat Thani, at the weekend, and seized 240,000 baht worth of cocaine. Pha Ngan Tourist Police officers received a tip-off that a Nigerian man on the island was offering drugs to other foreign tourists in the area. He personally delivered the drugs to…
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Myanmar nationals arrested for illegal business on Koh Phangan
A Myanmar national operating a motorcycle rental business on Koh Phangan, earning 20,000 baht daily, was apprehended for engaging in a profession restricted to Thai citizens. His employee, also from Myanmar, faced arrest. Tourist police, immigration officers, and local officials conducted a raid at a motorcycle repair shop in Ban Hat Rin Village 6, Ban Tai subdistrict. They arrested the…
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18-wheel truck crash in Phatthalung injures 4, damages van
An 18-wheel truck collided with a passenger van, causing the van to crash into a streetlight pole in Phatthalung province. The accident today, February 28, resulted in severe damage to the vehicle and injuries to four people, though fortunately, there were no fatalities. Police Lieutenant Apipat Maisuk from Khuan Khanun Police Station was informed of the accident, which took place…
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Deadly cobra snagged in Trang, residents eye lottery jackpot
In the sleepy surroundings of Lamor subdistrict, in southern Thailand, a daring snake rescue played out in front of house number 95/2, where a 2-metre-long cobra took unwelcome refuge, throwing the local community into a hiss-terical frenzy. A team led by 20 year old “Benz” Suphat Iadchata from Benz Asorapith Trang, yesterday, February 27, responded to a homeowner’s SOS call:…
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Top cop gunned down after mosque prayers in Pattani
A senior police officer was shot dead as he returned from prayers at a mosque in Pattani province yesterday, February 27, marking another deadly attack in Thailand’s troubled southern region. The officer, 58 year old Police Lieutenant Muhammad Azan Jamae, Deputy Inspector of the 6th Investigation Division, Natural Resources and Environmental Crime Suppression Division, was ambushed outside his home in Ban…
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Thaksin vows to end Thai unrest, sparking strategy concerns
Former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra’s commitment to ending the unrest in southern Thailand by next year has sparked concerns and led to inquiries regarding the government’s actual strategies to address the situation, according to a political scholar from Thammasat University. As an informal adviser to the ASEAN chair, Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, Thaksin made a significant visit to the…
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Ex Thai boxer injured in gang attack over parking dispute (video)
An ex Thai boxer yesterday sustained a broken nasal bone in an alleged gang attack, reportedly including a security guard and motorcycle taxi riders, at a bus terminal in the southern province of Krabi. The 41 year old ex-boxer, Narong, better known as Saddam Kietyongyuth, shared the details of the gang attack with Channel 7 to seek justice for himself. The…
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Thai van driver fined after schoolboy falls through back door
A Thai schoolboy survived after falling from a school van onto the road when the rear door accidentally opened while the vehicle was in motion in the southern province of Nakhon Si Thammarat. A Thai man, Supachai Saetuang, who was driving behind the school van and witnessed the incident, shared dashcam footage on Facebook to warn other school van drivers and…
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Fatal nap: Passenger found dead on Rayong-Nakhon Phanom bus
A routine bus journey turned tragic when a passenger was found dead in his seat, having been mistaken for being asleep by fellow travellers. The chilling discovery was made when the bus driver attempted to wake him at his stop, only to find his body cold and unresponsive. The incident occurred on a tour bus travelling from Rayong to Nakhon…
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Lao woman arrested in Hat Yai prostitution sting
In a dramatic undercover operation, Hat Yai Police busted a Lao woman running a covert prostitution ring through the LINE app, exposing a hidden world of illicit activity in the heart of Hat Yai, Songkhla province. The sting operation, led by Police Colonel Nattapong Koet-iem, Superintendent of the 6th Police Station, uncovered the scheme operating out of a resort on…
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Student falls out of moving van in Nakhon Si Thammarat
A terrifying moment was caught on camera when a school child fell out of a moving van in the middle of a busy intersection in Nakhon Si Thammarat province. The shocking incident occurred today, February 25, as the back door of the school van suddenly swung open, sending the boy tumbling onto the road. Miraculously, the car behind managed to…
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Thai woman stages fake wedding, refused to reveal her motive (video)
A Thai man took to social media to reveal that a Thai woman faked a wedding with him and tricked her friends into attending the ceremony at a resort in the southern province of Prachuap Khiri Khan. Netizens took to social media saying they were suspicious of both of them, the fake bride and groom. The 34 year old Thai…
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Bribery scandal sparks crackdown at Laem Chabang Port
Thailand’s busiest deep-sea port, Laem Chabang, is under scrutiny as the Port Authority of Thailand (PAT) launches an urgent investigation into severe traffic congestion and a bribery scandal involving queue-jumping fees. With over 6 million trucks passing through the port annually, the PAT is racing to implement solutions, including a crackdown on corruption, to restore order and efficiency, said PAT…
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Thai father commits suicide to avoid penalty for daughter’s sexual abuse
A Thai father committed suicide in a durian plantation in the southern province of Chum Phon today, February 24, to escape a legal punishment after his 15 year old daughter came forward to seek justice after years of sexual abuse. The community leader in the Phato district of Chum Phon revealed to MGR Online that the teenage victim’s 15 year…
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Thaksin unfazed by bombings, sees hope in the Deep South
Former Prime Minister of Thailand Thaksin Shinawatra expressed his lack of concern over recent bombings in the Deep South during his visit to the area, noting that past assassination attempts have failed to intimidate him. This comment followed bombings in Yala province on Saturday, February 22, and at Narathiwat Airport yesterday morning, where his plane was scheduled to land. In…
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Motorcycle gang shooting injures three in Phatthalung
Three people sustained injuries in a shooting involving a motorcycle gang in Phatthalung province. The assailant, who had no prior conflict with the group, returned to shoot a 12 year old girl after initially targeting others. At approximately 2.30am yesterday, February 23, Police Captain Wuttichai Saengchatree of Khuan Khanun Police Station was informed of a shooting on the Asian Highway…
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Explosions in southern Thailand ahead of Thaksin’s visit
Explosions erupted this morning in Thailand’s southern border provinces of Yala and Narathiwat ahead of the visit by former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra. In Yala province, a civilian lost his life and seven police officers sustained injuries following a bomb explosion in front of a supermarket in Bannang Sata district yesterday night. The incident occurred on Highway 10, in front…
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Phang Nga to host mobile lottery draw on March 1
The upcoming lottery draw on March 1 will be a mobile draw held in Phang Nga province. The Government Lottery Office plans to conduct the draw at the Le Erawan Hotel’s Mai Fah Room in Mueang district, Phang Nga. Khaosod Online has compiled a decade’s worth of statistics from March 1 draws. This includes notable repeating numbers and popular numbers…
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Police track down gunman who fatally shot pet dog in Koh Samui
Police are searching for a gunman who fatally shot a four year old dog in a community in Koh Samui, an island in the southern province of Surat Thani, on Monday, February 17. A 35 year old Thai woman, Wiramaya, is seeking justice for her mixed Thai Bangkaew-Labrador dog, Lucky, who was shot dead on Monday. The lifeless dog was…
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Gunmen ambush police in Pattani, killing two officers
Gunfire erupted late last night when a group of assailants ambushed police officers in Yarang district, resulting in the immediate deaths of two officers at the scene. The incident occurred yesterday, February 19, at approximately 11.25pm, prompting an urgent investigation to track down the perpetrators. Residents alerted the police upon hearing gunshots in the middle of the night. The unidentified…
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Thaksin Shinawatra to visit Narathiwat for security talks
Thaksin Shinawatra, the former Prime Minister of Thailand, is set to visit Narathiwat on Sunday, February 23 as an informal adviser to the ASEAN chair, where he will discuss security matters with officials in Thailand’s Deep South. The visit, confirmed by Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Phumtham Wechayachai yesterday, marks Thaksin’s first return to the region since his tenure…
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Fire destroys Phatthalung home, residents escape unscathed
A fire engulfed the home of an 83 year old former forestry official late at night in the Phatthalung area. The blaze destroyed the wooden house, though fortunately, all five residents escaped unharmed. The fire is suspected to have been caused by an electrical short circuit. Police Captain Sorawit Rakjui, duty officer at Mueang Phatthalung Police Station, received a report…
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Thai transwoman nabbed after Indian gold heist goes off-chain
Police arrested a Thai transwoman and her friend for physically assaulting an Indian man and stealing his gold necklace, valued at 120,000 baht, at a hotel in the southern province of Songkhla. The incident occurred after the victim refused her sexual services, claiming she looked different from her online profile. The 41 year old Indian victim filed a complaint at…
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