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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Thailand prepares final strategy for Deep South peace
Is peace finally within reach for Thailand’s conflict-hit Deep South? A high-stakes mission next week may mark the turning point in ending decades of unrest in the southern border provinces. Defence Minister Phumtham Wechayachai has announced plans to visit Pattani, Yala, and Narathiwat on April 26 and 27, in what could be the final round of consultations before a formal…
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Drunk pickup driver crashes into family and blocks medical aid
A 70 year old drunk Thai man crashed his pickup into a motorcycle carrying a family of four on a road in the southern province of Phatthalung and obstructed rescue workers from providing medical assistance to the injured. The Phatthalung Rescue Foundation responded promptly to the incident, which occurred on Manora Road in the Kuan Maphrao district on the night…
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Thai man to sue police after wrongful arrest for attempted murder
A young man from Nakhon Si Thammarat is vowing to sue the police after spending five harrowing nights behind bars for a crime he didn’t commit. Phuris Saitong was released from the Nakhon Si Thammarat Correctional Institution for Young Offenders on Wednesday, April 16, after police admitted they had arrested the wrong man for an attempted murder. The moment he…
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Ex-councillor wins 90 million baht lottery jackpot in Chumphon
A former local councillor and shrimp farm owner in Chumphon struck lucky this Songkran festival by winning first prize in the lottery, securing a substantial sum of 90 million baht. This remarkable win was publicised by DJ Wongwattana Matchimasatit, a well-known radio host and former secretary to the mayor of Hat Sairee subdistrict. He shared his congratulations on Facebook, celebrating…
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Thai-Scottish park ranger resigns after row with racist foreigner
A renowned half-Thai, half-Scottish park ranger announced his resignation following a conflict with an allegedly racist foreigner in the sea off Krabi in southern Thailand. The Thai-Scottish park ranger, 29 year old Siranudh “Sai” Scott, better known on social media as Sai Merman, made headlines in February after an argument with an Italian tourist. The Italian man reportedly violated a national…
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Thai police seize 12kg of meth worth 500,000 baht in Trang
Officers from the Border Patrol Police Division 43, in collaboration with Division 435, seized 12 kilogrammes of crystal methamphetamine on Phetkasem Road in Mueang district, Trang province, yesterday, April 16. Police Major General Rungroj Thakoonpunyasiri, Deputy Commissioner of the Border Patrol Police, and Police Major General Narong Thananantakul, Commissioner of Border Patrol Police Region 4, received a report on the…
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Phi Phi Islands reopen snorkelling and diving after coral recovery
Tourists can once again dive into the crystal-clear waters of the Phi Phi Islands and this time, with a mission to protect paradise. After a year-long ban due to severe coral bleaching, snorkelling and scuba diving have officially resumed at 10 designated sites within the Hat Noppharat Thara–Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park in Krabi. The decision comes after promising…
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German couple seriously injured in crash on Phang Nga zebra crossing
A Thai baht bus driver crashed into a German couple on a zebra crossing in the southern province of Phang Nga, leaving the victims with serious injuries. Fortunately, their one year old child was unharmed. The President of the Phang Nga Tourism Business Association, Lertsak Ponklin, shared dashcam footage of the incident along with a message criticising the driver’s recklessness.…
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Tourist boat fire injures two near Koh Kut, southeast Thailand
A tourist boat carrying a family of four caught fire near Koh Kut in Trat province, injuring at least two people yesterday, April 11. Provincial officials were notified to assist at approximately 11.40am, as the Aor Subpiti was engulfed in flames, with initial reports mentioning one injured person on board. The boat held a family of four tourists and a…
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Lost in the woods: Italian tourists rescued on Koh Pha Ngan
Police on Koh Pha Ngan in Surat Thani province successfully located two Italian tourists lost in the forest for over three hours yesterday, April 11. The incident was reported by Police Lieutenant Vinij Bunchit after coordination with the Italian embassy, leading to the activation of local search and rescue teams. The two tourists, Maria Florencia Abaca and Linda Rattero, found…
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Injured foreign man vanishes after bloody bar brawl in Krabi
A foreign man, whose body was covered in blood, disappeared on his motorcycle following a brawl with his friends at a bar on Koh Lanta, an island in the southern province of Krabi, raising concerns among residents. A video showing a foreign man with bloodstains across his body was shared on social media by a Thai bar owner. The footage was…
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Malaysian man wanted for 6.9 million baht gold theft in Songkhla
Police are hunting for a Malaysian man who stole gold accessories worth over 6.9 million baht from a shop in the Hat Yai district of the southern province of Songkhla. The thief arrived at the gold shop on Montri 1 Road in Hat Yai district yesterday, April 8, wearing white trousers, a dark blue-grey polo shirt, and a hat. He…
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Trat city opposes Koh Chang expressway, fears economic impact
Residents and business owners in Trat city have expressed strong opposition to a proposed 5.9-kilometre expressway connecting Laem Ngob district to Koh Chang. They contend that this new route, which bypasses the city, could adversely affect the local economy. A second public consultation for the expressway project took place at Trat City Hotel in Mueang district on Wednesday, April 2.…
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Chinese construction firm raises safety fears at Songkhla Hospital
Concerns have emerged over the safety of a new outpatient building being constructed at Songkhla Hospital, with fears exacerbated by the involvement of a Chinese company previously linked to a collapsed building. The 426 million baht project, managed by China Railway No. 10, is under scrutiny after the firm’s involvement in a tragic incident at the Office of the Auditor…
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All aboard: Songkhla sets sail for cruise boom with new port plan
In a bold bid to transform Songkhla into a cruise hotspot, the local Chamber of Commerce has proposed the development of a dedicated cruise port to woo affluent Western tourists, while still charming traditional visitors from Malaysia and Singapore. During an eventful visit by Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra in February, Songphon Changsiriwattanathamrong, president of the Chamber of Commerce, pitched the…
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Thai Cabinet approves 721m baht for Islamic teachers’ salary boost
To enhance peace-building efforts in Thailand’s Deep South, the Cabinet has approved a hefty 721 million baht to boost the salaries of Islamic school teachers. The decision aims to support educators in the southernmost provinces of Pattani, Yala, Narathiwat, and Satun, along with specific districts in Songkhla. Deputy Government Spokesperson Anukul Prueksanusak announced the funding allocation yesterday, April 1, revealing…
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British boxer dies after first Muay Thai fight on Koh Samui
A British boxer died last week after his first Muay Thai fight on Koh Samui, an island in the southern province of Surat Thani. Bor Phut Police Station officers were alerted to the death of the British man, 30 year old Joseph Itai Rinomhota, at 12.03pm on March 29. Rinomhota died at Thai International Hospital on Koh Samui after being…
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2.1 million Yaba pills, 210kg of crystal meth found in crashed car
Police discovered 2.1 million tablets of methamphetamine, also known as Yaba, and 210 kilogrammes of crystal meth in a car involved in an accident on a road in the southern province of Phatthalung. Four suspects who were in the car successfully fled the scene. A motorist and residents near the accident site called officers from Nakhayat Police Station to investigate…
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Similan scandal: Park boss booted over dodgy e-ticket scheme
A top official at one of Thailand’s most iconic national parks has been reportedly booted from his post amid a brewing scandal over alleged ticket fraud. Rittikorn Nunloy, head of Mu Ko Similan National Park in Phang Nga province, has been transferred to an inactive position following reports of serious irregularities in the park’s e-ticketing system. The Department of National…
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Funeral woe turns to joy as Thai parents realise ‘dead’ son is alive
Thai parents held a three-day funeral for their son before discovering that he was still alive and undergoing treatment at a hospital in the southern province of Phatthalung. Amarawadee Datekhao shared the case of mistaken identity that her family experienced with ThaiRath yesterday, March 26. She explained that her 17 year old son, Pongsaphak Thaneerat, and his friend were rushed…
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Ugandan man caught smuggling 16.5kg of cocaine into Thailand
Immigration Bureau officers yesterday arrested a Ugandan man in the southern province of Songkhla for smuggling 16.5 kilogrammes of cocaine from Malaysia into Thailand. Songkhla Provincial Immigration Bureau officers yesterday, March 25, received a tip-off about a suspicious Ugandan national, 29 year old Kasim, and closely monitored him while he was staying at a hotel in the Hat Yai district of…
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Thai woman dies in car crash after van driver abandons her mid-trip
A drunk Thai woman met a tragic end after being dumped mid-journey by a van driver in Surat Thani. The driver allegedly kicked her out for annoying other passengers—only for her to be killed in a horrific car crash moments later. Officers from Tha Chi Police Station were alerted to the woman’s death on Highway 41 in the Ban Na…
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Lesson in love: Jealous wife goes full throttle in mistress chase
The jealous wife of a Thai school director pursued his alleged mistress in a high-speed car chase before eventually attacking her on a road in the southern province of Songkhla. The social media influencer Guntouch “Gun” Pongpaiboonwet shared a video on Facebook on Sunday, March 23, showing a high-speed chase between the school director’s wife and the victim. Netizens noted…
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Thailand plans 1 trillion baht land bridge to boost trade efficiency
The Ministry of Transport has introduced draft legislation for establishing a Southern Economic Zone, facilitating a substantial Land Bridge transport project to connect the Andaman Sea with the Gulf of Thailand. This bill proposes a commission to expedite the Southern Economic Corridor’s development across Chumphon, Ranong, Surat Thani, and Nakhon Si Thammarat. Transport Minister Suriya Jungrungreangkit expressed hopes for the…
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Loco antics: Drugged-up drama as man halts Hat Yai express
Pandemonium erupted in Hat Yai when a Thai man under the influence of hallucinogenic drugs turned the railway tracks into his personal stage, causing a train to come to a screeching halt. The bizarre incident, captured on video, saw the man standing, lying, and even walking towards the moving train, sparking chaos at the station. It all unfolded yesterday, March…
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Pipe bomb attack injures five at Pattani police checkpoint
Two people disguised as Muslim women threw a pipe bomb at a police checkpoint in Pattani province, injuring five residents, including a family of five. The incident occurred at 5.40pm, yesterday, March 19, when officers from the Sai Buri District Police Station were alerted to the attack at the Wat Lieb checkpoint in Taluban subdistrict. The explosion affected passersby, prompting…
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Man arrested for using fake licence plate in Phang Nga
A man has been arrested by the Central Investigation Bureau (CIB) and Highway Police after being caught with a fake licence plate in a bizarre case of forgery in Phang Nga. The suspect, identified as Nattawut, was taken into custody for the offence of forgery and use of forged official documents after a swift police operation. The case began in…
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2 German models steal from Koh Pha Ngan shop twice in one day
The Thai owner of a handcrafted home goods store on Koh Pha Ngan in the southern province of Surat Thani refused to compromise with two German male models who stole products from her store twice on the same day yesterday, March 18. The owner of the Sprout store, Ploy, took to Facebook and Instagram to expose the two German thieves after…
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Behind the cue: Rayong ‘snooker club’ gambles with the law
A recent operation in Rayong province uncovered a gambling setup disguised as a snooker club, leading to the arrest of 15 gamblers. Despite initial reports of political figures being involved, no evidence of such was found, and local police have not been reassigned. Police Major General Phumint Singhhasut, the commander of Rayong Provincial Police, yesterday, March 17, addressed the incident…
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Landslide at pipe installation site claims 2 lives in South Thailand
A landslide during a pipe installation in the southern province of Nakhon Si Thammarat claimed the lives of two workers and injured another. Officers from Khanom Police Station investigated the fatal accident at 2.30pm yesterday, March 17, at a construction site on Pu Chao Saming Road in the Khanom district of Surat Thani. Upon arrival, officers encountered the landslide at…
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