Surat Thani

  • Thailand NewsBroken railway crossing barrier in Thailand costs local mayor his life

    Broken railway crossing barrier in Thailand costs local mayor his life

    The Mayor of Nasan was killed by an oncoming train as he drove his car over a railway crossing yesterday in Surat Thani province in southern Thailand. One of four barriers was broken. Kosol Sutthangkun, the 63 year old Mayor of Nasan Municipality, was driving home from a funeral when he was fatally struck by Bangkok – Trang Express Train…

  • Thailand NewsDrug addict arrested for murdering employer with chainsaw

    Drug addict arrested for murdering employer with chainsaw

    A Thai man was arrested at the weekend after he used a chainsaw to murder his employer while they worked together in a rubber plantation in the southern province of Surat Thani. The murderer tested positive for drugs, and police found a chainsaw and a knife covered in blood at the scene. A resident who lived near the murder scene…

  • Crime NewsThai man attacks nephew’s 2 Pit Bulls with a meat cleaver

    Thai man attacks nephew’s 2 Pit Bulls with a meat cleaver

    Two Pit Bulls are seriously injured after they were attacked with a meat cleaver by their owner’s neighbour, who is also his uncle, on Saturday night in Surat Thani province, southern Thailand. Late Saturday night, the Surat Thani Rescue Radio Centre received a call to help the two dogs attacked with a knife. Rescue workers found two Pit Bull dogs…

  • Thailand NewsNational park officer becomes an alien to promote tourism in southern Thailand

    National park officer becomes an alien to promote tourism in southern Thailand

    A surge in the circulation of extra-terrestrial-related stories on social media in Thailand inspired a national park officer to photo-edit an application to transform herself into an alien. The aim of this transformation was to boost tourism at the Khao Sok National Park, located in the southern province of Surat Thani. The discussion surrounding the existence of UFOs and aliens…

  • Thailand NewsWoman’s body found floating in waters of Koh Tao, Thailand

    Woman’s body found floating in waters of Koh Tao, Thailand

    A boat driver found a woman’s body floating in the waters of Koh Tao island in Surat Thani province in southern Thailand, the Thai Maritime Enforcement Centre (MECC) reported this morning. The woman was discovered floating among 20 200-litre oil barrels around 12 nautical miles northwest of Koh Tao island in the Koh Pha Ngan district. Speedboat operators from Koh…

  • Koh Samui NewsKoh Samui booms as over 200,000 tourists visit the popular island in January

    Koh Samui booms as over 200,000 tourists visit the popular island in January

    The picturesque island of Koh Samui in Surat Thani province, Thailand, has seen a remarkable turnaround to its economy in the first month of 2023 with over 200,000 tourists visiting in January alone. After a year of uncertainty due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the arrival of over 200,000 tourists has been a welcome sight for the island’s local economy. The…

  • Thailand NewsThree foreign tourists rescued from Thai jungle

    Three foreign tourists rescued from Thai jungle

    National park officials rescued three foreign tourists who got lost in the jungle in Koh Pha Ngan, Surat Thani province, southern Thailand, yesterday. All three are reportedly safe. At 5.30pm, the Chief of Than Sadet National Park, Tikamporn Phenchom, received a call that three foreign tourists were lost in the jungle on the Khao Ra mountain and needed help. Chief…

  • Thailand NewsThailand’s Surat Thani Airport welcomes chartered flight from Taiwan

    Thailand’s Surat Thani Airport welcomes chartered flight from Taiwan

    A chartered Thai Lion Air flight carrying 143 tourists from Taiwan landed at Surat Thani Airport in southern Thailand yesterday. It was the first chartered flight to land on the airport’s runway in three years. Surat Thani Governor Wichawut Jinto welcomed passengers on flight SL-7391 from Taipei yesterday evening, handing out flower garlands and gifts to tourists to celebrate the…

  • Tourism NewsGoogle’s best beaches almost unknown in Thailand

    Google’s best beaches almost unknown in Thailand

    Last year, both Thai and foreign tourists took to the virtual highways and byways – and often the real ones – searching for Thailand’s best beaches. As the pandemic receded, the vigilant eye of Google Maps was goggling at you, benignly recording your every move, or so the corporation claims. Google’s best beaches in Thailand are those with the most…

  • Thailand News3 million baht raised for British woman who fell from balcony in Thailand

    3 million baht raised for British woman who fell from balcony in Thailand

    A GoFundMe appeal raised nearly 3 million baht (£73,500) to cover the medical costs of a 21 year old British woman who sustained serious injuries after falling from a low balcony in Koh Pha Ngan in southern Thailand on New Year’s Eve. Maddi Neale-Shankster, a beauty therapist from Coventry in England, suffered a broken back, two collapsed lungs, and her…

  • Crime NewsPolice arrest two Russians for begging on the streets of southern Thailand

    Police arrest two Russians for begging on the streets of southern Thailand

    Thai police arrested two Russian men yesterday for begging on the streets of Surat Thani in southern Thailand. The men held signs saying they are fleeing war in Russia. Surat Thani Immigration officers, tourist police officers, and officials from the Ministry of Social Development and Human Security jointly arrested 36 year old Evgenii Malakhov and 32 year old Alexander Kulikov…

  • Thailand NewsBody of Canadian man washes up on beach in southern Thailand

    Body of Canadian man washes up on beach in southern Thailand

    The body of a 63 year old Canadian man washed up on a beach on the mainland of Surat Thani province in southern Thailand yesterday evening. He went missing from Koh Pha Ngan island six days ago. At 8pm, officers from Khanom Police Station rushed to Khanom Beach after a decaying body was discovered on the shore in front of the…

  • South Thailand NewsUPDATE: Irish kayaker Odhran O’Neill’s body found

    UPDATE: Irish kayaker Odhran O’Neill’s body found

    Though not a lot of information has been confirmed or released yet, the body of a 22 year old Irish traveller has been recovered from the waters in Khao Sok National Park. He had been kayaking, a popular activity in the region, though the weather has been windy and rainy in the south of Thailand recently, making the waters more…

  • South Thailand NewsNorthern Irishman missing in Khao Sok after kayak capsized

    Northern Irishman missing in Khao Sok after kayak capsized

    [UPDATE: His body has been found.] The family of a missing Northern Irishman is desperately seeking help on social media after his kayak capsized and he hasn’t been seen since. Odhran O’Neill has been travelling in Thailand and went kayaking in Khao Sok National Park yesterday afternoon. His boat capsized around 1pm and Facebook posts suggest he said that he…

  • Thailand NewsThailand’s Full Moon Party attracts 12,000 tourists

    Thailand’s Full Moon Party attracts 12,000 tourists

    At least 12,000 foreign and Thai tourists attended Thailand’s final Full Moon Party of the year last night on Koh Pha Ngan island in Surat Thani province, southern Thailand. A downpour of rain didn’t stop revellers from singing, dancing, and drinking on the island’s Haad Rin Beach on the 15th lunar night of 2022. Koh Pha Ngan administrative officials, officers…

  • Thailand NewsBeastly reptile crocs the world of small village in southern Thailand

    Beastly reptile crocs the world of small village in southern Thailand

    A quiet village in Surat Thani province in southern Thailand was disturbed by a gigantic saltwater crocodile last night. Villagers in Ban Si Thong in Tha Chana district were dumbstruck when they spotted a four-metre-long crocodile emerging from a ditch in the middle of the night, just 100 metres away from the community. The beast did not come alone and…

  • Thailand Weather UpdatesFlood warning for 11 southern provinces

    Flood warning for 11 southern provinces

    Southern Thailand has been soaked with rain over the past week. Now, the National Water Command Centre is warning 11 provinces of possible floods this coming weekend. They are expecting heavy rains from Thursday, December 8 through Sunday, December 11. Strong storms have been flickering power in some provinces in the south of Thailand, with high winds blowing debris and…

  • Thailand NewsSearch continues for French tourist missing in Thailand

    Search continues for French tourist missing in Thailand

    The search for the missing French tourist believed to be lost in the jungle in Surat Thani province in southern Thailand continues today after it was temporarily called off last night due to heavy rains. He was last seen six days ago. Three witnesses provided useful testimony which has helped police to narrow down their search. Frenchman Gollino Cyrit Tizzlano…

  • ExpatsFrenchman missing after hiking in Khao Sok National Park

    Frenchman missing after hiking in Khao Sok National Park

    The search is on for a French tourist that has been missing for five days since going on a hike around Khao Sok National Park. The man said on Saturday morning that he was going for a walk in the jungle and has not been seen since. The man was officially reported as missing yesterday. The 30 year old Gollio…

  • Thailand NewsTourists in Surat Thani & Trat warned to beware of jellyfish

    Tourists in Surat Thani & Trat warned to beware of jellyfish

    Tourists have been warned to beware of jellyfish while swimming in the sea off the beaches at Koh Samui, and Koh Pha Ngan in Surat Thani, and Koh Mark, and Koh Kood in Trat. The Director of the Department of Marine and Coastal Resources, Auttapon Charoenchansa, reported that it is venomous jellyfish season in Koh Samui, and Koh Pha Ngan…

  • Crime NewsSchool principal given 50 years in prison over lunch corruption scandal in Thailand

    School principal given 50 years in prison over lunch corruption scandal in Thailand

    Today, Thailand’s Criminal Court for Corruption sentenced the former principal of Ban Tha Mai School in Surat Thani province, southern Thailand, to 50 years imprisonment. The defendant Somchaow Sittichen confessed to stealing lunch money and serving kindergarten children plain rice noodles with fish sauce for lunch. The court found Somchaow guilty of 77 counts of corruption, each carrying a five-year…

  • Crime NewsVIDEO: Porsche-driving Frenchmen put Thai man in a coma in Koh Samui

    VIDEO: Porsche-driving Frenchmen put Thai man in a coma in Koh Samui

    Police arrested two Frenchmen who got out of a Porsche and attacked a Thai man on Saturday night in Koh Samui, Surat Thani province, southern Thailand. The victim suffered a brain hemorrhage and was rushed to hospital for emergency surgery. He remains in a coma in the ICU. At around 9pm, one of the men was caught on camera kicking…

  • Hot NewsThailand expects tourism boom over October holidays

    Thailand expects tourism boom over October holidays

    Tourism officials say they are expecting to see more than three million travellers over this month’s two holiday periods. The four-day anniversary holiday of His Majesty King Bhumibol Adulyadej The Great’s passing started on Thursday. Both Thais and foreigners have taken off to major tourist destinations around the kingdom. The other holiday from October 22-24, is expected to also see…

  • Koh Samui NewsMarket fire in Donsak, gateway to Koh Samui and Koh Pha Ngan

    Market fire in Donsak, gateway to Koh Samui and Koh Pha Ngan

    A community market went up in flames in Donsak, the southern port district in Surat Thani province that serves as the gateway to the tropical tourist islands of Koh Samui and Koh Pha Ngan. The fire erupted in the wee hours yesterday morning and spread to damage two houses adjacent to the Donsak market. The fire erupted in a house…

  • South Thailand News13 pet ducks missing: 6-metre, 40-kilogramme snake to blame

    13 pet ducks missing: 6-metre, 40-kilogramme snake to blame

    A local shop owner in Kanchanadit in the southern province of Surat Thani had 18 pet ducks. Then one day there were 17, then 16 the next day, and 15 the day after. One by one they were disappearing and it wasn’t until 13 ducks had vanished that the culprit was revealed – a giant, 6-metre, 40-kilogramme snake. The snake…

  • Thailand NewsThailand’s Hidden Weekend Markets in Surat Thani

    Thailand’s Hidden Weekend Markets in Surat Thani

    Surat Thani is where the fun begins! Surat Thani is a beautiful city in southern Thailand filled with hidden gems but is often overlooked by tourists for its preferred neighbours, Samui, Koh Pha-Ngan and Koh Tao. Little do people know that the city of Surat Thani has a lot to offer tourists looking for an adventure in nature and some…

  • Thailand video newsThailand’s Hidden Weekend Markets in Surat Thani | This is Thailand

    Thailand’s Hidden Weekend Markets in Surat Thani | This is Thailand

    Surat Thani is where the fun begins! In this clip, Natty Warisa gives out details of 3 hidden weekend markets in Surat Thani that primarily opens on Saturdays and Sundays. Surat Thani Markets: 1. Surat Thani Walking Street 2. San Chao Market 3. Bang Bai Mai Market Sponsored by Thai Vietjet, click for it’s latest promotions here: th.vietjetair.com

  • Tourism NewsTransport Minister gives Koh Samui-Khanom Bridge thumbs up

    Transport Minister gives Koh Samui-Khanom Bridge thumbs up

    The Transport Minister, Saksayam Chidchop, approved a project to construct the Koh Samui – Khanom Bridge connecting the island with the mainland of Nakhon Si Thammarat province. The media reported yesterday that Saksayam gave the green light on five projects to develop and improve the motorways, rural roads, and expressways of Thailand. Koh Samui – Khanom Bridge is one of…

  • Tourism NewsRussian billionaire’s superyacht Samui visit spurs hope of wealthy tourists

    Russian billionaire’s superyacht Samui visit spurs hope of wealthy tourists

    The arrival of a few mega billionaires to the tourist island of Koh Samui and surrounding islands has sparked hope that Thailand will begin to see a rise in wealthy travellers again. Perhaps now that Covid-19 restrictions are finally mostly lifted, several luxury superyacht vessels have been spotted arriving on the shores of Samui. Most notably, Alexander Alexandrovich Svetakov, a…

  • South Thailand NewsFerry gets stuck on sand bar near South Thailand island

    Ferry gets stuck on sand bar near South Thailand island

    More than 100 ferry passengers in South Thailand were caught in a sticky situation on Wednesday- literally. A ferry got stuck on a sand bar in Koh Phang Ngan island in Surat Thani province. The ferry was heading to Don Sak district, when it got stuck on the sand bar 10 minutes after departing from Koh Phang Ngan, according to…