Surat Thani

  • World NewsBurmese migrant worker killed en route to Malaysia

    Burmese migrant worker killed en route to Malaysia

    A Burmese man was killed and six others were injured this morning when a Toyota Fortuner bound for the Malaysian border rear-ended a truck in the Tha Chana district in the north of Surat Thani province in the early hours. The accident occurred at the 120-kilometre marker on southbound Highway 4. Police and rescue workers arriving on the scene found…

  • 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…

  • Hot NewsSurat Thani authorities optimistic about tourism as another cruise ship arrives in Koh Samui

    Surat Thani authorities optimistic about tourism as another cruise ship arrives in Koh Samui

    Officials in Thailand’s southern province of Surat Thani are remaining optimistic about the recovering tourism sector as another cruise ship arrives around Koh Samui island. As the industry continues to recover after the Covid-19 pandemic, the government is urging businesses to uphold the country’s positive reputation. According to the Pattaya Mail, 31 cruise ships are scheduled to arrive in Koh…

  • 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…

  • Visa InformationOverstay crackdown uses facial recognition tech

    Overstay crackdown uses facial recognition tech

    Immigration offices around the country have been cracking down on foreigners overstaying their stamps or visas. A ten-day campaign from December 1 to December 10 is aggressively seeking out tourists who have remained in the kingdom long past the date stamped in their passports. And some provinces are using some creepy Big Brother technology to do it. In Surat Thani,…

  • 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…

  • Crime NewsBar on Koh Tao raided for offering laughing-gas balloons

    Bar on Koh Tao raided for offering laughing-gas balloons

    A bar named DIZABAR on Koh Tao island in the southern province of Surat Thani was raided on Saturday night after police discovered the establishment was offering laughing-gas balloons to partygoers at 100 baht a pop. Officers also discovered the bar did not have an operating license. Officers revealed that nitrous oxide is a popular new drug among partygoers in…

  • 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…

  • Tourism NewsAnother long weekend brings huge crowds to Surat Thani

    Another long weekend brings huge crowds to Surat Thani

    Another long holiday weekend has benefited tourism in southern Thailand, as the province of Surat Thani recorded over 57,000 visitors. Both domestic and foreign travellers made their way down to Surat’s popular islands for the three-day weekend. Data shared by the Surat Thani office of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) said that 24,639 foreigners made their way to one…

  • 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

  • EventsKoh Pha Ngan springs back into gear with the July Full Moon Party

    Koh Pha Ngan springs back into gear with the July Full Moon Party

    This holiday weekend hosted the largest Full Moon Party since February of 2019 before the pandemic, with the biggest crowd the beach and venues of Haad Rin on Koh Pha Ngan have seen since the party restarted tentatively in November 2021. Some estimated as many as 20,000 people flooded the island to take part in the festivities – the first…

  • 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…

  • Koh Samui NewsFerry routes resume operation in Surat Thani after storms

    Ferry routes resume operation in Surat Thani after storms

    After all boats in Surat Thani were cancelled on Monday due to storms, with partial service resuming yesterday, Ferry routes are in full service today – though scrambling and late. In addition to the ferries that had been running before the fierce and windy storms shut everything down, Seatran Ferry has relaunched its service to Koh Phangan from the mainland…

  • Tourism NewsBuddha Days, Full Moon Party brings 5-day holiday surge to Surat

    Buddha Days, Full Moon Party brings 5-day holiday surge to Surat

    The Southern Thailand province of Surat Thani – home to Koh Samui, Koh Pha Ngan, and Koh Tao – is set to see a money-making surge of travellers during next week’s 5-day holiday. The Surat Thani office of the Tourism Authority of Thailand is estimating over 70,000 visitors generating about 833 million baht in tourism revenue for the province. The…

  • South Thailand NewsTravel to Surat Thani, it’s where the fun begins | Jay and Natty’s Adventures

    Travel to Surat Thani, it’s where the fun begins | Jay and Natty’s Adventures

    The Thaiger‘s Natty and Jay recently went on a long weekend trip to Thailand’s southern province of Surat Thani, and they’re dying to show our viewers their adventures. People typically see Surat Thani as a passing point to somewhere exciting like Koh Samui, Koh Tao, and Koh Phangan. But The Thaiger’s top news presenters want people to know about Surat…

  • South Thailand NewsTourists who went missing in southern Thailand park found safe

    Tourists who went missing in southern Thailand park found safe

    Yesterday, park rangers in Thailand’s southern province of Surat Thani found 2 tourists who had gone missing the day before. The women, 19 year old Eliza Rose and 19 year old Matilda Cox, got lost in a jungle in Khao Sok National Park in Phanom district. Eliza is a British national, and Matilda is from Northern Ireland. Eliza and Matilda…

  • South Thailand NewsAnother Full Moon Party in southern Thailand coming up this LONG weekend

    Another Full Moon Party in southern Thailand coming up this LONG weekend

    Mark your calendars for another Full Moon Party in Thailand’s south, coming up this Monday, May 16. The Full Moon Party has historically been held on Koh Pha Ngan in Surat Thani on the night of, before, or after every full moon, although it was cancelled for 2 years during the Covid-19 pandemic. Now, the party is coming up on…

  • Thailand NewsBody of popular monk found floating on a river in southern Thailand

    Body of popular monk found floating on a river in southern Thailand

    A revered Thai monk’s body was found floating on a river near a market in Surat Thani province, southern Thailand, yesterday at around 11am. Phra Udomthammapreecha, also known as Jamlong Kwandee, was an advisor to the head monk of Surat Thani province and acting abbot of Wat Borommathat Chaiya Ratchaworawihan in Chaiya district. Yesterday morning, officers from Muang Surat Thani…

  • South Thailand NewsSeveral officials in Thailand wanted over child trafficking involvement in south

    Several officials in Thailand wanted over child trafficking involvement in south

    After several raids this week, police are investigating several officials over a sex trafficking case in the southern Thai province of Surat Thani. The director-general of Thailand’s Department of Children and Youth has been charged for hampering an investigation into a trafficking ring. Several other officials found to be involved in the ring include the chairman of a local savings…