Yala
- South Thailand News
Police major killed in Yala bomb blast
The police major killed in a Yala bomb blast has been named Pol Maj Prasan Kongprasit, an inspector at Bannang Sata District Police Station. Prasan succumbed to injuries yesterday sustained when a homemade explosive device went off earlier in the day. Four others were wounded by shrapnel when the bomb exploded as they examined a crime scene in the southern…
- Thailand News
Four Thai teens win award for pioneering parasite-killing invention
Four high school students from Yala in southern Thailand won the New Gen Inventors Award 2023 for inventing a herbal product made from galangal leaves which kills parasites in raw foods in less than six minutes. Thailand’s Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha praised the children for creating a practical product from readily available herbs which will improve the Thai population’s physical…
- World News
Anwar’s visit to Thailand brings ‘Deep South’ to top of agenda
Malaysia’s Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim is due in Bangkok today to meet Thai PM Prayuth Chan-o-cha. Anwar’s visit to Thailand brings issues in the “Deep South” to the top of the diplomatic agenda. The provinces of Pattani, Yala, Narathiwat, and parts of Songkhla are an important crossroads for trade between Kuala Lumpur and Bangkok. China’s plans for high-speed trains from…
- South Thailand News
Tragic hero – lifeguard, 10 year old, drowned in new year beach tragedy
The body of a 10 year old girl who had been swept away by strong waves from a Songkhla beach, was found washed ashore this morning, near the scene of the new year beach tragedy. Rescue teams searched the area throughout last night and this morning for the lost child who was washed away as she was playing with two…
- South Thailand News
Petrol pump blown up in Yala terrorist attack
A petrol pump was blown up by suspected insurgents at a PTT petrol station in the southern province of Yala on Saturday night. There were no casualties. Shortly before midnight on Saturday, an explosion was heard at the PTT petrol station by Highway 410 in tambon Thanto, according to Pol Capt Palakorn Srichai. Police were dispatched to the scene to…
- South Thailand News
Patani Colonial Territory designer summoned for game of truth or dare
The designer of Patani Colonial Territory, a game based on the recent history of Thailand’s southern regions, is believed to have been summoned by police after the game was confiscated from a café in Yala. Chachiluk Games said that the game designer was not involved in the conceptualisation and production process. Reporting on Thailand involves at least one truly absurd story…
- Thailand Weather Updates
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 News
Police seize board game after claims it could cause insurrection in Thailand
Police officers in Yala yesterday seized a fun board game called Patani Colonial Territory from a coffee shop after a government official claimed that it could cause insurgency throughout the kingdom. For conspiracy theorists, this is up there with Elvis still lives. Officers in the southern Thailand province confiscated the offending game at the Life Coffee Slow Bar in the…
- South Thailand News
OIC commends treatment of Muslims and quality of life in Thailand
The Organisation of Islamic Cooperation hailed Thailand as a shining example of how well a multicultural society can coexist during a visit to the Deep South provinces. Delegates from the OIC visited 3 of the southernmost provinces in Thailand on June 29 and 30 after the Thai government invited them to come and see local religious activities, education programs, and…
- Tourism News
Thailand tourism: 9.3 million arrivals predicted, south busy
In its latest estimates, the Ministry of Tourism and Sports predicts that the second half of 2022 will bring more than 7 million travellers to Thailand. The first 6 months nearly hit the 2 million tourist mark, with 1.987 million visitors arriving from abroad from the beginning of January until June 28. Tourism generated around 114 billion baht so far…
- Thailand video news
Thailand News Today | CCSA confirms possible easing of mask mandate
The CCSA has acknowledged that face masks in Bangkok may soon be dropped. Although no date has been announced yet, the CCSA says the easing of mask-wearing in some public locations is on the table, as well as allowing night venues to stay open until 2 am. Nightlife venues were allowed to “officially” open until midnight starting June 1, although…
- South Thailand News
Southern Thai man sentenced to almost 5 decades for terrorism and other charges
Southern Thailand doesn’t look like it’s headed towards peace any time soon. In the latest report on violence in the region, a man in Yala province has been sentenced to 46 years in prison yesterday after he was charged with terrorism, criminal association, and violating the firearms and explosives law. The man, along with 8 other people, was found guilty…
- Thailand News
Court lifts 4 year hijab ban at Pattani school
The court has lifted a ban on hijabs set four years ago at a school in Pattani, southern Thailand. The school claimed that wearing a hijab – or Islamic headscarf – to school went against the Education Ministry’s regulations. Four years of court battles between the school and parents finally ended yesterday when the Yala Administrative Court announced a ruling…
- Thailand video news
Thailand News Update | Thunderstorm destroys brand new passenger building at Don Mueang Airport
The Thai public health ministry says it intends to stick to its schedule of declaring the Covid situation in Thailand ‘endemic’ by July 1. Since April 1 the number of new daily infections has fallen sharply but a ministry spokesperson yesterday noted that the number of daily deaths is continuing to rise and has been over 100 people each day…
- Crime News
Police arrest murder suspect on the run for 15 years in southern Thailand
Police arrested a man on suspicion of a murder which took place nearly 15 years ago this morning in Yala province, southern Thailand. Police found the suspect on the side of the road in Betong district and arrested him on a warrant issued by Chiang Rai Provincial Court back in 2007. Police believe the murder was a politically motivated attack.…
- South Thailand News
Both sides in Thailand’s Southern Insurgency agree to 40 day ceasefire
The Thai government and the most influential rebel group in Southern Thailand have agreed to stop violence for 40 days, from April 3 – May 14, for the holy month of Ramadan and the Songkran holidays. For the first time in the decades-long conflict, unarmed rebels will be allowed to visit their families during Ramadan. The agreement was made at…
- South Thailand News
Director of Betong Airport transferred to inactive post
Oh dear, it all looked so promising… Following on from Nok Air’s declaration that it was suspending services to the newly-opened Betong Airport due to low uptake, the airport’s acting director has now been sacked. According to a Nation Thailand report, Duangporn Suwanmanee was removed from her position just 4 days after Thai PM Prayut Chan-o-cha arrived on the airport’s…
- South Thailand News
No flights to new Betong airport, Yala tourism officials talk promotions to boost travel
After the highly-publicised launch of the new airport in Southern Thailand’s Yala went sour, with Nok Air suspending flights to the airport due to a lack of passengers, tourism officials in the Betong area plan to offer discounts on hotel rooms and food for travellers to help the flights takeoff. Nation Thailand says the Betong Airport was “built to boost…
- Transport News
Nok Air asks for time to promote routes to new Betong airport after cancelling flights
Yala’s new Betong International Airport is open for business, but you might be hard-pressed to book a flight there. Nok Air has suspended its route from Bangkok to Betong, saying it needs an additional two to three months to promote the airport among domestic and foreign tourists before it can reopen the route. Last week, Nok Air cancelled its flights…
- Thailand News
All Betong airport flights cancelled just 24 hours after airport opening
Less than 24 hours after PM Prayut Chan-o-cha arrived on the first flight into Betong International Airport to chair the opening ceremony, all scheduled flights in and out of the airport have been suspended. At present, it is not possible to book flights in or out of Betong and it is not yet known when flights will resume. The Tourism…
- South Thailand News
Tourism officials in South encouraged by opening of Yala’s Betong Airport
The newly opened Betong Airport, in the southern province of Yala, has inspired hope of a tourism revival in the town. The Bangkok Post reports that the airport received its operating licence from the Aviation Authority of Thailand on January 28. The 920-rai facility can handle up to 300 passengers an hour, or 80,000 a year. The airport is seen…
- South Thailand News
Prayut orders tight security amidst new Southern bomb attack
In the aftermath of a bombing in Yala province in Southern Thailand, PM Prayut Chan-o-cha has ordered investigators to hunt down the perpetrators. The attack injured four patrolling rangers and two civilians in front of a school in Bannang Sata district. This news comes after a government negotiator announced last month that the Thai government would have peace talks with…
- Thailand News
PM Prayut to board first official flight to Yala’s new airport, chair opening ceremony
PM Prayut Chan-o-cha will be onboard the first flight to the new Betong Airport in the southern province Yala to preside over the opening ceremony on Monday. The prime minister hopes the airport will stimulate the southern border provinces’ economic development, encourage domestic and international commerce and improve security in the area. The airport, under construction from 2017 to 2019,…
- Transport News
Commercial flights at Thailand’s newest airport in Yala to take off on March 14
Commercial flights at Thailand’s newest airport in the southern province Yala are set to take off on March 14. PM Prayut Chan-o-cha announced that the first flight to Yala’s Betong Airport will depart from Bangkok’s Don Mueang Airport this month. The new airport is a part of the government’s strategy to strengthen the economy and stability in the three southern provinces,…
- Transport News
Betong Airport welcomes first charter flight, full opening February
The long-anticipated Betong Airport is finally ready to launch in Thailand’s southernmost province of Yala, is expected to be up and running by next month. The first charter flight to Betong landed yesterday with 78 passengers hailing the beginning of the new gateway to the destination. Businesspeople from the area were joined on the flight by an aide to PM…
- Crime News
Bomb attack damages vehicles carrying ballot boxes from local election in Yala
A bombing in the Deep South province Yala damaged several vehicles carrying ballot boxes from a local election. After the polls closed on Sunday for the Bannang Sata tambon administration organisation elections, eight vehicles were used to take the ballot boxes to the district office. As the vehicles drove on a rural road at around 7:55pm, a parked motorcycle exploded. A…
- South Thailand News
Senior health official says South must move to Pfizer only to tackle Covid-19 outbreak
A senior health official in the southern province of Songkhla says the region must move to Pfizer vaccines only, in order to combat a surge in Covid-19 infections. According to a Nation Thailand report, Dr Papon Deechaisit is proposing a move from mixing Sinovac and AstraZeneca to using Pfizer for both doses. There has been a concerning spike in infections…
- Covid-19 News
10 provinces on Ministry of Public Health Covid-19 watchlist
After surges in local Covid-19 infections, the Ministry of Public Health has added 10 provinces to its watchlist to be closely monitored. The 4 Deep South provinces of Narathiwat, Pattani, Songkhla, and Yala were added to the list, as well as Chanthaburi, Nakhon Ratchasima, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Ratchaburi, Rayong, and Tak. While some provinces have already implemented their own tighter…
- Covid-19 News
High Covid-19 infections in the Deep South fuel lockdown fears
The Deep South of Thailand, particularly Songkhla and Pattani, has seen a surge in Covid-19 infections, prompting calls for action and fears of lockdowns to come. Covid-19 clusters have been mainly centred in factories and businesses, with outbreaks traced to a wedding banquet and a barbecue restaurant, but some cases are still crossing provincial lines into the southern provinces. Chana,…
- South Thailand News
Covid infections climbing in South, officials say curve should flatten within a month
The Public Health Ministry says that while Covid-19 infections are rising in the south of the country, numbers are expected to level off within a month. According to a Bangkok Post report, Dr Thongchai Lertwilairattanapong says the Delta variant accounts for around 30% of infections in the region, although the Beta variant is more prevalent in Yala, Pattani, Narathiwat, and…
