Showing 1 - 10 of 45
‘Biggest’ Israeli drug dealer on Koh Phangan arrested
Assawin Pakkawan, Published on 14/02/2026
» SURAT THANI - A major Israeli drug dealer, who operated out of the restaurant he owned on Koh Phangan, was arrested on Friday with narcotics worth over 50 million baht seized, authorities said.
Bookings set to surge in South
News, Assawin Pakkawan, Published on 18/12/2025
» Hotel bookings in the three provinces of Phatthalung, Nakhon Si Thammarat, and Trang are set to grow by 20–30% due to an influx of Malaysian, Singaporean, and Indonesian visitors, as tourism in Hat Yai district in Songkhla near the southern border is recuperating from the devastating floods in the area, with a full recovery expected in three months, according to the local tourism association.
Two weeks of festivities in Hat Yai to spur tourism
News, Assawin Pakkawan, Published on 13/10/2025
» Two approaching cultural festivals are expected to draw about 30,000 visitors to the southern province of Songkhla and pump hundreds of millions of baht into the local economy - the Hindu Diwali and then the Chinese Vegetarian Festival.
Lively Phatthalung defies slowdown
News, Assawin Pakkawan, Published on 02/09/2025
» Phatthalung, one of Thailand's so-called "secondary cities", is defying the economic slowdown, with local small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in services, tourism and car sales reporting steady growth.
Fewer Malaysian visitors to Hat Yai hiring guides
Assawin Pakkawan, Published on 13/07/2025
» SONGKHLA - Visitors from Malaysia are changing a pattern by increasingly favouring travel to southern Thailand in private vehicles, causing concern to tour guides who fear losing their livelihoods.
Southern island DJ arrested while selling cocaine
Assawin Pakkawan, Published on 08/06/2025
» SURAT THANI: A Russian man, 37, was arrested on Koh Phangan island in this southern province Saturday evening with packets of cocaine and ketamine.
Songkhla vies for big spenders with cruise plan
News, Assawin Pakkawan, Published on 02/04/2025
» Songkhla Chamber of Commerce has proposed a cruise port to draw Western high spenders while continuing to attract traditional visitors like Malaysians and Singaporeans.
Tour guides press for govt assistance
News, Assawin Pakkawan, Published on 15/02/2025
» A tour guide association will present its concerns to Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra during a mobile cabinet meeting in Songkhla on Tuesday, urging the government to crack down on illicit tour services and promote rail tourism in the South.
Hostel caught selling smuggled cigarettes on Koh Phangan
News, Assawin Pakkawan, Published on 12/02/2025
» SURAT THANI – Two men, a Serbian and a Thai, have been arrested for selling contraband cigarettes and an American woman detained for working without permit, at a hostel on Koh Phangan.
Holiday influx at border
News, Assawin Pakkawan, Published on 01/11/2024
» Thailand's southern border districts have begun welcoming large numbers of visitors from neighbouring Malaysia to spend their long holiday there, celebrating Halloween and Diwali festivals.