leah

leah

Leah is a translator and news writer for the Thaiger. Leah studied East Asian Religions and Thai Studies at the University of Leeds and Chiang Mai University. Leah covers crime, politics, environment, human rights, entertainment, travel and culture in Thailand and southeast Asia.
  • Thailand NewsJelly blubbers return to southern Thailand river after 3 years

    Jelly blubbers return to southern Thailand river after 3 years

    Jelly blubbers, a kind of jellyfish, have returned to a river in Songkhla province in southern Thailand after disappearing for more than three years. Aerial photos reveal jelly blubbers (Catostylus mosaicus) in their masses floating in the Khlong Bang Rieng River in Bang Riang subdistrict, Khuan Niang district, which locals say is a rare natural phenomenon. Normally, jelly blubbers reside…

  • Crime NewsRescue workers steal crab sticks from injured car crash victim in Thailand (video)

    Rescue workers steal crab sticks from injured car crash victim in Thailand (video)

    A video surfaced yesterday of rescue workers stealing a box of crab sticks from the injured victim of a car crash in Samut Prakan province, just south of Bangkok, in central Thailand. In a live Facebook broadcast, rescue workers filmed themselves stopping their ambulance at the scene of a road accident in front of a Shell gas station on the…

  • Crime News‘8 or 9’ people in Thailand bought cyanide to commit suicide, Big Joke says

    ‘8 or 9’ people in Thailand bought cyanide to commit suicide, Big Joke says

    As Thai police find more potential victims of Thailand’s notorious cyanide serial killer, an investigation reveals that more than 100 factories are suspected of illegally selling cyanide for misuse. “Eight or nine people” bought cyanide to commit suicide, deputy police chief Surachate “Big Joke” Hakparn said yesterday. At 4.30pm, Big Joke met with the Deputy Director-General of the Department of…

  • Pattaya NewsPolice quell Bolt vs Win motorbike taxi driver standoff on Pattaya Beach

    Police quell Bolt vs Win motorbike taxi driver standoff on Pattaya Beach

    Police shut down a 70-man altercation between Bolt and Win motorbike taxi drivers before things turned violent last night on Pattaya Beach, Chon Buri province, eastern Thailand. At 12.30am today, Superintendent of Pattaya City Police Station Pol. Lt. Col. Surachet Aneksri was informed that around 70 motorbike Win and Bolt drivers were gathered on Pattaya Beach, opposite Soi 6 in…

  • Crime NewsBrit stabbed to death with sickle by Thai neighbour, inquest hears

    Brit stabbed to death with sickle by Thai neighbour, inquest hears

    An inquest at a court in the UK concluded that a British man died from brain stem and spinal cord contusion after being stabbed in the neck with a sickle by his Thai neighbour in a row over loud music last year. In January 2022, 49 year old Marcus Evans from Somerset, England, was playing music from a Bluetooth speaker and…

  • Environment NewsThailand to implement new law to save blue whales from extinction

    Thailand to implement new law to save blue whales from extinction

    In a bid to save endangered blue whales from extinction, Thailand‘s Cabinet yesterday approved in principle a draft royal decree which designates blue whales and leopard sharks as “wildlife reserves,” under the Wildlife Preservation and Protection Act of 2019. Blue whales (Balaenoptera musculus) are already protected wild animals in Thailand, but the current laws have not been effective in stopping…

  • Thailand NewsThailand’s giant panda Lin Hui died of multiple organ failure, experts rule

    Thailand’s giant panda Lin Hui died of multiple organ failure, experts rule

    UPDATE Post-mortem examinations ruled that Thailand‘s beloved giant panda Lin Hui, who passed away at 21 years old at Chiang Mai Zoo last month, died of multiple organ failure. China loaned the giant panda to Thailand in 2003 as a goodwill ambassador between the two countries for 20 years. She was set to return home this year. A joint team…

  • Thailand NewsLeopard cat struck by car in southern Thailand

    Leopard cat struck by car in southern Thailand

    A leopard cat is seriously injured after being hit by a car in Phang Nga province in southern Thailand on Monday. A young man named Somchai (pseudonym) from Thung Kha Ngok subdistrict was driving his motorbike along the Phang Nga – Takua Pa route when he saw an animal get hit by a car. He parked his motorbike to check…

  • Tourism News‘Last push’ to get injured English tourist stuck in Thailand hospital back home

    ‘Last push’ to get injured English tourist stuck in Thailand hospital back home

    UPDATE The 25 year old English tourist who crashed his motorbike into a shopfront in Phuket on May 1 remains in a hospital in Thailand over three weeks later. Doctors say he is almost ready to be transferred to a hospital in the UK, once his hospital bill is paid in full. After suffering significant blood loss and falling into…

  • Sports NewsThailand’s FA bans two footballers for six months over SEA Games brawl

    Thailand’s FA bans two footballers for six months over SEA Games brawl

    UPDATE Thailand’s Football Association (FA) banned two Thai footballers from playing in national games for six months over the brawls that erupted during the men’s football final between Indonesia and Thailand at the SEA Games in Phnom Penh on May 16. The FA banned three staff members who stormed the pitch for an entire year, citing their lack of maturity.…

  • Crime News‘Personally, I love dogs,’ says Thai man who killed girlfriend’s dogs, forced her to eat dog poo

    ‘Personally, I love dogs,’ says Thai man who killed girlfriend’s dogs, forced her to eat dog poo

    UPDATE Watchdog Thailand seized a Beagle, a Shih Tzu, and a rabbit from the man who confessed to beating his Thai-British girlfriend, forcing her to eat dog poo, and buying and killing many of her pet dogs yesterday. During interrogation at Bang Bo Police Station in Samut Prakan yesterday, 24 year old “Fin” confessed to killing and burying “more than…

  • Thailand NewsBlack panther and cub spotted strolling through Thailand national park

    Black panther and cub spotted strolling through Thailand national park

    Photos of a “black panther,” or Indochinese leopard, and its cub strolling through Kaeng Krachan National Park in Thailand emerged today, capturing the hearts of wildlife enthusiasts around the nation. Kaeng Krachan National Park posted photos of the big cat and its baby on Facebook with the caption… “We meet again in the past two to three months. But this…

  • Tourism News‘Blue Lagoon’ promoted as tourist attraction in Khon Kaen, Thailand

    ‘Blue Lagoon’ promoted as tourist attraction in Khon Kaen, Thailand

    An abandoned limestone quarry-turned-reservoir dubbed the “Blue Lagoon” is being promoted as a tourist attraction in Khon Kaen, northeast Thailand. Locals said that water seeped into the abandoned old quarry site until it turned into a beautiful reservoir, attracting tourists wanting to catch a glimpse of the emerald water glistening under the sun. INN News describes the Blue Lagoon as…

  • Crime NewsThai restaurant in California forced to close amid racist dog meat rumours

    Thai restaurant in California forced to close amid racist dog meat rumours

    The Tasty Thai restaurant in Fresno, California, was forced to temporarily close its doors after racist rumours spread online that the owners were selling dog meat. Seemingly out of nowhere, a string of negative and nasty reviews about Tasty Thai, a six month old restaurant, popped up on Yelp on Monday night. But the reviews were not about the food. “It…

  • Thailand NewsLongtail boat capsizes in Thailand, 5 foreign tourists rescued from sea

    Longtail boat capsizes in Thailand, 5 foreign tourists rescued from sea

    A longtail boat capsized near Panyi Island in Phang Nga province in southern Thailand yesterday. Seven people, including five foreign tourists, were rescued from the sea. Two Irish nationals, one Swiss national, two Filipino nationals, one Thai guide, and one Thai boat driver were left floating yesterday afternoon when their longtail boat sank inside Phang Nga Bay National Park, reports…

  • Phuket NewsPhuket speedboat driver tests positive for meth after crash injuring 37 tourists

    Phuket speedboat driver tests positive for meth after crash injuring 37 tourists

    UPDATE The man who crashed a speedboat into a channel marker in Chalong Bay in Phuket, southern Thailand – injuring 37 Thai and foreign tourists – on Wednesday tested positive for methamphetamine. The 29 year old tour boat driver, Sathit Mardchai, underwent a blood test for alcohol and drugs following the incident, Commander of Phuket Provincial Police Pol. Maj. Gen.…

  • Thailand NewsFarmer in Thailand puts buffalo up for sale for US.5 million

    Farmer in Thailand puts buffalo up for sale for US$1.5 million

    A farmer in Thailand put a giant water buffalo up for sale for 50 million baht (US$1.45 million) yesterday. Forget a pool villa in Phuket, for the same price you could bag yourself one of the biggest buffaloes Thailand has ever seen. “Petch Lamkhong,” a three year and five month old water buffalo (“kwai“) from “Big Ice Farm” in Phitsanulok, weighed…

  • Thailand NewsDebtor pawns 3 French bulldogs in Thailand

    Debtor pawns 3 French bulldogs in Thailand

    A loan shark in Thailand claims that a debtor who couldn’t make their repayments pledged three French bulldogs as collateral one year ago, but never returned to collect the dogs or repay the loan. The loan shark posted in the “French bulldog club of Thailand” to seek advice… “These are my three adopted kids. These three dogs did not do anything…

  • Crime NewsDurian dispute turns violent after Chinese tourists accuse Thai vendor of selling fake fruit

    Durian dispute turns violent after Chinese tourists accuse Thai vendor of selling fake fruit

    Things quickly turned sour when three Chinese tourists accused a Thai vendor of selling “fake durian” at a market in Chon Buri province, eastern Thailand, on Saturday. Officers from Sattahip Police Station were called to de-escalate an altercation at Siwanat Nakorn 700 Rai Market on Saturday night which began when three Chinese tourists expressed discontent with the quality of their…

  • Phuket NewsPhuket som tam restaurant returns 200,000 baht to European tourist

    Phuket som tam restaurant returns 200,000 baht to European tourist

    A European tourist was reunited with his bag containing money and assets worth 200,000 baht yesterday thanks to the honest owner of a som tam restaurant in Phuket, southern Thailand. The restaurant, Som Tam Yam 3 Aow, posted photos of the smiling tourist with a big stash of cash on Facebook with the caption… “From the incident where a customer had…

  • Crime NewsThailand’s IB busts 1,272 foreign overstayers in just 9 days

    Thailand’s IB busts 1,272 foreign overstayers in just 9 days

    Thailand’s Immigration Bureau (IB) reported a dramatic increase in cases of foreigners overstaying their visas, uncovering a substantial 1,272 overstayers in their latest nine-day crackdown. High-ranking IB officers held a press conference on Friday to report the fruitful rewards of their latest crackdown on illegal foreigners in the kingdom, reports ThaiRath. Between May 4-13, the IB caught 1,272 foreigners residing…

  • Crime NewsTeenage lese majeste suspect leaves Thailand detention centre with severe rash

    Teenage lese majeste suspect leaves Thailand detention centre with severe rash

    The second youngest person ever accused of committing lese majeste in Thailand, allegedly violating Section 112 of the Criminal Code, was released on bail yesterday after a 51-day stay inside a detention centre in Nakhon Pathom province. The accused, 15 year old Thanalop “Yok” Phalanchai, left Ban Pranee Juvenile Vocational Training Centre for Girls with a severe rash on her…

  • Crime NewsThai man turns gun on himself after threatening ex’s new boyfriend

    Thai man turns gun on himself after threatening ex’s new boyfriend

    A Thai man shot himself dead yesterday after breaking into his ex-girlfriend‘s house in Pathum Thani province, central Thailand, and threatening her new boyfriend with a gun. The relationship ended more than three years ago. At 7pm, officers at Lam Luk Ka Police Station were informed of a fatal shooting at a village in Bueng Kham subdistrict. Police travelled to…

  • Crime NewsRussian tourist injured in Bangkok snatching incident

    Russian tourist injured in Bangkok snatching incident

    A Russian woman sustained minor injuries on Wednesday when a thief on a motorbike snatched her bag and knocked her down in Bangkok, Thailand. Yesterday, Natasia Kotawa of Russian nationality travelled to Thong Lor Police Station in Bangkok to report being a victim of a robbery on Wednesday night. At 11pm, Natasia walked to a convenience store on Sukhumvit Soi…

  • Pattaya NewsBritish family offers reward to ‘detain’ teenager missing in Pattaya

    British family offers reward to ‘detain’ teenager missing in Pattaya

    A worried British family is offering a 10,000 baht reward to anyone who can locate and ‘detain on sight’ a runaway 17 year old believed to be missing in Pattaya, eastern Thailand. The family has reason to believe that 17 year old Ryan White, from Gateshead, near Newcastle in England, travelled to Sin City after flying to Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport…

  • Bangkok NewsBritish man found dead on roadside in Bangkok, Thailand

    British man found dead on roadside in Bangkok, Thailand

    An 80 year old British man with Alzheimer’s disease was found dead on the side of Ratchaphruek Road in Bangkok, Thailand, yesterday. At 4pm, Pol. Lt. Col. Chumphon Phurahong from Bang Khun Thian Police Station was informed that a foreign man’s body was discovered lying on the roadside near a small park by an island on Ratchaphruek Road in Pak…

  • Thailand NewsFormer transport minister crashes yet again in Thailand

    Former transport minister crashes yet again in Thailand

    Thailand‘s former transport minister Tawee Kraikupt – father of controversial politician Pareena Kraikupt – was involved in his fourth car accident in four years yesterday in Ratchaburi province, sparking concerns that the 85 year old should no longer be behind the wheel. He claims he cannot remember the collision. A Mercedes Benz driver reported that he was driving along the…

  • Business NewsThai Airways – Thai Smile merger gets green light

    Thai Airways – Thai Smile merger gets green light

    Debt-ridden Thai Airways International (THAI) will merge its subsidiary Thai Smile into its main company as part of its overall restructuring plan. The merger is set to be completed this year. THAI reported that their creditor’s committee gave the merger the green light yesterday. Now, the plan will be put before Transport Minister Saksayam Chidchob and the Civil Aviation Authority…

  • Bangkok NewsBangkok taxi driver returns 170,000 baht to Laotian tourist

    Bangkok taxi driver returns 170,000 baht to Laotian tourist

    A Bangkok taxi driver is being praised for his kindness after going the extra mile to return 170,000 baht to a Laotian tourist travelling in Thailand. Bangkok taxi drivers may have received a record amount of complaints last year over bad manners, rejection of passengers, doctored meters, dangerous driving and overcharging. But one tourist from Laos will assure you that…

  • Crime NewsDisturbed Buddhist monk in Thailand adopts, kills and burns at least 18 cats

    Disturbed Buddhist monk in Thailand adopts, kills and burns at least 18 cats

    A disturbed Buddhist monk in Thailand confessed to adopting cats via Facebook and beating them to death. Yesterday, the burned carcasses of 18 cats were dug up from behind his living quarters at a temple in Chachoengsao province. Watchdog Thailand Foundation (WDT), an animal rights charity, reported the horrific discovery of animal cruelty at the hands of an ordained Buddhist monk…