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.
  • Cannabis NewsThai man sits on roof for 2 days because his family won’t let him smoke marijuana

    Thai man sits on roof for 2 days because his family won’t let him smoke marijuana

    A disgruntled man in northeast Thailand climbed onto the roof when his family cut off his access to marijuana and stayed up there for two days. Yesterday evening, he got hungry and climbed down before being taken to hospital. The man’s wife said her 42 year old husband Kantaphi is a “weed addict,” so she took him from Bangkok to…

  • Crime NewsCorpse with phone charger tied around neck dumped in pond in northern Thailand

    Corpse with phone charger tied around neck dumped in pond in northern Thailand

    A murder investigation has been launched in Phayao province, northern Thailand after a woman’s corpse was found floating face down in a pond yesterday. Police suspect she was strangled to death with a phone charger, which was tied around her throat. Her right ankle was tied up with rope. Officers from Muang Phayao Police Station were called to Village 13…

  • World NewsChiang Mai, Thailand rated No.1 city for healthcare in southeast Asia

    Chiang Mai, Thailand rated No.1 city for healthcare in southeast Asia

    In a recent online survey, Chiang Mai was rated the No.1 city in Southeast Asia for the overall quality of healthcare. Two more Thai cities made the top 10, with Bangkok coming in at No.3 and Pattaya coming in at No.4. The index uses data from the website Numbeo and works out the results as follows… “Health Care Index is an…

  • Bangkok NewsShoe seller loses millions in damages after warehouse floods in Bangkok

    Shoe seller loses millions in damages after warehouse floods in Bangkok

    A Thai businesswoman who sells trainers says she has lost millions of baht in damages after her warehouse in Bangkok flooded last night. In a TikTok clip, the woman cried and apologised to her customers. Heavy rainfall which began yesterday and continued through the night caused flash flooding in several areas of Bangkok and surrounding provinces, disrupting traffic, education, and…

  • Thailand NewsLocals pray to blue snake in northeast Thailand

    Locals pray to blue snake in northeast Thailand

    On Sunday, villagers in Nakhon Ratchasima in northeast Thailand spotted a blue snake in a tree that has never been seen before in Thailand. Villagers lit incense and prayed to the snake, believing it is sure to bring them good luck. Isaan is brimming with snakes, but no one has ever reported seeing this kind of snake before. The bright…

  • Thailand News‘Fish sauce’ leaking through ceiling turns out to be corpse fluid in central Thailand

    ‘Fish sauce’ leaking through ceiling turns out to be corpse fluid in central Thailand

    Last night, a 49 year old teacher living in Nonthaburi province, central Thailand, told her apartment manager that fermented fish sauce was leaking through her ceiling and dripping down her wall. Pornphimon went away for the weekend and when she returned yesterday at 8pm, she noticed a putrid smell in her apartment. She said, “black water” was coming through the…

  • Crime NewsThai man turns to knife crime because his ex-wife ‘wants a farang husband’

    Thai man turns to knife crime because his ex-wife ‘wants a farang husband’

    A 40 year old Thai man stabbed his ex-mother-in-law on Saturday night in Buriram province in northeast Thailand. He told police that he lost it because he heard that his ex-wife “wants a farang husband.” When Chutiphon heard that his 36 year old ex-wife Suthani was looking for a Western husband, he drank himself into a hole and climbed over…

  • Bangkok NewsPublic park becomes dog-friendly in Bangkok

    Public park becomes dog-friendly in Bangkok

    Finding a green area to walk your furry friend in downtown Bangkok is difficult because pet dogs are not allowed in public parks. Thanks to a petition ran by dog-lovers and support from Bangkok Governor Chadchart Sittipunt, Benjakitti Park in Asoke has become the first public park to open up its doors to dogs. Despite several inner-city condominiums allowing pets,…

  • Thailand NewsBritish tourist hospitalised after accident at the Grand Canyon in northern Thailand

    British tourist hospitalised after accident at the Grand Canyon in northern Thailand

    A 21 year old British tourist ended up in hospital after a backflip gone wrong off a giant inflatable at the notoriously dangerous ‘Grand Canyon’ water park in Chiang Mai, northern Thailand. The Grand Canyon – somewhat less spectacular than its American counterpart but still beautiful – is located in a once-deserted quarry in the Hang Dong district. The park…

  • Crime NewsSuspected thief electrocuted to death in Bangkok, Thailand

    Suspected thief electrocuted to death in Bangkok, Thailand

    A Thai man was electrocuted to death in a suspected robbery sometime before 5am this morning on the side of a hotel in Bangkok. The hotel said they turn on electric wires during the night to prevent robberies. Lumphini Police Station received a report at 8am that a suspected thief had been electrocuted to death on the side of a…

  • Crime NewsUPDATE: Chaiwat denies murdering Karen activist ‘Billy’ in western Thailand

    UPDATE: Chaiwat denies murdering Karen activist ‘Billy’ in western Thailand

    UPDATE: Chaiwat denies murdering Karen activist ‘Billy’ in western Thailand Former superintendent of Kaeng Krachan National Park, Chaiwat Limlikitaksorn, denies all allegations that he and three other national park officials abducted and murdered Karen activist Porlajee “Billy” Rakchongcharoen in 2014. Last month, Chaiwat and three others were indicted after the Department of Special Investigation (DSI) found additional evidence that Billy…

  • Thailand NewsTruck carrying elephant overturns in northern Thailand

    Truck carrying elephant overturns in northern Thailand

    A rescue mission has been launched for a badly injured elephant after the truck transporting it overturned in Chiang Mai province, northern Thailand, this morning. The elephant could not get up due to its injuries. At 10.23am today, Thai Elephant Alliance posted a picture of the injured elephant, named ‘Pooh Kham’ on its Facebook page. Thai Elephant Alliance said they…

  • Thailand NewsThailand provides over 600,000 free cancer treatments in 9 months

    Thailand provides over 600,000 free cancer treatments in 9 months

    Under the universal healthcare ‘Gold Card’ scheme, the government of Thailand provided 603,060 free cancer treatments in nine months. The free cancer treatments were provided by the National Health Security Office between October 1, 2021, and June 30, 2022, according to Deputy Spokesperson Ratchada Thanadirek. The number exceeded the government’s expectations by almost double. The government initially predicted that the…

  • Crime NewsPolice arrest scammer for selling fake tours from Thailand to Japan

    Police arrest scammer for selling fake tours from Thailand to Japan

    Police yesterday arrested a woman in Bangkok who made over 1 million baht by selling fake tours from Thailand to Japan in 2014. Thailand’s Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for 49 year old Chanphen eight years ago in October 2014 for “running a tourism business without seeking permission, false advertising, and fraud.” In January 2014, Chanphen defrauded 27 victims…

  • Thailand NewsCat goes missing in Hat Yai, turns up 1000km away in Bangkok, Thailand

    Cat goes missing in Hat Yai, turns up 1000km away in Bangkok, Thailand

    ‘Moota’ the stripy cat turned up in Bangkok after going missing more than one month ago, almost 1000 kilometres away near the border of Malaysia in Hat Yai, Songkhla province, southern Thailand. On Wednesday, the Facebook page ‘Traffic on the Si Rat – Outer Ring Road Expressway of Bangkok‘ posted pictures of a beautiful striped cat with a red collar…

  • Thailand NewsIce Woman: Interview with the world’s first Thai Wim Hof Method instructor

    Ice Woman: Interview with the world’s first Thai Wim Hof Method instructor

    Kam Waritsara, aka ‘Thai Ice Woman,’ is the first Thai-certified Wim Hof Method (WHM) instructor in the world. Once Kam tried and tested the WHM, it became such an important part of her life that she vowed to make the technique accessible to Thai people. The WHM – discovered by Dutch extreme athlete Wim Hof – comprises three pillars: breathwork,…

  • Phuket NewsVIDEO: Phuket Airport and surrounding areas engulfed by floods

    VIDEO: Phuket Airport and surrounding areas engulfed by floods

    Floodwater is being pumped out of Phuket Airport and surrounding areas following heavy rainfall. No flights have been cancelled yet but the airport has requested passengers to arrive three to four hours before their scheduled departure time. “Heavy rain in Phuket province has resulted in flooding at Phuket Airport. Urgent remedial action is being taken in all flooded areas,” said…

  • Crime NewsThai woman forced into prostitution in Dubai seeks help for 3 imprisoned friends

    Thai woman forced into prostitution in Dubai seeks help for 3 imprisoned friends

    A 40 year old Thai woman who claims she escaped forced prostitution in Dubai is pleading for help for her three friends, who are still imprisoned in Dubai, UAE, by a gang of Thai brokers. Ms. A (pseudonym), originally from Sri Saket province in northeast Thailand, says she and three other Thai women were tricked by the brokers. The men…

  • Pattaya NewsSeveral bars and nightclubs fail fire safety inspections in Pattaya, Thailand

    Several bars and nightclubs fail fire safety inspections in Pattaya, Thailand

    Authorities ramped up fire safety inspections at entertainment venues in Pattaya following the tragic Mountain B nightclub fire in Chon Buri’s Sattahip district last month. The tragedy claimed the lives of 22 people, 13 on the night of the fire and nine more who died in hospital in the weeks that followed. The tragedy would have been avoided if the…

  • Phuket NewsInaugural Vietnam Airlines flight lands in Phuket, Thailand

    Inaugural Vietnam Airlines flight lands in Phuket, Thailand

    Yesterday at 11am, Vietnam Airlines’ inaugural flight from Ho Chih Minh City landed at Phuket International Airport with 161 tourists on board. Passengers on flight VN9625 were given a warm welcome from the Director of Phuket Airport Monchai Tanod, and the Deputy Director of Phuket Airport’s Business Support Line Kanyarat Suthipatanakit. With Thailand’s monsoon season in full swing, all passengers…

  • Thailand NewsVIDEO: Bodyguards chase acting PM Prawit’s golf buggy for 2km in Thailand

    VIDEO: Bodyguards chase acting PM Prawit’s golf buggy for 2km in Thailand

    Acting Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan – aka Big Pom – entertained the Thai nation once again yesterday when he made his two bodyguards jog after his golf buggy in the sweltering heat during his trip to Chachoengsao province. One of them couldn’t keep up. Big Pom visited a water treatment facility in Mueang district yesterday to learn about how wastewater…

  • Phuket NewsSoi Dog Foundation vaccinates over 700 stray dogs in Phuket, Thailand

    Soi Dog Foundation vaccinates over 700 stray dogs in Phuket, Thailand

    Soi Dog Foundation, a non-profit organisation, recently carried out its annual vaccination campaign at the Phuket Stray Dog Shelter in Thalang district, also known as the “government dog compound.” A team of Soi Dog veterinarians, community outreach staff, rescue officers, and a representative from the Phuket Provincial Office of the Department of Livestock Development came together to vaccinate 735 resident…

  • Thailand NewsThailand to make jet fuel from the nation’s used cooking oil

    Thailand to make jet fuel from the nation’s used cooking oil

    A project to make aviation fuel from used cooking oil in Thailand is receiving a 10 billion baht investment, according to petroleum company Bangchak Corporation Plc (BCP). If all goes to plan, the product could be available to buy as soon as Q4, 2024. Yesterday, officials from three companies – BCP, BBGI Plc, and Thanachok Oil Light – signed the…

  • Covid-19 NewsChina locks down 21 million people in Chengdu

    China locks down 21 million people in Chengdu

    The city of Chengdu in China, home to over 21 million people, will go into lockdown at 6pm today to control another Covid-19 outbreak. The country’s President Xi Jinping has committed to a ‘Covid Zero’ approach, despite the detrimental economic effects of lockdowns. Residents of the capital of Sichuan province must stay home at all times, except for mandatory Covid…

  • Crime NewsUPDATE: Thai policewoman accused of abusing soldier dismissed from civil service

    UPDATE: Thai policewoman accused of abusing soldier dismissed from civil service

    UPDATE: Thai policewoman accused of abusing soldier dismissed from civil service The policewoman who allegedly abused and kept a female soldier as a “slave” has been ordered to resign from the civil service, according to Deputy Spokesperson for the Royal Thai Police Po. Cl. Khrishna Pattanacharoen. The spokesperson announced yesterday that the 43 year old policewoman has been officially dismissed…

  • Thailand NewsKorean Air to resume flights to Chiang Mai and Phuket

    Korean Air to resume flights to Chiang Mai and Phuket

    Korean Air will resume direct flights from Seoul to both Chiang Mai and Phuket this October. Both routes were suspended in March 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The airline’s Phuket flights are scheduled to depart from Seoul Incheon Airport four days per week on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays at 5.55pm and land in Phuket at 10pm. Phuket to…

  • Thailand NewsThailand to boost tourism revenue by hosting Indian weddings, says TAT

    Thailand to boost tourism revenue by hosting Indian weddings, says TAT

    Indian weddings are a “multi-billion dollar industry” that Thailand plans on tapping into, according to Deputy Governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Siripakorn Chaewsamoot. The TAT said they want to bump up Thailand’s tourism revenue for 2022 up to 600 – 700 billion baht (US$16 – 19 billion) by the end of the year by targeting high-spending groups…

  • Crime NewsCondo technician tries to rape teenage student in central Thailand

    Condo technician tries to rape teenage student in central Thailand

    A condominium technician tried to rape an 18 year old woman who asked him to let her into her room after she lost her key card in Nonthaburi province, central Thailand. The girl’s elder sister filed a police report on her behalf at Bang Bua Thong Police Station yesterday at 4.30pm, providing CCTV footage recorded on August 19 at 9pm…

  • Crime News7 year old girl dies in school van in eastern Thailand

    7 year old girl dies in school van in eastern Thailand

    A 7 year old Grade 2 student died in a school van yesterday at Ploenchit Wittaya school in Chon Buri province, eastern Thailand, after she was left in the van all day. At 5pm yesterday, officers from Phan Thong Police Station received a report that a child had died inside a van at the “famous” school in Pan Thong district.…

  • Thailand NewsVIDEO: ‘Kalasin Cowboy’ rides horse to college in NE Thailand

    VIDEO: ‘Kalasin Cowboy’ rides horse to college in NE Thailand

    A student who rides his horse to college in Kalasin province, northeast Thailand, has become an overnight Internet sensation. On Monday, Facebook user Boat Ekparin Mongkummuen posted a clip of the ‘Kalasin Cowboy’ making a U-turn and galloping into Kalasin College of Dramatic Arts in Mueang district, with the caption… “F*cking cool. You’ve won me over. Hahaha. I want to…