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.
  • Transport NewsVistara launches new nonstop Thailand – India route

    Vistara launches new nonstop Thailand – India route

    Vistara Airlines is launching nonstop flights between Mumbai and Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport 5 times per week, starting next month on August 5. Vistara’s 3 cabin Airbus A320neo aircraft will operate the route on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. The new route is the airline’s second service to the Thai capital. In August 2019, Vistara launched direct flights between Delhi…

  • Thailand NewsCost of electricity in Thailand could rise to 5 baht per unit by September

    Cost of electricity in Thailand could rise to 5 baht per unit by September

    Electricity bills in Thailand could become more expensive than ever by September, according to a source at the Office of Energy Regulatory Commission (ERC). In the last 4 months of the year, the cost of electricity in Thailand could break the 5 baht per unit barrier for the first time, rising by 90 to 100 satang per unit. The official…

  • Thailand NewsMan in northeast Thailand pays 3.9 million baht dowry… for a buffalo

    Man in northeast Thailand pays 3.9 million baht dowry… for a buffalo

    The owner of a “high so” farm in Korat, northeast Thailand, gave a “dowry” of 3.9 million baht – in cash – for a 22 month old male buffalo named Chaoboonterm from Khon Kaen province. The man said he wants to breed the buffalo, which he said is a “textbook” Thai beauty. Supachai Winitphon, aka “Sia Noi” is the owner…

  • Pattaya NewsPattaya wants to enact city’s own cannabis-control law

    Pattaya wants to enact city’s own cannabis-control law

    Pattaya’s council is already fed up of waiting for a national cannabis act to be passed, so the city has started to draft its own cannabis-control law. Pattaya’s Deputy Mayor Thitiphan Phettrakul chaired a meeting on Friday to discuss rules and regulations needed to control and prohibit the use of cannabis and hemp, especially in schools. Cannabis was delisted as…

  • Bangkok News“Corpse” floating in Bangkok canal turns out to be old man meditating

    “Corpse” floating in Bangkok canal turns out to be old man meditating

    Onlookers rightly called the police when they saw a stiff body floating along a murky Bangkok canal. In a frenzy, dozens of people were shouting from the canal side, but the floating man did not respond. Everyone thought he was dead. Until… A brave man jumped into the canal and waded through the mud to check whether the floating man…

  • Crime NewsWoman’s corpse “naked and covered in bite marks” found in northeast Thailand

    Woman’s corpse “naked and covered in bite marks” found in northeast Thailand

    Police have launched a murder investigation after a 55 year old woman’s body was found “naked and covered in bite marks” at a house in Buriram province, northeast Thailand, yesterday. The prime suspect in the case so far is the woman’s husband, who mysteriously disappeared around the time of the murder. Officers from Phuttaisong Police Station rushed to a two-story…

  • Thailand Weather UpdatesFlash flood warning issued for 22 provinces of Thailand

    Flash flood warning issued for 22 provinces of Thailand

    Thailand’s Office of the National Water Resources warns that 22 provinces of Thailand are at risk of heavy rain and flash flooding this week, from July 11 – July 15. Areas at risk of flooding include… Northern Thailand Phayao Province, especially Chiang Kam District, Pong District, Pu Sang District and Ngao District. Lampang Province, especially Chae Hom District, Mueang Pan…

  • Thailand NewsPolice bring home 6 Thai women forced into prostitution in Myanmar

    Police bring home 6 Thai women forced into prostitution in Myanmar

    Police brought home 6 Thai women who posted videos on social media to say they had been forced into prostitution in Myanmar and needed help. The police picked up the women from the Thailand – Myanmar Friendship Bridge in Mae Sai district, Chiang Rai province, after coordinating with Burmese authorities. The group includes 31 year old Nanny from Nonthaburi, 25…

  • Crime NewsUPDATE: Police arrest man who stabbed elderly lady to death in central Thailand

    UPDATE: Police arrest man who stabbed elderly lady to death in central Thailand

    UPDATE: Police arrest man who stabbed elderly lady to death in central Thailand Police have caught and arrested the man who broke into an elderly woman’s home in Cha-am district in Phetchaburi province and stabbed her to death on Tuesday. Police arrested him in Bang Saphan district in Prachuap Khiri Khan province yesterday at about 3pm and took him to…

  • Transport NewsFree parking at Thailand’s Suvarnabhumi Airport during July holidays

    Free parking at Thailand’s Suvarnabhumi Airport during July holidays

    Suvarnabhumi International Airport announced that free parking will be available at its long term car park at Zone C – which can accommodate 718 vehicles – during two long holidays this month. Parking will be free for 6 days from midnight on July 12 until midnight on July 18 in celebration of Asanha Bucha day (July 13) and the beginning…

  • Road deathsNorwegian man drives into ravine in southern Thailand, 1 killed & 5 injured

    Norwegian man drives into ravine in southern Thailand, 1 killed & 5 injured

    A Norwegian man drove his car off a cliff and into a ravine at a viewpoint in Nakhon Si Thammarat province in southern Thailand yesterday. His Thai mother-in-law died from her injuries and 5 more were injured in the crash. Jorn Silva of Norwegian nationality was driving the car and inside were his wife Suwandee Silva, his daughters Natalie and…

  • Road deathsYoung Frenchman dies in motorbike accident in central Thailand

    Young Frenchman dies in motorbike accident in central Thailand

    A 22 year old Frenchman died in a motorbike accident this morning in Samut Prakan province in central Thailand. The man lost control of his motorbike while driving over a bridge and fell off onto a footpath, breaking his neck in the fall. At 10:30am this morning, police at Bang Bo Police Station received a report that a man had…

  • Pattaya NewsBritish man beaten up and robbed in Pattaya, Thailand

    British man beaten up and robbed in Pattaya, Thailand

    A British tourist who woke up in his underwear on the floor on a Pattaya path says he got beaten up and robbed by 4 Thai men after a night of heavy drinking. Police found 29 year old Farnie (surname reserved) of British nationality covered in bruises on the floor of North Pattaya Road yesterday at noon. Farnie was missing…

  • Politics News‘A poll is just a poll,’ Thai PM Prayut unfazed by opposition’s popularity

    ‘A poll is just a poll,’ Thai PM Prayut unfazed by opposition’s popularity

    Thailand will hold a general election at some point before March 2023, but polls reveal that current PM Prayut Chan-o-cha is not the favourite to win. PM Prayut says he’s not worried about the poll results, because “a poll is just a poll.” Paetongtarn Shinawatra – daughter of ousted ex-PM Thaksin Shinawatra and central figure of the Pheu Thai Party…

  • Crime NewsGrandmother stabbed more than 20 times in brutal murder in central Thailand

    Grandmother stabbed more than 20 times in brutal murder in central Thailand

    Police have launched a murder investigation after a man stabbed a 75 year old woman to death at her home in Phetchaburi province, central Thailand, on Tuesday. The woman’s daughter, 39 year old Yok, said she had been unwell and had been taking sleeping pills. Yok woke up at noon to find her mother – 75 year old Suthasinee Phansawat…

  • Things To DoRadisson’s ambitious plan to add 100 hotels to its Thai portfolio by 2025

    Radisson’s ambitious plan to add 100 hotels to its Thai portfolio by 2025

    Radisson Hotel Group revealed an ambitious plan to add 100 hotels and resorts to its small portfolio of properties in Thailand. The hospitality company currently operates 4 hotels in Thailand – all located in Bangkok – and has 2 more opening in Phuket and Pattaya. The hotel group will focus on developing properties and signing deals in “key business and…

  • Pattaya NewsPattaya’s prisoners clean the city’s sewers to prevent flooding

    Pattaya’s prisoners clean the city’s sewers to prevent flooding

    Monsoon season brings floods to every region of Thailand year in and year out. This year, Pattaya’s prisoners are taking action to mitigate the flood risk. On Monday, inmates from Pattaya Remand Prison began the mammoth task of cleaning out the city’s clogged up sewers for the first time since before the pandemic began. Well-behaved inmates, alongside city hall sanitation…

  • World NewsThailand or Cambodia? Comparing 10 year visa programmes

    Thailand or Cambodia? Comparing 10 year visa programmes

    Cambodia has launched a “My 2nd Home” programme to encourage foreign investment in the country. The programme features a 10 year long “Golden Visa” with unlimited entry and exit and other benefits. But how does it compare with Thailand’s 10 year Long Term Resident visa? Applicants for the “My 2nd Home” Golden Visa must be a foreign investor with an…

  • Thailand Weather UpdatesSeries of earthquakes strike 500km away from Thailand’s Andaman coast

    Series of earthquakes strike 500km away from Thailand’s Andaman coast

    A series of continuous 4.0 – 4.9 magnitude earthquakes struck the Andaman and Nicobar islands for a period of 3 days, 506 kilometres away from Thailand’s Andaman coast. More than 40 tremors occurred, beginning July 4 at 6:00am and continuing until this morning, July 6. The epicentre of the tremors was only 10 kilometres deep, making the chance of a…

  • Cannabis NewsSmoking and selling cannabis in public is illegal, warns Bangkok deputy governor

    Smoking and selling cannabis in public is illegal, warns Bangkok deputy governor

    Bangkok’s deputy governor would like to remind the public that smoking and selling cannabis in public places is illegal. The reminder follows a meeting in which vendors called for the infamous Khao San Road to become a “Ganja Hub.” The Bangkok Metropolitan Administration said: no. Bangkok Deputy Governor Chakkhaphan Phewngam chaired a meeting at Din Daeng City Hall today to…

  • Crime NewsUkrainian woman caught smuggling 116 live tortoises from Tanzania into Thailand

    Ukrainian woman caught smuggling 116 live tortoises from Tanzania into Thailand

    Police arrested a Ukrainian woman at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport yesterday after airport security found 116 live tortoises in her luggage. The woman smuggled the protected wildlife on an Ethiopian Airlines flight from Dar es Salaam in Tanzania to Bangkok, transiting in Addis Ababa in Ethiopia along the way. Yesterday at 2:40pm, Chief of the Wildlife Checkpoint at Suvarnabhumi Airport Sathon…

  • World NewsBrazilian student arrested in Bali for smuggling cannabis from Thailand

    Brazilian student arrested in Bali for smuggling cannabis from Thailand

    A Brazilian man who was arrested for smuggling 9.1 grams of cannabis from Thailand into Bali last week says he “didn’t know” that the plant is illegal in Indonesia. His arrest came just days after the Royal Thai Embassy in Jakarta warned the people of Thailand against taking cannabis into Indonesia, where they could face harsh penalties – or even…

  • Thailand NewsBattle of the Beetles: Man gets rich selling rhinoceros beetles in southern Thailand

    Battle of the Beetles: Man gets rich selling rhinoceros beetles in southern Thailand

    Beetle fighting season is almost upon us, and one man from southern Thailand says his rhinoceros beetles are heading straight to the top of the beetle battle championships. Every rainy season in Thailand, male rhinoceros beetles go head to head on a wooden pole. A female beetle is placed underneath, whose scent stimulates the males to fight until one backs…

  • Road deathsStudent’s body ripped in half in freak motorbike accident in central Thailand

    Student’s body ripped in half in freak motorbike accident in central Thailand

    A 20 year old engineering student died in a motorbike accident at around 8am this morning in Pathum Thani province, central Thailand. Police found the man’s body completely ripped into two pieces after he crashed into a power pole. Witnesses said they saw the man waiting at a red light on the Rangsit – Nakhon Nayok road outside Nattawan village.…

  • Thailand NewsAirAsia Thailand resumes Bangkok – Hong Kong flights, pilots new China route

    AirAsia Thailand resumes Bangkok – Hong Kong flights, pilots new China route

    In August, Thai AirAsia will resume direct flights between Bangkok and Hong Kong. The airline will also pilot a special flight to Guangzhou in China this month, on July 13. Thai AirAsia is a joint venture between Thailand’s Asia Aviation and budget Malaysian airline AirAsia. The airline will operate weekly flights between Bangkok’s Don Muang International Airport and Hong Kong…

  • Road deathsPickup truck explosion kills 2 in Bangkok

    Pickup truck explosion kills 2 in Bangkok

    On Saturday morning, a pickup truck crashed into the barrier in the middle of a 4 lane road in Bangkok and exploded. Witnesses saw 2 men escape the vehicle, but both men got caught in the flames and died at the scene. At 6:30am on Saturday, fire engines from Thanon Chan Fire Station were called to put out a fire…

  • Covid-19 NewsUnvaccinated tourist turned away at check-in desk en route to Thailand

    Unvaccinated tourist turned away at check-in desk en route to Thailand

    An unvaccinated tourist en route to Thailand was turned away at the check-in desk at Manchester Airport in England on Saturday after an airline didn’t get the memo about Thailand’s updated entry restrictions. If you are unvaccinated and plan to travel to Thailand, The Thaiger has advice about how to avoid this happening to you. Thailand Pass was scrapped on…

  • Crime NewsThai woman confesses to beating 6 year old granddaughter to death with pestle

    Thai woman confesses to beating 6 year old granddaughter to death with pestle

    Today, a 47 year old Thai woman confessed to hitting her 6 year old granddaughter’s head with a pestle until she died on Wednesday, June 22, in Pathum Thani province in central Thailand. On Wednesday night, police received a report that a 6 year old girl had died inside a rented room in Som Khok District in Pathum Thani province.…

  • Cannabis NewsPhuket public health office says smoking cannabis is legal, but…

    Phuket public health office says smoking cannabis is legal, but…

    Phuket’s Provincial Public Health Office today made a statement to clear up confusion surrounding new cannabis laws. Smoking cannabis is legal, so long as the smoke does not disturb anyone, according to the chief of the Phuket Provincial Health Office Dr. Kusak Kukiatkul. Cannabis smoke is considered a “public nuisance” in Thailand, and smoking the plant in public places is…

  • Crime NewsUPDATE: Fraudulent Japanese restaurant owner denied bail

    UPDATE: Fraudulent Japanese restaurant owner denied bail

    UPDATE: Fraudulent Japanese restaurant owner denied bail The court denied the owner of Daruma Sushi’s request for bail this afternoon after he was arrested by police at Suvarnabhumi Airport yesterday. Police say “Metha” has caused millions of baht in damages and has countless allegations against him. The 39 year old owner of Daruma Sushi – Metha Chalingsook – got into…