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.
  • Pattaya NewsVIDEO: Pattaya police rehearse controlling drunk tourists with metal poles

    VIDEO: Pattaya police rehearse controlling drunk tourists with metal poles

    Pattaya police – armed with what look like giant litter pickers – gathered on Jomtien beach in Pattaya yesterday to prepare for encounters with “armed, drunk and aggressive foreign tourists.” The police asked a foreign beachgoer to volunteer as an armed, drunk and out of control tourist. Half a dozen policemen behind a riot shield approached the “tourist” and pinned…

  • Crime NewsPolice arrest 2 Iranian men for scamming people in Thailand

    Police arrest 2 Iranian men for scamming people in Thailand

    Police arrested 2 Iranian nationals today in Chanthaburi province, eastern Thailand. The men allegedly scammed people out of money on at least 2 occasions in Samut Songkhram province, southwest of Bangkok. The men would ask people to exchange banknotes, but then snatch the victim’s money and run off without giving anything in return. The 24 year old man and 32…

  • Cannabis NewsThailand develops cannabis test kits that detect THC levels in 15 minutes

    Thailand develops cannabis test kits that detect THC levels in 15 minutes

    Thailand took marijuana off its list of narcotics, but extracts with higher than 0.2% tetrahydrocannabinol – the “happy” chemical – are still illegal. The law was designed to discourage the recreational use of cannabis, but no one knew how it could be enforced, until now. Thailand’s Department of Medical Sciences has developed marijuana test kits that detect THC levels in…

  • Phuket NewsPhuket homeowner checks CCTV to find foreign couple canoodling outside house

    Phuket homeowner checks CCTV to find foreign couple canoodling outside house

    A Thai woman away in Germany was lost for words on Tuesday when she checked her Phuket home’s CCTV camera footage to see a foreign couple – a man and woman – having sex in front of her house. Homeowner Waralak Frisch often resides in Germany with her husband, so she installed security cameras to check on the safety of…

  • Thailand NewsFrenchman found dead in luxury villa in Koh Samui, Thailand

    Frenchman found dead in luxury villa in Koh Samui, Thailand

    The body of a Frenchman was discovered at a luxury pool villa in Koh Samui, off the coast of the southern province of Surat Thani, at 9:30am this morning. Officers from Koh Samui Police Station were called to a detached house in Na Muang subdistrict after a cleaner discovered the body of 45 year old Christophe Cedric Moulinaires lying dead…

  • World NewsBurmese refugees left stranded on desert island in Thailand for 3 days

    Burmese refugees left stranded on desert island in Thailand for 3 days

    Today, the Thai army picked up 16 Burmese refugees who were left stranded on a desert island off the coast of Ranong province, southern Thailand, for 3 days and 2 nights. The group came to the island from Myanmar by boat and were told to wait for another boat to take them across to the mainland. However, the boat they…

  • World NewsMonkeypox arrives in Singapore and South Korea

    Monkeypox arrives in Singapore and South Korea

    Cases of monkeypox have been confirmed in Singapore and South Korea. Since the outbreak began in May, Singapore’s case is the first recorded in Southeast Asia. Singapore’s Ministry of Health confirmed that a 42 year old British flight attendant tested positive for monkeypox on June 20. He was in Singapore between June 15 and June 17, and again on June…

  • World NewsAt least 250 killed in Afghanistan earthquake

    At least 250 killed in Afghanistan earthquake

    A powerful 6.1 magnitude earthquake has devastated Eastern Afghanistan, killing at least 250 people. Hundreds more were injured and countless homes were destroyed in 4 districts of Paktika province after the earthquake struck in the early hours of this morning, while most people were sleeping. The epicentre was 44 kilometres from the southeastern city of Khost near the border of Pakistan,…

  • Pattaya News2 year old foreign child in ICU after Pit Bill attack in Pattaya, Thailand

    2 year old foreign child in ICU after Pit Bill attack in Pattaya, Thailand

    A 2 year old foreign boy is being treated in the ICU after he was mauled by a Pit Bull in Pattaya on Monday. The young child suffered a broken jaw, torn cheeks, and an open wound on his head which required 200 stitches. At 4pm on Monday, a foreign nanny took 2 foreign boys – aged 2 and 4…

  • Cannabis NewsNovices caught smoking cannabis kicked out of Thailand’s monkhood

    Novices caught smoking cannabis kicked out of Thailand’s monkhood

    A group of novice Buddhist monks were kicked out of the monkhood yesterday after they were caught smoking cannabis from a bong at a famous temple in Buriram province in northeast Thailand. The young men – who had been ordained for a total of 4 days – were taking part in a drug addiction programme jointly run by Thailand’s Buddhist…

  • South Thailand NewsSuspected insurgents hijack garbage truck, bomb police booth in southern Thailand

    Suspected insurgents hijack garbage truck, bomb police booth in southern Thailand

    In a suspected insurgency attack in Thailand’s “Deep South,” men armed with guns hijacked a garbage truck, tied up four binmen on the roadside, and placed a 50 kilogram explosive inside the vehicle. The assailants drove to a police checkpoint where they detonated the bomb, blowing up the garbage truck and injuring one police officer. The incident happened yesterday evening…

  • Thailand NewsToday is the longest day of the year in Thailand

    Today is the longest day of the year in Thailand

    The sun will reign over the sky for almost 13 hours today in Thailand, making today (June 21) the longest day of the year. The extended sunlight hours mark the beginning of the summer season in the entire Northern Hemisphere, formally known as “The Summer Solstice.” The sun rose from the sky’s northeastern horizon at 5:51am this morning in Thailand,…

  • Road deathsChinese woman dies in road accident in Bangkok

    Chinese woman dies in road accident in Bangkok

    A young Chinese woman was struck and killed while crossing the road in Bangkok in the early hours of this morning. The woman was crossing over the 3 lane road at Ratchavipha intersection on Ratchadapisek Road in Chatuchak district when she was struck by a car at around 00:50am. Police are checking CCTV cameras to confirm the details of the…

  • Environment NewsCathay Pacific plants 999 mangrove trees in Thailand

    Cathay Pacific plants 999 mangrove trees in Thailand

    Hong Kong’s flag carrier Cathay Pacific has planted 999 mangrove trees in the Khlong Khon Mangrove Forest in Samut Songkram, central Thailand as part of its “1 Ticket, 1 Tree” initiative. The airline launched the initiative last year, committing to planting 1 tree for every plane ticket bought in a one-month period. About 50 volunteers, including Cathay Pacific staff and…

  • Thailand NewsGiant honey bees swarm home in southern Thailand

    Giant honey bees swarm home in southern Thailand

    A man from Krabi, southern Thailand, was left terrified and thankfully unharmed after tens of thousands of giant honey bees – or Apis dorsata – swarmed his home on Sunday. Thailand’s giant honey bees have been called “the most dangerous stinging insects on earth” by Cornell University apiculturist Roger Morse. Somchai Kaewkasorn, a Department of Highways official, was watching television…

  • Thailand NewsThai Airways resumes Perth – Bangkok flights

    Thai Airways resumes Perth – Bangkok flights

  • Crime NewsSecond suspect admits beating Thai couple to death with iron rod in Taiwan

    Second suspect admits beating Thai couple to death with iron rod in Taiwan

    Police arrested a second man on suspicion of jointly murdering a Thai couple – the woman pregnant with twins – earlier this month in Taiwan. “Thanawat” admitted beating the couple to death with an iron rod together with Santi, the original prime suspect, and another Thai national. On Friday, Santi handed himself into the police in Chiang Dao, northern Thailand.…

  • Crime NewsForeigner stabbed in Pattaya refuses hospital treatment

    Foreigner stabbed in Pattaya refuses hospital treatment

    An unidentified foreign man was stabbed near Walking Street in Pattaya in the early hours of yesterday morning. Despite bleeding heavily, the man refused to get his wounds treated at hospital. He refused to explain what happened or give personal details to the police. Eyewitnesses told police that a physical fight broke out between two foreign men who had been…

  • Covid-19 NewsThailand drops outdoor face mask requirement

    Thailand drops outdoor face mask requirement

    Today, Thailand’s Covid-19 taskforce announced that face masks will no longer be required in airy, outdoor spaces in Thailand. The change is expected to come into effect on July 1. The CCSA also announced some other important changes today, such as the cancellation of the Thailand Pass. Dr. Taweesilp Visanuyothin said the public should decide for themselves when wearing a…

  • Crime NewsInfluencers from controversial Lazada ad arrested on suspicion of lèse majesté

    Influencers from controversial Lazada ad arrested on suspicion of lèse majesté

    Yesterday, police arrested three Thai influencers on suspicion of lèse majesté – or insulting the monarchy – in relation to their role in a controversial Lazada advert which shocked the Thai nation last month. In Thailand, lèse majesté is a criminal offence punishable by 3 to 15 years for each count. Police arrested the 3 influencers who starred in the…

  • Crime NewsUPDATE #3: Thai couple murdered in Taiwan

    UPDATE #3: Thai couple murdered in Taiwan

    UPDATE #3: The man suspected of murdering a Thai couple in Taiwan last week – the woman pregnant with twins – handed himself in to the Royal Thai Police at 8am this morning. Police arrested 35 year old “Santi” at the Border Police Division 335 in Chiang Dao district in the northern province of Chiang Mai after he made contact…

  • Cannabis NewsCannabis flowers to become a “controlled herb” in Thailand

    Cannabis flowers to become a “controlled herb” in Thailand

    In response to public concern about recreational abuse of cannabis since its decriminalisation last week, Thailand’s Health Minister has signed a ministerial regulation to make cannabis flowers – the part of the plant with high levels of tetrahydrocannabinol – a “controlled herb.” The legislation specifies who is and isn’t allowed to access the THC-rich flowers. The legislation will come into…

  • Covid-19 NewsThailand Pass, Bars, Masks: The Thaiger’s predictions for tomorrow’s CCSA meeting

    Thailand Pass, Bars, Masks: The Thaiger’s predictions for tomorrow’s CCSA meeting

    Tomorrow, Thailand’s Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration, or CCSA, will meet to discuss the fate of Thailand Pass, “zones,” closing times of entertainment venues, mask-wearing and temperature checks. Keep a close eye on the Thaiger tomorrow to see if our predictions are correct… Thailand Pass Currently, non-Thai travellers entering Thailand are required to obtain a Thailand Pass QR code prior…

  • Crime NewsUPDATE #2: Thai couple murdered in Taiwan

    UPDATE #2: Thai couple murdered in Taiwan

    UPDATE #2: The Thai man who went on the run after murdering a Thai couple in Taiwan last week asked a middleman to contact the Royal Thai Police on his behalf to inform them that he wants to hand himself in. Apparently, he feels guilty and wants to surrender to police. The police have not spoken to the suspect directly so…

  • Northern Thailand NewsRussian man allegedly murders trans woman in northeast Thailand

    Russian man allegedly murders trans woman in northeast Thailand

    Yesterday, a mother in the northeastern province of Surin discovered the rotting body of her 31 year old daughter – a trans woman named Thiraphong – wrapped inside a blanket in a storage room behind their family home. The mother suspects her daughter’s Russian boyfriend, who disappeared a few weeks ago, murdered her daughter. Police say they estimate that the…

  • Thailand NewsThailand’s lower house passes Marriage Equality Bill (first reading)

    Thailand’s lower house passes Marriage Equality Bill (first reading)

    Yesterday, Thailand’s Parliament passed the Marriage Equality Bill in the first reading with 210 votes in favour, 180 votes in opposition and 4 abstentions. The bill – previously rejected by Cabinet in March – was pushed by Thailand’s Move Forward Party. A parliamentary committee has been set up to scrutinise the bill over the next 15 days before it is…

  • Thailand NewsLGBTQ+ protesters in Thailand want marriage equality, not ‘civil partnerships’

    LGBTQ+ protesters in Thailand want marriage equality, not ‘civil partnerships’

    Members of Thailand’s LGBTQ+ community gathered outside parliament today to submit a letter calling for the Cabinet to pass the Marriage Equality Bill. The bill would make Thailand’s marriage laws applicable to any couple, regardless of their gender or sexual orientation. The Marriage Equality bill was previously rejected by the Cabinet, who said it was redundant because they were instead…

  • Thailand NewsRobot dogs spotted “playing” at Chiang Mai University

    Robot dogs spotted “playing” at Chiang Mai University

    As if Thailand didn’t have enough dogs roaming the streets already, Chiang Mai University’s Faculty of Engineering has manufactured a pack of robot dogs which have been spotted “playing” on a field at the university’s campus in Chiang Mai, northern Thailand. An unsettling video of the robot dogs posted on Facebook has netizens divided on whether the dogs – which…

  • Crime NewsPoliceman shot dead on duty in central Thailand

    Policeman shot dead on duty in central Thailand

    A group of teenagers on motorbikes fatally shot a policeman on duty in Pathum Thani province, central Thailand, in the early hours of yesterday morning. One 18 year old man admits to firing a gun in the direction of the policeman, but isn’t sure if it was the shot that killed him. Commander-in-chief Anan Orsuwan went to Soi Erawan 12…

  • World NewsMalaysian cockfighter sneaks across border and gets shot in southern Thailand

    Malaysian cockfighter sneaks across border and gets shot in southern Thailand

    A Malaysian man who illegally crossed over the border into Thailand for a cockfighting match got shot in Sungai Golok, Narathiwat province, last Saturday night. His chicken won the fight, but his luck soon changed when a group of Thai nationals shot him in the hand on his way home. Scared of getting into trouble with the authorities, the injured man…