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 NewsQatar Airways launches thrice daily flights to Phuket

    Qatar Airways launches thrice daily flights to Phuket

    Qatari flag carrier Qatar Airways is launching three flights per day between Doha and Phuket in southern Thailand starting today, February 1, to meet the ever-growing demand. The additional flights bring the airline’s number of services to Thailand up to seven per day, including four flights to and from Bangkok. Doha is a major Middle Eastern transport hub and most…

  • Thailand NewsThailand tourist fee: 300 baht via air, 150 baht via land/sea

    Thailand tourist fee: 300 baht via air, 150 baht via land/sea

    Thailand plans to charge foreign arrivals arriving by air a tourist fee of 300 baht (US$9.11) and a fee of 150 baht (US$4.56) for tourists entering the kingdom via land/sea by mid-2023. The 300 baht tourist fee for air arrivals has been in the pipeline for a long time and is set to be enforced in June after facing several Covid-19-related…

  • Thailand NewsGrab Thailand reveals foreign tourist trends

    Grab Thailand reveals foreign tourist trends

    Grab Thailand saw a 45% increase in foreign users between Q2 and Q3 in 2022, suggesting a positive outlook for the recovery of the tourism industry. The top five countries foreign Grab users came from are… Indonesia Malaysia Singapore United States Vietnam To meet the needs of foreign users, the ride-hailing super-app focussed on perfecting three key aspects of service:…

  • South Thailand NewsArmy ranger shot dead in Thailand’s Deep South

    Army ranger shot dead in Thailand’s Deep South

    A volunteer army ranger was shot dead at a grocery store in southern Thailand’s insurgency zone on Sunday. Two assailants arrived at the store on a motorbike. One of them entered the shop and fatally shot 38 year old Ilfun Yuso while he was helping out at his wife’s grocery store in Pattani province before fleeing on the same bike.…

  • Thailand NewsThree foreign tourists rescued from Thai jungle

    Three foreign tourists rescued from Thai jungle

    National park officials rescued three foreign tourists who got lost in the jungle in Koh Pha Ngan, Surat Thani province, southern Thailand, yesterday. All three are reportedly safe. At 5.30pm, the Chief of Than Sadet National Park, Tikamporn Phenchom, received a call that three foreign tourists were lost in the jungle on the Khao Ra mountain and needed help. Chief…

  • Thailand NewsBirmingham to Bangkok: British poker player wins big and moves to Thailand

    Birmingham to Bangkok: British poker player wins big and moves to Thailand

    A Brummie lad won £3.6 million (145.5 million baht) playing online poker and is now “having the time of his life” in Thailand. An Englishman, 31 year old Richard Sheils, swapped Birmingham for Bangkok after becoming a professional poker player from his bedroom. Now, Sheils is living a life of partying and trips to the beach. Sheils revealed that he…

  • Thailand NewsPirate ship restaurant capsizes in Pattaya

    Pirate ship restaurant capsizes in Pattaya

    A pirate-ship-themed bar and restaurant capsized off the coast of Pattaya in eastern Thailand yesterday. Luckily, the restaurant was not open for business due to bad weather. At 4.30pm, the Sawang Boriboon Rescue Foundation was informed that the “Krakenian Private of Pattaya” was floating down the coast of Pattaya Beach from Bali Hai Pier, not far from Central Pattaya, slowly…

  • Pattaya NewsAmerican fitness YouTuber found dead in Pattaya

    American fitness YouTuber found dead in Pattaya

    American fitness YouTuber Leo and Longevity was found dead at a house in Pattaya, eastern Thailand, last night. Officers from Pattaya City Police Station were called to a house in Pattaya Lagoon Village in Bang Lamung district at 8pm, where they found the body of 34 year old Laith Abdullah Algaz – also known as Leo Rex – in the…

  • World NewsThai man working illegally in South Korea enters coma, family pleads for help

    Thai man working illegally in South Korea enters coma, family pleads for help

    A Thai man working illegally in South Korea is in a coma after undergoing urgent surgery for a brain haemorrhage. His family is doing everything they can to coordinate his return to Thailand. His family says that 40 year old Narong Fanphua from Thoen district, Lampang province, northern Thailand, has been a ‘Little Ghost’ (slang for a Thai person illegally…

  • Crime NewsPresident of Thailand’s Udon Thani FC ‘Madam Wi’ accused of fraud

    President of Thailand’s Udon Thani FC ‘Madam Wi’ accused of fraud

    “Madam Wi,” the president of Thai League 2 team Udon Thani FC in northeast Thailand, has been accused of fraud after allegedly deceiving people into paying her money to find them work in South Korea. Nine people filed a complaint at Mueang Udon Thani Police Station accusing 41 year old Arisara “Madam Wi” Chamun of fraud and violating the Employment…

  • Crime NewsForeigner claims suspected Thai monk in sex clip is actually him

    Foreigner claims suspected Thai monk in sex clip is actually him

    A Vietnamese man claims that it is he featured in a clip of two men having sex and not the accused famous Thai monk ‘Kru Ba Gai.’ Four former students of Kra Ba Gai, a well-known abbot of a temple in Khon Kaen province in northeast Thailand, accused the monk of having sexual relations with a man which is against the…

  • Thailand NewsForeign tourist under investigation for free climbing in southern Thailand

    Foreign tourist under investigation for free climbing in southern Thailand

    A foreign tourist is under investigation for free climbing up a limestone cliff on an island off the coast of Krabi province in southern Thailand within national park boundaries. The Chief of Hat Noppharat Thara-Mu Ko Phi Phi National Park, Teekhawut Sriburin, is investigating a foreign tourist and a Thai boat operator after photos of a foreigner climbing up a limestone…

  • World NewsBangladeshi child plays hide and seek, turns up in Malaysia five days later

    Bangladeshi child plays hide and seek, turns up in Malaysia five days later

    A young boy turned up in Malaysia after becoming trapped inside a shipping container for five days while playing hide and seek in Bangladesh. On January 17, a 45 year old shipping operator opened a container at Port Klang, Malaysia’s largest port, to find a confused, weak Bangladeshi boy named Farim who had travelled over 1,000 miles from home. A…

  • World NewsChina Airlines launches direct flights from Chiang Mai to Taiwan

    China Airlines launches direct flights from Chiang Mai to Taiwan

    Taiwan-based China Airlines commenced nonstop flights between Chiang Mai in northern Thailand to Taiwan on Friday. A 180-seat Airbus A321neo will service the four-hour route four days a week on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays. Flight CI851 from Taiwan’s Taoyuan International Airport (TPE), servicing Taipei City, to Chiang Mai will take off at 08.05am and touch down in Chiang Mai…

  • Tourism NewsDrain collapses beneath Chinese tourist’s feet in Thailand

    Drain collapses beneath Chinese tourist’s feet in Thailand

    A Chinese tourist was walking on a pavement near the Ancient City in Samut Prakan near Bangkok yesterday when a drain cover collapsed beneath his feet. Luckily, the tourist only sustained minor injuries. The Facebook page ‘Samut Prakan News v2’ posted a photo of the distressed tourist sitting on the side of Sukhumvit Road next to a broken sewage drain…

  • Pattaya NewsBolt vs Win motorbike taxi gang violence continues in Pattaya

    Bolt vs Win motorbike taxi gang violence continues in Pattaya

    Violence between rivalling motorbike taxi operators continues in Pattaya, eastern Thailand, where three ‘Win‘ drivers were injured after being beaten with a baseball bat and an iron bar, allegedly by Bolt drivers. Yesterday evening, a brawl broke out between three Bolt drivers and three Win drivers at Thappraya Soi 7, South Pattaya, Bang Lamung district, Chon Buri province, near Jomtien…

  • Thailand NewsLongtail boat sinks in Thailand: Pregnant Malay woman and child die, 2 survive

    Longtail boat sinks in Thailand: Pregnant Malay woman and child die, 2 survive

    A longtail boat carrying a family of Malaysian tourists sank off the coast of Krabi province in southern Thailand yesterday. A 36 year old pregnant woman and her six year old child died while the father and Thai boat operator survived with the help of a local fisherman. A young fisherman, 21 year old Warit Changmin, went out fishing for…

  • Crime NewsThai police swiftly arrest thief who robbed German tourist

    Thai police swiftly arrest thief who robbed German tourist

    Netizens are praising the work of police in Sukhothai in central Thailand for tracking down and arresting a thief who robbed a German tourist in just 30 minutes and reuniting her with all of the stolen items. Not only did police crack the case, but one investigating officer interrogated the thief and posted the video on his TikTok account earlier today.…

  • World NewsShould tourists in Thailand take a gamble on Poipet?

    Should tourists in Thailand take a gamble on Poipet?

    Poipet, a boomtown on the Khmer side of the Thai – Cambodian border, is known for two things: visa runs and gambling. Just 3.5 hours away from Bangkok, Poipet is popular with tourists looking to exit and reenter Thailand’s border to gain more time in the kingdom. Beyond the immigration office lies an otherwise unspectacular-looking urban municipality that transforms into…

  • Thailand NewsLeopard undergoes successful surgery in Thailand

    Leopard undergoes successful surgery in Thailand

    Veterinarians successfully removed a large tumour from a leopard‘s face in Suphan Buri province in central Thailand yesterday. The big cat is recovering well from the surgery. Officials from the Bueng Chawak Non-Hunting Area reported that a 15 year old male leopard named Tree, weighing 51.5 kilogrammes, was operated on yesterday at the Bang Chawak Wildlife Management Centre. Tree was…

  • Pattaya NewsLifeguards save foreign tourist from drowning in Pattaya

    Lifeguards save foreign tourist from drowning in Pattaya

    Tragedy was avoided on Jomtien beach in Pattaya, eastern Thailand, yesterday thanks to the expert skills of Pattaya City lifeguards who acted quickly to save a foreign tourist from drowning. At 3pm, the Sawang Boon Rescue Foundation was informed that a foreign tourist was dragged out of the sea unconscious near the entrance of Soi 16 at Jomtien Beach in…

  • Crime NewsThieves steal 27 public defibrillators in Bangkok, Thailand

    Thieves steal 27 public defibrillators in Bangkok, Thailand

    Thai news outlet Drama-addict reported that 27 public Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) dotted around the streets of Bangkok, Thailand, have been stolen. In total, 262 AEDs are stationed all around the city to be used to help people experiencing sudden cardiac arrest. AEDs are life-saving, yet easy-to-use medical devices that can analyse the heart’s rhythm and, if necessary, deliver an…

  • Crime NewsThief leaves an apology note in Chiang Mai, Thailand

    Thief leaves an apology note in Chiang Mai, Thailand

    A thief stole over 12,000 baht from an electrical appliances store in Chiang Mai province in northern Thailand on Sunday morning and left behind a note apologising for his crime. CCTV footage captures a masked assailant, a man estimated to be around 30 years old, breaking into an electrical appliance store next to Wat Tha Mai-i Temple in Chiang Mai’s…

  • World NewsThai Vietjet to launch direct flight from Chiang Mai to Osaka

    Thai Vietjet to launch direct flight from Chiang Mai to Osaka

    Direct flights between Chiang Mai in northern Thailand and Osaka in Japan will take flight on February 16, 2023, operated by budget airline Thai Vietjet Air. Operated by an Airbus A321, the new route from Chiang Mai International Airport to Kansai International Airport will take five hours in total. To begin with, the route will run three times per week…

  • Visa InformationThailand gives 5 year visas to Hong Kong celebrities

    Thailand gives 5 year visas to Hong Kong celebrities

    Thailand‘s new strategy to lure in tourists is to dish out five-year visas to celebrities and influencers with large social media followings. After Beijing dropped most of its Covid-19 travel regulations last month, Thailand is focussed on drawing back tourists from Hong Kong and China, who were Thailand’s No.1 tourists pre-pandemic. The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) hopes to attract…

  • Northern Thailand NewsDelivery driver saves family from fire in northeast Thailand

    Delivery driver saves family from fire in northeast Thailand

    Yesterday, netizens helped to reunite a restaurant owner with the Grab delivery driver who saved him and his family from a fire in the middle of the night earlier this month in Buriram province in northeast Thailand. On January 16 at 3am, a raging communication cable fire broke out in front of the Chan Chao Thai curry restaurant in the…

  • Thailand NewsThailand’s Surat Thani Airport welcomes chartered flight from Taiwan

    Thailand’s Surat Thani Airport welcomes chartered flight from Taiwan

    A chartered Thai Lion Air flight carrying 143 tourists from Taiwan landed at Surat Thani Airport in southern Thailand yesterday. It was the first chartered flight to land on the airport’s runway in three years. Surat Thani Governor Wichawut Jinto welcomed passengers on flight SL-7391 from Taipei yesterday evening, handing out flower garlands and gifts to tourists to celebrate the…

  • Thailand NewsGiant license plates are illegal, warns Thailand’s DLT

    Giant license plates are illegal, warns Thailand’s DLT

    Thais love to modify their vehicles, but attaching a comically big license plate to your car is illegal, warns Thailand‘s Department of Land Transport (DLT). The warning follows a viral TikTok clip of a pickup truck on the road featuring a regular license plate as well as a Phitsanulok province license plate so big it could probably be seen all the…

  • Crime NewsPakistani man caught smuggling 80,000 pills into Thailand

    Pakistani man caught smuggling 80,000 pills into Thailand

    A Pakistani man was arrested at Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport on Friday after he attempted to smuggle a suitcase brimming with drugs from Pakistan into the Kingdom of Thailand. Airport security flagged down a suspicious suitcase from Karachi, Pakistan, found to contain a plethora of Type 2 and Type 4 psychotropic substances. In total, police at the airport seized 79,200 pills…

  • Tourism NewsTourists urged to beware of tiger roaming in Kanchanaburi, Thailand

    Tourists urged to beware of tiger roaming in Kanchanaburi, Thailand

    A large male tiger came out of the forest and was spotted roaming around Srinagarind Dam in Tha Kradan district of Kanchanaburi province, western Thailand, yesterday morning. Tourists visiting the popular Srinagarind Dam and famous Erawan Waterfall are urged to beware of the tiger. Four CCTV cameras caught footage of the big cat sauntering around the dam at around 2am.…