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 NewsJeep plunges down mountainside in Thailand, driver dies, 5 Israeli tourists survive

    Jeep plunges down mountainside in Thailand, driver dies, 5 Israeli tourists survive

    A jeep tumbled 30 metres down a mountainside and into a river yesterday in Chiang Rai province in northern Thailand. The Thai driver died in the accident and five Israeli tourists survived with injuries. At 2pm yesterday, officers at Mueang Chiang Rai Police Station were informed that a fatal car crash occurred near the entrance of an Akha Pang Klang…

  • Thailand News3 million baht raised for British woman who fell from balcony in Thailand

    3 million baht raised for British woman who fell from balcony in Thailand

    A GoFundMe appeal raised nearly 3 million baht (£73,500) to cover the medical costs of a 21 year old British woman who sustained serious injuries after falling from a low balcony in Koh Pha Ngan in southern Thailand on New Year’s Eve. Maddi Neale-Shankster, a beauty therapist from Coventry in England, suffered a broken back, two collapsed lungs, and her…

  • Thailand NewsThailand is the happiest of 7 regional APAC countries, survey says

    Thailand is the happiest of 7 regional APAC countries, survey says

    The people of Thailand are the happiest out of seven regional Asia-Pacific (APAC) countries, according to a survey of 85,000 adult respondents via the polling app Votee. Stats were collected from respondents in Hong Kong, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, Malaysia, Taiwan, and the Philippines between October 2021 and December 2022. Respondents were routinely asked to score their happiness level out of…

  • Crime NewsInternational school teacher accused of molesting kindergarten pupil in Koh Samui

    International school teacher accused of molesting kindergarten pupil in Koh Samui

    A teacher at an international school in Koh Samui in Surat Thani province, southern Thailand, has been accused of molesting a kindergarten pupil. Deputy Commissioner of the Royal Thai Police Pol. Maj. Gen. Surchate “Big Joke” Hakparn travelled to the island yesterday to attend a meeting about the progress of the case so far. The parents of a kindergarten student…

  • Thailand News85% of restaurants at Suvarnabhumi Airport are ‘Clean Food, Good Taste’ certified

    85% of restaurants at Suvarnabhumi Airport are ‘Clean Food, Good Taste’ certified

    Thailand‘s Department of Health certified 85% of restaurants in the passenger terminal at Suvarnabhumi Airport as having “Clean Food, Good Taste,” according to the department’s director-general Suwanchai Wattana. Suwanchai congratulated the operators of 58 restaurants (85.29% of restaurants in the terminal) who passed the health and safety standard with flying colours at an award ceremony yesterday. Any hungry passengers waiting…

  • Thailand NewsEntrepreneur killed in motorbike crash in Thailand

    Entrepreneur killed in motorbike crash in Thailand

    Little is known about the death of award-winning entrepreneur and philanthropist Eli Ostreicher, who was killed in a motorbike accident in Thailand, yesterday at 39 years old. Reports say the accident happened in Bangkok. Eli Ostreicher was born in London’s Hasidic community and later moved to New York City, where he ran five companies including one of his most successful…

  • Thailand NewsEnglishman ‘crawled for half a mile’ after moped crash in Thailand

    Englishman ‘crawled for half a mile’ after moped crash in Thailand

    A moped crash on Koh Yao Noi island in southern Thailand has left an Englishman in need of urgent surgery. Arron Rouse, from Worcestershire in England, sustained several broken ribs and a gaping wound on his leg when he was thrown off his moped on the night of December 16, 2022. Far away from a proper hospital, Arron couldn’t access…

  • South Thailand NewsInsurgents kill defence volunteer in southern Thailand, 2 injured

    Insurgents kill defence volunteer in southern Thailand, 2 injured

    Suspected insurgents launched a targeted attack on eight territorial defence volunteers in Narathiwat province in southernmost Thailand this morning. One volunteer was killed and two more are injured. At 8am, officers at Si Sakhon Police Station were informed that insurgents detonated a roadside bomb and fired shots with automatic rifles at Si Sakhon defence volunteers, killing one and injuring two,…

  • Bangkok NewsThais pay respect to albino buffalo sculpture toppled by drunken Englishman

    Thais pay respect to albino buffalo sculpture toppled by drunken Englishman

    The atmosphere is sombre outside Samyan Mitrtown in Bangkok where buffalo enthusiasts and art lovers laid bouquets of flowers to pay their respects to the toppled albino buffalo sculpture which was ruined by a drunk English tourist who attempted to mount it on the weekend. “Kwai: Calm” (buffalo: calm) the fibreglass albino buffalo remains in a sorry state on its…

  • Cannabis NewsThailand to track cannabis users in government database

    Thailand to track cannabis users in government database

    Thai nationals will soon be required to show their ID cards when purchasing cannabis flowers. The ID and sales information will be entered into a government database, according to the Department of Thai Traditional and Alternative Medicine (DTAM). Registered vendors will be required to insert the buyers’ ID into a “device” linked with the government system and input information regarding…

  • World NewsTwo fugitive Korean underwear bosses arrested in Thailand

    Two fugitive Korean underwear bosses arrested in Thailand

    Police arrested two wanted Korean fugitives – the former and current chairman of the Ssangbangwool Group – on a golf course in Thailand yesterday after eight months on the run. According to prosecutors in South Korea, the pair were arrested by Thai police on a golf course in Pathum Thani province just north of Bangkok at 7.30pm. South Korean prosecutors suspect…

  • Thailand NewsGerman tourist falls near summit of Tiger Cave Temple in southern Thailand

    German tourist falls near summit of Tiger Cave Temple in southern Thailand

    A young German tourist is injured after falling from the top of the stairs at Tiger Cave Temple in Krabi province in southern Thailand yesterday afternoon. At 3pm, Krabi Tourist Police were informed that a German tourist needed medical help after an accident near the summit of the mountain. Rescue workers climbed over 1,000 steps, which took more than one…

  • Tourism NewsDaily direct flights between Phuket and Shanghai to takeoff next week

    Daily direct flights between Phuket and Shanghai to takeoff next week

    Daily flights between Phuket in southern Thailand and Shanghai in China will takeoff next Wednesday, January 18, operated by Shanghai’s Juneyao Airlines. The inaugural flight will be the first direct service between Phuket and mainland China in almost three years. China reopened its borders yesterday, and given that China was once Thailand’s top tourism market, Thailand braced itself for an…

  • Covid-19 NewsThailand informs airlines about removal of Covid-19 vaccine rule

    Thailand informs airlines about removal of Covid-19 vaccine rule

    Unvaccinated travellers heading to Thailand can now feel at ease knowing airlines around the world have been informed that Thailand no longer requires arrivals to prove they are vaccinated against Covid-19. Thailand momentarily reintroduced the two-dose Covid vaccine entry requirement with barely any notice as a measure to mitigate the risk of importing a caseload of coronavirus from China, which…

  • Crime NewsImmigration police arrest two Chinese fraudsters illegally living in Thailand

    Immigration police arrest two Chinese fraudsters illegally living in Thailand

    In two separate but similar cases, Immigration Police arrested two Chinese fraudsters posing as businessmen and illegally living in Thailand. Collectively, the pair scammed victims of over 2 billion baht. Case 1 Police arrested a 44 year old Chinese national named Changguan (pseudonym) who allegedly scammed hundreds of victims of over 1.4 billion baht by persuading them to invest in…

  • World NewsMalaysia investigates Russian daredevils who trespassed onto Merdeka 118

    Malaysia investigates Russian daredevils who trespassed onto Merdeka 118

    Malaysian authorities are investigating a Russian ‘daredevil’ couple for trespassing after videos of them standing on top of the second tallest building in the world, the unfinished Merdeka 118 tower in Kuala Lumpur, went viral. On Saturday, Malaysia‘s Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said there are no records of the Russian couple entering or exiting Malaysia. On December 28, Malaysian…

  • Phuket NewsBritish man claims he was tortured by Thai police

    British man claims he was tortured by Thai police

    A British man claims he was tortured by Thai police for seven days straight in Phuket, southern Thailand when his holiday abroad went gravely wrong. British authorities have launched an investigation into the alleged abuse, reports FirstPost. He allegedly sustained broken ribs, bruised limbs, septic infections, swollen wrists, and lost four teeth in the ordeal. The victim, 51 year old Carl…

  • Thailand NewsCharred corpse discovered in sugarcane field in Thailand

    Charred corpse discovered in sugarcane field in Thailand

    A sugarcane harvester found a charred human corpse in the middle of a sugarcane field in Suphan Buri province in central Thailand yesterday. Officers at U Thong Police Station were informed that a dead body was found at a sugarcane plantation in Chorakhe Samphan district and rushed to the scene to investigate with rescue workers. Officers found the body of…

  • Thailand NewsElephant brutally kills mahout in southern Thailand

    Elephant brutally kills mahout in southern Thailand

    An elephant went into a violent frenzy and killed its mahout (elephant trainer) in Phang Nga province in southern Thailand yesterday. Officials believe that Jojo the elephant turned on its owner because it was fed up with work. Jojo both trampled on his owner and stabbed him with his tusks numerous times, said rescue workers. Officers from Kapong Police Station…

  • Covid-19 NewsThailand U-turns on Covid-19 vaccine entry requirement

    Thailand U-turns on Covid-19 vaccine entry requirement

    Just days after Thailand reintroduced the two-dose Covid-19 vaccine entry requirement, Health Minister Anutin Charnvirakul says the requirement will be dropped with immediate effect. However, the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) has informed airlines globally that unvaccinated tourists must provide either proof of recovery from Covid in the past six months or a doctor’s note explaining why they are…

  • Bangkok NewsDrunk British tourist allegedly destroys prized albino buffalo sculpture in Bangkok

    Drunk British tourist allegedly destroys prized albino buffalo sculpture in Bangkok

    A drunk, British tourist allegedly destroyed a giant albino buffalo sculpture exhibited in the Sam Yan area of Bangkok at the weekend. At 2am on Saturday, a group of drunk British and German tourists passed by the Bangkok Art Biennale 2022 art exhibition outside Samyan Mitrtown in Bangkok. This year, the concept of the exhibition is “CHAOS: CALM” and features…

  • Thailand NewsBREAKING: Unvaccinated tourists can fly to Thailand, so long as…

    BREAKING: Unvaccinated tourists can fly to Thailand, so long as…

    After facing an international backlash for reintroducing the two-dose Covid-19 vaccine entry requirement at the last minute, Thailand will allow unvaccinated tourists to fly into the country so long as they have either proof of recovery from Covid in the past six months OR a doctor’s letter explaining why they are not vaccinated. The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT)…

  • Phuket NewsRomanian diver missing at sea in Phuket, Thailand

    Romanian diver missing at sea in Phuket, Thailand

    The search continues today for a Romanian man who went missing while diving in the waters of Phuket in southern Thailand yesterday. At 12.40pm, officers at Chalong Police Station were informed that a Romanian diver went missing off the coast of Promthep Cape. At 9am, 46 year old Sebastian Emil Somesan, 47 year old Alexandru Florin Miron – both of Romanian…

  • Thailand NewsYoung Welshman seriously injured in motorbike accident in Koh Samui, Thailand

    Young Welshman seriously injured in motorbike accident in Koh Samui, Thailand

    A 28 year old Welshman remains in a government hospital in Koh Samui, southern Thailand, after a motorbike collision on Boxing Day. Adam Davies, from Dinas Cross in Pembrokeshire, sustained multiple injuries including a fractured skull in three places, bleeding in the brain, a punctured lung, five broken ribs, a fractured collarbone, broken shoulder blade, fractured ankle, and other minor…

  • Thailand NewsWoman hit with 6.5 million baht parking fee in Thailand

    Woman hit with 6.5 million baht parking fee in Thailand

    A Thai woman was hit with a 6.5 million baht ($US190,870) parking fee after leaving her car for just two hours at a shopping mall car park in Nonthaburi province, just north of Bangkok, in central Thailand. CH3‘s programme “Nai Krasae” (“Trending”) reported yesterday that an unidentified woman parked her car at a “well-known shopping mall.” The name of the shopping…

  • Transport NewsThailand’s long-distance trains to relocate to new Bangkok rail hub from January 19

    Thailand’s long-distance trains to relocate to new Bangkok rail hub from January 19

    The State Railway of Thailand is relocating 52 train services from Hua Lampong Station to Bangkok‘s new central rail hub – Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal (formerly Bang Sue Junction) – from January 19. Passengers catching long-distance, rapid and express train services will depart from Krung Thep Aphiwat Central Terminal in Bangkok’s Chatuchak district from this date onward. Inbound trains…

  • Thailand TravelThailand to reintroduce Covid-19 vaccine requirement for all visitors

    Thailand to reintroduce Covid-19 vaccine requirement for all visitors

    Anyone wishing to gain entry into Thailand will soon be required to show proof of receiving at least two doses of the Covid-19 vaccine prior to their arrival. The measure will apply to all arrivals in the kingdom regardless of nationality. The Ministry of Public Health is planning to reintroduce the old entry requirement amid concerns that Chinese tourists will import…

  • Crime NewsVIDEO: Angry farang chases Thai-French woman who rejected him in Pattaya

    VIDEO: Angry farang chases Thai-French woman who rejected him in Pattaya

    An angry farang (Westerner) of unknown nationality chased a half-Thai half-French woman around the pool at a Pattaya hotel in eastern Thailand when she rejected his advances on Monday. Twitch streamer ‘Justketh’ was live-streaming at the hotel’s pool where only she and the older man were present. Keth told The Thaiger… “He had been sitting in the pool and drinking…

  • Thailand NewsWhale shark visits Thailand’s Koh Chang in rare sighting

    Whale shark visits Thailand’s Koh Chang in rare sighting

    A stunning four-metre-long whale shark visited a group of tourists on a snorkelling trip in the waters of Koh Chang in the Gulf of Thailand yesterday in an extremely rare sighting. Danai Unglo, the owner of Mister Khai Tour Company, said he was leading a group of 15 tourists to go snorkelling at Koh Klum island in Trat province’s Koh Chang…

  • Thailand NewsThailand ranks 9th in 10 Cheapest Places to Live list by Forbes

    Thailand ranks 9th in 10 Cheapest Places to Live list by Forbes

    Thailand and Italy secured joint 9th place in Forbes magazine’s list “Quit Your Job and Move Abroad: 10 Cheapest Places to Live” list published on Monday. Forbes compiled a list of desirable locations to live aimed not only at retirees but anyone who wants to quit their job, pack up shop and start a new life for an affordable price……