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.
  • Northern Thailand NewsSwarm of giant honey bees cause chaos at Thailand airport

    Swarm of giant honey bees cause chaos at Thailand airport

    A swarm of giant honey bees caused quite the buzz at Khon Kaen Airport in northeast Thailand yesterday, causing delays to two flights and stinging six members of ground staff who all required hospitalisation. As soon as Thai AirAsia flight FD3260 from Bangkok’s Don Mueang Airport landed on the runway at Khon Kaen Airport yesterday, a colony of giant honey…

  • Thailand NewsThai Vietjet launches premium lounge at Suvarnabhumi Airport

    Thai Vietjet launches premium lounge at Suvarnabhumi Airport

    Budget airline Thai Vietjet opened ‘The Coral Executive Lounge’ at Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok, Thailand, where passengers can indulge in a range of premium services while waiting for their journey to begin. Services offered at the lounge include food and refreshments, snacks, a bar, WiFi, flight information services, private rooms, neck and shoulder massages, newspapers and magazines, televisions, and disabled…

  • Crime NewsSuspected murderer of Thai-British teen attacked during re-enactment

    Suspected murderer of Thai-British teen attacked during re-enactment

    UPDATE A relative of the 17 year old Thai-British teenager Woramet “Ben” Taota – who was murdered in Lampang in northern Thailand on Saturday – attacked the suspected murderer with a wooden stick during a re-enactment of the crime this morning. At 11am, officers from Mae Tha Police Station and Lampang Provincial Police escorted the accused, 44 year old Chaiwat…

  • World NewsIllegal brothel discovered in Singapore after Thai woman climbs out window

    Illegal brothel discovered in Singapore after Thai woman climbs out window

    Police uncovered an illegal brothel in Singapore after someone reported seeing a Thai woman standing on a third-floor ledge of a residential building in Jalan Besar on April 8. On Monday, the woman on the ledge was sentenced to prison after pleading guilty to living off the earnings of the prostitution of another person. A passerby saw the woman standing…

  • Crime NewsMurderer arrested in Thailand after 16 years on the run

    Murderer arrested in Thailand after 16 years on the run

    A Thai man who brutally murdered his wife 16 years ago was arrested at a temple in Roi Et province in northeast Thailand yesterday. He confessed to beating his wife to death with a helmet in 2007. Police arrested 63 year old Adirek at a temple in Nong Phok district under an arrest warrant from Phitsanulok Provincial Court dated August…

  • Environment NewsThai university makes bulletproof vests from recycled plastic

    Thai university makes bulletproof vests from recycled plastic

    Scientists at Naresuan University in northern Thailand made bulletproof vests out of recycled plastic waste which they donated to the soldiers of Royal Thai Army Area 3 in Phitsanulok province on Monday. The vests are made from a mixture of car headlight parts, dialysis bags, rubber shoes, and plastic from the sea. The bulletproof vests were created under the project…

  • Crime NewsTattooed Thai gangster-turned-movie star arrested on gambling charges

    Tattooed Thai gangster-turned-movie star arrested on gambling charges

    Thai gangster-turned-actor Panya Yimumphai – famous for his role in ‘A Prayer Before Dawn’ – was arrested on gambling charges at a house in Pathum Thani, just north of Bangkok, on Monday. Thailand’s Cyber Police raided the property after Panya, better known for his gang name Keng Laiprang (“Keng Camouflage”), posted a TikTok clip inviting his followers to gamble on…

  • Thailand NewsChinese tour minibus crashes in northern Thailand, 8 injured

    Chinese tour minibus crashes in northern Thailand, 8 injured

    A minibus carrying 30 Chinese tourists overturned in Chiang Rai province in northern Thailand on Monday. Eight people were injured in the crash. Officers from Mae Chan Police Station were informed that a minibus lost control and crashed on the Mae Chan-Fang Road in Ban Thung Thang, Pa Tueng subdistrict, Mae Chan district. Police rushed to the scene with Highway…

  • Crime NewsSex offender confesses to murdering Thai-British teenager, girlfriend still missing

    Sex offender confesses to murdering Thai-British teenager, girlfriend still missing

    A man formerly imprisoned for sex crimes has confessed to murdering the Thai-British teenager who was found dead in the woods of Lampang province, northern Thailand, on Sunday. The police are still searching for the deceased’s missing girlfriend. Police arrested a 44 year old Thai man named Chaiwat Boonkarin under suspicion of murder and concealing a corpse on Monday. Initially,…

  • Thailand NewsPattaya’s real estate market soars thanks to Chinese and Russian buyers

    Pattaya’s real estate market soars thanks to Chinese and Russian buyers

    Real estate in Pattaya, eastern Thailand, is being snapped up like hotcakes thanks to Russian and Chinese buyers, according to leading real estate developer Habitat Group Co. Ltd. Chief Executive Officer of Habitat Group Chanin Vanichwong revealed today that demand for real estate in Pattaya from both Thai and foreign customers is continually growing, reports Thansettakij. Demand from the foreign…

  • Crime NewsUkrainian man arrested for working illegally on Thai island

    Ukrainian man arrested for working illegally on Thai island

    Royal Thai Immigration Police arrested a Ukrainian man on Thursday after he was allegedly discovered working illegally for a motorbike rental company on Koh Pah Ngan island in Surat Thani province in southern Thailand. Surat Thani Immigration revealed on Sunday that they arrested an unnamed 45 year old man from Ukraine on Thursday – the same day as the Full…

  • Visa InformationPhuket Immigration discovers 186 visa overstayers in just 7 days

    Phuket Immigration discovers 186 visa overstayers in just 7 days

    In a single week, 186 foreigners in Phuket, southern Thailand, were found to have overstayed their visas, Phuket Immigration reported this morning. From April 28 – May 4, 2023, 120 police officers inspected the documents of 216 foreign targets on the island under orders from Phuket governor Narong Wunsiew, Chief of Phuket Police Pol. Maj. Gen. Sermpan Sirikong, and Chief of…

  • Phuket NewsEnglishman fights for his life after motorbike crash in Phuket, Thailand

    Englishman fights for his life after motorbike crash in Phuket, Thailand

    A young Englishman is fighting for his life in the hospital after losing a significant amount of blood in a horror motorbike crash in Phuket, southern Thailand, on Monday, May 1. The tourist, 25 year old Liam Kilby from Liverpool, was on holiday in Phuket with friends when he crashed into a shopfront. After suffering blood loss and falling into…

  • Pattaya NewsCrafty Thai woman allegedly steals British tourist’s Rolex in Pattaya

    Crafty Thai woman allegedly steals British tourist’s Rolex in Pattaya

    A British man is warning tourists to keep their wits about them in Pattaya, Thailand, after he was allegedly deceived by a Thai woman who he claims stole his luxury Rolex watch worth almost 1 million baht. At 11pm yesterday, a 38 year old anonymous man of British nationality spoke to reporters about his bad experience with a Thai woman…

  • Thailand NewsDeparture Tax: Thailand considers charging 1000 baht to leave country

    Departure Tax: Thailand considers charging 1000 baht to leave country

    Thailand‘s Revenue Department proposed that a 1000 baht “departure tax” be charged upon Thai citizens and foreign permanent residents in a bid to prevent excessive overseas spending. The idea has been met with resistance from tourism officials. Airline passengers would be charged 1000 baht to leave the country and those exiting via land and sea would be charged 500 baht…

  • Road deathsHuge concrete slab falls onto Bangkok’s Rama II Road killing construction worker

    Huge concrete slab falls onto Bangkok’s Rama II Road killing construction worker

    A huge slab of concrete fell from the under-construction expressway elevated over the Rama II Road yesterday in Bangkok, Thailand, crushing a construction worker to death, injuring another person and damaging eight cars. At 5pm, officers at Tha Kham Police Station were informed that a concrete beam fell and killed someone along the outbound Rama II Road opposite the Snake…

  • Transport NewsSAS to launch direct Copenhagen – Bangkok flights

    SAS to launch direct Copenhagen – Bangkok flights

    Danish flag carrier SAS Scandinavian Airlines will launch a direct route between Copenhagen in Denmark and Bangkok in Thailand in October this year to meet increasing demand, the airline announced on Tuesday. SAS first opened a route from Copenhagen to Bangkok way back in 1949, which was discontinued in 2014. Bangkok was SAS’s first-ever destination in East Asia. The relaunched…

  • Tourism NewsThailand welcomes 8.5 million foreign tourists so far this year

    Thailand welcomes 8.5 million foreign tourists so far this year

    Thailand welcomed over 8.5 million foreign tourists in the first four months of 2023, generating revenue of 353 billion baht, according to data from the Ministry of Tourism and Sports. Government spokesperson Anucha Buraphachaisri revealed today that Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha was delighted to hear about the strong recovery of Thailand’s tourism sector from January to April. In total, 8,596,452…

  • Tourism NewsThailand to close several popular islands for environmental restoration

    Thailand to close several popular islands for environmental restoration

    Four islands in Trang province, southern Thailand, will close for four months to give nature a chance to restore itself after a hectic tourist season, namely Koh Muk, Koh Kradan, Koh Chuek, and Koh Waen. Thailand’s Similan Islands will also close for the monsoon season. Yesterday, the Chief of Hat Chao Mai National Park Prit Narasaritkul announced the temporary cease of…

  • Koh Samui NewsBody found floating near Koh Samui, Thailand

    Body found floating near Koh Samui, Thailand

    A dead body was found floating in the sea between Koh Samui on Koh Pha Ngan in Surat Thani province, southern Thailand, yesterday. The deceased appears to be a foreign woman, reports MGR Online. Yesterday, the Facebook page “Chalerm Yord Phongsri” posted photos of a swollen body floating face down in the sea, wearing only underwear/swimwear, with the caption… “I…

  • Northern Thailand NewsSpirit or doll’s house? Foreign woman goes viral for Barbie doll photoshoot in northern Thailand

    Spirit or doll’s house? Foreign woman goes viral for Barbie doll photoshoot in northern Thailand

    Thai netizens were amused by a viral clip of a foreign woman snapping a pic of her Barbie doll inside a spirit house outside the White Temple in Chiang Rai province in northern Thailand on Monday. Spirit houses – which look like miniature temples – are found in abundance all over the kingdom and are intended to appease ghosts by…

  • Crime NewsKing of Thailand strips Premchai of insignia over outcome of ‘black panther’ case

    King of Thailand strips Premchai of insignia over outcome of ‘black panther’ case

    The King of Thailand has called back Premchai Karnasuta’s royal decorations and insignia due to the final verdict of the famous ‘black panther’ poaching case which resulted in the former construction tycoon’s imprisonment. In December 2021, the Supreme Court sentenced Premchai – the former president of the construction conglomerate Italian-Thai – to more than three years in jail after finding…

  • Phuket NewsNo foreigners receive yellow or red cards in April, reports Phuket Immigration

    No foreigners receive yellow or red cards in April, reports Phuket Immigration

    Foreigners were on their best behaviour in Phuket, southern Thailand, last month with 0 foreign tourists receiving yellow or red cards, reports Phuket Immigration. Phuket Immigration launched the yellow and red card scheme in March to combat the problem of wayward foreigners on the island. The system sees law-breaking foreign tourists deported from the kingdom after two offences. Any tourist…

  • Crime NewsYoung woman attacked with razors over 250 baht in southern Thailand

    Young woman attacked with razors over 250 baht in southern Thailand

    A loan shark chased a debtor for 750 baht debt yesterday in Phattalung province, southern Thailand. When the debtor coughed up only 500 baht, she was attacked by around 20 people over the remaining 250 baht. The gang slashed her with razors all over her body causing serious injury. At 2am today, officers at Mueang Phatthalung Police Station were called to…

  • Crime NewsSuspected murderer of car saleswoman in Thailand charged with 7 serious offences

    Suspected murderer of car saleswoman in Thailand charged with 7 serious offences

    UPDATE Police pressed seven serious charges against the man who yesterday confessed to raping and murdering a young car saleswoman in Chiang Mai, northern Thailand, on Saturday. Police say it is likely he will be punished with the maximum penalty. Initially, officers at Doi Saket Police Station charged 40 year old Nathapol “Ainat” Panpadungsap with three counts of rape using…

  • Pattaya NewsNaked Brit attacks elderly Australian tourist with beer bottle in Pattaya

    Naked Brit attacks elderly Australian tourist with beer bottle in Pattaya

    A naked British man on a rampage attacked an Australian tourist with a beer bottle until his face was covered in blood yesterday in Pattaya, Chon Buri province, eastern Thailand. At 10.30pm, officers at Pattaya City Police Station were informed that a foreigner was assaulted and injured at the Tahitian Queen Agogo bar on Pattaya Beach Road in Nong Prue subdistrict…

  • Thailand NewsLucky lottery winner in Thailand banks 36 million baht

    Lucky lottery winner in Thailand banks 36 million baht

    Thailand‘s Government Lottery Office (GLO) revealed that one lucky winner scooped a life-changing 36 million baht (over US$1 million) in the digital lottery draw today (May 2) after purchasing six winning digital tickets. Today, the number 834019 was drawn in Thailand’s twice-monthly government lottery draw. Anyone who bought a ticket with this number wins the lottery’s first prize of 6…

  • Transport NewsDLT recommends 6 ride-hailing apps to order a motorbike taxi in Thailand

    DLT recommends 6 ride-hailing apps to order a motorbike taxi in Thailand

    One of the fastest and most convenient ways to get around Thailand is by motorbike taxi, and Grab isn’t the only option. The Department of Land Transport (DLT) recommends ordering a motorbike taxi (“Win”) safely and legally using six mobile applications. The DLT has certified six applications providing motorbike taxi services so far, reports BangkokBizNews… Hello Phuket Service Bonku Asia…

  • Northern Thailand NewsDrunk cop abandons car blocking traffic in northeast Thailand

    Drunk cop abandons car blocking traffic in northeast Thailand

    Yesterday, a drunk police officer parked his car in the middle of the road in Udon Thani province in northeast Thailand when he needed to pee. Upon his return, his wheel had been clamped. He attempted to drive the clamped vehicle before fleeing. Officers at Mueang Udon Thani Police Station were informed that someone with a police officer’s uniform was…

  • Tourism NewsApply now: TAT offers 500,000 baht to travel Thailand for 4 months

    Apply now: TAT offers 500,000 baht to travel Thailand for 4 months

    The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) is recruiting one lucky explorer to travel around Thailand for four months and document their adventures. The chosen “Tourist of Thailand” will receive 504,000 baht in spending money for their trip, travel vouchers, and other prizes. The TAT’s job advertisement reads… “Do you want to travel all over Thailand for free? It’s not hard!…