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 NewsUPDATE: 12 people exposed to monkeypox forced to quarantine in Thailand

    UPDATE: 12 people exposed to monkeypox forced to quarantine in Thailand

    UPDATE: The 12 crew members and passengers who were in close contact with a traveller infected with monkeypox – who stopped off at Bangkok’s Survarnabhumi airport for 2 hours before flying on to Australia – are currently being forced to quarantine in Thailand. The 12 people have already been in enforced quarantine for 7 days and have shown no symptoms…

  • Crime NewsThree woman caught smuggling heroin from Thailand into India

    Three woman caught smuggling heroin from Thailand into India

    Three women were arrested at a hotel in Itarsi, India, with 200 million rupees’ – or 87.8 million baht’s – worth of heroin on Saturday. The women allegedly smuggled the heroin into the Indian city of Bengaluru from Thailand via an international airline, according to India’s Narcotics Control Bureau. The woman managed to get the heroin through both Thai and…

  • Crime NewsBREAKING: Court sentences British man who murdered and chopped up Thai woman

    BREAKING: Court sentences British man who murdered and chopped up Thai woman

    UPDATE: Court sentences British man who murdered and chopped up Thai woman At 1:30pm this afternoon, Kanchanaburi Provincial Court sentenced Shane Kenneth Looker to 8 years in prison for murdering Laxami “Look” Manochat in 2014. The court ordered Shane to pay a total of 12.5 million baht to Look’s family. The court initially sentenced 51 year old Shane to 16…

  • Phuket NewsForeign woman falls from Phuket condominium in potential murder case

    Foreign woman falls from Phuket condominium in potential murder case

    A foreign woman fell from the 8th floor of a condominium building in Patong, Phuket, and died in the early hours of this morning. Police are not ruling out murder because the woman was found clutching a clump of hair in her right hand. Her identity and nationality have not yet been confirmed. At 4:20am today, Patong Police Station received…

  • Thailand NewsThai Airways collaborates with Warner Bros to shoot ‘The Meg 2: The Trench’

    Thai Airways collaborates with Warner Bros to shoot ‘The Meg 2: The Trench’

    Thai Airways has entered into an agreement with Warner Bros Discover – or WBD – to provide flights to support the production of ‘The Meg 2: The Trench,’ a sequel to the 2018 film ‘The Meg.’ The airline will provide direct flights from various locations around the world and take special care in transporting film production equipment. Thai Airways say…

  • Crime NewsPolice arrest Scottish man wanted since 2014 in Pattaya

    Police arrest Scottish man wanted since 2014 in Pattaya

    Yesterday, Thai police arrested a 46 year old Scottish man in Pattaya who was convicted of possessing indecent images of children in May 2014. William Dempster fled the UK eight years ago before he could be sentenced and has been on the run in Thailand ever since. The Royal Thai Police, Police Scotland and the National Crime Agency worked together…

  • World NewsMalaysia’s biggest ever Thai festival “Think Thailand” has begun

    Malaysia’s biggest ever Thai festival “Think Thailand” has begun

    Malaysia is hosting the country’s biggest ever Thai festival, “Think Thailand,” for 12 days from May 29 – June 6 at Tropicana Gardens Mall in Damansara, Petaling Jaya. Attendees can shop for Thai products, watch cooking and martial arts demonstrations, sample Thai cuisine and observe cultural performances. “Think Thailand” will showcase a range of Thai brands and products at 50…

  • Thailand News4 year old drowns in pool at Chon Buri villa

    4 year old drowns in pool at Chon Buri villa

    Yesterday, a 4 year old boy drowned in a swimming pool at a villa in Suthathip district in the eastern province of Chon Buri. Rescue workers from Rojanathamsathan Rescue Unit rushed to the scene at 8:30pm yesterday but sadly couldn’t save 4 year old Falah Senluang. Falah’s family told police they had travelled to the two-story villa from Samut Prakan…

  • Crime NewsChon Buri gunman shoots 3 people “because he was slapped in the face”

    Chon Buri gunman shoots 3 people “because he was slapped in the face”

    A man shot three people, killing two and seriously injuring another in Ban Bueng district in the eastern province of Chon Buri on Saturday night. The gunman said he was drinking alone outside a convenience store when a group of men drinking around a nearby table criticised his personality. He said one of the men slapped him in the face,…

  • World NewsTara Air plane crashes in Nepal, 22 feared dead

    Tara Air plane crashes in Nepal, 22 feared dead

    The Nepali Army has found the wreckage of a Tara Air plane scattered on a mountainside in Nepal after it went missing over the Himalayan mountains yesterday morning. On board the plane were 4 Indian nationals, 2 Germans, 13 Nepali passengers and 3 Nepali crew members. The army hasn’t yet reported whether they have found any survivors. The 43 year…

  • Thailand NewsVictoria’s Secret gives laid off Thai garment workers .3 million in compensation

    Victoria’s Secret gives laid off Thai garment workers $8.3 million in compensation

    Lingerie company Victoria’s Secret has given a ‘wage theft’ payment of 8.3 million USD to 1,250 laid off Thai garment workers, who have been fighting for severance payments for over a year since their factory in Samut Prakan, central Thailand, went bankrupt and closed down in March 2021. Some workers received the equivalent of more than four years wages under…

  • Phuket NewsSoi Dog Foundation and DNP rescues monkey chained up for 2 years in Phuket

    Soi Dog Foundation and DNP rescues monkey chained up for 2 years in Phuket

    Sandy the macaque, a former working monkey, has been given a fresh start in life after a heartbreaking two years of being chained up to a cage in Rawai subdistrict, Phuket. Before the Covid-19 pandemic, Sandy worked in an elephant camp. The camp closed down over two years ago, and Sandy was chained up ever since, until today. Two expats,…

  • Thailand NewsRestaurant in northern Thailand promises to sell 3 baht noodles despite inflation

    Restaurant in northern Thailand promises to sell 3 baht noodles despite inflation

    A restaurant in the northern province of Chiang Mai promises to keep serving 3 baht noodles, despite the cost of ingredients being higher than ever. The restaurant’s owner Thawat Pirata said he hasn’t increased the price of noodles in 34 years and doesn’t plan to. The 64 year old owner of noodle shop Kway Teow Sam Baht – or “3…

  • Thailand NewsSlow loris dies from electric shock in southern Thailand

    Slow loris dies from electric shock in southern Thailand

    A slow loris climbed up a broken communication cable and died from electric shock this morning in Hat Yai district, Songkhla province, southern Thailand. Residents say it is the third slow loris to climb up the cable and die from electric shock. Locals say a fire caused some of the electric wire to become exposed, presenting a risk to animals…

  • Crime NewsMan threatens PM Prayut’s daughters on Twitter, sentenced to 5 years in prison

    Man threatens PM Prayut’s daughters on Twitter, sentenced to 5 years in prison

    A man who posted a threatening message on Twitter aimed at the twin daughters of Thailand’s Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha has been sentenced to 5 years imprisonment with no parole. Yesterday, Southern Bangkok Criminal Court found the man guilty of “publicising a crime” and for breaking the Computer Crimes Act because of a Tweet he posted in March last year.…

  • Thailand NewsThailand’s monkeys are starving due to fear of monkeypox

    Thailand’s monkeys are starving due to fear of monkeypox

    Monkeys in Lopburi, central Thailand, are starving because tourists have stopped feeding them in fear of the “monkeypox epidemic,” despite no cases being recorded so far in the kingdom. The atmosphere of Lopburi city, famous for its monkey population, has been significantly disrupted since the monkeypox epidemic began, despite the epidemic being centred in Europe, the USA and Australia. Usually,…

  • Road deathsUPDATE: French woman dies riding bicycle in central Thailand

    UPDATE: French woman dies riding bicycle in central Thailand

    UPDATE: The Toyota sedan’s dashcam footage confirmed that the traffic lights were on green when the driver struck and killed 26 year old Camille, who was riding a bicycle across a zebra crossing in Ayutthaya in central Thailand yesterday evening. The driver tried to break and swerve out of the way but couldn’t stop in time. Police arrested the driver…

  • South Thailand NewsBomb blasts in southern Thailand heard from Malaysia

    Bomb blasts in southern Thailand heard from Malaysia

    A series of bomb blasts and gunshots occurred in the border town of Tak Bai in Narathiwat on Thailand’s southern border last night. Assailants launched a series of attacks at 2 police stations, a military unit and a market, injuring three police officers. The bombs could be heard in Pengkalan Kubor in Kelantan on the Malaysian side of the border.…

  • World NewsThailand gives Malaysians one month to collect stranded vehicles free of charge

    Thailand gives Malaysians one month to collect stranded vehicles free of charge

    Thailand is giving Malaysians one month to collect their stranded vehicles free of charge from June 1 – June 30. Hundreds of cars with Malaysian number plates got stranded in Thailand when the border closed due to the Covid-19 pandemic, over two years ago. After June 30, Thailand will impose a fee to collect stranded vehicles. Vehicles can be brought…

  • Thailand NewsTires of Royal Thai Air Force plane burst during landing in northeast Thailand

    Tires of Royal Thai Air Force plane burst during landing in northeast Thailand

    A Royal Thai Air Force aircraft is stuck on the runway of Ubon Ratchathani International Airport after both rear tires of the plane burst during landing at 11:30am this morning. The normal brake system failed to work so the pilot used the emergency brakes to prevent the plane skidding off the runway, causing the rear tires to burst, making it…

  • EducationTeacher filmed cutting bald patches into 10 students’ hair in northeast Thailand

    Teacher filmed cutting bald patches into 10 students’ hair in northeast Thailand

    A secondary school student from Nakhon Ratchasima province, northeast Thailand, secretly filmed a teacher cutting bald patches into the hair of 10 male students and posted the video on social media. Netizens have criticised the teacher’s actions as inappropriate and a violation of children’s rights. The director of Suranee Wittaya 2 school in Mueang district said the teacher has since…

  • Thailand NewsRanong reports 41 cases of monkey-to-human “Nousai” malaria

    Ranong reports 41 cases of monkey-to-human “Nousai” malaria

    Authorities in Ranong, southern Thailand, have reported 41 cases of Nousai malaria in the province. Ranong’s Provincial Public Health office reported that most patients infected with Nousai malaria have a history of going deep into the forest. Nousai malaria, caused by the plasmodium knowlesi parasite, is passed from monkeys to humans through female Anopheles mosquito bites. Yesterday, the eastern province…

  • Thailand NewsTesla registers as a company in Thailand

    Tesla registers as a company in Thailand

    Tesla Company (Thailand) Ltd is now a registered company in Thailand, according to information found on the Department of Business Development’s website. The company registered today, on May 25, with an initial registration capital of 3 million baht. The primary purpose of Tesla in Thailand is to sell electric vehicles, or EVs. The company will also install and sell energy…

  • Thailand NewsThailand could drop its mask mandate by mid-June, says Ministry of Public Health

    Thailand could drop its mask mandate by mid-June, says Ministry of Public Health

    After two years of compulsory mask-wearing in indoor and outdoor spaces, Thailand aims to drop its mask mandate by mid-June, according to the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Public Health Dr. Kiattipoom Wongrachit. At a conference held today at Diamond Plaza hotel in Surat Thani, southern Thailand, Kiattipoom said the ministry is considering dropping the compulsory mandate as soon…

  • Phuket NewsThailand’s biggest new attraction “Andamanda” opens in Phuket

    Thailand’s biggest new attraction “Andamanda” opens in Phuket

    Moisture and adventure meets Thai culture and mythology at Andamanda, Thailand’s biggest water park, covering 58 rai of land in Kathu, in Phuket, southern Thailand. On Saturday, Thailand’s former deputy prime minister Suwat Liptapanlop attended the water park’s grand opening. The new theme park is located on the main road to Patong, about 800 metres west of the Samkong intersection,…

  • Bangkok NewsAirAsia plane lands on wrong runway in Bangkok

    AirAsia plane lands on wrong runway in Bangkok

    Today, Thailand’s Civil Aviation Authority – or CAAT – reported a “serious incident” which took place earlier this month. On May 4, an AirAsia Airbus A320-200 landed on the wrong runway at Bangkok’s Don Muang Airport. The Thai AirAsia aircraft departed Ranong city at 12:43 and landed on Don Muang’s unassigned 21L runway at 13:36, instead of the 21R runway…

  • World NewsDozens of Rohingya die off Myanmar coast after boat capsizes on way to Malaysia

    Dozens of Rohingya die off Myanmar coast after boat capsizes on way to Malaysia

    A boat carrying at least 90 Rohingya refugees from Myanmar’s Rakhine state to Malaysia capsized off the coast of Myanmar on Saturday, killing at least 14 people, mostly children. More than 50 passengers remain missing after the boat capsized during a storm and 23 survivors were detained by police in Pathein district in Myanmar’s Ayeryarwady region. The UN reports that…

  • Thailand NewsWoman finds cockroaches in Cafe Amazon hot chocolate in eastern Thailand

    Woman finds cockroaches in Cafe Amazon hot chocolate in eastern Thailand

    A Thai woman finished drinking her cup of Cafe Amazon hot chocolate when she felt like there was something in her mouth. She was almost sick when she spat multiple baby cockroaches out into a glass. Cafe Amazon issued a statement apologising for the incident on their Facebook page yesterday and temporarily closed the store that served the cockroach-infused hot…

  • Thailand NewsThai Airways to auction off Boeing 737-400 Airframe via Facebook Live

    Thai Airways to auction off Boeing 737-400 Airframe via Facebook Live

    After reporting a net loss of nearly 3.4 billion baht on revenue in Q1, cash-strapped Thai Airways are continuing their online yard sale in a bid to make some extra money. This time, the airline is auctioning off an entire Boeing 737-400 airframe via Facebook Live on their page TG Warehouse Sale this Wednesday, May 25, at 3pm. A TG…

  • Thailand NewsGroup of 69 students stuck in the jungle for 2 days in western Thailand

    Group of 69 students stuck in the jungle for 2 days in western Thailand

    A group of 69 student volunteers camping in the middle of Thung Yai Naresuan Wildlife Sanctuary in Kanchanaburi province in western Thailand were safely evacuated by a team of local residents after getting stuck in the dense Thai jungle for two days. Several days of heavy rain caused flash flooding which blocked their only route out of the jungle by…