leah

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.
  • World NewsThai drug lord ‘becomes Korean’ with plastic surgery to evade the law

    Thai drug lord ‘becomes Korean’ with plastic surgery to evade the law

    Thai police arrested a “handsome Korean man” in Bangkok today who is in fact a wanted Thai drug lord who underwent loads of plastic surgery and changed his name to present as a Korean man to avoid prosecution. Police arrested 25 year old “Jimin Cheong,” formerly Sarahat Sawangjaeng, at a condominium in the Bang Na district of Bangkok under an arrest…

  • Crime NewsRomance scam: Dutchman files 4 million baht lawsuit against Thai ex-girlfriend

    Romance scam: Dutchman files 4 million baht lawsuit against Thai ex-girlfriend

    In another romance scam case, a Dutchman is trying to get 4 million baht from his former girlfriend, a woman from Sakhon Nakhon province in northeast Thailand, who he says deceived him into sending her millions for land and a house before abandoning him. The Thai woman says it’s the Dutchman who is in the wrong for starting a relationship…

  • World NewsThailand votes for Russia to withdraw from Ukraine at UN Assembly

    Thailand votes for Russia to withdraw from Ukraine at UN Assembly

    Thailand was one of 141 countries at the United Nations (UN)’s General Assembly yesterday that voted for Russia to end the war in Ukraine and withdraw troops immediately. Seven countries voted against and 32 countries abstained. Thailand’s vote is significant since Thailand refused to condemn Russia’s annexation of Ukraine at a UN Assembly in October 2022, abstaining from the vote.…

  • Crime NewsDozens of luxury cars stolen from UK seized in Thailand

    Dozens of luxury cars stolen from UK seized in Thailand

    Thailand’s Department of Special Investigation (DSI) seized 29 of 35 luxury cars reportedly stolen from the UK and smuggled to Bangkok, Thailand, reports ThaiRath. The seizures follow a request from England’s National Crime Agency for the DSI’s help in locating 35 luxury cars collectively worth more than £2.4 million (more than 100 million Thai baht), believed to be illegally imported…

  • Thailand NewsThai woman searches for missing dog ‘Lucky’ for 143 days and counting

    Thai woman searches for missing dog ‘Lucky’ for 143 days and counting

    A dedicated Thai woman is searching nonstop for her beloved dog ‘Lucky’ who went missing after being hit by a motorbike in Ayutthaya province, central Thailand, 143 days ago. The dog was most recently spotted one week ago in the Bang Khae district of Bangkok. On October 30, 2022, 51 year old Supatchayanin Sinnapornphakdee’s one year old male dog Lucky…

  • Tourism NewsThai AirAsia resumes Bangkok – Macau flights

    Thai AirAsia resumes Bangkok – Macau flights

    Budget airline Thai AirAsia has resumed direct flights between Bangkok and Macau in China, operating the route four times per week on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. Thai police may have busted the macau888 gambling website, but never mind, Thais can now gamble legally by flying direct to Macau on Thai AirAsia. Thai AirAsia is the only airline servicing the…

  • Thailand NewsThai rubber should tap into the sex toy market, says agriculture minister

    Thai rubber should tap into the sex toy market, says agriculture minister

    Thailand could make a killing if the country’s world-class rubber industry tapped into the sex toy market, according to Minister of Agriculture Chalermchai Sri-on. The minister posted a compelling argument on Facebook which would require a big revision of Thailand’s archaic laws if it came to fruition. The kingdom’s illegal sex industry is hiding in plain sight, sex toys included.…

  • Thailand NewsThai woman says human skull’s teeth belong to her missing husband

    Thai woman says human skull’s teeth belong to her missing husband

    A fisherman pulled a human skull from a canal in Buriram province in northeast Thailand yesterday. A local woman says she knows the skull belongs to her missing husband because she clearly remembers his teeth. Yesterday, officers at Ban Dan Police Station received a call from a fisherman who found a human skull submerged in the Lam Takhong canal to…

  • Crime NewsThailand extradites fatal hit-and-run suspect to the US (video)

    Thailand extradites fatal hit-and-run suspect to the US (video)

    Upon request of the FBI, Thailand yesterday extradited the prime suspect in a hit-and-run case that claimed the life of a young Michigan State University student back to the US to face prosecution. The accused, 57 year old Tubtim “Sue” Howson, is believed to have hit and killed 22 year old Ben Kable with her BMW 320i in Oakland Township…

  • Thailand NewsThailand bans standing up on songthaews, drivers aren’t happy

    Thailand bans standing up on songthaews, drivers aren’t happy

    Thailand introduced a law on Friday which requires passengers to sit down when travelling on a songthaew, a popular form of public transport. However, songthaew drivers say the law is detrimental to their livelihoods and are worried it could lead to extortion. A songthaew is a passenger vehicle converted from a pickup truck with two rows of seats. Songthaews have…

  • Thailand NewsBlind circus crocodile caught after 5 day chase in Thailand

    Blind circus crocodile caught after 5 day chase in Thailand

    A blind show crocodile escaped on its way to the circus and made a break for it into the Ping River in Nakhon Sawan province in central Thailand on Friday. Crocodile catchers were hot on the croc’s heels but the 2.8-metre-long beast just wouldn’t surrender. Five days later, the female croc – who is nicknamed “Blindy” – was finally caught and marched…

  • Thailand NewsThai Airways docks cabin crew’s salary over meal tray gate

    Thai Airways docks cabin crew’s salary over meal tray gate

    UPDATE Thai Airways is formally punishing cabin crew for not collecting meal trays from some passengers before landing on a Singapore – Bangkok flight after a viral TikTok exposed the cabin crew’s mishap. Yesterday, the airline’s PR team said… “Thai Airways International would like to announce the results of our investigation into the case of cabin crew not storing away…

  • Thailand NewsBritish ice hockey player suffers life-threatening injuries after crash in Thailand

    British ice hockey player suffers life-threatening injuries after crash in Thailand

    A talented ice hockey player from Blackburn in northwest England sustained life-threatening injuries after a motorbike crash in Thailand. Former Bradford Bulldogs defenceman, 24 year old Josh Richardson, had an accident on a Thai island on Friday, February 3. Richardson sustained serious head injuries and was rushed to the intensive care unit at Bangkok Hospital, where he has undergone several…

  • Crime NewsSwedish man accused of running child porn network in Thailand

    Swedish man accused of running child porn network in Thailand

    A 23 year old Swedish man from Stockholm is being prosecuted for allegedly running a huge network selling pornographic images and videos of over 4,000 young girls and women in Thailand. Swedish news outlet SVT Nyheter did not name the man, who is charged with serious child pornography offences and gross illegal invasion of privacy. Yesterday, Sodertorn District Court in…

  • Thailand NewsFly direct from Bangkok to the ‘Hawaii of China’

    Fly direct from Bangkok to the ‘Hawaii of China’

    After a three-year pandemic hiatus, passengers can now fly direct from Bangkok, Thailand to Haikou – “The Hawaii of China” – thanks to resumed services by Hainan Airlines. Hainan Airlines flight HU7939 took off from Haikou Meilan International Airport in China’s Hainan province yesterday at 9.19am local time, bound for Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport. The resumed route’s inaugural flight was on…

  • Thailand NewsThai man finds soulmate in sex doll after wife leaves him for another man

    Thai man finds soulmate in sex doll after wife leaves him for another man

    A Thai man is advising single men to consider starting a relationship with a sex doll instead of dating real women. He has lived with his silicone soulmate for four happy years so far. After 54 year old Kim’s wife divorced him to be with her new husband in 2011, he was afraid to start a new relationship in case…

  • Tourism NewsThailand’s tourist entry fee to generate 3.9 billion baht this year

    Thailand’s tourist entry fee to generate 3.9 billion baht this year

    Thailand is expected to gain 3.9 billion baht (US$112 million) in revenue this year by charging tourists an entry fee beginning June 1, Tourism Minister Phiphat Ratchakitprakarn said yesterday. Last week, Thailand’s Cabinet approved the collection of an entry fee from all foreign tourists, effective June 1. Foreigners arriving by air will be charged 300 baht (US$8.67) and those arriving…

  • Thailand NewsBody floating near Koh Tao identified as Myanmar woman

    Body floating near Koh Tao identified as Myanmar woman

    UPDATE The deceased woman found floating in the sea near Koh Tao in southern Thailand yesterday has been identified as 39 year old Aye Pa Pa Khaing from Myanmar. A fisherman found Aye Pa Pa Khaing floating among gallon drums about 12 nautical miles northwest of the island yesterday morning. Her body was recovered by the Royal Thai Navy. Aye…

  • Thailand NewsSevered crocodile head crocs up in eastern Thailand

    Severed crocodile head crocs up in eastern Thailand

    A fisherman made a jaw-dropping discovery on Friday when he found a crocodile head at the Bang Phra reservoir in Si Racha district, Chon Buri province, eastern Thailand. The fisherman posted a photo of the bodyless croc in the Facebook group ‘Bang Phra Reservoir Fishing Club’ with the caption… “It was bitten by a local god? Or, how else did…

  • Tourism NewsRussian tourists fined 20,000 baht for jet skiing in Krabi, Thailand

    Russian tourists fined 20,000 baht for jet skiing in Krabi, Thailand

    Two Russian tourists were fined 20,000 baht for jet skiing in Krabi province, in southern Thailand, where the watersport is prohibited according to the province’s environmental protection measures. Jet skis and all other kinds of motorised water sports are banned in Krabi province to protect the environment, but two Russian tourists say there were not aware of the rule. Yesterday,…

  • Tourism NewsElephant’s back caves in after 25 years of tourist rides in Thailand

    Elephant’s back caves in after 25 years of tourist rides in Thailand

    Pai Lin the elephant spent over 25 years in Thailand’s trekking industry, where she was forced to give rides to up to six tourists at a time. Now, her back is visibly deformed. She now lives free at Thailand’s biggest wildlife rescue centre where she can roam chain-free and engage in natural behaviours. Photographs show that Pai Lin’s spine, which should naturally be rounded…

  • Thailand NewsWoman’s body found floating in waters of Koh Tao, Thailand

    Woman’s body found floating in waters of Koh Tao, Thailand

    A boat driver found a woman’s body floating in the waters of Koh Tao island in Surat Thani province in southern Thailand, the Thai Maritime Enforcement Centre (MECC) reported this morning. The woman was discovered floating among 20 200-litre oil barrels around 12 nautical miles northwest of Koh Tao island in the Koh Pha Ngan district. Speedboat operators from Koh…

  • Crime NewsAustralian drug trafficker breaks silence on hellish 7 years in Thai prison

    Australian drug trafficker breaks silence on hellish 7 years in Thai prison

    An Australian woman convicted of drug trafficking has broken her silence about her hellish seven years behind bars in a maximum-security prison in Bangkok, Thailand. Holly Deane-Johns was spared the death sentence and handed 31 years in prison in 2003 after pleading guilty to attempting to post 10.6 grams of heroin from Thailand to Australia in 2000 when she was…

  • Thailand NewsThai Airways cabin crew forgets to collect meal trays before landing on Singapore-Bangkok flight

    Thai Airways cabin crew forgets to collect meal trays before landing on Singapore-Bangkok flight

    Thai Airways is ‘”urgently investigating” why cabin crew failed to collect meal trays on a Singapore – Bangkok flight before landing on the runway at Suvarnabhumi Airport after an irked passenger recorded the incident on TikTok. TikTok user Praewa Nang Mana (@Praewa_panicha) posted a clip of food trays sitting on the foldable tables of three seats. As the plane lands,…

  • Thailand NewsThai Airways cancels flights to Germany due to strikes

    Thai Airways cancels flights to Germany due to strikes

    Thai Airways announced the cancellation of all flights from Bangkok to Frankfurt and Munich and vice versa today – February 17 – due to labour strikes at airports all over Germany. Airport workers at major hubs in Germany are taking part in a day-long strike today over pay disrupting airline operations. Public sector workers and ground handlers are striking at…

  • Phuket NewsBig Joke says Canadian businessman didn’t murder Thai girlfriend in Phuket

    Big Joke says Canadian businessman didn’t murder Thai girlfriend in Phuket

    UPDATE 2 Deputy national police chief “Big Joke,” says that a Canadian businessman did not murder his Thai girlfriend who was found hanged in her nail salon in Phuket, southern Thailand, on February 8. Landy came into the spotlight when the deceased’s elder brother Kriengsak accused him of murdering his younger sister Wanvisa Riewklang. Surachat “Big Joke” Hakparn said that…

  • Pattaya NewsPolice find underage prostitution at Pattaya go-go bar

    Police find underage prostitution at Pattaya go-go bar

    In a sting operation, police found evidence of underage prostitution at Club 4, a go-go bar in Pattaya in eastern Thailand. Police ordered the closure of Club 4 – in Soi Bong Koch 8 in Nong Prue subdistrict, Bang Lamung district – for five years. A woman was arrested under suspicion of human trafficking. Officers from Pattaya City Police Station…

  • Thailand NewsElderly Thai market vendor wins 12 million baht lottery jackpot

    Elderly Thai market vendor wins 12 million baht lottery jackpot

    An elderly Thai lady says she will continue her career selling fried chive cakes at the market despite winning 12 million baht in the government lottery yesterday. Yesterday afternoon, 72 year old Phuangphet Pelacheun from the northern province of Uttaradit forgot to check the lottery results. When her colleagues started talking about the winning numbers, Grandma Phuangphet leapt up, screamed…

  • Crime NewsThai woman protests agains Polish husband’s deportation in Bangkok

    Thai woman protests agains Polish husband’s deportation in Bangkok

    UPDATE A Thai lady and her relative staged a two-person protest at the United Nations HQ in Bangkok to appeal for “justice” for her Polish husband, who says that forcing him to return to Poland is a certain death sentence for him, reports SiamRath. Sornsiri Khittook’s 37 year old husband Michal Kamil Wielebinski, was arrested and detained in Koh Samui…

  • Thailand NewsThai Airways expands into 5 Chinese cities

    Thai Airways expands into 5 Chinese cities

    Thailand‘s flag carrier Thai Airways (THAI) is ramping up flights to China to facilitate increased demand from the Chinese tourist market since the country recently reopened its borders for the first time in three years. Thai Airways will operate 14 nonstop services per week to five hot destinations, the earliest departing on March 1, 2023… Bangkok – Kunming Twice per…