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.
  • Thailand News

    Body of tattooed man wearing Royal Thai Navy shirt washes up in southern Thailand

    The body of an unidentified man wearing a Royal Thai Navy shirt washed up on a beach in Songkhla province in southern Thailand early this morning, reports KhaoSod. It is not yet confirmed whether the man is one of 11 sailors still missing from the HTMS Sukhothai, which sank off the coast of Prachuap Khiri Khan province just over one…

  • Thailand News

    Death toll of sunken Thai navy ship rises to 18, 11 sailors missing

    The Royal Thai Navy recovered the bodies of three more missing HTMS Sukhothai sailors from the Gulf of Thailand yesterday, December 25, bringing the total death toll from the tragedy to 18, according to a navy spokesperson. Of the 105 crew members aboard the warship when it sank over a week ago, 76 have been rescued, 18 died and 11…

  • Thailand News

    HRH Princess Sirindhorn of Thailand treated for irregular heartbeat

    Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn of Thailand is resting after receiving hospital treatment for heart arrhythmia (abnormal heartbeat), according to a statement issued by the Bureau of the Royal Household yesterday. The 67 year old princess was admitted to King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital on November 22, 2022, where she received radiofrequency ablation treatment to treat her abnormal heartbeat.…

  • Tourism News

    Thailand welcomes nearly 11 million tourists this year

    Tourist arrivals in Thailand could hit the 11 million mark before the year is through, according to the Governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Yuthasak Supaporn. Between January 1 and December 20, Thailand welcomed 10.9 million tourists from around the world, the governor said this morning. With High Season in full swing, Yuthasak said he expects tourist arrivals…

  • Bangkok News

    Taxi driver killed in railway crossing crash in Bangkok, Thailand

    A taxi drove through the barrier and was struck by a train at a railway crossing in Bangkok early this morning. The taxi driver was instantly killed in the crash. Officers at Thung Song Hung Police Station received a report early this morning of a train crashing into a public taxi at the railway crossing opposite the North Park Intersection in…

  • Crime News

    Aussie caught with gun at Thailand’s Samui Airport claims self-defence

    An Australian man, who was caught with a firearm and 96 rounds of ammunition at Samui Airport in Surat Thani province, southern Thailand, claims he was carrying the weaponry in self-defence. Yesterday, 41 year old Mark Bassett of Australian nationality attempted to smuggle a “gun-like object,” in separate pieces, and plenty of ammunition through security at Samui Airport on Thailand’s…

  • Crime News

    Thai police make 12,000 gambling arrests during World Cup 2022

    Thailand‘s anti-gambling laws did not deter Thais from placing bets on the FIFA World Cup 2022. In fact, the Royal Thai Police made more than 12,000 gambling arrests between November 19 and December 18, 2022. Nearly all forms of gambling are illegal in Thailand, apart from the government-sponsored lottery, according to the Gambling Act (1935). Anticipating violation of this law…

  • Thailand News

    Today is the shortest day of the year in Thailand

    Thailand will see just 11 hours of daylight today as the Winter Solstice graces the world’s northern hemisphere. It is the shortest day – and longest night – of the year. Today, December 22, the Earth’s poles reach their maximum tilt away from the sun. On Wednesday, the National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand (NARIT) said… “Winter solstice is regarded…

  • Thailand News

    Beagle sniffs out corpse in northeast Thailand

    A Thai man took his dog out for a walk in Nakhon Ratchasima province in northeast Thailand yesterday. He couldn’t believe it when the sharp-nosed beagle led him to a human corpse. At 3:30pm yesterday, officers at Soeng Sang Police Station received a report that a body had been found on the side of the road in Soeng Sang district.…

  • Thailand News

    Sailor floating in Gulf of Thailand for 60 hours rescued by navy

    The Royal Thai Navy found another HTMS Sukhothai crew member alive floating near Koh Talu in the Gulf of Thailand this afternoon, reports ThaiRath. The sailor drifted in the sea amid high waves and strong winds for 60 hours after the warship sank, 19 nautical miles off the coast of Prachuap Khiri Khan province, on Sunday night. Navy vessel HTMS…

  • Bangkok News

    Bangkok chosen as Asia’s 2nd most cycling-friendly city

    Netizens are not convinced with the Independent‘s selection of Bangkok as Asia’s 2nd most cycling-friendly city. Singapore ranked in first place, followed by Bangkok, Osaka in Japan, Xiamen in China, Taipei in Taiwan, Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia, and Beijing in China. Bangkok is a “fantastic city for cycling” thanks to Lumphini Park, Benjakitti Park, and the city’s “brilliant guided cycling…

  • Thailand News

    Navy ship sinks in Thailand: ‘There weren’t enough life jackets on board’

    In a race against time, the Royal Thai Navy continues their search today for missing crew members from the HTMS Sukhothai which sank off the coast of Thailand on Sunday night. So far, the navy’s HTMS Kraburi has brought ashore the bodies of six crew members found floating in the sea. The navy is still searching for 23 missing sailors.…

  • Crime News

    Man allegedly strangles ex-wife and dumps her body on roadside in northeast Thailand

    A Thai man allegedly strangled his ex-wife to death before dumping her body on the side of the road in Chaiyaphum province in northeast Thailand last night. Police have issued a warrant for his arrest. The body of 36 year old Jib was found on the roadside in Kaeng Khro District early this morning. Police say it was clear she…

  • Bangkok News

    Corpse found in Bangkok water tank might not be a murder case

    UPDATE A 27 year old woman from Myanmar believes the corpse discovered in a water tank in Bangkok yesterday is her deceased sister. She does not believe her sister was murdered. Wen, who rents a room next to the disused building where the corpse was discovered, asked police to see the body and inspect the scene as she believed it…

  • Thailand News

    Navy rescues 1 sailor from Gulf of Thailand, 30 still missing

    UPDATE 3 Last night, the Royal Thai Navy rescued one missing sailor – Chief Petty Officer Natee Timdee – found floating in the Gulf of Thailand. Natee was unconscious when he was found but his condition is now “safe.” The navy reports that 30 sailors are still missing. At 8:45pm, the HTMS Kraburi docked at Prachuap Pier after patrolling the…

  • Thailand News

    Body and 9 sailors found alive by oil tanker are not from HTMS Sukhothai, says navy

    UPDATE 2 The Royal Thai Navy says the nine sailors found alive and one dead body discovered by an oil tanker in the Gulf of Thailand are not crew members from the HTMS Sukhothai which sank off the coast of Prachuap Khiri Khan province last night as widely reported in Thai media. At least four boats sank in Thailand’s waters…

  • Thailand News

    Navy ship sinks in the Gulf of Thailand, 84 rescued, 1 dead, 21 missing

    False information in this story has been updated. In total, 84 members of the Royal Thai Navy have been rescued from the Gulf of Thailand after the HTMS Sukhothai navy vessel sank to the bottom of the sea last night amid rough conditions. One body has been recovered and 21 crew members are still missing. As of noon today, the…

  • Thailand News

    Body of Canadian man washes up on beach in southern Thailand

    The body of a 63 year old Canadian man washed up on a beach on the mainland of Surat Thani province in southern Thailand yesterday evening. He went missing from Koh Pha Ngan island six days ago. At 8pm, officers from Khanom Police Station rushed to Khanom Beach after a decaying body was discovered on the shore in front of the…

  • Visa Information

    Thailand bans Ugandan visa overstayer for 5 years

    Immigration police arrested a woman from Uganda yesterday morning in Pathum Thani province for overstaying her visa by 90 days. She is banned from entering Thailand for the next five years. At 9 am yesterday, Superintendent of Pathum Thani Immigration Pol. Col. Charoenpong Khantilo reported the arrest of a foreign visa overstayer. Pathum Thani Immigration Police arrested 40 year old…

  • Thailand News

    Navy ship sinks in the Gulf of Thailand, 73 rescued, 33 missing

    This story has been updated. The Royal Thai Navy‘s HTMS Sukhothai sank in the Gulf of Thailand last night, around 20 miles from the coast of Prachuap Khiri Khan province, with 106 navy personnel on board. Navy vessels, tug boats and oil tankers rescued 73 crew members from the water, three of whom are in critical condition, and are still searching…

  • Visa Information

    Overstaying former pro footballer arrested for hawking lottery tickets in Thailand

    Immigration police were suspicious when they came across a Chinese man roaming around Nong Khai province in northeast Thailand selling overpriced lottery tickets earlier today. Upon checking his documents, police found he had overstayed his visa by well over seven years (2782 days). Nong Khai Immigration Police arrested 33 year old Xiang Lix of Chinese nationality on three charges, “being…

  • Thailand News

    Thailand’s Full Moon Party attracts 12,000 tourists

    At least 12,000 foreign and Thai tourists attended Thailand’s final Full Moon Party of the year last night on Koh Pha Ngan island in Surat Thani province, southern Thailand. A downpour of rain didn’t stop revellers from singing, dancing, and drinking on the island’s Haad Rin Beach on the 15th lunar night of 2022. Koh Pha Ngan administrative officials, officers…

  • Thailand Weather Updates

    Flash flood warning issued for 9 provinces in southern Thailand

    Heavy rain and flash flooding is expected to continue on southern Thailand‘s east coast for at least another two days, from December 9-10, according to the Songkhla Meteorological Centre. A monsoon from the northeast is moving southward to the Gulf of Thailand and a second monsoon is moving northward through upper Malaysia, said the centre. Heavy rainfall is expected today,…

  • Visa Information

    Polish overstayer wanted by Interpol arrested in Koh Samui, Thailand

    Yesterday, Immigration Police arrested a Polish man in Koh Samui, southern Thailand, wanted on an Interpol red notice for assault and illegal possession of firearms. He had overstayed his student visa by 36 days, which was cancelled by immigration on November 3 because he didn’t attend classes. Surat Thani Immigration Police were patrolling the island in their Smart Control Cars,…

  • Thailand News

    Dog carries baby’s corpse out of a forest in eastern Thailand

    A truck driver pulled over this afternoon when he saw a dog carrying the corpse of a baby out of a forest in Rayong province in eastern Thailand. At 1pm, officers at Pluak Daeng Police Station received a report that a dog was seen carrying what appeared to be a baby’s corpse out of a forest in the Pluak Daeng…

  • Events

    Travis Scott to headline Rolling Loud Thailand festival

    American rapper Travis Scott will headline Rolling Loud Festival set to take place in Pattaya in eastern Thailand during Songkran next year. Rolling Loud’s inaugural three-day party in Thailand, held from April 13-15 at Legend Siam in Pattaya, marks the festival’s expansion into Asia for the first time. Scott is one of three headliners, according to Rolling Loud’s website. Festival organisers…

  • Thailand Weather Updates

    Bangkok could hit lows of 18°C next week

    Get your woolly jumpers ready as Bangkok and surrounding areas could hit lows of 18° Celsius next week, according to Thailand’s Meteorological Department. Between December 12-14, the Thai capital will feel cold and breezy for the first time in a long time, if the department’s predictions are correct. A moderate high-pressure cell from China is expected to cover upper Thailand…

  • Thailand News

    Beastly reptile crocs the world of small village in southern Thailand

    A quiet village in Surat Thani province in southern Thailand was disturbed by a gigantic saltwater crocodile last night. Villagers in Ban Si Thong in Tha Chana district were dumbstruck when they spotted a four-metre-long crocodile emerging from a ditch in the middle of the night, just 100 metres away from the community. The beast did not come alone and…

  • Thailand News

    Train smashes car off the tracks in southern Thailand, killing 3

    A car smashed through the barrier at a railroad crossing and was hit by a passenger train early this morning in Hua Hin in southern Thailand. Three people were killed in the collision. One person survived with injuries. At 4am, officers at Hua Hin Police Station received a report of a train crashing into a car at the railroad crossing…

  • Thailand NewsFisherman accidentally harpoons his own face in eastern Thailand | Thaiger

    Fisherman accidentally harpoons his own face in eastern Thailand

    A fisherman from Rayong province in eastern Thailand accidentally speared himself in the face with a fish harpoon yesterday. He is now in stable condition. Yesterday afternoon, 30 year old Sarot from Rayong’s Chamao district went fishing with some friends at the Mor Mui Reservoir in the Pluak Daeng district. He dived into the water and tried to spear a…