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.
  • Crime NewsPolice arrest another Chinese visa overstayer living it up in Thailand

    Police arrest another Chinese visa overstayer living it up in Thailand

    Immigration police arrested yet another Chinese visa overstayer in their sustained crackdown on foreigners living illegally in the Kingdom of Thailand. Police arrested 43 year old Chao [surname withheld] at YESMUM Chinese restaurant in Rayong province’s Pluak Daeng district at 8pm yesterday. Chao’s passport revealed that his visa ran out on October 31, 2021, and he overstayed in Thailand for…

  • Thailand NewsFirework maker killed in firework accident in eastern Thailand

    Firework maker killed in firework accident in eastern Thailand

    A man from Sa Keao province in eastern Thailand was killed in an explosion yesterday while he and his son were making fireworks for a funeral. His son was seriously injured. At around 12.30pm, officers from Mueang Sa Kaeo Police Station received a report of an explosion at a home in Mueang district. Police travelled to the scene with volunteers…

  • Business NewsTesla to launch in Thailand this month

    Tesla to launch in Thailand this month

    Elon Musk’s Tesla Motors aims to launch in Thailand this month after a period of recruiting in the kingdom. The company will sell electric vehicles (EVs) in Thailand. Tesla registered as a company in Thailand in May this year with an initial registered capital of 3 million baht. The company is releasing two cars initially, the Model 3 and Model…

  • Crime NewsMan stabs passersby in Bangkok, 1 killed 1 injured

    Man stabs passersby in Bangkok, 1 killed 1 injured

    Police used tear gas to catch and arrest a man stabbing passersby in Bangkok, Thailand, this morning. Two people were stabbed, one of whom later died in the hospital, according to police. At around 11am, officers from Hua Mak Police Station fired tear gas at a man hiding in a shelter on Soi Krungthep Kreetha 3 in Bangkok after he…

  • Cannabis NewsHomeowner beats cannabis thief to death in northeast Thailand

    Homeowner beats cannabis thief to death in northeast Thailand

    Police let off a man who allegedly beat a cannabis thief to death in Udon Thani province in northeast Thailand last month. Police say he had the right to protect his assets. Yesterday, 55 year old Wanna filed a case with the Commander of the Udon Thani Provincial Police force against her neighbour who escaped prosecution after allegedly beating her younger…

  • Thailand NewsThai rapper ‘Milli’ makes BBC 100 Women 2022 list

    Thai rapper ‘Milli’ makes BBC 100 Women 2022 list

    Thailand’s very own rapper “Milli” is the only Thai national to make it on the BBC 100 Women 2022 list, which features 100 “inspiring and influential women from around the world.” Bangkok-born Danupha “Milli” Khanatheerakul rose to fame after appearing on the popular Thai TV show The Rapper 2 in 2019. Milli’s 2020 single “Pak Korn” (Calm Down) was a…

  • Thailand NewsShopee stops all bank payments after hackers steal from customer in Thailand

    Shopee stops all bank payments after hackers steal from customer in Thailand

    E-commerce platform Shopee announced a permanent end to purchases made by bank payment starting today onwards. The decision comes after a customer in Thailand was hacked via Shopee and lost tens of thousands of baht from a bank account linked to the app. The hackers allegedly used the Shopee app to get into bank accounts and transfer money without even…

  • Visa InformationThailand’s 10 year LTR visa most popular among Americans and Chinese

    Thailand’s 10 year LTR visa most popular among Americans and Chinese

    American and Chinese nationals have made the most applications for Thailand’s 10-year Long Term Resident (LTR) visa since its launch in September, according to the secretary-general of the Board of Investment (BOI) Narit Therdstreerakul. Thailand introduced the LTR visa on September 1, 2022, to lure ‘high potential,’ talented foreigners and investors from around the world into the kingdom to boost…

  • Thailand NewsMan wins 144 million baht in Thailand’s lottery

    Man wins 144 million baht in Thailand’s lottery

    A lucky Thai man won a whopping 144 million baht (US$4,101,396.48) in Thailand‘s government lottery on December 1. Today, Pachara Nathakitpaisan travelled to the Government Lottery Office in Nonthaburi province, central Thailand, to claim 96 million baht of his winnings. On December 1, the number 375805 was drawn for the lottery’s first prize of 6 million baht. Pachara bought 16…

  • South Thailand NewsRailway bomb kills three in southern Thailand

    Railway bomb kills three in southern Thailand

    Three maintenance workers were killed and four were injured by a bomb blast this morning on a railway in Songkhla province, southern Thailand. The workers were repairing the tracks after they were damaged by an explosion on Saturday which derailed and damaged a freight train but caused no injuries. At 12.50pm on Saturday, freight train 707 from Hat Yai in…

  • Thailand NewsCAAT warns Thai VietJet for cancelling three Phuket – Bangkok flights in one day

    CAAT warns Thai VietJet for cancelling three Phuket – Bangkok flights in one day

    UPDATE The Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) has warned Thai VietJet that the airline will be punished if it doesn’t start complying with aviation rules. The warning comes after Thai VietJet cancelled three services on its Bangkok – Phuket route on Thursday. A flight from Bangkok to Phuket was cancelled due to accumulated delays at Suvarnabhumi Airport, says Thai…

  • Crime NewsVIDEO: Policeman fined 500 baht for blocking ambulance in northeast Thailand

    VIDEO: Policeman fined 500 baht for blocking ambulance in northeast Thailand

    Thai netizens are outraged by a video circulating on social media of a pickup truck blocking the way of an ambulance carrying a patient in critical condition to a hospital in Nakhon Ratchasima province in northeast Thailand. An investigation revealed that the pickup driver is actually a Police Captain at Dan Khun Thot Police Station. Officers at Pak Chong Police…

  • Thailand NewsStop giving monkeys cigarettes, beg locals in Lop Buri, Thailand

    Stop giving monkeys cigarettes, beg locals in Lop Buri, Thailand

    Locals in Lop Buri province in central Thailand – famous for its out-of-control monkey population – are begging tourists to stop giving monkeys cigarettes. Monkey lovers in Lop Buri were saddened to see a clip circulating on social media in which a visitor to the city flicked a lit cigarette to a monkey. In the clip, the innocent monkey picked…

  • Crime NewsPolice arrest weight loss pill executive for causing 4 deaths in Thailand

    Police arrest weight loss pill executive for causing 4 deaths in Thailand

    A dietary supplement executive was arrested in Bangkok, Thailand, yesterday after four people died from taking his company’s weight loss pills. Police arrested 50 year old Nuttawat outside a condo in the Huai Kwang district under an arrest warrant issued by Kanchanaburi Provincial Court on January 18, 2022, for, “secretly adding a substance to food, medicine or other edible products…

  • Phuket NewsThai VietJet cancels Phuket – Bangkok flight last minute over 1 extra passenger

    Thai VietJet cancels Phuket – Bangkok flight last minute over 1 extra passenger

    Budget airline Thai VietJet cancelled a flight from Phuket to Bangkok minutes before take-off last night because staff couldn’t find a seat for one passenger. The plane was already taxiing on the runway ready to depart. Flight vz2305 to Bangkok was scheduled to depart from Phuket at 8.25pm. More than 300 passengers boarded and the plane began taxiing down the runway…

  • Pattaya NewsLadyboys steal Russian tourist’s gold necklace in Pattaya, Thailand

    Ladyboys steal Russian tourist’s gold necklace in Pattaya, Thailand

    In a tale as old as time, another foreign tourist had their gold necklace stolen by ladyboys in Pattaya, Chon Buri province, eastern Thailand, in the dead of night. At 3am today, 24 year old Artem [surname withheld] of Russian nationality sought help from officers at Pattaya City Police Station. He said two ladyboys molested him and untied his gold…

  • Cannabis News9 year olds smoke cannabis on Pattaya Beach in Thailand

    9 year olds smoke cannabis on Pattaya Beach in Thailand

    Netizens are concerned about the safety of children after pictures of a group of 9 and 10 year olds smoking cannabis from a bamboo bong on Pattaya Beach in Chon Buri province, eastern Thailand, went viral on social media. Thailand delisted cannabis as an illicit narcotic in June to allow the public to utilise the plant’s medicinal properties. But without…

  • Crime NewsBig Joke seizes Tuhao’s private jet in Hua Hin

    Big Joke seizes Tuhao’s private jet in Hua Hin

    A private jet is the latest addition to the Thai police’s shiny collection of assets seized from Tuhao the notorious Chinese gangster. Thai police – led by Surachate “Big Joke” Hakparn – seized Tuhao’s private jet at Bo Fai Airport in Hua Hin, Prachuap Khiri Khan province, western Thailand, yesterday. Police found that the “HS-HAO” plane was owned by Modern…

  • Crime NewsBody of missing woman found tied to water pump in western Thailand

    Body of missing woman found tied to water pump in western Thailand

    Police launched a murder investigation after finding the body of a missing woman tied to a water pump inside a lake in Prachuap Khiri Khan province in western Thailand. Last night, police found the body of a woman estimated to be around 30 years old submerged in a lake in Moo 4, Ang Thong subdistrict, Thap Sakae district. Her body…

  • Tourism NewsTAT launches luxury travel package to Thailand for rich South Korean tourists

    TAT launches luxury travel package to Thailand for rich South Korean tourists

    The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) launched a travel package called ‘Amazing New Chapters: Discover Luxperience in Thailand’ aimed at high-end South Korean travellers. The deal combines business class tickets to Bangkok on Asiana Airlines and a stay at the five-star Siam Kempinski Hotel Bangkok, which costs around 12,000 baht per night. The TAT hopes to make Thailand a desirable…

  • Thailand TravelBangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport expects 130,000 daily passengers this month

    Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport expects 130,000 daily passengers this month

    In December, 130,000 passengers are expected to pass through Suvarnabhumi Airport in Bangkok every day, according to Minister of Transport Saksayam Chidchob. The airport facilitated daily traffic of around 115,000 passengers in November as tourists returned for the High Season, said Saksayam. Tourism always spikes in the festive month of December but should continue to rise afterward as Chinese tourists…

  • Crime News‘Pinky’ the alleged Forex 3D scammer released on bail after 3 months behind bars

    ‘Pinky’ the alleged Forex 3D scammer released on bail after 3 months behind bars

    UPDATE Savika “Pinky” Chaiyadej was released on bail for 5 million baht yesterday after being detained for over three months inside Central Women’s Correctional Institution in Bangkok. Thailand’s Criminal Court granted bail to Pinky on the condition that she does not leave the country, must inform the court within seven days if she changes her address, and must report to…

  • Crime NewsTuhao’s Chinese gang buys 50 homes in Bangkok luxury village with cash

    Tuhao’s Chinese gang buys 50 homes in Bangkok luxury village with cash

    Tuhao the alleged Chinese drug tycoon and his gang of “businessmen” bought 50 houses in a luxury village in Bangkok – with cash, police say. The gangs’ constant partying drove all 16 remaining Thai households out of the village. Bangkok South Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant to search an entire village in Bangkok’s Soi Laselle area after finding evidence…

  • Bangkok NewsBangkok BTS Skytrain fares to increase next year

    Bangkok BTS Skytrain fares to increase next year

    Global inflation is rising and so is the cost of a ticket on Bangkok’s BTS Skytrain. The BTS Skytrain will get a little bit pricier on January 1, 2023, according to an announcement made by the Bangkok Transit System Corporation (BTSC) today. Fares on the Sukhumvit (Mo Chit – On Nut) and Silom (National Stadium – Saphan Taksin) lines will…

  • World NewsJapan is the No.1 tourist destination among Thais

    Japan is the No.1 tourist destination among Thais

    A new study reveals that the top five tourist destinations among Thai tourists include Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, Singapore, and the United Kingdom. The study by Visa surveyed 2,000 Thai people about their most desirable holiday destinations. The top three deciding factors when choosing where to go include travel expenses (65%), weather (49%), and desire to visit new places (48%).…

  • Crime NewsViolent criminals in Thailand to be tagged for 10 years after release to protect women

    Violent criminals in Thailand to be tagged for 10 years after release to protect women

    Soon, criminals put away for violent crimes against women in Thailand will have to wear an electric monitoring (EM) ankle bracelet for up to 10 years after their release. The new law – Measures for the Prevention of Repeat Offenses in Sexual or Violent Crimes Act – aims to reduce the chance of reoffending, prevent violence against women and make…

  • Thailand NewsTruck overturns carrying 2,560 crates of beer in central Thailand

    Truck overturns carrying 2,560 crates of beer in central Thailand

    A beer delivery truck overturned on the Rangsit – Pathum Thani Road in central Thailand last night, strewing 30 tonnes of booze across the busy road. A forklift was needed to clear up the mounds of bottles and broken glass. Around 61,440 small bottles of a leopard-themed beer, which shall not be named due to Thailand’s archaic and strictly enforced…

  • EventsE-San Music Festival draws thousands to northeast Thailand this weekend

    E-San Music Festival draws thousands to northeast Thailand this weekend

    E-san Music Festival returns for a 10th time in Khon Kaen province in northeast Thailand this weekend. At least 100,000 people are expected to attend. The hippie festival, dubbed “Thailand’s Woodstock,” draws Thais and foreign tourists to Khon Kaen year-in-and-year-out. Usually, E-san Music Festival is held at the province’s giant Ubonratana Dam in the Phu Wiang district. However, the dam…

  • Crime NewsWanted murderer arrested in Thailand after 11 years on the run

    Wanted murderer arrested in Thailand after 11 years on the run

    A man wanted for the murder of his former mother-in-law has been arrested by police in Nakhon Ratchasima province in northeast Thailand after 11 years on the run. After shooting dead his mother-in-law, he physically assaulted his ex-wife until she was seriously injured and kidnapped their two year old before dumping the young child in the middle of the road.…

  • World NewsThai Airways increases flights to Singapore

    Thai Airways increases flights to Singapore

    Next month, Thai Airways will increase its Bangkok – Singapore roundtrip frequency from 21 times per week to 28 times per week. The extra flights will help meet the high demand during the festive season. Commencing December 12, THAI’s Bangkok – Singapore service will run four times every day as follows… Flight TG403 will leave Bangkok at 8am and land…