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 NewsCheating husband says he ‘didn’t mean to’ shoot wife in head in southern Thailand

    Cheating husband says he ‘didn’t mean to’ shoot wife in head in southern Thailand

    UPDATE Southern Thailand gangster Mack Tung Jin told police that he “never intended” to shoot his wife in the head in Nakhon Si Thammarat province on Sunday. He said it was an accident. Police arrested 30 year old Mack the next day at a resort in Krabi province, accompanied by a 17 year old girl, and detained him for questioning.…

  • Visa InformationImmigration police round up visa overstayers in Koh Pha Ngan, Thailand

    Immigration police round up visa overstayers in Koh Pha Ngan, Thailand

    Koh Pha Ngan island in southern Thailand is so idyllic that some foreigners just can’t bear to leave, even when their visa runs out. Yesterday, Surat Thani Immigration Police, and Koh Pha Ngan Provincial Police went on a tour of Thailand’s fifth-biggest island on the hunt for visa overstayers in the kingdom. Three foreigners were arrested and detained at Koh…

  • Thailand NewsFarmer sets car on fire and drives into government building in northeast Thailand

    Farmer sets car on fire and drives into government building in northeast Thailand

    A farmer from Buriram province in northeast Thailand put five gallons of gasoline in his truck, set it on fire with fireworks, and drove it into Buriram Legal Execution Office yesterday. He says his wife’s land was wrongfully seized and sold at auction and no one will help him get justice. At around 11am, 58 year old Manop from Phutthaisong…

  • Thailand NewsBuilder dies after pulling grinding wheel out of his chest in eastern Thailand

    Builder dies after pulling grinding wheel out of his chest in eastern Thailand

    A builder died from blood loss today after pulling a grinding wheel out of his chest in Chon Buri province in eastern Thailand. He tried to use the tool to cut steel when it is designed to cut stone, causing the wheel to snap and fly straight into his chest. At around 12pm, officers at Nong Kham Police Station were…

  • Thailand NewsMan dies trying to eat a coconut in central Thailand

    Man dies trying to eat a coconut in central Thailand

    A Thai man died trying to retrieve a coconut from a palm tree at his home in Samut Sakhon province in central Thailand on Tuesday. Officers from Krathum Baen Police Station and rescue workers from the Ruan Katanyu Foundation travelled to a home in Moo 11 in Om Noi subdistrict to investigate the death of 45 year old Sunthorn from…

  • Thailand NewsWild elephant electrocuted to death in eastern Thailand

    Wild elephant electrocuted to death in eastern Thailand

    A wild elephant was electrocuted to death at a jackfruit plantation in the middle of the jungle in Chachoengsao province in eastern Thailand yesterday. A farmer installed electric wires around his farm to prevent his jackfruit from being stolen by elephants. At 1pm yesterday, officers at Tha Thakiab Police Station were informed that a wild male elephant was found dead…

  • Thailand TravelThailand’s Koh Samui to welcome first cruise ship in three years this weekend

    Thailand’s Koh Samui to welcome first cruise ship in three years this weekend

    On Sunday, a cruise ship will dock in Koh Samui in southern Thailand for the first time in three years, according to the President of the Koh Samui Tourism Association Ratchaporn Poolsawat. An MV Viking Mars cruise liner carrying 700 tourists, mostly Europeans, will make their way to the island from Singapore, said Ratchaporn. Ratchaporn said the return of the…

  • Cannabis NewsThailand bans recreational use of cannabis inside cafes

    Thailand bans recreational use of cannabis inside cafes

    Cannabis shops and cafes in Thailand are no longer allowed to let customers smoke the plant recreationally on the premises anymore. On-site consumption of cannabis for medical purposes is still permitted if the cannabis is sold by a medical practitioner. The announcement was made in the Royal Gazette yesterday and is effective immediately. The announcement states that the Ministry of…

  • Crime NewsPolice arrest transgender Thai women for filming and disseminating child porn online

    Police arrest transgender Thai women for filming and disseminating child porn online

    On Monday, Thai police arrested a transgender woman in Bangkok for filming and disseminating child pornography on the LINE and OnlyFans platforms. Thailand’s Anti-Trafficking In Persons Division announced the results of their investigation today. Officers from Thailand’s Central Investigation Bureau arrested 29 year old transgender woman named Saranrak – aka “Bee” – who filmed herself having sex with minors and…

  • Crime NewsChinese woman stabs Russian boyfriend’s Chinese mistress to death in Bangkok

    Chinese woman stabs Russian boyfriend’s Chinese mistress to death in Bangkok

    UPDATE The Chinese woman who murdered a fellow Chinese woman in a Bangkok shopping mall toilet yesterday told police that the deceased was in a secret relationship with her Russian boyfriend. The foreign killer was found to have overstayed her visa in the kingdom, said police, adding that 36 year old Tang Jun entered Thailand on a tourist visa which…

  • Thailand NewsAirAsia Thailand passenger data allegedly leaked after ransomware attack

    AirAsia Thailand passenger data allegedly leaked after ransomware attack

    AirAsia group allegedly fell victim to a ransomware attack that leaked the personal data of five million passengers and all staff of AirAsia Thailand, AirAsia Malaysia, and AirAsia Indonesia. The Daixin Team, a ransomware and data extortion group, allegedly leaked the data after the airline refused to pay a ransom. On Monday, the Daixin Team was the focus of a…

  • Economy NewsFate of Thai baht depends on return of Chinese tourists, economists say

    Fate of Thai baht depends on return of Chinese tourists, economists say

    The Thai baht has been flying recently but its upward trend could draw to a standstill unless Chinese tourists return to the Kingdom of Thailand, according to economists. In the past month, the baht appreciated almost 6% against the US dollar as reports indicated the US Federal Reserve (Fed) would slow down its aggressive interest rate hikes. Despite inflation, a reinvigorated…

  • Crime NewsChinese woman stabs fellow Chinese woman 27 times in Bangkok, Thailand

    Chinese woman stabs fellow Chinese woman 27 times in Bangkok, Thailand

    A Chinese woman stabbed a fellow Chinese woman to death in the bathroom at a shopping mall in Bangkok, Thailand, this afternoon. Text messages reveal that the perpetrator had accused the deceased of “messing with” her “man” prior to stabbing her 27 times. At 1pm, officers from Thong Song Hung Police Station were informed that a Chinese woman was stabbed…

  • South Thailand NewsCar bomb explodes at police apartments in southern Thailand, 1 dead, 20 injured

    Car bomb explodes at police apartments in southern Thailand, 1 dead, 20 injured

    At least one police officer was killed in a car bomb explosion at a housing compound for police in Narathiwat province in southern Thailand at midday today. At least 20 more people were injured in the blast. A man dressed as a police officer was seen driving a pickup truck into the compound before the car bomb exploded at around…

  • Thailand NewsTwo Czech tourists seriously injured in road accident in southern Thailand

    Two Czech tourists seriously injured in road accident in southern Thailand

    A pickup truck crashed into two Czech tourists crossing a dimly lit road in Phang Nha province in southern Thailand last night. Both of the tourists are seriously injured. At 7.30pm, officers from Khao Lak Police Station were informed that a car hit and injured pedestrians in front of Pee Ann’s restaurants on the Phetchakasem Road in the Khuk Kak…

  • Thailand NewsGood citizens return lost leopard cat to national park in northern Thailand

    Good citizens return lost leopard cat to national park in northern Thailand

    A baby leopard cat who strayed away from Nam Nao National Park in Phetchabun province, northern Thailand, has returned home with the help of some good citizens. Yesterday, the Office of Conservation Area 11 posted photos of an adorable, tiny, striped leopard kitten on Facebook with the caption… “We appreciate the good citizens who brought the #leopardcat (Prionailurus bengalensis), a…

  • Crime NewsForeigner repeatedly scams petrol stations in central Thailand

    Foreigner repeatedly scams petrol stations in central Thailand

    A fearless foreigner of unidentified nationality is touring the small province of Nakhon Nayok in central Thailand and scamming staff at petrol stations over and over again. Yesterday, staff at a PT Station in the Mueang district opposite a Toyota shop complained that a foreigner deceived them into giving him money. At around 9pm, an English-speaking man wearing a red shirt…

  • Pattaya NewsChinese man operates illegal hairdressers in plain sight in Pattaya, Thailand

    Chinese man operates illegal hairdressers in plain sight in Pattaya, Thailand

    Immigration Police arrested a Chinese man and four foreign employees for operating an illegal hairdresser’s shop in the middle of Pattaya city in Chon Buri province, eastern Thailand. The Chinese owner claims he didn’t know that hairdressing was a career strictly reserved for Thai people. Under the Foreign Business Act, certain occupations in Thailand are strictly prohibited for foreigners and…

  • World NewsEarthquake kills at least 46 in Indonesia

    Earthquake kills at least 46 in Indonesia

    A 5.6 magnitude earthquake struck West Java in Indonesia this afternoon, killing at least 46 people. Over 700 injuries have been reported so far. The death toll is likely to rise, according to the Indonesian Disaster Agency. The quake struck in Cianjur, about 100 kilometres southeast of Jakarta, at a depth of 10 kilometres and lasted for about one minute.…

  • Crime NewsMeth addict kills and cooks pet dog that ‘ate his thoughts’ in northeast Thailand

    Meth addict kills and cooks pet dog that ‘ate his thoughts’ in northeast Thailand

    A meth addict killed and cooked his pet dog which he said was “eating his thoughts” yesterday in Udon Thani province in northeast Thailand. In a Yaba (“crazy drug”)-induced psychotic episode, 24 year old Manat [surname withheld] beat his dog’s head with a shovel until it was dead, chopped up its body into pieces, and cooked it into a stew.…

  • Road deathsBMW driver kills homeless man in hit-and-run in Bangkok

    BMW driver kills homeless man in hit-and-run in Bangkok

    Thai police are searching for the driver of a BMW who killed a homeless man in a hit-and-run in Bangkok, Thailand, yesterday. At 11pm, officers from Bang Khun Thian Police Station received a report of a fatal car crash on the outbound Ekachai Road Soi 76 in Bangkok’s Bang Bon district. Police found the body of 52 year old Boonsri…

  • Crime NewsSon finds mother’s corpse stuffed into a freezer in northern Thailand

    Son finds mother’s corpse stuffed into a freezer in northern Thailand

    Mystery surrounds the suspected murder of a Thai woman whose body was found stuffed into a freezer behind her own home in Phitsanulok province in northern Thailand on Saturday. Officers from Wat Bot Police Station rushed to a home in Wat Pak Sak village after they were informed that a woman’s decaying body was found in a freezer by her…

  • Visa InformationChinese man overstays visa in Thailand for 7 years over ‘cult’ beliefs

    Chinese man overstays visa in Thailand for 7 years over ‘cult’ beliefs

    Immigration police arrested a Chinese man at a condo in Bangkok this morning who overstayed his visa by over seven years (2,662 days). He said he wanted to stay in Thailand because his religious beliefs are not accepted in China. In the early hours of this morning, plain-clothed immigration officials – one wearing a “rasta baby” T-shirt – were patrolling the Bang…

  • World CupLion in northeast Thailand makes first World Cup 2022 predictions

    Lion in northeast Thailand makes first World Cup 2022 predictions

    A lion named ‘Chao Boy’ at Khon Kaen Zoo in northeast Thailand has made his first predictions for the World Cup 2022 which kicks off in Qatar on Sunday. Director of the zoo Narongwit Chodchoi says 9 year old Chao Boy has an 80% success rate in correctly predicting results in football. Chao Boy makes his predictions by eating chicken.…

  • Thailand Protest NewsRiot police use tear gas and fire rubber bullets at protesters in Bangkok, Thailand

    Riot police use tear gas and fire rubber bullets at protesters in Bangkok, Thailand

    Riot police fired rubber bullets and used tear gas against unarmed protesters trying to march to the APEC Summit in Bangkok this morning. At least ten protesters were arrested. The People Stop APEC 2022 group attempted to march from Lan Khon Mueang Town Square to the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre where the APEC Summit is currently being held from…

  • Thailand NewsAir Canada to launch direct flights to Thailand next month

    Air Canada to launch direct flights to Thailand next month

    Air Canada will launch direct flights to Thailand next month. A Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner will service the route, flying between Bangkok and Vancouver four days per week. It will be the first direct service linking North America and Thailand in 10 years. Canada’s flag carrier will fly between Vancouver International Airport and Suvarnabhumi International Airport on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Sundays.…

  • Bangkok NewsEuropean tourists sell jewellery on streets of Thailand to fund their ‘world tour’

    European tourists sell jewellery on streets of Thailand to fund their ‘world tour’

    Two European tourists were spotted sitting on the street in Bangkok, Thailand, this week selling handmade jewellery to fund their “world tour.” Behind them, a Thai sign reads, “selling things in this area is strictly forbidden.” Thailand has very strict rules about what kind of work foreigners are allowed to do in the kingdom to ensure that Thais are not…

  • Thailand NewsMan says his leg was amputated without permission in Thailand

    Man says his leg was amputated without permission in Thailand

    A Thai man who says his leg was amputated without his permission requested help from the Lawyers Council of Thailand on Wednesday after a failed lawsuit. The patient told lawyers he went to the hospital to receive treatment for a wound on the sole of his foot. He underwent surgery and stayed in the hospital for seven days to be monitored.…

  • Thailand NewsBody of missing French tourist found in southern Thailand

    Body of missing French tourist found in southern Thailand

    The body of the 34 year old French tourist who went missing on Saturday has been found in a crevice on the side of Phanthurat Mountain in Surat Thani province in southern Thailand. Cyril Gollino is believed to have fallen off a cliff into the deep gorge. Police said they will need to abseil down the mountainside to retrieve his body,…

  • Thailand NewsPolice auction off water buffaloes seized from drug dealer in northeast Thailand

    Police auction off water buffaloes seized from drug dealer in northeast Thailand

    Thai police confiscated 16 water buffaloes from a drug kingpin in Nakhon Ratchasima province, northeast Thailand, and sold them at auction today for almost 390,100 baht (US$10,882). Earlier this month, the Office of the Narcotics Control Board (ONCB) seized 4.2 million baht in assets from “Yutt Nong Ya Khao,” the kingpin of a drug trafficking network in Isaan. The court…