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 let off CNN reporters with 5,000 baht fine over invasive massacre reporting

    Police let off CNN reporters with 5,000 baht fine over invasive massacre reporting

    Deputy police chief ‘Big Joke‘ has done a 180 degree turn on CNN, letting off reporters with just a 5,000 baht fine (US$132) each for their invasive coverage of the daycare centre massacre in Nong Bua Lamphu province in northeast Thailand. On Saturday, Surachate “Big Joke” Hakparn insisted on prosecuting two members of CNN staff for breaking into the crime…

  • Thailand NewsHow to donate to families of victims of daycare centre massacre in Thailand

    How to donate to families of victims of daycare centre massacre in Thailand

    The Thai government has opened a channel for the public to donate money to families impacted by the massacre of 37 people, mostly young children, at a daycare centre in Nong Bua Lamphu province, northeast Thailand, last Thursday. If you would like to donate to the injured or the families of those who lost their lives, you can transfer your…

  • Crime NewsFinnish CEO detained for alleged mistreatment of 1,100 Thai berry pickers

    Finnish CEO detained for alleged mistreatment of 1,100 Thai berry pickers

    Finnish police have arrested and detained the CEO of berry company “Polarica” under suspicion of human trafficking. CEO Jukka Kristo allegedly “deceived” 1100 Thai berry pickers and housed them in “poor conditions.” This year, Kristo’s company flew around 1100 Thais to Finland to work as berry pickers – an industry that heavily relies on a foreign workforce. The CEO has…

  • Thailand NewsNo Buddhist temples willing to cremate body of daycare centre killer

    No Buddhist temples willing to cremate body of daycare centre killer

    No Buddhist temples are willing to cremate the body of the man who massacred 37 people, mostly young children, at a daycare centre yesterday in Nong Bua Lamphu province in northeast Thailand, according to independent Thai journalist Sorayuth Suthassanachinda. At present, the mass murderer’s body is sitting inside an ambulance as “no temples are willing to conduct religious ceremonies because…

  • Thailand NewsFour children survive daycare centre massacre in northeast Thailand

    Four children survive daycare centre massacre in northeast Thailand

    Despite widespread coverage in Thai media that only one child survived the brutal massacre at a daycare centre in Nong Bua Lamphu in northeast Thailand yesterday, reports identify four child survivors of the gun and knife rampage. Yesterday, a former policeman killed 37 people in total including 24 children under six years old while they were taking an afternoon nap…

  • Thailand NewsThailand lowers flags to half-mast to mourn daycare centre massacre victims

    Thailand lowers flags to half-mast to mourn daycare centre massacre victims

    Prime Minister of Thailand Prayut Chan-o-cha asks government agencies nationwide to fly their Thai flags at half-mast today to mourn the victims of the tragic daycare centre massacre in Nong Bua Lamphu province yesterday. The spokesperson for the PM’s office, Anucha Burachaisri, said the prime minister was deeply saddened by the news yesterday. He requested that state agencies raise flags…

  • Thailand NewsKing, Queen and PM Prayut to visit mass shooting victims in northeast Thailand

    King, Queen and PM Prayut to visit mass shooting victims in northeast Thailand

    Today, H.M. King Maha Vajiralongkorn, H.M. Queen Suthida and Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha will travel to Nong Bua Lamphu province, northeast Thailand, to visit injured victims in hospital and to offer support to the families of those who lost their lives in yesterday’s tragic daycare centre massacre. The gunman killed 37 people in total, most of them young children under…

  • Crime NewsThailand daycare centre massacre: Death toll rises to 37

    Thailand daycare centre massacre: Death toll rises to 37

    The death toll of the massacre at a daycare centre in Nong Bua Lamphu province, northeast Thailand, yesterday has risen to 37 after another victim died from their injuries in hospital. Including the attacker, who fatally shot himself, 38 people were killed in total. He killed 24 young children, including 21 boys and three girls. At 12.50pm, 34 year old former policeman…

  • Crime NewsMass shooting in Thailand: 36 dead, including 24 children, 12 injured

    Mass shooting in Thailand: 36 dead, including 24 children, 12 injured

    The death toll of the mass shooting at a nursery in Nong Bua Lamphu province, northeast Thailand, this afternoon is 36 in total, including 12 adults and 24 children. The gunman opened fire at a nursery in Na Klang district where most of the victims were shot. He fled in a pickup truck and shot more victims from inside the…

  • Thailand NewsNong Bua Lamphu Hospital needs urgent blood donations after mass shooting

    Nong Bua Lamphu Hospital needs urgent blood donations after mass shooting

    Nong Bua Lamphu hospital urgently needs blood donations following the mass shooting at a nursery in the province this afternoon. The hospital posted on Facebook requesting urgent help from people of all blood groups. People can donate on the second floor of the diagnostic building at Nong Bua Lamphu Hospital. The culprit, a former policeman, shot dead 34 people in…

  • Crime NewsBREAKING: Nursery mass shooter shoots dead wife and child before killing himself

    BREAKING: Nursery mass shooter shoots dead wife and child before killing himself

    UPDATE The man who killed at least 32 people in a mass shooting at a nursery in Nong Bua Lamphu province today shot dead his wife and son before fatally shooting himself. ORIGINAL STORY A man shot dead at least 32 people, mostly young children, at a nursery in Na Klang district, Nong Bua Lamphu province, northeast Thailand, this afternoon.…

  • Crime NewsBREAKING: at least 32 dead in massacre at daycare centre in northeast Thailand

    BREAKING: at least 32 dead in massacre at daycare centre in northeast Thailand

    This story has been updated. A man killed at least 32 people, mostly young children, in a gun and knife attack at a daycare centre in Nong Bua Lamphu province in northeast Thailand this afternoon. Many more are injured. The perpetrator escaped and police are attempting to track him down. Police identified the attacker as 34 year old Panya Khamrap,…

  • Thailand NewsThailand voted No.3 in list of ‘Top Countries In The World 2022’

    Thailand voted No.3 in list of ‘Top Countries In The World 2022’

    Thailand was voted No.3 best country in the world to travel to in this year’s Readers’ Choice Awards by Conde Nast Traveler Magazine. Europe dominated the list of 48 countries, with Thailand and Singapore the only Southeast Asian nations to make the top 10. Thousands of people voted in numerous ‘best of’ lists… best countries, cities, islands, resorts, hotels, etc.…

  • Crime NewsFans stage simulation of Tangmo’s death in protest of law activist’s defamation case

    Fans stage simulation of Tangmo’s death in protest of law activist’s defamation case

    Crime investigation activist Atchariya Ruangrattanapong travelled to Mueang Nonthaburi Police Station this morning to acknowledge accusations of defamation filed against him. He and two others are accused of making a blasphemous statement about the autopsy results of famous actress Tangmo, who died in suspicious circumstances in the Chao Phraya River in February. The 54 year old activist’s fans staged a…

  • Crime NewsThai chicken vendor fakes being a lawyer and wins in court

    Thai chicken vendor fakes being a lawyer and wins in court

    A Thai man who sells chicken for a living in Kamphaeng Phet province, central Thailand, has been arrested for pretending to be a lawyer for several years. He allegedly faked his license to practise law, fought several court cases, and even won a few. The chicken vendor, Pornthep Kachenpak, got away with it for years by “outsourcing.” His method was…

  • Thailand NewsVIDEO: PM Prayut gives army veteran a haircut in northeast Thailand

    VIDEO: PM Prayut gives army veteran a haircut in northeast Thailand

    Prime Minister of Thailand Prayut Chan-o-cha showed off his barbering skills yesterday at the Second Army Area in Ubon Ratchathani province. PM Prayut stopped to give an army veteran a trim during his inspection of the flood situation in northeast Thailand. The 66 year old army veteran joked that he was not as handsome as PM Prayut, who complimented the…

  • Bangkok NewsBangkok asks companies to let employees work from home until October 7

    Bangkok asks companies to let employees work from home until October 7

    As the Thai capital prepares for another torrential downpour, the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) requested that companies allow employees to work from home where possible from October 5 – 7. “City-dwellers prepare for another period of heavy rain. Be wary of certain areas which are prone to flooding. Heavy rain is expected from now until October 7. We ask for…

  • Thailand NewsSix-legged golden frog brings good fortune in northern Thailand

    Six-legged golden frog brings good fortune in northern Thailand

    A six-legged golden frog hopped into a northern Thai man’s life in Phayao province just over a year ago and has brought him good fortune ever since, he told the media today. The special frog jumped into 50 year old Somboon Tuakrua’s house in the Mueang district around a year ago. Somboon said the amphibian was calm and docile, so…

  • Thailand NewsVIDEO: Brave citizens save delivery driver swept away by floods in northeast Thailand

    VIDEO: Brave citizens save delivery driver swept away by floods in northeast Thailand

    A viral TikTok clip posted on Saturday shows the severity of floods in Srisaket province in northeast Thailand. A group of brave citizens formed a human chain to pull a delivery driver who was swept off the road back to safety. To save himself, the delivery driver had to bid farewell to his motorbike which he depends on to make…

  • Thailand NewsThai bank releases bizarre ‘apology’ for repossessing the wrong house

    Thai bank releases bizarre ‘apology’ for repossessing the wrong house

    UPDATE After the story hit the media, Thailand’s Government Savings Bank (GSB) released a statement apologising for repossessing and renovating the wrong house in Pathum Thani province, central Thailand, one month ago. The bank admits “full responsibility.” However, the apology has been met with disapproval from netizens (gaining 4 thousand angry reactions on Facebook) because it was accompanied by a…

  • Bangkok NewsVIDEO: Paramedics push patient through Bangkok floods on stretcher

    VIDEO: Paramedics push patient through Bangkok floods on stretcher

    Paramedics abandoned their ambulance to push a patient on a stretcher through the floods in Bangkok last night. The clip was taken in front of the Government Complex on Chaeng Wattana Road where the traffic came to a standstill for three hours. Kontapon Bungwai, who filmed the clip, said… “Bangkok is facing a heavy crisis. The ambulance needs to get…

  • Thailand NewsMountain B nightclub fire claims 24th life

    Mountain B nightclub fire claims 24th life

    The death toll from the fire at Mountain B nightclub in Chon Buri province, eastern Thailand, on August 5 has risen to 24. The 24th victim, a navy officer, died from his injuries in hospital last night after fighting for his life for two months in the ICU. Lawyer Ronnarong Kaewpetch said on Facebook yesterday… “#RIP the 24th victim of…

  • Crime NewsWeapons used by jealous Thai man to murder and chop up lover found

    Weapons used by jealous Thai man to murder and chop up lover found

    UPDATE Yesterday at 3.30pm, rescue workers found the weapons used by 35 year old Chanwit “Don” Wongsahak to murder and dismember 30 year old Oranun “Pin” [surname withheld]. When Don confessed to the police, he said he threw the weapons he used into a nearby canal. Yesterday, rescue workers in wet suits from Por Teck Tung Foundation scoured nearby canals…

  • Thailand NewsBank repossesses the wrong house in central Thailand

    Bank repossesses the wrong house in central Thailand

    A woman from Pathum Thani, just north of Bangkok, couldn’t believe her eyes when she returned home to her locks changed, all her belongings seized, and a ‘for sale’ sign outside her house. Thailand’s “Government Savings Bank” (the pink one) sent bailiffs to repossess a house in Wanasiri Park View Village on September 5. The bailiffs changed all the locks…

  • Thailand NewsVIDEO: Shooting range employees save man from suicide in northern Thailand

    VIDEO: Shooting range employees save man from suicide in northern Thailand

    Yesterday, CCTV captured the moment two shooting range employees saved a young man’s life at the Lanna Sports Centre in Mueang district, Chiang Mai province, northern Thailand. The man was shooting at a target at first when he turned the gun toward his head. A trainee shooting range instructor who was watching attentively swiftly jumped in and pushed the gun…

  • Transport NewsKorean Air resumes two routes to Thailand

    Korean Air resumes two routes to Thailand

    On October 1, Korean Air resumed two direct routes to Thailand. The airline reopened services between Seoul to Chiang Mai and Phuket, which were both suspended in March 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The South Korean flag carrier announced the return of the popular routes in August. Flights from Seoul Incheon to Phuket depart on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and…

  • Road deaths16 year old driving BMW crashes, killing young graduate in northeast Thailand

    16 year old driving BMW crashes, killing young graduate in northeast Thailand

    A teenager driving a BMW crashed into and killed a young man in Nakhon Ratchasima province, northeast Thailand, on Friday night. The 16 year old driver collided with a motorbike at the intersection outside Suranaree University of Technology in Korat at 10pm. The deceased has been identified as 24 year old Thanaphon “Tae” Kaewmoon from Nakhon Sawan province. In July,…

  • Thailand NewsThai Airways is recruiting a new CEO

    Thai Airways is recruiting a new CEO

    Debt-ridden Thai Airways is looking to hire an “ethical” Chief Executive Officer to steer the airline in the flight direction. After a year without a CEO, the nation’s flag carrier posted a job advertisement on LinkedIn looking for a highly-qualified aviation expert to take on the tall order of getting THAI back off the ground. THAI needs a leader who…

  • Politics NewsBREAKING: Prayut reinstated as Prime Minister of Thailand

    BREAKING: Prayut reinstated as Prime Minister of Thailand

    Thailand’s Constitutional Court reinstated Prayut Chan-o-cha as Prime Minister of Thailand. The court ruled this afternoon that Prayut has not yet hit the eight-year constitutional limit set for his role. The court ruled that Prayut became prime minister on April 6, 2017, when the HM the King ratified a new military-drafted constitution. Therefore, PM Prayut can resume his position as…

  • Crime NewsLoan shark bombs debtor’s house in southern Thailand

    Loan shark bombs debtor’s house in southern Thailand

    A loan shark allegedly threw a deadly military-grade hand grenade at a woman’s house in Phattalung province, southern Thailand, after she failed to meet repayments. At 2pm yesterday, police were called to a house in Mueang district after a gardener discovered an explosive device in the grass. Police evacuated neighbours and called Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) officers to the scene.…