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 NewsElephant invades home and steals fermented fish in eastern Thailand

    Elephant invades home and steals fermented fish in eastern Thailand

    An elephant with no respect for the law smashed its way into a home in Prachin Buri province at 4.40am today and helped itself to some fermented fish and other food items before fleeing into the jungle. The owner of the one-storey house, Pranee Saicharoen, says she was woken up by a loud bang in the middle of the night.…

  • Phuket NewsVIDEO: Phuket Airport and surrounding areas engulfed by floods

    VIDEO: Phuket Airport and surrounding areas engulfed by floods

    Floodwater is being pumped out of Phuket Airport and surrounding areas following heavy rainfall. No flights have been cancelled yet but the airport has requested passengers to arrive three to four hours before their scheduled departure time. “Heavy rain in Phuket province has resulted in flooding at Phuket Airport. Urgent remedial action is being taken in all flooded areas,” said…

  • Crime NewsThai woman forced into prostitution in Dubai seeks help for 3 imprisoned friends

    Thai woman forced into prostitution in Dubai seeks help for 3 imprisoned friends

    A 40 year old Thai woman who claims she escaped forced prostitution in Dubai is pleading for help for her three friends, who are still imprisoned in Dubai, UAE, by a gang of Thai brokers. Ms. A (pseudonym), originally from Sri Saket province in northeast Thailand, says she and three other Thai women were tricked by the brokers. The men…

  • Pattaya NewsSeveral bars and nightclubs fail fire safety inspections in Pattaya, Thailand

    Several bars and nightclubs fail fire safety inspections in Pattaya, Thailand

    Authorities ramped up fire safety inspections at entertainment venues in Pattaya following the tragic Mountain B nightclub fire in Chon Buri’s Sattahip district last month. The tragedy claimed the lives of 22 people, 13 on the night of the fire and nine more who died in hospital in the weeks that followed. The tragedy would have been avoided if the…

  • Road deathsVIDEO: Foreign driver causes horror crash in southern Thailand, 2 killed, 1 injured

    VIDEO: Foreign driver causes horror crash in southern Thailand, 2 killed, 1 injured

    Thai media reports that a “foreign man” – whose nationality is unknown – has been arrested after he pulled out into oncoming traffic and collided with a motorbike in Songkhla province, southern Thailand, yesterday afternoon. Two teenage girls died from their injuries and another teenage girl is seriously injured. Yesterday at 2.34pm, a “foreign man” driving a Mitsubishi Pajero pulled…

  • Thailand NewsVIDEO: Bodyguards chase acting PM Prawit’s golf buggy for 2km in Thailand

    VIDEO: Bodyguards chase acting PM Prawit’s golf buggy for 2km in Thailand

    Acting Prime Minister Prawit Wongsuwan – aka Big Pom – entertained the Thai nation once again yesterday when he made his two bodyguards jog after his golf buggy in the sweltering heat during his trip to Chachoengsao province. One of them couldn’t keep up. Big Pom visited a water treatment facility in Mueang district yesterday to learn about how wastewater…

  • Phuket NewsSoi Dog Foundation vaccinates over 700 stray dogs in Phuket, Thailand

    Soi Dog Foundation vaccinates over 700 stray dogs in Phuket, Thailand

    Soi Dog Foundation, a non-profit organisation, recently carried out its annual vaccination campaign at the Phuket Stray Dog Shelter in Thalang district, also known as the “government dog compound.” A team of Soi Dog veterinarians, community outreach staff, rescue officers, and a representative from the Phuket Provincial Office of the Department of Livestock Development came together to vaccinate 735 resident…

  • Thailand NewsThailand to make jet fuel from the nation’s used cooking oil

    Thailand to make jet fuel from the nation’s used cooking oil

    A project to make aviation fuel from used cooking oil in Thailand is receiving a 10 billion baht investment, according to petroleum company Bangchak Corporation Plc (BCP). If all goes to plan, the product could be available to buy as soon as Q4, 2024. Yesterday, officials from three companies – BCP, BBGI Plc, and Thanachok Oil Light – signed the…

  • Crime NewsUPDATE: 7 year old girl dies in school van in eastern Thailand

    UPDATE: 7 year old girl dies in school van in eastern Thailand

    UPDATE In the tragic case of 7 year old ‘Nong Ji Hoon,’ who died in a school van in Chon Buri province on Tuesday, investigators have pressed charges against both the van driver and teacher on school bus duty for “negligence causing the death of another person.” The charge carries a maximum prison sentence of 10 years and a fine…

  • Crime NewsUPDATE: Thai policewoman accused of abusing soldier dismissed from civil service

    UPDATE: Thai policewoman accused of abusing soldier dismissed from civil service

    UPDATE: Thai policewoman accused of abusing soldier dismissed from civil service The policewoman who allegedly abused and kept a female soldier as a “slave” has been ordered to resign from the civil service, according to Deputy Spokesperson for the Royal Thai Police Po. Cl. Khrishna Pattanacharoen. The spokesperson announced yesterday that the 43 year old policewoman has been officially dismissed…

  • Thailand NewsKorean Air to resume flights to Chiang Mai and Phuket

    Korean Air to resume flights to Chiang Mai and Phuket

    Korean Air will resume direct flights from Seoul to both Chiang Mai and Phuket this October. Both routes were suspended in March 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The airline’s Phuket flights are scheduled to depart from Seoul Incheon Airport four days per week on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays, and Sundays at 5.55pm and land in Phuket at 10pm. Phuket to…

  • Thailand NewsThailand to boost tourism revenue by hosting Indian weddings, says TAT

    Thailand to boost tourism revenue by hosting Indian weddings, says TAT

    Indian weddings are a “multi-billion dollar industry” that Thailand plans on tapping into, according to Deputy Governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) Siripakorn Chaewsamoot. The TAT said they want to bump up Thailand’s tourism revenue for 2022 up to 600 – 700 billion baht (US$16 – 19 billion) by the end of the year by targeting high-spending groups…

  • Thailand NewsBurmese Junta spies pose as Buddhist monks & nuns in N Thailand

    Burmese Junta spies pose as Buddhist monks & nuns in N Thailand

    Alleged spies from the Burmese junta, disguised as Buddhist monks and nuns, were among 54 Burmese people arrested at a three-storey building in Tak province in northern Thailand on Monday, according to Channel3. On Monday, police, and officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Health, Mae Sot District Administrative Organisation, and Internal Security Operations Command (ISOC) closed in…

  • Crime News7 year old girl dies in school van in eastern Thailand

    7 year old girl dies in school van in eastern Thailand

    A 7 year old Grade 2 student died in a school van yesterday at Ploenchit Wittaya school in Chon Buri province, eastern Thailand, after she was left in the van all day. At 5pm yesterday, officers from Phan Thong Police Station received a report that a child had died inside a van at the “famous” school in Pan Thong district.…

  • Thailand NewsVIDEO: ‘Kalasin Cowboy’ rides horse to college in NE Thailand

    VIDEO: ‘Kalasin Cowboy’ rides horse to college in NE Thailand

    A student who rides his horse to college in Kalasin province, northeast Thailand, has become an overnight Internet sensation. On Monday, Facebook user Boat Ekparin Mongkummuen posted a clip of the ‘Kalasin Cowboy’ making a U-turn and galloping into Kalasin College of Dramatic Arts in Mueang district, with the caption… “F*cking cool. You’ve won me over. Hahaha. I want to…

  • Thailand NewsRussia plans to install facial recognition surveillance technology in Thailand

    Russia plans to install facial recognition surveillance technology in Thailand

    Russian biometrics company ‘NtechLab’ announced plans to “enter the Thai market.” The company produces a facial recognition tool called ‘FindFace,’ which can be used to identify suspected criminals. The company is also considering moving its Asia headquarters to Thailand. The company claims that 23 countries worldwide are already using FindFace surveillance technology, sparking privacy and human rights concerns among the…

  • Crime NewsUPDATE: Famous Thai YouTuber ‘Nutty’ flees Thailand over 2 billion baht Forex scam accusations

    UPDATE: Famous Thai YouTuber ‘Nutty’ flees Thailand over 2 billion baht Forex scam accusations

    UPDATE Today, Thailand’s Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for 30 year old “Nutty,” the famous YouTuber, after collecting evidence that she defrauded over 6,000 victims of more than 2 billion baht. Nutty is wanted on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud the public and two other charges. The court says Nutty’s case is linked to the case of a Thai…

  • Thailand NewsThai Airways sells five Airbus A340s stored away for 13 years

    Thai Airways sells five Airbus A340s stored away for 13 years

    Thai Airways (THAI) has found a buyer for five dusty Airbus A340s which have gone unused for 13 years. Thailand’s flag carrier has sold one A340-500 and four A340-600 planes for a total of 350 million baht. The transaction is sure to help THAI on its road to financial recovery since the Bankruptcy Court approved a debt restructuring plan for…

  • Transport NewsBudget airline Thai AirAsia X to launch two Thailand – Australia routes

    Budget airline Thai AirAsia X to launch two Thailand – Australia routes

    Budget airline Thai AirAsia X will launch two direct routes between Thailand and Australia in December. The airline will fly from Bangkok to both Melbourne, and Sydney, beginning December 1 and 2 this year, respectively. The Bangkok to Sydney route will fly four times per week on Mondays, Tuesdays, Fridays, and Sundays. The Bangkok to Melbourne route will fly thrice…

  • Phuket News“Unruly” Aussie woman kicked off flight from Thailand to Sydney

    “Unruly” Aussie woman kicked off flight from Thailand to Sydney

    Cheers erupted from passengers when an “unruly” Australian woman was kicked off a Jetstar flight from Phuket to Sydney before take off on Sunday. The woman apparently lost it “because she wanted to sit by the window,” said one passenger. Jetstar confirmed that the woman was removed for being “disruptive and using abusive and inappropriate language.” “An unruly passenger was…

  • Tourism NewsGet freebies and special offers with this app launched by Tourism Authority of Thailand

    Get freebies and special offers with this app launched by Tourism Authority of Thailand

    The Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) and partners have launched a mobile application called the “TAGTHAi Pass,” designed to be a handy tool for tourists to make the most out of their stay in the kingdom. Tourists who download the free TAGTHAi application will benefit from various freebies and deals. Not to be confused with the renounced Thailand Pass, the…

  • Tourism NewsThailand ‘tourist tax’ to come into effect next year

    Thailand ‘tourist tax’ to come into effect next year

    Starting next year, foreigners entering Thailand by plane will have to pay an entry fee of 300 baht. The “tourist tax” was originally intended to be imposed at the start of this year, but its implementation was delayed to give Thailand’s tourism industry a chance to recover from the pandemic. The fee will be introduced “next year,” according to Thailand’s…

  • Crime NewsFake policeman allegedly rapes, beats and imprisons 20 year old in central Thailand

    Fake policeman allegedly rapes, beats and imprisons 20 year old in central Thailand

    Police yesterday arrested a 27 year old man in Nonthaburi province, central Thailand, who posed as a police officer on a dating app and allegedly raped, beat, and kept a 20 year old woman imprisoned for two days. The victim – Ms. A (pseudonym) – met Weerapat, or ‘Boo,’ on a dating app. Boo told Ms. A he was a…

  • Crime NewsFamous Thai YouTuber ‘Nutty’ flees Thailand over 2 billion baht Forex scam accusations

    Famous Thai YouTuber ‘Nutty’ flees Thailand over 2 billion baht Forex scam accusations

    A famous Thai YouTuber named ‘Nutty’ is nowhere to be found after she was accused of scamming victims of over 2 billion baht in a Forex scam. Nattamon “Nutty” Khongchak is believed to have defrauded over 6,000 victims. In a ‘Pinky‘ type fraud case, another Thai influencer has used their Internet fame to encourage fans to invest in a scam.…

  • World NewsRoyal Caribbean offers cruises to Thailand & other Asian locations in 2023

    Royal Caribbean offers cruises to Thailand & other Asian locations in 2023

    Royal Caribbean has announced a new series of Asian cruises on their ship ‘Spectrum of the Seas,’ setting sail in 2023 and 2024. Beginning in Singapore, travellers can set off on cruises for 5, 7, 9 or 12 nights, visiting various locations in Asia including Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Philippines, Taiwan and Japan. Guests can choose from cruises which make stops…

  • South Thailand NewsExplosive device found hidden inside 7-Eleven in southern Thailand

    Explosive device found hidden inside 7-Eleven in southern Thailand

    An explosive device planted by suspected insurgents was discovered hidden on a shelf at a 7-Eleven convenience store in Narathiwat province in southern Thailand on Friday. Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) officers rushed to the scene and successfully disposed of the bomb. On Friday, a member of staff at a 7-Eleven store in the Yee Ngor district was restocking shelves when…

  • Thailand NewsFood vendors attack foreign tourist who dined & dashed in Pattaya, Thailand

    Food vendors attack foreign tourist who dined & dashed in Pattaya, Thailand

    An intense brawl broke out between a group of food vendors and a foreign tourist who allegedly didn’t pay for his meal on Pattaya’s Walking Street in Nong Phru subdistrict, Bang Lamung district, yesterday at 4.30am. The “European tourist” – whose name and nationality are unknown – allegedly ate from a Thai woman’s food stall and left without paying, so…

  • Thailand NewsAbysmal roads causes woman to give birth inside car in NE Thailand

    Abysmal roads causes woman to give birth inside car in NE Thailand

    A woman from Surin province, northeast Thailand, was forced to give birth in a car after dire road conditions prevented her from reaching the hospital in time. Locals want to raise awareness of the sorry state of road affairs in Khok Phued village in Ban Cham subdistrict. Locals say the 2.5 kilometre stretch of “road” is the only entrance to…

  • Crime NewsMan gets scammed by two escorts in one night in NE Thailand

    Man gets scammed by two escorts in one night in NE Thailand

    A man who would rather not be named says he was deceived by not one, but two prostitutes last night in Loei province in northeast Thailand. The man filed a complaint against the women at Mueang Leoi Police Station this morning but, to no one’s surprise, the police couldn’t help him. The 24 year old man from Mueang district –…

  • Thailand NewsElderly woman killed by wild elephant in eastern Thailand, 2 relatives injured

    Elderly woman killed by wild elephant in eastern Thailand, 2 relatives injured

    An elderly lady was trampled to death by a wild elephant at a rubber plantation last night in Chachoengsao province in eastern Thailand. Her daughter and granddaughter survived the attack but are badly injured. The women say they had abandoned their car to walk home because the road was undrivable after heavy rain, which is when they crossed paths with…