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.
  • South Thailand NewsSuspected insurgent shot dead by police in southern Thailand

    Suspected insurgent shot dead by police in southern Thailand

    Thai police shot dead a suspected insurgent at a house in Pattani province, southern Thailand, yesterday at 4:30am. The suspect tried to escape the house by climbing out of the window and allegedly fired shots at police who shot back in self-defence. The deceased allegedly had a role in the 2019 Bangkok bombings. Police received information that a wanted, suspected…

  • Pattaya NewsPattaya’s prisoners clean the city’s sewers to prevent flooding

    Pattaya’s prisoners clean the city’s sewers to prevent flooding

    Monsoon season brings floods to every region of Thailand year in and year out. This year, Pattaya’s prisoners are taking action to mitigate the flood risk. On Monday, inmates from Pattaya Remand Prison began the mammoth task of cleaning out the city’s clogged up sewers for the first time since before the pandemic began. Well-behaved inmates, alongside city hall sanitation…

  • World NewsThailand or Cambodia? Comparing 10 year visa programmes

    Thailand or Cambodia? Comparing 10 year visa programmes

    Cambodia has launched a “My 2nd Home” programme to encourage foreign investment in the country. The programme features a 10 year long “Golden Visa” with unlimited entry and exit and other benefits. But how does it compare with Thailand’s 10 year Long Term Resident visa? Applicants for the “My 2nd Home” Golden Visa must be a foreign investor with an…

  • Thailand Weather UpdatesSeries of earthquakes strike 500km away from Thailand’s Andaman coast

    Series of earthquakes strike 500km away from Thailand’s Andaman coast

    A series of continuous 4.0 – 4.9 magnitude earthquakes struck the Andaman and Nicobar islands for a period of 3 days, 506 kilometres away from Thailand’s Andaman coast. More than 40 tremors occurred, beginning July 4 at 6:00am and continuing until this morning, July 6. The epicentre of the tremors was only 10 kilometres deep, making the chance of a…

  • Crime NewsThai police arrest ‘Mr. Underpants:’ The serial thief in the white briefs

    Thai police arrest ‘Mr. Underpants:’ The serial thief in the white briefs

    Today, the Royal Thai Police finally arrested a serial mobile phone thief known as “Mr. Underpants.” Mr. Underpants broke into 9 BANANA mobile phone shops in locations all over Thailand, stealing thousands of mobile phones in total. Every time, he wore only his pants. Mr. Underpants broke into BANANA branches in Yala, Hat Yai, Patthalung, Nakhon Nayok, Nakhon Si Thammarat,…

  • Crime NewsUkrainian woman caught smuggling 116 live tortoises from Tanzania into Thailand

    Ukrainian woman caught smuggling 116 live tortoises from Tanzania into Thailand

    Police arrested a Ukrainian woman at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport yesterday after airport security found 116 live tortoises in her luggage. The woman smuggled the protected wildlife on an Ethiopian Airlines flight from Dar es Salaam in Tanzania to Bangkok, transiting in Addis Ababa in Ethiopia along the way. Yesterday at 2:40pm, Chief of the Wildlife Checkpoint at Suvarnabhumi Airport Sathon…

  • World NewsBrazilian student arrested in Bali for smuggling cannabis from Thailand

    Brazilian student arrested in Bali for smuggling cannabis from Thailand

    A Brazilian man who was arrested for smuggling 9.1 grams of cannabis from Thailand into Bali last week says he “didn’t know” that the plant is illegal in Indonesia. His arrest came just days after the Royal Thai Embassy in Jakarta warned the people of Thailand against taking cannabis into Indonesia, where they could face harsh penalties – or even…

  • Thailand NewsBattle of the Beetles: Man gets rich selling rhinoceros beetles in southern Thailand

    Battle of the Beetles: Man gets rich selling rhinoceros beetles in southern Thailand

    Beetle fighting season is almost upon us, and one man from southern Thailand says his rhinoceros beetles are heading straight to the top of the beetle battle championships. Every rainy season in Thailand, male rhinoceros beetles go head to head on a wooden pole. A female beetle is placed underneath, whose scent stimulates the males to fight until one backs…

  • Thailand NewsDrinking alcohol increases risk of threadworms, says Thai university

    Drinking alcohol increases risk of threadworms, says Thai university

    Regular alcohol consumption increases the risk of developing threadworm infections, according to new research conducted by the Parasitic Disease Research Centre at Suranaree University of Technology in Bangkok. The university recommends alcohol drinkers test themselves for threadworms at least once or twice a year to prevent severe infections. Threadworms – Strongyloides stercoralis – are tiny parasitic worms that infect the…

  • Thailand NewsAirAsia Thailand resumes Bangkok – Hong Kong flights, pilots new China route

    AirAsia Thailand resumes Bangkok – Hong Kong flights, pilots new China route

    In August, Thai AirAsia will resume direct flights between Bangkok and Hong Kong. The airline will also pilot a special flight to Guangzhou in China this month, on July 13. Thai AirAsia is a joint venture between Thailand’s Asia Aviation and budget Malaysian airline AirAsia. The airline will operate weekly flights between Bangkok’s Don Muang International Airport and Hong Kong…

  • Road deathsPickup truck explosion kills 2 in Bangkok

    Pickup truck explosion kills 2 in Bangkok

    On Saturday morning, a pickup truck crashed into the barrier in the middle of a 4 lane road in Bangkok and exploded. Witnesses saw 2 men escape the vehicle, but both men got caught in the flames and died at the scene. At 6:30am on Saturday, fire engines from Thanon Chan Fire Station were called to put out a fire…

  • Covid-19 NewsUnvaccinated tourist turned away at check-in desk en route to Thailand

    Unvaccinated tourist turned away at check-in desk en route to Thailand

    An unvaccinated tourist en route to Thailand was turned away at the check-in desk at Manchester Airport in England on Saturday after an airline didn’t get the memo about Thailand’s updated entry restrictions. If you are unvaccinated and plan to travel to Thailand, The Thaiger has advice about how to avoid this happening to you. Thailand Pass was scrapped on…

  • Cannabis NewsThailand’s MOD bans use of cannabis on army premises

    Thailand’s MOD bans use of cannabis on army premises

    Thailand’s Ministry of Defense strictly orders military personnel not to use cannabis on army premises, according to ministry spokesman Col. Chinat Punnotok. Military personnel are also strictly prohibited from posting pictures or videos of themselves using cannabis on social media, said the spokesperson. The army’s cannabis ban was decided upon today during a meeting held by Thailand’s Defence Council, presided…

  • Cannabis NewsPhuket public health office says smoking cannabis is legal, but…

    Phuket public health office says smoking cannabis is legal, but…

    Phuket’s Provincial Public Health Office today made a statement to clear up confusion surrounding new cannabis laws. Smoking cannabis is legal, so long as the smoke does not disturb anyone, according to the chief of the Phuket Provincial Health Office Dr. Kusak Kukiatkul. Cannabis smoke is considered a “public nuisance” in Thailand, and smoking the plant in public places is…

  • Crime NewsUPDATE: Fraudulent Japanese restaurant owner denied bail

    UPDATE: Fraudulent Japanese restaurant owner denied bail

    UPDATE: Fraudulent Japanese restaurant owner denied bail The court denied the owner of Daruma Sushi’s request for bail this afternoon after he was arrested by police at Suvarnabhumi Airport yesterday. Police say “Metha” has caused millions of baht in damages and has countless allegations against him. The 39 year old owner of Daruma Sushi – Metha Chalingsook – got into…

  • Pattaya NewsVIDEO: Pattaya police rehearse controlling drunk tourists with metal poles

    VIDEO: Pattaya police rehearse controlling drunk tourists with metal poles

    Pattaya police – armed with what look like giant litter pickers – gathered on Jomtien beach in Pattaya yesterday to prepare for encounters with “armed, drunk and aggressive foreign tourists.” The police asked a foreign beachgoer to volunteer as an armed, drunk and out of control tourist. Half a dozen policemen behind a riot shield approached the “tourist” and pinned…

  • Cannabis NewsThailand develops cannabis test kits that detect THC levels in 15 minutes

    Thailand develops cannabis test kits that detect THC levels in 15 minutes

    Thailand took marijuana off its list of narcotics, but extracts with higher than 0.2% tetrahydrocannabinol – the “happy” chemical – are still illegal. The law was designed to discourage the recreational use of cannabis, but no one knew how it could be enforced, until now. Thailand’s Department of Medical Sciences has developed marijuana test kits that detect THC levels in…

  • Phuket NewsPhuket homeowner checks CCTV to find foreign couple canoodling outside house

    Phuket homeowner checks CCTV to find foreign couple canoodling outside house

    A Thai woman away in Germany was lost for words on Tuesday when she checked her Phuket home’s CCTV camera footage to see a foreign couple – a man and woman – having sex in front of her house. Homeowner Waralak Frisch often resides in Germany with her husband, so she installed security cameras to check on the safety of…

  • Crime NewsUPDATE: Police arrest fraudulent Japanese restaurant owner at Suvarnabhumi Airport

    UPDATE: Police arrest fraudulent Japanese restaurant owner at Suvarnabhumi Airport

    UPDATE: Police arrest fraudulent Japanese restaurant owner at Suvarnabhumi Airport Today, Thailand’s Central Investigation Bureau arrested the fraudulent owner of Daruma Sushi, a famous Japanese restaurant chain, at Suvarnabhumi Airport. “Metha” returned to Thailand today having fled to Dubai in the UAE on June 16, after he received over 500 complaints from unhappy customers and staff. Police said Metha caused…

  • Thailand NewsFrenchman found dead in luxury villa in Koh Samui, Thailand

    Frenchman found dead in luxury villa in Koh Samui, Thailand

    The body of a Frenchman was discovered at a luxury pool villa in Koh Samui, off the coast of the southern province of Surat Thani, at 9:30am this morning. Officers from Koh Samui Police Station were called to a detached house in Na Muang subdistrict after a cleaner discovered the body of 45 year old Christophe Cedric Moulinaires lying dead…

  • World NewsMonkeypox arrives in Singapore and South Korea

    Monkeypox arrives in Singapore and South Korea

    Cases of monkeypox have been confirmed in Singapore and South Korea. Since the outbreak began in May, Singapore’s case is the first recorded in Southeast Asia. Singapore’s Ministry of Health confirmed that a 42 year old British flight attendant tested positive for monkeypox on June 20. He was in Singapore between June 15 and June 17, and again on June…

  • World NewsAt least 250 killed in Afghanistan earthquake

    At least 250 killed in Afghanistan earthquake

    A powerful 6.1 magnitude earthquake has devastated Eastern Afghanistan, killing at least 250 people. Hundreds more were injured and countless homes were destroyed in 4 districts of Paktika province after the earthquake struck in the early hours of this morning, while most people were sleeping. The epicentre was 44 kilometres from the southeastern city of Khost near the border of Pakistan,…

  • World NewsTourists stuck in cable car for hours climb down by rope in India

    Tourists stuck in cable car for hours climb down by rope in India

    Tourists trapped inside 2 cable cars at a mountain range in India were horrified when both cable cars suddenly stopped 1300 feet above the ground on Monday. After being stuck in the air for hours, some of the tourists opted to lower themselves to safety by rope. A total of 15 sightseers, 11 in 1 cable car and 4 in…

  • Pattaya News2 year old foreign child in ICU after Pit Bill attack in Pattaya, Thailand

    2 year old foreign child in ICU after Pit Bill attack in Pattaya, Thailand

    A 2 year old foreign boy is being treated in the ICU after he was mauled by a Pit Bull in Pattaya on Monday. The young child suffered a broken jaw, torn cheeks, and an open wound on his head which required 200 stitches. At 4pm on Monday, a foreign nanny took 2 foreign boys – aged 2 and 4…

  • South Thailand NewsSuspected insurgents hijack garbage truck, bomb police booth in southern Thailand

    Suspected insurgents hijack garbage truck, bomb police booth in southern Thailand

    In a suspected insurgency attack in Thailand’s “Deep South,” men armed with guns hijacked a garbage truck, tied up four binmen on the roadside, and placed a 50 kilogram explosive inside the vehicle. The assailants drove to a police checkpoint where they detonated the bomb, blowing up the garbage truck and injuring one police officer. The incident happened yesterday evening…

  • Thailand NewsToday is the longest day of the year in Thailand

    Today is the longest day of the year in Thailand

    The sun will reign over the sky for almost 13 hours today in Thailand, making today (June 21) the longest day of the year. The extended sunlight hours mark the beginning of the summer season in the entire Northern Hemisphere, formally known as “The Summer Solstice.” The sun rose from the sky’s northeastern horizon at 5:51am this morning in Thailand,…

  • Transport NewsAir Canada launches first direct North America – Thailand flight in 10 years

    Air Canada launches first direct North America – Thailand flight in 10 years

  • Road deathsChinese woman dies in road accident in Bangkok

    Chinese woman dies in road accident in Bangkok

    A young Chinese woman was struck and killed while crossing the road in Bangkok in the early hours of this morning. The woman was crossing over the 3 lane road at Ratchavipha intersection on Ratchadapisek Road in Chatuchak district when she was struck by a car at around 00:50am. Police are checking CCTV cameras to confirm the details of the…

  • Thailand NewsGiant honey bees swarm home in southern Thailand

    Giant honey bees swarm home in southern Thailand

    A man from Krabi, southern Thailand, was left terrified and thankfully unharmed after tens of thousands of giant honey bees – or Apis dorsata – swarmed his home on Sunday. Thailand’s giant honey bees have been called “the most dangerous stinging insects on earth” by Cornell University apiculturist Roger Morse. Somchai Kaewkasorn, a Department of Highways official, was watching television…

  • Thailand NewsThai Airways resumes Perth – Bangkok flights

    Thai Airways resumes Perth – Bangkok flights