Chiang Mai News

Chiang Mai news, politics, business, culture, and tourism—stay updated with breaking stories, local events, and expat insights from Thailand’s northern hub. Get the latest from The Thaiger, your trusted Chiang Mai news source.

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  • Rare great hornbill spotted in Chiang Mai after 10 years | Thaiger

    Rare great hornbill spotted in Chiang Mai after 10 years

    A great hornbill was spotted in a Chiang Mai national park, marking the first confirmed sighting in over a decade and signalling improved forest health. Chiang Mai’s Doi Pha Hom Pok National Park is celebrating a major ecological milestone after spotting a great hornbill, also known locally as nok kahang or nok gak, for the first time in over a…

  • Lottery fever: Chiang Mai punters scramble for lucky numbers | Thaiger

    Lottery fever: Chiang Mai punters scramble for lucky numbers

    As the government lottery draw nears, Chiang Mai locals are rushing to buy lucky numbers from vendors, hoping to cash in on signs and superstitions. Excitement is building in Chiang Mai ahead of the November 16 lottery draw, as eager buyers flood stalls across the province in search of lucky numbers, pushing prices and demand to new highs. By 8.30am…

  • Lao women arrested in Chiang Mai sex-for-hire crackdown | Thaiger

    Lao women arrested in Chiang Mai sex-for-hire crackdown

    Three Lao women were caught in Chiang Mai after police uncovered a sex-for-hire operation, following local reports of illegal activity in the area. The operation, led by Mae Wang Police Station Chief Police Colonel Thananchai Siriwanna, saw officers move in on a residence in Ban Nong Tao, Mae Win subdistrict, following multiple complaints from residents. Officers arrested a 32 year…

  • Indian woman with severe injuries denied boarding in Chiang Mai | Thaiger

    Indian woman with severe injuries denied boarding in Chiang Mai

    An Indian tourist was denied boarding at Chiang Mai airport after airline staff discovered her severe injuries from a motorbike crash in northern Thailand. Tourist police in Chiang Mai stepped in to assist an Indian woman after she was denied boarding on her flight home due to serious injuries sustained in a motorbike accident. The incident unfolded yesterday, November 11,…

  • Kenyan woman drives car into Chiang Mai moat on Loy Krathong night | Thaiger

    Kenyan woman drives car into Chiang Mai moat on Loy Krathong night

    A Kenyan woman accidentally drove her red Nissan sedan into a Chiang Mai moat on Loy Krathong night, November 5, after being startled by firecrackers and children’s screams. Channel 7 reported that the accident occurred in front of Wat Lok Molee last night, where attendees were enjoying the Yi Peng and Loy Krathong festivals. Witnesses alerted officers from Mueang Chiang Mai…

  • Etihad launches first direct Abu Dhabi–Chiang Mai flights | Thaiger

    Etihad launches first direct Abu Dhabi–Chiang Mai flights

    Etihad Airways has launched direct flights between Abu Dhabi and Chiang Mai, enhancing air connectivity and boosting Thailand’s high-season tourism strategy. Chiang Mai International Airport welcomed a major boost to its tourism profile with the arrival of Etihad Airways’ inaugural direct flight from Abu Dhabi. The historic landing, which took place at 6.05am yesterday, November 4, was marked with a…

  • Six drug traffickers killed in Chiang Mai, 1.2 million yaba pills seized | Thaiger

    Six drug traffickers killed in Chiang Mai, 1.2 million yaba pills seized

    Six suspected drug traffickers were killed in a clash with Thai soldiers near the Thai–Myanmar border in Fang district, Chiang Mai, early Friday morning, October 27. The incident occurred around 6.49am after soldiers from Cavalry Company 4, part of the Pha Muang Force, observed suspicious activity near Mon Pin subdistrict, a known trafficking corridor. Troops were dispatched to investigate and…

  • Breath of life: Chiang Mai’s ‘frozen’ escalator revived after decades | Thaiger

    Breath of life: Chiang Mai’s ‘frozen’ escalator revived after decades

    Chiang Mai’s Warorot Market has brought its long-idle escalator back into operation, delighting locals and vendors after decades of remaining unused. The century-old market, better known as Kad Luang, has witnessed the revival of a long-dormant symbol of modernity: its only escalator, which moved last week for the first time in over 50 years. Once a futuristic addition to the…

  • Chiang Mai teen’s hand reattached after gang attack | Thaiger

    Chiang Mai teen’s hand reattached after gang attack

    A brave 14 year old girl from Chiang Mai is back home with her right hand reattached after a gang attack left her severely injured last month. The attack, which occurred on September 16 in Mueang Chiang Mai district, left three students seriously injured. The girl, who was mistaken for a male target due to wearing a hoodie, lost her…

  • British biker killed in horror crash on Chiang Mai highway | Thaiger

    British biker killed in horror crash on Chiang Mai highway

    A British man died in a road accident in Chiang Mai after falling off his motorbike and being struck by multiple vehicles during a late-night ride. Craig Davies, who was just days away from celebrating his 51st birthday, was killed instantly in the early hours of yesterday, October 9, following a high-speed crash in Chiang Mai. Originally from Wakefield, West…

  • Chiang Mai bans sky lanterns in six districts during Yi Peng festival | Thaiger

    Chiang Mai bans sky lanterns in six districts during Yi Peng festival

    Chiang Mai authorities have designated six districts as special surveillance zones where the release of sky lanterns, fireworks, and similar objects will be prohibited during the Yi Peng Lanna Light Festival 2025, held on November 5 and 6. Chiang Mai Provincial Clerk Chainarong Nantasa announced that the provincial government has issued clear guidelines to protect public safety and airspace during the…

  • Chiang Mai man smashes up cars, mental health concerns raised | Thaiger

    Chiang Mai man smashes up cars, mental health concerns raised

    A man with suspected mental health issues has been reported to have damaged parked vehicles in Chiang Mai, prompting residents to call for appropriate intervention from relevant authorities. Today, October 6, Chiang Mai residents contacted local media after a man was seen smashing car windows with rocks across the Mueang district and surrounding areas. The man appeared homeless and displayed…

  • Car smashes into Chiang Mai restaurant, narrowly running over foreign diners | Thaiger

    Car smashes into Chiang Mai restaurant, narrowly running over foreign diners

    Thai and foreign customers narrowly escaped serious injury after an elderly Thai woman crashed a hatchback into a restaurant in Chiang Mai on Friday, September 26. CCTV footage of the accident was circulated on Thai social media after the incident took place at the Mala Satan Fah restaurant in the Chang Phueak sub-district at around 7pm. The restaurant is located…

  • Chiang Mai police caught extorting money from foreign tourist | Thaiger

    Chiang Mai police caught extorting money from foreign tourist

    A viral video emerged showing a police officer in Chiang Mai extorting money from a foreign motorcyclist, prompting an investigation into alleged corruption. The Facebook page Guru Guroo Chiang Mai shared the video yesterday, September 25, with the caption, “Another viral video! Thai police asked for ‘something’ from a foreign tourist. What’s that thing? The incident occurred near Chiang Mai…

  • Buffalo attack in Chiang Mai leaves 3 victims injured | Thaiger

    Buffalo attack in Chiang Mai leaves 3 victims injured

    A buffalo, believed to have escaped from a slaughterhouse in Chiang Mai, attacked two locals and a rescuer before passing away this past Saturday, September 20. The local rescue team received a report of the incident at 11.30am and rushed to the scene, a community in the Chang Klan district of Chiang Mai, a community consisting mostly of the Akha…

  • Myanmar national arrested for father-in-law’s murder in Chiang Mai | Thaiger

    Myanmar national arrested for father-in-law’s murder in Chiang Mai

    Yesterday, September 20, police and local administrative officials apprehended a Myanmar national, accused of fatally shooting his father-in-law in Mueang Mae Chaem district, Chiang Mai province. The suspect, 27 year old Bounthong, was captured while hiding in the mountainous region of Ban Pang Ung Kao, Mae Chaem district. The incident unfolded in the evening of September 18, when he allegedly shot…

  • Decomposed body of elderly woman found in Chiang Mai river | Thaiger

    Decomposed body of elderly woman found in Chiang Mai river

    Locals in Chiang Mai discovered the body of an elderly woman floating in the Ping River, prompting police to launch an investigation into her death. Police in Chiang Mai’s Doi Tao district are investigating the discovery of a decomposed body, believed to be that of an elderly woman, found floating in the Ping River. The grim discovery was made yesterday,…

  • Thai municipality official dies in road collapse in Chiang Mai | Thaiger

    Thai municipality official dies in road collapse in Chiang Mai

    A municipality official died in a road collapse while on duty, inspecting a drainage pipe under a road in the Mae Rim district of Chiang Mai province yesterday, September 10.   View this post on Instagram   A post shared by The Thaiger (@thethaigerofficial) The 56 year old head of the Construction Department of Mueang Don Kaew Municipality Office, Prasert,…

  • Chiang Mai pickup crash topples 24 power poles and kills 1 victim | Thaiger

    Chiang Mai pickup crash topples 24 power poles and kills 1 victim

    A contestant from The Voice Thailand lost his life in a pickup crash on Nong Hor Road in Chiang Mai, which also damaged 24 electricity poles and caused a power outage in the area yesterday. A dash camera from another vehicle travelling on Nong Hor Road in the Chang Phueak district of Chiang Mai captured the shocking incident, which occurred…

  • RTAF unveils new US-built AT-6TH attack jets in Chiang Mai | Thaiger

    RTAF unveils new US-built AT-6TH attack jets in Chiang Mai

    The Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) has inducted new US-made AT-6TH light attack aircraft into service in Chiang Mai to strengthen border patrol and anti-narcotics missions. RTAF commander Panpakdee Pattanakul confirmed the deployment on Thursday, September 4, saying that the new fleet replaces the ageing L-39ZA/ART aircraft. The AT-6TH planes were acquired under an Integrity Pact agreement with Textron Aviation…

  • Deadly landslide strikes Chiang Mai village, 4 killed | Thaiger

    Deadly landslide strikes Chiang Mai village, 4 killed

    Following a landslide which struck Pang Ung village in Chiang Mai’s Mae Chaem district in the early hours yesterday, another deadly mudslide killed four people, injured 15, and left five others missing in a village in the northern province.   View this post on Instagram   A post shared by The Thaiger (@thethaigerofficial) The landslide, which struck at 2.50am yesterday, August…

  • Chiang Mai goose squad flops in moat cleanup stunt | Thaiger

    Chiang Mai goose squad flops in moat cleanup stunt

    Chiang Mai’s bold plan to clean its polluted moat with a flock of geese is ruffling feathers. What was meant to be a natural solution to green algae and water pollution has turned into a feathery fiasco, complete with photo-happy tourists, escaped birds, and zero results. Since August 21, Chiang Mai Municipality has been trialling a flock of 10 geese…

  • Landslide in Chiang Mai’s Pang Ung kills 1, destroys 5 homes | Thaiger

    Landslide in Chiang Mai’s Pang Ung kills 1, destroys 5 homes

    A landslide in Pang Ung village, Chiang Mai province, has destroyed five homes, resulting in one fatality. Over 10 people were injured, and one person remains missing. The incident occurred at 2.50am today, August 27, with emergency services promptly responding to the scene. Dusit Pongsapipat, head of the Chiang Mai provincial disaster prevention and mitigation office, confirmed the landslide struck…

  • Chiang Mai cops bust 700kg Taiwan-bound ‘Durian’ meth haul | Thaiger

    Chiang Mai cops bust 700kg Taiwan-bound ‘Durian’ meth haul

    A major drug bust in Chiang Mai has sent shockwaves through Thai law enforcement after police intercepted 700 kilogrammes of methamphetamine hidden in sacks marked with the bizarre branding “Durian.” The massive haul was discovered in the early hours of Monday, August 18, at around 1.12am, when police patrolling Ban Pa Bong Ngam in the Chiang Dao district stopped a…

  • Thai police arrest Chinese fraud suspect in Mae Rim operation | Thaiger

    Thai police arrest Chinese fraud suspect in Mae Rim operation

    The Immigration Division 3 conducted a cross-province operation from Pattaya to Mae Rim to capture a Chinese man wanted for fraud. The suspect allegedly deceived fellow nationals into investing in a durian orchard project before fleeing the country today, August 12. Police Lieutenant General Phanumas Boonyaluck, commander of the Immigration Bureau, along with deputy commanders Police Major General Panthana Nuchanarot…

  • Missing girls found safe near Chiang Mai school | Thaiger

    Missing girls found safe near Chiang Mai school

    The Mirror Foundation has clarified that the disappearance of three young girls from their school dormitory in Mae Ai district, Chiang Mai province, was not a case of kidnapping or abduction. Yesterday, August 4, police from Mae Ai Police Station, investigators, border patrol troops, local police, and teachers from Rajaprajanugroh 30 School held a meeting to coordinate efforts to locate…

  • 3 Thai girls missing after late-night escape from Chiang Mai school | Thaiger

    3 Thai girls missing after late-night escape from Chiang Mai school

    Three Thai girls, aged between seven and nine, went missing after leaving their school in the northern province of Chiang Mai yesterday, August 3. Officers from Mae Ai Police Station urged residents of Chiang Mai and nearby provinces to report any information that may assist in locating the three girls, who disappeared from Rajaprajanugroh 30 School in the Tha Ton…

  • Body of tourist found decomposed in Doi Suthep forest, Chiang Mai | Thaiger

    Body of tourist found decomposed in Doi Suthep forest, Chiang Mai

    The body, thought to be a foreign tourist, was discovered in an advanced state of decomposition in the forest of Doi Suthep, located in the Mueang district of Chiang Mai. The discovery was made yesterday, August 3. A resident, while collecting forest products, found the body approximately 2 kilometres from the main road in tambon Suthep and reported it to…

  • Chiang Mai sees surge in demand for lottery tickets | Thaiger

    Chiang Mai sees surge in demand for lottery tickets

    In Chiang Mai, the demand for lottery tickets is on the rise, particularly for auspicious numbers and those linked to significant national events. One popular choice is the numbers commemorating the Thai military’s strategic securing of 11 key locations. Phannee Lupungngern, a lottery vendor on Chiang Mai-Lamphun Road in Saraphi district, reported a surge in sales, with many auspicious numbers…

  • Flood chaos fears as Chiang Mai braces for storm Wipha | Thaiger

    Flood chaos fears as Chiang Mai braces for storm Wipha

    Chiang Mai is on high alert as storm Wipha barrels towards the northern province, prompting the setup of 24-hour emergency operations and shelters for tens of thousands of residents. Provincial Governor Nirat Pongsitthaworn confirmed the launch of a round-the-clock Emergency Command Centre to manage the looming crisis. With weather forecasters warning of intense downpours, particularly in Chiang Mai’s upper districts,…

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