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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  • South Korean DJ caught spinning without permit in Chiang Mai | Thaiger

    South Korean DJ caught spinning without permit in Chiang Mai

    A South Korean national was arrested in Chiang Mai by immigration officers after being found working illegally as a DJ at a local venue without a permit. The suspect, whose identity has not been released, was detained yesterday, November 19, after immigration officials received a tip-off regarding foreign nationals working without permits in the Mueang district. The operation took place…

  • Thai twins make history with life-saving liver transplant | Thaiger

    Thai twins make history with life-saving liver transplant

    A young man’s life has been saved by his identical twin in a medical first for Thailand, thanks to a groundbreaking liver transplant in Chiang Mai. Doctors at Chiang Mai University confirmed the successful operation, marking a turning point in Thailand’s transplant history. The patient, Suphawit Songngern, was born with biliary atresia, a rare condition that blocks the bile ducts…

  • 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…

  • 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,…

  • Tourist bus overturns in Lampang, injuring over 39 passengers | Thaiger

    Tourist bus overturns in Lampang, injuring over 39 passengers

    A tourist bus travelling from Chiang Mai to Bangkok overturned on Khun Tan hill in Lampang province, resulting in injuries to over 39 international tourists, with one individual seriously injured and trapped inside in the bus crash. The incident occurred at around 8.45pm yesterday, on November 8, when Chiang Mai traffic police received a report about an accident involving a…

  • 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…

  • 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 resident bags 10 million baht in GSB lottery win | Thaiger

    Chiang Mai resident bags 10 million baht in GSB lottery win

    A Chiang Mai resident has won 10 million baht after claiming the top prize in the Government Savings Bank (GSB) special one-year lottery. The GSB Society Facebook page announced the exciting win yesterday, October 16, congratulating the latest millionaire from the bank’s Central Chiang Mai branch. The prize came from GSB’s special one-year lottery draw. The winning ticket was part…

  • 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 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…

  • 2 Irish women seen on CCTV chasing thief on Chiang Mai road | Thaiger

    2 Irish women seen on CCTV chasing thief on Chiang Mai road

    Police arrested a thief who snatched a bag from two Irish women as they were walking along a dark street in Chiang Mai province yesterday. The 20 year old Irish victims filed a complaint with Mueang Chiang Mai Police Station in the early hours of the morning after one of them lost her bag to the snatcher in Soi Moom…

  • 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…

  • 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…

  • TikTok star’s pet lion raises safety concerns in Chiang Mai | Thaiger

    TikTok star’s pet lion raises safety concerns in Chiang Mai

    Concerns have arisen among residents regarding the safety of a pet lion, “Sorapong,” owned by a popular TikTok creator. This has led authorities from the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation to inspect the premises, following an incident involving seven lions at Safari World, who fatally attacked a zookeeper. After the safari incident, the Wildlife Conservation Office mandated…

  • 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,…

  • 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…

  • Chiang Mai tuk tuk driver denies physically assaulting Chinese tourist | Thaiger

    Chiang Mai tuk tuk driver denies physically assaulting Chinese tourist

    A Thai tuk tuk driver in Chiang Mai denied physically assaulting a Chinese tourist after a video of the pair’s confrontation went viral on TikTok. The Chinese tourist, who posted the clip to his account, @ailong165, on August 29, claimed the incident occurred at about 8.45pm on August 28 in Chiang Mai Old Town. According to the tourist, the driver shouted…

  • 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…

  • 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…

  • Fire devastates Chiang Mai temple sanctuary with 3 million baht damage | Thaiger

    Fire devastates Chiang Mai temple sanctuary with 3 million baht damage

    A fire engulfed the sanctuary of a well-known temple in Chiang Mai, leaving it in ruins. The blaze, which occurred at Wat Weluwan in Mueang Kaew subdistrict, Mae Rim district, was reported at 3.20am on August 18. Investigators from Mae Rim Police Station, along with the Phanthong rescue team and Mae Sa Subdistrict Administration Organisation’s disaster prevention unit, arrived promptly…

  • 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…

  • 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…

  • 12 Chinese nationals arrested for operating call centre scam in Chiang Mai | Thaiger

    12 Chinese nationals arrested for operating call centre scam in Chiang Mai

    Police arrested 12 Chinese nationals yesterday, July 30, for operating a call centre scam from a pool villa in the northern province of Chiang Mai. Officers from Provincial Police Region 5 and the Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau raided the villa in the Mae Rim district following a tip-off that it was being used as a base for the scam. According…

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