Northern Thailand News
Northern Thailand news, Chiang Mai news, business, tourism, and culture—stay updated with breaking stories, local events, and travel insights from Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Pai, and beyond. Get the latest from The Thaiger, your trusted Northern Thailand news source.
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Cabinet approves 435 million baht to control hungry elephants, monkeys
The Covid-19 crisis hasn’t just affected humans and businesses; it’s had a profound impact on Thailand’s wildlife- much of which was dependent on tourism for survival. As a result, the Cabinet on Tuesday approved a budget of 435.3 million baht to reduce the impacts of wildlife on people. The budget was requested by the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.…
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Police seize property valued at 200 million baht from suspected hill tribe drug gang – VIDEO
Anti-narcotics police in 4 provinces seized property valued at around 200 million baht from a suspected drug trafficking gang… mostly northern hill tribe people, in coordinated raids yesterday. 30 targets in Bangkok and Hua Hin, as well as in northern and southern provinces, were raided by armed officers. 24 houses, 5 shophouses, 12 land title deeds, 22 cars and 27…
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7 Nakhon Panom officers transferred after cell death
7 police officers in the upper northeastern province of Nakhon Panom have been “transferred to inactive duty” while an investigation takes place into the death of a man in their custody. The commander of Nakhon Phanom provincial police said yesterday that he’s ordered a probe into the case and moved the officers involved to prevent anyone tampering with the evidence.…
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Monk attacked by a swarm of hornets in northern Thailand
A monk at a temple in the northern province of Lampang, south of Chiang Mai, has been attacked by a swarm of hornets, resulting in him being stung at least 30 times on his face, lips and body. Thai Residents reports that the attack took place at night as the monk was feeding the temple dogs. Rescue workers were dispatched…
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Floods cut off the main road between Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai
Heavy downpours since the weekend have caused flooding in the Dow Saket district to the north east of Chiang Mai city centre, cutting off the main road to Chiang Rai in the Pa Miang District. The area around kilometre 32.9 was still submerged last night. The mayor of Pa Miang area says that several points along the way between Chiang…
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Korat driver injured after smashing into Buddhist shrine
A driver in the northeastern Nakhon Ratchasima province, aka Korat, sustained sustained serious injuries after his pickup truck slammed into a Buddhist shrine. Police were notified of the accident in the Klui sub-district. Police and emergency responders rushed to the scene to find a pickup truck crashed into a concrete religious pillar shrine in the middle of a roundabout. The…
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Swiss clothing firm denies layoffs
Contradicting earlier reports, Triumph International (Thailand) has denied any link with a garment company that laid off 800 employees on Friday. A statement from the Swiss Triumph Holding AG on yesterday said the company sold its production facilities in Thailand to Body Fashion (Thailand) 4 years ago. Accoding to the company’s head of corporate communications: “In fact, Triumph has handed…
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Wanted drug dealer killed in Korat shootout
Police in in the northeastern province of Nakhon Ratchasima, aka. Korat, say the drug dealer who shot and seriously injured an undercover officer and fled, was killed in a shootout in Khong district yesterday. On Wednesday, 38 year old Phadungsil Lohakart allegedly shot officer Song Tuaykrathok, who was posing as a buyer of crystal methamphetamine, after realising it was a…
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Korat police offer bounty for drug dealer who shot officer
Police in the northeastern Nakhon Ratchasisma province, aka Korat, are offering a 30,000 baht reward for information leading to the arrest of a drug dealer who escaped after shooting an undercover agent in a sting operation gone bad. 38 year old Phadungsil Lohakart allegedly shot officer Song Tuaykrathok, who was posing as a buyer of crystal methamphetamine, in Korat’s Khong…
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Khon Kaen police raid drug warehouse
A drug warehouse has been raided in the northeastern province of Khon Kaen. The warehouse is in Khon Kaen City’s main business district, and several types of drugs, which police valued at tens of millions of baht, were seized. The provincial governor, police chief and other authorities reported the arrest of 35 year old “Jetsadaporn” and 34 year old “Jurairat”, …
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Thai Vietjet passengers treated to surprise “concert in the sky”
Thai Vietjet Air today launched its maiden flight VZ210, from Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport to the northeastern province of Khon Kaen. To celebrate the inauguration, the airline delivered a surprise “concert in the sky” with famous Thai singer Ying Lee, featuring a full team of dancers and cabin crew, along with souvenirs for all passengers. The carrier will operate 2…
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Drug dealer shoots policeman, escapes in Korat
Police are hunting for a drug dealer who shot an undercover agent yesterday and fled after realising he was caught in a sting operation in Khong district of the lower northeastern Nakhon Ratchasima province, aka Korat. The officer was seriously wounded and rushed to hospital. 38 year old Phadungsil Lohakart allegedly shot the agent, who was posing as a buyer…
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Buriram man drowns after being struck by lightning
A man in the northeastern Buriram province was struck by lighting, fell into a reservoir and drowned. The man’s body was found early yesterday morning. Police were informed on Friday night that a man was struck by lightning and had drowned in the local reservoir in Buriram’s Nong Rong district. The dead man was identified as 44 year old Thiwa…
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US donates thousands of masks for Thai hill tribes
Despite Thailand going over 2 months without a locally transmitted case of Covid-19, the US embassy has sent thousands of face masks to Chiang Rai province. A representative of the US embassy delivered the masks, valued at around 458,000 baht, to authorities in Chiang Rai this week. Regional US honorary consul general Sean O’Neil says the USA wants to help…
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Nakhon Panom man shot dead after wounding policeman
A man who went berserk yesterday in the northeastern Nakhon Panom province, bordering Laos, was shot dead by a policeman who tried to calm him down but was attacked and seriously hurt. The man was said to be high on drugs. Police say the incident occurred at about 1pm in front of a house in tambon Ban Kho. Witnesses told…
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Heavy rains predicted for East, South and Central Thailand
Isolated heavy rain is forecast for the East, the Central region and the South. People in the areas are advised to beware of severe conditions. Thailand’s Meteorological Department predicts that the southwest monsoon over the Andaman Sea and Thailand is weak, while the easterly wind moves to cover the East, the Central, the South and the Gulf. From Monday to…
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Alleged rapist teacher faces additional intimidation charge
A 33 year old teacher accused of the statutory rape of a schoolgirl in the northeastern province of Buriram will face an additional charge of allegedly threatening to kill her family if she told anyone. Police initially pressed 3 counts against 33 year old Kittiphop Karnram, a physical education teacher at a school in Nang Rong district: depriving a girl…
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Demonstrators turn Isaan protests into celebrations – VIDEO
Students held protests yesterday on campuses across Isaan, Thailand’s northeastern region, demanding that the government dissolve parliament, rewrite the constitution to be more democratic, and stop official and unofficial harassment and prosecution of its opponents. The demands echoed their Bangkok counterparts in last Saturday’s massive demonstration, demanding accountability and the end of military involvement in politics. Thousands of student protesters…
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University students defy ban, hold protest
With anti-government demonstrations flaring up around the country, a bid by the dean of the Mahasarakham University to prevent one there failed yesterday as students defied his ban and went ahead with their protest. University campuses are exempt from the Emergency Decree’s ban on gatherings, and the university initially said only that any rallies held on campus grounds must abide…
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Hospital steps up security after gang fights
Following incidents at 2 hospitals in greater Bangkok, in which 3 staff were injured, prompting a female doctor to resign, Udon Thani Hospital has set up a new security system to prevent damage from brawls between the northeastern province’s rival gangs. The hospital’s director says tight security is necessary, citing 4 patients recently brought in with severe injuries from a…
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Buri Ram school cleaner claims he was sacked for exposing a predatory teacher
A 50 year old former cleaner at a school in Buri Ram, north east Thailand, has come forward and told police he was sacked 4 months ago because “he knew too much about a teacher”, who was an alleged sexual predator. A number of stories appeared during May and June about predatory school teachers in the north east. Nation Thailand…
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Khon Kaen Benz driver under fire after road rage video goes viral
The driver of a Mercedes-Benz in Isaan’s Khon Kaen province is the target of massive online criticism after a video showing him punching an elderly motorist went viral. 69 year old Montri Sakhun of Samrong village, in the northeastern province’s Nong Song Hong district, says the incident happened Thursday after he drove his pickup truck to a local shop to…
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Khon Kaen police deny charges pressed against hospitalised activist
The chief of police in Khon Kaen province is denying any charges have been laid against an activist sent to a psychiatric hospital there in connection with a possible lèse-majesté crime earlier this month. Prachatai’s website reports that 47 year old activist Tiwagorn Withiton, who posted pictures of himself wearing a T-shirt with a message relating to the monarchy, is…
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Nakhon Ratchasima reports 3 suspected Covid cases in locals who visited Rayong
The governor of Nakhon Ratchasima province, in the north-east of the country, has confirmed that 3 people there are showing signs of being infected with Covid-19. It’s understood all 3 visited the province of Rayong between July 8 – 11, where an Egyptian soldier tested positive for the virus. A report in Nation Thailand says 2 of the people are…
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Air Asia announces 2 new cross-country domestic routes into Hua Hin
Two new air routes announced by local Thai AirAsia will be a boon to coastal town of Hua Hin… Chiang Mai – Hua Hin and Udon Thani – Hua Hin. The newly announced routes will allow getaways to the popular resort town on the new twice-weekly flights. The flights will be every Friday and Sunday. CEO of Thai AirAsia , Santisuk…
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Buriram policeman charged over shooting of neighbour
A policeman, working in the east of Buriram province in Thailand’s north east, has been charged with attempted murder of his neighbour. The victim was shot in a dispute over the man’s son and the playing of loud music in the Krasang district. 53 year old local policeman, Snr Sgt Maj Chaiyong Jaemrungroj, surrendered to the station’s senior officer yesterday. He…
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Dengue on the rise in the northeast, wet season worries
As if you haven’t got enough to worry about. For now, Covid-19 is largely under control here in the Land of Smiles, but the annual worries around the wet season and Dengue Fever are an ongoing nuisance. Whilst Covid-19 is getting all the headlines, Dengue is a clear and present danger for anyone living in Thailand, especially at this time…
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Police arrest 16 Chinese nationals for illegal crossing from Myanmar
Police in the northern province of Tak have detained 16 Chinese nationals accused of crossing illegally into Thailand from Myanmar. The suspects say they’ve lost their jobs as casino workers as a result of the Covid-19 crisis. Thai Residents reports that officials found the group floating in the Moey river, which borders Thailand and Myanmar. It’s understood some of them…
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Education ministry bans forced haircuts for students
Just days after a teacher who forced a pupil to submit to a haircut was reprimanded and made to apologise, Thailand’s Ministry of Education has issued a letter instructing all schools under its jurisdiction to repeal the 1975 regulations regarding students’ hairstyle and length, and forbidding the arbitrary cutting of students’ hair at school. The practice has long been used…
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Posters of missing persons removed by Ubon University security
Prompted by the abduction of Thai activist Wanchalearm Satisakit in Cambodia, a student group called “Kob Plerng” (คบแพลิง) at Isaan’s Ubon Ratchatani University put up a string of posters of people assumed to be abducted by the Thai state. They were removed by university security this week. Ubon Ratchatani is one of the four major city centres in Isaan, north…
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