Chiang Mai News

Stay up-to-date with the latest news from the charming and historic city of Chiang Mai with The Thaiger. Our team of seasoned journalists brings you breaking news, in-depth analysis, and exclusive stories from this fascinating city, covering a diverse range of topics, including local politics, business, culture, and tourism. Keep yourself informed about the city’s rich history, vibrant arts scene, and thriving expat community, as well as updates on events, attractions, and transportation.

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  • Hermit’s forest meditation takes an eternal detour in remote Thailand

    A 58 year old hermit was found dead during meditation in a deep forest in Chiang Mai, northern Thailand. The rescue team had to walk to the scene due to the inaccessibility of vehicles. The body was later transported by motorcycle from the mountain today. Jiraphan Suinwai, head of the Naprat Chiang Mai Rescue, stated that on Sunday, October 1, they…

  • Chiang Mai school cancels controversial 2000 baht fine for exam failures

    A memorandum of understanding (MOU) between a teacher and students in a Chiang Mai secondary school, which required students to pay a fine of 2,000 baht per credit if they failed or scored zero in exams, has been scrapped. The MOU, which attracted criticism on social media, was not mandated by the school’s administrators but was the initiative of the…

  • Chiang Mai’s sizzling lottery craze: Rain or shine, locals bet on luck

    The buzz around the “hot lottery” is intensifying in Chiang Mai, with locals eagerly purchasing tickets for Sunday’s draw in hopes of securing the lucky numbers revealed by revered teacher Sreevichai. The allure of the lottery is strong, despite the ongoing rainy season and the ticket price remaining at 100 baht per ticket and 110-120 baht for a series. The…

  • Chiang Mai Airport’s 24 hours upgrade takes off to meet ‘soaring’ Chinese demand

    The Airports of Thailand (AOT) is preparing to take flight as Chiang Mai International Airport gears up for 24/7 operations starting November 1, all in response to the soaring demand from Chinese visitors. The Prime Minister’s Office spokesperson, Chai Watcharong, said today that the PM and Finance Minister, Srrettha Thavisin, wants to extend Chiang Mai Airport’s operating hours, from the…

  • Chiang Mai’s lottery fever heats up with political numbers and auspicious figures in high demand

    The lottery fever is high in Chiang Mai as numbers related to politics are still in demand. The excitement is palpable as people continue to purchase lottery tickets from various stalls located across key areas, including Mahidol Road, Chiang Mai-Lamphun Road, and several morning markets in each district, railway stations, transport terminals, and large stalls at different points. Prices remain…

  • Off-duty nurse and police save woman’s life at Chiang Mai Railway Station

    An off-duty nurse, aided by railway police, performed life-saving CPR on a woman who collapsed at Chiang Mai Railway Station in northern Thailand. The woman’s relatives are overwhelmed with gratitude, describing the timely intervention as a miracle, stating if she had been delayed at the hospital, she would have been lost forever. According to railway police officer Narongsak Chaitham and…

  • High-stakes crackdown: Chiang Mai’s administrative ace raids gambling dens

    Chiang Mai administrative team, led by Ronnarong Tipsiri, swooped on several prominent gambling dens operating in the heart of the city. After a collaborative operation involving over 40 officers from various entities, they arrested 104 people behind an operation that had a daily turnover of over 1 million baht (US$28,530). This decisive action took place yesterday, in response to multiple…

  • Japanese woman found dead at luxury hotel in Chiang Mai

    A heart-wrenching incident unfolded at the upscale Parc Borough hotel on Mahidol Road in Chiang Mai’s Padad sub-district when a Japanese man discovered his girlfriend’s dead body in their room. The shocking discovery prompted an immediate response from Mueang Chaing Mai Police Station officers, who rushed to investigate the scene. The victim, identified as 25 year old Ami Hosue, was…

  • Fireworks factory explosion triggers panic in tranquil Chiang Mai community (video)

    A thunderous explosion rocked all tranquillity when a fireworks factory exploded, sending tremors of shock through a Chiang Mai community and engulfing the plant in billowing fire and smoke. The emergency response was put into swift action around midday today. The incident occurred in the sub-district of San Pu Leui, located in the Doi Saket district. The intense noise and…

  • Clam-bushed in Thailand: 53 year old diver vanishes, family in deep distres

    The family of a 53 year old diver are distraught after he disappeared whilst fishing for clams in a reservoir in northern Thailand. His motorbike and discarded shoes were found at the reservoir yesterday, leading his family to believe he had drowned. Police were alerted to the man’s disappearance, leading a coordinated search with local divers. The local police from…

  • Thai Smile Airways’ turbulent tiff: Passenger’s ‘left-behind’ fiasco halts takeoff in Chiang Mai (video)

    A Thai Smile Airways flight had to make an emergency stop as it taxied down the runway after a foreign passenger demanded the plane returned to the terminal gate so he could pick up his left behind valuables at Chiang Mai International Airport. A Thai TikTok user, bandzlam, shared a video of the incident when a foreign man urged a…

  • San Mahaphon chairman found after mysterious 4-day disappearance in forest

    The chairman of San Mahaphon Municipality Council, located in Chiang Mai province, has been located after mysteriously disappearing for four days. He was found today in a forest nearly 5 kilometres from where he disappeared. He went missing from home without a trace from July 17 onward. According to family members, he had crossed the Mae Faek dam and a…

  • Temple incident: Monk prompts killing of dog in Chiang Mai, causes public outrage

    A shocking incident at a temple in Thailand’s northern Chiang Mai province saw the temple’s leading monk command a follower to shoot and kill a dog, according to an anonymous source on Monday. This graphic scenario, caught on video, stirred public outrage for the cruel treatment of the animal and raised questions about monk conduct and regulations surrounding firearm possession. The…

  • Chiang Mai elephant sanctuary faces closure amid family inheritance dispute

    The renowned family-managed elephant sanctuary, Mae Sa Elephant Camp in Chiang Mai, might be confronted with closure amidst an ongoing legal battle over inheritance between the late owner’s eldest child and his spouse (her stepmother). The camp, nestled in the Mae Rim district of this northern province, has been grappling with monetary issues that are impacting its operations, according to…

  • Online exposé reveals shocking hygiene standards at Thai dental clinic with ‘recycled’ braces

    An online exposé has been circulating recently highlighting the shocking condition of a dental clinic’s tools and equipment, raising concerns about health and safety standards. Quick replacement of used equipment, hiding the act from the owner, was a technique employed by some employees to service clients. กรรไกรผ่าตัด เก็บรวมไว้กับเครื่องมืออื่นๆ และไม่ล้างฆ่าเชื้อใดๆ ส่วนแบล็คเก็ทถอดออกจากคนไข้จัดฟันที่จัดเสร็จ จากนั้นนำมาล้างแล้วเก็บใช้กับคนอื่นต่อไป(ทั้งที่มีคราบติดอยู่)#เชียงใหม่ #คลินิกทำฟัน #หมอฟัน #จัดฟันเชียงใหม่ #สกปรก #สวมีไว้ทําไม #ปิดสวิตช์สว #ม็อบ16กรกฎา66 #เมียน้อยสว pic.twitter.com/XMFXCC0ODM…

  • Ex-village head assaults man in Chiang Mai restaurant, claims to be ‘biggest man’ (video)

    A distressing incident involving a local claiming to be the “biggest man” in Mae Rim district’s Mueang Kaew sub-district, Chiang Mai, hit social media. The man, identified as a former village head, was recorded punching a young man from behind, resulting in the victim collapsing. The video clip of the incident spread on social media, sparking outrage among netizens. The…

  • Chiang Mai massage parlour filing defamation over ‘distorted’ molestation claim

    An escalating spat over alleged sexual molestation at a massage parlour in Chiang Mai‘s Wualai district has taken a new twist. The accused masseuse, along with the owner of the establishment, retaliated, filing a police complaint against the young male client and the creator of the Facebook post that spurred the initial allegation. They claim the online account was a…

  • Jealousy’s fatal blade: Thai wife stabs unfaithful husband in Chiang Mai

    In a tragic twist of jealousy, a Thai wife fatally stabbed her unfaithful husband in the Fang district in the northern province of Chiang Mai. The chilling incident unfolded when Fang Police Station received a distress call on July 4. Rushing to the scene, officers discovered the lifeless body of 30 year old Khamlu Siamlai on the road, his chest bearing…

  • Ancient Obnoi ravine: Chiang Mai’s hidden beauty set to become major tourist attraction

    Recently, a local government council led by Phansak Kaewsudjai, along with a group of administrative staff and media representatives, explored a narrow ravine in the Chom Thong district of Chiang Mai. The ravine is known to the locals as ‘Obnoi.’ With impressive rock formations and ancient inscriptions suspected to be thousands of years old, this is an enchanting spectacle reminiscent…

  • Unchained Elephants launches their first rescue mission for Kanun: Bringing hope to an abandoned elephant in Chiang Mai

    On 23rd June 2023, Unchained Elephants has embarked on their first mission to rescue Kanun, a 55-year-old male elephant in Mae Tang, Chiang Mai. Kanun’s current situation is dire, as he endures life chained up, malnourished, and with only one functioning eye. The urgent need for intervention has sparked a determined effort to save Kanun and provide him with a…

  • Virtual vibes: Chinese nationals seek fortune, prosperity through online ritual in Chiang Mai

    Nearly 3,000 Chinese nationals took part in an online ritual performed in Chaing Mai province in the northern part of Thailand to attract fortune and prosperity into their lives. Chiang Mai News reported today that netizens from Taiwan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Malaysia, and China participated in the online ceremony performed by a Thai cult leader named Sub Muneethep. This mystical…

  • Monkey business alert: Chiang Mai Zoo stages emergency drill as gibbons plot daring escape

    Chiang Mai Zoo set in place an emergency drill for the staff members in preparation just in case any of the zoo’s gibbons tried to escape. To enhance the realism of the exercise, two zookeepers wore gibbon costumes and assumed the roles of the stubborn animals. Chiang Mai Zoo’s official Facebook page of shared a video of the emergency drill…

  • Tik-shock: Baht bus operator gets tough on risqué ride with Chinese viral vixen

    A baht bus operator in Chiang Mai has recently implemented stricter measures in response to viral TikTok videos featuring a provocative Chinese woman on one of their buses in the province. On Friday, June 16, a Chinese woman, under the TikTok handle @huanxi59, posted a video that quickly gained attention. The video showcased her seated on the baht bus floor,…

  • Chiang Mai tourism: Haze issue risks long-stay senior tourist numbers

    Tourism operators in Chiang Mai are urging the new government to address the persistent haze issue to attract the return of long-stay senior tourists, whose absence has dealt a significant blow to the province’s economy. The leader of the Move Forward Party, Pita Limjaroenrat, visited Chiang Mai last week and discussed environmental and tourism policies with local industry representatives. According…

  • Prof. Thasnai defies odds to become university lecturer after overcoming challenges and prejudice

    A former non-formal education student, who faced numerous challenges during his academic journey, has become a university lecturer. Thasnai Sethaseree, now a media arts and design instructor at Chiang Mai University’s Faculty of Fine Arts, shared his harrowing past experiences on Facebook, revealing that he was frequently insulted by authority figures and forced out of multiple schools during his childhood…

  • Chiang Mai human trafficking gang busted, 3 underage victims rescued

    Thailand’s plague of human trafficking has once again reared its ugly head. Thai authorities have arrested members of a human trafficking gang operating in Chiang Mai. The arrests followed tip-offs from organisations fighting human trafficking, such as Destiny Rescue and the Immanuel Foundation. Officials discovered that My Tirak Bar and My Tirak Pub were offering sexual services, involving minors, to…

  • Thief smashes donation box at Chiang Mai temple, gets caught and confesses

    Chiang Mai police have arrested a 24 year old Myanmar national, accused of stealing a donation box from Chedi Luang Worawihan temple and other thefts in the area. The suspect confessed to the crimes after being detained for a separate incident involving stolen motorcycles. Investigating the case, Police Lieutenant Colonel Phuwanat Duangdi, the superintendent for Chiang Mai’s local police, reported…

  • Driver survives 2-day lorry plunge ordeal by eating cabbage, rescued by cattle herder

    A lorry transporting Chinese cabbages plunged 80 metres into a ravine in Chiang Mai, leaving the driver trapped for two days and two nights. Miraculously, he survived by eating the cabbages before a cattle herder found him yesterday. In a dramatic rescue operation, emergency responders arrived on the scene at Huay Phak Kut curve in Mae Suek sub-district of Chiang…

  • Prominent Chiang Mai abbot’s shocking crash leaves trail of carnage

    A revered Chiang Mai temple abbot crashed into eight vehicles, including six cars and two motorcycles, causing carnage and prompting netizens to question why he was wearing shorts. The abbot, known as Kru Ba, was travelling to visit his younger brother but ended up in a multi-vehicle pile-up. A witness at the scene, Sakul, reported that the accident occurred around…

  • Chiang Mai teens seen vaping, sniffing glue in public in downtown

    A group of audacious Chiang Mai teenagers, all under the age of 16, astounded onlookers with their outrageous behavior near the historic city moat in Chiang Mai. Their exploits included frolicking in the water, engaging in provocative dance moves, and using electronic cigarettes and inhalants, all while blatantly ignoring the stares and concerns of passersby who observed them. Four males…