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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Chiang Mai rescue worker disguises himself to thwart student suicide
PHOTO: CTN News A rescue worker dressed up as a homeless man to thwart a possible suicide attempt of a young student who was about to jump from a pedestrian bridge in Chiang Mai. Withawat Sinworasrithaweekhun, chief of the rescue team, headed to the bridge in front of Chiang Mai‘s Maejo University overt the weekend after learning a young student…
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Solar eclipse today across Thailand. Here’s how to watch it.
CAUTION: Looking at the sun directly and without proper equipment is dangerous and can cause blindness. Read more, along with some guidelines for viewing the solar eclipse, HERE. How it will look in your area below… The skies will darken across Thailand around midday today. The further south you are, the darker it will get as the moon moves over…
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English?! Why should we have to learn that? Thai university students grumble over language requirement
Students at Rajamangala University of Technology in Chiang Mai province are whinging about having to demonstrate basic English abilities in order to enrol in courses at the institution. The Daily News reports that the students, with the support of their parents, have made an official complaint about the requirement, which they say should not apply to Thai courses. Students are currently…
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What it’s like to live in a resort in Thailand?
From clear crystal waters to dense lush jungles and rolling hills, iconic locations are magnets that attract travellers seeking relaxation and adventure to Thailand. But as more hotels and resorts start offering rooms or private villas, people may wonder what the perks and privileges of a perpetual holiday lifestyle may be. Bedroom views While city life demands us to constantly…
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Police track down double murder suspect in Chiang Mai
The main suspect in the murder of a teaching couple in Rayong, east of Bangkok, has been arrested in Chiang Mai. He was arrested along with another man accused of helping him escape. Police have arrested Supakrit Sujasee, a Chiang Mai native, and Panuphong Bualoy early yesterday. Thai media report that they were caught as they were preparing to flee to…
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Child porn website based in Chiang Mai busted
Chiang Mai police have arrested the operator of a child pornography website in a raid on his condominium in the northern city. Police and the Thailand Internet Crimes Against Children unit apprehended 24 year old Thai national Korakot Chulthong on Saturday. They also seized seized three mobile phones, a laptop computer, two portable disk drives, bank passbooks and ATM cards.…
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Chiang Mai Airshow ready to take off in February 2020
The first Chiang Mai International Airshow 2020 will be the largest event of its type in the north of Thailand and will take place from the February 21 – 23 next year. Tourism officials and the San Kamphaeng district chief held a news conference to promote an airshow that will be held in the district. The location will be the “Chiang Mai Air…
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Yala’s “Suicide judge” moved to Chiang Mai
PHOTO: prachatai.com The Southern judge who made headlines for shooting himself in court over alleged ‘interferences’ in a case, has been transferred. Following his recovery, Judge Khanakorn Pianchana was transferred to the Research Justice Division in Chiang Mai, according to the Court of Justice. A probe has also been ordered to see if he broke any disciplinary codes. The transfer comes…
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American arrested for sexually assaulting Chiang Mai school girls
FILE PHOTO Chiang Mai police confirm they have arrested a 75 year old American pensioner who allegedly groped and sexually assaulted a Thai girl on her way home from school. The man was already wanted on a warrant issued from September after an incident outside a school in August. The warrant was for the “forceful molestation of a child under…
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Unconscious 4 year old rescued from locked car
Pattaya police got a report that a child was stuck in a car in front of a shopping mall. When they rushed to the scene a volunteer rescue team, they found a crowd surrounding a car, trying to wake up a sleeping four year old boy. The boy’s mother was there and was in fact the one to call for…
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8,600 lanterns to be launched during Chiang Mai’s Yi Peng festival
Today is Loy Krathong and there is nowhere else in Thailand that does it as well as Chiang Mai. The Choeng Doi subdistrict, to the north east of Chiang Mai city, will continue to hold the Loy Krathong and Yi Peng lantern festival until November 12, as the area does not come under prohibited zones due to flight services. Chitipon…
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American spews racist and offensive slurs in Chiang Mai
MONTAGE: YouTube An apparently drunken American has smashed a shop window in Chiang Mai while ranting racist and offensive slurs at onlookers. His outbursts were filmed and widely posted on Facebook. According to a witness, she was minding her own business in front of the shop she was working in when the American began shouting and screaming at her. “I kill…
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Man opens emergency exit on Chiang Mai to Bangkok flight
PHOTOS: Sanook.com A Thai Smile flight, due to leave Chiang Mai airport for Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi airport, had to be delayed for hours after a foreigner opened one of the emergency exits as the flight was about to take off. Thai Smile are the low-cost subsidiary of Thai Airways. Thai Residents reports that the incident took place on board flight Thai…
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Thai Airways moves flights around for Loy Krathong and New Year’s Eve
PHOTO: Chiang Mai Citylife In view of the fact that residents in northern Thailand traditionally release paper sky lanterns (khom loi) during celebrations such as the upcoming Loy Krathong festival and New Year’s Eve, Thai Airways says it will be making some changes to its schedule for safety reasons. The airlines’ Vice President of Aviation Security and Standards, Pratana Patanasiri,…
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Chiang Mai Police forced into investigating hazing incident at University
Chiang Mai Police report that they are investigating a hazing attack on a junior student at Mae Jo University in Chiang Mai. Police were pressured into investigating after pictures of the victim went viral at the weekend. The University, also prompted to respond, are saying the incident did not occur on their campus. The student, “Nong Folk”, was allegedly attacked…
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Suspect confesses in “refrigerator murder” case
A 39 year old man is currently assisting police with their enquiries over the ‘Chiang Mai refrigerator murder’ and was arrested in Chiang Mai on Friday. He was charged with murdering a wealthy nun and stealing nearly two million baht in cash from her ATM card. A manhunt kicked off after the body of 58 year old Wannee Jiracharoenying was…
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74 year old woman injured in motorbike hit-and-run in Lamphun
PHOTOS: sanook.com Thai Residents reports that a 74 year old woman has been hospitalised after being struck by a motorbike and knocked to the ground while crossing the road in Lamphun, northern Thailand. The bike did not stop, according to witnesses. Footage of the incident has been posted on social media by the woman’s granddaughter, who attacked the driver in…
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39 year old being sought by police over gruesome Chiang Mai millionaire murder
PHOTO: Missing millionaire 58 year old Wannee Jiracharoenying found in a refrigerator – The Times The Provincial Court in southern Chiang Mai province has issued an arrest warrant for a key suspect in the murder of 58 year old Wannee Jiracharoenying. Thai police have broken the case of the murder of the estate developer Wannee, whose body was found stuffed into…
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Chiang Mai police hunting for bus driver suspected in millionaire murder case
“The victim’s hands and legs were tied, and her body had been covered with cement after being placed in the refrigerator.” Chiang Mai police have confirmed they have sought an arrest warrant for 39 year old Vitoon Sritabutr, known as Tum, a song thaew (local public bus) driver who is the main suspect in the murder of a local millionaire.…
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Chiang Mai hotel has big plans for Loy Kratong
137 Pillars House in Chiang Mai has made elaborate arrangements for next month’s Loy Krathong festival, better known as Yi Peng in the North. The full moon on November 11 will see celebrants floating lotus-shaped krathong with flowers, candles and incense on rivers and canals to pay respect to the water spirits and carry away the sadness and setbacks of…
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Hotel guest in Chiang Mai runs up bill of nearly 50,000 baht before fleeing
A man who claims to be a doctor stayed in a Chiang Mai hotel for 21 nights, running up a bill of nearly 50,000 baht, before instructing the hotel to invoice the Ministry for the Interior and then fleeing the premises. Employees of the hotel say they didn’t expect the man to abscond as he has stayed there on three…
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Hostage drama in Chiang Mai – Man holds seven 7-Eleven employees hostage.
PHOTO: Chiang Mai City Life A former Thai soldier has killed himself following a stand-off with police in Chiang Mai where he had taken seven 7-Eleven employees hostage. Eyewitnesses told Chiang Mai Citylife that a man with a gun arrived at the 7-Eleven in Mae Rim district on Chotana Road at around 5am yesterday and took one of the employees hostage.…
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Chiang Mai hotels face a quiet end to 2019
PHOTO: Spice Roads Chiang Mai hotels are bracing for a quiet end to 2019, along with other Thai tourist hotspots, due to the strength of the baht, an over-supply of rooms and the growing popularity of home-sharing accommodations like Airbnb. Hoteliers in the northern city are also suffering the fall-out from the smoke haze crisis earlier in the year which…
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Burmese man arrested for dealing in methamphetamine pills
PHOTO: Naew Na Naew Na reports that a joint operation between Lamphun immigration and the Muangjee police has resulted in the arrest of a 27 year old Burmese man. Lamphun is just south of Chiang Mai and has a large population of Burmese migrant workers. ‘Thun’ was arrested yesterday along with drug taking equipment and 206 methamphetamine tablets. He was charged with…
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Ancient human skeletons discovered south of Chiang Mai
Officials from the Fine Arts Office 7 report that they have excavated ancient skeletons in the Wiang Tha Kan archaeological site, in the San Pa Tong district, south of Chiang Mai city. Up to 23 ancient human skeletons, plus the skeleton of a horse, have so far been found. They are estimated to be at least a 1,000 years old.…
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Chiang Mai karaoke lounges raided over underage hostesses
PHOTO: Thailand Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force Four hostesses under the age of 18 have been discovered working at two karaoke lounges in the San Kamphaeng area of Chiang Mai, east of the main city. Thailand’s ‘Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force’ worked with local immigration and police after a complaint was received. Na Kaew reports that the investigators followed…
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Two flying lantern events in Chiang Mai for Loy Krathong get their permits revoked
PHOTO: Rove.me Chiang Mai’s City District Office has scrapped permits previously granted to organisers of two ‘sky lantern’ events that would have released a total of 5,000 flying lanterns during the upcoming Loy Krathong Festival, on November 11. The two events, one at the dinosaur-featuring Hidden Village Chiang Mai attraction and the other at the Royal Park Rajapruek in tambon…
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Police arrest Chiang Mai couple over home-made CBD oil
PHOTO: Urine Drug Test Chiang Mai Police have arrested a husband and wife selling homemade CBD oil (Cannabidiol) online after receiving complaints that a cancer patient died after allegedly using the oil. Police entered the house with a search warrant and found 3.4 million baht cash along with quantities of the CBD oil they were selling online. Officials received information that…
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Chinese netizens want to know what caused panda Chuang Chuang’s death
PHOTO: Mourners leave flowers outside the panda enclosure where Chuang Cuang died this week The “suspicious circumstances” of Chuang Chuang’s demise drew more than 260 million views on social media platform Weibo.” Chinese experts have now arrived in Chiang Mai to investigate the death of a beloved giant panda Chuang Chuang, who died at the Chiang Mai Zoo earlier this week at…
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2.5 million methamphetamine pills seized near Myanmar border
PHOTO: The Nation Another big delivery of methamphetamine pills has been intercepted in Chiang Mai. This time the couriers were both female. Rangers from the Pha Muang Task Force intercepted 2.5 million methamphetamine pills and arrested two females in a pick-up truck that broke through a checkpoint in the Mae Ai district early yesterday. The arrest followed a tip-off that…
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