Chiang Mai News
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Phuket, Chiang Mai, Chachoengsao join UNESCO’s learning cities
3 cities in Thailand recently joined UNESCO’s membership of so called “learning cities” which are said to promote “lifelong learning” and sustainable development. Chachoengsao, Chiang Mai and Phuket joined the UNESCO’s Global Network of Learning Cities. Altogether, 55 cities from 27 countries, adding up to 230 cities in 64 countries around the world, according to UNESCO. “These cities are outstanding examples…
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Loan sharks allegedly threatened 8 year old boy
Police are trying to track down 2 men who allegedly trespassed inside someone’s home in Chiang Mai and threatened an 8 year old boy, claiming his mother owes them money. The boy was home alone when the alleged loan sharks parked their black truck and entered the house looking for the mother. When they saw she wasn’t home, they allegedly…
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Chiang Mai official accuses YouTuber and ‘life coach’ of fraudulent fundraising
An official in the northern province of Chiang Mai is accusing prominent Thai life-coach Sean Buranahirun of fraudulent fundraising and misleading the public. Bunyarith Nipvanich, assistant chief of the Mae Rim district, has filed a police report, accusing Sean of not distributing funds he raised in March to help officials fight forest fires in the renowned Doi Suthep area. Sean…
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Toilet and bathroom destroyed as septic tank explodes – 1 person injured
A Lampang loo has exploded, blowing out the bathroom door and a hole in the roof. One female family member was injured in the explosion. The Sawang Nakorn Lampang Thammasathan volunteer rescuers arrived at the commercial premises in downtown Lampang on Sunday. The downstairs area was rented by a company selling cleaning equipment. Lampang is just south of Chiang Mai. The…
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North cleans up after wet weekend
5 provinces in Thailand’s North – Chiang Mai, Phayao, Lampang, Nan and Phrae – all suffered serious flooding on Saturday, causing damage in 15 districts, 189 villages and more than 1,400 households. Nan province suffered the most, with 960 households in 6 subdistricts damaged and 1 person dead. Officials in Chiang Mai warned visitors and residents to stay away from…
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Woman’s body pulled from Mae Ping River in Chiang Mai
Police and rescue staff in Chiang Mai have retrieved the body of a woman from the Mae Ping River near Nawarat Bridge. The woman, aged estimated to be 40-45 years old, was wearing a white T-shirt, a pair of shorts and white socks. Forensic staff estimate she had been dead for at least 2 days before the body was discovered.…
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Thai cooking blogger in hot water after burying a chicken alive to force-feed it coconut milk
YouTuber Sahawat Chopchingchai, aka Momm Tanaddak, is being investigated by Watchdog Thailand after posting a ‘recipe’ where he tortured a chicken by burying it alive for 2 weeks and force-feeding the poor bird, before killing it and eating it. Momm Tanaddak claims he didn’t actually torture the chicken but merely “simulated” a traditional technique in a rural Chiang Mai province.…
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Air Asia and VietJet add some extra domestic routes
Whilst much of the world waits to get back into Thailand, the local airlines are starting to flex their domestic muscles and add new routes. Thai AirAsia is launching 2 new routes from Chiang Mai, starting yesterday, offering a one-way fare for as low as 790 baht on flights to Hua Hin, and Udon Thani in the northeast. The cheapie…
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Human trafficking and drugs suspects nabbed using airport biometrics
2 suspects have recently been arrested using the biometric security system recently installed in international airports across Thailand. In the first case, a suspected human trafficker was apprehended after returning to Thailand during the Covid-19 crisis. Immigration officers received information from Chiang Mai police about a person travelling into Thailand from Japan. On July 14, a Thai citizen returned to…
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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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Chiang Mai protesters perform in pouring rain
by guest writer Will Langston Pro-democracy activism continues its public display in Chiang Mai City. For the third time in a week, activists and protestors gathered under outside old walls of the city to demonstrate. The name of the performance yesterday was entitled “EAT (I’M) ARE”. The title is wordplay based on the famous steak eatery in Thailand called ‘EAT…
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Second autopsy requested in Red Bull witness’s death
Police in Chiang Mai have asked the family of a key defence witness in the ongoing case of Vorayuth Yoovidhya, heir to the Red Bull drinks empire, to delay the cremation of his body. 40 year old Jaruchart Martthong was killed in a motorbike accident on Thursday involving another driver. Chiang Mai police say CCTV footage shows that Jaruchart tried…
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Key witness in the Vorayuth “Boss” Yoovidhya case dies in motorbike incident
One of the key witnesses of the 2012 hit and run incident, involving Red Bull heir Vorayuth “Boss” Yoovidhya, died this morning as a result of a motorbike incident in Chiang Mai. He was one of two main witnesses identified by police in the case. The incident happened this morning just after 2am in the main city area of Chiang…
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Student flash mob in Chiang Mai as anti-government protests keep popping up
By Will Langston For the second time in less than a week, activists took over Chiang Mai’s famous landmark Tha Pae Gate last night around 5pm. Their message was clear in banners and in slogans showed by the group: Freedom. Police watched closely as hundreds of people gathered, dressed in cosplay attire, wearing masks and holding signs expressing their individual…
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Chiang Mai performance artists demonstrate for free speech
PHOTOS by Will Langston With anti-government protests dotting the nation for over a week, performance artists in Chiang Mai took to the streets yesterday evening with a different type of demonstration – in favour of free speech. As the sun began setting, artists at each corner and junction of the old city’s moat could be found waiting to perform. At…
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Tourism council urges Chiang Mai hotels to open up to meet domestic tourism demand
The chair of Chiang Mai’s branch of the Tourism Council of Thailand says the city’s hotels and tour agencies are showing little interest in reopening, despite the province expecting a surge in domestic tourism as a result of the government’s stimulus offering. Nation Thailand reports that tourism chief Punlop Sae-Jew says many properties continue to keep their doors shut as…
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Chiang Mai eatery fined for alcohol promotion
A Chiang Mai restaurant is warning other eateries to be very careful about promoting alcohol after being raided and fined. Police went to Ai ToMoE restaurant in Chiang Mai after a tip that it was promoting beer in its 499 baht buffet menu, according to the restaurant’s Facebook post yesterday. Offices arrested the chef, named “Boy”, and fined him 50,000…
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50 dogs rescued from alleged Chiang Mai puppy farm
A raid on an alleged puppy farm owned by an American man in Chiang Mai has resulted in the rescue of some 50 Thai Ridgeback dogs. Non-profit organisation Watchdog Thailand says most of the dogs were found in terrible condition and many more had died from illness and starvation. The owner claimed the dogs were kept as pets and he…
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Thailand growing more expensive for expats
According to Employment Conditions Abroad, Bangkok and Chiang Mai are among the 30 most expensive cities for expats in Asia. The capital of Turkmenistan might not spring to mind when with considering the priciest cities, but according to ECA International it ranks first on both the global and Asian tables, a 5 point rise up the rankings due to an…
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Chiang Mai International Airport sees more traffic
Northern Thailand’s gateway airport is recovering some of its flight and passenger traffic. With the easing of travel restrictions enforced to fight the spread of Covid-19, the director of Chiang Mai’s international airport says traffic is picking up, and more flights and passengers are expected this month. On average, the airport received 40 flights and about 4,000-5,000 passengers per day…
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Dozens arrested in money laundering and drugs case
61 people have been arrested in one of Thailand’s biggest money laundering cases of the year, said to be worth more than 10 billion baht. The suspects are believed to be part of a drug syndicate and money laundering network, allegedly run by a 45 year old Chinese man identified as “Chien Ma,” who was caught earlier in Bangkok. Provincial…
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Baby elephants abused to “break” them for tourism- VIDEO
The plight of Thailand’s many elephants has made plenty of headlines since the beginning of the Covid-19 outbreak in January, especially in the North, where the many elephant camps and “sanctuaries” were the a major draw for tourist revenue until the Emergency Decree and travel ban forced many to close. To avoid starvation, thousands made the long journey back to…
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Unemployed Chiang Mai teacher arrested for child pornography
Police in Chiang Mai province have arrested an unemployed teacher after finding child pornography on his computers. The 33 year old man had previously worked as a music and dance teacher at a private school. He was reportedly paying a LINE app group to download sexual images of children as young as 10. Chiang Mai police collaborated with the Thailand…
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Aussie woman arrested for shoplifting in Chiang Mai – VIDEO
Police in the northern province of Chiang Mai yesterday announced the arrest of a 38 year old Australian woman who allegedly stole 6 inexpensive items from a store in tambon Chang Moi, in Mueang Chiang Mai district. “Emily C.” was traced after she got into a white Toyota Prius and returned to the hotel where she had been staying for…
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Chiang Rai policeman fired over torture death of university mascot dog
When the body of Tia, the mascot dog of Chiang Mai University was found in May, suspicions arose immediately. It was initially announced that Tia, or “Shorty” in English, had been run over by a car, and police later said a student had come forward to confess. But animal rights group Watchdog Thailand, based in Chiang Mai, investigated the incident…
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Unemployed elephants: Some return to the wild, others sent to work in logging business
The drop in tourism has had a huge impact on the elephants in Northern Thailand, leaving many elephants, you could say, unemployed. While some elephants are out of business and been taken back to their natural habitat, others are struggling in captivity and might be sent off to work in animal labour which some people may deem as unethical. A reporter…
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Animal activists claim police officer killed beloved campus dog
A Thai animal rights group is accusing a Chiang Mai police officer of abusing and killing a beloved dog, Tia, a stray adopted by students at Chiang Mai University. Watchdog Thailand, based in Chiang Mai, investigated the incident after the dog’s body was found last week and recently reported their findings to police, according to Nation Thailand. The autopsy of…
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Chiang Mai expat finds newborn girl on roadside
Thai Rath reported that an American man found a newborn baby girl by the side of the road in Chiang Mai on Tuesday. The man, who gave his name as “Eric R.” was on his way home to his nearby condo when he saw a child’s arm sticking out from a cloth in the shade of a tree by some…
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Workers claim Chiang Mai’s Dhara Dhevi resort owes 10 million baht in unpaid wages
A group of 70 workers, representing over 200 employees at a luxury resort in northern Thailand, have filed an official complaint with Chiang Mai’s Department of Labour and Welfare, claiming they have not been paid for 4 months. Thai Residents reports that the workers are all from the 5 star Dhara Dhevi resort in Chiang Mai, which closed its doors…
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Covid-19 update: 1 new case, no new deaths (May 14)
The Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration announced 1 new case of Covid-19 this morning at its daily press briefing in Bangkok. Dr. Taweesilp Visanuyothin, spokesman for the CCSA, announced the new case is in Chiang Mai, which had previously been clear of new case reports for over a month. The 39 year old man had recently returned from Phuket and is…
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