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.

  • Chiang Mai set for UNESCO World Heritage nomination approval | Thaiger

    Chiang Mai set for UNESCO World Heritage nomination approval

    Thailand is moving to nominate Chiang Mai’s ancient Lanna capital for UNESCO World Heritage status, with seven iconic temples and the city’s historical layout forming the foundation. Yesterday, December 16, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, Suchart Chomklin, and Minister of Culture Sabina Thaised chaired the fifth meeting of Thailand’s national committee on the protection of…

  • Ex-homeless Chiang Mai man wins 18 million baht lottery | Thaiger

    Ex-homeless Chiang Mai man wins 18 million baht lottery

    Relatives flocked to the home of a former homeless man in Chiang Mai after he struck it rich with a winning lottery ticket worth 18 million baht. The lottery winner, 68 year old Suthon, also known as “Uncle Jae,” lives alone in a rented room in San Pa Tong district. He earns just 350 baht a day from odd jobs…

  • Doi Inthanon frost dips to -4.9°C, temps continue to fall | Thaiger

    Doi Inthanon frost dips to -4.9°C, temps continue to fall

    Tourists continued to visit Doi Inthanon in Chiang Mai yesterday, November 28, as temperatures on Thailand’s highest peak dropped further, with grass frost recorded at -4.9 degrees Celsius (°C), the lowest temperature observed there so far this season. Frost, known locally as moei khab, appeared at the summit ranger station for the fifth consecutive day, with a noticeably thicker layer…

  • Twelve Chiang Mai officials arrested for selling fake Thai ID cards to foreigners | Thaiger

    Twelve Chiang Mai officials arrested for selling fake Thai ID cards to foreigners

    Police arrested 12 out of 28 wanted local government officials and civilians in Chiang Mai province for illegally issuing Thai identification cards to foreigners, particularly Chinese nationals. A local journalist, JDTendirections, reported yesterday, November 20, that officials in the Wiang Haeng sub-district of Chiang Mai illegally issued at least 20,000 ID cards to Chinese nationals living in Thailand without legal…

  • 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…

  • Lao women arrested in Chiang Mai sex-for-hire crackdown | Thaiger

    Lao women arrested in Chiang Mai sex-for-hire crackdown

    Three Lao women were caught in Chiang Mai after police uncovered a sex-for-hire operation, following local reports of illegal activity in the area. The operation, led by Mae Wang Police Station Chief Police Colonel Thananchai Siriwanna, saw officers move in on a residence in Ban Nong Tao, Mae Win subdistrict, following multiple complaints from residents. Officers arrested a 32 year…

  • 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…

  • Six drug traffickers killed in Chiang Mai, 1.2 million yaba pills seized | Thaiger

    Six drug traffickers killed in Chiang Mai, 1.2 million yaba pills seized

    Six suspected drug traffickers were killed in a clash with Thai soldiers near the Thai–Myanmar border in Fang district, Chiang Mai, early Friday morning, October 27. The incident occurred around 6.49am after soldiers from Cavalry Company 4, part of the Pha Muang Force, observed suspicious activity near Mon Pin subdistrict, a known trafficking corridor. Troops were dispatched to investigate and…

  • 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 bans sky lanterns in six districts during Yi Peng festival | Thaiger

    Chiang Mai bans sky lanterns in six districts during Yi Peng festival

    Chiang Mai authorities have designated six districts as special surveillance zones where the release of sky lanterns, fireworks, and similar objects will be prohibited during the Yi Peng Lanna Light Festival 2025, held on November 5 and 6. Chiang Mai Provincial Clerk Chainarong Nantasa announced that the provincial government has issued clear guidelines to protect public safety and airspace during the…

  • 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…

  • Buffalo attack in Chiang Mai leaves 3 victims injured | Thaiger

    Buffalo attack in Chiang Mai leaves 3 victims injured

    A buffalo, believed to have escaped from a slaughterhouse in Chiang Mai, attacked two locals and a rescuer before passing away this past Saturday, September 20. The local rescue team received a report of the incident at 11.30am and rushed to the scene, a community in the Chang Klan district of Chiang Mai, a community consisting mostly of the Akha…

  • 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,…

  • Chiang Mai pickup crash topples 24 power poles and kills 1 victim | Thaiger

    Chiang Mai pickup crash topples 24 power poles and kills 1 victim

    A contestant from The Voice Thailand lost his life in a pickup crash on Nong Hor Road in Chiang Mai, which also damaged 24 electricity poles and caused a power outage in the area yesterday. A dash camera from another vehicle travelling on Nong Hor Road in the Chang Phueak district of Chiang Mai captured the shocking incident, which occurred…

  • 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…

  • Landslide in Chiang Mai’s Pang Ung kills 1, destroys 5 homes | Thaiger

    Landslide in Chiang Mai’s Pang Ung kills 1, destroys 5 homes

    A landslide in Pang Ung village, Chiang Mai province, has destroyed five homes, resulting in one fatality. Over 10 people were injured, and one person remains missing. The incident occurred at 2.50am today, August 27, with emergency services promptly responding to the scene. Dusit Pongsapipat, head of the Chiang Mai provincial disaster prevention and mitigation office, confirmed the landslide struck…

  • 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…

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