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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Sponsored How to reduce out-of-pocket medical expenses in Thailand?
Managing medical expenses in Thailand is important as healthcare costs continue to rise. The country’s healthcare system includes both public and private options, but even with the Universal Coverage Scheme (UCS) for citizens, many still face high out-of-pocket medical expenses....
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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…
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Chiang Mai temple abbot investigated for 200 million baht mismanagement and illegal shrine construction
A high-profile Chiang Mai temple abbot is under investigation after allegations of mismanagement of 200 million baht (US$ 5,762,028) worth of donations and unauthorised construction of a shrine, following a recent incident in which he caused damage to multiple vehicles. The Chiang Mai Ecclesiastical Office is now examining the financial and land issues related to Phra Phutthabat Si Roi temple,…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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Doi Inthanon National Park pioneers integrated conservation area management approach
Doi Inthanon National Park is piloting a holistic area conservation approach, with a focus on integrated administration and avoiding unnecessary burdens on personnel. This pioneering project aims to effectively manage the park’s 16 sub-agencies and a budget of 50 million baht, whilst protecting the natural environment and resources. Doi Inthanon National Park, the country’s highest peak, is launching a comprehensive…
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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…
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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…
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Police say woman found dead in Chiang Mai condo wasn’t murdered
UPDATE Despite police saying that they assumed the woman found dead in a condo room in Chiang Mai, northern Thailand, this morning was murdered by her foreign husband, they are now saying she was not murdered at all. Pol. Lt. Col. Phirom Yosalai, an inspector at Mae Ping Police Station, said the woman is expected to have died from an…
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Thai woman found dead in Chiang Mai condo, farang husband missing
This story has been updated. Police launched a murder investigation after the body of a Thai woman was discovered in a rented room at a famous condo in Chiang Mai province, northern Thailand, this morning. The deceased’s “farang husband,” who also lives in the room, is nowhere to be found. At approximately 10.45am, officers at Mae Ping Police Station were…
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Chiang Mai cafe encounters issue with production team of drama series
A well-known Chiang Mai café refused a request for a popular drama series production team to film on their premises, urging respect for businesses that have high costs and investments. A social media user claimed that a renowned Chiang Mai café was approached by a drama series production team seeking permission to film at their establishment with 9 to 10 crew…
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Suspected murderer of car saleswoman in Thailand charged with 7 serious offences
UPDATE Police pressed seven serious charges against the man who yesterday confessed to raping and murdering a young car saleswoman in Chiang Mai, northern Thailand, on Saturday. Police say it is likely he will be punished with the maximum penalty. Initially, officers at Doi Saket Police Station charged 40 year old Nathapol “Ainat” Panpadungsap with three counts of rape using…
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British expat missing for a week in Chiang Mai
A foreigner took to social media to seek help after his British friend went missing in Chiang Mai province in northern Thailand. Kastro Freeman, a member of a Facebook group called Chiang Mai News in English, shared a picture of his missing friend, 46 year old Dominic Boyle, on Wednesday, April 26, with a caption that said… “Howdy all, our…
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Crafty Chiang Mai tuk tuk drivers paint pavement yellow to avoid traffic fines
Crafty Tuk Tuk drivers were caught on camera painting yellow paint over the red lines on the pavement in Chiang Mai in northern Thailand so they could park their three-wheeled vehicles next to Tha Phae Gate without getting traffic fines. Red and white means absolutely no parking, whereas yellow and white means parking there temporarily is permitted. In a short…
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Thailand’s PM visits Chiang Mai, a Pheu Thai stronghold
Thailand’s Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha is hoping to win over supporters in Chiang Mai, a province historically known as a stronghold of support his rival Pheu Thai Party. The No.1 prime ministerial candidate for the United Thai Nation (UTN) Party visited Chiang Mai yesterday in an attempt to sway voters, Bangkok Post reported. Prayut, joined by key UTN Party members including…
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British man accused of setting fire to hotel in Chiang Mai
A British man last night was accused of starting a fire at The Y Smart Hotel in Chiang Mai after having a heated argument with a receptionist. Fortunately, six Thai and foreign guests were rescued from the building unharmed. The fire broke out at 12.10am at The Y Smart Hotel on Kaeo Nawarat Soi 5 Road in the Wat Kate…
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Gang attacks Swedish tourist for defending waitress in Chiang Mai, Thailand
A Swedish tourist was brutally attacked by a gang of young men after he tried to stop them from assaulting a waitress at a karaoke bar in Chiang Mai, northern Thailand, on Friday. The gang also stole the victim’s gold necklace before throwing him into a canal. Yesterday, police arrested three men of Tai Yai ethnicity (an ethnic group from Shan state…
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Chiang Mai national park fire kills firefighting volunteer
A forest fire at a Chiang Mai national park tragically killed a firefighting volunteer on Friday. The volunteer, 39 year old Wichai Thimakham from Mae Rim district, was found dead in Khun Khan National Park. His death was apparently due to suffocation, Thai PBS reported. The acting director-general of the Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation, Atthaphon Charoenchansa, said Wichai…
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Human trafficking at Chiang Mai karaoke bar with underage girls
A karaoke bar in Chiang Mai Province has been shut down after officials from the Ministry of Labour and related agencies discovered girls under 18 working inside. The underage girls were alleged to be providing sexual services to customers. The bar is now being investigated for illegal activities related to human trafficking. The raid came on Monday in the main…
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Chinese tourists walk around Chiang Mai in traditional Thai clothes
Chinese tourists in Chiang Mai are walking around in traditional Thai clothes during their sightseeing tours. After three years of travel restrictions due to Covid-19, Chinese tourists have returned to Thailand with a thirst for authentic experiences. This has created a trend in which Chinese tourists stand out in their finery at historical temples and other attractions in the northern…
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Former Thai model arrested for scamming victims out of 100 million baht online
Police arrested a former Thai model for creating an online investment scam that stole over 100 million baht from victims. According to the Bangkok Post, Wetika Jaija was arrested in the San Sai district of Chiang Mai at a residential address. The 30 year old Wetika was charged with obtaining loans amounting to public cheating, entering false computer system data into…
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Thai AirAsia boosts flights from Chiang Mai to 6 international destinations
Low-cost carrier Thai AirAsia will soon boost flights daily from Chiang Mai Airport in northern Thailand to six international destinations including Hanoi and Da Nang in Vietnam, Singapore, Hong Kong, Taipei and Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia. Flights will run to these Asian tourist hotspots every day starting Sunday, March 26, 2023. The budget airline is celebrating the boost in flights…
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Foreign tourist dies on Doi Inthanon in northern Thailand
A foreign tourist lost consciousness and died at a car park on Doi Inthanon mountain in Chiang Mai province, northern Thailand, yesterday afternoon. The male tourist – name and nationality unknown – travelled to the mountain as part of a tour group, reports ThaiRath. He was estimated to be between 50 and 60 years old. The tour guide took the…
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Big Joke crackdown on illegal Chinese businesses in Chiang Mai
The Deputy Commander of the Royal Thai Police, Surachate “Big Joke” Hakpark, announced plans to crackdown on illegal businesses in Chiang Mai, which are believed to have Chinese nationals behind them. Big Joke revealed the crackdown operation would begin within a week and focus on five to six businesses. During a press conference at Chiang Mai Provincial Police Office yesterday,…
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Another member of Chinese theft gang arrested after three years on the run in Chiang Mai
Police officers in Chiang Mai, Thailand, say they have arrested another member of a Chinese-led theft gang after he spent three years on the run. Namnua, alias Jongchiang Sae Lor was arrested in front of a house in the Chai Prakarn district of Chiang Mai. Jonchiang, who holds Thai nationality, has been wanted on an arrest warrant by the Pattaya…
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Irishman suffers life-threatening injuries in motorcycle accident in Thailand
A young Irishman is the latest in a long line of victims injured in a motorcycle accident in Thailand without having any cover or insurance. How many more need to suffer fatalities or life-threatening injuries before they learn to drive properly or get insured? Michael John Miller, from Knock in Mayo, is the latest man to suffer life-threatening injuries following…
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Where’s our money? Chiang Mai bank loses farmers’ 100 million baht
More than 200 angry members of an agricultural cooperative laid siege to Chang Phueak Police Station in Chiang Mai on Friday demanding to know where their farmers‘ 100 million baht has gone. Members of the San Pa Tong Agriculture Cooperative claim that more than 100 million baht (US$2.8 million) deposited with a “reputable bank” has vanished from their account. Police to…
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Chiang Mai mother pays 400 baht (plus extras) for husband’s murder
A Chiang Mai mother trapped in a loveless marriage of more than 20 years, last week decided that she had taken enough beatings and abuse. Living in the village of Khun Yuam, Kanda Cheewasawat was exhausted by the brutality of her vicious, drunken husband Phetchaburapa Meesri many years before. She had often tried to leave, but he wouldn’t let her.…
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Chiang Mai tackles PM2.5 pollution with giant vacuum cleaner
Thailand‘s Disaster Department is testing out a giant vacuum cleaner as a way to tackle the PM2.5 dust pollution problem that plagues the northern city of Chiang Mai every ‘burning season.’ Every year, farmers around Thailand send their forests and fields up in smoke because it’s the cheapest way to prepare to plant new crops causing PM2.5 levels to shoot…
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Tarmacked forest in Thai conservation area sparks outrage
Netizens are scratching their heads at the Department of National Park‘s decision to tarmac a forest inside a conservation area at a wildlife sanctuary in Chiang Mai province in northern Thailand. No space at all was left around the tree trunks to allow the trees to breathe and grow. An outraged Facebook user posted a picture of the newly tarmacked…
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