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 street vendor with busty top files sexual harassment complaint with police | Thaiger

    Chiang Mai street vendor with busty top files sexual harassment complaint with police

    The Chiang Mai street vendor who went viral for her revealing cardigan-style top just filed a sexual harassment complaint with Thai police. The 23 year old known as Nong Olive is known for wearing an open chest shirt, showing her cleavage and midriff, while making Thai-style pancakes, which is a popular street food known in Thai as “khanom Tokyo.” Nong…

  • 1 tourist killed, 8 wounded in crash while on tour of Chiang Mai mountain | Thaiger

    1 tourist killed, 8 wounded in crash while on tour of Chiang Mai mountain

    A tourist was killed and eight others were wounded in a van crash yesterday while travellers were on a tour of Doi Ang Khang mountain in northern Chiang Mai. Around 10am, the 15-seater Toyota van crashed while going down a turn on a mountain road in the Fang district, skidding off the road and into a ditch, according to the…

  • Chiang Mai and Hua Hin can now serve alcohol in restaurants | Thaiger

    Chiang Mai and Hua Hin can now serve alcohol in restaurants

    The booze news keeps flowing like alcohol now cam in several more tourist locations around Thailand this weekend. While nightlife and entertainment venues still officially remain shuttered, restaurants are now being allowed to serve alcohol in Cha-am, Hua Hin, and 5 key districts in Chiang Mai. Chiang Mai is the latest to ease restrictions on serving and consuming alcohol in…

  • Covid-19 falling, even in Deep South, but still dire in Chiang Mai | Thaiger

    Covid-19 falling, even in Deep South, but still dire in Chiang Mai

    According to the Ministry of Public Health, the good news is that, throughout Thailand, Covid-19 infection rates are successfully falling. The bad news is that Chiang Mai, traditionally a popular tourist and expat living destination, is a notable exception to the rule, with an increasingly dire situation on the ground there. Infection numbers in the Deep South of Thailand continue…

  • Moderna vaccine rollout finally begins in Chiang Mai | Thaiger

    Moderna vaccine rollout finally begins in Chiang Mai

    Chiang Mai marked a step in the right direction yesterday as, after a months-long wait, the province began its first injections of the Moderna mRNA vaccine. The Northern province has been experiencing a spike in Covid-19 infection in the last few weeks that has made it one of the daily most infected provinces in Thailand, so the first batch of…

  • National park visits rising as tourists brave the cold weather | Thaiger

    National park visits rising as tourists brave the cold weather

    As Thailand reopens and tourism, both international and domestic, begins to grow, many tourists are turning away from chasing warm sunny beaches. An influx of tourists has been seen heading to some of Thailand’s chilliest national park destinations and attractions. In the northern province of Loei, the Phu Ruea National Park viewpoint, renowned for its beautiful sunrises, has seen many…

  • Chiang Mai airport welcomes first international flight, 83 tourists | Thaiger

    Chiang Mai airport welcomes first international flight, 83 tourists

    Chiang Mai has officially joined Thailand’s big reopening launch as the first international flight brought tourists to the “Charming Chiang Mai” programme. After nearly 2 years of being closed to international flights, Chiang Mai Airport welcomed a flight of 83 travellers from South Korea last night. The first flight was operated by Korean carrier Jeju Air and departed from Seoul’s…

  • November 1 re-opening of Thailand – The Fine Print | Thaiger

    November 1 re-opening of Thailand – The Fine Print

    And now for some of the fine print, answering questions you may have had about re-entry to Thailand from next Monday, November 1. Who can travel to Thailand? Travellers will be categorised into 3 groups… • The first are fully vaccinated visitors from 46 countries (www.thaiembassy.com). They must stay one night in either a SHA+ certified hotel or an ASQ…

  • Senior hotels association member says NYE stars will boost Phuket tourism | Thaiger

    Senior hotels association member says NYE stars will boost Phuket tourism

    The president of the Thai Hotels Association’s southern chapter is backing the government’s decision to spend millions of baht on Phuket’s end-of-year festivities. Officials have confirmed that K-Pop star Lalisa “Lisa” Manoban and Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli will perform in Phuket on New Year’s Eve. Critics have derided the plan due to the cost involved, with many suggesting the money…

  • Big vaccination push in Chiang Mai in bid to combat Covid-19 surge | Thaiger

    Big vaccination push in Chiang Mai in bid to combat Covid-19 surge

    The president of the Tourism Council of Chiang Mai is hoping a ramp-up of vaccination efforts will help combat a surge in Covid-19. Punlop Saejew says health officials are pulling out all the stops in a bid to get the northern province ready for the November 1 re-opening. “The current clusters have affected local confidence towards re-opening. Everyone is working…

  • Chiang Mai Covid-19 infections swell ahead of reopening | Thaiger

    Chiang Mai Covid-19 infections swell ahead of reopening

    November 1 is fast approaching and with it a major reopening effort all across Thailand. But a few of the target Blue Zone areas that the government has focused on due to their popularity with foreign tourists are struggling, as Chiang Mai in particular has been battling a swell in Covid-19 infections. Chiang Mai has seen their daily infection numbers…

  • Chiang Mai ready to re-open despite new cluster of infections | Thaiger

    Chiang Mai ready to re-open despite new cluster of infections

    The governor of Chiang Mai says the province is ready for the planned November 1 re-opening to foreign tourists. Despite a new cluster of infections being detected at the large market of Talad Muang Mai, Prajon Pratsakul insists the northern province is ready to re-open. The Bangkok Post reports that 478 Covid-19 cases have been traced to the market, which…

  • Cyclist unable to take steep hill plunges to his death in Chiang Mai ravine | Thaiger

    Cyclist unable to take steep hill plunges to his death in Chiang Mai ravine

    A cyclist riding in Chiang Mai, a northern Thai province, was unable to steer his bike down a downhill road yesterday morning and plummeted about 30 metres down a ravine to his death. Police learned of the incident, which occurred on a steep section of the Mae Rim-Mae Sai tourist road in front of the Pongyang Jungle Coaster & Zipline…

  • Suspect in Chiang Mai kidnapping faces 2 new charges | Thaiger

    Suspect in Chiang Mai kidnapping faces 2 new charges

    Siew, the man who is suspected of being involved in the disappearance of the toddler “Nong Gina”, is facing 2 new charges: depriving a child under 15 of parental care and detaining a child, says the superintendent of Bo Luang police station, Kriangsak Prom-Uthai. The toddler who is just shy of 2 years old went missing from her home last…

  • Kidnapped baby Nong Gina was not sexually assaulted | Thaiger

    Kidnapped baby Nong Gina was not sexually assaulted

    After the bizarre excuse given for Nong Gina’s kidnapping, that the 2 year old was left at a cave as a sacrifice to the nature spirits, police and missing persons groups suspected more sinister motivations. Police are looking into the possibility that a human trafficking network had targeted Nong Gina, and questioned 3 additional suspects. Now after a physical examination,…

  • 3 arrested in Nong Gina abduction, trafficking suspected | Thaiger

    3 arrested in Nong Gina abduction, trafficking suspected

    New developments bring a twist in the strange case of Nong Gina, the 2 year old girl abducted by a Burmese man who claimed he left her in a cave as a sacrifice to nature spirits. As reported yesterday, the Mirror Foundation suspected more sinister trafficking reasons for the abduction, and police have now taken three people into custody for…

  • Foundation suspects darker motive in missing girl’s kidnapping | Thaiger

    Foundation suspects darker motive in missing girl’s kidnapping

    After a bizarre case where a baby known as Nong Gina disappeared on Monday and was thankfully recovered unharmed yesterday, the suspect later admitted to leaving her at a cave in the forest as a sacrifice to spirits that had spoken to him. Now an organisation that helps find missing people is casting doubt on the story, saying they suspect…

  • Missing baby girl found by cave she was brought to as a sacrifice | Thaiger

    Missing baby girl found by cave she was brought to as a sacrifice

    In Chiang Mai, a toddler, who has been missing since Sunday evening, has reportedly been found. A man allegedly admitted to kidnapping the girl, who is almost 2 years old, and leaving her outside a cave as a sacrifice to the spirits of the mountains and forest. She was found in a hut just outside the cave. The 44 year…

  • Couple held for questioning in connection with missing Chiang Mai toddler | Thaiger

    Couple held for questioning in connection with missing Chiang Mai toddler

    Earlier today, the Thaiger wrote about how officials in Chiang Mai have been searching for a toddler that has been missing since Sunday night. Now, Thai PBS says a couple is being held in police custody for questioning in connection with the search. A 44 year old man, who is a neighbour of the missing girl’s father, and his wife…

  • Officials search for missing toddler in Chiang Mai | Thaiger

    Officials search for missing toddler in Chiang Mai

    The combined forces of police, border patrol police, rescue volunteers, and villagers helped search for a missing 1 year and 11 month old girl in Chiang Mai, a northern Thai province, yesterday. The girl has been missing since Sunday night. Heat-seeking drones and sniffer dogs were also used to help scour the area within a 2 to 3 kilometre radius…

  • 7 monks receive suspended jail terms, 10,000 baht fines from Chiang Mai court | Thaiger

    7 monks receive suspended jail terms, 10,000 baht fines from Chiang Mai court

    7 monks and 1 friend who were found enjoying food and alcoholic drinks Sunday night, 4 of whom were abbots, have been defrocked from the monkhood, fined, and given suspended jail sentences for breaking Covid containment measures. Police, who had received complaints from residents, raided a location for monks at Wat Pansao in Chiang Mai. Bangkok Post says the monks…

  • 80 year old Australian man kicked to the ground in Chiang Mai road altercation | Thaiger

    80 year old Australian man kicked to the ground in Chiang Mai road altercation

    An 80 year old Australian man was assaulted after he smacked a car that almost ran him over. The driver of the car got out of his vehicle and kicked the octogenarian in the back following the older man’s car smacking. Dashcam footage captured the incident that happened in Chiang Mai, the northern Thai province which is hoping to launch…

  • TAT plans to launch Chiang Mai tourism plan in October | Thaiger

    TAT plans to launch Chiang Mai tourism plan in October

    Chiang Mai is getting ready to launch a “Bubble and Sealed” tourism plan where visitors can travel to 4 districts in Chiang Mai, the northern Thai province. The plan comes by way of the Tourism Authority of Thailand. The 4 districts are the Mueang District, the Mae Rim district, the Mae Taeng district, and the Doi Tao district. The opening…

  • Charming Chiang Mai plan to reopen pushed to October or later | Thaiger

    Charming Chiang Mai plan to reopen pushed to October or later

    With Covid-19 still running rampant in Thailand, several tourist locations that were anticipating reopening in August or September are revising their plans to push back until October or later. Officials say that Chiang Mai will now delay their plans to reopen to international tourists due to Covid-19 issues. The deputy governor of the Tourism Authority of Thailand announced yesterday that…

  • Chiang Mai field hospital to reopen | Thaiger

    Chiang Mai field hospital to reopen

    A Chiang Mai field hospital that closed early last month is reopening today to combat the rising Covid infections. Yesterday, Chiang Mai reported 17 new infections. Local authorities will reopen the hospital, located at the international convention and exhibition centre this afternoon. Beds and other equipment were also put back. Dr Amporn Iamsri, the director of the Chiang Mai field hospital,…

  • Suspect arrested in murder of noodle shop owner | Thaiger

    Suspect arrested in murder of noodle shop owner

    A manhunt has concluded in the northern Thai province, Chiang Mai. Police were looking for a man who allegedly killed a 63 year old noodle seller. Despite being rushed to a hospital, the woman who had suffered stab wounds to her neck and back would later be pronounced dead. Police say they were called to a roadside noodle stand. Once…

  • Chiang Mai eases restrictions, alcohol now allowed at restaurants | Thaiger

    Chiang Mai eases restrictions, alcohol now allowed at restaurants

    Alcohol is now allowed to be served in Chiang Mai restaurants. Provincial officials loosened disease control restrictions today, including lifting the alcohol ban at eateries, although bars and other nightlife venues must still remain closed. Restrictions eased nationwide this week and the Centre for Covid-19 Situation Administration revised its colour-code zoning based on the Covid-19 situation in each province. Local…

  • Chiang Mai applies to implement sandbox re-opening from August 1 | Thaiger

    Chiang Mai applies to implement sandbox re-opening from August 1

    Officials in the northern province of Chiang Mai will be watching Phuket’s July 1 re-opening carefully, as they seek to follow suit a month later. The southern island will re-open to fully vaccinated tourists from qualifying countries in just over 3 weeks’ time and Chiang Mai hopes to do the same from August 1. The sandbox program is the Thai…

  • Chiang Mai launches website for expats to register for Covid-19 vaccination | Thaiger

    Chiang Mai launches website for expats to register for Covid-19 vaccination

    The northern province of Chiang Mai has launched a website where foreign residents can register to be vaccinated against Covid-19. Provincial permanent secretary Kanok Sriwichainan says foreigners who have not registered through the Mor Prom app can now do so at the Kampang Wiang website. They will need to provide their passport number and vaccination will be carried out with…

  • Get vaccinated, win a cow: Chiang Mai district starts vaccine incentive campaign | Thaiger

    Get vaccinated, win a cow: Chiang Mai district starts vaccine incentive campaign

    A district in Chiang Mai has launched a campaign to help entice residents to get vaccinated against Covid-19… a chance to win a live cow. Each week for the rest of the year, the Mae Chaem district will give away a young cow. To enter the raffle, residents have to be vaccinate against the coronavirus. Since the start of the…