Chiang Mai News
Stay up-to-date with the latest news from the charming and historic city of Chiang Mai with The Thaiger. Our team of seasoned journalists brings you breaking news, in-depth analysis, and exclusive stories from this fascinating city, covering a diverse range of topics, including local politics, business, culture, and tourism. Keep yourself informed about the city’s rich history, vibrant arts scene, and thriving expat community, as well as updates on events, attractions, and transportation.
The Thaiger is your essential resource for staying connected with Chiang Mai’s captivating blend of tradition and modernity. To remain in the loop with the city’s most trusted news source, subscribe to our newsletter and follow us on social media.
-
Sponsored The Melting Clock: A sophisticated spot for Italian cuisine and exquisite wine in Bangkok
It’s no secret that Bangkok has a lot of excellent Italian restaurants and wine bars, so standing out in the crowd is no small task. But The Melting Clock, the Italian restaurant and wine lounge in Ekkamai, has shown that...
-
British man beaten up by Thai thugs in Pai for ‘interfering’ in an argument
PHOTOS: Daily News 37 year old Luke Benjamin Thornton has ended up in hospital in Chiang Mai after trying to break up a fight in Pai, north of Chiang Mai, on May 20. Daily News reports that Luke was trying to stop a fight between locals and tourists and was beaten unconscious with a wooden club and kicks. They reported that…
-
Bus plunges off mountain road in Phrae, Thailand, 17 injured
17 passengers have been injured after a bus crashed off a mountain road in Thailand’s north last night. The bus was travelling between Chiang Mai to Phrae in Thailand. The accident happened in Tambon Bor Leng Long, Phrae. The accident happened at 8.30pm on the Den Chai-Lampang road. Rescuers struggled to rescue the injured passengers from the bus that had fallen…
-
Burmese man arrested for doing stunts on his Honda around Chiang Mai roads – VIDEO
PHOTOS: Daily News | VIDEO: Jeep Jenjira Pansena A video posted by Jeep Jenjira Pansena has prompted the Chiang Mai police to arrest a Burmese man caught doing stunts on the city’s roads. 21 year old “Mai”, who lives in San Sai and works as a masseur, was standing up on his Honda Click, amongst other ‘moves’ while hurtling around the…
-
Chiang Mai and Hua Hin in Top 10 Asian retirement locations
Hua Hin and Chiang Mai are two of the best retirement destinations in Asia, according to the US News and World Report. Phuket and Bangkok, usually included in lists of Asian retirement locations, didn’t make it onto this list. ThaiVisa reports that they were included in the site’s 10 best places to retire in Asia. The report considers the cost of…
-
Chiang Mai Song Thaew drivers see red over Grab
Chiang Mai’s Grab vs traditional public transport continues. The issue has simmered for two years with occasional outbreaks of violence and an ongoing war of words on social media. Thai PBS reports that the spat has become a major problem again between the public Red Song Thaews and Grab Cars in the northern city. On the one hand members of…
-
Police and drug courier injured in shootout at Chiang Mai checkpoint
FIL PHOTO: A police checkpoint set-up in the Chiang Mai city area – Chiang Mai Citylife Three alleged drug couriers have been arrested this morning following a gunfight that injured a suspect and a police officer. The incident happened in the Mae Rim district of Chiang Mai. Police say they monitored road checkpoints last night until officers at a traffic booth in…
-
Young British man found dead in Chiang Mai condo
PHOTO: Thai Rath A maid discovered a British man dead in the bedroom of a room on the eighth floor of a luxury condo in the Chang Khlan district of Chiang Mai over the weekend. 39 year old Kapadia Sarfaraaz was found face down on the bedroom floor. Police found no signs of a struggle or wounds on the body. But they say…
-
German tourist dies after ghost-riding on his high power bike
A German tourist has been killed after ghost-riding (riding in the opposite direction to the traffic) on his high-power motorcycle. He crashed head-on with a pickup truck in Chiang Mai road early this morning. The tourist has been identified as Jan Single. Police also found a quantity of marijuana in a zip-lock plastic bag he was carrying at the time…
-
Family of Canadian man who died ziplining in Chiang Mai calls for changes
PHOTO: Spencer Donaldson at the Flight of the Gibbon zipline in Chiang Mai, moments before he jumped to his death – Supplied by Spencer’s family. “Flight of the Gibbon isn’t listed on the website of Association for Challenge Course Technology as a member and the Association have denied that the Chiang Mai ride is a member.” The family of a Canadian…
-
Konnichiwa – welcome to Thailand’s Top 10 cultural destinations
by Nisanath Kungwanwong Congratulations ‘Hinoki Land’ in Chiang Mai for being recognised by the Thai Culture Ministry as one of Thailand’s Top 10 Cultural Destinations. It looks…so… Thai?!? “Hinoki Land should not be included in the list, as it merely copies a Japanese tourist spot of the same name.” The ministry’s Cultural Promotion Office recently announced the top 10 cultural…
-
New rugby league for northern Thailand – The Lanna Rugby Tens League
With the expansion of rugby in Asia, often the drivers are still individuals at grassroots levels who are making a massive impact. In northern Thailand, Tom Stubley and the newly formed Lanna Rugby Club, in cooperation with others in the region, are forming a new tens rugby union league called the Lanna Rugby Tens League due to start in June…
-
Chinese tourist caught stealing GoPro from couple – VIDEO
A Chinese man has been caught stealing a camera from a Spanish couple in Chiang Mai. The incident happened on Tuesday and was captured on CCTV. The Spanish tourists had been visiting Wat Phra That Doi Suthep when they put a GoPro camera on the bench they had been sitting on. After realising they’d left the camera there, they returned but…
-
British backpacker returns home for Easter after being jailed in Thailand
PHOTOS: Facebook.com A British backpacker is back in the UK for Easter after being released from prison after being incarcerated for 10 days over a ‘trivial’ offence. 26 year old Chris Dodd told the BBC he was arrested for picking up a mobile phone he found on the ground whilst waiting for a taxi at the Chiang Mai airport. He…
-
Freak summer storms damage 1,000 houses around Chiang Mai
PHOTO: Thai PBS Up to 1,000 homes were damaged by gusty winds and storm cells over the weekend around Chiang Mai. Ten districts were blacked out for several hours when a freak rain storm struck on Saturday, ripping off the roofs of homes and flinging debris around the districts. According to the provincial public disaster prevention and mitigation office, the…
-
Police investigating death of 33 year old Australian in Chiang Mai hotel
PHOTO: Chiang Mai News Police are still investigating the death of a 33 year old Australian man in Chiang Mai during the week. The man’s body was sent for autopsy whilst police speculate a drug overdose may have been the cause. The body of the man, identified as Daniel Thomas Janse was found at 4pm on April 17 at a…
-
UPDATE: 25 year old Canadian dies after falling from Chiang Mai zipline ride
PHOTO: chiangmainews.co.th A 25 year old Canadian tourist fell to his death yesterday after a zipline ride failed in Chiang Mai. Police say the tourist fell to his death while riding a zipline in the forests at the Flight of the Gibbon in Mae Kam Pong. Police believe that his safety locks broke, causing him to drop 50 metres into a…
-
No foam parties for Songkran
by Suriya Patathayo, Jessada Chantharak Songkran foam parties are being banned this year in the interest of public safety. The announcement today from the national police deputy commissioner Pol General Chalermkiat Srivorakan.Chalermkiat says there had been several deaths and injuries by electrocution at foam parties during previous Songkran festivals. Police have also been instructed to provide security at Songkran celebration…
-
Cameroon man and three Thais arrested over fake email money scam in Chiang Mai
PHOTOS: Immigration Bureau A Cameroon citizen and three Thai suspects have been arrested after sending fake emails to victims saying they owed them money. Immigration Bureau Chief Lt Gen Surachet Hakparn says, “The Four suspects had sent fake emails to victims saying that they were from educational institutions abroad where their children have studied. They had to transfer money to…
-
New airport duty free bid split into two
The Government has insisted that the AoT rejig its awarding for the concession of duty-free shops at its airports. Up to now King Power Duty Free has had a monopoly on the lucrative duty free concessions. So the Board of the Airports of Thailand Company has now decided to split the concession to operate airport duty-free shops into two contracts – one for Suvarnabhumi…
-
Head to Chiang Mai for Songkran – getting wet with a northern touch
Thailand’s best-known regional Songkran celebrations take place in the northern city of Chiang Mai This year the Chiang Mai Songkran Festival runs from April 1-16 and with the theme “telling the story of the Lanna culture while celebrating the auspicious new year with safety and without alcohol.” In Chiang Mai, Songkran is often called Paweni Pi Mai Muang. Chiang Mai…
-
Out of town ‘monk’ assaults and kills another monk at a Chiang Mai temple
PHOTOS: MThai.com Chiang Mai police were called to the Ku Kham Temple in Mae Ping after witnesses claim they saw a roving monk beat another man to death, apparently another monk. Both were, according to the temple monks, from out of town. Sanook reports that 55 year old Phra Wichian was allegedly seen viciously punching and kicking the other man, around…
-
American drug suspect impersonated ‘Mr Thomas’ for 25 years, arrested in Chiang Mai
PHOTOS: Surachate Hakparn, Immigration Bureau A 67 year old American man, wanted as a drug suspect, has been arrested in Chiang Mai this week. He had been living under the identity of another person with whom he shared a similar face, for more than 25 years. The Thai Immigration Bureau reports that they have arrested a 67 year old American…
-
Chiang Mai hit-and-barge-through pickup driver sought by police
SCREENSHOT: Facebook/เพจคลิปดังเฟซบุ๊ก Can you help? Video footage from a car dash cam on the San Dek intersection in Chiang Mai shows a white Mazda pick-up barging its way through some waiting motorcycles sitting in the traffic. The rear motorcycle rider gets thrown off his bike, his bike is damaged but the surprised rider gets up after the pick-up just keeps…
-
American falls to his death from a Chiang Mai apartment
An American man has fallen to his death from the balcony of his room on the tenth floor of a condo building in Chiang Mai’s main city district early this morning (Monday). The Muang Chiang Mai police station says they were alerted at 1.50 am to the death of 60 year old Ruben Ponce at the Astra Condominium on Chang…
-
Production staff coughs up blood during filming in Chiang Mai
PHOTO MONTAGE: Daily News A Chiang Mai filmmaker is calling on authorities to urgently tackle the problems of smoke haze and air pollution around the northern capital because it’s posing severe health problems. The filmmaker, frustrated with problems associated with production in Chiang Mai this week, has posted photos of a trainee from his company coughing up blood. He says…
-
Chiang Mai panty sniffer nabbed
PHOTO: Manager Online Police in Chiang Mai have arrested a ‘panty thief’ who had gone to a coin-operated laundery to steal ladies’ underwear. One woman reported ten items had gone missing from the Tha Phae branch of “Hot Wash & Dry”. She claimed the items were valued at 6,000 baht (obviously womens’ underwear costs a lot more than mens!). Police checked…
-
American all smiles after getting nabbed over convenience store theft
A 54 year old American has been caught stealing from a convenience store in Chiang Mai. Gregory Paul Burke was captured on camera at the Muang police station grinning over the matter. Staff at the store in Khotchasan Road, Chiang Mai, caught him stuffing two big bags of instant coffee, some chewing gum and a pack of sushi into his…
-
Three died, three injured in Chiang Mai road crash
Three people were killed and three others injured when their car hit a power pole on the Chiang Mai-Hod road in Chiang Mai’s Doi Lor district early today (Saturday). The vehicle overturned after it hit the pole. Emergency responders and rescuers from the Putthasawan Nopparat Foundation had to use iron cutters (Jaws of Life) to extract the bodies from the vehicle.…
-
Tourists head to Nan for stunning yellow blossoms
PHOTOS: Tourism Authority of Thailand’s Nan branch office Tourists are enjoying the stunning blossoms of the Golden Trumpet Tree around Nan province. The yellow flowers of the Tabebuia Chrysantha are now in full bloom in Nan’s Thung Chang district. Nan is east of Chiang Mai on the Laos border. A local group this week invited people to take photos of…
-
Wheelchair-bound man shot dead under a flyover in Chiang Mai
A man has been found dead with two gunshot wounds under a flyover in Chiang Mai’s Meuang district. He was an amputee and still seated in his wheelchair when police attended the scene. Police were alerted at 7.30am this morning that a body had been discovered in a wheelchair beneath a flyover on the Chiang Mai-Lampong road in Tambon Tha…
Don't forget to check out some other things to do in Thailand - get help starting a business or finding a job in Thailand, buy Thailand property, rent a yacht or book a medical procedure worldwide.