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.
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Appeal Court upholds ruling: army needn’t compensate for shooting activist
A human rights activist who was shot by the army in 2017 at a checkpoint in Chiang Mai is not entitled to compensation according to the Appeal Court. Yesterday the court upheld a previous ruling by the Civil Court that dismiss the lawsuit arguing that the army pay compensation to the family of Lahu human rights activist Chaiyaphum Pasae. The…
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Man arrested for tricking a 12 year old into sending sexual videos on Free Fire
Thai police arrested a 24 year old man for allegedly deceiving a 12 year old girl into sending sexually explicit videos of herself through Thailand’s popular online survivor shooter game Free Fire, which is played on a smartphone. He allegedly used the photos to blackmail the girl’s parents. The child’s parents filed a complaint with local police in November and…
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23 Chiang Mai restaurants closed due to Covid-19 outbreaks
Due to several Covid-19 outbreaks in the Muang district, Chiang Mai authorities have closed 23 restaurants from between 3 days and 2 weeks. The order came as Chiang Mai battles with increased Covid-19 infections like most of the rest of Thailand, pummelled by post-New Year’s holiday outbreaks and the rise of the Omicron variant. Chiang Mai reported 304 Covid-19 infections…
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Judge fined, driving licence suspended after Chiang Mai drink-driving crash
A court in Chiang Mai has fined a senior judge 14,500 baht and suspended his driving licence for 6 months after he caused a collision while drink-driving. Video footage posted on social media on December 31 shows a car driving into a rescue operation car at an intersection in the Muang district of Chiang Mai. The Bangkok Post reports that…
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Chiang Mai police under fire after “pretties” joined road safety campaign
Two Thai models in Chiang Mai were giving out free coffee to keep drivers alert during the New Year holiday’s “seven deadly days” on the road, but what the women were wearing is what really got the attention of the drivers. Dressed like they were going out to a nightclub in heels and tight dresses, which is typically considered provocative…
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Chiang Mai hoteliers ordered to strictly follow Covid prevention for Test & Go travellers
Chiang Mai health officials are ordering hoteliers to be more strict when it comes to Covid-19 preventative measures, especially when it comes to the Test & Go entry scheme, after two foreign travellers in the northern province tested positive for the Omicron variant. Under the Test & Go scheme (registration is closed), fully vaccinated travellers can enter Thailand after passing…
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Chiang Mai identifies 2 possible Omicron cases in tourists
Two foreigners who are visiting Chiang Mai have tested positive for Covid-19 and are believed to have the Omicron variant, marking the first detected in the province. Both travellers had come through Suvarnabhumi Airport as part of the Test & Go programme and both passed an RT-PCR test. One visitor was a 22 year old German traveller and the other…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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Chiang Mai tourism almost exclusively domestic for now
With Chiang Mai currently experiencing the fourth-highest daily infections in the country – 357 people in today’s figures – it’s not surprising that international tourism has hardly bounced back since the reopening of Thailand 2 weeks ago. The effect of the Covid-19 pandemic on the province has been estimated to have lost tourism revenue as high as 70 billion baht…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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ICUs in Chiang Mai nearly full amidst Covid-19 surge
In Chiang Mai, surging Covid-19 infections have filled ICUs and plunged the province into crisis, just days before international reopening. Doctors are warning that the province is near critical levels as it has just two hospitals that are capable of treating severe Covid-19 patients and they are reporting that their intensive care units are nearly at full capacity. Daily infections…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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Chiang Mai couple arrested for selling outdoor sex show online
In the continued crackdown in Thailand against sexually explicit material being sold on the internet, a Thai couple has been arrested in Chiang Mai for having sex in public and selling videos of it online. The couple was arrested over an incident that took place in May where they are accused of having sex in public in front of a…
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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…
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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,…
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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…
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Rescued Chiang Mai child doing better, still needs time to heal, says doctor
The toddler that was recently rescued in northern Thailand’s Chiang Mai province is recuperating well and has allowed her parents to hug her, but still needs time to heal both physically and mentally, says a doctor. Gina’s father says his daughter has a healthy appetite and looks fresher and healthier than she did the day before. A doctor cautions that…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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25 arrested at Chiang Mai rooftop bar
A rooftop bar in Chiang Mai, a northern Thai province, was raided yesterday and 24 customers, plus the bar owner were arrested for allegedly gathering to drink alcoholic beverages, a violation of the emergency decree. Police say the 25 suspects were seen drinking alcohol and dancing to a band that was playing at the bar. The police add the suspects…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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