Northern Thailand News
Northern Thailand news, Chiang Mai news, business, tourism, and culture—stay updated with breaking stories, local events, and travel insights from Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai, Pai, and beyond. Get the latest from The Thaiger, your trusted Northern Thailand news source.
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Sponsored Long-term life in Thailand? 5 reasons private health insurance pays off in the long run
Thailand is a great place for expats and retirees, offering a warm climate, affordable living, and rich culture. However, healthcare can be tricky for foreigners since they aren’t eligible for public health coverage, and private care can be expensive. Private...
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British pensioner’s prized tricycle swiped in Northeast Thailand
An 81 year old British man in Udon Thani has been left heartbroken after thieves made off with his treasured tricycle motorcycle in a daring early-morning theft caught on CCTV. Wayne, a retired restaurateur from UK’s Liverpool, filed a report at Mueang Udon Thani Police Station yesterday, September 2, through a translator. He told officers the blue and bronze three-wheeler,…
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Lamphun lottery luck: Pork sellers win 12 million baht jackpot
It was a dream come true for pork sellers in Lamphun province as they struck the jackpot, winning a staggering 12 million baht in the national lottery. The lucky vendors at Pa Heo Market couldn’t believe their eyes when they saw the winning numbers announced by the Government Lottery Office yesterday, September 1. The first prize was claimed by ticket…
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Lottery luck: Unsold tickets win Nakhon Phanom vendor big
What started as a tough week of poor sales and stormy weather turned into pure fortune for a lottery vendor in Nakhon Phanom, after unsold tickets left her more than 250,000 baht richer. The lucky break occured yesterday, September 1, when the Thai Government Lottery Office announced the winning numbers. Among the winners was 44 year old Sariyaporn Nilsuang, a…
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Surin father pleads for return of son taken for deportation
A devastated father in Surin has pleaded for the return of his Cambodian wife and 13 year old son after immigration police removed the boy from school and placed him in a shelter for deportation. The incident unfolded yesterday, August 29, in Bua Chet district when officers arrived at the school and escorted the boy away, citing a lack of…
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Shaky start: Twin tremors jolt Chiang Rai and Mae Hong Son
Northern Thailand had a shaky wake-up call this morning when twin microearthquakes rattled Chiang Rai and Mae Hong Son within minutes of each other, startling residents. The Earthquake Observation Division of Thailand’s Meteorological Department (TMD) reported two separate microearthquakes in the early hours of today, August 27, both striking at shallow depths of 3 kilometres. The first tremor, a 1.5-magnitude…
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Court rejects plea to block bail for woman who fatally stabs restaurant owner
A woman accused of fatally stabbing a Kamphaeng Phet restaurant owner was released on bail after the victim’s family failed to object. The attack reportedly stemmed from an incident in which the deceased was blamed for not protecting the suspect from a sexual assault. Officers from Khlong Khlung Police Station arrested 32 year old Jaruwan Jaifai for stabbing to death…
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Thai monk caught stealing second-hand laptop in Nakhon Sawan
A Thai couple shared CCTV footage online to expose a monk who stole a second-hand laptop from their shop in the northern province of Nakhon Sawan on Sunday, August 24. The couple, Oak and Nat, revealed details of the theft, which occurred at their shop on Sri Thep Road in Takhli district, during an interview with Workpoint News. They said…
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Chiang Rai drug bust uncovers 3.5 million meth tablets
Police, military, and administrative officials collaborated in Chiang Rai to dismantle a major drug trafficking gang, seizing 3.5 million methamphetamine tablets and 60 kilogrammes of crystal meth at a petrol station. The operation led to further asset seizures, including cash and properties. On August 24, law enforcement agencies, including the Office of the Narcotics Control Board and regional police, conducted…
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Frontline soldier returns home after mother fatally stabbed by her customer
A frontline soldier returned from duty at the border to attend the funeral of his mother, who was fatally stabbed by a female customer at her restaurant in Kamphaeng Phet province on Wednesday, August 20. Police arrested the 32 year old suspect, Jaruwan Jaifai, at her family home on Wednesday after she stabbed 62 year old restaurant owner Meena Pattatha.…
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Thai vendor offers 50,000 baht reward after 10 million baht amulet heist
A Thai amulet vendor is offering a reward of 50,000 baht for information that could lead to the arrest of a thief who stole amulets worth more than 10 million baht from his shop in the northern province of Nakhon Sawan. The well-known amulet vendor, Parkpoom “Bung” Watcharayu, appealed to news agencies and the online community after his police complaint…
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Thai woman fatally stabs restaurant owner over rape ordeal blame
A Thai woman fatally stabbed a female restaurant owner in the northern province of Kamphaeng Phet, allegedly blaming the victim for failing to prevent a sexual assault while she was intoxicated. Officers from Khlong Khlung Police Station and rescuers from the Sawang Kamphaeng Phet Foundation were called to a restaurant near the Ping River in Khlong Khlung district after the…
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Ancient cave unearthed in northern Thailand jungle
Thailand’s archaeological map has just grown richer after forest rangers stumbled upon a mysterious cave in the remote wilds of Phitsanulok province. The three-day patrol, carried out from Thursday, August 14, to Saturday, August 16, in the Khwae Noi forest watershed, was initially intended to monitor wildlife in the Phu Khat Wild Animal Protection Area. But instead of just tracking…
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Flood alert in Mae Sariang after car swept away by creek
Officials in Mae Sariang district, Mae Hong Son province, have issued a flood alert following an incident where a car was swept away while crossing the Mae Ngae creek in Tha Mae Che, Saohin subdistrict. Today, August 17, locals were able to assist in time, preventing any injuries. Worasak Panthong, the district officer of Mae Sariang, has instructed village heads…
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3 teenagers arrested for burning disabled dog in Lampang temple
Police arrested three Thai teenagers for burning a disabled dog alive in a temple bathroom in the northern province of Lampang. Locals in the Ko Kha district of Lampang reported the cruel act by the 14 year old suspects to the Watchdog Thailand Foundation (WDT) yesterday, August 14. The incident had occurred the previous week in the abandoned bathroom of…
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Thai transwoman says nightclub guard assaulted her over mismatched ID photo
A Thai transwoman is seeking justice, accusing a nightclub security guard in the northern province of Chiang Rai of physically assaulting her for looking different from the photograph on her identification card. The 19 year old transgender victim, identified only as Weerapong, told ThaiRath that the incident occurred outside a nightclub in Mae Sai district, Chiang Rai, on the night…
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Thai teacher fatally shoots student’s uncle after sexual assault accusation
A Thai teacher in the northern province of Phetchabun fatally shot his student’s uncle after being attacked by the victim over an alleged sexual assault on the young girl. Officers from Mueang Phetchabun Police Station were called to investigate the death of a 43 year old Thai man, Thaweesak, at a house in the Napa district of Phetchabun on August…
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Thai evacuees set to return as tensions with Cambodia ease
Thai officials are preparing to assist thousands of evacuees in returning home as tensions along the Cambodian border subside. Surin Governor Chamnan Chuentha confirmed that stability has returned to most border areas following Thursday’s General Border Committee meetings in Kuala Lumpur, where Thailand and Cambodia agreed on a 13-point ceasefire. Transportation arrangements are being coordinated with shelters and the Department…
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Car wreckage with human skeleton found in Phitsanulok ravine
A rescue team on Wednesday, August 6, unexpectedly discovered the wreckage of a car containing a human skeleton in a ravine in the northern province of Phitsanulok while rescuing a truck driver who had crashed his vehicle at the same spot. The truck driver crashed his vehicle, which was carrying eucalyptus logs, into the ravine in the Chat Trakan district…
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79 year old Thai woman rescued after 3 days lost in Phitsanulok forest
Officials and locals in the northern province of Phitsanulok rescued a 79 year old Thai woman after she went into the forest to search for bamboo shoots and disappeared for three days. The woman, Pim, entered the Khao Nam Dam mountain range in Don Thong sub-district, Mueang district, Phitsanulok province, at around 6am on Friday, August 1. Local administrative officials,…
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Phayao lottery vendor helps friend win 12 million baht prize
In a heartwarming tale of fortune and friendship, a lottery vendor in Phayao province witnessed an extraordinary event when a close friend won the top prize in the national lottery. Yesterday, August 1 at 5pm, 44 year old lottery vendor Yaowanut reported the astonishing news to Police Lieutenant Colonel Sonthaya Pathawi of Mueang Phayao District Police Station—her customer had won…
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Chiang Rai MP booted over budget scandal
In a major political shake-up, the first deputy House speaker and MP for Chiang Rai, was disqualified by the Constitutional Court. Found guilty of misusing public funds to influence budget decisions for personal gain, Pichet Chuamuangphan is now barred from holding office for 10 years and faces a by-election. Yesterday, August 1, the Constitutional Court delivered a bombshell ruling, disqualifying…
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Dad killed in Uthai Thani crash seeking missing daughter
A frantic father’s desperate search for his missing teenage daughter ended in heartbreak late yesterday, after he and his companion died when their pickup truck crashed into a utility pole in Uthai Thani province. Police in Lan Sak district received a distressing report at around 10.30pm yesterday, July 31, that a white Toyota pickup truck had flipped onto its roof…
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Ice cream raid: Cambodian sellers busted in Udon Thani
An illegal ice cream empire run by Cambodian migrants melted away yesterday after a dramatic raid in Udon Thani uncovered a secret stash of freezers and sidecar motorcycles. The suspects, who were hoping for a sweet escape from poverty, now face deportation. The raid took place at 1.40pm yesterday, July 31, in the Don Udom community, after District Chief Chawit…
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Chiang Rai residents brace for floods as Kok River rises
Residents along the Kok River in Chiang Rai are being urged to prepare for potential flooding as water levels rise. Warnings have been issued for areas such as Huai Chomphu, Mae Yao, Doi Hang, Wiang, Rim Kok, and the Chiang Rai City Municipality to move belongings to higher ground. Eight temporary shelters have been established by the city municipality. Yesterday,…
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Chiang Rai declares red alert amid severe flooding crisis (video)
Emergency measures have been initiated in Chiang Rai as a red-level alert has been declared due to severe flooding in the north of Thailand. Officials have issued warnings for four high-risk areas in Mueang Chiang Rai district, urging immediate evacuation to safer locations. At approximately 7.30am on July 28, a Facebook page, Rak Chiang Tung, shared a video showing the…
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Cambodia urges ceasefire in Thailand border standoff
Cambodia has called for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire with Thailand, as tensions have escalated with deadly exchanges for a second day. The dispute, which has involved jets, artillery, tanks, and ground troops, prompted an emergency United Nations Security Council meeting. Phnom Penh’s UN ambassador Chhea Keo emphasised the need for a peaceful resolution following a closed council meeting attended…
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Thailand evacuates 100,000 amid Cambodia border clashes
Over 100,000 civilians have been evacuated from the northeastern provinces of Ubon Ratchathani, Sisaket, Surin, and Buriram due to escalating border clashes with Cambodia. Permanent Secretary Unsit Sampuntharat stated that evacuees are now housed in safety at 295 designated sites away from the conflict zones near the border. The evacuations were organised by local leaders, aided by village defence and…
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Thai king steps in as Thai-Cambodia border erupts
A royal lifeline has been thrown to victims of the violent Thai-Cambodian border clashes, with His Majesty King Maha Vajiralongkorn Phra Vajiraklaochaoyuhua pledging aid for the injured and support to rebuild shattered lives. As artillery fire rattled Thailand’s eastern provinces, the monarchy stepped in to assist those caught in the escalating conflict. The king extended royal patronage to all injured…
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5 more bodies recovered after deadly gas station strike
Amid flying shrapnel and live explosives, Thai bomb squads and rescue teams recovered five more bodies from the ruins of a PTT gas station in Sisaket province, after Cambodian shells obliterated a convenience store inside the complex. This brings the death toll to 11. The deadly strike occurred in Ban Phue, Mueang subdistrict of Kantharalak district, as part of escalating…
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Flooded Chiang Rai farm sparks dramatic pig rescue (video)
A frantic mission is underway in Chiang Rai, where rising floodwaters have forced officials to evacuate more than 1,000 pigs from a waterlogged farm—one tiny boatload at a time. Yesterday, July 24, disaster prevention officials, rescue teams, and local police descended on Ban Huai Khrai Kao in the Mueang subdistrict of Thoeng district. Their mission: to save around 1,300 pigs…
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