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 5 ways retirees in Thailand lose money (and how to stop it)
Retiring in Thailand can be affordable and enjoyable, but many retirees lose money due to common mistakes. High living costs, scams, and unexpected expenses can quickly drain savings. There are five ways that retirees in Thailand can lose money and...
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Thai authorities seize one million meth pills near Chiang Rai Airport
Authorities intercepted a major drug bust involving one million methamphetamine pills in the parking lot of a well-known shopping mall near Chiang Rai Airport. The suspects, a man and a woman, were caught preparing to transport the drugs into the interior of the country. Colonel Kidakorn Chantra, Deputy Commander of the Pha Muang Task Force, examined the seized drugs and…
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Hopping hunt: Chiang Mai Zoo scrambles to find runaway kangaroo
Chiang Mai Zoo staff members are on a mission to locate a runaway kangaroo that was last seen this morning hopping along the main road leading to the popular tourist attraction, Doi Suthep. The incident came to light when a Thai man, Tun Chanachai, shared a video of the escapee on Facebook around 8.20am today, May 29 with a caption…
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Hooked: Foreigner makes waves, takes a dip in fish spa (video)
A foreign man captured the attention of Thai netizens after a viral video on the TikTok application showed him dipping his head into a fish tank foot spa to cool off on a hot day in the northern province of Chiang Mai. A Thai man shared the video on his TikTok account, @dai.yin.see.tatto, yesterday, May 27, with the caption, “When…
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Fisherman swept away in Chiang Mai, search efforts intensify
Search efforts continue for a missing fisherman swept away by heavy waves while fishing in Chiang Mai. Relatives conducted a ceremony to appease local spirits as authorities were using heavy machinery to excavate potential burial sites, and divers searched the river. The 35 year old fisherman had gone fishing with 46 year old Piboon Sujai, and other friends at a weir…
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Drugged-up driver’s wild ride ends with 120km police chase
A dramatic police chase unfolded when a 25 year old man, high on drugs, stole a pickup truck and a minibus, fleeing across provinces for 120 kilometres before being apprehended in Nakhon Ratchasima, also known as Korat, claiming he was escaping from people trying to kill him. The incident began last night, May 27, when police from Choknasan Police Station…
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Buriram village builds shrine for Golden Boy replica
The local municipality and residents are actively constructing a replica shrine and lifelike statue of the Golden Boy at the excavation site, using funds raised through faith and donations. A grand ceremony is planned for July 18 to honour the artefact. Following the repatriation of the bronze sculptures of Lord Shiva, known as the Golden Boy, and the Kneeling Female…
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North Thailand: Man pleads with estranged wife who left with monk
A Uthai Thani man is pleading for his estranged wife to return after she allegedly left with a monk. The Thai man, 61 year old Sanan, made a tearful appeal through the media, urging his 53 year old wife, Nanthawan to come back to their home in Nong Chang district. Sanan expressed his willingness to forgive her relationship with the…
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Thousands rally to greet Thaksin in Korat homecoming
The red shirts are rolling out the red carpet for Thaksin Shinawatra, as the paroled former prime minister prepares for his first visit to the northeastern province in almost two decades today. Kowit Khorhenklang, a fervent supporter of Thaksin, anticipates a crowd of 3,000 to join him at Wat Sangkha Chinaram in Sida district this afternoon. Thaksin will attend the…
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Fairyland department store in Nakhon Sawan up for sale
A real estate broker announced on Facebook the sale of the renowned Fairyland department store, a well-known local establishment in the Nakhon Sawan province. “Selling Fairyland Department Store, Nakhon Sawan, along with adjacent shophouses on Sawanwithi Road. The property covers 7 rai (approximately 2.8 acres), with a five-storey building in the heart of Nakhon Sawan. The price is 550 million…
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Northeast Thailand: Wildlife officer mauled by bear survives attack
A brave wildlife officer narrowly escaped death after being mauled by a ferocious bear while patrolling a remote mountain in northeast Thailand. Danai, a 39 year old officer from the Phu Khieo Wildlife Sanctuary in Chaiyaphum province, was conducting a routine patrol through dense woodland last Friday, May 17 when an Asian black bear emerged, attacking Danai with its powerful…
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Rocket near-miss with aircraft prompts safety concerns in Surin
Rocket fireworks narrowly missed an aircraft in Surin province on Sunday, prompting officials to urge pilots to navigate around them. The district chief denied the incident occurred in his area, highlighting a lack of clarity about the event’s location. Local reporters were alerted to illegal gambling activities at the Boon Bang Fai rocket festival behind a temple in Ban Jang…
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Principal removed after child trafficking allegations in Khon Kaen
The Director of the Khon Kaen Primary Educational Service Area Office 5 issued an order for a school principal to be removed from their position, following allegations of involvement in a child trafficking ring. The principal is accused of engaging in sexual activities with a 12 year old girl. Authorities from the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Division, along with the Paweena…
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Chiang Mai police invoke 10pm curfew after samurai gang rampage
Chiang Mai Provincial Police officers imposed a 10pm curfew on locals under 18 years old following a deadly rampage by a criminal gang armed with samurai swords. The commander of the Provincial Police Region 5, Krittapon Yi-sakhon, revealed to the MumKhao news platform that a group of men, mostly teenage Burmese nationals, repeatedly caused chaos, committed theft, fatally attacked, and…
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Cambodian worker in Thailand wins 12 million baht in lottery
A Cambodian woman working as a labourer in Nakhon Ratchasima has become a millionaire after winning 12 million baht in the lottery. She shared the emotional moment of realising she had won, celebrating with her partner. Reports emerged that a foreign worker had won the first prize in the lottery, amounting to 12 million baht, at Ban Khok Na Klang,…
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Surin temple’s Buddha statue event sparks lottery buzz
A revered wooden Buddha statue’s head-raising ceremony at Nong Khu Pattana Temple in Surin province has become the talk of the town, as the auspicious numbers divined in the ritual matched the age of the temple’s abbot. The event yesterday drew a large crowd of devotees and lottery enthusiasts eager to witness the traditional ceremony and perhaps gain insight into…
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Khon Kaen intensifies raids to tackle rising drug issues
In a sweeping crackdown to combat the escalating drug epidemic, authorities in Khon Kaen, the city grappling with the country’s second highest rate of drug abuse, have initiated a series of targeted raids. Recent operations by the police have put the entire northeast community under scrutiny. The Provincial Police Chief of Khon Kaen, along with military, police, and administrative officers,…
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Nong Khai battered by fierce storm, homes and temple ravaged
An unprecedented storm struck Nong Khai province last night, causing significant damage to homes and infrastructure, including a widespread power outage due to fallen electricity poles. A lifelong local, 55 year old Boorachai expressed he had never witnessed such severe weather in his lifetime. As the storm raged through the region, residents of the Ban Fang district of Sakhrai scrambled…
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Nakhon Ratchasima farmer earns big with sweetleaf bush
In a remarkable agricultural venture in Nakhon Ratchasima, a Thai farmer transformed a 1-acre plot of land into a thriving sweetleaf bush plantation, with a yield that commands an impressive price of 200 baht per kilogramme. The 63 year old farmer, Aatthakorn Kaewmorakot, resides in Chan Kho, Mu 3, Rang Ka Yai Sub-district, Phimai District, Nakhon Ratchasima Province, and is…
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Reeling in profits: Nakhon Ratchasima villagers cash in on low water levels
Villagers in Nakhon Ratchasima flocked to buy fishing permits, taking advantage of the reduced water levels in a natural canal to catch fish for both consumption and sale, thereby boosting their income. The funds raised from selling the permits are earmarked for village development. Reporters noted that hundreds of residents from the Phimai district, in Nakhon Ratchasima province, gathered at…
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Elephant tussle in Khao Yai ends with broken tusk
A dramatic clash for dominance between two male elephants yesterday left one with a broken tusk in Khao Yai National Park, Nakhon Ratchasima province. The incident occurred after Plai Khrut, the young elephant who previously made headlines for raiding a statue at Wat Mu Si and consuming all the sugar cane grown by the temple for religious ceremonies, challenged his…
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Massive drug bust: Heroin seized in river smuggling operation
Local officers from Na Ngiew Police Station and border patrol police swooped down on Phukhao Thong village in Ban Mueang subdistrict, uncovering a labyrinthine web of drug smuggling. Nestled in the Sangkhom district of Nong Khai province, this clandestine operation bordered Laos. Upon arrival, the officers stumbled upon four shadowy figures ferrying cardboard boxes into a nondescript house. Police Lieutenant…
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Lucky in lottery: Religious ceremony in Udon Thani promises wealth
At a revered ritual site in Udon Thani, a large crowd gathered for a ceremony believed to unlock wealth and prosperity. Participants fixated on numbers they hoped would bring luck in the next lottery draw on May 16. In the serene precincts of the Naga King’s land at Ban Non-Mueang in Udon Thani, a grand ceremony took place yesterday, invoking…
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Car crash in Chiang Mai kills 5, including pregnant woman
A car accident between a pickup and a hospital ambulance on the Chiang Mai-Phrao Road in the northern province of Chiang Mai injured six people and killed five others, including a pregnant woman and her unborn child. The Chiang Mai Provincial Disaster Prevention and Mitigation Office received notification of the accident at around 5.20pm yesterday, May 9. The Thai authorities…
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Coach carrying Chinese tourists crashes in northern Thailand
A late-night journey turned deadly as a coach carrying 33 Chinese tourists met with a horrific accident on Phahonyothin Road, Thoen, Lampang in northern Thailand. Thoen police officers rushed to the scene after receiving a fatal accident report at 11.20pm on Tuesday, May 7. They found the coach severely damaged, having crashed into roadside trees. Tragically, the driver, identified as…
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School van driver confesses to murder of woman in Roi Et
Investigations concluded yesterday as police made a definitive arrest of a school van driver for the murder of a 23 year old woman whose body was found handcuffed, abandoned in a scrubland by the Chi River in Roi Et province. After a meticulous search, authorities apprehended a 67 year old school van driver, named Ken, from the same village as…
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Teen dies after brutal assault at Nakhon Phanom temple
A 16 year old boy fell victim to a brutal assault by a group of eight teenagers after helping out at a temple in Phon Sawan, Nakhon Phanom. The culprits, aged between 16 and 18, were later apprehended by the police. The victim and a friend were returning from their temple duties at Wat Phra That Phon Sawan when they encountered…
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Buriram village rocked by mysterious death in thorny forest
Debates around a mysterious death in Buriram were ignited after a chilling discovery in the dense thorny forest on the outskirts of Nong Hwai village revealed the body of 46 year old Nopadol, with signs of animal predation and a charred head, suggesting a possible unnatural death. Locals remain divided on the cause of death, with some suspecting heatstroke in…
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Magical mishap: Parents sue Monk after amulet test injures children
The parents of five children filed a lawsuit against a monk from Khao Rae Temple in the northern province of Sukhothai, after the monk injured the children while testing the magical powers of his amulets. The father of one of the children took to Facebook to share his 13 year old son’s story and pressured the monk, later identified as…
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Khon Kaen school deputy caught for soliciting mid-term bribes
A school deputy director in Khon Kaen has been apprehended by the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) on the grounds of soliciting tea money from parents for mid-term admissions. The arrest was a result of a parent’s complaint against the deputy director. The school director, according to the complaint, is associated with a school under the Khon Kaen Primary Educational Service…
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Mysterious stone turtle discovered in Thai cassava field
A colossal stone turtle, resembling a mythical creature under a spell, has been found nestled in a cassava field in Nakhon Ratchasima, sparking curiosity and awe among local cyclists and villagers. This natural marvel, discovered today, by a cycling group exploring the Khonburi region, has become a subject of fascination and speculation, with some even drawing lottery numbers from the…
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