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.
-
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...
-
Khon Kaen restaurant worker fatally crushed by malfunctioning lift
A freight elevator at a renowned restaurant in Khon Kaen malfunctioned and plummeted, fatally crushing a 46 year old female restaurant worker. The restaurant owner vowed to take full responsibility and provide compensation as police hasten their investigation to determine the cause of the accident. The calamity occurred at a well-known eatery situated along the Mittraphap Road in Khon Kaen’s…
-
Thai airports set to soar with billion-baht boost
The AOT, eagerly awaiting the green light from the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT), is on the cusp of obtaining public airport certification for Udon Thani, Buriram, and Krabi airports. According to Police General Wisnu Prasatthong-osot, the visionary chairman of the board, the AOT will begin the development of its airports as planned once the certifications have been received.…
-
Ganja overuse: Chinese man deported for causing chaos in Chiang Mai
Immigration police deported a Chinese man allegedly under the influence of excessive ganja use for causing chaos by walking shirtless, threatening locals, and destroying reflective traffic signs in Chiang Mai province. A motorist travelling along Liab Khlong Chonlapatarn Road in the Suthep sub-district of Chiang Mai province shared a video on social media on February 1, capturing the shirtless Chinese…
-
Suspect with mental health issues found dead in Khon Kaen cell
A 42 year old suspect was found dead in his cell at a police station in Manchakhiri, in the southern part of Khon Kaen province, northeastern Thailand. The deceased had been detained following a disturbance caused by intoxication, and his relatives had requested police intervention. The incident has highlighted concerns about handling individuals with a history of mental health issues and substance…
-
From brooms to boom: Street sweeper sweeps up 12-million-baht lottery jackpot
A street sweeper’s life transformed overnight when luck smiled upon her with a 12-million-baht government lottery win. Somsong Singsa, a 56 year old municipal worker from Si Sa Ket province, revealed that a vendor’s persuasion made her purchase two winning tickets. After four decades of toil, she now plans to resign and provide for her family, who are overjoyed at…
-
Significant drop in forest fires in Chiang Mai and northern region
Protected Areas Regional Office 16 Director Kritsayam Kongsatree revealed an unprecedented 79% drop in blazes across Chiang Mai and its northern neighbours. Department of National Parks, Wildlife, and Plant Conservation (DNP) Chief Kritsayam manages a colossal 7.8 million rai encompassing 19 forests in Chiang Mai and Lamphun. His proactive patrolling initiatives have slashed the number of hotspots from the ominous…
-
Thai woman narrowly escapes after car gets stuck on broken footbridge
A Thai woman narrowly escaped with her life after she drove her car onto a broken, wobbly wooden footbridge in the northern province of Phrae. The Sung Men Rescue Team successfully retrieved her car after she came a cropper. The 38 year old Thai woman carefully got out of her white sedan, a Honda City, which was stuck on the…
-
Thai woman fatally attacked with knife, secret affair suspected as motive
Police are searching for a killer who fatally attacked a Thai woman with a knife in the northern province of Sukhothai. The motive for the murder is suspected to be a secret affair and jealousy. Officers from the Ban Dan Lan Hoi Police Station dashed to the crime scene at 9.30am yesterday, January 28, and discovered the dead body of a…
-
Latex leak caused car pileup in Northeast Thailand
Torrential rains turned three major roads in the northeastern province of Loei into perilous zones, resulting in a 20-car pileup within a 3-hour span on January 25. The chaos unfolded when heavy rain triggered a cascade of calamities on Loei-Chiang Khan Road. The first report indicated a sprawling multi-car collision, prompting swift intervention from rescue teams. Loei-Wang Saphung Road and…
-
German president visits rice fields in Isaan and North Thailand
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier embarked on a journey to Thailand’s rice fields in Ubon Ratchathani and Chiang Rai. The two Thai provinces boast over 4.2 million rai of rice fields. President Steinmeier and his delegation paid a visit to the Suan Ta Rom Demonstration Farm in Trakan Phuet Phon district, Ubon Ratchathani. The 35-rai (56,000 square metres) integrated farmland showcased…
-
Fire engulfs recyclable waste mountain in northern Thailand
A fire erupted atop a mound of recyclable waste at the headquarters of Wongpanit International Co Ltd in Phitsanulok province. Fortunately, no casualties were reported. Over 20 fire engines and a multitude of firefighters battled for hours to wrestle the flames under control in the northern province’s Mueang district. Wongpanit, a recycling centre boasting over 2,000 franchise branches nationwide, witnessed…
-
Thai rural school fights educational inequality with single teacher for 19 students
A rural school overseen by the Primary Education Office of Nakhon Phanom in Nong Yat subdistrict has only 19 students with one single teacher looking after the class. Thanyalak Deechan, the only teacher at the Dong Choke Ratsadon-uthit school, revealed to Thai PBS that the establishment caters to 19 students ranging from kindergarten to primary 6. To compound the challenge, the…
-
Bear necessity: Swiss man sacrifices arm in bear attack
A Swiss man cut off his right arm as a bear locked his teeth onto his arm and stubbornly refused to release its grip while he was volunteering at a wildlife foundation in the northern province of Chiang Mai. The 32 year old Swiss man is in a private hospital in Chiang Mai province after being attacked by the Asian black…
-
Tiny feline duo rescued: Leopard kittens find new home in wildlife sanctuary
In a heartwarming rescue mission, two pint-sized leopard cats, abandoned in a sugarcane plot in Phichit‘s Sam Ngam district, have been saved by officials from Protected Areas Regional Office 12, Nakhon Sawan. The fluffy feline siblings, just a month old, were discovered by wildlife guardians, unharmed and thriving on their specially crafted milk diet. Playful and already bonding with their…
-
From Thai cave hero to Aussie royalty: Dr Richard Harris set to become next Lieutenant Governor
The doctor who played a pivotal role in the Thai cave rescue in Chiang Rai is now destined to become South Australia‘s next Lieutenant Governor. Dr Harris, hailed as the linchpin of the rescue mission in 2018, undertook vital medical assessments and provided crucial advice on the safest extraction methods for 12 trapped children, aged between 11 and 16, and…
-
Paws and ponder: Annual military dog auction raises tails in northern Thailand
Curiosity piques as the Department of Military Animals at the Army Canine Centre in Pak Chong, Nakhon Ratchasima unveils its annual spectacle, the military dog auction. Dog lovers and curious minds are in for a treat as we unravel why these heroic canines end up on the auction block. Contrary to popular belief, these military dogs aren’t rejected. Instead, they…
-
Thai police officer allegedly faked marriage certificate and swindles money from woman
An angry Thai woman accused a police officer in the northern province of Lamphun of forging a fake marriage certificate and defrauding more than 300,000 baht from her and her mother. The 39 year old woman named Aut urged Thai news agencies to help her seek justice after she and her mother lost more than 300,000 baht to a police sub-lieutenant…
-
Handcuffed Thai car thief escapes from police station in Chiang Rai
Officers are set to rearrest a Thai car thief two days after the suspect successfully escaped from Mueang Chiang Rai Police Station in northern Thailand despite being handcuffed. The thief stole a black Mitsubishi from a Thai woman in the northern province of Chiang Rai on January 13. He even posted a video of himself and the stolen car on…
-
Frenchman arrested in Chiang Mai for selling fake ID cards
Cyber Crime Investigation Bureau (CCIB) officers arrested a Frenchman in the northern province of Chiang Mai for making and selling fake identification (ID) cards of French citizens. Unfortunately, another French suspect managed to evade the arrest. The French authorities discovered the sale of counterfeit ID cards on the dark web. These fake identities were used to commit several crimes in…
-
RTA sergeant questioned over double murder at Nakhon Phanom petrol station
A Royal Thai Army (RTA) sergeant is now under intense interrogation in connection with the chilling double murder of two petrol station workers last month. Police Major General Thawatchai Thungpao, Nakhon Phanom police chief, led the operation yesterday afternoon, January 17, alongside crack investigators from Nakhon Phanom’s Muang station and Provincial Police Region 4. The suspect, still awaiting identification, is…
-
Bogus bucks: 2 Thai men nabbed for selling fake US dollar bills, 1 suspect still at large
Crime Suppression Division (CSD) officers arrested two Thai men for selling fake US dollar bills at a petrol station in the Isaan province of Buriram. Another suspect successfully evaded arrest and remains at large. Police in Buriram province received several reports about the use of counterfeit US dollar banknotes and discovered that most of the fake bills allegedly came from…
-
2 Polish women apologise for sunbathing in Chiang Mai temple
Chiang Mai Provincial Tourist Police tracked down two Polish women caught sunbathing on Sunday, January 14 at Chiang Man Temple in Chiang Mai province. The two foreigners apologised to locals for their inappropriate act. The Thais who saw the two foreign women sunning themselves on the grass at Chiang Man Temple on Sunday raised concerns via Channel 3, causing the…
-
Tiny tusker in a mud muddle: Brave Thai park rangers rescue baby elephant in perilous plight
A group of intrepid park rangers in Thailand stumbled upon a lone baby elephant at Tat Mok National Park, trapped in mud up to its tiny ears, faced a perilous fate until the rangers stepped in. The Department of National Parks, Wildlife and Plant Conservation (DNP) revealed that on January 11, vigilant park rangers discovered a baby elephant ensnared in…
-
Police inspector transferred to inactive post following son’s murder involvement in Sa Kaeo
A deputy inspector at Aranyaprathet Police Station has been temporarily transferred to an inactive post at Sa Kaeo police headquarters. Sa Kaeo Police Chief Police Major General Omsin Boonyanuson confirmed the move which aimed to prevent any interference in the murder investigation involving the officer’s teenage son and four other suspects. Speaking to reporters, Omsin assured the public of a…
-
Severe drought crisis looms in Nakhon Ratchasima with water reservoirs depleting
Nakhon Ratchasima province faces a severe drought crisis, with medium-sized water reservoirs at worrying levels, holding less than half their capacity. A halt on off-season rice farming has been ordered and urgent discussions are underway to secure water reserves throughout this year’s dry season. The Nakhon Ratchasima Irrigation Project’s water allocation division today reported on the water situation in the…
-
Concerns after two foreign women sunbathe in Chiang Mai temple
A Thai tourist called on the authorities to put up warning signs after spotting two foreign women sunbathing inside Chiang Man Temple in the northern province of Chiang Mai. The Thai tourist who witnessed the foreigners’ action took a picture and sent it to Channel 3 around 1.30pm yesterday, January 14. The picture showed two foreign women in shorts and…
-
Northeast Thailand: Mother and daughter injured after wild bull charged their motorcycle
A mother and her seven year old daughter yesterday were injured by a Khao Phaeng Ma wild bull which charged at them while the pair was riding a motorcycle in Nakhon Ratchasima. The bull ran in from the side of the road, crashing into the motorcycle. The mother fell to the ground whilst her daughter’s clothes got caught by the…
-
Thai doctors’ heroic efforts in saving 5 year old girl who drank cyanide
A heroic Thai doctor from Srisangwan Hospital in the northern province of Mae Hong Sorn shared her experience of saving the life of a five year old girl who accidentally drank silver cleaning fluid containing cyanide. The female doctor, Theerada Wongjai, shared the life-saving story on Facebook on January 7 beginning the post with the hashtag, #CyanideRunningCompetition. The hashtag reflected how…
-
Teacher grants funding to 10 year old boy who missed school to help grandmother
A heartbreaking story has surfaced about a 10 year old boy who diligently works to support his family. Despite being the mainstay for his grandmother, he often has to miss classes to sell garlands in order to make a living. The boy, Guitar (nickname), missed so much school that he kept having to repeat his year and is currently still…
-
Junior high school students breaks nose of fifth year senior in northern Thailand
A group of third year high school students attacked and kicked a fifth year student in the face until his nose was broken and covered in blood. The parents of the perpetrators were fined for a total of 9,000 baht. The parents of the injured student were shocked to find the same group of kids who assaulted their son posting…
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.