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 Do foreigners get free healthcare in Thailand?
Thailand’s healthcare system is well-regarded across Southeast Asia, with options ranging from public hospitals to world-class private facilities. But when it comes to foreign residents or tourists, healthcare access isn’t as straightforward. So, do foreigners get free healthcare in Thailand?...
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Thailand’s air pollution leads to 200,000 hospital admissions in past week
Thailand’s current air pollution levels have led to 200,000 hospital admissions over the past week. As heavy find dust blankets the north, northeast and greater Bangkok, the Health Ministry says dust levels are at an unsafe level. The Ministry says those who were admitted to the hospital are suffering from pollution-related respiratory problems. Since the start of 2023, more than…
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Thai plus-size pageant ladies have eating contest with an elephant
A group of Thai plus-size beauty pageant contestants partook in an eating contest with an elephant yesterday in the northeast Nakhon Ratchasima province. The Miss Jumbo Queen beauty pageant is not just about celebrating plus-size beauty, it also aims to boost Nakhon Ratchasima’s tourism and help society. The contestants are taking part in several charitable causes, one of which is…
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Thais on Lao border bear the brunt of haze crisis
Residents living along the border of Laos in Thailand’s northeast Nakhon Phanom province are facing the brunt of the country’s haze crisis. PM2.5 levels reached 167 micrograms (MCG) per cubic metre in four districts yesterday, according to the city’s Office of Natural Resource and Environment. These districts include Muang, Bang Phaeng, Tha Uthen, and That Phanom. Any level above 50…
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Thai police find large lot of drugs in Chiang Rai, Lampang provinces
Thai police have reportedly found a large lot of drugs in the northern provinces of Chiang Rai and Lampang. The police say they confiscated nine million methamphetamine tablets, 20 kilogrammes of ketamine, and 297 kilogrammes of crystal methamphetamine (Ice) in three separate seizures. The first seizure saw police finding 12 plastic boxes with two million methamphetamine pills, 297 kilogrammes of…
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High-ranking Thai police officer dies in paramotor accident
A high-ranking Thai police officer died in a paramotor accident near the Ubol Ratana Dam in Khon Kaen province in northeast Thailand on Sunday. At 4pm, staff at Ubol Ratana Hospital were informed that someone was seriously injured after a paramotor crash near a famous restaurant in Ban Non Sawan village in the Kluan Ubol Rat subdistrict. Pol. Col. Nattadej…
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47 macaques found in Isaan crammed in plastic cages for Chinese medicine
Thai police have rescued 47 macaques that were being smuggled out of the country for probable use in traditional Chinese medicine. The macaques were found crammed into plastic cages on the back of a pickup truck in Isaan, suffering from overcrowding and neglect. The disturbing scene was uncovered by the Natural Resources and Environmental Crime Suppression Division and national park…
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Thai man buys gold with 30,000 baht in coins
A Thai man has used nothing but coins to buy 30,000 baht of gold at a shop in the northeast province of Maha Sarakham. Tangmo Konrakkwai, the shop owner, said the customer called and asked if the store accepted coins as payment for gold. She told the customer yes but didn’t think the payment would only consist of coins. According…
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SRT unveils progress on Den Chai-Chiang Rai Tunnel excavation
The State Railway of Thailand (SRT) public relations chief yesterday revealed excavations on the Den Chia-Chiang Rai tunnel is underway. Ekkarat Sriarayanpong announced that work has begun on the 6.2-kilometre tunnel which will connect Den Chai in Phrae with Chiang Rai’s Chiang Khong district. The five-year project, situated on the banks of the Mekong River, is an ambitious plan that…
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Hit-and-run crash kills Move Forward candidate in northern Thailand
A hit-and-run crash killed a Move Forward candidate in northern Thailand, who was expected to seek a constituency seat in Phrae province. The prospective candidate, Tiranon ‘Lawyer Ken’ Wiantham, was hit by a speeding truck in the province after campaigning on Sunday, February 26, according to witnesses. He died from his injuries yesterday morning. Tiranon was a volunteer lawyer known…
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Ex-boyfriend shoots teacher 3 times at kindergarten in Nong Bua Lamphu, Thailand
An ex-boyfriend shot his ex-girlfriend, a kindergarten teacher, three times in northeast Thailand’s Nong Bua Lamphu province yesterday. The man shot the teacher, Wanpen, twice in the chest and once in her stomach, at the kindergarten where she taught. One witness, a contractor renovating the school, said he heard gunshots and found Wanpen lying near the front door of the…
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Drunk lawyer tries to flee after causing 9 vehicle crash
A drunken lawyer attempted to flee the scene of a crime in his damaged car after he crashed his Isuzu MU-7 SUV into nine cars on the road in the Isaan province of Udon Thani. The blood alcohol content in the alleged drunk registered at a staggering 219 milligrammes. This is significantly higher than the legal limit of 50 milligrammes, indicating…
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Man robbed at gunpoint by prostitute’s husband in Isaan
A man highlighted the dangers of booking a prostitute after he was robbed at gunpoint by the sex worker’s husband in the Isaan province of Khon Kaen. The criminal couple was arrested on Monday, which also led to the arrest of ten other prostitutes, but because the victim did not file a complaint with the police the couple got off…
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New meth pills under 10 baht each flooding market
If you’ve been thinking of dabbling in meth but found the pills cost-prohibitive, drug cartels are here to help. They’ve been flooding the Northeast of Thailand with cheap methamphetamine pills, costing under 10 baht each, causing concern among authorities. How do manufacturers manage to keep the cost of pills so low? The answer is insecticide. Drug makers use insecticide as…
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Udon Thani thief with a heart of gold, and head of lead
What happened to an Udon Thani thief last week could so easily happen to any of us. You are strolling down the street – or cycling – and something in a shop window catches your eye, shiny and glittery. You pause to admire some random treasure beyond the glass and you think: “That’s beautiful. I’d love to own that.” But…
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Officials warn those in Thailand’s northeastern province of Chaiyaphum of Norovirus
Officials are warning those living in Thailand’s northeastern province of Chaiyaphum of the spread of Norovirus. Residents are being advised to make sure food is properly cooked and contains no raw or half-cooked ingredients. According to Thai PBS World, more than 300 students at four schools in the Mueang district have been sent to hospitals since Tuesday. Several were admitted…
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Elderly couple attacked by over 10,000 wild bees in northern Thailand
An elderly couple in the northern province of Tak suffered a terrifying attack by a swarm of over ten thousand wild bees. The couple, both around 70 years old, was sitting in front of their house near the Ping River in the Baan Tak district when the bees descended upon them without warning. The couple endured multiple stings all over…
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Tubing in northern Thailand bustling with foreign tourists
A Thai TikToker recently shared a video of foreign tourists enjoying a tubing adventure along the Pai River in Mae Hong Son, a northern province of Thailand. Thai netizens were overwhelmed by the video, saying it was a sign the kingdom is well on the way to economic recovery and tourism is booming once more. @roritarkratair posted the video yesterday…
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Rare trees bloom with beautiful flowers on Thai-Lao border
Rare trees are blooming with beautiful flowers at a national park on northern Thailand’s border with Laos. The Doi Phukha National Park in Nan province is currently a sight to behold as the rare Chompoo Phu Kha trees have burst into bloom. The trees display white-pink flowers that grow in long bunches once a year from the end of February…
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2 monkeys dead as police catch smugglers red-handed
We’re not going to make a “monkey business” pun, but there’s big business in smuggling monkeys. Two men were apprehended attempting to catch long-tailed macaques and were expecting to receive up to 100,000 baht per monkey. Police arrested the two men at the Wat Khao No tourist attraction in Nakhon Sawan. A 23 year old man and a 37 year…
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Thunderstorms in north Thailand, floods in Bangkok
The Thai Meteorological Department has issued a weather warning for thunderstorms in north Thailand until Friday. The met office expects temperatures to fall by up to 3 degrees Celsius and has cautioned residents to beware of big trees and unsafe advertising hoardings. The department advised farmers to prepare for crop damage. Meanwhile, the weather in Bangkok turned from swelteringly suffocating…
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A Valentine’s Day surprise: agency spots heart-shaped forest in Chiang Rai
Nature nerds will be delighted to learn on Valentine’s Day (today) that Thailand’s space technology agency has discovered a heart-shaped forest in the northern Chiang Rai province. The Geo-Informatics and Space Technology Development Agency (GISTDA) added a unique touch to the celebration of Valentine’s Day by releasing an incredible aerial photo of the forest. The photo was captured by the…
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Woman files lawsuit after cheating husband infected her & now dead baby with HIV
A woman sought assistance from a renowned Thai lawyer to file a lawsuit against her husband after he infected her and their baby with HIV after cheating on her. Sadly, the virus later killed their newborn baby. The famous Thai lawyer, Kirdphon Kaewkird, revealed the woman’s story on Facebook account yesterday. He said… “I am depressed… I received a call…
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Mystery surrounding monkeys disappearing from temple
A monkey mystery has been forming in the northeast province of Loei, complete with unexplained clandestine g-men. Tham Pha Mak Ho Temple was a popular hangout for hundreds of monkeys, but they have been disappearing in big numbers recently. An investigation has been launched in the Wang Saphung district in the sparsely populated Isaan province following the mysterious disappearance of…
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Bangkok lottery retailer scammed out of 36,000 baht in fake lottery ticket fiasco
A Bangkok lottery retailer filed a complaint with the police after she was tricked into buying 400 fake tickets worth 36,000 baht by a big lottery dealer in the Isaan province of Khon Kaen. The victim, Paiwan, and her husband filed a complaint at Rattanathibet Police Station on February 10 at 3pm after she realised that she had been scammed.…
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Give your lover shallots this Valentine’s Day, suggests PM Prayut
The smell of red onion is in the air this Valentine’s Day in Thailand as Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha invites the public to send shallots to their lover instead of a red rose this year. PM Prayut is pushing shallots as a symbol of love this V-day to support shallot farmers in Srisaket province in northeast Thailand. The shallots grown…
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Over 70 people exposed to rabies in northeast Thailand
Over 70 people have been exposed to rabies in Thailand’s northeast provinces of Surin and Buriram. In Surin, 67 people were found to be at risk for contracting the disease, while seven people in Buriram were at risk, adding up to a total of 74 people at risk, according to the chief of the Disease Prevention and Control Office 9.…
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Chiang Mai tackles PM2.5 pollution with giant vacuum cleaner
Thailand‘s Disaster Department is testing out a giant vacuum cleaner as a way to tackle the PM2.5 dust pollution problem that plagues the northern city of Chiang Mai every ‘burning season.’ Every year, farmers around Thailand send their forests and fields up in smoke because it’s the cheapest way to prepare to plant new crops causing PM2.5 levels to shoot…
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Tarmacked forest in Thai conservation area sparks outrage
Netizens are scratching their heads at the Department of National Park‘s decision to tarmac a forest inside a conservation area at a wildlife sanctuary in Chiang Mai province in northern Thailand. No space at all was left around the tree trunks to allow the trees to breathe and grow. An outraged Facebook user posted a picture of the newly tarmacked…
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Authorities investigate mass haircut punishment at northern Thailand school
Thai authorities are investigating after a video surfaced on social media showing a school teacher in the northern Phetchabun province cutting the hair of over 100 students on Tuesday as punishment for violating haircut rules. Education Minister Trinuch Thienthong ordered state agencies to investigate the school director and teacher involved in the incident. Trinuch said the behaviour of the teacher…
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Thai Bonnie and Clyde arrested after hitting 32 petrol stations in Isaan
More than 50 police officers joined forces to arrest a Thai Bonnie and Clyde who robbed 32 petrol stations after the scoundrels ran circles around officers in several provinces of the Isaan part of Thailand. One of the suspects worked as a PT Petrol station manager and used insider information to rob other branches under the same brand. They stole…
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