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.

  • Misleading GPS directions left female driver stranded in Phetchabun (video) | Thaiger

    Misleading GPS directions left female driver stranded in Phetchabun (video)

    A driver’s reliance on her GPS turned into an unexpected off-road adventure as she attempted to reach a coffee shop in Khao Kho, Phetchabun, resulting in the vehicle becoming stuck and necessitating assistance. The incident, captured on video and shared on TikTok by user @tulip_kunyapak, has attracted nearly 2 million views. The driver yesterday set out for a coffee shop…

  • Flight fright: Panic-stricken passenger causes turbulence at Chiang Mai Airport | Thaiger

    Flight fright: Panic-stricken passenger causes turbulence at Chiang Mai Airport

    A Canadian passenger reportedly experienced a panic attack while a plane was taking off from Chiang Mai International Airport last night and attempted to open the plane door, causing chaos and a delay at the airport. The situation was brought under control at around 11pm. Facebook account Watcharapon Pethsurp posted about the incident at about 9.57pm yesterday, February 7. The…

  • Khon Kaen buffet fines diner 9000 baht for uneaten food | Thaiger

    Khon Kaen buffet fines diner 9000 baht for uneaten food

    A buffet restaurant in Khon Kaen made headlines after a customer was faced with a hefty fine of 9,100 baht for leaving an excessive amount of uneaten food. However, the situation was amicably resolved, resulting in satisfaction on both sides. Oshinei Khon Kaen, a Japanese buffet restaurant in Khon Kaen, took to Facebook to recount an incident where a group…

  • Ancient dinosaur fossils discovered in Khon Kaen | Thaiger

    Ancient dinosaur fossils discovered in Khon Kaen

    Dinosaur fossils, estimated to be between 100 million to 110 million years old, have been unearthed in the Nam Phong district of Khon Kaen. The fossils, thought to be from the sauropod and spinosaurid species, were discovered by a team from the Department of Mineral Resources, led by Sasa-On Khansubha, a palaeontologist from the Sirindhorn Dinosaur Museum. The initial investigation…

  • Luxury Porsche worth 5 million baht goes up in flames after crashing in Phitsanulok | Thaiger

    Luxury Porsche worth 5 million baht goes up in flames after crashing in Phitsanulok

    A Porsche Panamera, estimated to be worth no less than 5 million baht, was found engulfed in flames after veering off the road and crashing into an electric pole at 1.40am this morning, in the Phlai Chumphon area of Phitsanulok. Police and rescue teams rushed to the accident scene only to find the driver missing. Upon arrival at the scene…

  • Khon Kaen restaurant worker fatally crushed by malfunctioning lift | Thaiger

    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 | Thaiger

    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 | Thaiger

    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…

  • Thai teen’s tragic demise: Knife throw turns road into deadly game | Thaiger

    Thai teen’s tragic demise: Knife throw turns road into deadly game

    A 14 year old Thai boy died in hospital after two teenagers threw a knife at him on a road in the Isaan province of Ubon Ratchathani last Thursday, February 1. An altercation between two groups of Thai teenagers on Khutkhaopun-Pathummarat Road was reported to Kut Khaopun Police Station at about 8pm on February 1. A 14 year old victim…

  • From brooms to boom: Street sweeper sweeps up 12-million-baht lottery jackpot | Thaiger

    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 | Thaiger

    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 | Thaiger

    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…

  • Bus hostess killed, six injured in Phitsanulok night crash | Thaiger

    Bus hostess killed, six injured in Phitsanulok night crash

    A tragic collision between a tour bus and an 18-wheel truck at a U-turn near a gas station in Phitsanulok in lower northern Thailand resulted in the death of a bus hostess and left six passengers injured. The incident occurred at 12.15am today, January 29, when the Nakhon Chai Air bus travelling from Phrae to Bangkok was struck by the…

  • Latex leak caused car pileup in Northeast Thailand | Thaiger

    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 | Thaiger

    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 | Thaiger

    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…

  • Mysterious death in Udon Thani: Woman found in park pond | Thaiger

    Mysterious death in Udon Thani: Woman found in park pond

    A woman’s body was discovered floating in a pond in Udon Thani, sparking a police investigation into the mysterious death. Around 11.50am today, January 26, a student stumbled upon the grim find in Nong Prachak Park, not far from the city centre. The body, presumed to be of a woman aged between 40-45 years old, showed no signs of physical…

  • Bear necessity: Swiss man sacrifices arm in bear attack | Thaiger

    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 | Thaiger

    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 | Thaiger

    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…

  • 16 year old motorcycle rider attacked by 2 teenage attackers in Chiang Mai | Thaiger

    16 year old motorcycle rider attacked by 2 teenage attackers in Chiang Mai

    A 16 year old boy filed a complaint against two teenage attackers who last week assaulted him and tried to steal his motorcycle on a road in the northern province of Chiang Mai. The mother of the victim took to social media after the two attackers remained at large even though the physical assault took place almost a week ago,…

  • Thai police officer allegedly faked marriage certificate and swindles money from woman | Thaiger

    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 | Thaiger

    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 | Thaiger

    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…

  • Lottery vendor scoops 6 million baht lottery jackpot | Thaiger

    Lottery vendor scoops 6 million baht lottery jackpot

    A lottery vendor in Nakhon Phanom province scooped the first prize jackpot in yesterday’s lottery draw. The winning ticket, number 105979 landed a 6 million baht bounty for the vendor. The 63 year old lottery vendor, Onchan Suriyon, also known as Uan, resides at Ban Thung Mon, Village No. 8, Kham Toei Subdistrict, Mueang District, and set up her stall at…

  • Bogus bucks: 2 Thai men nabbed for selling fake US dollar bills, 1 suspect still at large | Thaiger

    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 | Thaiger

    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 | Thaiger

    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…

  • Young girl finds and returns gold bracelet worth 70,000 baht to owner | Thaiger

    Young girl finds and returns gold bracelet worth 70,000 baht to owner

    A primary 4 girl returned a gold bracelet worth more than 70,000 baht to its owner. Villagers flocked to praise the honest girl who picked up a 2 baht (approximately 30.32 grammes) gold bracelet and returned it to the owner. The girl, of Number 53, Village No. 2, Ban Talu Non Muang. Samrong Ta Jen Subdistrict, Khukhan District, Si Sa…

  • Severe drought crisis looms in Nakhon Ratchasima with water reservoirs depleting | Thaiger

    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…